A Tropical Birding Custom Trip 3-18 September 2017 Guides: Ken Behrens & Charley Hesse September 3-18, 2017
Guided by: Ken Behrens Charley Hesse
Photos and Report by Ken Behrens www.tropicalbirding.com The Crimson-breasted Gonolek is Namibia’s national bird. WINDHOEK
After arrival in Namibia’s capital, we had a day to relax and enjoy the excellent birding on offer around this small and charming city.
Windhoek has a population of about 300,000, out of Namibia’s tiny population of only 2.1 million, remarkable for a country that is twice the size of California.
Monteiro’s Hornbill (left), one of many Namibian near-endemic birds that we were seeking. On our morning walk at Avis Dam, we enjoyed Barred Wren-Warbler (top left) and Black-fronted or African Red-eyed Bulbul (bottom left), while there were a bounty of waterbirds at the Gammons Water Care (Sewage!) Works, including Red-knobbed Coot (middle left) and African Darter (right). From Windhoek, in the central mountains, we descended into the Namib Desert, where species like the Common Ostrich survive despite incredibly harsh conditions. Creatures of the Namib: South African Ground Squirrel (bottom right); Tractrac Chat (top right); and Rueppell’s Bustard (left). WALVIS BAY AND SWAKOPMUND The Namib dune fields hold Namibia’s sole political endemic bird, the Dune Lark. Walvis Bay itself is a mecca for waterbirds, including thousands of Lesser Flamingos (right-hand page).
Spitzkoppe is Namibia’s most distinctive and iconic mountain. Our avian target at Spitzkoppe was the charismatic and scarce Herero Chat. OMARURU AND THE ERONGO MOUNTAINS Erongo boasts beautiful landscapes and one of Africa’s best bird-feeding stations (right). Around the lodge, we saw Green-winged Pytilia (top left), Rockrunner (bottom left), and Damara Dik-dik (middle left). Visitors to the Erongo feeders included dozens of Rosy-faced Lovebirds. Some of our best sightings around Omaruru: Rueppell’s Parrot (top left), Great Sparrow (bottom left), and Marico Sunbird (bottom right). During dinner at Erongo, we had the rock-loving Freckled Nightjar (top right). Prize sightings in central Namibia included Acacia Pied Barbet (above right) and male Hartlaub’s Francolin (above left), alternately known as the “Hearthrob”! ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK
The middle portion of our safari was spent in Etosha, one of the world’s great parks. Our timing was perfect, as huge numbers of mammals and birds were concentrated around the park’s waterholes due to the parched conditions prevailing late in the dry season.
Giraffe (right) against a typical dry season landscape of tawny grass, flowering Acacia nebroni, and a yellowing Mopane tree. Dry season Etosha is all about the waterholes, whose visitors shown here include Red Hartebeest, Springbok, and Blue Wildebeest, just a taste of the bounty of wildlife that we saw by visiting waterholes.
Southern Pale Chanting-Goshawk (top left), Black-backed Jackal (bottom left), and Black Rhino (right). On the left-hand page are shown Kori Bustard (left), Namaqua Sandgrouse (top right), African Elephant at the Okakuejo waterhole (middle right), and Double-banded Sandgrouse (bottom right).
This page: Giraffe (top), Burchell’s Courser (bottom left), and Spotted Hyaena (bottom right). Left page: Groundscraper Thrush (top left), Greater Kudu and Black-faced Impala (top right), African Elephant (bottom left), and Lilac-breasted Roller (bottom right).
Although mammals take center stage in Etosha, there are plenty of birds like Brown-crowned Tchagra (top left), Chat Flycatcher (top right), Swainson’s Francolin (bottom left), and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting (bottom right). To the left is a Black Rhino of which we enjoyed point-blank views at a waterhole in central Etosha. This page: Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill (bottom left); Crowned Lapwing (bottom right); Burchell’s Common Zebra (top left); and White Helmetshrike (top right). Right page: Lion is at the top of the food chain in Etosha.
HAKUSEMBE LODGE, NORTHERN NAMIBIA We struck north for the Okavango ecosystem, where a bounty of creatures like this Allen’s Gallinule awaited. With species like Nile Crocodile (top), Pied Kingfisher (bottom left), and White-backed Night Heron (bottom right) around, life isn’t safe for the fish of the Kavango! Daytime looks at a Marsh Owl (left) were a highlight at Hakusembe Lodge. In the Okavango, Giant Kingfisher and White-fronted Bee-eater are common birds (right). SHAKAWE & THAMLAKANE LODGES, BOTSWANA
These two lodges are in the heart of the Okavango system, a matrix of open water, marsh, and riparian woodland. By walking around the lodge grounds and taking boat trips out into the vast adjacent wetlands, we turned up a huge array of birds and other wildlife.
The Okavango is a remarkable inland delta formed by several rivers which run out of the mountains of Angola, then pour into and evaporate upon the sands of the Kalahari semi-desert.
We watched African Fish-Eagles (right) plummeting out of the sky and snatching fish from the river. We had wonderful views of the incredible Pel’s Fishing-Owl (right) in Botswana. The Malachite Kingfisher (left) is a common denizen of the reeds along the Kavango River. Hippos are the resident lawnmowers at Shakawe River Lodge. Other garden residents there include Violet- backed Starling (bottom left) and Hartlaub’s Babbler (bottom right).
In the woodlands are species like White-bellied Sunbird (left); in the papyrus is Coppery-tailed Coucal (top right); and on mudflats and fields the Blacksmith Plover (bottom right). Left page: the widespread Pied Kingfisher (left) and scarce African Skimmer (right). Peters’s Epauletted Fruit Bat (left) was hanging around the rooms at Thamlakane. Southern Carmine Bee-eaters (top right) were just arriving to breed. Holub’s Golden Weaver (bottom right) was nesting just in front of Shagawe River Lodge. The Okavango holds an abundance of colorful and conspicuous birds, like White-fronted Bee-eater (left), Long-toed Lapwing (top right), and African Marsh Harrier (bottom right).
BIRDS Struthionidae (Ostrich) Common Ostrich Struthio camelus C-28, Etosha, Mahango Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl) White-faced (Whistling-) Duck Dendrocygna viduata Northern Namibia / Botswana Fulvous (Whistling-) Duck Dendrocygna bicolor Maun White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus Maun Comb (Knob-billed) Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos Okavango flood plain Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca Windhoek, etc. South African Shelduck Tadorna cana Windhoek, Etosha Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis Mahango, Okavango flood plain, Maun African Pygmy-goose Nettapus auritus Maun Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata Okavango flood plain Cape Shoveler Anas smithii Gammams, Etosha Red-billed Duck (Teal) Anas erythrorhyncha Gammams Water Treatment Plant, etc Hottentot Teal Anas hottentota Gammams Water Treatment Plant Cape Teal Anas capensis Gammams Water Treatment Plant, etc Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma Gammams Water Treatment Plant Numididae (Guineafowl) Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris Common and widespread Phasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies) Hartlaub's Francolin Francolinus hartlaubi Erongo - last-minute sighting! Red-billed Francolin Francolinus adspersus First at Gammams Water Treatment Plant Swainson's Francolin Francolinus swainsonii Etosha Phoenicopteridae (Flamingos) Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus Walvis Bay Lesser Flamingo Phoenicopterus minor Walvis Bay Podicipedidae (Grebes) Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Gammams Water Treatment Plant, etc Eared (Black-necked) Grebe Podiceps nigricollis Walvis Bay Ciconiidae (Storks) African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus Okavango flood plain, Maun Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumeniferus Mahango, Okavango Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis Mahango Sulidae (Boobies and Gannets)
Cape Gannet Morus capensis Walvis Bay Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags) Great (White-breasted) Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Gammams Water Treatment Plant Cape Cormorant Phalacrocora. capensis Walvis Bay Long-tailed (Reed) Cormorant Phalacrocora africanus Gammams Water Treatment Plant, etc Crowned Cormorant Phalacrocora. coronatus Walvis Bay Anhingidae (Anhingas) African Darter Anhinga rufa Gammams Water Treatment Plant, etc Pelecanidae (Pelicans) Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus Walvis Bay Scopidae (Hamerkop) Hamerkop Scopus umbretta Mostly northern Namibia / Botswana Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus Okavango Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Widespread Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala Avis Dam, etc. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Okavango, Maun Great (White) Egret Ardea alba Widespread Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia Mahango Little Egret Egretta garzetta Widespread Black Heron Egretta ardesiaca Okavango Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Widespread Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides Gammams Water Treatment Plant, Kavango, Okavango Rufous-bellied Heron Ardeola rufiventris Kavango Striated Heron Butorides striata Widespread Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Kavango White-backed Night-Heron Gorsachius leuconotus Kavango - great views of an immature Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills) Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus Avis Dam (African) Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus Avis Dam, Gammams Water Treatment Plant, etc Hadeda Ibis Bostrychia hagedash Okavango African Spoonbill Platalea alba Mahango, Okavango flood plain Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus Etosha, Okavango Black (Yellow-billed) Kite Milvus migrans (aegyptius) Common after Etosha
African Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer Okavango White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus Most common vulture Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos C-28, Etosha, Mahango Black-breasted Snake-Eagle Circaetus pectoralis C-28, Mahango, Okavango Brown Snake-Eagle Circaetus cinereus Drive to Maun Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus Mahango African Marsh-Harrier Circus ranivorus Kavango, Mahango, Okavango African Harrier Hawk Polyboroides typus Omaruru, Etosha Dark Chanting-Goshawk Melierax metabates Drive to Maun Southern Pale Chanting-Goshawk Melierax canorus "SPCG". Most common in Etosha NP Gabar Goshawk Melierax gabar Drive to Omaruru Shikra Accipiter badius Etosha, drive to Mahango, drive to Maun Little Sparrowhawk Accipiter minullus Shakawe Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax Etosha Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus C-28, drive to Etosha Sagittariidae (Secretary-bird) Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius Etosha - great views Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras) Rock Kestrel Falco rupicolus C-28 through Etosha Greater Kestrel Falco rupicoloides C-28, Etosha Red-necked Falcon Falco chicquera Etosha Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus Etosha Otididae (Bustards) Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori Etosha final tally: 67! Rueppell's Bustard Eupodotis rueppellii C-28 Red-crested Bustard Eupodotis ruficrista C-28, Etosha, drive to northern Namibia White-quilled Bustard (No. Black Eupodotis afraoides Etosha Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) Black Crake Amaurornis flavirostra Easiest rail to see (African) Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio Gammams Water Treatment Plant Allen's Gallinule Porphyrio alleni Maun Eurasian (Common) Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Gammams Water Treatment Plant Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata Gammams Water Treatment Plant Gruidae (Cranes) Wattled Crane Grus carunculatus Mahango
Burhinidae (Thick-knees) Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis Etosha Water Thick-knee Burhinus vermiculatus Okavango Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings) Long-toed Lapwing Vanellus crassirostris Mahango, Okavango Blacksmith Lapwing Vanellus armatus Widespread Crowned Lapwing Vanellus coronatus Widespread Black-bellied (Grey) Plover Pluvialis squatarola Walvis Bay Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius Walvis Bay, Etosha Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris Fairly widespread White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus Walvis Bay Chestnut-banded Plover Charadrius pallidus Walvis Bay Haematopodidae (Oystercatchers) African (Black) Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini Walvis Bay Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets) Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus First at Avis Dam Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta Walvis Bay Jacanidae (Jacanas) African Jacana Actophilornis africana Etosha onward Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies) Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos Avis Dam Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia Walvis Bay, Etosha Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Etosha Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Walvis Bay Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Walvis Bay Sanderling Calidris alba Walvis Bay Little Stint Calidris minuta Gammams Water Treatment Plant, Walvis Bay Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea Gammams Water Treatment Plant, Walvis Bay, Etosha Ruff Philomachus pugnax Gammams Water Treatment Plant, Walvis Bay, Etosha Turnicidae (Buttonquail) Small (Kurrichane) Buttonquail Turnix sylvatica Erongo for Jerry and Janet Glareolidae (Pratincoles and Coursers) Burchell's Courser Cursorius rufus Etosha Double-banded Courser Rhinoptilus africanus Etosha Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola Etosha onward
Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers) Grey-hooded (-headed) Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus Walvis Bay Hartlaub's Gull Chroicocephalus hartlaubii Walvis Bay Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus Walvis Bay Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Walvis Bay White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus Walvis Bay Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus Okavango Common Tern Sterna hirundo Walvis Bay Great Crested (Swift) Tern Thalasseus bergii Walvis Bay Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis Walvis Bay African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris Okavango Stercoraiidae (Shuas and Jaegers) Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus Walvis Bay, chasing terns Pteroclidae (Sandgrouse) Namaqua Sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua C-28, Etosha Double-banded Sandgrouse Pterocles bicinctus Etosha Burchell's Sandgrouse Pterocles burchelli "Drop-in" on Okavango boat trip Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves) Rock Pigeon Columba livia Cities Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea Windhoek through Omaruru (African) Mourning Collared-Dove Streptopelia decipiens Maun Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata "I am--a Red-eyed Dove!" Ring-necked (Cape Turtle) Dove Streptopelia capicola "Drink Lager, Drink Lager!" Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis Ed McMahon of the doves Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove Turtur chalcospilos "Mommy's dead, Daddy's dead... dead, dead, dead" Namaqua Dove Oena capensis Widespread African Green-Pigeon Treron calva Shakawe Psittacidae (Parrots) Rosy-faced Lovebird Agapornis roseicollis First at Onganga, most abundant at Erongo Meyer's Parrot Poicephalus meyeri Shakawe, Maun Ruppell's Parrot Poicephalus rueppellii Omaruru Musophagidae (Turacos) Grey Go-away Bird Corythaixoides concolor Widespread Cuculidae (Cuckoos) Coppery-tailed Coucal Centropus cupreicaudus Kavango, Okavango
Senegal Coucal Centropus senegalensis Last minute find departing Maun White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus Shakawe Tytonidae (Barn-Owls) Barn Owl Tyto alba Halali Strigidae (Owls) African Scops-Owl Otus senegalensis Kashana Spotted Eagle-Owl Bubo africanus Northern Namibia, nesting pair Pel's Fishing-Owl Scotopelia peli Top target of Okavango Pearl-spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum Erongo African Barred Owlet Glaucidium capense Surprise at Mahango African Wood-Owl Strix woodfordi Shakawe Marsh Owl Asio capensis Northern Namibia Caprimulgidae (Nightjars and Allies) Rufous-cheeked Nightjar Caprimulgus rufigena Etosha for some (H) Fiery-necked Nightjar Caprimulgus pectoralis Heard in northern Namibia Freckled Nightjar Caprimulgus tristigma Erongo Square-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus fossii Northern Namibia Apodidae (Swifts) Alpine Swift Apus melba C-28, Omaruru Bradfield's Swift Apus bradfieldi Avis Dam, Omaruru Little Swift Apus affinis First at Avis Dam African Palm-Swift Cypsiurus parvus Most common swift Coliidae (Mousebirds) White-backed Mousebird Colius colius Windhoek through Etosha Red-faced Mousebird Urocolius indicus Replaces White-backed in north and east Trogonidae (Trogons) Narina Trogon Apaloderma narina Okavango - Shortly after Pel's! Alcedinidae (Kingfishers) Malachite Kingfisher Corythornis cristata More blue than malachite Giant Kingfisher Megaceryle maxima Largest in the world Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis Most common Meropidae (Bee-eaters) White-fronted Bee-eater Merops bullockoides Okavango Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus Okavango, Kavango Swallow-tailed Bee-eater Merops hirundinaceus Avis Dam, C-28, border crossing
Southern Carmine Bee-eater Merops nubicoides Kavango, Okavango - wow Coraciidae (Rollers) Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus LBR: most photographed bird in africa, with good reason! Rufous-crowned (Purple) Roller Coracias naevius RCR Upupidae (Hoopoes) Eurasian (African) Hoopoe Upupa epops (africana) Several locations starting in Omaruru Phoeniculidae (Woodhoopoes and Scimitar-bills) Green Woodhoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus Replaced Green Woodhoopoe after Etosha Violet Woodhoopoe Phoeniculus damarensis Halali specialty Common Scimitar-bill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas Etosha, Mahango, Shakawe Bucerotidae (Hornbills) Monteiro's Hornbill Tockus monteiri Avis Dam Southern Red-billed Hornbill Tockus rufirostris Fairly common after Halali Damara Red-billed Hornbill Tockus damarensis Dry river bed specialist Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill Tockus leucomelas Widespread African Gray Hornbill Tockus nasutus Widespread Lybiidae (African Barbets) Crested Barbet Trachyphonus vaillantii Shakawe Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus chrysoconus Shakawe (Acacia) Pied Barbet Tricholaema leucomelas Avis Dam, Erongo Black-collared Barbet Lybius torquatus Northern Namibia / Botswana Indicatoridae (Honeyguides) Lesser Honeyguide Indicator minor Shakawe for a few Picidae (Woodpeckers) Golden-tailed Woodpecker Campethera abingoni Northern Namibia / Botswana Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens Few widespread sightings Bearded Woodpecker Dendropicos namaquus Avis Dam Platysteiridae (Wattle-eyes and Batises) Pririt Batis Batis pririt Avis Dam, Spitzkoppe, Omaruru White-tailed Shrike Lanioturdus torquatus C-28 Prionopidae (Helmetshrikes and Allies) White (-crested) Helmetshrike Prionops plumatus Halali, Roy's Camp, northern Namibia Retz's Helmetshrike Prionops retzii Shakawe Malaconotidae (Bushshrikes and Allies) Brubru Nilaus afer Okuakuejo for a few
Black-backed Puffback Dryoscopus cubla First at Omaruru Brown-crowned Tchagra Tchagra australis Omaruru, Halali Gabon (Swamp) Boubou Laniarius bicolor Common in northern Nam / Bots - cool duets! Crimson-breasted Gonolek Laniarius atrococcineus Handsome and widespread Bokmakierie Telophorus zeylonus Near Walvis Bay Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike Telophorus sulfureopectus Mahango, Shakawe Campephagidae (Cuckoo-shrikes) Black Cuckooshrike Campephaga flava Shakawe Laniidae (Shrikes) Southern (Common) Fiscal Lanius collaris First on C-28 Magpie Shrike Corvinella melanoleuca Northern Namibia / Botswana (Southern) White-crowned Shrike Eurocephalus anguitimens Halali onward Oriolidae (Old World Orioles) African Black-headed Oriole Oriolus larvatus Northern Namibia Dicruridae (Drongos) Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis Drrrrrrrrrrrongo! (Paradise-Flycatchers) African Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis Halali, early arrival Corvidae (Crows, Jays, Magpies) Cape Crow Corvus capensis Not as common as Pied Pied Crow Corvus albus Widespread Alaudidae (Larks) Rufous-naped Lark Mirafra africana Etosha for some Eastern Clapper Lark Mirafra fasciolata Etosha Sabota Lark Calendulauda sabota Most widespread Dune Lark Calendulauda erythrochlamys Near Walvis Bay Spike-heeled Lark Chersomanes albofasciata C-28, Etosha Karoo Long-billed Lark Certhilauda subcoronata near Spitzkoppe Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark Eremopterix leucotis Etosha - less common than Gray-backed Gray-backed Sparrowlark Eremopterix verticalis Etosha Red-capped Lark Calandrella cinerea Etosha Stark's Lark Spizocorys starki C-28, Etosha Pink-billed Lark Spizocorys conirostris Etosha Hirundinidae (Swallows) Plain (Brown-throated) Martin Riparia paludicola Kavango, Okavango
Banded Martin Riparia cincta Okavango Rock Martin Hirundo fuligula Very common in the first half (through Etosha) White-throated Swallow Hirundo albigularis Avis Dam Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii Kavango, Okavango Greater Striped-Swallow Cecropsis cucullata Okavango migrant flock Lesser Striped-Swallow Cecropsis abyssinica Drive to Etosha, Okavango Rufous-chested Swallow Cecropsis semirufa Etosha, Kavango, Okavango Paridae (Chickadees and Tits) Ashy Tit Melaniparus cinerascens C-28, Okuakuejo Southern Black Tit Melaniparus niger Mahango Carp's Black Tit Melaniparus carpi Erongo, Halali Remizidae (Penduline-Tits) Southern (Cape) Penduline-Tit Anthoscopus minutus Avis Dam, Etosha Pycnonotidae (Bulbuls) Yellow-bellied Greenbul Chlorocichla flaviventris Northern Namibia / Botswana Terrestrial Brownbul Phyllastrephus terrestris Shakawe Black-fronted (African Red-eyed) Pycnonotus nigricans Widespread (less so after Etosha) Common (Dark-capped) Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus (tricolor) Common for latter half of trip Macrosphenidae (African Warblers) Cape (Long-billed) Crombec Sylvietta rufescens Etosha onward Rockrunner Achaetops pycnopygius Very charismatic at Avis Dam and Erongo Acrocephalidae (Reed-Warblers and Allies) African Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus Gammams Water Treatment Plant Greater Swamp-Warbler Acrocephalus rufescens Okavango Lesser Swamp-Warbler Acrocephalus gracilirostris Heard at Gammams; seen by Angela at Maun Locustellidae (Grassbirds and Allies) Little Rush Warbler Bradypterus baboecala Okavango Cisticolidae (Cisticolas and Allies) Yellow-breasted Apalis Apalis flavida Shakawe (Gray-) Green-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brevicaudata Widespread Barred Wren Warbler Calamonastes fasciolatus Avis Dam Rufous-eared Warbler Malcorus pectoralis Etosha Rattling Cisticola Cisticola chiniana Avis Dam, Mahango Chirping Cisticola Cisticola pipiens Okavango Piping Cisticola (Neddicky) Cisticola fulvicapilla Mahango
Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis Kavango Desert Cisticola Cisticola aridulus Avis Dam, Etosha Tawny-flanked Prinia Prinia subflava Kavango, Okavango Black-chested Prinia Prinia flavicans Widespread Yellow-bellied Eremomela Eremomela icteropygialis Omaruru, Etosha Burnt-neck Eremomela Eremomela usticollis Mahango Sylviidae (Old World Warblers) Layard's Warbler (Tit-Babbler) Sylvia layardi Spitzkoppe Rufous-vented Warbler (C-v Tit-Babbler)Sylvia subcoerulea Avis Dam, Omaruru, Etosha Zosteropidae (Yuhinas, White-eyes, and Allies) African Yellow White-eye Zosterops senegalensis Shakawe (Orange River) Cape White-eye Zosterops pallidus pallidus Lunch spot in Walvis Bay Leiothrichidae (Laughingthrushes) Hartlaub's Babbler Turdoides hartlaubii "Hearthrob's". Kavango and Okavango. Southern Pied Babbler Turdoides bicolor Etosha Arrow-marked Babbler Turdoides jardineii Shakawe Bare-cheeked Babbler Turdoides gymnogenys Good find above Halali cabins Muscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers) Chat Flycatcher Bradornis infuscatus C-28, Etosha Mariqua (Marico) Flycatcher Bradornis mariquensis First on C-28 Southern Black Flycatcher Melaenornis pammelaina Northern Namibia (drongo look-alike) Ashy Flycatcher Muscicapa caerulescens Northern Namibia / Botswana Kalahari Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas paena Erongo, Etosha Red-backed (White-browed) Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas leucophrys Erongo, Etosha, Mahango Herero Chat Namibornis herero Spitzkoppe White-browed Robin-Chat Cossypha heuglini Northern Namibia / Botswana Short-toed Rock-Thrush Monticola brevipes Erongo, Etosha Southern Anteater-Chat Myrmecocichla formicivora Etosha Karoo Chat Cercomela schlegelii C-28, drive to Omaruru Tractrac Chat Cercomela tractrac C-28 Familiar Chat Cercomela familiaris Quite familiar in first third of trip Mountain Wheatear Oenanthe monticola Common during first third of trip Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies) Groundscraper Thrush Psophocichla litsipsirupa First in Windhoek Kurrichane Thrush Turdus libonyanus Maun
Sturnidae (Starlings) Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea Scattered sightings Cape (Glossy) Starling Lamprotornis nitens Widespread Greater Blue-eared Starling Lamprotornis chalybaeus Shakawe Meve's Starling Lamprotornis mevesii Northern Namibia / Botswana Burchell's Starling Lamprotornis australis Namutoni onward Sharp-tailed Starling Lamprotornis acuticaudus Brief fly-over flock in northern Namibia Violet-backed Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster Northern Namibia / Botswana Pale-winged Starling Onychognathus nabouroup Common for first half of trip Buphagidae (Oxpeckers) Red-billed Oxpecker Buphagus erythrorhynchus Okavango flood plains Yellow-billed Oxpecker Buphagus africanus Okavango flood plains Nectariniidae (Sunbirds and Spiderhunters) Collared Sunbird Hedidypna collaris Shakawe Scarlet-chested Sunbird Chalcomitra senegalensis Avis Dam, northern Namibia Mariqua (Marico) Sunbird Cinnyris mariquensis First at Avis Dam White-breasted (-bellied) Sunbird Cinniris talatala Northern Namibia Dusky Sunbird Cinnyris fusca Omaruru Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits) Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis First in Windhoek. Distinctive subspecies in Okavango African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp First at Avis Dam African (Grassveld) Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus First at Avis Dam Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis C-28 Emberizidae (Buntings, Sparrows and Allies) Lark-like Bunting Emberiza impetuani First at Avis Dam Cinnamon-breasted Bunting Emberiza tahapisi Etosha Cape Bunting Emberiza capensis Avis Dam, Etosha Golden-breasted Bunting Emberiza flaviventris Halali Fringillidae (Siskins, Crossbills, and Allies) Black-throated Canary Serinus atrogularis First in Windhoek Yellow Canary Serinus flaviventris Omaruru, Etosha Passeridae (Old World Sparrows) House Sparrow Passer domesticus Cities Great Rufous Sparrow Passer motitensis Omaruru through Etosha Cape Sparrow Passer melanurus Spitzkoppe
Southern Gray-headed Sparrow Passer diffusus Etosha onward Ploceidae (Weavers and Allies) Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver Bubalornis niger Namutoni Scaly Weaver (Scaly-feathered Sporopipes squamifrons Avis Dam, Etosha White-browed Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser mahali Almost every day Social Weaver Philetairus socius C-28, Etosha Red-headed Weaver Anaplectes rubriceps Maun (H) Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis Shakawe Holub's Golden Weaver Ploceus xanthops Shakawe Southern Brown-throated Weaver Ploceus xanthopterus Okavango Southern Masked-Weaver Ploceus velatus Widespread Village Weaver Ploceus cucullatus Shakawe Chestnut Weaver Ploceus rubiginosus Omaruru Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea Widespread Southern Red Bishop Euplectes orix Avis Dam Yellow-crowned Bishop Euplectes afer Along Kavango River Estrildidae (Waxbills and Allies) Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild Avis Dam Black-cheeked (-faced) Waxbill Estrilda erythronotos Avis Dam Southern Cordonbleu (Blue Waxbill) Uraeginthus angolensis First at Avis Dam Violet-eared Waxbill Uraeginthus granatina Etosha and northern Namibia Green-winged Pytilia Pytilia melba Erongo, etc Red-billed Firefinch Lagonosticta senegala First at Avis Dam Jameson's Firefinch Lagonosticta rhodopareia Shakawe Red-headed Finch Amadin erythrocephala Erongo, Etosha (H) African Quailfinch Ortygospiza atricollis Avis Dam Viduidae (Indigobirds) Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura Avis Dam, Shakawe (Long-tailed) Eastern Paradise- Vidua paradisaea Avis Dam, Etosha Shaft-tailed Whydah Vidua regia Avis Dam, Etosha
MAMMALS Insectivora: Insectivores Western Rock Sengi Elephantulus rupestris Spitzkoppe, Ken's friend in the crack of the boulder
Rodentia: Rodents Dassie Rat Petromus typicus Erongo Acacia Rat Thallomys Okakuejo South African Ground Squirrel Geosciurus inauris First at Avis Dam Tree Squirrel Paraxerus cepapi Common in second half of the trip Lagomorpha: Hares Savannah Hare Lepus microtis Etosha Phocidae: Seals & Sealions Cape Fur Seal Actophilornis pusillus Walvis Bay Cercopithecidae: Cheek-pouched Monkeys Chacma Baboon Papio ursinus First on the ride from the airport, etc. Vervet Monkey Cercopithecus aethiops Mahango, Shakawe Canidae: Dogs & allies Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas Etosha Cape Fox Vulpes chacma Charley only, Halali Hyaenidae: Hyaenas Spotted Hyaena Crocuta crocuta Etosha Felidae: Cats Lion Panthera leo Etosha Leopard Panthera pardus Etosha Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus Etosha Herpestidae: Mongooses Slender Mongoose Herpestes sanguinea Halali Banded Mongoose Mungos mungo Etosha Yellow Mongoose Cynictis penicillata Avis Dam, Etosha Mustelidae: Mustelids Ratel (Honey Badger) Mellivora cepensis Halali Spot-necked Otter Lutra maculicollis Hakusembe, Shakawe Cape Clawless Otter Aonyx capensis Shakawe Procavidae: Hyraxes Cape Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis Spitzkoppe, Erongo Elephantidae: Elephants (African) Elephant Loxodonta africana Etosha, Mahango and Okavango Giraffidae: Giraffes Giraffe Camelopardus giraffa giraffa C-28, onward
Equidae: Horses Burchell's Common Zebra Equus quagga burchelli Etosha, Mahango Hartmann's Mountain Zebra Equus hartmannae Chris only, C-28 Hippopotamidae: Hippopotamuses Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibious Mahango, Okavango Rhinocerotidae: Rhinoceroses Black Rhino Diceros bicornis Etosha Suidae: Pigs Warthog Phacochoerus africanus Widespread Bovidae: Horned Ungulates African (Cape) Buffalo Syncerus caffer Mahango Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus Shakawe Sitatunga Tragelaphus spekii Okavango Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros C-28, Etosha, Mahango Eland Taurotragus oryx Etosha Gemsbok (Southern Oryx) Oryx gazella C-28, Etosha Springbok Antidorcas marsupialis C-28, Etosha Roan (Antelope) Hippotragus equines Mahango Sable (Antelope) Hippotragus hippotragus Mahango (Red) Lechwe Kobus lechwe lechwe Mahango Steenbok Raphicerus campestris C-28, Etosha Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus C-28, Spitzkoppe Tsessebe Damaliscus lunatus Mahango Damara Dikdik Madoqua kirkii damarensis Etosha Southern Reedbuck Redunca arundinum Mahango Black-faced Impala Aepyceros melampus petersi Etosha Impala Aepyceros melampus Mahango Red Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus caama Etosha Blue Wildebeest (Brindled Gnu) Connochaetes taurinus Etosha, Mahango Peters's Epauletted Fruit Bat Epomophorus crypturus Maun
REPTILES Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus Kavango, Okovango Namibian Rock Agama Agama planiceps Erongo
Etosha Agama Agama etoshae Etosha Ground Agama Agama aculeata Erongo Turner's Thick-toed Gecko Pachydactylus turneri Onganga, Halali Cape Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus capensis Shakawe, for some Nile Monitor Varanus niloticus Okovango Striped Skink Mabuya striata Etosha, Mahango Mole Snake Pseudaspis cana Mahango Black-necked Spitting Cobra Naja nigricollis Bill's surprise at Spitzkoppe
BUTTERFLIES African Monarch Danaus chryssipus aegyptius Throughout Foxy Emperor Charaxes jasius saturnus Etosha Zebra White Pinacopteryx eriphia eriphia Shakawe Doubleday's Orange Colotis doubledayi flavulus Spitzkoppe Queen Purpletip Colotis regina Shakawe Kalahari Orange Tip Colotis lais Avis Dam Brown-veined White Belenois aurota aurota Omaruru, Shakawe Common Dotted Border Mylothris agathina Shakawe Cambridge Vagrant Nepheronia thalassina Shakawe Sulfer Orangetip Colotis auxo Shakawe Citrus Swallowtail Papillio demodocus Etosha