Why go
Kuimba Shiri, a name that means “singing birds”, is a bird sanctuary on the shore of Lake Chivero near the town of Norton, just outside the capital city of Harare. Conservationist and falconer Gary Stafford founded it in 1994 as a non-profit to rescue, rehabilitate and raise raptors and other indigenous birds, and in 2014 it was declared a Sri Chinmoy International Peace Park. It is a straightforward half-day or full-day trip out of the capital for anyone who wants to see birds of prey at close range rather than just read about them.
What you will see
The centrepiece is a daily free-flight display of birds of prey, timed around 3:30pm in summer and 4pm in winter, with no display on Mondays. Handlers fly rescued and rehabilitated raptors over the lake shore, which is the closest most visitors will get to watching these birds hunt. Outside display times, the sanctuary’s resident birds, raptors alongside other indigenous species taken in for rescue or rehabilitation, can be seen around the grounds.
Beyond the birds, the site is built for a longer stay: it has chalet accommodation, a campsite, a restaurant and boat trips on Lake Chivero, so it works equally well as a day visit timed around the flight display or as a base for a night or two on the lake.
Visiting: hours, admission, booking
The facts box on this page shows the sanctuary’s opening hours. An entrance fee applies, but neither the sanctuary’s own site nor Zimbabwe Field Guide publishes a current amount, so check the current price with the sanctuary directly before you go.
Getting there
The sanctuary sits on Lake Chivero near Norton, just outside the capital city of Harare, southwest of the city centre. The easiest way in is by road from the capital; the getting-around guide covers fares and road conditions for trips out of Harare.
Nearby
Lake Chivero itself, protected as the Lake Chivero Recreational Park, has fishing, boating and resident game within its grounds, and is covered in the Harare city guide’s day trips section alongside the Epworth Balancing Rocks and Domboshava.