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Detail & checklist of birding near Gweru Zimbabwe (1 Viewer)

Zimbernard

Active member
Below is a bird check list of 344 birds seen and heard over the last 25 years in the quarter degree square (19S29E_D2) where I lived near Shurugwi, south of Gweru, in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe, Southern Africa. This quarter degree square, aproximately 26km by 28 km, covers an area of ± 725 sq kilometers. It is an area where not many people live, and as a consequence is not too much altered by agriculture. This area is most unusual in Zimbabwe in that it has a wide variety of habitats, and hence this unusual variety of birds.

Grasslands

In the west of the qds are the grasslands. Here are found the African Marsh Palid & Montegu"s Harriers, Longclaws. Desert & Ayres Cisticolas, Kori Bustards:- the worlds heaviest flying bird, Secretary Birds, Lesser grey shrikes.

Broard Leaf Woodlands

In the eastern hills are the Miombo woodlands where there are Mashona HYliotas, Mionbo Rock Thrushes, Tree and Striped Pippets, Lazy Cisticolas, Longbilled and Redfaced Crombecs, Redthroated Twinspot, Goldenbacked Pytillia, Wood Owls, Greyhooded Kingfisher, Purplecrested Louries, Shellys Francolin, Tree Creepers. Every November I waited here for the migrants, especially the Spotted and Collared Flycatchers. One year we even had a Pied Flycatcher.

Acacia Scrub

Towards the north are the drier Acacia sccrublands. Here are found the Acacia Pied Barbets, Marico Flycatchers, Marico and Scarletchested Sunbirds, Blackcheeked & Violeteared Waxbills, the everpresent Rattling Cisticola. Just to the north of this area (Not in this record area) occurs that most beautiful of all birds, the Crimsonbreasted Shrike.

Montane

In the southeast of the square are the Shurugwi Hills, swept by cool, moist SE winds. Unusual birds here are the Longtailed wagtail, Tamborine Doves, and the once seen Grey Cuckooshrike. Patrolling the skies here is the Black Swift, Whitenecked Raven, Perigrene and Lanner Falcon, Black Stork.


Wetland and Riverine

Specials in these habitats are the Black Duck, Purple Heron, African Finfoot, Halfcollared and Pygmy Kingfishers, LeVailands Cisticola


And the Raptors


Cape Vulture, Black Sparrowhawk, Martial Eagle, Longcrested & Crowned Eagles, the Bateleur, now making a comeback, Auger Buzzard, Brown Snake Eagle, Afrcan Goshawk.


Sadly, we have had to leave our home, but I still bird in this area, although I now live in Gweru Town (Ughhhhhhh!!!!!)

Total no records 344
BIRD Roberts No
Dabchick 8
White Pelican 49
Whitebreasted Cormorant 55
Reed Cormorant 58
Darter 60
Grey Heron 62
Blackheaded Heron 63
Purple Heron 65
Great White Egret 66
Little Egret 67
Yellowbilled Egret 68
Cattle Egret 71
Squacco Heron 72
Greenbacked Heron 74
Blackcrowned Night Heron 76
Little Bittern 78
Hammerkop 81
White Stork 83
Black Stork 84
Abdim's Stork 85
Openbilled Stork 87
Saddlebilled Stork 88
Marabou Stork 89
Yellowbilled Stork 90
Glossy Ibis 93
African Spoonbill 95
Greater Flamingo 96
Whitefaced Duck 99
Whitebacked Duck 101
Egyptian Goose 102
African Black Duck 105
Hottentot Teal 107
Redbilled Teal 108
Cape Shoveller 112
Southern Pochard 113
Knob-billed Duck 115
Spurwinged Goose 116
Secretarybird 118
Cape Vulture 122
Whitebacked Vulture 123
Lappetfaced Vulture 124
Yellowbilled Kite 126.1
Black Kite 126.2
Blackshouldered Kite 127
Bat Hawk 129
Black Eagle 131
Tawny Eagle 132
Steppe Eagle 133
Lesser Spotted Eagle 134
Wahlberg's Eagle 135
Booted Eagle 136
African Hawk Eagle 137
Ayres' Eagle 138
Longcrested Eagle 139
Martial Eagle 140
Crowned Eagle 141
Brown Snake Eagle 142
Blackbreasted Snake Eagle 143
Bateleur 146
African Fish Eagle 148
Steppe Buzzard 149
Auger Buzzard 153
Lizard Buzzard 154
Owambo Sparrowhawk 156
Little Sparrowhawk 157
Black Sparrowhawk 158
Little Banded Goshawk 159
African Goshawk 160
Gabar Goshawk 161
Dark Chanting Goshawk 163
African Marsh Harrier 165
Montagu's Harrier 166
Palid Harrier 167
Gymnogene 169
Osprey 170
Peregrine Falcon 171
Lanner Falcon 172
African Hobby 174
Western Redfooted Kestrel 179
Eastern Redfooted Kestrel 180
Greater Kestrel 182
Lesser Kestrel 183
Dickenson's Kestrel 185
Crested Francolin 189
Shelly's Francolin 191
Natal Francolin 196
Swainson's Francolin 199
Harlequin Quail 201
Helmeted Guineafowl 203
Southern Crowned Crane 209
African Crake 212
Black Crake 213
Lesser Galinule 224
Moorhen 226
Lesser Moorhen 227
Redknobbed Coot 228
African Finfoot 229
Kori Bustard 230
Redcrested Koorhaan 237
Blackbellied Koorhaan 238
African Jacana 240
Lesser Jacana 241
KItlitz's Plover 248
Threebanded Plover 249
Crowned Plover 255
Blacksmith Plover 258
Wattled Plover 260
Common Sandpiper 264
Wood Sandpiper 266
Marsh Sandpiper 269
Greenshank 270
Little Stint 274
Ruff 284
Blackwinged Stilt 295
Spotted Dikkop 297
Temminck's Courser 300
Greyheaded Gull 315
Whitewinged Tern 339
Feral Pigeon 348
Rock Pigeon 349
Redeyed Dove 352
Cape Turtle Dove 354
Laughing Dove 355
Namaqua Dove 356
Greenspotted Dove 358
Tambourine Dove 359
Green Pigeon 361
Meyers Parrot 364
Purplecrested Lourie 371
Grey Lourie 373
African Cuckoo 375
Redchested Cuckoo 377
Black Cuckoo 378
Great Spotted Cuckoo 380
Striped Cuckoo 381
Jacobin Cuckoo 382
Thickbilled Cuckoo 383
Klaas's Cuckoo 385
Diederick Cuckoo 386
Senegal Coucal 390
Barn Owl 392
Wood Owl 394
Barred Owl 399
Spotted Eagle Owl 401
Fierynecked Nightjar 405
Rufouscheeked Nightjar 406
Mozambique Nightjar 409
Pennantwinged Nightjar 410
European Swift 411
Black Swift 412
Whiterumped Swift 415
Horus Swift 416
Little Swift 417
Mottled Swift 419
Palm Swift 421
Redfaced Mousebird 426
Pied Kingfisher 428
Giant Kingfisher 429
Halfcollared Kingfisher 430
Malachite Kingfisher 431
Pygmy Kingfisher 432
Brownhooded Kingfisher 435
Greyhooded Kingfisher 436
Striped Kingfisher 437
European Bee-eater 438
Carmine Bee-eater 441
Whitefronted Bee-eater 443
Little Bee-eater 444
Swallowtailed Bee-eater 445
European Roller 446
Lilacbreasted Roller 447
Purple Roller 449
Broardbilled Roller 450
Hoopoe 451
Redbilled Woodhoopoe 452
Scimitarbilled Woodhoopoe 454
Grey Hornbill 457
Ground Hornbill 463
Blackcollared Barbet 464
Accacia Pied Barbet 465
Yellowfronted Tinker Barbet 470
Crested Barbet 473
Greater Honeyguide 474
Lesser Honeyguide 476
Sharpbilled Honeyguide 478
Slenderbilled Honeyguide 479
Goldentailed Woodpecker 483
Cardinal Woodpecker 486
Bearded Woodpecker 487
Rufousnaped Lark 494
Flappet Lark 496
Redcapped Lark 507
Chestnutbacked Finchlark 515
European Swallow 518
Whitethroated Swallow 520
Wiretailed Swallow 522
Pearlbreasted Swallow 523
Redbreasted Swallow 524
Greater Striped Swallow 526
Lesser Striped Swallow 527
Rock Martin 529
House Martin 530
Greyrumped Swallow 531
Banded Martin 534
Black Cuckooshrike 538
Whitebreasted Cuckooshrike 539
Grey Cuckooshrike 540
Forktailed Drongo 541
European Golden Oriole 543
African Golden Oriole 544
Blackheaded Oriole 545
Black Crow 547
Pied Crow 548
Whitenecked Raven 550
Northern Grey Tit 553
Southern Black Tit 554
Spotted Creeper 559
Arrowmarked Babbler 560
Blackeyed Bulbul 568
Terrestrial Bulbul 569
Yellowbellied Bulbul 574
Kurrichane Thrush 576
Groundscraper Thrush 580
Miombo Rockthush 584
Capped Wheatear 587
Familiar Chat 589
Mocking Chat 593
Stone Chat 596
Heughlin's Robin 599
Whitethroated Robin 602
Boulder Chat 610
Whitebrowed Scrub Robin 613
Garden Warbler 619
Whitethroat 620
Titbabbler 621
Masona Hyliota 624
Icterine Warbler 625
Olivetree Warbler 626
African Sedge Warbler 638
Willow Warbler 643
Barthroated Apalis 645
Redfaced Crombec 650
Longbilled Crombec 651
Yellowbellied Eremomela 653
Greencapped Eremomela 655
Burntnecked Eremomela 656
Greybacked Bleating Warbler 657.2
Fantailed Cisticola 664
Desert Cisticola 665
Ayre's Cisticola 667
Rattling Cisticola 672
Redfaced Cisticola 674
Levailant's Cisticola 677
Lazy Cisticola 679
Neddicky 681
Tawnyflanked Prinia 683
Spotted Fycatcher 689
Dusky Flycatcher 690
Bluegrey Flycatcher 691
Collared Flycatcher 692
Pied Flycatcher 692.1
Fantailed Flycatcher 693
Black Flycatcher 694
Marico Flycatchatcher 695
Mousecoloured Flycatcher 696
Chinspot Batis 701
Paradise Flycatcher 710
African Pied Wagtail 711
Longtailed Wagtail 712
Cape Wagtail 713
Grassveld Pipit 716
Buffy Pipit 719
Striped Pipit 720
Tree Pipit 722
Wood Pipit 726.909
Orangethroated Longclaw 727
Lesser Grey Shrike 731
Fiscal Shrike 732
Redbacked Shrike 733
Longtailed Shrike 735
Tropical Boubou 737
Puffback 740
Brubru 741
Threestreaked Tchagra 743
Blackcrowned Tchagra 744
Orangebreasted Bush Shrike 748
Greyheaded Bush Shrike 751
White Helmet Shrike 753
Redbilled Helmet Shrike 754
Wattled Starling 760
Plumcoloured Starling 761
Cape Glossy Starling 764
Greater Blue-eared Starling 765
Lesser Blue-eared Starling 766
Redwinged Starling 769
Marico Sunbird 779
Miombo Doublecollared Sunbird 784
Whitebellied Sunbird 787
Scarletchested Sunbird 791
Black Sunbird 792
Yellow White-eye 797
Redbilled Buffalo Weaver 798
Whitebrowed Sparrow-weaver 799
House Sparrow 801
Greyheaded Sparrow 804
Yellowthroated Sparrow 805
Scalyfeathered Finch 806
Spottedbacked Weaver 811
Southern Masked Weaver 814
Lesser Masked Weaver 815
Golden Weaver 816
Redheaded Weaver 819
Cuckoo Finch 820
Redbilled Quelia 821
Red Bishop 824
Yellowrumped Widow 827
Whitewinged Widow 829
Redcollared Widow 831
Goldenbacked Pytilia 833
Melba Finch 834
Redthroated Twinspot 839
Jameson's Firefinch 841
Redbilled Firefinch 842
Blue Waxbill 844
Violeteared Waxbill 845
Common Waxbill 846
Blackcheeked Waxbill 847
Quail Finch 852
Orangebreasted Waxbill 854
Cut-throat Finch 855
Bronze Mannikin 857
Pintailed Whydah 860
Shaft-tailed Whydah 861
Paradise Whydah 862
Broardtailed Paradise Whydah 863
Steelblue Widowfinch 867
Yelloweyed Canary 869
Blackthroated Canary 870
Bully Canary 877
Streakyheaded Canary 881
Blackeared Canary 882
Goldenbreasted Bunting 884
Cape Bunting 885
Rock Bunting 886
 
Last edited:
Bernard

Cracking list you have there.
Quite a lot that I need to add to my Zim list.
I'll be back as soon as Tim and his mates are gone.

Pete
 
Hi again Bernard

I've just checked out my Zim life list and find that it stands at 496 in 15 years.

There are a few from Shurugwi that would help me over the 500, not the
least being the elusive Af Finfoot. I've been up and down a few rivers looking
for that one, without success so far.

Pete
 
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