Zambia is an exciting destination for a birding tour and not just because of the 750 plus species found here, but the abundance of African wildlife you will encounter here as well. This central African country places great importance on nature conservation and houses 20 National Parks which cover a tenth of the country. It is at these parks which majority of Zambia birding tours take place at. A typical 2 week birding tour of the country will yield results upwards of 300 birding species. This does rely heavily on the calibre of tour guide that is leading the tour. Zambia birding tours require someone who is adept at finding birds, because even though most of the trip takes place in national parks, these places are huge and you would not want to waste any more time than you have to by looking around for the species of birds you came here for.
Zambia birding tours can be customized to be longer than the 2 week mentioned period. There is so much to see that even a month can fly by. If you would be customizing Zambia birding tours to be completed within a week, then charter flights are a must. It is the expensive route, but a lot of time is spent travelling during the tour and if you would want to cut this out to save time, then flights would be the best option to go with. Of course, it is during the drive time that wildlife spotting is at the highest which would be something you would miss out on. Buffaloes, giraffes, lions, elephants and deer all call Zambia home and are just a few of the animals that will be spotted along the way. But the main attraction on Zambia birding tours are undoubtedly the birds. May to August are the ideal months in which to visit Zambia. This is the dry season and also much cooler.
It is central Africa, so it is warm year round. Luckily accommodation on Zambia birding tours do not ask for tour guests to slum it. Lodges are situated at each of the parks. They have been purposely situated to give guests a great vantage point. Safari vehicles are used to venture out deeper into the park to find the birds. Due to the terrain, vehicles cannot go everywhere which is why a fair bit of walking is required on Zambia birding tours. Trails have been made available for this so that tour guests do not have any run ins with wild animals. Walking is also the preferred mode for birding so that the group may approach birds quietly and not scare them away. It is for this same reasoning that Zambia birding toursare done with around 6 participants per tour. Furthermore, it will allow for each member of the group to have an ample amount of time with the tour guide. Remember, that they are experts of sorts on Zambian bird species and during the 2 week trip, you will have their undivided attention and it is something that should definitely be taken advantage off to increase both your birding skill and knowledge.
