The attractive, land-locked country of Malawi with its plateaus, rolling plains, lakes, mountains, forests and vast Miombo woodlands offers incredible birding and the opportunity to see many of Africa’s most localized species. We venture across the length of this scenic nation, from the Zomba Plateau and idyllic Liwonde National Park in the south to the vast Nyika and Viphya Plateaus in the north, and targets include such gems as Stierling’s Woodpecker, Souza’s Shrike, stunning White-winged and endemic Yellow-throated Apalis, gorgeous Böhm’s Bee-eater, Pel’s Fishing Owl and Scarlet-tufted Sunbird.
*2024 Prices are estimated and dates may change*
Top Birds Böhm’s Bee-eater, Stierling’s Woodpecker, Brown-headed, White-winged, Chapin's & Yellow-throated Apalis, Babbling Starling, Brown-breasted, Whyte’s & Miombo Pied Barbet, Lilian’s Lovebird, Green-headed Oriole, Racket-tailed Roller, Schalow’s Turaco, Pel’s Fishing Owl, White-backed Night-Heron, Pale-billed Hornbill, Souza’s Shrike, Fulleborn’s Boubou, Spotted Creeper, Olive-headed Weaver, Montane Widowbird, Sharpe’s & East Coast Akalat, White-chested & Thyolo Alethe, Olive-flanked Robin-Chat, Miombo Scrub Robin, Retz’s Helmetshrike, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Bohm’s & Livingstone's Flycatcher, Miombo and Rufous-bellied Tit, Churring Cisticola, Miombo Rock Thrush, Scarlet-tufted, Anchieta’s & Western Violet-backed Sunbird, Red-faced Crimsonwing, Reichard’s Seedeater, Jackson’s Pipit
Top Mammals African Elephant, Lichtenstein's Hartebeest, Black Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Sable and Roan Antelope
Habitats Covered montane forest, Brachystegia, Mopane & Miombo woodlands, rivers and montane grassland, dambos (flooded grasslands)
Expected Climate warm to cool on the Nyika and Viphya plateaus, mild to hot in the lowlands
Max Group Size 8 with 1 Rockjumper leader
Tour Pace & Walking moderate pace, mostly short walks
Accommodation comfortable lodges
Ease of Birding mostly unchallenging with a few skulky species
Number of Species Expected 350 - 400
Other Attractions Liwonde National Park, Nyika Plateau, Lake Malawi, vast Miombo woodlands, friendly people, African curios
Photographic Opportunities good
Keith was excellent on everything and a wonderful source of information. Keith and Markus are my favorite tour guides ever (over 20 tours with different companies). Keith arranged daily events extremely well and was good at taking the temperature of the group in terms of energy levels and enthusiasm. He is also enormously patient. I would not have considered going to Malawi as a priority until I’d seen about 7,000 life birds (or about 10 years from now) and was very pleasantly surprised by the number of special species, good accommodations, a well thought out itinerary and good arrangements. All in all a memorable and special experience even for somebody who regularly does bird tours.