Global Big Day of Birding 2020 on Matetsi Private Game Reserve
On Saturday 09 May, six teams went out on a birding mission across Matetsi Private Game Reserve. In total they recorded 106 bird species! And counted well over 500 birds!
“I really had fun and learnt so many more birds.”
Starting from the lodge, on the banks of the Zambezi River, the teams spread out to cover different cross-sections of the 136,000 acre wildlife concession. The variety of terrains covered, from riverine forest to mopane woodlands, vleis and many of the waterholes (pans), is evidenced in the vast array of birdlife sighted: from the Pel’s Fishing Owl around the lodge area, to Hottentot Teals on the pans in the southern section of the property, along with the classic African Fish-Eagle, whose call is one of the most iconic sounds in Africa, to the chattering and cackling Green Wood-Hoopoe. (see the full list below)
Zanangubo pan (pictured) in the very south of the property offers remarkable birdlife and wildlife sightings (including the opportunity to see the world famous Matetsi Sable antelope).
The Full List 2020 from the Matetsi Victoria Falls teams
- White-faced Whistling-Duck
- Knob-billed Duck
- Egyptian Goose
- Hottentot Teal
- Helmeted Guineafowl
- Swainson’s Francolin
- Speckled Pigeon
- Mourning Collared-Dove
- Ring-necked Dove
- Laughing Dove
- Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
- Namaqua Dove
- African Green-Pigeon
- Double-banded Sandgrouse
- Kori-Bustard
- Grey Go-away-bird
- Senegal Coucal
- Rufous-cheeked Nightjar
- Fiery-necked Nightjar
- Spotted Thick-knee
- Blacksmith Lapwing
- White-headed Lapwing
- Wattled Lapwing
- African Jacana
- Bronze-winged Courser
- Saddle-billed Stork
- African Darter
- Hamerkop
- Cattle Egret
- Rufous-bellied Heron
- Hadada Ibis
- Secretarybird
- African Harrier-Hawk
- White-backed Vulture
- Bateleur
- Black-chested Snake-Eagle
- Lizard Buzzard
- Gabar Goshawk
- African Fish-Eagle
- Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl
- Pel’s Fishing-Owl
- Red-faced Mousebird
- Green Woodhoopoe
- Southern Ground-Hornbill
- African Grey Hornbill
- Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
- Trumpeter Hornbill
- Woodland Kingfisher
- Brown-hooded Kingfisher
- Giant Kingfisher
- Pied Kingfisher
- White-fronted Bee-eater
- Little Bee-eater
- Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
- European Roller
- Lilac-breasted Roller
- Crested Barbet
- Black-collared Barbet
- Cardinal Woodpecker
- Meyer’s Parrot
- African Golden Oriole
- Chinspot Batis
- White Helmetshrike
- Retz’s Helmetshrike
- Black-backed Puffback
- Brown-crowned Tchagra
- Tropical Boubou
- Fork-tailed Drongo
- Shrike SP
- Magpie Shrike
- White-crowned Shrike
- Jameson’s Firefinch
- Cut-throat
- Pin-tailed Whydah
- Broad-tailed Paradise-Whydah
- Eastern Paradise-Whydah
- Shaft-tailed Whydah
- Village Indigobird
- Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
- African Pied Wagtail
- Golden-breasted Bunting
- Rufous-naped Lark
- Tawny-flanked Prinia
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Lesser Striped Swallow
- Yellow-bellied Greenbul
- Common Bulbul (Dark-capped)
- African Yellow White-eye
- Arrow-marked Babbler
- Red-billed Oxpecker
- Meves’s Starling
- Greater Blue-eared Starling
- Groundscraper Thrush
- Collared Palm-Thrush
- Scarlet-chested Sunbird
- Marico Sunbird
- White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
- Village Weaver
- Red-billed Quelea
- Orange breasted Bush Shrike
- Angolan Swallow
- Blue Waxbill
- Dark Chanting Goshawk
- Purple Roller
- African Openbill
- Southern Black Tit
This is far from a comprehensive list of all the bird species that call Matetsi Private Game Reserve home, but it gives a wonderful idea of some of the birds you might see on a birding day in the month of May.
Global Big Day of Birding at Matetsi Victoria Falls
What: The chance to be part of a global bird count team
When: 09 May 2020
Where: Wherever you are!
How: It’s simple! Identify and record the birds around you. Follow this link for more details on how to share your sightings.
The focus of the global team this year is to on the number of checklists we can collect altogether. So even if you can just take 5-10 minutes to look out your window and record your bird sightings, you’ll be helping the team boost the number of checklists!
Global Big Day of Birding at Matetsi Victoria Falls
Several teams will head out to traverse the vast wilderness that is Matetsi Private Game Reserve. Each team will use one eBird account to record their bird sightings on the free eBird mobile app.
At this time, our guiding team are going out every day to ensure there’s a positive human presence across the wilderness concession. For the Global Big Day, they’ll be joined by others from the Matetsi family who are keen birders and/or would like to learn and enjoy the day out in the bush.
At the moment, many of our team are home with their families, and some of them will also join in the Global Big Day!
Birds in Numbers at Matetsi Private Game Reserve
Depending on which guide you talk to, Matetsi Private Game Reserve is said to be home to 366 different bird species. One species for every day of the year, even in a leap year. Though other guides will say, “No, no, no, there’s more than 400 bird species, depending on the time of the year.”
Birds by Habitat on Matetsi Private Game Reserve
The 55,000-hectare Matetsi Private Game Reserve (that’s over a quarter of a million acres!) lies along 15 km (9 miles) or Zambezi river frontage, ands stretches about 36 km south toward the Panda Masuie forest.
Along the northern section of the property, you’ll find floodplains and riverine forests, neighboured by Zambezi Teak forests. Seasonal marshes (“vleis”), which sprawl across the concession, are embraced by Kalahari sands, and mopane woodland that reach down to the south. Scattered throughout you’ll find seasonal ponds (pans) and waterholes.
This variety of habitats provides homes for an exceptional array of birdlife. Perhaps it was this that earned us a spot on this list of Best Bird Sightings in Southern Africa.
Seasonal Birding on Matetsi Private Game Reserve
After our winter, the first migrant birds arrive in September/October time. They stay throughout the summer and enjoy the lush rainy season, departing again before the winter.
In early May temperatures have started to drop and most of the migrants have flown north for the winter, to catch summer in the northern hemisphere. So they won’t make our list on the Global Big Day of Birding, but our global teammates in Europe/Asia will hopefully log them.
For more information on the Global Big Day, click here.
Many thanks to our guides, team and guests for sharing these incredible bird images with us.
