ABOUT THE BIRDING

Mutinondo Wilderness is a private reserve located about 30 km west of the Luangwa Valley and southeast of Kasanka National Park. The landscape is mostly Miombo forest with giant granite inselbergs, clear rivers, beautiful waterfalls, and numerous dambos. Some consider it one of the most beautiful places in Africa. Few large mammals or predators are present, so it's safe to walk about the reserve. Birding can be quite slow, typical of monotonous stands of Miombo, but rewarding nevertheless. The reserve features most of the Miombo specialty birds, including Whyte's Barbet, Anchieta's Barbet, Miombo Barbet, Black-backed Barbet, Miombo Tit, Miombo Wren-Warbler, Miombo Scrub-Robin, Miombo Rock-Thrush, Miombo Sunbird, and Eastern Double-collared Sunbird. The primary target bird is Bar-winged Weaver, a difficult nuthatch-like bird of the forest. Other birds include Reichard's Seedeater, which is quite common, Retz's Helmetshrike, White-breasted, Cuckoo-shrike, Rufous-bellied Tit, Laura's Wood-Warbler, Fan-tailed Grassbird, Pale Flycatcher, Hartlaub's Babbler, Cabanis's Bunting, Yellow-throated Petronia, and Fawn-breasted Waxbill.

LOCATION OF SITE

Mutinondo Wilderness is located about 600 km northwest of Lusaka. It's reached by driving north from Lusaka to Kapiri Mposhi and then 364 km on the Great North Road. At 164 km north of Serenje. Turn right at a white sign across from the Jehovah's Witness church and continue 25 km on the private road to the reserve.

OTHER LOCALES

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