MalawiandZambiaNyikaDetails

Day 1: Lilongwe to Viphya Plateau

After breakfast we will depart Malawi’s capital city and
head north towards the Viphya plateau. Our first birding
stop of the day will be at a grassy dambo (seasonal
wetland) just north of the Bua River. The special bird that
we will be attempting to locate here is Fischer’s
Sparrowlark, a smart species that seems to move south
into this area from Tanzania during the dry season. Other
birds that we may encounter whilst walking through the
dambo (depending on conditions such as water levels and
grass cover) could include Orange-breasted Waxbill,
Locust Finch, Blue Quail, Rosy-throated Longclaw or even
Black Coucal. We will also make an effort to visit a small
dam just outside Kasungu. This is a good site to see a
number of species of waterfowl as well as the tricky Lesser
Jacana.

We should arrive at Luwawa Forest Lodge in the
afternoon with enough time to explore the gardens and
nearby wetland, where we may encounter Southern Citril,
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Bronzy Sunbird, Evergreen
Forest Warbler, Olive Woodpecker, Fan-tailed Grassbird,
Mountain Greenbul, Cape Batis and Singing Cisticola, as
well as the odd Red-rumped Swallow and White-headed
Saw-wing overhead.

Day 2: Viphya Mountains to Nyika National Park

This morning we will leave Luwawa after breakfast and
continue in our northerly direction. The road will take us
first through the large town of Mzuzu and then through the
much smaller town of Rumphi, before we join a winding
gravel track that makes its way through a dry valley
between the mountains of the area, and then begins to
climb up onto the impressive Nyika plateau. The plateau
itself is over 6000 feet (2,000 meters) in altitude and is
one of the coldest places in Malawi (log fires are fairly
commonplace at night!). The habitat begins to change the
further up we climb, first passing through the Miombo
woodland that covers the lower parts of the massif and
then through the montane grasslands and Protea bush
with pockets of forest. This is an incredible place indeed
and we will spend the next three nights in this stunning
wilderness.

The Miombo woodland that we will be passing through on
the way up to our lodge provides a chance for some
interesting birding and a time to catch up or obtain even
more views of specials such as White-tailed Blue
Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Miombo and Rufous-
bellied Tits, Schalow’s Turaco, Pale-billed Hornbill,
Spotted Creeper and Cabanis’s Bunting. Further up on
top of the plateau we may see Hildebrandt’s Francolin
flushing from the roadside or, towards the evening as the
sun begins to dip, we could catch a view of Ruwenzori
Nightjar flittering over our bungalows at camp.

Days 3 & 4: Nyika National Park

The Nyika National Park awaits us. This fabulous area
harbours a number of exceptionally range-restricted birds,
which are exclusively associated with the Eastern Arc
Mountains of Eastern Tanzania and northern Malawi.
There are many different habitats that we will visit over the
course of the next two days. The dams and drainage lines
with bracken and heath that surround our camp are good
places to look for many of the Nyika specials. Birds we will
be searching for include the spectacular Montane
Widowbird, Baglafecht Weaver, Yellow-browed Seedeater,
Cinnamon Bracken and Mountain Yellow Warblers,
Churring Cisticola, Yellow-crowned Canary, Yellow-bellied
Waxbill, Ludwig’s Double-collared Sunbird and Black-lored
Cisticola, which will no doubt delight us with their
squeaking, rusty gate call and tail swaying display. The
trees that surround the camp and the camping site are
always worth a look as Dusky Turtle Dove and Mountain
Buzzard are often encountered here, together with Bar-
throated Apalis and Cape Batis.

The forest pockets that line the valleys on the plateau
host a number of stunning birds that we will be searching
for. Calls of Fulleborn’s Boubou ring out from the forest
interior and one can often obtain views of Waller’s Starling
sitting on the treetops and White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
hawking insects at the forest edge. Deeper inside the
forest interior we may encounter Bar-tailed Trogon,
Evergreen Forest Warbler, White-chested Alethe,
Moustached Tinkerbird, Chapin’s Apalis, Olive Thrush,
Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, White-starred Robin,
Olive-flanked Robin-Chat, Sharpe’s Greenbul, Red-faced
Crimsonwing and African Hill Babbler. Two species,
Sharpe’s Akalat and Brown-headed Apalis, are restricted
to a small forest patch on the Zambian side of the plateau,
which can often be difficult to access.

Whilst driving the road network on top of the plateau there
is also plenty to lookout for as the skies often have a
variety of swallows, including Red-rumped, Angola, White-
headed Saw-wing and the exquisite and endangered Blue
Swallow. Harriers are often seen patrolling the grasslands
with Montagu’s, Pallid and Western Marsh Harrier all
occurring in the summer months. Stately Denham’s
Bustard and Augur Buzzard are also encountered fairly
regularly on the high plateau. We will also visit a patch of
flat-crowned acacia trees, Acacia abyssinica, a grove of
which holds a small population of Brown Warbler, a
species that is found exclusively on these particular trees.
Other birds that are often encountered in the area are
Red-winged Warbler and Southern Citril. Many antelope
species abound on Nyika, with the likes of Bushbuck,
Eland, Roan Antelope, Reedbuck and Burchell’s Zebra
commonly seen. We will keep a lookout for Yellow-billed
Oxpecker on herds of larger game, as they can often be
seen hitching a ride. Jackson’s Pipit and Scarlet-tufted
Sunbird are two of Nyika’s more uncommon specials that
will be searched for during the course of our stay here.

Day 5: Nyika Plateau to Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve

Today we will leave the plateau of Nyika behind us as we
drop down to lower altitude for the remainder of the tour.
We will first visit the remote northern gate of Vwaza Marsh
Game Reserve where two very special birds for Malawi
can be found; they are the stunning Babbling Starling and
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weaver. Both of these birds
are never easy to locate, however we will put in an
intensive search at the areas where they have previously
been found. Other birds of interest that also occur in the
Miombo woodland here include Bohm’s Flycatcher, Green-
backed and Bennett’s Woodpeckers, White-breasted
Cuckooshrike and Rufous-bellied Tit. Towards the heat of
the day we will begin with our fairly short drive down to the
south gate of the Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve. Tonight
will be spent at a safari camp overlooking Lake Kazuni.

Day 6: Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve to Lilongwe

We will set off early this morning and explore the network
of roads within the reserve. Being lower down in altitude
the temperatures soar quickly and making the most of the
early morning is always a good idea. The habitats are very
different from what we have become accustomed to on
both the Viphya and Nyika Plateau’s. We will be treated to
an entirely different flavour of bird species here and,
depending on the water levels at Lake Kazuni, we could
encounter a variety of waterbirds including various ducks,
storks, egrets and herons. The woodland around Vwaza is
fairly dry and species typically associated with this area
are Meyer’s Parrot, Senegal Lapwing, Black-collared
Barbet, Greater Honeyguide, Purple-crested Turaco,
African Grey Hornbill, Grey-headed Bushshrike and
Golden-breasted Bunting.

Around mid-morning we will then begin the long drive back
to Lilongwe, stopping to bird en route should anything
interesting cross our path. Time permitting; we might have
an opportunity to explore the nearby Lilongwe Nature
Sanctuary. This pleasant reserve offers some of Malawi’s
common and widespread species, though a number of
specials are also possible and include African Black Duck,
Schalow’s Turaco and Red-throated Twinspot, while even
rarer species include Half-collared Kingfisher and the shy
White-backed Night Heron. Tonight we overnight in
Lilongwe.

Day 7: Lilongwe and Departures for Home

Today our tour comes to an end as we transfer to Kamuzu
International Airport for our departure flights back home.

Nyika Extension Details

Birding in Malawi and Zambia