Zimbabwe Important Bird Area
Hwange National Park
352 bird species recorded; the most from November to February.
JackyR · CC BY-SA 3.0
This month here
236 species in January.230 species in February.202 species in March.200 species in April.93 species in May.176 species in June.144 species in July.191 species in August.176 species in September.184 species in October.243 species in November.245 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
VU
VUVU
CRVU
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
352 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 352Speciesrecorded more than once
- 148Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 8ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 13,182Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 1,076 mAltitudeabove the sea
- 43Raptors
- 7Owls
- 24Waders
- 3Gulls & seabirds
- 10Ducks & geese
- 20Herons, ibises & grebes
- 11Storks & cranes
- 140Songbirds
- 94Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 352 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors43 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- White-backed VultureGyps africanusCR
- BateleurTerathopius ecaudatus
- Tawny EagleAquila rapaxVU
- Hooded VultureNecrosyrtes monachusCR
- Secretary BirdSagittarius serpentarius
- Brown Snake EagleCircaetus cinereus
- African Fish EagleHaliaeetus vocifer
- White-headed VultureTrigonoceps occipitalisCR
- Martial eaglePolemaetus bellicosus
- Lappet-faced VultureTorgos tracheliotos
- Wahlberg's EagleHieraaetus wahlbergi
- African Hawk-EagleAquila spilogaster
- Amur FalconFalco amurensis
- Lizard BuzzardKaupifalco monogrammicus
- Lesser spotted eagleAquila pomarina
- African Harrier-hawkPolyboroides typus
- Gabar GoshawkMicronisus gabar
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Dark Chanting-GoshawkMelierax metabates
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Black-chested Snake EagleCircaetus pectoralis
- Yellow-billed KiteMilvus aegyptius
- LannerFalco biarmicus
- Steppe eagleAquila nipalensis
- Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
- Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
- Pale Chanting-goshawkMelierax canorus
- Lesser kestrelFalco naumanni
- Ovambo SparrowhawkAccipiter ovampensis
- Red-headed FalconFalco chicqueraNT
- Booted eagleHieraaetus pennatus
- Dickinson's KestrelFalco dickinsoni
- Little SparrowhawkAccipiter minullus
- Ayres's Hawk-EagleHieraaetus ayresii
- Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargus
- Western Banded Snake EagleCircaetus cinerascens
- African Cuckoo HawkAviceda cuculoides
- Lappet-faced VultureTorgos tracheliotus
- Cape VultureGyps coprotheresVU
- ShikraAccipiter badius
- African GoshawkAccipiter tachiro
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
Owls7 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Pearl-spotted OwletGlaucidium perlatum
- African Scops-owlOtus senegalensis
- African Barred OwletGlaucidium capense
- Giant Eagle OwlBubo lacteus
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Southern White-faced OwlPtilopsis granti
- Spotted Eagle-OwlBubo africanus
Waders24 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Blacksmith LapwingVanellus armatus
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Crowned lapwingVanellus coronatus
- African JacanaActophilornis africanus
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Three-banded CourserRhinoptilus cinctus
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Cape Thick-kneeBurhinus capensis
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Water DikkopBurhinus vermiculatus
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- African Wattled LapwingVanellus senegallus
- Three-banded PloverCharadrius tricollaris
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Kittlitz's PloverCharadrius pecuarius
- Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
- Greater Painted-snipeRostratula benghalensis
- White-crowned LapwingVanellus albiceps
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Bronze-winged CourserRhinoptilus chalcopterus
- Temminck's CourserCursorius temminckii
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
Gulls & seabirds3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
- Grey-headed GullChroicocephalus cirrocephalus
Ducks & geese10 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Red-billed TealAnas erythrorhyncha
- Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensis
- Knob-billed DuckSarkidiornis melanotos
- White-faced Whistling-duckDendrocygna viduata
- Cape TealAnas capensis
- Blue-billed TealSpatula hottentota
- Fulvous Whistling-duckDendrocygna bicolor
- Yellow-billed DuckAnas undulata
- Southern PochardNetta erythrophthalma
Herons, ibises & grebes20 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Black-headed HeronArdea melanocephala
- African SpoonbillPlatalea alba
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- HamerkopScopus umbretta
- African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicus
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- DarterAnhinga rufa
- Long-tailed CormorantMicrocarbo africanus
- Black HeronEgretta ardesiaca
- Egretta intermediaEgretta intermedia
- Rufous-bellied HeronArdeola rufiventris
- Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Striated HeronButorides striata
- Dwarf BitternIxobrychus sturmii
- HadadaBostrychia hagedash
Storks & cranes11 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Grey Crowned CraneBalearica regulorum
- Leptoptilos crumeniferLeptoptilos crumenifer
- African Woolly-necked StorkCiconia microscelis
- SaddlebillEphippiorhynchus senegalensisNT
- Abdim's storkCiconia abdimii
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Yellow-billed StorkMycteria ibis
- Openbill StorkAnastomus lamelligerus
- Black storkCiconia nigra
- Asian WoollyneckCiconia episcopusNT
- MarabouLeptoptilos crumeniferus
Songbirds140 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White-browed Sparrow-weaverPlocepasser mahali
- Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilis
- Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucus
- White-crowned ShrikeEurocephalus anguitimens
- Cape StarlingLamprotornis nitens
- Arrow-marked BabblerTurdoides jardineii
- Southern Pied-BabblerTurdoides bicolor
- Crimson-breasted ShrikeLaniarius atrococcineus
- Red-billed Buffalo-weaverBubalornis niger
- Blue WaxbillUraeginthus angolensis
- Red-breasted SwallowCecropis semirufa
- Common BulbulPycnonotus barbatus
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Red-billed OxpeckerBuphagus erythrorhynchus
- Erythropygia leucophrysErythropygia leucophrys
- White-crested HelmetshrikePrionops plumatus
- Pied CrowCorvus albus
- Meves's StarlingLamprotornis mevesii
- Rattling CisticolaCisticola chiniana
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Southern PuffbackDryoscopus cubla
- Greater Blue-eared StarlingLamprotornis chalybaeus
- Cape SparrowPasser diffusus
- Violet-eared WaxbillUraeginthus granatinus
- Cape CrombecSylvietta rufescens
- Black TitParus niger
- Golden-breasted BuntingEmberiza flaviventris
- Chinspot BatisBatis molitor
- Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatus
- Green-backed CamaropteraCamaroptera brachyura
- White-bellied SunbirdCinnyris talatala
- Yellow-billed OxpeckerBuphagus africanus
- Marico FlycatcherBradornis mariquensis
- Yellow-throated Bush SparrowGymnoris superciliaris
- Shaft-tailed WhydahVidua regia
- Tawny-flanked PriniaPrinia subflava
- African Paradise-FlycatcherTerpsiphone viridis
- Amethyst SunbirdChalcomitra amethystina
- Brown-crowned TchagraTchagra australis
- Lesser Grey ShrikeLanius minor
- Red-billed QueleaQuelea quelea
- Kurrichane ThrushTurdus libonyana
- Black-faced WaxbillEstrilda erythronotos
- African Golden OrioleOriolus auratus
- Orange-breasted BushshrikeChlorophoneus sulfureopectus
- Dark-capped BulbulPycnonotus tricolor
- Violet-backed StarlingCinnyricinclus leucogaster
- African PipitAnthus cinnamomeus
- Capped WheatearOenanthe pileata
- Yellow-fronted CanaryCrithagra mozambica
- Southern Black-FlycatcherMelaenornis pammelaina
- BrubruNilaus afer
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Village WeaverPloceus cucullatus
- Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinica
- Retz's HelmetshrikePrionops retzii
- Zitting CisticolaCisticola juncidis
- Red-headed WeaverAnaplectes rubriceps
- Tropical BoubouLaniarius major
- Scarlet-chested SunbirdChalcomitra senegalensis
- Long-tailed Paradise WhydahVidua paradisaea
- Black-headed OrioleOriolus larvatus
- Scaly WeaverSporopipes squamifrons
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Grey-backed CamaropteraCamaroptera brevicaudata
- Ethiopian BoubouLaniarius aethiopicus
- Yellow-bellied GreenbulChlorocichla flaviventris
- Black Cuckoo-shrikeCampephaga flava
- Wire-tailed SwallowHirundo smithii
- Groundscraper ThrushPsophocichla litsitsirupa
- Black-throated CanaryCrithagra atrogularis
- Marico SunbirdCinnyris mariquensis
- Wattled StarlingCreatophora cinerea
- Cinnamon-breasted BuntingEmberiza tahapisi
- Ashy FlycatcherMuscicapa caerulescens
- Chestnut-vented WarblerCurruca subcoerulea
- Green-winged PytiliaPytilia melba
- Red-winged StarlingOnychognathus morio
- White-breasted CuckooshrikeCoracina pectoralis
- Burnt-neck EremomelaEremomela usticollis
- Lesser Masked WeaverPloceus intermedius
- Mosque SwallowCecropis senegalensis
- Cut-throat FinchAmadina fasciata
- White-winged WidowbirdEuplectes albonotatus
- Pentholaea arnottiPentholaea arnotti
- Black-crowned TchagraTchagra senegalus
- Grey-headed BushshrikeMalaconotus blanchoti
- Pale FlycatcherBradornis pallidus
- Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
- Jameson's FirefinchLagonosticta rhodopareia
- African Sand MartinRiparia paludicola
- Stierling's Wren-WarblerCalamonastes stierlingi
- Southern Yellow White-eyeZosterops anderssoni
- Pin-tailed WhydahVidua macroura
- African Red-eyed BulbulPycnonotus nigricans
- Monotonous LarkMirafra passerina
- Common FiscalLanius collaris
- Common WaxbillEstrilda astrild
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Northern Grey-headed SparrowPasser griseus
- Erythropygia paenaErythropygia paena
- Erythropygia quadrivirgataErythropygia quadrivirgata
- Piping CisticolaCisticola fulvicapilla
- Motacilla aguimpMotacilla aguimp
- Lesser Blue-eared StarlingLamprotornis chloropterus
- White-browed Robin-chatCossypha heuglini
- Black-chested PriniaPrinia flavicans
- Yellow-crowned BishopEuplectes afer
- Red-capped LarkCalandrella cinerea
- Grey-rumped SwallowPseudhirundo griseopyga
- Terrestrial BrownbulPhyllastrephus terrestris
- Dusky LarkPinarocorys nigricans
- Mirafra africanaMirafra africana
- Village IndigobirdVidua chalybeata
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Buffy PipitAnthus vaalensis
- Chestnut-backed Sparrow-LarkEremopterix leucotis
- Bronze MannikinLonchura cucullata
- Orange-winged PytiliaPytilia afra
- Red BishopEuplectes orix
- White-necked RavenCorvus albicollis
- Broad-tailed Paradise WhydahVidua obtusa
- Grey Penduline TitAnthoscopus caroli
- Ashy TitParus cinerascens
- Common MynaAcridotheres tristis
- Burchell's Glossy-starlingLamprotornis australis
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- Dusky FlycatcherMuscicapa adusta
- Grey CisticolaCisticola rufilatus
- Croaking CisticolaCisticola natalensis
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Yellow-bellied EremomelaEremomela icteropygialis
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Red-billed FirefinchLagonosticta senegala
- Pearl-breasted SwallowHirundo dimidiata
- Brimstone CanaryCrithagra sulphurata
- Streaky-headed SeedeaterCrithagra gularis
- Eastern Miombo SunbirdCinnyris manoensis
- Sabota LarkCalendulauda sabota
Other birds94 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Ring-necked DoveStreptopelia capicola
- Grey LourieCorythaixoides concolor
- Southern Yellow-billed HornbillTockus leucomelas
- Lilac-breasted RollerCoracias caudatus
- Red-billed SpurfowlPternistis adspersus
- African Grey HornbillLophoceros nasutus
- Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagris
- Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensis
- Bradfield's HornbillLophoceros bradfieldi
- Southern Ground HornbillBucorvus leadbeateriVU
- Meyer's ParrotPoicephalus meyeri
- Swainson's SpurfowlPternistis swainsonii
- Emerald-spotted DoveTurtur chalcospilos
- Red-eyed DoveStreptopelia semitorquata
- Broad-billed RollerEurystomus glaucurus
- Ortygornis sephaenaOrtygornis sephaena
- Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
- Southern Red-billed HornbillTockus rufirostris
- Green WoodhoopoePhoeniculus purpureus
- Red-crested BustardLophotis ruficrista
- Senegal CoucalCentropus senegalensis
- Purple RollerCoracias naevius
- Little SwiftApus affinis
- Southern Carmine Bee-eaterMerops nubicoides
- Racket-tailed RollerCoracias spatulatus
- Swallow-tailed Bee-eaterMerops hirundineus
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- Common OstrichStruthio camelus
- Striped CuckooClamator levaillantii
- Little Bee-eaterMerops pusillus
- Namaqua DoveOena capensis
- Striped KingfisherHalcyon chelicuti
- European RollerCoracias garrulus
- Kori BustardArdeotis koriNT
- African Palm SwiftCypsiurus parvus
- Cardinal WoodpeckerDendropicos fuscescens
- Common Scimitar-billRhinopomastus cyanomelas
- Brown-headed KingfisherHalcyon albiventris
- Natal FrancolinPternistis natalensis
- Klaas's CuckooChrysococcyx klaas
- Jacobin CuckooClamator jacobinus
- Black CuckooCuculus clamosus
- Golden-tailed WoodpeckerCampethera abingoni
- Burchell's SandgrousePterocles burchelli
- Campocolinus coquiCampocolinus coqui
- Fiery-necked NightjarCaprimulgus pectoralis
- Red-chested CuckooCuculus solitarius
- Yellow-fronted TinkerbirdPogoniulus chrysoconus
- Red-billed HornbillTockus erythrorhynchus
- Grey-headed KingfisherHalcyon leucocephala
- Black-collared BarbetLybius torquatus
- Double-banded SandgrousePterocles bicinctus
- Black-bellied KorhaanLissotis melanogaster
- White-rumped SwiftApus caffer
- Greater HoneyguideIndicator indicator
- Lesser HoneyguideIndicator minor
- Mourning Collared DoveStreptopelia decipiens
- Crowned HornbillLophoceros alboterminatus
- Bearded WoodpeckerChloropicus namaquus
- Woodland KingfisherHalcyon senegalensis
- Red-knobbed CootFulica cristata
- Crested BarbetTrachyphonus vaillantii
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- European SwiftApus apus
- Eastern Crested GuineafowlGuttera pucherani
- Allen's GallinulePorphyrio alleni
- Acacia Pied BarbetTricholaema leucomelas
- Great spotted cuckooClamator glandarius
- Western SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio
- Black CrakeAmaurornis flavirostra
- Common ButtonquailTurnix sylvaticus
- White-fronted Bee-eaterMerops bullockoides
- Pied KingfisherCeryle rudis
- Red-faced MousebirdUrocolius indicus
- Square-tailed NightjarCaprimulgus fossii
- Rufous-cheeked NightjarCaprimulgus rufigena
- African HoopoeUpupa africana
- Lesser MoorhenGallinula angulata
- African Grey CuckooCuculus gularis
- Shelley's FrancolinScleroptila shelleyi
- Emerald CuckooChrysococcyx cupreus
- Diederik CuckooChrysococcyx caprius
- African CrakeCrex egregia
- White-browed CoucalCentropus superciliosus
- Pennant-winged NightjarCaprimulgus vexillarius
- Baillon's CrakePorzana pusilla
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eaterMerops persicus
- African Pygmy KingfisherIspidina picta
- Bennett's WoodpeckerCampethera bennettii
- Green-backed HoneyguideProdotiscus zambesiae
- Cape ParrotPoicephalus robustusVU
- Horus SwiftApus horus
- African SwiftApus barbatus
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species from November to February.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan31°/20°149 mm
- Feb30°/19°133 mm
- Mar30°/19°80 mm
- Apr30°/16°30 mm
- May29°/13°2 mm
- Jun27°/10°2 mm
- Jul26°/10°0 mm
- Aug30°/12°0 mm
- Sep34°/16°2 mm
- Oct36°/20°15 mm
- Nov34°/21°64 mm
- Dec31°/20°142 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Hwange National Park.
National park in Zimbabwe
Hwange National Park is an Important Bird Area (BirdLife) in Zimbabwe, 1,076 m above the sea.
352 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 13,182 open records.
The most recorded are the Ring-necked Dove, the White-browed Sparrow-weaver and the Fork-tailed Drongo.
104 species come for the summer, 43 for the winter and 1 only pass through.
8 are threatened worldwide, including Southern Ground Hornbill, White-backed Vulture and Tawny Eagle.
The most species are recorded from November to February.
Get there and watch
- Main Camp Campsitecampsite · 0.4 km · 4 within 10 km
- Gwango Elephant Lodgeplace to stay · 5.2 km · 12 within 10 km
- Detenearest town · 16 km in a straight line
- Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 138 km in a straight lineCar hire at VFA airport (Victoria Falls)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1viewpoints within 5 kmSedina Pan
- 1restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 4campsites within 10 kmMain Camp Campsite, The Track Shack Campsite, Campsite Gwango and 1 more
- 12places to stay within 10 kmGwango Elephant Lodge, Gwango Hotel, Hwange Safari Lodge and 9 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
- car parks within 3 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
Hwange National Park
Zimbabwe
- 86Birdyas Score
- 352Species
- 148Migrants
- 8Threatened
Victoria Falls National Park
Zimbabwe · 146 km
- 93Birdyas Score
- 474Species
- 165Migrants
- 12Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q1571380) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 13,182 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
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lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit 
mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit