Birding on a Fly Camp: Dawn Chorus in Nyerere (Selous)

Wake to the dawn chorus on a fly camp and you understand why Nyerere (the former Selous) is one of Tanzania’s great birding destinations. With more than 440 recorded bird species, a river system that draws waterbirds in abundance, and the simple fact that sleeping out puts you in the middle of it all at first light, this park is a paradise for anyone who loves birds — whether you are a serious lister or just someone who delights in colour and song. Here is what birding on a fly camp is really like.

I am Augustin, a guide on the Beho Beho River. Birds were my first love in the bush, and a fly camp is, to me, the finest place on Earth to enjoy them.

Why Nyerere is a birding hotspot

Two things make this park exceptional for birds: water and variety of habitat. The Rufiji River, its lakes and channels, and the surrounding woodland and floodplain create a mosaic of environments, and each supports its own community of birds. The result is one of the richest bird lists in Tanzania, with over 440 species recorded — a number few places can match. From the water’s edge to the treetops, there is almost always something to watch, and for a keen birder the diversity alone is worth the trip.

What sleeping out adds to birding

Birds are most active and most vocal at dawn, and that is precisely the moment a fly camp gives you for free. Instead of driving out from a lodge and arriving after the best of it, you wake already in the heart of the bush, with the dawn chorus building around you before you have even left your bed. There are no walls to muffle it, no engine to drown it — just layer upon layer of birdsong as the light comes up. For appreciating birds, there is simply no better front-row seat.

Key species and habitats

Different corners of the park reward you with different birds:

• On the river and lakes: African fish eagles calling overhead, kingfishers, herons, storks, and, in season, colonies of brilliant carmine bee-eaters nesting in the banks.

• In the woodland: rollers, hornbills, barbets, bee-eaters and a wealth of smaller bush birds.

• Raptors: a fine variety of eagles, hawks and vultures patrolling the skies.

• At the water’s edge: waders, jacanas, plovers and an ever-changing cast around the shrinking dry-season pools.

Best season for birding

Birding here is good throughout our open season, but it comes into its own once the short rains arrive in November and the green months run through to mid-March. This is when migratory species from Europe and Asia arrive to join the rich resident birdlife, swelling both numbers and variety, and when many resident birds are in their finest breeding plumage. The bush is lush and the birdsong at its peak. The drier months from July to October, by contrast, concentrate waterbirds around the receding river and lakes and are easier for general game viewing. If birds are your main priority, the green season from November to mid-March is well worth considering, the occasional shower included. (The camp is closed during the long rains, from mid-March to the end of May.)

Frequently asked questions

How many bird species are in Nyerere (Selous)? More than 440 species have been recorded, making it one of Tanzania’s richest birding areas.

When is the best time for birding? The green season, from the short rains in November through to mid-March, when migrants arrive and resident birds are in breeding plumage.

Why is a fly camp good for birding? You wake already in the bush at dawn, when birds are most active, surrounded by the dawn chorus with nothing to muffle it.

Do I need to be an expert to enjoy the birds? Not at all. A good guide and a pair of binoculars are enough; the colour and song reward everyone, expert or not.