ECOTOURISM
Birding in the Bush
S.THEODORE BASKARAN
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With a very high density of bird life, the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia is a birder’s dream come true.
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One bird that catches your attention in East Africa is the Hammerkop, so called because of its hammer-shaped head.
Photos: Nithila Baskaran
Show-offs: The Ground hornbill
Few sanctuaries in the world are known for their high density of bird life as the South Luangwa National park in Zambia. Five of us, all keen on birds, journeyed towards this destination. Early one morning, the 10-seater Beechcraft plane we were flying landed in the tiny Mfuwe airstrip. Thanks to the marvel of Internet, we knew that Andrew Phiri, our guide for the next six days and a birder himself, would be meeting us. We headed towards the wildlife camp 24 km away, with Andrew at the wheel of the Landrover, and a well-thumbed copy of Roberts’s Birds of Southern Africa and a pair of binoculars by his side..
The Great Rift Valley in Africa, a large fissure on the face of the earth, is an awesome geological feature This 4,000-km long valley begins in Ethiopia and goes up to Zambia. Some of the best wildlife habitats, including alkaline lakes, hot springs and craters, are in this rift. The Luangwa sanctuary is at the southern end of the valley. The river Luangwa, flowing through the area, gives the national park its name. It is one of the largest sanctuaries in Africa, spreading over 9,000 sq km and has enjoyed protection for over a hundred years. The wealth of wildlife here came to the attention of the outside world when explorers like David Livingstone visited these areas in 1899.
Ideal landscape
Different types of vegetation provide varied habitats to a large concentration of life forms. The semi-deciduous Miambo type of forest predominates. It is not dense and so viewing is easy. Vast areas are scrubland with tall trees. There are stretches of savannah and there is the river, flanked by the riverine forest. Now and then a great baobab tree makes its appearance.
The Crested crane
As you set out during day break, an orchestra of bird calls surrounds you. Birds that are familiar to you through field guides make their appearance. The first to show up was the Saddle-billed stork, a colourful bird, sedately walking in a shallow pond. You see quite a few varieties of hornbills, the most spectacular of them being the Ground hornbill. Bee eaters, of which there are more than five species here, seem to be constantly in view.
These colourful birds are a delight to watch. They catch their prey in mid air, demonstrating their aerial prowess. The most colourful of them is the Carmine bee-eater which migrates into this area in August. But a few vanguard flocks seem to have arrived and we were able to spot them more than once.
Our guide, Andrew, turned out to be another resourceful dimension of the trip. He knew his birds. Even as a bird flitted from bush to bush he would identify it. From the call, he would tell us whether it is a male or female Fishing Eagle. When we expressed a desire to see Crested cranes, for which this sanctuary is well known, he took us one bitterly cold morning to a savannah area 50 km away. Not only did we see the cranes but visited a hot spring, a geological remnant of the volcanic past. Cranes, of which there are 15 species, are one of the oldest of birds on earth; nine million year old fossils of Sandhill cranes have been found in Wyoming. Andrew told us that there are birders coming here just to spot a specific bird and often it is the Pel’s Fishing Owl. We were fortunate to spot it, by ourselves, while on a cruise in the river Zambezi.
The Hammerkop
Occasionally a species you have seen in India appears and surprises you. The Pied King fisher is one such. And there are birds that appear like the one you are familiar with back home but turn out to be a different species. Such is the Yellow-billed stork which looks remarkably like the Painted stork of our countryside. We visited an enormous breeding colony of these birds, on two large trees. Beneath the trees were scores of Marabou storks, patiently waiting for the morsels of fish that fell down while the nestlings were being fed by the parents.
Hard to miss
One bird that catches your attention in East Africa is the Hammerkop, so called because of its hammer-shaped head. The names of many African birds carry a Dutch flavour, thanks to the Afrikaans language. This brown-plumaged, egret-like bird builds enormous nests, in the branches of trees not far from water. It belongs to a unique family of its own. Another bird that is characteristic of Southern Africa is the Ox pecker. You see them perched on Giraffes and zebras, feeding on the ticks. There are two varieties of them. While returning from the safari one night, a herd of buffalos crossed the road and in the light of the headlamp we could see Ox peckers hanging on to them, even in that darkness. .
My most enduring image of the birding days in the bush was the iconic African Fishing eagle cruising over Luangwa River, its plaintive call resonating over the valley. One day we were sitting by the river — our camp was on the bank — and were able to watch this majestic raptor swoop down and grab a fish in its talons, in an amazing display of aerodynamics.
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