Rarities
Rare Birds in Zimbabwe
Rare birds sighted in Zimbabwe require a report, as detailed as possible, which then needs to be evaluated by the Zimbabwean Rarities Committee. As is the case in most countries in which such a committee is active such records require ratification by the local committee; it is not usually acceptable to have the record evaluated by the committee of another country. Thus, for travellers especially, it is useful if they can download the required form to complete. This can then be posted or e-mailed back to the Zimbabwean Rarities Committee. To this end, visitors or Zimbabwean with access to the Internet can use this link to acquire the form. To electronically return the form note the e-mail addresses on the first page.
What are rare birds?
What constitutes a rare bird varies slightly between countries but they are often migrants extending beyond their normal range, either palaearctic or African birds, and the odd cyclonic vagrant, in our case.? Occasionally included are resident birds that are for various reasons rare or uncommon, or even frequently misidentified birds, such as the Common Redshank Tringa tetanus, whose true occurrence can be misrepresented through confusion with Ruff Philomachus pugnax. ?These birds are listed in Table 1, Parts 1-3.
In Zimbabwe we try and exclude peripheral species impinging from neighbouring countries; whilst they are of restricted range they are often common where they occur.? Such birds do need evaluation if found far from these areas and for this some knowledge on distribution is necessary.? Birds such as Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus and Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis, etc have established a pattern of occurrence over the years and could suddenly arrive on most any water body and are no longer considered rarities, even though they are uncommon and sporadic.? Because of this they have been removed from the list but others in this category are listed in Table 2.
Table 3 lists birds that have yet to be proven as occurring in Zimbabwe.
Part 1 - Palaearctic migrants
Northern Pintail Anas acuta
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata (European)
Lesser Sandplover Charadrius mongolus (Mongolian Plover)
Greater Sandplover Charadrius leschenaultii
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
Common Redshank Tringa totanus
Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos
Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus
Great Snipe Gallinago media
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
Common Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicaria (Grey)
Common Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
European Turtle-dove Streptopelia turtur
Lesser Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus
White-throated Bee-eater Merops albicollis
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum
River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis
Eurasian Reed-warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
Part 2 - African residents, migrants and vagrants
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris
Malagasy Pond-heron Ardeola idae (Madagascar Squacco Heron)
South African Shelduck Tadorna cana
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
Ruppell's Griffon Gyps rueppellii
Palm-nut Vulture Gypohierax angolensis
Jackal Buzzard Buteo rufofuscus
African Hobby Falco cuvierii
Sooty Falcon Falco concolor
Black-rumped Buttonquail Turnix nanus
White-winged Flufftail Sarothrura ayresi
Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus
Namaqua Sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua
Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo Cercococcyx montanus
Pallid Honeyguide Indicator meliphilus
Red-throated Wryneck Jynx ruficollis
Stark's Lark Eremelauda starki
Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica
South African Cliff-swallow Hirundo spilodera
White-headed Saw-wing Psalidoprogne albiceps
Red-capped Crombec Sylvietta ruficapilla
Fiscal Flycatcher Sigelus silens
Fairy Flycatcher Stenostira scita
Dark Plain-backed Pipit Anthus leucophrys
Short-tailed Pipit Anthus brachyurus
Golden Pipit Tmetothylacus tenellus
Burchell's Starling Lamprotornis australis
Shelley's Sunbird Nectarinia shelleyi
Plain-backed Sunbird Anthreptes reichenowi (Blue-throated)
Red-headed Quelea Quelea erythrops
Cardinal Quelea Quelea cardinalis
Cyclonic vagrants
European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
Greater Frigatebird Fregata minor
Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata
Restricted Range or Habitat
Southern Pale Chanting-goshawk Melierax canorus
Red-necked Falcon Falco chicquera
Striped Crake Aenigmatolimnas marginalis
Streaky-breasted Flufftail Sarothrura boehmi
Striped Flufftail Sarothrura affinis
Double-banded Courser Smutsornis africanus
Delegorgue's Pigeon Columba delegorguei
Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus
Melodious Lark Mirafra cheniana
Greater Swamp-warbler Acrocephalus rufescens
Chirping Cisticola Cisticola pipiens
Black-and-white Flycatcher Bias musicus (Vanga)
Swamp Boubou Laniarius bicolor
Great Sparrow Passer motitensis
Cape Sparrow Passer melanurus
Brown Firefinch Lagonosticta nitidula
Lemon-breasted Canary Serinus citrinipectus
TABLE 3
Unconfirmed and may occur
Red Kite Milvus milvus
Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus - (unconfirmed)
Forest Buzzard Buteo trizonatus
African Pygmy-falcon Polihierax semitorquatus
Eleonora's Falcon Falco eleonorae
Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca
Temminck's Stint Calidris temmincki
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia
Black Tern Chlidonias niger
Red-crested Tauraco Tauraco erythrolophus - (unconfirmed)
Ross's Tauraco Musophaga rossae - (unconfirmed)
Madagascar Cuckoo Cuculus rochii
Pallid Swift Apus pallidus
Bohm's Bee-eater Merops boehmi
Spike-heeled Lark Chersomanes albofasciata
Angola Swallow Hirundo angolensis
Mascarene Martin Phedina borbonica
Green-headed Oriole Oriolus chlorocephalus
White-chested Alethe Alethe fuelleborni (White-breasted)
Basra Reed-warbler Acrocephalus griseldis
Rudd's Apalis Apalis ruddi
Chat Flycatcher Melaenornis infuscatus
Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka
Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis
Mountain Pipit Anthus hoeschi
Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus - (unconfirmed)
Long-tailed Pipit Anthus longicaudus
Souza's Shrike Lanius souzae
