Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Run by the Kasanka Trust, this was the first National Park to be privately managed and is entirely reliant on independent funding. It is situated to the west of the Serenje–Samfya road. Miombo dominates the area, but amongst the broad range of other habitats are an unusually high number of lakes (pans), some
Cyperus papyrus swamp, dambo, mushitu, riparian forest and a few patches of dry evergreen forest. There are good tourist facilities and the park’s attractions include a tree-hide for viewing sitatunga
Tragelaphus spekii which has been built 18 m up in a large mululu tree
Khaya nyasica.
See Box and Table 3 for key species. Besides the large number of Zambezian biome endemics, the miombo avifauna includes species such as
Pachycoccyx audeberti,
Anthus caffer and
Elminia albicauda, and both
Stactolaema anchietae and
S. whytii occur
. Along the rivers
Scotopelia peli,
Podica senegalensis and
Alcedo semitorquata are regular, and
Circaetus cinerascens,
Musophaga rossae,
Merops boehmi and
Nectarinia verticalis are regular in and around most forest. A wide variety of waterbirds are found.
Grus carunculatus is resident,
Egretta vinaceigula and
Balaeniceps rex are rare visitors,
Circus macrourus occurs in small numbers and
Falco naumanni is probably regular on passage.
Non-bird biodiversity: A wide variety of mammals occur, including Tragelaphus spekii (LR/nt) and Cephalophus silvicultor (LR/nt). There is an enormous seasonal influx of the migratory fruit bat Eidolon helvum. Reptiles include the most southerly known population of Crocodylus cataphractus (DD).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Since being privately managed, the park has been actively protected and there are probably no threats to the birdlife.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kasanka National Park (Zambia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kasanka-national-park-iba-zambia on 23/12/2024.
