ABOUT THE BIRDING

Kasanka National Park is a small park located northwest of Lusaka on the southwestern edge of the Lake Bangweulu Basin. During the 1990's the wildlife in the park was heavily decimated by poachers. The park was rescued by a British expatriate, David Lloyd, and local farmers, who together turned the park into a money-making tourist attraction. This led to the involvement of the Zambian government to develop the park for tourism. Habitat in the park is mainly Miombo woodland, forest swamps, grassland, floodplain, and riverine bushveld. While large herds of wildlife are absent, the park features good populations of rare Lichtenstein's Hartebeest, Sable Antelope, and Puku. Also present are rare animals of swamps such as Blue Monkey, Sharpe's Grysbok, and Sitatunga. During November-December a spectacle is the flight of millions of Straw-colored Fruit Bats leaving their roosts at dusk.

and Birding in the park is simply superb, with many difficult species possible. The best birding habitat are the moist strips of woodland, or mishutus, where the normally scarce Boehm's Bee-eater and Bocage's Akalat can be found. Also possible in the habitat are Pale-billed Hornbill and Anchieta's Sunbird. Other species in this habitat include Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Black-backed Barbet, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrike, African Crested-Flycatcher, Little Greenbul, Cabanis's Greenbul, Gray Apalis, African Thrush, Green-headed Sunbird, Forest Weaver, Black-tailed Waxbill, Peters's Twinspot, and Black-and-white Mannikin. The extensive tracts of Miombo forest feature a long list of species including Thick-billed Cuckoo, Racket-tailed Roller, Whyte's Barbet, Anchieta's Barbet, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Rufous-bellied Tit, African Penduline-Tit, Spotted Creeper, Red-capped Crombec, Greencap Eremomela, Black-necked Eremomela, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Boehm's Flycatcher, Bearded Scrub-Robin, Miombo Scrub-Robin, Miombo Rock-Thrush, Bush Pipit, Cabanis's Bunting, and Black-eared Seedeater. Wetlands are home to many widely distributed aquatic birds, while rivers are home to African Finfoot and Half-collared Kingfisher. Wet dambos are home to Coppery-tailed Coucal, Marsh Tchagra, Fuelleborn's Longclaw, and Fawn-breasted Waxbill.

LOCATION OF SITE

Kasanka National Park is located about 7 hours drive northwest of Lusaka, not far from the Bangweulu wetlands and Mutinondo Wilderness.

OTHER LOCALES

• Bangweulu Wetlands
• Barotse Floodplain
• Batoka Gorge
• Kafue Flats
• Kafue National Park
• Lower Zambesi National Park
• Mutinondo Wilderness
• Nchila Wildlife Reserve
• Nkanga River Area
• North Luangwa National Park
• South Luangwa National Park