By Faansie Peacock

A twitching team consisted of 13 people in 4 vehicles visited Central Mozambique in December 2002.

• Land Cruiser (Subgroup 1) Riaan du Toit, Ronel Viljoen, Derick Peacock, Faansie Peacock
• Pajero (Subgroup 1) Frans v Vuuren, Adele v Vuuren, Leon Kay
• Isuzu double-cab bakkie (Subgroup 2) Lukas Botha, Pieter van Zyl, Duan Biggs, Erin Bohensky
• Isuzu single-cab bakkie (Subgroup 2) Andre V Wyk, Theresa v Wyk

Our departure from Pretoria on the afternoon of  Thursday, 12 December was signalled with a massive thunderstorm. Hoping that this was not a sign of what kind of weather we could expect on our trip, we pushed on towards Messina where we would meet the rest of the party. Progress was steady up until Louis Trichardt, where a large truckhad overturned and blocked the road. This meant a long detour, causing us to arrive in Messina at 00:00. After three hours' sleep in the Baobab Resort we went through the Beitbridge border at dawn. Birding started off with a few roadside sightings as we cruised through Zim. Meves's Longtailed Starling, Redbacked Shrike, Yellowbilled Kite, Redbilled Woodhoopoe, Gymnogene and others kept us entertained. At one stop at the base of a rock outcrop, we encountered a single Whyte's Barbet. Just outside Masvingo, we were treated to good views of a few Lesser Spotted Eagles perched next to the road.

CASA MSIKA

The Forbes' Border post near Mutare behind us, we reached Casa Msika, on the shores of the Chicamba dam at dusk, just in time to add Pied Wagtail, Spottedbacked Weaver and Water Dikkop to the list. Frogging was really good at Casa Msika, with a light rain making the amphibians even more vociferous than usual, and Tinker Reed Frog, Guttural Toad, Brown-backed Tree Frog, Russet-backed Sand Frog and Dwarf Puddle Frog were some of the frogs recorded. We excitedly chatted about the next week's birding over some excellent fish & chips in the restaurant.

GORONGOZA PARK

Another monstrous thundershower later, we set off to bird the miombo woodlands along the road to the entrance gate of the famed Parque Nacionale d' Gorongoza. This was to be our first day of real birding, and expectations were running high as the convoy slowly winded its way through the mist-clad agricultural fields and marshy depressions. At Inchope we turned north onto the new tar road (EN1). We stopped at the river bridge over the Pungwe river and in quick succession picked up Yellow Weaver, Brownthroated Weaver, Little Bittern, Firecrowned Bishop, Gymnogene and a few other ticks. Once we reached the turn-off to Gorongoza National Park, we were treated to some great miombo bird parties, with lifers starting to roll in for most of the group. Broadbilled Rollers were very common here (and almost everywhere we birded) and caused me some amount of embarrassment when I shouted out "Sooty Falcon!" as two Broadbilled Rollers displayed in a rapid flight between the trees! Other birds in the miombo woodlands were Cabanis's Bunting, European Marsh Warbler, Whitebreasted Cuckooshrike, Mashona Hyliota, Grey Hornbill, Flappet Lark and Green-capped Eremomela. The stream crossings along this road yielded Purplebanded, Collared and Scarletchested Sunbirds, and a magnificent display by a pair of Tropical Boubous. Some tall, yet quite arid grasslands within some mixed woodlands revealed two local specialties: Redwinged Warbler, which always reminds me of a Tinkling Cisticola in terms of habits, as well as the proud little Shortwinged Cisticola,, invariably perched right on top of the tallest possible tree, from where it delivers its characteristic song. At the entrance gate to the park we took a track to the right to get to the Pungue river. As we turned a Bronzewinged Courser flushed in front of the car, but I only saw it for a split second in the rear view mirror. Riaan and Ronel had better views and Pieter and Lukas were later able to confirm it at the exact same spot. Further along this track we encountered Rackettailed and European Rollers, Goldenbreasted Bunting and African Cuckoo Hawk. Further exploration of the miombo woodlands yielded views of African and European Golden Orioles, Stierling's Barred Warbler, Yellow White-eye, Mozambique Batis and Red-faced Crombec. We returned to the main tarred road, and a few km's later, reached Gorongoza town, with the mystical Monte Gorongosa looming in the distance. In Gorongoza town we made some arrangements at the police station before setting off along a small, bumpy dirt track towards the town of Vinduzi, some 30km further.

VINDUZI

Birding was really good all along the track to Vinduzi, and consisted of mixed communities of woodland, forest, marsh and agricultural species. One of the best ticks along this road, was an Moustached Grass-Warbler, which perched 10m from the group in a small tree, and refused to budge, providing crippling views! A pair of Redthroated TWinspots, feeding in the road with African Firefinches, stole everyone's hearts, while Croaking, Singing and Redfaced Cisticolas called from any tall grassy patches, especially along the edges of clearings. As we rounded the last bend and crossed the last stream before Vinduzi, a flock of Grey-headed Parrots screeched overhead. We reached Vinduzi town, where we met two local guides who arranged camping in the village itself, as well as permission to ascend the magical mountain just before dawn the next morning. One of the most prized discoveries around the village, was not that of the Golden Weavers, Palm-nut Vultures or Blue-spotted Doves, but a small stream with icy, crystal-clear water! Mean temperatures thoughout our trip ranged between 35 and 41 degrees C, so we were very keen to have a dip in the stream, even though the sun had already disappeared behind the mountain! To the delight of the local children, we spent hours lazily drifting in the water, tiny fish nibbling on our toes and fingers. Serenaded by Brown-backed Tree Frogs and Mozambique Nightjars, the sweaty night hours couldn't pass fast enough, but eventually Heuglin's Robin-chats and a pair of Wattle-eyed Fly-catchers signaled dawn. Taking advantage of the relatively low temperatures, the group traversing the mix of agricultural and secondary woodland on the lower slopes of the mountain were treated to sightings of Little Sparrowhawk, European Marsh Warbler, Grey Waxbill, Wattle-eyed Flycatcher and Thrush Nightingale for a lucky few. Soon we entered tall, dry Brachystegia forest where the call of our target bird, Green-headed Oriole, was first heard. Try as we might, we couldn't get a view of it though, with Striped Pipit, Grey Tit-flycatcher and Lesser Honeyguide, trying to cheer us up. An Ayre's Hawk Eagle also decided to investigate us, and provided some stunning views of its elaborately marked underparts as it swooped and twirled through a forested valley. The group started disintegrating, as the steep slopes forced a slower pace. Arriving in an open, grassy patch at about 950m climbed, we stopped to appreciate the stunning view over the surrounding plains.The breathtaking sight, was accentuated by a pair of Bohm's Spinetails, Gymnogenes and African Goshawks gliding on the thermals. Another welcome sight was a flock of Silvery-cheeked Hornbills flopping over the tree-tops, along with their Trumpeting cousins. More Singing, Croaking and Shortwinged's later, we reached a beautiful, fern-infested forest at a little over 1000m climbed. After thrashing through 2m high undergrowth the summit was at last visible. A rocky outcrop provided some shade from the blistering sun, and seemed a good spot to try and call up the Oriole. Twenty seconds into the tape recording of the Oriole's liquid calls, a flash of yellow, blue and orange alighted on an open branch at the forest edge! As we set watching this amazingly beautiful bird, with its dark pink bill, olive green head and back and bright yellow belly, I couldn't help but experience an immense satisfaction and contentment - had it not been for the oppressing heat, I would have loved to lie on that rock the whole day, just watching this mysterious bird in its own patch of magical forest on its holy mountain. However, we longed for the refreshing waters of the river more than a 1000m below us, and we were quickly running out of water. Luckily, Duan and Erin had some to spare, and we set off for the descent at a stiff pace. Temperatures were now really extreme, and when we reached the foot of the mountain, the confusing myriad of footpaths leading through the bush, a familiar feeling flooded into my mind - Was this going to be a repeat of the day Selwyn Rautenbach and I got lost in the Namib Desert looking at the Herero Chat? Admittedly, I am not the fittest person, but we (barely) survived, and to the amusement of the villagers, we were all too happy to flop down onto the rancid mix of fruit and humus below the tall Mango trees surrounding our tents. Numerous cool drinks later, we strolled down to the river for a few hours of recovery.

EN ROUTE TO THE ZAMBEZI AT CAIA

After refilling our water tanks at the village well, we left Vinduzi early the next morning to push on towards the Zambezi river. A pair of delicate Mosque Swallows were collecting mud in the road puddles for their nest which was probably situated in one of the nearby Baobab trees. Reaching the tarred road just north of Gorongoza town again, we turned north onto the EN1. Some stops in the magnificent miombo woodlands en route, provided sightings of Arnot's Chat, Red-faced Crombec, Long-tailed Paradise Whydah, Mozambique Batis and Little Spotted Woodpecker. Our lunch stop along the main road was very productive despite the soil being so hot, that my feet were burning through my shoes! A few muddy rainwater puddles had formed along the road, and at one of these the very first wader I put my bino's on was a handsome Green Sandpiper, consorting with Wood Sands and Threebanded Plovers. African Openbill, Carmine Bee-eater, Comb Duck, Dwarf Bittern and a mix of commoner waterbirds were also seen. In regards to passerines, Cinnamon-breasted Buntings, Long-tailed Paradise Whydahs, Indigobirds, Red-billed Firefinches and a pair of Miombo Blue-eared Starlings came in to drink. Raptors were also generally excellent, and included Bateleur, White-headed and Hooded Vulture, Dickonson's Kestrel, Wahlberg's Eagle, Lizard Buzzard, Dark Chanting Goshawk and Eurasian Hobby. Quite by chance, we met one of the contractors building the new tarred road, and he was kind enough to invite us to spend the night at their camp. We were very happy to see the efforts being made at regenerating the forest that is used for logging in this area. One of the first birds heard in the camp that afternoon, seemed a bit out of place: Mangrove Kingfisher. However, all the way up to the Zambezi river, this species, was just as common as Woodland and Brownhooded Kingfishers. It is thought that this species moves inland to breed in arboreal termites' nests in summer. These termite / ant nests were present where-ever we encountered Mangrove Kingfishers, although no nests or nesting activities were recorded. We did a few short walks around the campsite, which is situated in a quite dry, yet dense woodland. Very reminiscent of the sand forests of northern Zululand, this habitat provided a few excellent sightings. The dawn chorus was dominated by Woodward's Batis, Livingstone's Flycatcher, Green Malkoha, Narina Trogon, Blue-throated Sunbird, Bearded Woodpecker, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Eastern Nicator, Bearded Scrub-Robin & Red-capped Robin-chat, with all of these species providing good views. While watching an African Goshawk terrorise some chickens, three Narina Trogons were seen perched in a nearby tree, looking at us very suspiciously. A Bell's Hinged Tortoise and Mozambique Agama were also recorded.

ZAMBEZI RIVER AREA

Backtracking for 10km, we turned southwards to Inhamitanga village, and in Inhamitanga, turned north-east towards the Zambezi river. Tall, dry forest surrounded us all the way north, and in certain areas graded into bushveld and miombo woodlands. Birding was good all along the road here, with quick fly-by's of Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike and and African Emerald Cuckoo. About 20km from the river, the forest becomes more mesic and denser, and deep pools of rainwater, each overhung with its own Foam Nest Frog nest, fill the road. We decided to do some roadside camping here, pitching our tents in a spot where the road is broad enough for the logging trucks to squeeze past. We were probably over-cautious as to land-mines, but we'd rather not tempt fate. To me, this was the most fun campsite, and definitely the most insect-infested. Some large Solifuge spiders, a 25cm Centipede and a large silver-and-black tarantula took advantage of the millions of termite alates that our gas lamps attracted. They in turn, must be a good meal to the little African Barred Owlet, which had its home in the trees surrounding our camp. We camped in one of the hunting coutada's here, and thus we could encounter the big five, but mammal-wise, we only spotted Blue and Red Duikers, Thick-tailed Bushbaby and (?Grant's?) Lesser Bushbaby, (Yellow?) Baboon and Samango and Vervet Monkeys. Lukas, Pieter, Riaan and I did a short night-drive that evening, which yielded awesome views of Eurasian and Square-tailed Nightjars as well as calling Kirk's (Crested) Francolins. Birding in these forests was excellent, and we definitely had too little time to properly explore here. An early morning stroll down the road rewarded everyone with a few lifers. African Broadbills called from everywhere, and they must reach densities of at least 1 displaying male every 50m! Good views were obtained of the males during their awkward circular display flight, displaying the white tuft of feathers on the back. Females were spotted sitting quietly nearby, watching a flock of Crested Guineafowls sprinting along through the bush. One of the highlights here must have been close-up views of East Coast Akalat (Gunning's Robin). Truly a beautiful little bird, but it very furtive, and determination is required to get a good view of it as it appears and vanishes on low perches in the forest understorey. A pair of Black-headed Apalis worked their way through the trees, near where a Woodward's Batis was incubating her clutch. Towering trees over the road provided views of a pair of Vanga Flycatchers as well as a lively flock of Chestnutfronted Helmet-shrikes. Tambourine and Blue-spotted Doves as well as Green Twinspots foraged in the track and Pygmy Kingfishers darted past every so often. Other species recorded here were Slender Bulbul (heard), Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Mozambique Batis, Little Spotted Woodpecker and a White-breasted Alethe calling softly from somewhere deep into the forest. A road killed East African Egg-eater, nicknamed Rigor Mortis Snake, was collected in the forest.

BEIRA

Despite all the excitement, my dad had come down with a high fever, and the wound of his earlier Achille's heel tendon operation seemed to have become infected. We therefore decided that the larger group would split into two smaller groups, the one working its way further along the Zambezi river and then south past Muanza and Chinizua forest, and the other retracing their steps back along the EN1 and heading to Beira to see a doctor. Numerous phone calls later, we had located a doctor in Beira, who didn't seem too worried. We still decided though that it would be better, if my dad flew back to South Africa from Beira the next day. This was the right decision, as the South African doctors did not share the Mozambique surgeons' optimism, and had to perform another operation to re-attach the torn tendon. We spent a windy, but mosquito-free night at Biques in Beira city, overlooking the Indian Ocean.

RIO SAVANE

With great relief after the whole episode in Beira, the remaining die hard birders took the road to the famed Rio Savane estuary 34km north of Beira city. This is where the Savana river reaches the Indian Ocean, and the main draw card of this birding spot is the huge area of temporarily inundated grasslands on the river floodplain. We were a bit pushed for time to reach the river, where you are ferried across the river to the Rio Savane holiday resort, leaving your vehicle on the south side of the river. So, although birding was mostly done at high speeds from the car, we still managed to get great views of several specials in the afternoon. Rufousbellied Herons, which seemed to be the most common heron around, often flushed as you drove past them, showing those marvelous maroon wings! Patches of grass that were seeding were very attractive to seed-eaters and almost every flock of mixed seed-eaters we scanned provided something interesting. Firstly we found a Pied Mannikin building a nest in a mango tree in a native garden. This bird proved quite elusive, but we did get some views later in this area, including a flock of at least 40 Pied Mannikins, in between the more common Bronze and Red-backed. Most of the party had good scope views of Red-headed Quelea as well as the ubiquitous Red-billed. Seed-eater wise however, the biggest bonus was a pair of Nyasa Seedcrackers near one of the metal bridges. Riaan originally picked up the Seedcrackers as one flashed over the road into a Phoenix palm thicket overgrown with grass. As I walked around the small thicket, the male bird flew up onto an open perch about 2m above the ground, and then flew away in what almost seemed to be some sort of display flight: It first circled a few times and then climbed to about 30m high, flying slowly in a big circle before disappearing in the distance. Despite the absence of Blacksmith and Crowned Lapwings, we were delighted to find a mixed flock of Wattled and Lesser Blackwinged Plovers mere meters from the roadside. Two pairs of Coppery Sunbirds calling and foraging in a few small roadside trees were equally impressive, with a juvenile African Marsh Harrier quartering the grassland in the background. We reached the river at about 18:00 where we packed some of our camping equipment in the boat and crossed the impressive Savane river in the fading light, with a Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper and Paradise Flycatcher roosting in the mangrove trees. The resort is really breathtakingly beautiful and definitely warrants a few days' exploration. In between the millions of Ghost Crabs on the beach, we could just make out a flock of Sanderlings as the sun set, before identification of the waders was only possible by their callnotes. After one of those brilliant sunsets that we living in Africa have grown to take for granted, we tackled the huge task of pitching tents in the howling wind! At least, the cool sea breeze provided some relief from the oppressing heat, as did the cold showers. It is really a pleasure to be woken by the calls of Bluecheeked Bee-eaters, Little Spotted Woodpecker and Mangrove Kingfisher, and apart from these birds, the campsite, mangrove swamps and low-tide estuary yielded many Terek Sandpipers and Greater Sand Plovers, Common Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Common, SAndwich and Swift Terns, Whitefronted Plover, Grey Plover and Grey Sunbird. First on the programme for the day was the (very) small forest patch on the entrance road. The main target here was the Slender Bulbul, which was very easy to hear, but frustratingly remained hidden from sight in all the other forests we birded. Eventually we had crippling views, of these handsome little greenbuls. Other forest birds were Palmnut Vulture, Woodward's Batis, Green Twinspot, and Green Malkoha. We slowly worked our way back to the camp, birding as we went. After wasting considerable time trying to find the area where Locust Finch has been seen before, we gave up and decided to opt for our own exploration. Riaan, Ronel, Adele and myself braved the flooded meadows on either side of the road, which comprised shallowly flooded (10 - 20cm) grassland with some moist islands. However promising, this habitat eventually didn't yield much apart from a few Rufouswinged Cisticolas and African Snipes. Just as I was telling Ronel that I'm quite disappointed with the results of our efforts, a huge straw-coloured bird slowly rose from the grass a meter or two in front of us. As if in slow-motion, the bird floated past us almost within touching distance. The cry from the four lucky birders went up perfectly synchronized: "GREAT BITTERN!!" An immediate bout of goosebumps and anonymous commentary about a certain Cape Town birder's lifelist followed, as we recovered from seeing one of the most difficult resident Southern African birds! Although nothing could quite top the Bittern sighting, we walked the marsh on the opposite side of the road. Another surprise awaited us in between the 40-odd Wood Sandpipers that we flushed. A snipe rose silently at out feet, with only wingbeating audible, and as it slowly flew away from us, the barred belly and spotted upperwings revealed its identity: Great Snipe. We flushed the bird again, and this time it made a weird croak and provided great views. Another Great Snipe also flushed nearby, showing the shorter bill well. In the preceding 10 minutes we had flushed several African Snipes, making for good comparison opportunities between the two species. Commoner waterbirds were present in good numbers, including a flock of about 100 African Openbills, in between Yellow-billed and Great Egrets and Purple Herons. We met the other party at the BP garage in Beira, and exchanged sightings and advice, before setting off towards Casa Msika, where we spent the night.

BVUMBA MOUNTAINS

With the trip drawing to an end, the Bvumba mountains in eastern Zimbabwe was up next. Keen to camp in the Vumba Botanical Gardens, just south of Mutare, we had to pay a day-visitor entrance fee of US $10 pp, while the camping itself only cost 125 Zim dollar! Birding in the gardens more than made up for this however! Our campsite was perched on the edge of a lip overlooking the forested valley below, providing good listening and raptor vigil opportunities. A pair of Wood Owls serenaded us to sleep, promising a good day's birding lying ahead. The forests around our campsite and throughout the gardens yielded most of the eastern highlands specials without too much trouble. An early morning walk was initiated on hearing Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeons calling from the tall trees below us, but unfortunately we only glimpsed these dark pigeons flying away. We were luckier with Brier Warbler, Chirinda Apalis, Cape Batis, East African Swee, White-eared Barbet, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Lemon Dove, Livingstone's Lourie, Square-tailed Drongo White-tailed Flycatcher and Yellow Warbler. A pair of curious and very tame Stripe-cheeked Greenbuls foraged in the creepers behind the ablution blocks, and Yellow-streaked Greenbuls, with their characteristic wing-flicking habit, were also seen well. Eastern Saw-wings played around above our heads over the lawns and clearings while looking at the various sunbirds, which included Bronze, Western Olive, Miombo Double-collared, Collared, Variable and Amethyst. A Buff-spotted Flufftail crossed the road in front of Ronel, Riaan and myself, and we had fleeting views of a Swynnerton's Robin in the dark forest interior, where Orange Ground Thrush also resided. Two Barratt's Warblers decided to investigate the strange figures peering into the tangles, and ran around on the ground by our feet, with their tails slightly cocked. However, the prize of best views of the day must have gone to the three Bush-Shrikes: Olive, Black-fronted and Gorgeous! As a departure gift, a lone Tree Pipit put in an appearance just before we left. Truly a remarkable little bird, walking around on the branches, and constantly pumping its tail!

RETURN JOURNEY

The journey southwards through Zim was rather uneventful, and we reached Louis Trichardt well after dark, where a well-deserved rest awaited us. A post breakfast stroll through the grounds of our accommodation revealed Familiar Chat, Swee Waxbill, Verreaux's Eagles on the cliffs, Olive Thrush, Willow Warbler and Dusky Flycatchers. All too soon, we were recognizing the scenery of Dinokeng, as we drove into Pretoria - 10 days of amazing birding behind us. Overall, we admittedly expected worse conditions, and the vast majority of our driving was carried out on tarred roads. Also, very few of the dirt roads we drove required a 4x4 vehicle, and a high-clearance car would have made it. Birding-wise, we got a total of 315 species, and a number of reptiles, mammals and amphibians. I wish to thank everyone who helped us with information about conditions and birding spots. Your input was really invaluable!

SUMMARY:

Trip date(s): 12 - 23 Dec 2002

Birders: Faansie Peacock, Derick Peacock, Ronel Viljoen, Riaan du Toit, Frans & Adele v Vuuren, Leon Kay, Duan Biggs, Erin Bohensky, Pieter van Zyl, Lukas Botha, Andre & Theresa v Wyk. (4 vehicles)

Route: Pretoria - Beitbridge - Masvingo - Mutare - Casa Msika - Vinduzi - Vinduzi - Near Caia - Zambezi River area - Beira - Rio Savane - Casa Msika - Louis Trichardt - Pretoria

Total species: 315

Specials:

EN ROUTE THROUGH ZIM:
Lesser Spotted Eagle, Whyte's Barbet, Meves's Starling

FROM CASA MSIKA TO MOUNT GORONGOZA:
Little Bittern, Afr Cuckoo Hawk, Bronze-winged Courser, Racket-tailed Roller, Broad-billed Roller, Green-backed Woodpecker, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Eurasian Golden Oriole, African Golden Oriole, Eastern Nicator, Arnot's Chat, Southern Hyliota, Singing Cisticola, Croaking Cisticola, Short-winged Cisticola, Red-winged Warbler, Stierling's Wren-Warbler, African Yellow White-eye, Marsh Warbler, Green-capped Eremomela, Red-faced Crombec, Pale (Mozambique) Batis, Tropical Boubou, Purple-banded Sunbird, Yellow Weaver, Southern Brown-throated Weaver, Black-winged Bishop, Grey Waxbill, Red-backed Mannikin, Cabanis's Bunting

GORONGOZA MOUNTAIN:
Palm-nut Vulture, Ayre's Hawk Eagle, Eursian Hobby, Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, Grey-headed Parrot, Livingstone's Lourie, Square-tailed Nightjar, Bohm's Spinetail, Narina Trogon, Broad-billed Roller, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Mosque Swallow, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Green-headed Oriole, Eastern Nicator, Thrush Nightingale, Bearded Scrub-Robin, Singing Cisticola, Croaking Cisticola, Short-winged Cisticola, Red-winged Warbler, African Yellow White-eye, Moustached Grass-Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Pale (Mozambique) Batis, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Tropical Boubou, Retz's Helmet-Shrike, Purple-banded Sunbird, Golden Weaver, Red-throated Twinspot, Grey Waxbill, Red-backed Mannikin, Magpie (Pied) Mannikin

ZAMBEZI RIVER AREA:
Dickonson's Kestrel, Kirk's Francolin, Crested Guineafowl, Green Sandpiper, Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, African Emerald Cuckoo, Green Malkoha, African Barred Owlet, Eurasian Nightjar, Square-tailed Nightjar, Narina Trogon, Mangrove Kingfisher, Broad-billed Roller, Green-backed Woodpecker, African Broadbill, Grey Penduline Tit, Tiny Greenbul, Eastern Nicator, White-chested Alethe, East Coast Akalat, Bearded Scrub-Robin, Black-headed Apalis, Stierling's Wren-Warbler, African Yellow White-eye, Red-faced Crombec, Livingstone's Flycatcher, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Black-and-white (Vanga) Flycatcher, Woodward's Batis, Pale (Mozambique) Batis, Tropical Boubou, Chestnut-fronted Helmet-Shrike, Black-bellied Starling, Miombo Blue-eared Starling, Plain-backed (Blue-throated) Sunbird, Green Twinspot

RIO SAVANE:
Rufous-bellied Heron, Little Bittern, Eurasian Bittern, African Openbill, Palm-nut Vulture, Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Blackwinged Plover, Terek Sandpiper, Great Snipe, Green Malkoha, Mangrove Kingfisher, Green-backed Woodpecker, Tiny Greenbul, Rufous-winged Cisticola, Woodward's Batis, Copper Sunbird, Red-headed Quelea, Lesser Seedcracker, Green Twinspot, Red-backed Mannikin, Magpie (Pied) Mannikin

VUMBA MOUNTAINS:
Buff-spotted Flufftail, E Bronze-naped Pigeon, Lemon Dove, Livingstone's Lourie, African Emerald Cuckoo, African Wood-Owl, Narina Trogon, White-eared Barbet, Eastern Saw-wing, Stripe-cheeked Greenbul, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Orange Ground-Thrush, Swynnerton's Robin, Singing Cisticola, Robert's Warbler, Chirinda Apalis, Barratt's Warbler, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Mountain Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Olive Bush-Shrike, Black-fronted Bush-Shrike, Gorgeous Bush-Shrike, Western Olive Sunbird, Bronzy Sunbird, Miombo Double-collared Sunbird, Variable (Yellow-bellied) Sunbird, Yellow-bellied Waxbill (E Afr Swee), Red-backed Mannikin