Liwonde National Park

🇲🇼 Malawi

🐘 Elephant River Spectacles at Liwonde
🌍 #37 Global · 4.7 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #26 in Africa #28 in Savanna & Grassland
Malawi, Malawi 1004 spp. recorded

Liwonde National Park is a protected tropical savanna sanctuary stretching along the Shire River in southern Malawi. Its landscape features open grasslands, dense woodlands, and expansive floodplains that define this riverine wetland ecosystem.

-14.845° S   35.352° E

Wildlife

SIGHTING PROBABILITY Share of citizen-science records from the park that report this species
<5%
Rare5–20%
With luck20–40%
Possible40–70%
Likely>70%
Very likely
ACTIVITY PATTERN
☀️ Diurnal 🌙 Nocturnal 🌅 Crepuscular ☀️🌙 Day & Night

⭐ Iconic Species

African Bush Elephant ★
EN

African Bush Elephant

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Loxodonta africana

70–80% · Likely
Lion ★
VU

Lion

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Panthera leo

60–70% · Likely
Common Hippopotamus ★
VU

Common Hippopotamus

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Hippopotamus amphibius

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Little Bee-eater
LC

Little Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops pusillus

70–80% · Very likely
Meves's Glossy-starling
LC

Meves's Glossy-starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lamprotornis mevesii

70–80% · Very likely
African Openbilled Stork
LC

African Openbilled Stork

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anastomus lamelligerus

70–80% · Very likely
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
LC

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Plocepasser mahali

70–80% · Very likely
Lilac-breasted Roller
LC

Lilac-breasted Roller

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coracias caudatus

70–80% · Very likely
Pied Kingfisher
LC

Pied Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ceryle rudis

70–80% · Very likely
Greater Kudu
LC

Greater Kudu

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Tragelaphus strepsiceros

70–80% · Very likely
Great Egret
LC Endemic

Great Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea alba

70–80% · Very likely
African Fish-Eagle
LC

African Fish-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haliaeetus vocifer

70–80% · Likely
Egyptian Goose
LC

Egyptian Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alopochen aegyptiaca

60–70% · Likely
Spur-winged Goose
LC

Spur-winged Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Plectropterus gambensis

60–70% · Likely
African Jacana
LC

African Jacana

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Actophilornis africanus

60–70% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

African Bush Elephant ★
EN

African Bush Elephant

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Loxodonta africana

70–80% · Likely
Lion ★
VU

Lion

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Panthera leo

60–70% · Likely
Common Hippopotamus ★
VU

Common Hippopotamus

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Hippopotamus amphibius

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Greater Kudu
LC

Greater Kudu

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Tragelaphus strepsiceros

70–80% · Very likely
Waterbuck
LC

Waterbuck

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

60–70% · Likely
Yellow Baboon
LC

Yellow Baboon

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Papio cynocephalus

60–70% · Likely
Impala
LC

Impala

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Aepyceros melampus

60–70% · Likely
Common Warthog
LC

Common Warthog

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Phacochoerus africanus

60–70% · Likely
Sable Antelope
LC

Sable Antelope

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Hippotragus niger

60–70% · Likely
Cheetah
VU

Cheetah

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Acinonyx jubatus

50–60% · Likely
African Buffalo
NT

African Buffalo

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Syncerus caffer

50–60% · Likely
Smith's Bush Squirrel
LC

Smith's Bush Squirrel

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Paraxerus cepapi

40–50% · Likely
Bushpig
LC

Bushpig

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Potamochoerus larvatus

40–50% · Likely
Plains Zebra
NT Endemic

Plains Zebra

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Equus quagga

40–50% · Likely
Vervet Monkey
LC

Vervet Monkey

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Chlorocebus pygerythrus

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Little Bee-eater
LC

Little Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops pusillus

70–80% · Very likely
Meves's Glossy-starling
LC

Meves's Glossy-starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lamprotornis mevesii

70–80% · Very likely
African Openbilled Stork
LC

African Openbilled Stork

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anastomus lamelligerus

70–80% · Very likely
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
LC

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Plocepasser mahali

70–80% · Very likely
Lilac-breasted Roller
LC

Lilac-breasted Roller

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coracias caudatus

70–80% · Very likely
Pied Kingfisher
LC

Pied Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ceryle rudis

70–80% · Very likely
Great Egret
LC Endemic

Great Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea alba

70–80% · Very likely
African Fish-Eagle
LC

African Fish-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haliaeetus vocifer

70–80% · Likely
Egyptian Goose
LC

Egyptian Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alopochen aegyptiaca

60–70% · Likely
Spur-winged Goose
LC

Spur-winged Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Plectropterus gambensis

60–70% · Likely
African Jacana
LC

African Jacana

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Actophilornis africanus

60–70% · Likely
Collared Palmthrush
LC

Collared Palmthrush

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cichladusa arquata

60–70% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Nile Crocodile
LC

Nile Crocodile

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Crocodylus niloticus

50–60% · Likely
Nile Monitor
LC

Nile Monitor

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Varanus niloticus

50–60% · Likely
Flap-necked Chameleon
LC

Flap-necked Chameleon

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Chamaeleo dilepis

30–40% · Possible
Cape Dwarf Gecko
LC

Cape Dwarf Gecko

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Lygodactylus capensis

20–30% · Possible
Serrated Hinged Terrapin

Serrated Hinged Terrapin

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Pelusios sinuatus

20–30% · Possible
Fischer's Thick-toed Gecko
LC

Fischer's Thick-toed Gecko

🌙 Nocturnal Reptile

Chondrodactylus laevigatus

20–30% · Possible
African Striped Skink
LC

African Striped Skink

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Trachylepis striata

20–30% · Possible
Flathead Leaf-toed Gecko
LC

Flathead Leaf-toed Gecko

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Hemidactylus platycephalus

20–30% · Possible
Southern African Python
LC

Southern African Python

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Python natalensis

10–20% · With luck
Tropical Spiny Agama
LC

Tropical Spiny Agama

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Agama armata

10–20% · With luck
Tropical House Gecko
LC

Tropical House Gecko

🌙 Nocturnal Reptile

Hemidactylus mabouia

10–20% · With luck
Speke's Hinge-back Tortoise

Speke's Hinge-back Tortoise

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Kinixys spekii

10–20% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Grey Foam-nest Treefrog
LC

Grey Foam-nest Treefrog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Chiromantis xerampelina

50–60% · Likely
Anchieta's Ridged Frog
LC

Anchieta's Ridged Frog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Ptychadena anchietae

20–30% · Possible
Müller's Platanna
LC

Müller's Platanna

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

Xenopus muelleri

Insufficient data
Red-Banded Rubber Frog
LC

Red-Banded Rubber Frog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Phrynomantis bifasciatus

Insufficient data
Edible bullfrog
LC

Edible bullfrog

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

Pyxicephalus edulis

Insufficient data
Common Squeaker
LC

Common Squeaker

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Arthroleptis stenodactylus

Insufficient data
African Common Toad
LC

African Common Toad

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Sclerophrys gutturalis

Insufficient data
Shovel-nosed Frog
LC

Shovel-nosed Frog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Hemisus marmoratus

Insufficient data
African Clawed Frog
LC

African Clawed Frog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Xenopus laevis

Insufficient data
Dwarf Squeaker
LC

Dwarf Squeaker

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Arthroleptis xenodactyloides

Insufficient data
Fornasini's Spiny Reed Frog
LC

Fornasini's Spiny Reed Frog

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

Afrixalus fornasini

Insufficient data
Water Lily Reed Frog
LC

Water Lily Reed Frog

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

Hyperolius pusillus

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🦌

Hippo River Gatherings

FebMarAprAugOctDec

Hundreds of Common Hippopotamuses congregate in the Shire River, creating dramatic splashing and vocalizations at dawn and dusk.

Common Hippopotamus
VU

Common Hippopotamus

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Hippopotamus amphibius

50–60% · Likely
🦌

Elephant Herd Spectacles

FebMarJun

Large elephant herds, including matriarch-led groups, traverse the park’s savannas and riverine forests, often in close proximity to water sources.

African Bush Elephant
EN

African Bush Elephant

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Loxodonta africana

70–80% · Likely
🦌

Predator Dawn Patrols

MarNovDec

Lions and leopards are frequently spotted on early morning game drives, with sightings peaking near waterholes and along the riverbanks where prey congregates.

Lion
VU

Lion

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Panthera leo

60–70% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Species Total
70–80
70–80
70–80
60–70
60–70
70–80
70–80
70–80
60–70
70–80
70–80
70–80
African Bush Elephant
60–70
80–90
80–90
50–60
60–70
80–90
60–70
60–70
50–60
70–80
60–70
50–60
Lion
60–70
30–40
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
50–60
60–70
60–70
70–80
70–80
Common Hippopotamus
10–20
70–80
60–70
60–70
30–40
40–50
40–50
70–80
30–40
70–80
20–30
60–70
Little Bee-eater
80–90
80–90
80–90
70–80
60–70
60–70
70–80
80–90
70–80
70–80
80–90
70–80
Meves's Glossy-starling
80–90
80–90
70–80
70–80
60–70
60–70
60–70
80–90
60–70
80–90
90–100
80–90
African Openbilled Stork
80–90
70–80
70–80
60–70
60–70
80–90
80–90
80–90
80–90
70–80
70–80
70–80
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
70–80
80–90
80–90
60–70
70–80
80–90
60–70
70–80
70–80
60–70
80–90
70–80
Lilac-breasted Roller
80–90
70–80
80–90
50–60
80–90
70–80
80–90
60–70
60–70
70–80
90–100
70–80
Pied Kingfisher
80–90
60–70
70–80
70–80
80–90
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
60–70
70–80
Greater Kudu
50–60
80–90
70–80
50–60
60–70
70–80
70–80
80–90
70–80
70–80
60–70
70–80
Great Egret
80–90
60–70
80–90
50–60
50–60
50–60
70–80
70–80
70–80
80–90
80–90
70–80
African Fish-Eagle
70–80
70–80
60–70
50–60
50–60
70–80
70–80
50–60
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
Egyptian Goose
80–90
40–50
50–60
60–70
70–80
70–80
80–90
70–80
70–80
60–70
70–80
60–70
Spur-winged Goose
90–100
80–90
70–80
50–60
60–70
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
50–60
50–60
60–70
African Jacana
60–70
50–60
60–70
60–70
60–70
70–80
80–90
60–70
60–70
70–80
70–80
70–80
Animal Events
🦌 Hippo River Gatherings
🦌 Elephant Herd Spectacles
🦌 Predator Dawn Patrols

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ World-class
🐘 Elephant River Spectacles at Liwonde

Where Wildlife Score

How good is this park for seeing wildlife?
🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg
4.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds
675
🐒 Mammals
176
🦎 Reptiles
100
🐸 Amphibians
53
1004 Total Species
850 Global average across 296 parks
29 Threatened 22 Endemic
🔭

Sighting

Excellent

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg
5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
62% Global avg
73%
📊
Coverage (307 species at ≥5% of 1004 in the inventory)
24% Global avg
31%
🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 2 mammal)
46% Global avg
37%
🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
134 Global avg
200
🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
15 Global avg
44
⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
27 Global avg
60

Quick answers

What animals can you see in Liwonde National Park?

The most likely sightings are Little Bee-eater (seen by 70–80% of wildlife watchers), Meves's Glossy-starling (seen by 70–80% of wildlife watchers), African Openbilled Stork (seen by 70–80% of wildlife watchers), White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (seen by 70–80% of wildlife watchers), Lilac-breasted Roller (seen by 70–80% of wildlife watchers) — among 1004 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.

When is the best time to visit Liwonde National Park for wildlife?

January has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.

Can you see African Bush Elephant in Liwonde National Park?

Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a African Bush Elephant sighting in Liwonde National Park, based on 62 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Lion in Liwonde National Park?

Yes — about 61% of wildlife watchers report a Lion sighting in Liwonde National Park, based on 43 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Common Hippopotamus in Liwonde National Park?

Yes — about 58% of wildlife watchers report a Common Hippopotamus sighting in Liwonde National Park, based on 39 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

⚖️

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