Sango’s very diverse landscape sets the stage for an impressive avifauna, with more than 300 species regularly recorded on the property. Year-round, it is a birder’s paradise, with bird diversity in the summer months augmented by the arrival of many migrant species (African Golden Oriole, Broad-billed Roller, Grey-headed Kingfisher, to name a few), while in the latter part of summer and early winter, when the seasonal pans are inundated, a host of waterbirds including African Openbill, African Pygmy Goose, Dwarf Bittern and Allen’s Gallinule arrive to take advantage of the breeding conditions provided.

Birds of prey are perhaps Sango’s star attractions, with no less that 34 species of vultures, hawks and eagles present, and eight species of owls. The property supports about a dozen pairs each of African Crowned Eagle and African Hawk Eagle, six pairs of Bateleur, and 22 pairs of Wahlberg’s Eagle, and such rarities as Bat Hawk and Dickinson’s Kestrel are also found here. Sango routinely monitors the numbers of birds of prey as part of Zimbabwe’s SE Lowveld Bird Atlassing Project and is also involved with the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Ground Hornbill Working Group in monitoring the local population of this endangered species (five groups of these hornbills breed on Sango).

Among the species that can be seen on Sango, depending on season, are the following of special interest:

• African Golden Oriole
• African Openbill
• African Yellow White-eye
• Arnott’s Chat
• Boulder Chat
• Broad-billed Roller
• Collared Palm-Thrush
• Dwarf Bittern
• Dickinson's Kestrel
• Eastern Saw-wing
• Grey-headed Parrot
• Grey-headed Kingfisher
• Meves's Starling
• Miombo Double-collared Sunbird
• Narina Trogon
• Pennant-winged Nightjar
• Pygmy Goose
• Racket-tailed Roller
• Senegal Coucal
• Stierling's Wren-Warbler
• Three-banded Courser
• White-breasted Cuckooshrike

Click here for a more comprehensive list of recorded species.

November and March are probably the best times of the year to come birding on Sango. In November, the migrants are all present and the woodland birds are at their best; in March the woodland has become quieter and the focal birds now are those that arrive to take advantage of the seasonal wetlands