KnowKi

Learn the wildlife of any country

Learn the wildlife of Malawi

Africa

3,910 species have research-grade observations in Malawi on iNaturalist. KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos, so you can learn a country's wildlife from home.

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. African Fish-Eagle Icthyophaga vocifer241
  2. Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus192
  3. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis177
  4. Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus176
  5. Southern Cordonbleu Uraeginthus angolensis169
  6. Hamerkop Scopus umbretta165
  7. African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp159
  8. Pied Crow Corvus albus150
  9. African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus134
  10. Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus132

Plants

  1. African baobab Adansonia digitata287
  2. Common lantana Lantana camara210
  3. Common Protea Protea afra140
  4. Castor bean Ricinus communis104
  5. Dwarf Savanna Sugarbush Protea welwitschii95
  6. Sickleleaf Sugarbush Protea petiolaris91
  7. Blister bush Diplolophium buchananii85
  8. Giant milkweed Calotropis procera79
  9. Tridax Daisy Tridax procumbens78
  10. Helichrysum nitens78

Mammals

  1. African Savanna Elephant Loxodonta africana325
  2. Yellow Baboon Papio cynocephalus266
  3. Common Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius244
  4. Vervet Monkey Chlorocebus pygerythrus235
  5. Impala Aepyceros melampus213
  6. Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros193
  7. Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus192
  8. Common Warthog Phacochoerus africanus167
  9. Lion Panthera leo163
  10. African Buffalo Syncerus caffer142

Insects

  1. Dancing Amber Telchinia serena130
  2. Spotted Brown Pansy Junonia natalica128
  3. Southern Banded Groundling Brachythemis leucosticta120
  4. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera105
  5. Guineafowl Butterfly Hamanumida daedalus105
  6. African Migrant Catopsilia florella103
  7. Natal Acraea Stephenia natalica102
  8. Citrus Swallowtail Papilio demodocus100
  9. African Caper Belenois creona93
  10. Blue-spot Pansy Junonia oenone91

Spiders and kin

  1. Yellow Lesser-Thicktail Scorpion Uroplectes flavoviridis51
  2. Usambara Baboon Tarantula Pterinochilus murinus49
  3. Hairy Golden Orb-weaving Spider Trichonephila fenestrata43
  4. Redleg Orbweaver Trichonephila inaurata42
  5. African Hermit Spider Nephilingis cruentata32

Reptiles

  1. Flap-necked Chameleon Chamaeleo dilepis275
  2. Rainbow Skink Trachylepis margaritifer254
  3. Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus185
  4. Nile Monitor Varanus niloticus166
  5. Tropical House Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia156
  6. African Striped Skink Trachylepis striata154
  7. Common Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus capensis145
  8. Variable Skink Trachylepis varia143
  9. Kirk's Rock Agama Agama kirkii128
  10. Red-lipped Snake Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia124

Amphibians

  1. Common Squeaker Arthroleptis stenodactylus125
  2. Grey Foam-nest Tree Frog Chiromantis xerampelina124
  3. Guttural Toad Sclerophrys gutturalis117
  4. Common River Frog Amietia delalandii91
  5. Anchieta's Ridged Frog Ptychadena anchietae64
  6. Margined Reed Frog Hyperolius marginatus64
  7. Dwarf Squeaker Arthroleptis xenodactyloides61
  8. Eastern Flat-backed Toad Sclerophrys pusilla54
  9. Fornasini's Spiny Reed Frog Afrixalus fornasini48
  10. Mozambique Rain Frog Breviceps mossambicus42

Fish

  1. Rostratus Fossorochromis rostratus37
  2. Blue Mbuna Labeotropheus fuelleborni34
  3. Kiwinge Dimidiochromis kiwinge28

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. Free, with no ads, no account and no purchases.