During 1999, my work took me to Harare, Zimbabwe on a couple of occasions and weekend stayovers gave me an opportunity to explore Harare and opportunities for city birding. Without access to transport, there are a couple of great birding sites within the city boundaries and for those short of time in Harare, there's still some decent birds to notch up. The Harare botanical gardens provide a rich range of micro-habitats that support a surprising range of species and is probably the easiest place to see Black Crake in the whole of Africa. The Mukuvisi woodlands support an astonishing range of species with a personal 'best bird' being a Spotted Creeper, a bird I had not previsouly seen in over a dozen visits to Southern Africa. Much has changed in Zimbabwe since 1999, but for those brave enough to visit I hope these short notes will be of some help to those with idle time in Harare.
Harare Botanical Gardens, 16th January 1999
Reed Cormorant (1)
Cattle Egret (4)
Abdim's Stork (20)
White-faced Duck (3)
Moorhen (2)
African Jacana (2)
Black Crake (2 + young)
Laughing Dove (10)
Palm Swift (50)
European Bee-eater (2)
Lesser Honeyguide (1)
Whyte's Barbet (1)
Crested Barbet (1)
Cardinal Woodpecker (1)
Fork-tailed Drongo (5)
Pied Crow (4)
Black-eyed Bulbul (10)
Kurrichane Thrush (3)
Paradise Flycatcher (6)
Fiscal Shrike (1)
Plum-coloured Starling (4)
Thick-billed Weaver (2)
Southern Masked Weaver (4)
Golden Weaver (2)
Red Bishop (1male + 2 female)
Red-billed Firefinch (2)
Bronze Mannikin (50)
Streaky-headed Canary (4)
Black Cuckoo-shrike (female)
Grey-headed Sparrow (20)
Yellow White-eye (2)
European Marsh Warbler (1)
Cape Reed Warbler (2)
Puffback (1)
Southern Black Flycatcher (1)
Blue Waxbill (1)
Hoopoe (1)
Red-billed Woodhoopoe (3)
Yellow-eyed Canary (1)
Brown-hooded Kingfisher (1)
Diedric Cuckoo (1)
Tawny-flanked Prinia (2)
Purple-crested Lourie (1)
Green-capped Eromomela (2)
Black-shouldered Kite (1)
Black-throated Canary (3)
Arrow-marked Babbler (1)
Red-eyed Dove (2)
Tropical Boubou (1)
Black-headed Heron (1)
Willow Warbler (2)
Eastern Red-footed Falcon (male and female)
Great afternoon's birding notching up just over 50 species in the gardens. Best birds were the Eastern Red-foots drifting over the park. Didn't expect to see a honeyguide in Harare.
Mukuvisi Woodlands, 17th January 1999
Reed Cormorant (1)
Black-headed Heron (1)
Hammerkop (3)
Cattle Egret (10)
Sacred Ibis (1)
Egyptian Goose (2)
White-faced Duck (10)
Long-crested Eagle (1)
Eastern Red-footed Flacon (20+)
Helmeted Guineafowl (6)
Moorhen (1)
Laughing Dove (2)
Red-eyed Dove (2)
Jacobin Cuckoo (1)
Diedric Cuckoo (6)
White-rumped Swift (6)
Palm Swift (20+)
Little Swift (2)
Red-faced Mousebird (5)
European Bee-eater (8)
Little Bee-eater (1)
Red-billed Woodhoopoe (4)
Hoopoe (1)
Whyte's Barbet (1)
Crested Barbet (2)
Black-collared Barbet (2)
European Barn Swallow (4)
Leeser Striped Swallow (6)
Wire-tailed Swallow (2)
White-throated Swallow (4)
Mosque Swallow (1)
Cardinal Woodpecker (2)
Fork-tailed Drongo (6)
Black-eyed Bulbul (10)
Nothern Grey Tit (1)
Spotted Creeper (1)
White-browed Robin (1)
Fiscal Shrike (4)
Black Sunbird (1)
Southern Masked Weaver (8)
Golden Weaver (1)
Red Bishop (1)
Red-billed Firefinch (2)
Jameson's Firefinch (male)
Bronze Mannikin (10)
Streaky-headed Canary (10)
Yellow-rumped Widowbird (1)
Yellow-mantled Widow (2)
Black Cuckoo-shrike (3)
Grey-headed Sparrow (1)
Yellow White-eye (4)
Puffback (4)
Brubru (1)
Chinspot Batis (2)
Black-crowned Tchagra (2)
Southern Black Flycatcher (2)
Spotted Flycatcher (1)
Blue Waxbill (3)
Yellow-eyed Canary (3)
Tawny-flanked Prinia (3)
Green-capped Eromomela (3)
Black-throated Canary (3)
Willow Warbler (3)
Rock Bunting (1)
Pipit sp (presumed Wood) (1)
Excellent miombo woodland birding with miles of ground to cover.
Harare Botanical Gardens, 16th October 1999
In addition to the species seen in January the following species were seen in October.
African Golden Oriole (1)
White-bellied Sunbird (4)
Yellow-bellied Sunbird (3)
Hammerkop (1)
Bar-throated Apalis (1)
Greater Blue-eared Starling (1)
Heuglin's Robin (male + female)
African Goshawk (imm)
Red-headed Weaver (male and juvenile)
Golden-breasted Bunting (1)
Little Swift (20)
Miombo Double-collared Sunbird (8)
Red-knobbed Coot (2)
Little Grebe (3)
Golden-tailed Woodpecker (4)
House sparrow (2)
Male Red-headed Weaver was a 'lifer'.
Mukuvisi Woodlands, 17th October 1999
In addition to the species seen in January the following species were seen in October.
European Swallow (2)
Grey Heron (1)
African Stonechat (male and female)
Slender-billed Honeyguide (1)
Plum-coloured Starling (male + female)
Grey Cuckoo-shrike (1)
Yellow Warbler (1)
Thick-billed Weaver (30)
Yellow-bellied Sunbird (1)
Neddicky (2)
White-bellied Sunbird (1)
Lesser Blue-eared Starling (1)
Wattled Plover (2)
Black-shouldered Kite (1)
Miombo Rock Thrush (1)
Square-tailed Drongo (1)
Three-banded Plover (1)
Pin-tailed Whydah (1)
Red-headed Weaver (1)
Grey-rumped Swallow (1)
Malachite Kingfisher (1)
Kurrichane Thrush (2)
Groundscraper Thrush (3)
Greater Blue-eared Starling (1)
Yellow-throated Sparrow (2)
Miombo Double-collared Sunbird (4)
Striped Kingfisher (1)
Pennant-winged Nightjar (female)
Another great day in this woodland with three lifers, Miombo Rock Thrush, Slender-billed Honeyguide and 'best bird' Pennant-winged Nightjar.