Birding at Changa Safari Camp is a great experience all year round, but the peak time for birding is during the rains from November to March.
Changa is ideally located on the northeastern shoreline of Matusadona National Park giving you great access to explore the bays, islands and estuaries in this area, as well as the magnificent Sanyati Gorge. Look out for Fish Eagles, Ospreys and Darters in the petrified forests of the lake and Herons and Egrets hunting for fish on the shoreline.
A trip down the Sanyati Gorge always holds something special for bird lovers, especially in the rainy season when all the little waterfalls are flowing. I have had some amazing bird sightings here, Giant Kingfishers catching and eating crabs, Verreaux’s Eagles, Black-crowned Night Heron and African Finfoot to name a few. Most memorably I had my first ever sighting of a Pel’s Fishing Owl in the Sanyati Gorge, a rare and exciting find!
The camp itself is alive with birds, White-crowned Lapwings and Water Thick-Knee are a common sight on the panicum shoreline in front of the camp. Brown-hooded Kingfishers and Grey-headed Bushshrikes are regular visitors to the pool area and, in the scrub around the camp, you will find Tchagras, Blue Waxbills and White-browed Scrub Robins.
Overall, birding at Changa can be very rewarding for any novice or serious birder.
Written by Sean Hind
Professional Guide in Zimbabwe
