At Redcliff, we offer a range of activities that cater to different types of adventure seekers. Our most popular activities include sport fishing, bird watching, and game viewing.
Embark on a river safari and travel upstream on the Zambezi River into the picturesque Mpata Gorge, accompanied by our experienced guide. Whether on a boat or a walking safari, the area is teeming with wildlife, and our guests are likely to spot hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and buffalos, along with a variety of antelope species such as waterbuck, impala, kudu, hyena, bushbuck, nyala, simata monkey, and diker. The luckiest among our guests may even spot African wild dogs, lions, and the elusive leopard.
Lion
2
Spotted by guest on safaris
in the past year*
Elephant
2
Spotted by guest on safaris
in the past year*
Leopard
0
Spotted by guest on safaris
in the past year*
Buffalo
0
Spotted by guest on safaris
in the past year*
Cheetah
0
Spotted by guest on safaris
in the past year*
Wild Dog
0
Spotted by guest on safaris
in the past year*
With 378 recorded bird species in the Lower Zambezi, including the ultra-rare Angola Pita and Pels Fishing Owl, the opportunity for bird watching is unparalleled. Each of our boats is equipped with a powerful pair of binoculars, and our knowledgeable guides can help you identify the multitude of raptors, vultures, bee-eaters, storks, kingfishers, waders, and other birds that inhabit the area.
BIRD Watching
Bird watching enthusiasts, whether they are professional ornithologists or amateur photographers, will be delighted by the diverse range of avian species present in the Lower Zambezi region. Among them, the impressive Fish Eagle stands out as a particularly majestic example of the area's avifauna.
What to bring
- Hat and sunscreen
- Camera
- Binoculars
(we do provide a set in each boat) - Roberts Bird Guide
With an abundance of native birds and an influx of migratory birds from the northern hemisphere during the summer breeding season, the Lower Zambezi provides ample opportunities for observation and study. Notably, the region has also recorded sightings of rare species such as the Tiata Falcon, Angola Pitta, and Pel’s Fishing Owl.
For those who appreciate the beauty and diversity of birds, the Lower Zambezi is undoubtedly a paradise worth exploring.
BIRDS SEEN AROUND Redcliffs Lodge
AFRICAN FISH EAGLE seen over the last year
May '23
Jun '23
Jul '23
Aug '23
Sep '23
Oct '23
Nov '23
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
The African fish eagle is a large species of eagle found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply occur. It is the national bird of Namibia and Zambia. This species may resemble the bald eagle in appearance; though related, each species occurs on different continents, with the bald eagle being resident in North America.
KORI BUSTARD seen over the last year
May '23
Jun '23
Jul '23
Aug '23
Sep '23
Oct '23
Nov '23
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
The kori bustard is arguably the largest flying bird native to Africa in fact, the male kori bustard may be the heaviest living animal capable of flight. This species, like most bustards, is a ground-dwelling bird and an opportunistic omnivore. Male kori bustards, which can be more than twice as heavy as the female, attempt to breed with as many females as possible and then take no part in the raising of the young. The nest is a shallow hollow in the earth, often disguised by nearby obstructive objects such as trees.
PIED KINGFISHER seen over the last year
May '23
Jun '23
Jul '23
Aug '23
Sep '23
Oct '23
Nov '23
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
The pied kingfisher is a species of water kingfisher widely distributed across Africa and Asia. Originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, it has five recognised subspecies. Its black and white plumage and crest, as well as its habit of hovering over clear lakes and rivers before diving for fish, make it distinctive. Males have a double band across the breast, while females have a single gorget that is often broken in the middle. They are usually found in pairs or small family groups. When perched, they often bob their head and flick up their tail.
GIANT KINGFISHER seen over the last year
May '23
Jun '23
Jul '23
Aug '23
Sep '23
Oct '23
Nov '23
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
The giant kingfisher is the largest kingfisher in Africa, where it is a resident breeding bird over most of the continent south of the Sahara Desert, other than the arid southwest.
SECRETARY BIRD seen over the last year
May '23
Jun '23
Jul '23
Aug '23
Sep '23
Oct '23
Nov '23
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
The secretarybird or secretary bird is a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savanna of the sub-Saharan region. The secretarybird is instantly recognizable as a very large bird with an eagle-like body on crane-like legs that give the bird a height of as much as 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in). The sexes are similar in appearance. Adults have a featherless red-orange face and predominantly grey plumage, with a flattened dark crest and black flight feathers and thighs. Although the secretarybird occurs over a large range, the results of localized surveys suggest that the total population is experiencing a rapid decline, probably as a result of habitat degradation. The secretarybird appears on the coats of arms of Sudan and South Africa.
LILAC BREASTED ROLLER seen over the last year
May '23
Jun '23
Jul '23
Aug '23
Sep '23
Oct '23
Nov '23
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
The lilac-breasted roller is an African bird of the roller family. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, and is a vagrant to the southern Arabian Peninsula. It prefers open woodland and savanna, and it is for the most part absent from treeless places. Usually found alone or in pairs, it perches conspicuously at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, small birds and rodents moving about on the ground.[2] Nesting takes place in a natural hole in a tree where a clutch of 2–4 eggs is laid, and incubated by both parents, who are extremely aggressive in defence of their nest, taking on raptors and other birds.
CAPE GLOSSY STARLING seen over the last year
May '23
Jun '23
Jul '23
Aug '23
Sep '23
Oct '23
Nov '23
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
The Cape starling, red-shouldered glossy-starling or Cape glossy starling is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in southern Africa, where it lives in woodlands, bushveld and in suburbs.
SHAFT TAILED WHYDAH seen over the last year
May '23
Jun '23
Jul '23
Aug '23
Sep '23
Oct '23
Nov '23
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
The shaft-tailed whydah or queen whydah is a small, sparrow-like bird. During the breeding season the male has black crown and upper body plumage, golden breast and four elongated black tail shaft feathers with expanded tips. After the breeding season is over, the male sheds its long tail and grows olive brown female-like plumage. The shaft-tailed whydah is distributed in open habitats and grasslands of Southern Africa, from south Angola to south Mozambique. The diet consists mainly of seeds.
LONG TAILED PARADISE WHYDAH seen over the last year
May '23
Jun '23
Jul '23
Aug '23
Sep '23
Oct '23
Nov '23
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
The long-tailed paradise whydah or eastern paradise whydah are small passerines with short, stubby bills found across Sub-Saharan Africa. They are mostly granivorous and feed on seeds that have ripen and fall on the ground. The ability to identify between males and females is quite difficult unless it is breeding season. During this time, the males molt into breeding plumage where they have one distinctive feature which is their long tail. It can grow up to three times longer than its own body or even more. Usually, the whydahs look like ordinary sparrows with short tails during the non-breeding season.
WHITE FRONTED BEE EATER seen over the last year
May '23
Jun '23
Jul '23
Aug '23
Sep '23
Oct '23
Nov '23
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
The white-fronted bee-eater is a species of bee-eater widely distributed in sub-equatorial Africa. They have a distinctive white forehead, a square tail and a bright red patch on their throat. They nest in small colonies, digging holes in cliffs or earthen banks. They can usually be seen in low trees waiting for passing insects from which they hunt. They do this either by making quick hawking flights or gliding down before hovering briefly to catch the prey.
At Redcliff, we are committed to providing our guests with unforgettable experiences in nature. Whether you are a wildlife enthusiast, a bird lover, or an angler, our lodge has something to offer for everyone. Come and discover the beauty of the Lower Zambezi with us.