Birds

When you ponder the animal kingdom, it’s hard not to marvel at the bird group – their prominence and diversity are difficult to match. Some birds are generalists, while others have very specific requirements on where they can live and what they can eat. Even in a single forest patch, you’ll find different birds feeding in the canopy, others beneath the canopy, and still others on the forest floor.

In 1965, 339 different bird species were recorded within Gorongosa National Park alone – not including Mount Gorongosa or surrounding areas.  This is an indication of the exceptional biodiversity of the Gorongosa ecosystem.

The array of birds that you can see on a Mozambique safari in Gorongosa is simply breath taking. The best time of the year to see birds is November, when migratory birds arrive in Mozambique and resident birds have bright plumage for the breeding season. Over 150 different species may be recorded in a single day at this time of year. If you’re a serious birder, you know that Gorongosa is home a special bird that is found nowhere else in the world – the Green-headed Oriole.

The Green-headed Oriole (Oriolus chlorocephalus), found only on Mount Gorongosa, tops the “most wanted” list of any serious birder. The bird that you’ll find on Mount Gorongosa is a unique race of Green-headed Oriole that is distinguished by the white panel on its wings. No other Green-headed oriole in Africa has this marking which makes it a unique find.

Green-headed Orioles, as a whole, are very specialized birds that can only be found in old-growth rainforests on mountaintops. They can be found in Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique but only in very few, special environments. It is believed that millions of years ago, when the earth’s climate shifted, this bird’s habitat was only left on a few isolated mountains topped in rainforest – such as Mount Gorongosa. As evolution occurred over millions of years, the Green-headed Oriole of Mount Gorongosa became it’s own unique race that is truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight.

Tall, elegant Grey Crowned cranes (Balearica regulorum) are shy birds that live in wetlands. These cranes are known for their intricate dance that they do during the breeding season. As the displays pick up they perform ballet leaps of extraordinary beauty. The entire ritual involves dancing, bowing, jumping and head shaking. They also inflate their red throat pouch to produce honking sounds that are unique from the calls of other cranes.

They tend to mate for life, are very territorial and will defend their nesting area using these loud calls. They are also unique in that they cannot perch in the trees, unlike other cranes, because of their long hind toes.

This bird, with its magnificent golden crown, is a fairly common resident in Gorongosa, but is threatened elsewhere in the world. The Gorongosa ecosystem, along with the Zambezi delta, probably supports the greatest number of these magnificent birds in Southern Africa. As such, the wetlands of Gorongosa’s floodplain are of global importance.

Beautifully colored, the Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) has a virtual rainbow of feather colors. Sometimes confused with the Purple Roller (Coracias naevia), its distinguishing feature is its long, straight outer tail feathers.

It performs a wonderful courtship flight, with a fast dive from very high in the sky, with rolling (that’s where they get their name) or a fast rocking motion accompanied by loud raucous calls.

Monogamous and highly territorial, this attractive bird is one of the most commonly seen of the rollers. You can find them, atop a convenient perch, searching the area for a potential meal. It preys on grasshoppers, beetles, occasionally lizards, crabs, and small amphibians but is also known to take small birds. To feed, it swoops down from its perch next to its prey and eats it on the ground or brings it back to its perch where they batter it before swallowing it whole. Lilac-breasted Rollers don’t seem bothered by people one bit, allowing you to get very close for a good photo.