Rhythms of Karue

From the lapping waters of the Kafue River to the chorus in the woodlands, Kafue National Park is a deep dive into an ecosystem where birds reign supreme.

- DIANNE TIPPING-WOODS

Chaplin's Barbet?’ Guide Aaron Shambotu tilted his head and scanned the canopy around Fig Tree Bush Camp. ‘You'll be very lucky if you see it, but I know a few places where they appear.’

Sycamore figs are the main food source and nesting site for Zambia's only endemic bird species, also known as the Zambian Barbet, and it thrives in the woodlands surrounding this tree-top camp in central Kafue National Park. With an estimated population of about 2000, the striking, mainly white bird is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. It inhabits this small area of Kafue National Park and rarely appears elsewhere.

But I hadn't travelled to Zambia's largest national park specifically for the rare barbet and spent much of my 10-day visit watching a wide variety of birds in some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes. BirdLife International has identified Kafue as one of Zambia's 42 Important Bird Areas.