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Namibia 24th Nov-18th Dec 2002,
Phil and Charlotte Benstead, Norfolk, UK
Introduction
We spent the period between 24th November and 18th December 2002 birding in Namibia. This was our first trip to sub-Saharan Africa - Namibia proved to be an ideal and reasonably gentle introduction to the avifauna. The trip is also very good value at the moment due to the weak state of the Namibian dollar (14-15/£). We used very little money, topping up occasionally at ATM machines (First National bank seemed the best). You can use your credit card to pay for accommodation at Waterburg, Etosha and Popa Falls. We booked nothing in advance, preferring to remain flexible and this presented no problems (but remember we were camping mostly).
We hired a car (a bit on the expensive side but essential) and camped at most sites. The road network is for the most part excellent and well-signed. There are plenty of well-graded dirt roads in Namibia and if you are not used to driving on these surfaces it is best to take it easy until you get used to them. It is very easy to roll your vehicle on dirt tracks - which is one of the reasons why hire cars are relatively expensive in Namibia!
Strategy and birds we missed
We followed a fairly standard itinerary but were able to get right to the end of the Caprivi Strip which is now secure. This paid off in terms of the number of birds we were able to see there. One site we missed out in order to have time in the Caprivi was Rundu, and we dipped a few wetland species as a result (eg Ethiopian snipe, golden bishop and African rail). We had hoped these species would be available at Katima sewage farm but we could not find them. Apparently there is a big well-vegetated dam about 15 km before Ruacana which is also good for wetland birds and this might have filled these gaps had we known about it! We also missed out on Spitzkoppe in order to have more time by the sea, the alternate site of Uis was very good and deserves more attention.
There are so many birds in Namibia that it is very difficult to see them all. Looking through other peoples reports quickly shows that even seeing all the common species is hard. We missed the following:
White-headed vulture |
We should have had this at Etosha |
Western banded snake eagle |
Possible in riparian woodland at Shakawe |
Lesser moorhen |
Usually common, perhaps too dry |
Temminck's courser |
Usually easy, was reported around Halali |
Whiskered tern |
|
Pink-billed lark |
Possibly easier in the west of Etosha - we dipped (too busy looking at lions probably)! |
Cinnamon-breasted tit |
Possible around Divundu in dry woodland |
Karoo robin |
Solitaire area |
Layard's titbabbler |
Spitzkoppe area |
Cinnamon-breasted warbler |
Solitaire area. Tape playback is usually required. |
Tinkling cisticola |
We had a chance of these in the woodland around Katima |
Rufous-eared warbler |
The SASOL guide (Sinclair et al) is a bit weak on mapping the true distribution of some Namibian birds. This species occurs all the way through western Namibia in suitable habitat. It is best looked for in the area north of Okaukejo in west Etosha. Tape playback is usually required. |
Grey-headed bush shrike |
Possible around Katima |
Red-billed helmetshrike |
Caprivi |
References
We used the following sources of information:
Chittenden, H "Top Birding Spots in Southern Africa"
Gee, B "A birding trip to the Western Cape and Namibia (including far north Botswana; Nov '99 - Jan 2000" [available from the author]
Geeson, J & J "Namibia; December 7th 1998 - January 2nd 1999"
Hines, C (1996) Namibia's Caprivi Strip. Bull ABC Vol 3(2): 113-124.
Sinclair et al (2002) Birds of Southern Africa. Third Edition. Struik , Cape Town. [the field guide - note that this new third edition contains a number of pertinent taxonomic revisions]
Vermeulen, J Cape, "Namibia and Shakawe area in Botswana; 14th October - 12 November 1996" [available on the internet]
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Chris Hines who looked after us so well and gave us so much advice and guidance. Also many thanks to Dick and Katy Sharpe in Katima, Steve Braine (Hobatere) and Mark Boorman (Swakopmund). The following visiting birders also supplied gen or spent time in the field with us and we thank them all; Eddy Myers and Pete Clement, Nick and the Barnsley Boys, and Phil Palmer.
Sites visited
24/11 to 25/11, 18/12 Chris Hines' place (25 km south of Windhoek)
We went straight to Chris' house from the airport (getting lost en route but seeing lots of dry country birds). Same species in this area as Daan Viljoen so we did not need to visit this, otherwise essential, site in the end. Got 80 ticks in the first 24 hours here so it was a little bit hectic to say the least. Highlights during our visits here at the beginning and end of the trip were; monotonous lark (terrible view), burnt-neck eremomela, African wren-warbler, grey-backed cisticola, chestnut weaver and Cape bunting. An excellent introduction to the dry country avifauna.
25/11 to 27/11 Waterburg Plateau Park
A very scenic park, strongly reminiscent of parts of Australia. We stayed in the chalet accommodation here but decided we preferred camping! We birded up the trail to the viewpoint on the escarpment, around the park buildings and campsite and along the dirt road outside the park. Highlights here included; Hartlaub's francolin (2+ by the viewpoint), Verreaux's eagle, African hawk-eagle, Bradfield's hornbill, Bradfield's swift, Klaas' cuckoo, freckled nightjar and violet wood-hoopoe. At night we taped in an African Scops-owl and heard African barred owlet. South African galagos frequent the trees by the chalets. Other birders had caracal and leopard here.
27/11 to 1/12 and 10/12 to 11/12 Etosha National Park
A fantastic site, packed with birds and mammals and seemingly containing very few human visitors! Note that all birding outside the three camps is from cars - you are not allowed to leave your vehicle whilst in the park. We camped here in clean, but fairly busy, campsites at the three main centres. We brought all our own food in but there are restaurants. We failed to realise that the character of the Park changes radically from west to east, and you have to be careful not to leave species behind as you go through it. We missed pygmy falcon (retrieved later) and rufous-eared warbler as a result.
We spent our first night at Okaukuejo and the next morning we drove slowly north to Okondeka waterhole (where the hoped for Namaqua sandgrouse failed to appear), we saw our first lions and then drove back via Leeubron. The Okaukuejo waterhole at night produced many double-banded sandgrouse (just after dusk and just before dawn) and three black rhino before we fell asleep. The campground had a number of leaking taps and pipes that were popular with small passerines during the heat of the day. A pair of giant eagle-owls had young in the tree that stands beside the waterhole.
Next we drove slowly to Halali seeing our only elephant of the trip and catching up with Namaqua sandgrouse at roadside pools. We stayed at Halali for two night. Birding around Halali camp was great with white-faced scops-owl (taped in), African wild cat and some good passerines. The general area produced Burchell's courser, Caspian plover and a number of lions.
Driving on to Namutoni for a one night stay we picked up our first blue cranes and found a party of bat-eared foxes. In the afternoon we drove around Fischer's Pan (lions at kill and yellow canary) and then drove very slowly around the nearby Dik Dik Drive and picked up a number of groups of crested francolin and also a family party of black-faced babbler. Our final morning of the first visit was spent searching the Andoni Plains for pink-billed lark (possibly easier in the west of the park) - we failed but did finally connect with secretarybird before heading for the long drive to Popa Falls.
Our second visit (based at Namutoni for one night) was intended to break the long drive from Popa Falls to Ruacana. We searched the Andoni Plains again but could not locate any pink-billed larks before moving onto to Okashana.
Highlights included; secretarybird, Montagu's harrier, pallid harrier, greater kestrel, blue crane, Kori bustard, Kittlitz's plover, spotted thick-knee, double-banded courser, southern white-faced scops-owl, Giant eagle-owl, eastern clapper lark, spike-heeled lark, Stark's lark, chestnut-backed sparrowlark and red-breasted swallow.
1/12 to 3/12 and 7/12 Popa Falls
Popa Falls provided a good base for visiting the nearby Mahango National Park. We camped here and brought all our food in with us (note that local supermarkets are a bit sparse). Popa Falls is a good site in its own right and an excellent introduction to the birds of the Caprivi Strip. The river here has rock pratincole and African wattled lapwing. This was the only site where we saw African wood-owl and brown firefinch.
2/12 and 8/12 Mahango National Park
We teamed up with Chris Hines and his 4WD for the first day in this fantastic park. Chris knows the Park well and we spent a great deal of time on foot working the floodplain and ephemeral pools scattered in amongst the open woodland. Care must be taken here though as dangerous large mammals do occur. However there seemed to be few obvious dangers whilst we were here, although we did see Cape buffalo. We were a lot more circumspect when we returned alone for our second visit. Do not ignore the dry woodland in the 6km before the Park entrance as many species can only be found in this habitat (eg sharp-tailed starling).
Although we had a 4WD at our disposal we did not do the sandy 4WD-only loop into dry forest, the best birding is along the 2WD track that overlooks the floodplain wetlands. Mahango provided some truly memorable birding, highlights included; wooly-necked stork, saddle-billed stork (a single on our second visit), yellow-billed stork, white stork, lesser spotted eagle, wattled crane (3 pairs), black cuckoo-shrike, black-headed oriole, buffy pipit, greater blue-eared starling, sharp-tailed starling (flock feeding on the road about 2 km south of Park entrance), yellow-billed oxpecker and red-headed weaver. It is possible to amass a big daylist here without really trying. Mammals were excellent here with sable and roan antelopes and our first hippos and a few species of floodplain ungulates.
3/12 and 6/12 to 7/12 Susuwe
We had a brief stop here en route to the campsite where we intended to watch the eclipse and another longer visit to try and see black coucal. We camped at the nearby Mazambala Lodge campsite (signed on the right just before Kongola). Unfortunately we failed to see the coucal in the floodplain area in front of the HQ, although frustratingly we could hear at least two birds. We did manage to tape out a single male Narina trogon near the HQ buildings however and searching the roadside forest on the ridge behind the HQ produced a confiding group of three racket-tailed rollers. Other highlights included; chirping cisticola, collared flycatcher and orange-breasted bush-shrike.
3/12 to 4/12 'eclipse campsite'
We met up here again with Chris Hines and his mates for a superb Namibian barbecue and sat down the next morning to watch the total eclipse. Sadly it was obscured at the last minute by cloud, although plenty of people saw it well elsewhere in the Caprivi that morning! Unlucky. The site was a clearing on the left about 5 km south on the D3501 Linyandi road. This road is a bit sandy but if you drop into second you can usually gun through the sand patches. This site produced a superb pair of pennant-winged nightjars, that allowed close approach with the spotlight.
4/12 to 6/12 Katima Mulilo area
Having got as far as Susuwe it seemed a shame not to go all the way to Katima Mulilo and sample some of the incredible birds that just creep into Namibia in this neck of the woods (eg eastern nicator, Schalow's turaco and trumpeter hornbill). We camped in the garden of one of Chris Hines' friends on the banks of the Zambezi.
There are a number of good birding locations in the Katima area, we visited: the sewage farm (access details in Hines paper - basically just north of the B8 as you leave town); riparian woodland along the Zambezi (at Zambezi Lodge and near the Department of Conservation office just south of town on the Ngoma road); the Zambezi River itself (viewed from a number of locations); the cutline (an area cleared under power cables that is just west of town north off the B8 after the C49 turn-off - walk in if you do not have 4WD); areas adjacent to the Zambezi accessed by 4WD by taking the Kalambeza road (D3508) south of town; and the private Zambezi Fish Farm where we stayed. Even without a 4WD you can see a lot of birds in Katima that you will not get elsewhere on your trip. The area behind the Engen petrol station in town is consistently good for Northern grey-headed sparrows apparently. Flowering trees in the gardens in town were the only places we saw copper sunbird.
Highlights here included: little bittern, dwarf bittern, Abdim's stork, hooded vulture, African cuckoo-hawk, African goshawk, dark chanting goshawk, African crake, lesser jacana, white-crowned lapwing, Eurasian curlew, three-banded courser, Burchell's sandgrouse, Schalow's turaco, common cuckoo, Senegal coucal, grey-headed kingfisher, trumpeter hornbill, Bennett's woodpecker, lesser striped swallow, eastern nicator, Arnott's chat, bearded robin, Stierling's wren-warbler, Luapula cisticola, yellow wagtail, plain-backed pipit, tropical boubou, copper sunbird, purple-banded sunbird, northern grey-headed sparrow, common waxbill, African quail finch, bronze mannikin, long-tailed paradise-whydah and village indigobird.
8/12 to 10/12 Drotsky's Cabins, Shakawe
We tried to stay at Shakawe Fishing Lodge but found it had closed for the holidays. No problem - the nearby Drotsky's Cabins offers the same services and birds and it is just as good if not better. We were a bit tired by this stage however and probably failed to make the most of our time here. If you do stay at Drotsky's make sure you spend an afternoon birding in the small reserve near Shakawe Fishing Lodge (drive round by road). We camped in the very pleasant campsite and mostly self-catered. We took two boat journeys (essential for getting in amongst the reedbed and papyrus skulkers) and also birded in the area around the Cabins. We had no problems finding a Pel's fishing-owl early on our first morning and a white-backed heron usually roosts in the riverside bushes in front of the cabins.
Highlights here included: white-backed night-heron, African pygmy-goose, little sparrowhawk, Pel's fishing-owl, greater swamp-warbler, little rush-warbler and southern brown-throated weaver.
11/12 Okashana
This small wetland area lies just north of the Etosha NP gate at Andoni. We left by this exit en route to Ruacana. The wetland is situated not far from the gate just before you get to the village of Okashana and the main road. Look for the pipe spraying water into the air. Bird both sides of the road here. We arrived in the heat of midday and only spent a short while here but did see our first chestnut-banded plovers. Well worth checking on your way past.
11/12 to 12/12 Ruacana
We arrived here in the early afternoon and despite the extreme heat decided to stake out the pools in the dry river bed for Cinderella waxbill. This paid off handsomely and before long we were sitting in the shade watching a pair of these engaging birds. The dry pools can be reached by continuing past the junction to Ruacana, just before the tarmac ends there is a private right hand junction. Park here and walk back up the road until you find a cut and small road that leads down into the dry river bed. Once you reach the river bed head 'upstream' until you reach a series of freshwater pools in the stream bed. These attract a variety of birds and is one of the most reliable sites for Cinderella waxbill in the area.
Having got the first of our target birds we then decided to head for the Kunene River Lodge - a 45 km drive on an appalling dirt road that I would not recommend to anyone. The Lodge did however have some excellent rufous-tailed palm-thrushes in the grounds and Madagascar bee-eaters were common along the road. In retrospect it would have been better to camp at one of the other sites (Okupupo?) which is a bit nearer and just as good for birds. If it had rained whilst we had been at Kunene River Lodge we would have been stranded for a while I suspect.
Highlights in this area included: black stork, augur buzzard, grey kestrel (single on main road near junction to Ruacana), Madagascar bee-eater, rufous-tailed palm-thrush, red-billed firefinch and Cinderella waxbill.
12/12 to 13/12 Hobatere
We broke our journey south by stopping at Hobatere. We dropped by the Lodge and had a useful chat with Steve Braine before heading back to the delightful campsite. The red-billed buffalo weaver nests on the track into the Lodge had some pygmy falcons in residence. There is a superb waterhole at the campsite that you view from a great height. During the evening we had Hartlaub's francolin the campsite area and a number of mammals came to drink at the waterhole. This was the only site where we saw mountain zebra.
13/12 to 14/12 Uis area
The drive down to Uis from Hobatere was good for birds and we saw our only pearl-breasted swallows and our first short-toed rock-thrush, as well as more pygmy falcons. In Uis we concentrated on the area just to the north of the main road junction. About 4-5 km north of this junction (on the C35) is a dry river bed with some tall trees. Birding in this area and up to about 20 km along the C35 towards Henties Bay was excellent. In the dry river bed we had a fine pair of Herero chat, bokmakerie, Ruppell's korhaan, white-throated canary and our first Cape sparrows. The C35 towards Henties Bay produced Benguela long-billed lark, karoo chat and Ludwig's bustard. In the really dry areas halfway to the coast we found tractrac chat.
Highlights here included: Ruppell's korhaan, Benguela long-billed lark (presumably kaokensis - the Brandberg Mountain subspecies), Herero chat and long-billed pipit.
14/12 to 16/12 Swakopmund
We stayed in Swakopmund at the Sea Breeze Guesthouse (48 Turmalin St, PO Box 2601, Swakopmund. Tel +26464463348 or email seabre@iafrica.com.na). Self-catering rooms here cost ND400 per night but would sleep 4-5. We liked it. All days we birded both Swakopmund and nearby Walvis Bay. In the Swakopmund area we mainly concentrated on the saltworks (just north of town), the river mouth area and the road that runs north parallel to the main coast road near the saltworks before heading inland (very good for Gray's lark).
Highlights included: great crested grebe (saltworks), bank cormorant (hard to find but a few pairs in the western end of the saltworks guano platform - viewed from the beach), peregrine, African black oystercatcher, swift tern and Gray's lark.
14/12 to 16/12 Walvis Bay
Around Walvis Bay there are some great birding sites; we visited Bird Paradise (the town sewage settling ponds), the Esplanade (great for waders and gulls/terns), the saltworks and the nearby beach at Paaltjies (south of town) and the nearby small town of Rooibank for dune lark (park by the lone church north of town and walk to the low scrubby vegetation in the hollow before the big dunes to the east). We also took a boat trip with Mola Mola (near the Walvis Bay yacht club, mola-mola@iafrica.com.na) which cost ND300 each but was worth every penny. Excellent oysters and sparkling white wine with superb views of African penguin, white-chinned petrel, hump-backed whale and bow-riding Heaviside's dolphin.
Highlights here included: white-chinned petrel, Cory's shearwater, sooty shearwater, Cape shoveler, African purple swamphen, Terek sandpiper (single amongst the many waders at the extreme southern end of the esplanade), sanderling, parasitic jaeger, pomarine jaeger and dune lark (two pairs - superb).
17/12 Solitaire area
We stayed overnight in Solitaire (at the new Travel Lodge - ND300/night for a double room). We made a navigational error, intending to go slowly through the mountains we instead went through the relatively poor Remhoogte Pass. We would have been better going north out of Solitaire and turning east on the D1275 and then onto to Rehoboth via the D1261. We dipped a few birds here as a result (cinnamon-breasted warbler and karoo robin). The only bird we saw here but nowhere else was a single jackal buzzard.
17/12 Windhoek Sewage Farm
On out last afternoon in the field we hit the Windhoek Sewage Farm to pick up a few species we had missed thus far. This site is reached by taking the road to Daan Viljoen from the Windhoek western bypass. After about 1-2 km a big road junction appears on the right. This road is Otjimuise Road follow it for several kilometres until you see some big silver sheds on the left - the sewage works are just after these sheds on the left. Just drive through the gates (waving at security) and bear right and follow this road until you get a blue and white building. Park and walk down the dirt road behind it to view the settling ponds. White-throated swallows breed on the buildings here and the pools are good for wildfowl and wetland species. We had white-backed duck here, as well as southern pochard. An excellent place to kill time before a flight.
Systematic list of birds
recorded in Namibia (and Botswana)
24th November and 18th December
Sites visited: Namibia. Chris Hines' place (25 km south of Windhoek) (CH) 24/11 to 25/11, 18/12; Waterburg Plateau Park (W) 25/11 to 27/11; Etosha National Park (ET) 27/11 to 1/12 and 10/12 to 11/12; Popa Falls (PF) 1/12 to 3/12 and 7/12; Mahango National Park (M) 2/12 and 8/12; Susuwe (SS) 3/12 and 6/12 to 7/12; 'eclipse campsite' (EC) 3/12 to 4/12; Katima Mulilo area (KM) 4/12 to 6/12. Botswana. Drotsky's Cabins, Shakawe (S) 8/12 to 10/12. Namibia. Okashana (OK) 11/12; Ruacana (R) 11/12 to 12/12; Hobatere (H) 12/12 to 13/12; Uis area (U) 13/12 to 14/12, Swakopmund (SK) 14/12 to 16/12; Walvis Bay (WB) 14/12 to 16/12; Solitaire area (ST) 17/12; and Windhoek Sewage Farm (WSF) 17/12.
Common ostrich | Struthio camelus | CH, ET |
African penguin | Spheniscus demersus | Single immature from boat out of WB |
Great crested grebe | Podiceps cristatus | SK (saltworks) |
Black-necked grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | SK (saltworks), WB (Bird Paradise) |
Little grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | ET, KM, WB, WSF |
White-chinned petrel | Procellaria aequinoctialis | Off Paaltjies (WB) and superb views from the boat out of WB |
Cory's shearwater | Calonectris diomedea | Single on boat trip out of WB |
Sooty shearwater | Puffinus griseus | A few from Paaltjies (WB) and several on the boat trip |
Great white pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus | Coastal sites |
Cape gannet | Morus capensis | Coastal sites |
White-breasted cormorant | Phalacrocorax lucidus | Coastal sites |
Cape cormorant | Phalacrocorax capensis | Coastal sites |
Bank cormorant | Phalacrocorax neglectus | SK (7 birds) |
Reed cormorant | Phalacrocorax africanus | M, SS, KM, WSF |
Crowned cormorant | Phalacrocorax coronatus | SK |
African darter | Anhinga rufa | M, KM, S |
Grey heron | Ardea cinerea | M, R, SK, WSF |
Goliath heron | Ardea goliath | M, S, R |
Purple heron | Ardea purpurea | SS, S |
Great egret | Egretta alba | M (under-recorded) |
Little egret | Egretta garzetta | M, S, SK |
Yellow-billed egret | Egretta intermedia | M, SS |
Black heron | Egretta ardesiaca | M (single on 2/12) |
Slaty egret | Egretta vinaceigula | M (1-2 both visits) |
Cattle egret | Bubulcus ibis | ET, KM (under-recorded) |
Squacco heron | Ardeola ralloides | M, SS, KM, S, WSF |
Green-backed heron | Butorides striatus | M, SS, KM, S |
Rufous-bellied heron | Ardeola rufiventris | M, SS, S |
Black-crowned night-heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | KM, S, ET |
White-backed night-heron | Gorsachius leuconotus | S (2 birds) |
Little bittern | Ixobrychus minutus | KM (single at Fish Farm) |
Dwarf bittern | Ixobrychus sturmii | KM (single at Fish Farm) |
Hamerkop | Scopus umbretta | M, S |
White stork | Ciconia ciconia | M (single on 8/12) |
Black stork | Ciconia nigra | R (single by roadside pool) |
Abdim's stork | Ciconia abdimii | KM |
Woolly-necked stork | Ciconia episcopus | M |
African openbill | Anastomus lamelligerus | M, KM, S |
Saddle-billed stork | Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis | M (single on 8/12) |
Marabou stork | Leptoptilos crumeniferus | ET, M |
Yellow-billed stork | Mycteria ibis | M |
Hadeda ibis | Bostrychia hagedash | M, SS |
Greater flamingo | Phoenicopterus ruber | Coastal areas |
Lesser flamingo | Phoenicopterus minor | ET (single), coastal areas |
White-faced duck | Dendrocygna viduata | M, S |
Fulvous duck | Dendrocygna bicolor | KM |
White-backed duck | Thalassornis leuconotus | WSF (a single here was a surprise) |
Egyptian goose | Alopochen aegyptiacus | ET, M |
South African shelduck | Tadorna cana | ET, WSF |
Cape teal | Anas capensis | OK, SK, WB |
Hottentot teal | Anas hottentota | KM, WB, WSF |
Red-billed teal | Anas erythrorhyncha | ET, KM, WSF |
Cape shoveler | Anas smithii | WB (Bird Paradise) |
Southern pochard | Netta erythrophthalma | WSF |
African pygmy-goose | Nettapus auritus | S (2 from boat) |
Comb duck | Sarkidiornis melanotos | SS, M, S |
Spur-winged goose | Plectropterus gambensis | M, S |
Maccoa duck | Oxyura maccoa | WB (Bird Paradise), WSF |
Secretarybird | Sagittarius serpentarius | ET (2 only on Andoni Plains) |
Hooded vulture | Necrosyrtes monachus | KM |
White-backed vulture | Gyps africanus | W, ET, M, KM |
Lappet-faced vulture | Torgos tracheliotus | ET |
Black kite | Milvus migrans | ET, M, S |
Yellow-billed kite | Milvus aegyptius | M |
Black-shouldered kite | Elanus caeruleus | CH, KM, S |
African cuckoo hawk | Aviceda cuculoides | KM (single bird over riparian forest along Zambezi) |
Bat hawk | Macheiramphus alcinus | M (single), KM (2 singles). All superb daylight observations. |
Verreaux's eagle | Aquila verreauxii | W (pair along escarpment) |
Tawny eagle | Aquila rapax | W (under-recorded) |
Steppe eagle | Aquila nipalensis | M |
Lesser spotted eagle | Aquila pomarina | M |
Wahlberg's eagle | Aquila wahlbergi | M, SS |
African hawk-eagle | Hieraaetus spilogaster | W (pair along escarpment) |
Martial eagle | Polemaetus bellicosus | ET, M, EC, S |
Brown snake-eagle | Circaetus cinereus | M, en route Divundu-Kongola, EC, R |
Black-chested snake-eagle | Circaetus pectoralis | CH, ET, EC, U |
Bateleur | Terathopius ecaudatus | ET, M, KM |
African fish-eagle | Haliaeetus vocifer | M, KM, SS, S |
Steppe buzzard | Buteo vulpinus | M, SS, KM |
Jackal buzzard | Buteo rufofuscus | ST (single) |
Augur buzzard | Buteo augur | R (single) |
Lizard buzzard | Kaupifalco monogrammicus | KM, M (dry forest) |
Little sparrowhawk | Accipiter minullus | S (single) |
Shikra | Accipiter badius | En route from Divundu-Kongola, EC |
African goshawk | Accipiter tachiro | KM (single at Zambezi Lodge) |
Gabar goshawk | Melierax gabar | W, M (under-recorded) |
Southern pale chanting goshawk | Melierax canorus | CH, W (common, under-recorded) |
Dark chanting goshawk | Melierax metabates | KM (along cut-line) |
African marsh-harrier | Circus ranivorus | SS, S |
Montagu's harrier | Circus pygargus | ET, male on Andoni Plain in early am |
Pallid harrier | Circus macrourus | ET, 2 males on Andoni in early am |
African harrier-hawk | Polyboroides typus | M, SS, S (all singles) |
Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | KM, S (singles) |
Peregrine falcon | Falco peregrinus | SK, single male calidus hunting over town on 15/12 |
Lanner falcon | Falco biarmicus | ET (2), OK (1) |
Eurasian hobby | Falco subbuteo | PF, Caprivi |
African hobby | Falco cuvierii | KM (single 3 km west of town) |
Red-necked falcon | Falco chicquera | KM (adult with young 3 km west of town) |
Red-footed falcon | Falco vespertinus | SS (single male) |
Amur falcon | Falco amurensis | EC (at least four males and two females), KM (two males feeding on termites) |
Rock kestrel | Falco rupicolis | CH, W, SK |
Greater kestrel | Falco rupicoloides | ET |
Lesser kestrel | Falco naumanni | W, ET (singles) |
Grey kestrel | Falco ardosiaceus | R (single near junction to town) |
Pygmy falcon | Polihierax semitorquatus | H, near Kemanjab, ST |
Crested francolin | Peliperdix sephaena | ET (along Dik Dik Drive), [M], [EC], SS, [S] |
Red-billed francolin | Pternistes adspersus | CH, ET, M, R |
Hartlaub's francolin | Pternistes hartlaubi | W (2), H (3) |
Swainson's spurfowl | Pternistes swainsonii | W, M, SS |
Helmeted guineafowl | Numida meleagris | CH, ET |
Wattled crane | Grus carunculatus | M (3 pairs) |
Blue crane | Anthropoides paradisea | ET (a total of five birds recorded) |
African crake | Crecopsis egregia | KM (a single at the Sewage Works) |
Black crake | Amaurornis flavirostra | ET, KM, S, R |
African purple swamphen | Porphyrio madagascariensis | WB (Bird Paradise) |
Allen's gallinule | Porphyrula alleni | KM (Sewage Works) |
Common moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | ET, KM, WSF |
Red-knobbed coot | Fulica cristata | WB, WSF |
Kori bustard | Ardeotis kori | ET |
Ludwig's bustard | Neotis ludwigii | CH (single), ET (2 near Leeubron), 3 between Uis and Henties Bay |
Ruppell's korhaan | Eupodotis rueppellii | U, en route Uis to Henties Bay |
Red-crested korhaan | Eupodotis ruficrista | CH, W, ET, M |
Black-bellied bustard | Eupodotis melanogaster | Single male seen whilst driving along B8, just west of D3501 junction |
Northern black korhaan | Eupodotis afraoides | CH, ET |
African jacana | Actophilornis africanus | M, SS, KM, S, WSF |
Lesser jacana | Microparra capensis | KM (single) |
Greater painted-snipe | Rostratula benghalensis | M, KM |
African black oystercatcher | Haematopus moquini | SK |
Common ringed plover | Charadrius hiaticula | OK, WB |
White-fronted plover | Charadrius marginatus | Single along Zambezi 20 km south of KM, coastal areas |
Chestnut-banded plover | Charadrius pallidus | OK, WB |
Kittlitz's plover | Charadrius pecuarius | ET |
Three-banded plover | Charadrius tricollaris | ET, M, WSF |
Caspian plover | Charadrius asiaticus | ET (100 birds near Halali), M (single) |
Grey plover | Pluvialis squatarola | Coastal areas |
Crowned lapwing | Vanellus coronatus | ET, M |
Blacksmith lapwing | Vanellus armatus | CH, ET, M, S |
White-crowned lapwing | Vanellus albiceps | KM |
African wattled lapwing | Vanellus senegallus | PF, M, S |
Long-toed lapwing | Vanellus crassirostris | M, SS, S |
Ruddy turnstone | Arenaria interpres | Coastal areas |
Terek sandpiper | Xenus cinereus | WB (single at S end of Esplanade) |
Common sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | PF, M, KM, S, R |
Wood sandpiper | Tringa glareola | ET, M, SS, KM, WSF |
Marsh sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis | ET, OK, WB |
Common greenshank | Tringa nebularia | ET, coastal areas |
Red knot | Calidris canutus | Coastal areas |
Curlew sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea | OK, coastal areas |
Little stint | Calidris minuta | ET, coastal areas |
Sanderling | Calidris alba | WB |
Ruff | Philomachus pugnax | ET, M, KM, S, OK, WSF |
Bar-tailed godwit | Limosa lapponica | Coastal areas |
Eurasian curlew | Numenius arquata | KM (single along Zambezi) |
Common whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | Coastal areas |
Pied avocet | Recurvirostra avosetta | OK, SK |
Black-winged stilt | Himantopus himantopus | ET, M, SK |
Spotted thick-knee | Burhinus capensis | ET |
Water thick-knee | Burhinus vermiculatus | M, SS |
Burchell's courser | Cursorius rufus | ET (at least ten birds on stony plain just before turn-off to Halali), at least ten adults plus chicks in desert between Uis and Henties Bay |
Double-banded courser | Rhinoptilus africanus | ET |
Three-banded courser | Rhinoptilus cinctus | KM (2 birds in riparian forest along Zambezi - surprise bird of the trip) |
Collared pratincole | Glareola pratincola | M, SS, S |
Rock pratincole | Glareola nuchalis | PF, KM |
Parasitic jaeger | Stercorarius parasiticus | WB (off Paaltjies and from boat) |
Pomarine jaeger | Stercorarius pomarinus | WB (single from boat) |
Grey-headed gull | Larus cirrocephalus | Coastal areas |
Hartlaub's gull | Larus hartlaubii | Coastal areas |
Cape gull | Larus vetula | Coastal areas |
Caspian tern | Sterna caspia | Coastal areas |
Swift tern | Sterna bergii | SK, WB |
Sandwich tern | Sterna sandvicensis | Coastal areas |
Common tern | Sterna hirundo | Coastal areas |
Damara tern | Sterna balaenarum | Small numbers in coastal areas. |
Black tern | Chlidonias niger | Coastal areas |
White-winged tern | Chlidonias leucopterus | KM, WB |
African skimmer | Rynchops flavirostris | M, KM |
Namaqua sandgrouse | Pterocles namaqua | ET, in desert between Uis and Henties Bay |
Burchell's sandgrouse | Pterocles burchelli | KM (pair in Zambezi corridor off road to Kalimbeza - south of KM) |
Double-banded sandgrouse | Pterocles bicinctus | ET, H |
Rock dove | Columba livia | Windhoek and other towns |
Speckled pigeon | Columba guinea | CH, W |
Red-eyed dove | Streptopelia semitorquata | PF, Caprivi, S |
African mourning dove | Streptopelia decipiens | M, [R] |
Cape turtle-dove | Streptopelia capicola | Ubiquitous |
Laughing dove | Streptopelia senegalensis | CH, W, S |
Namaqua dove | Oena capensis | CH, ET |
Emerald-spotted wood-dove | Turtur chalcospilos | PF, SS, S |
African green-pigeon | Treron calva | KM, S |
Meyer's parrot | Poicephalus meyeri | M, SS |
Ruppell's parrot | Poicephalus rueppellii | W, CH |
Rosy-faced lovebird | Agapornis roseicollis | CH, W, R |
Schalow's turaco | Tauraco schalowi | KM |
Grey go-away-bird | Corythaixoides concolor | CH, W, SS, KM |
Common cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | KM (along cut-line) |
African cuckoo | Cuculus gularis | [CH], ET, R |
Red-chested cuckoo | Cuculus solitarius | M (dry forest) |
Black cuckoo | Cuculus clamosus | [CH], ET, [M] |
Great spotted cuckoo | Clamator glandarius | W, M |
Levaillant's cuckoo | Oxylophus levaillantii | EC, KM, S |
Jacobin cuckoo | Oxylophus jacobinus | W (under-recorded) |
Klaas's cuckoo | Chrysococcyx klaas | W, [KM] |
Diderick cuckoo | Chrysococcyx caprius | W, KM, S |
[Black coucal | Centropus grillii] | [SS] |
Coppery-tailed coucal | Centropus cupreicaudus | KM, M, S |
Senegal coucal | Centropus senegalensis | KM |
White-browed coucal | Centropus superciliosus | KM, R |
Barn owl | Tyto alba | [W], ET, PF, [KM], [S] |
African wood-owl | Strix woodfordii | PF, [S] |
African scops-owl | Otus senegalensis | W, heard elsewhere |
Southern white-faced scops-owl | Ptilopsus granti | ET (Halali) |
Pearl-spotted owlet | Glaucidium perlatum | CH, W, ET, [R] |
African barred owlet | Glaucidium capense | [W], KM, SS |
Spotted eagle-owl | Bubo africanus | ET (single near Okondeka), PF |
Giant eagle-owl | Bubo lacteus | ET (pair with young at Okaukejo) |
Pel's fishing-owl | Scotopelia peli | S |
Rufous-cheeked nightjar | Caprimulgus rufigena | ET, M, EC |
Freckled nightjar | Caprimulgus tristigma | W |
Pennant-winged nightjar | Macrodipteryx vexillarius | EC (pair seen very well) |
Common swift | Apus apus | CH, S |
Bradfield's swift | Apus bradfieldi | W |
White-rumped swift | Apus caffer | CH, WSF |
Little swift | Apus affinis | CH, ET |
Alpine swift | Apus melba | W |
African palm-swift | Cypsiurus parvus | ET, KM, R |
White-backed mousebird | Colius colius | CH, WB (Rooibank), WSF, Windhoek |
Red-faced mousebird | Urocolius indicus | PF, KM, S, ET, U |
Narina trogon | Apaloderma narina | SS (male taped in), S (pair) |
Pied kingfisher | Ceryle rudis | M, KM |
Giant kingfisher | Megaceryle maxima | KM, S |
Malachite kingfisher | Alcedo cristata | KM, SS, S |
Woodland kingfisher | Halcyon senegalensis | M, SS, KM, S, R |
Brown-hooded kingfisher | Halcyon albiventris | SS, KM |
Grey-headed kingfisher | Halcyon leucocephala | KM |
[Striped kingfisher | Halcyon chelicuti] | KM |
European bee-eater | Merops apiaster | CH, W, ET, KM |
Madagascar bee-eater | Merops superciliosus | R |
Blue-cheeked bee-eater | Merops persicus | M, S |
Southern carmine bee-eater | Merops nubicoides | M, SS, KM, S |
White-fronted bee-eater | Merops bullockoides | M, S |
Little bee-eater | Merops pusillus | M, SS, EC, S, R |
Swallow-tailed bee-eater | Merops hirundineus | CH, W, ET, M, R |
Lilac-breasted roller | Coracias caudata | CH, ET, M, SS |
Racket-tailed roller | Coracias spatulata | SS |
Purple roller | Coracias naevia | W, SS, R |
Broad-billed roller | Eurystomus glaucurus | EC, KM, SS |
African hoopoe | Upupa africana | CH, W, ET, ST |
Green wood-hoopoe | Phoeniculus purpureus | PF, R |
Violet wood-hoopoe | Phoeniculus damarensis | W |
Common scimitarbill | Rhinopomastus cyanomelas | W, ET, M, R, U, ST |
Trumpeter hornbill | Bycanistes bucinator | KM |
African grey hornbill | Tockus nasutus | CH, W, S, R |
Red-billed hornbill | Tockus erythrorhynchus | ET, SS, R |
Damara hornbill | Tockus damarensis | W |
Southern yellow-billed hornbill | Tockus leucomelas | CH, W, ET |
Bradfield's hornbill | Tockus bradfieldi | W |
Monteiro's hornbill | Tockus monteiri | CH, W, R |
Black-collared barbet | Lybius torquatus | PF, KM |
Acacia pied barbet | Tricholaema leucomelas | CH, W, ET, M, U, ST |
Yellow-fronted tinkerbird | Pogoniulus chrysoconus | SS, S |
Crested barbet | Trachyphonus vaillantii | M, EC, KM |
Lesser honeyguide | Indicator minor | CH, M |
Bennett's woodpecker | Campethera bennettii | KM |
Golden-tailed woodpecker | Campethera abingoni | W, M, KM, R |
Cardinal woodpecker | Dendropicos fuscescens | M, KM, U |
Bearded woodpecker | Dendropicos namaquus | KM, SS |
Monotonous lark | Mirafra passerina | CH (very poor views of one in flight) |
Rufous-naped lark | Mirafra africana | CH, ET |
Eastern clapper lark | Mirafra fasciolata | ET |
Fawn-coloured lark | Mirafra africanoides | CH, M |
Sabota lark | Mirafra sabota | CH, ET, U |
Benguela long-billed lark | Certhilauda benguelensis | U |
Dune lark | Certhilauda erythrochlamys | WB (Rooibank - two pairs) |
Spike-heeled lark | Chersomanes albofasciata | ET |
Red-capped lark | Calandrella cinerea | ET |
Stark's lark | Eremalauda starki | ET |
Gray's lark | Ammomanes grayi | SK |
Chestnut-backed sparrowlark | Eremopterix leucotis | ET |
Grey-backed sparrowlark | Eremopterix verticalis | ET, WB (Rooibank) |
Barn swallow | Hirundo rustica | Widespread |
White-throated swallow | Hirundo albigularis | WSF |
Wire-tailed swallow | Hirundo smithii | KM, SS, S, R |
Pearl-breasted swallow | Hirundo dimidiata | 2 between Hobatere and Uis |
Red-breasted swallow | Hirundo semirufa | ET |
Mosque swallow | Hirundo senegalensis | M, SS, KM |
Greater striped swallow | Hirundo cucullata | Widespread |
Lesser striped swallow | Hirundo abyssinica | KM |
South African cliff-swallow | Hirundo spilodera | Windhoek airport |
Rock martin | Hirundo fuligula | W, ET, KM, R |
Common house-martin | Delichon urbica | R |
Grey-rumped swallow | Pseudhirundo griseopyga | M, SS, KM |
Sand martin | Riparia riparia | SS |
Brown-throated martin | Riparia paludicola | S |
Banded martin | Riparia cincta | CH, ET, KM, S |
Black cuckooshrike | Campephaga flava | M |
White-breasted cuckooshrike | Coracina pectoralis | Single 27 km west of Rundu in dry forest |
Fork-tailed drongo | Dicrurus adsimilis | CH, W, ET, R |
African golden oriole | Oriolus auratus | M (dry forest), KM |
Black-headed oriole | Oriolus larvatus | M (single in dry forest) |
Cape crow | Corvus capensis | ET |
Pied crow | Corvus albus | ET, M |
Ashy tit | Parus cinerascens | CH, W |
Southern black tit | Parus niger | M, SS, EC |
Carp's tit | Parus carpi | W, ET |
Cape penduline-tit | Anthoscopus minutus | CH (pair feeding in orange-flowered parasitic plant on dead tree) |
Arrow-marked babbler | Turdoides jardineii | PF, M, KM, S |
Black-faced babbler | Turdoides melanops | ET (family group Dik Dik Drive) |
Hartlaub's babbler | Turdoides hartlaubii | PF, M, SS, KM, R |
Southern pied babbler | Turdoides bicolor | CH, ET |
Bare-cheeked babbler | Turdoides gymnogenys | ET (Halali), R |
African red-eyed bulbul | Pycnonotus nigricans | CH, ET, R |
Dark-capped bulbul | Pycnonotus tricolor | PF, S |
Terrestrial brownbul | Phyllastrephus terrestris | PF, KM |
Yellow-bellied greenbul | Chlorocichla flaviventris | PF, S, R |
Eastern nicator | Nicator gularis | KM (single in riparian forest along Zambezi - a superb bird) |
Kurrichane thrush | Turdus libonyanus | M (dry forest) |
Groundscraper thrush | Psophocichla litsipsirupa | CH, W, EC, M, R, airport |
Short-toed rock-thrush | Monticola brevipes | Common in dry rocky areas |
Mountain wheatear | Oenanthe monticola | CH, U |
Capped wheatear | Oenanthe pileata | ET, M, U |
Familiar chat | Cercomela familiaris | CH, W, ET, R, U |
Tractrac chat | Cercomela tractrac | In desert between Uis and Henties Bay, WB (Rooibank area) |
Karoo chat | Cercomela schlegelii | U, ST |
Arnott's chat | Myrmecocichla arnotti | KM (cut-line) |
Ant-eating chat | Myrmecocichla formicivora | CH, ET |
African stonechat | Saxicola torquata | M |
White-browed robin-chat | Cossypha heuglini | PF, KM, S |
Rufous-tailed palm-thrush | Cichladusa ruficauda | R |
White-browed scrub-robin | Cercotrichas leucophrys | W, M |
Kalahari scrub-robin | Cercotrichas paena | CH, W, ET |
Bearded robin | Cercotrichas quadrivirgata | KM |
Herero chat | Namibornis herero | U |
Garden warbler | Sylvia borin | M (dry forest) |
Chestnut-vented tit-babbler | Parisoma subcaeruleum | CH, W, ET, U |
Icterine warbler | Hippolais icterina | PF, SS, KM, M |
Great reed-warbler | Acrocephalus arundinaceus | KM, R |
African reed-warbler | Acrocephalus baeticatus | S, WB, WSF |
Sedge warbler | Acrocephalus schoenobaenus | ET, KM, S |
Greater swamp-warbler | Acrocephalus rufescens | S |
Little rush-warbler | Bradypterus baboecala | S |
Willow warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus | Widespread |
Long-billed crombec | Sylvietta rufescens | ET, KM, 27 km west of Rundu, ST, CH |
Yellow-bellied eremomela | Eremomela icteropygialis | ET, WB (Rooibank), ST, CH |
Burnt-necked eremomela | Eremomela usticollis | CH |
Grey-backed camaroptera | Camaroptera brevicaudata | Ubiquitous |
African wren-warbler | Calamonastes fasciolatus | CH |
Stierling's wren-warbler | Calamonastes stierlingi | KM (cut-line) |
Rockrunner | Achaetops pycnopygius | CH, W, H |
Zitting cisticola | Cisticola juncidis | KM, M, WSF |
Desert cisticola | Cisticola aridulus | CH, ET |
Grey-backed cisticola | Cisticola subruficapillus | CH |
Rattling cisticola | Cisticola chinianus | CH, W |
Chirping cisticola | Cisticola pipiens | SS |
Luapula cisticola | Cisticola luapula | KM |
Neddicky | Cisticola fulvicapillus | KM, 27 km west of Rundu |
Tawny-flanked prinia | Prinia subflava | PF, KM, S |
Black-chested prinia | Prinia flavicans | CH, W, ET |
Spotted flycatcher | Muscicapa striata | M, SS |
Ashy flycatcher | Muscicapa caerulescens | PF, S |
Collared flycatcher | Ficedula albicollis | SS (single on 3/12) |
Southern black flycatcher | Melaenornis pammelaina | KM, M (dry forest) |
Marico flycatcher | Bradornis mariquensis | CH, W, ET, U |
Pale flycatcher | Bradornis pallidus | M (dry forest), KM |
Chat flycatcher | Bradornis infuscatus | CH, between Hobatere and Uis, U |
Chinspot batis | Batis molitor | PF, SS, 27 km west of Rundu |
Pririt batis | Batis pririt | CH, ET, U |
African paradise-flycatcher | Terpsiphone viridis | W, PF, KM, S |
African pied wagtail | Motacilla aguimp | KM, S |
Cape wagtail | Motacilla capensis | CH, coastal areas, WSF |
Yellow wagtail | Motacilla flava | KM (3 at Fish Farm) |
African pipit | Anthus cinnamomeus | Airport, ET, M |
Long-billed pipit | Anthus similis | U |
Plain-backed pipit | Anthus leucophrys | KM |
Buffy pipit | Anthus vaalensis | M |
[Red-throated pipit | Anthus cervinus] | [ET - a possible heard over Namutoni] |
Lesser grey shrike | Lanius minor | CH, W, ET |
Common fiscal | Lanius collaris | ET, U, ST |
Red-backed shrike | Lanius collurio | CH, W, PF, M |
Magpie shrike | Corvinella melanoleuca | M, KM |
Tropical boubou | Laniarius aethiopicus | KM |
Swamp boubou | Laniarius bicolor | M, KM, S, R |
Crimson-breasted shrike | Laniarius atrococcineus | CH, W, ET, M |
Black-backed puffback | Dryoscopus cubla | W, ET, KM, R |
Brubru | Nilaus afer | CH, ET, KM, U |
Brown-crowned tchagra | Tchagra australis | CH, W, M, KM, SS |
Bokmakierie | Telophorus zeylonus | U, ST |
Orange-breasted bush-shrike | Telophorus sulfureopectus | [M], [KM], SS |
White-tailed shrike | Lanioturdus torquatus | CH, R, ST |
White-crested helmet-shrike | Prionops plumatus | ET, M, SS, KM |
Southern white-crowned shrike | Eurocephalus anguitimens | ET, R |
Wattled starling | Creatophora cinerea | CH, ET |
Violet-backed starling | Cinnyricinclus leucogaster | ET, M, EC, KM, R |
Burchell's starling | Lamprotornis australis | CH, W, M |
Meves's starling | Lamprotornis mevesii | PF, R |
Cape glossy starling | Lamprotornis nitens | CH, W, M, R, ST |
Greater blue-eared starling | Lamprotornis chalybaeus | M |
Sharp-tailed starling | Lamprotornis acuticaudus | M (dry forest) |
Pale-winged starling | Onychognathus nabouroup | CH, W, ET, U, ST |
Yellow-billed oxpecker | Buphagus africanus | M |
Red-billed oxpecker | Buphagus erythrorhynchus | PF, M |
Copper sunbird | Cinnyris cuprea | KM (2 males in gardens in town) |
Marico sunbird | Cinnyris mariquensis | CH, W, ET, KM |
Purple-banded sunbird | Cinnyris bifasciata | KM (female at Zambezi Lodge) |
White-bellied sunbird | Cinnyris talatala | W, KM, R |
Dusky sunbird | Cinnyris fusca | CH, U |
Scarlet-chested sunbird | Chalcomitra senegalensis | CH, W, M (dry forest) |
Amethyst sunbird | Chalcomitra amethystina | M (dry forest), EC, KM |
Collared sunbird | Hedydipna collaris | PF, KM, S |
African yellow white-eye | Zosterops senegalensis | KM, single 27 km west of Rundu |
Red-billed buffalo-weaver | Bubalornis niger | ET, M, desert |
White-browed sparrow-weaver | Plocepasser mahali | CH, ET, R |
Sociable weaver | Philetairus socius | ET, desert |
House sparrow | Passer domesticus | Towns |
Great sparrow | Passer motitensis | CH, ET |
Cape sparrow | Passer melanurus | U, ST |
Southern grey-headed sparrow | Passer diffusus | CH, W, R |
Northern grey-headed sparrow | Passer griseus | KM - single behind the Engen petrol station in town |
Yellow-throated petronia | Petronia superciliaris | KM, M (dry forest) |
Scaly-feathered finch | Sporopipes squamifrons | Dry areas |
Thick-billed weaver | Amblyospiza albifrons | PF, KM, S |
Spectacled weaver | Ploceus ocularis | KM, R |
Village weaver | Ploceus cucullatus | KM, S |
Chestnut weaver | Ploceus rubiginosus | CH, WSF |
Southern masked-weaver | Ploceus velatus | CH, W ET, WB (Rooibank), WSF |
Lesser masked-weaver | Ploceus intermedius | W, WSF |
Golden weaver | Ploceus xanthops | PF, M, S, R |
Southern brown-throated weaver | Ploceus xanthopterus | S |
Red-headed weaver | Anaplectes rubriceps | M (dry forest) |
Red-billed quelea | Quelea quelea | CH, ET, KM |
Southern red bishop | Euplectes orix | ET, Windhoek, WSF |
Fan-tailed widowbird | Euplectes axillaris | KM, S |
Green-winged pytilia | Pytilia melba | CH, W, M |
Jameson's firefinch | Lagonosticta rhodopareia | PF, KM |
Red-billed firefinch | Lagonosticta senegala | R |
Brown firefinch | Lagonosticta nitidula | PF |
Blue waxbill | Uraeginthus angolensis | ET, PF, SS, R |
Violet-eared waxbill | Granatina granatina | CH, W, ET, M |
Common waxbill | Estrilda astrild | KM |
Black-faced waxbill | Estrilda erythronotos | CH, ET |
Cinderella waxbill | Estrilda thomensis | R |
African quail finch | Ortygospiza atricollis | KM |
Red-headed finch | Amadina erythrocephala | CH, ET, ST |
Bronze mannikin | Lonchura cucullata | KM |
Pin-tailed whydah | Vidua macroura | M, KM |
Shaft-tailed whydah | Vidua regia | CH, W, M (dry forest), KM, WSF |
Long-tailed paradise-whydah | Vidua paradisaea | KM |
Village indigobird | Vidua chalybeata | KM |
Yellow-fronted canary | Serinus mozambicus | M, KM |
Black-throated canary | Serinus atrogularis | CH, ET, KM, ST |
Yellow canary | Serinus flaviventris | ET (single male singing near Namutoni) |
White-throated canary | Serinus albogularis | U, ST |
Golden-breasted bunting | Emberiza flaviventris | ET, ST |
Cape bunting | Emberiza capensis | CH (single) |
Cinnamon-breasted bunting | Emberiza tahapisi | ET, R |
Lark-like bunting | Emberiza impetuani | Dry areas |
Phil Benstead is a freelance birder based in the UK and is available to lead tours to Namibia and other parts of South Africa.
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