Great Birding in Malawi

The tiny, land-locked country of Malawi tends to be overlooked as a great birding destination.

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The tiny, land-locked country of Malawi tends to be overlooked as a great birding destination. Incorrectly so, for more than 650 bird species have been recorded here, of which 450 are resident. Furthermore, and of special interest to birders living to the south, some 70 species are found nowhere else in the southern African sub-region, and Malawi also provides easy access to a number of species for which East Africa is noted. All in all there are rich pickings for birders in this beautiful, friendly country aptly publicized as the 'warm heart of Africa'.

Malawi straddles the great African Rift Valley in southern central Africa. Although a land-locked country, anyone visiting the shores of Lake Malawi could be excused for thinking that they had reached the ocean, especially if a strong breeze was whipping up 'white horses' and swells, creating waves thundering down upon the sandy beaches. Described as the 'lake of stars', for as dawn breaks across the eastern horizon, the broad, smooth expanse of water glistens in hues of red, orange and gold, while fishermen drift quietly by in their hand-hewn dugouts. Although at times you can see across the lake to the far shore, more often than not it is too hazy to distinguish a shoreline - the smoke from the burning of fallow lands in preparation for the rains, or simply dust stirred by winds blowing over tilled lands, reduces the visibility.

The dominant vegetation of Malawi is Brachystegia or miombo woodlands, or what remains of them, as the country's rural population live from day to day by means of subsistence farming. The economy of this small country (one-sixth the size of Texas) is based on agriculture, indeed 90 per cent of its population is rural and agriculture accounts for 40 per cent of the GDP and 90 per cent of its export revenues. Almost 70 per cent of agricultural produce comes from smallholder farmers, with the principal crops being maize, tobacco, tea, sugar cane, groundnuts and coffee. With a population in excess of 10 million, almost every available piece of arable land is cultivated. It is understandable that the current issues facing Malawi are deforestation, water pollution from agricultural run-off, and siltation of fish spawning grounds (Malawi has over 400 species of freshwater fish, and the largest number of cichlid fish species in the world).

It would be impossible to deny that the environmental problems besetting Malawi have not had their effect on the country's indigenous plant life, birds and other creatures of the wild. But the situation could have been far worse if it had not been for the foresight of the previous and current governments of Malawi. They have attached great importance to the protection of their natural heritage and this is reflected in the number of national parks and reserves within the country. Despite the burdens of overpopulation, almost 21 per cent of Malawi's land area is set aside as either national park, game reserve or forest reserve - compare this to Africa's powerhouse, South Africa, with a paltry seven per cent! The basic policy of Malawi's Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife Resources is to protect selected examples of the different biotic communities within the country. These areas are managed in accordance with the idea of maintaining flora and fauna in the interests of science, protecting the natural heritage, and providing recreational and educational facilities for the increasing numbers of visitors to Malawi. Many of these areas have been set aside to protect areas of water catchment, and a number, if not all, are of paramount importance from a birder's and naturalist's perspective.

Malawi has a total bird list of over 650 species, only 90 fewer than Zambia which is six times as large. Although there are no birds endemic to Malawi, there are some that are almost so - the Malawi Batis, Thyolo Alethe, White-winged Babbling Starling, Gunning's Akalat and White-winged Apalis. Other attractions, especially from the perspective of southern African birders, are the 70-odd species not found on their home turf and the number of others that are real specials - the Wattled Crane, Pel's Fishing Owl and Böhm's Bee-eater, for example, and also the Green-headed Oriole, Collared Palm Thrush and Blue Swallow. Other species such as Böhm's Flycatcher, Sharpe's Akalat, Black-lored and Churring cisticolas, Black-backed Barbet, White-backed Night Heron and Boulder Chat, have very restricted ranges in other parts of Africa.

The birding is good at many localities in Malawi, but it would be difficult for me to list them all in an article such as this. I have, therefore, limited my introductions to those places where visiting birders are most likely to add substantially to their life-lists, and that are easily accessible within the context of a stay limited, as most folk are, by time.

For me and many other Malawi enthusiasts, the Dzalanyama Forest Reserve to the south-west of the capital, Lilongwe, and an important water-catchment area for the city, is a must on any birding itinerary. Dzalanyama, an area of pristine Brachystegia woodland, covers the foothills and slopes forming the border with Mozambique. It is an easy journey from Lilongwe and the rest house is quaint and serviced, complete with Malawian cook and 'washer-upper'. It is here at Dzalanyama that the Boulder Chat was recently found to occur. Exciting miombo woodland species such as Spotted Creeper, Souza's Shrike, Cabanis's Bunting, Violet-backed Sunbird, Anchieta's Sunbird, Southern and Yellow-bellied hyliotas, Rufous-bellied Tit, Miombo Tit, Red-faced and Red-capped crombecs, Whyte's Barbet and Olive-headed Weavers are but a few of the 60 to 70 species you will see in a day. Other good ticks would include the Miombo Double-collared Sunbird, Red-throated Twinspot, Black-eared Canary, Stripe-breasted Canary and Grey Waxbill. Leopard, klipspringer and duiker are infrequently encountered here, but you might be lucky and catch a glimpse as you make your way down one of the forest paths.

Equally rewarding, yet quite different, is the remnant patch of evergreen forest of Thyolo Mountain. Situated in the far south of Malawi and surrounded by tea estates, this is the last remaining 200 hectares of the evergreen forest that once covered the entire upland region as far as the eye could see. You will need permission from the manager of the Satemwa Tea Estate to visit the forest. Although access is restricted it has sadly not altogether prevented exploitation along the edges of, as well as within, this very important patch of forest. Important species here include Thyolo Alethe, a robin that specializes in feeding in the vicinity of foraging ants; Green-headed Oriole and White-winged Apalis, species of remnant forest patches stretching from the south Kenya coast to Gorongosa Mountain in Mozambique; Bar-tailed Trogon, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Nyasa Seedcracker, Placid Bulbul, Grey Cuckooshrike, and Orange and Spotted ground thrushes. The Tambourine Dove, Emerald Cuckoo, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Eastern Saw-wing Swallow and Starred Robin are also good ticks at Thyolo.

Malawi has five national parks. If you are a snorkeller or interested in fish, then you should visit the Lake Malawi National Park. Gazetted in 1980, it is the world's first national park set aside for the protection of freshwater fish. Centred at Cape Maclear, where David Livingstone first established a mission station, there is a small aquarium and an information centre. The park is rather disjointed in that it protects the rocky shorelines and small uninhabitable islands of parts of Lake Malawi that are important breeding grounds for the lake's 500-plus species of cichlid fish, many of which may be seen in aquaria world-wide. Although Lake Malawi is a great place to relax and soak up the sun, as a destination for birders in a hurry to exact the most out of their stay, it has little to offer above many other water and wetland sites.

We strongly recommend visits to Liwonde and Nyika national parks - in reality they are worthy of separate trips, but if time allows then it is most worthwhile to bend your itinerary to include both as the birding is exceptional.

Liwonde National Park was established to protect the important riverine vegetation and mopane woodland of the upper Shiré Valley. Established little more than two decades ago and although small in comparison to the other parks (it is only 548 square kilometres in extent), Liwonde is now Malawi's showpiece park. A major feature of the park is the Shiré River, protected on both banks and providing a natural water highway, one of the last refuges in the country for Nile crocodile and hippos. A recent co-operative project between the South African National Parks Board and the Government of Malawi began fencing the park to prevent poaching, including restocking with game that previously occurred, and constructing suitable overnight accommodation facilities.

The newly-built Mvuu Camp and the Mvuu Lodge are much in demand, not only from international travellers, but also as a weekend getaway for locals living as far afield as Blantyre and Lilongwe. The splendid new tented camp supercedes the old one of the same name - a well-used group of rondavels and brick cottages designed for the height disadvantaged, where, unless you were the dimensions of a lithe gymnast, you had little chance of levering your way past the bed and into the bathroom. The new set-up, with separate communal ablution facilities and a separate kitchen-cum-dining area facing the Shiré River, is an incomparable improvement.

The wide Shiré River, forging its way southwards over tumultuous rapids and falls to join the Zambezi beyond Malawi's borders, is close to the western boundary of the park and the outflow of Lake Malawi. It is the outlook of both camps, and although the small eight-bedded, up-market Mvuu Lodge is sited along a quiet backwater of the main river, splendid views of the mighty Shiré can be had from its bar/dining deck. Both the camp and the lodge are managed by Central African Wilderness Safaris, a sister company of the well-respected Wilderness Safaris based in South Africa and can be booked with vacationtechnician.com.

Mvuu means hippo in Chichewa (Malawi's national language) and there is no shortage of them here - Liwonde undoubtedly supports one of the largest concentrations of this gargantuan river horse in Africa - and their incessant cavorting and grunting to the accompaniment of squabbling African Jacanas form the characteristic daytime chorus. The night brings respite, however, and the gentler sounds take over - the quiet distant foghorn call of a Pel's Fishing Owl or the plop of fish in desperate flight to avoid the feeding crocodiles, may pleasingly interrupt your sleeping hours.

Staying at Mvuu means taking a boat trip. One of the vessels, the Danny Pea, constructed of Mulanje cedar and impervious to attack by insects, is painted, yes, pea-green and is the pride of Chris Badger's river fleet. Chris, the managing director of Central African Wilderness Safaris, has reason to have more than just a touch of affection for his boat as it carries the name of his son, Danny P. Badger. A sturdy vessel is a great comfort in these parts as crocodiles and the aforementioned hippos are abundant. Furthermore, this is one of the few areas where one can get close to elephants in a boat as they feed from the water on grasses and reeds fringing the river and within the large delta system to the south of Mvuu.

The riverine habitat comprises Phoenix reclinata palms draped over the edges of the river banks, groves of fan palms Hyphaene, grasslands, papyrus beds and high river banks with sausage and leadwood trees, fading very quickly to mopane woodlands a matter of 300 metres away from the water's edge.
Liwonde has an impressive bird list by any standards - more than 400 species have been recorded. Along the river, species such as White-backed Night Heron, Pel's Fishing Owl, thousands of White-breasted Cormorant, African Skimmer, Bat Hawk, Palmnut Vulture, the occasional Gull-billed Tern, Marsh Tchagra, and many kingfishers will be seen. In the flooded delta area, one can find Pygmy Goose, Lesser Jacana and, atop the dead fan palms, one might find Dickinson's Kestrel, Palmnut Vulture, Osprey, Red-necked Falcons, and Banded Snake-Eagle. In the riverine scrub between the river and the mopane woodlands, look out for Brown-breasted Barbet, Böhm's Bee-eater, and Lilian's Lovebirds by the thousands. Cormorants, herons, and egrets ply the waterway upstream and downstream. Livingstone's Flycatcher, elusive and frenetic in behaviour, tests one skills. In the tall, open mopane woodlands, Racket-tailed Roller and, for those who find non-feathered animals diverting, the magnificent sable antelope are frequently seen.

The Nyika Plateau, lying to the north of Malawi, is a wild, remote and spectacular area of rolling montane grasslands interspersed with pockets of evergreen forest. The upland area of the Nyika Plateau, designated in 1966, was Malawi's first national park. An important extension to the park, effectively doubling its size to provide additional protection to an important water-catchment area, was gazetted in 1976. One can still see evidence of where homesteads used to stand, here and there the odd exotic Eucalyptus tree being the giveaway. Thanks to the extension, Nyika is currently Malawi's largest park with a total area of 3 134 square kilometres. Game on the plateau is plentiful, with reedbuck, common duiker and roan antelope being the dominant animals. Eland and zebra are frequently seen, while leopard and bushpig are often highlights on evening drives. The flower-filled, rolling grasslands of the plateau are home to Wattled Crane, Denham's Bustard, Churring and Black-lored cisticolas, Common Quail, Rufous-naped Lark, Red-tufted Malachite Sunbird and Mountain Nightjar.

The evergreen forest pockets, often beginning in Nyika's valley heads and following drainage lines, are sanctuary to the large chequered elephant shrew, bushpig and forest duikers and a number of forest-dwelling birds such as Moustached Green Tinkerbird, Fuelleborn's Boubou, Sharpe's Akalat, Olive-flanked Alethe, Brown-headed Apalis, Scaly Francolin, Oriole Finch, Malawi Batis, White-tailed Flycatcher and Bar-tailed Trogon.

Kasungu National Park, with an area of 2316 square kilometres, is within easy reach of Lilongwe and is justifiably popular. The park protects the upper catchment areas of the Bua and Dwangwa rivers, which together form a major portion of the drainage area of the Central Region. Brachystegia woodlands dominate the park, the bush is thick and although formerly well stocked with game such as buffalo, elephant, roan, sable, zebra and waterbuck, they were not easy to see - in recent times the park has been subjected to heavy poaching, allegedly from the Zambian side, although stringent efforts are being made to counter these incursions.

And finally, we would suggest a stopover in Lengwe National Park in the deep south - the only national park in Malawi with on-line electricity, courtesy of SUCOMA, the huge sugar farming co-operative of Malawi, whose estates virtually surround this park. Lengwe is only 37 metres above sea-level and hotter than Hades, but the rewards are well worth any discomfort. It is an important area for many of the birds South Africans might know from Zululand; species such as Woodwards' Batis, Rudd's Apalis and Crested Guineafowl reach the northern extremes of their ranges here. Vanga Flycatcher, much sought after by southern African birders, Livingstone's Flycatcher, Swallow-tailed and Böhm's bee-eaters and Barred Long-tailed Cuckoos also occur here, as do Bearded Robin, Collared Palm Thrush, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Gabar Goshawk, and Wahlberg's and Tawny eagles. It is an area of lowland thornveld and broadleaved scrub, susceptible to flooding during the wet season. Livingstone's suni, nyala, warthog and samango monkeys are frequent visitors to the nearby waterhole at the national park camp.

In her preface to her most useful Visitor's Guide to Malawi, author Martine Maurel confesses that she wrote it 'on the horns of a dilemma. One horn urges that Malawi should be written about ... the other horn urges one to keep one's mouth closed and hug the secret of Malawi to oneself ...' I know how she feels, but as she concludes '... Malawi really does deserve to be written about. The reader will know what is meant only when he or she has visited this very special place, which together with its very special people, tends to leave its imprint on one's soul'. I couldn't agree more and have only one thing to add - the birding's great into the bargain!

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Liwonde National Park
Birding in Malawi

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