KATIMA-MULILO
NAMIBIA
LOCALE
| # Species: | 333 |
| # Excl Vagrants: | 333 |
| # Endemics: | 0 |
| # Near Endemics: | 0 |
ABOUT THE BIRDING
Katima-Mulilo is the provincial capital of the Caprivi region in northeast Zambia. It lies on the south bank of the Zambezi River, across the border from Zambia. An excellent place to stay is the Kalizo Lodge, where the grounds have habitat for numerous birds. The Katima-Mulilo area is notable in that it's the southern-most range for many birds from Zambia and farther north, so it is the only place in Namibia to see these species. As a result, the area offers some of the best birding in the country.
West of town some 20 km is Kalahari sand broadleaf woodland, where species such as African Hobby, White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike, African Golden Oriole, Gray Cisticola, Pale Flycatcher, Southern Black-Flycatcher, and Long-billed Pipit are found. The areas east and south of town are dominated by Mopane woodland, where the birdlife is similar to Mudumu National Park but also features Black-faced Lovebird. Wetland areas, including a large depression that filled with water in 1958 but has since been reduced to scattered ponds, now known as Lake LIambezi, and along the river attract waterfowl, shorebirds, and other wetland species, as does the sewage works on the outskirts of town. A boat trip on the Zambezi River allows easier viewing of some of these species. The area west of town is reached by road to the Zambia border. The road is fringed by Mopane woodland and is notable for night birds after dark when the border is closed. During the day the road is good for birds such as Banded Snake-Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Dickinson's Kestrel, Brown-necked Parrot, and White-headed Black-Chat. The Zambezi River itself is fringed by dense forest, which features some specialties such as African Wood-Owl, Trumpeter Hornbill, Crested Barbet, Black-crowned Tchagra, Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike, Gray-headed Bushshrike, Gray Tit-Flycatcher.
LOCATION OF SITE
Katima-Mulilo is a town in the Caprivi Strip on the border of northeast Namibia and southwest Zambia on the Namibia side of the Zambezi River. It's about 700 km from Halali Camp in Etosha.