Leslie Reynolds Safaris

An abundant hornbill in Zambia, the handsome Crowned Hornbill has a broad, omnivorous diet and tolerates a range of habitat types. Its nests, however, are often accessible to humans and in some areas, children offering the chicks for sale is a fairly common sight. 1

Fast feeder: a few seconds is all this parent can spare on one of its 50-plus visits to the nest per day to feed its rapidly growing young. Crested Barb ets can raise four broods in a season and aggressively defend the nest from all-comers. Even when perched in the shade on a summer’s day, their constant calling has a distinctly frenetic quality: the genus name, Tachyphonus , means “fast talker.”

🌿 Excited to invite you to join me, Leslie Reynolds, for an Exclusive Birding Safari at the stunning Royal Zambezi Lodge! 🌿

📅 February 7-11, 2025
💲 $2,860 per person (4 nights, includes flights from Lusaka)

This is your chance to spot over 300 incredible bird species, including the elusive African Pitta, Lilian’s Lovebird, and Pel’s Fishing Owl. 🦜✨ Experience world-class birding, luxury accommodation, and unforgettable safari adventures in one of Africa’s most breathtaking locations.

Spots are limited—secure yours now for an unforgettable journey into the wild!

Royal Zambezi Lodge

As Zambia’s rains kick in, the Brown-necked Parrots reap an abundant harvest. These birds have seen great benefit from the introduction of exotic fruiting trees: in this case Mexican Apple/ White Sapote (Casimoroa edulis) from Central America. Brown-necked Parrots also concentrate in fruiting Beechwood (Gmelina arborea), a Southeast Asian tree planted extensively in Zambian towns. Well-adapted to concealing themselves among the leaves, the first (and often only) sign of their presence is their loud, unearthly screams.

A rhombic night-adder from east of Lusaka: despite the name they can quite often be be seen during the day. Zambia's rhombic night-adders look quite 'faded' compered to those further south, in Zimbabwe and South Africa, for instance, being paler and indistinctly marked.

Photo by

As the sun sets beyond the Luangwa River, this male yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus) takes the cue to wind down and gives a gigantic yawn. Yawning is not well understood, but it is thought to increase wakefulness for a moment – convenient for last all-around safety checks before bedding down. It also serves to bare this male’s enormous canines: which might make it an unconscious defence mechanism - deterring predators it can’t even see!

Photo by ReynoldsStudios2020

The weavers are notorious for their frenzied nest-building activity, and for the pickiness of the females which frequently reject the males' best efforts. Southern Masked Weavers (male pictured here) are ubiquitous in Southern Zambia and appear to be particularly house-proud: their nests are especially neat in construction and one individual was seen to restart the process 52 times in a season! Practice pays off, however, and a male that knows its craft can have up to 12 females on the go at once. There are good reasons to insist on high architectural standards: predators are a major consideration and, as evidenced by this male which was displaying in the rain-beaded grass, so is water.

Photo by ReynoldsStudios2020