Liwonde National Park in southern Malawi is a true gem for birdwatchers. This lush park covers roughly 508 km², stretching along the winding Shire River. With its mix of riverine forest, papyrus swamp, floodplains, and dry woodlands, Liwonde supports an incredible diversity of wildlife. Over 460 bird species have been recorded here, from tiny sunbirds and lovebirds to majestic eagles and fascinating waterbirds. In this article, we'll explore why Liwonde is an exceptional birding destination, what you can expect to see, and how to plan a visit with Nyoni Safaris.
Visiting Liwonde is an obvious choice for birders. The park is not only home to hundreds of bird species but also boasts easy access, great infrastructure, and notable conservation success. Here are some highlights:
Liwonde hosts a vast array of birds, over 460 species have been recorded here. That includes rare and sought-after species like Lilian's Lovebird, Pel's Fishing Owl, and Böhm's Bee-eater, which we'll explore further below. With such diversity, every outing brings new sightings and surprises.
The park is one of the best places in Malawi to spot local specialties. The Shire River floodplain, in particular, is world-famous for its Pel's Fishing Owls and lovebirds. You'll also find species like the Eastern Nicator, White-winged Apalis, Livingstone's Flycatcher, and African Skimmer, birds that are rarely seen elsewhere.
Liwonde is surprisingly easy to reach. From Lilongwe (Kamuzu Airport), it's approximately 230 km by road (a three-hour drive). From Blantyre (Chileka Airport), it's only 116 km (about 1¾ hours). Well-maintained roads make it easy to combine Liwonde with other Malawi attractions without spending a whole day on the road.
Liwonde has experienced a significant turnaround since African Parks took over management in 2015. The park is now fenced, well-patrolled, and thriving. Many large animals, including elephants, buffalo, hippos, lions, and even black rhinos, are flourishing. This healthy ecosystem supports abundant birdlife, thanks to reduced disturbances and ample habitats.
The Shire River and its floodplain form the heart of Liwonde, creating a landscape reminiscent of the Okavango with Borassus palm wetlands, papyrus reeds, and shady riverine woodlands. This lush riparian zone is a prime birdwatching area, with boats and hides providing up-close views of waterbirds, eagles, kingfishers, and more. Night drives along the river are legendary for Pel's Fishing Owl sightings.
Combining rich birdlife, comfortable accommodations, and effective conservation, Liwonde is a must-visit for Nyoni Safaris’ birding tours.
Liwonde is famous for several top-priority species. Birders specifically come here in hopes of finding:
Lilian’s Lovebird (Agapornis lilianae): This tiny green lovebird is Malawi’s only endemic bird. Huge roosts nest in baobab trees in Liwonde, and visitors often see flocks near Mvuu Camp. These parrots are very vocal and fly in noisy groups, a real treat to watch.
Pel’s Fishing Owl (Scotopelia peli): One of Africa’s largest owls, it hunts fish along Liwonde’s rivers at night. Pel’s Owl is infamously shy, but by taking a night-boat or night-drive along the Shire, your chance improves. African Parks rangers have mapped nests, and successful sightings happen every season.
Böhm’s Bee-eater (Merops boehmi): A stunning turquoise and russet bee-eater that breeds only in Malawi and Tanzania. Liwonde’s shores and lagoons attract dozens of them, especially at dawn. They perch conspicuously on exposed branches to hawk for bees.
Arnot’s Chat (Myrmecocichla arnotti): A handsome black-and-white chat that likes grassy clearings near forest. Until recently it was only known from Nyika Plateau and other highlands, but modern birders (and recent tours) have found it near Mvuu Camp in Liwonde. Spotting an Arnot’s Chat in Liwonde is still a treat.
Livingstone’s Flycatcher: A forest flycatcher with a lovely coffee-and-cinnamon plumage. It’s uncommon and local, but Liwonde’s gallery forests along the Shire River are one of its strongholds.
In Liwonde you’ll also run into birds like Collared Palm Thrush, Brown-breasted Barbet, African Skimmer, Racket-tailed Roller and many others that make this park so special to birders. In short, if it’s on your Malawi wish-list, Liwonde probably has it!
Part of Liwonde’s secret sauce is habitat diversity. Within the park you can find:
Riverine Wetlands: The Shire River and its lagoons are lined with palms, papyrus and tall acacias. These attract waterbirds (fish eagles, kingfishers, skimmers, jacanas), papyrus-specialists (African Marsh Harrier, Swamp Boubou), and dense nesting sites for lovebirds and hornbills. Hippos and crocs share the river with the birds.
Floodplains & Swamps: Seasonally flooded plains with Borassus palms create marshy grasslands. In the rainy season huge areas are green and dotted with water, drawing flocking ducks, egrets and shorebirds. In the dry season these same areas hold the last remaining pools, concentrating birds (and wildlife) around them.
Mopane and Miombo Woodlands: Away from the water, Liwonde’s mopane woodlands (with towering Colophospermum trees) dominate the low ground. These woodlands are golden and open, with lots of grass. They support species like Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Crested Barbet, and various cuckoos. Scattered among these are patches of miombo (Brachystegia) and broad-leaved forest, which give a home to forest-edge species like Green-Breasted Pitta (rare), various warblers, and wild pigeons.
Acacia Thickets and Baobabs: In dry hillier areas, thorny Acacia and baobab groves provide food and nesting for lovebirds, bee-eaters, hornbills and rollers. Lilian’s Lovebird especially roosts in mature baobabs on these dry hillocks.
Wet Season (Nov–Mar): The bush turns lush and green. Many Palearctic migrants flood into Malawi (warblers, flycatchers, cuckoos, swallows, etc.). December–January sees peak migrant activity – you might find European bee-eaters, African cuckoo-hawks, and even rare falcons passing through. Colorful breeding plumage is on full display. Of course, afternoon rains are common, so morning birding is best.
Dry Season (Apr–Oct): The country dries out and waterholes shrink. This concentrates resident birds (and game) around the river and dams, making wildlife spotting (and birding) easier. Visibility improves with leaf-off conditions, so it’s simpler to see shy species. June–July is also the breeding season for many Miombo birds like upucas (Prinia) and helmetshrikes. You won’t see the migrants, but African species like Lilian’s Lovebird, Pel’s Owl and Skimmers are still around, and numbers of fish eagles and kingfishers skyrocket as fish and frogs gather in the receding waters.
An insider tip: Nyoni Safaris often plans trips around late November to catch both late migrants and the start of breeding season, offering a bit of both worlds. Of course, birding in Liwonde is excellent year-round, but the vibe changes with the seasons.
By far Liwonde’s core. Boat cruises or drives along the Shire (the park’s western boundary) yield fantastic birding. Elephants and hippos are often nearby, while riverine trees host species like African Fish Eagle, Pied Kingfisher and Palm Nut Vulture. Waders like African Jacana and Collared Pratincole forage on mudflats, and African Skimmers may be seen on sandbars. Night drives along the Shire frequently pick up Pel’s Fishing Owl and Rufous Nightjar. The open floodplains (e.g. near Mvuu Camp) attract ground-dwelling birds like Black-bellied Bustard and Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse.
(Special note: the Chimwala Lagoon near camp is a great area—a permanent lagoon fed by the river, where you can sit at the lodge hide and watch ducks, herons, ibis and kingfishers.)
A quieter tributary area off the main river, Mwalasi is surrounded by papyrus swamps and reed beds. It’s a known hideaway for marsh birds. Here you can find African Pygmy-Goose, White-faced Whistling Duck and even the elusive African Marsh Owl at dusk. Little Bitterns, Purple Herons and Pygmy Falcons lurk in the reeds. As night falls, try the specially built Mwalasi bird hide—it overlooks a marshy pool where skimmers, jacanas and large egrets roost. Warblers, Prinia and Swamp Flycatchers are often seen flitting in the reeds.
East of the river, Liwonde’s drier woodlands and mopane thickets are best explored on foot or by 4×4 trail. Look for Barking Owl, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler and Western Banded Snake-Eagle in the treetops. The open glades near Kuthengo Camp often have Tawny-flanked Prinia, Crested Francolin and Bateleur. Miombo specials like White-fronted Black-Chat, Miombo Tit and Yellow-bellied Greenbul breed here. During the late dry season, large numbers of Amur Falcons and other raptors might perch on bare branches over the grassland. Keep an eye out for flocks of woodpeckers (Diederik’s, Bennett’s) hammering ancient baobabs.
Inside the park near the main lodges (Mvuu Lodge/Camp and Chimwala Camp) there are quiet hides and lagoons to enjoy. The Chimwala Lagoon (by Chimwala Camp) is fringed with palms and is a great spot for kingfishers, bee-eaters and sunbirds in the morning. The Mvuu area has a waterfront hide that overlooks a small oxbow lake—here you can often see African Fish Eagles on their nests, as well as African Spoonbill, Hammerkop and Knob-billed Duck. A short game walk through the nearby kawinga (thickets) might turn up Lilian’s Lovebird and Brown-headed Parrot among the acacias.
In short, no matter where you go in Liwonde, you’ll find birds—just be ready to hop out of the car whenever you hear a new call!
Liwonde National Park (548 sq km according to older figures, or 508 km² on official records) is Malawi’s premier wildlife park along the Shire River. It lies a few hours’ drive south of Lilongwe and north of Blantyre, just west of Lake Malawi. The park’s landscape is a mosaic of forests, savannas and wetlands all centered around the life-giving Shire River. Even if you came for the birds, you’ll be awestruck by the scenery – giant Borassus palms lining marshes, hoodoo-like baobabs on the skyline, and a classic safari feel of open plains dotted with elephants.
Liwonde was declared a protected area in 1973, but by the early 2000s it had fallen on hard times – poaching and conflict had taken their toll. In 2015 the park’s fortunes turned around when Malawi partnered with the non-profit African Parks. AP poured resources into Liwonde: they rebuilt an electric fence, expanded roads, and rebuilt ranger camps. This spurred a wildlife comeback: lions were reintroduced in 2018, and at least 17 black rhinos were translocated here from South Africa in 2019. The result is a park reborn, showcasing growing wildlife numbers and ecotourism benefits for surrounding communities.
Under African Parks’ management (in partnership with Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife), Liwonde has seen significant investment and protection. AP’s strategy included anti-poaching teams, community engagement, and habitat restoration. Rangers trained at a purpose-built center now patrol a securely fenced park, working with 30+ villages around Liwonde. The payoff: hippo and elephant numbers have surged, and bird populations have followed—vultures, once nearly absent, are now back in force.
The core of Liwonde covers about 508 km², stretching north–south along the Shire River at elevations of 500–700 m. The climate is sub-tropical with a rainy season (Nov–Apr) and dry season (May–Oct). River islands, tributary channels and oxbow lakes dot the floodplain. To the northwest Liwonde meets the wetlands of Lake Malombe, and to the northeast it adjoins the Mangochi Forest Reserve, now also managed by African Parks.
Aside from its birds, Liwonde is home to the classic African big five: elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and black rhino. The park also hosts herds of giraffe, hippo and crocodile along the river, plus sable antelope and waterbuck on the floodplains. Predators like lions (reintroduced in 2018) and occasional leopards roam the Miombo scrub, and shy species such as pangolin and aardvark leave tracks along ranger paths.
We often list wildlife highlights for Nyoni guests as elephants bathing in the Shire, lounging hippos, rare leopard sightings, shy pangolins on night drives, and hundreds of African openbill storks and pelicans floating on the river after the rains. And of course, spotting a rare bird like Lilian’s Lovebird while an elephant feeds nearby is a moment you can only experience in Liwonde.
The distance is about 234 km by road. The drive takes roughly 2½–3 hours on a good highway (via Salima/Lake Malawi road turning south). Public buses and minibuses run this route daily, or you can hire a taxi/transfer. Alternatively, fly into Kamuzu International Airport (Lilongwe) and arrange a 4×4 transfer.
The distance is only 116 km. It’s about a 1¾-hour drive north on a well-maintained highway. Many visitors fly into Chileka Airport (Blantyre) and then drive to Liwonde. Minibuses and shuttle services are available between Blantyre and Liwonde.
Liwonde itself does not have a public airstrip, but you can fly into Lilongwe (LLW) or Blantyre (BLZ) and finish by road. In recent years some charter companies also offer small-plane flights to a landing strip on the edge of Liwonde, but schedules vary.
No matter your entry point, getting to Liwonde is fairly straightforward. The roads are good and the park entrance (Kawiya Gate or Mvuu Gate) is easy to find with GPS or directions from locals. Nyoni Safaris can arrange transfers or guide you on the best route.
A luxury tented safari lodge on the riverbank. Only 8 spacious tents with private viewing platforms, each raised on stilts by a lagoon. Modern comforts (ensuite showers, cool design) and attentive service. The lodge bar and decks overlook hippo-filled water – you can watch elephant families cross the river as you sip your drink. (This is the top-end option in the park.)
A relaxed family-friendly camp also on the Shire River. It has 4 chalets (simple but comfortable) clustered in a clearing with views of the river. Mvuu Camp has a communal lounge and dining area, and is a favorite for groups or those on a mid-range budget.
Operated by Robin Pope Safaris, Kuthengo offers mid-range tented camps. It’s set on open plains under baobabs, away from the river. Birders love it for its proximity to mopane woodland birds and sunset views.
A no-frills tented camp inside the park, adjacent to the Shire floodplain. Tents are canvas with open-air showers. It’s affordable and rustic – expect hippos serenading you at night. A hide overlooks a lagoon where many waterbirds gather at dawn.
A comfortable lodge just outside the park, run by a well-regarded operator. Rooms face a private wetland that attracts elephants, hippos and many birds at watering time. It’s a convenient option if Mvuu spots are full.
A budget-friendly camp just outside the entrance. Offers simple chalets and an elephant hide where elephants often walk by at dusk. (Not fancy, but good value for birders on a tight budget.)
In short, whether you want a posh tent with all amenities or a simple bush camp, Liwonde has it. The park’s two lodges (Mvuu Lodge & Camp) belong to African Parks and are often booked via Nyoni Safaris. Others like Kuthengo and Chimwala can also be arranged through safari operators. After a long day of birding, you’ll be glad to have a comfortable place to review your checklist!
Liwonde National Park checks all the boxes for an unforgettable birding safari. It’s bird-rich (400+ species) and yet still under the radar for many tourists—meaning peaceful bush trips and fewer crowds. The scenery is postcard-perfect: river cruises with sunlight on papyrus, baobab-dotted plains, and golden mopane woodland. The conservation efforts have paid off in spades: wildlife is abundant and parks staff are knowledgeable and friendly.
For our Nyoni Safaris tours, Liwonde represents a unique destination where clients can see both Malawi endemics and a host of African birds in one place. A typical day might include a dawn boat trip on the Shire River (birds and hippos!), a game drive in woodland, and a siesta followed by a night owl safari. Each day brings new highlights—from colorful bee-eaters in a tree to a surprise leopard sighting.
If you love birdwatching, make sure Liwonde is on your Malawi itinerary. The park’s combination of ease-of-access, conservation success and sheer birding variety is hard to beat. So pack your binoculars and prepare for a birding adventure at Liwonde National Park—it’s a Nyoni Safaris favorite for good reason!