NAMIBIA & BOTSWANA TOUR REPORT 2025

14 - 29 October 2025

János Oláh

Namibia has amazing wildlife! It is also one of those ‘easy to travel’ countries which is also famous for its hospitality and good infrastructure. There is a great selection of birds, and it is a classic destination for birders in the southern part of Africa! Our tour was designed to see the main specialties in a relatively short time and perfectly complementing our Angola tour to offer you a great coverage of the western part of Africa. As two rare and sought-after birds are not always easy to see in Namibia, we made a short and easy visit into Botswana where both Pel’s Fishing Owl and Slaty Egret are somewhat more reliable. Indeed, this was the case, and we had superb looks of both along the Okavango River of Botswana! Overall, we had a highly successful tour with 375 bird species and 52 mammal species recorded in just 15 days of birding. We covered some distances in the northern part of Namibia visiting the Namib Desert and the coast, the famous Etosha National Park and the very different Caprivi Strip in the northeast. There were many highlights for us this year and we managed to see most of our key targets like Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, 153 individuals of five species of bustards including Ludwig’s and Rüppell’s, Namaqua, Double-banded and Burchell’s Sandgrouses, Wattled and Blue Cranes, Lesser Moorhen and African Rail, Double-banded, Temminck’s and Burchell’s Coursers, Damara Tern, White-backed Night Heron,  Violet Woodhoopoe, Monteiro’s, Damara Red-billed and Bradfield’s Hornbills, Racket-tailed Roller, Bennett’s Woodpecker, Red-necked Falcon, Rüppell’s Parrot, Bokmakierie, White-tailed Shrike, Souza’s Shrike, Carp’s Tit, Dune, Gray’s, Stark’s and Pink-billed Larks, Rockrunner, Luapula and Chirping Cisticolas, Bare-cheeked, Hartlaub’s and Black-faced Babblers, Pale-winged, Burchell’s, Meve’s and Sharp-tailed Starlings, Herero, Karoo, Tractrac and Arnot’s Chats, Red-headed Finch and White-throated Canary. There were countless mammal highlights too which included a drinking Cheetah, several Lions, Aaardwolf, Black Mongoose, Bat-eared and Cape Foxes, Honey Badger, 17 Black Rhinos, Humpback Whale, Heaviside’s Dolphin, Cape Porcupine and Noki just to name but a few. We also had a very keen group with lots of fun throughout our travels and all in all, it was a great tour to remember!

The tour started in Windhoek airport and our first birding destination was the famous Avis Dam which is located on the edge of town and always attracts lots of birds. It was not different this time and we spotted three White-backed Ducks and counted 110 Maccoa Ducks, while Cape Shoveler and Southern Pochard were welcome additions. We also had a fine introduction to the dry habitat and found such spectacular birds like the Red-billed Spurfowl, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater and White-backed Mousebird. More subtle goodies included Bradfield’s Swift, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Barred Wren Warbler and Marico Flycatcher. We travelled south seeing Lappet-faced Vulture and Sociable Weaver on the journey. We arrived to the picturesque Namibgrens area where the local reservoir held South African Shelduck, Cape Teal, Three-banded Plover, Buffy Pipit and many Lark-like Buntings. Eager to attempt the often tricky-to-find Namibian near endemic Herero Chat which is a sole member of the genus Namibornis, we made our way to the Spreetshoogte Pass. However, the afternoon was very quiet here with no sign of our target, but Bokmakierie and Nicholson’s Pipit gave excellent views. Early next morning we explored the rocky habitat around our accommodation first where fantastic Rockrunners, Verreaux’s Eagles, Short-toed Rock Thrush, Kalahari Scrub Robin were seen, but again there was no sign of Herero Chat. We made our way back to the Pass and explored extensive areas of perfect habitat for the chats. We did see Common Scimitarbill, Pririt Batis, Layard’s Warbler, many Familiar Chats and Klipspringers but there was still no sign of any Herero Chats! Slightly disappointed we left the area in the late morning and made our way towards the Namib-Naukluft National Park. We made several stops on our way towards the coast in the progressively more barren landscape. We spotted our first Common Ostriches and Rüppell’s Korhaans as well as several Scaly-feathered Weavers and a few Gemsboks. The rocky areas had Pale-winged Starlings and Mountain Chats. When we arrived in the grassier plains, we found our first flocks of Namaqua Sandgrouse and got great looks of both Gray’s and Stark’s Larks. It was also amazing to see several family parties of the Rüppell’s Korhaan, some of them with only a few day-old chicks. Our daily count was 27 of these special small bustards. We also had Chat Flycatchers and Karoo Chats along the fence posts and closer to the coast we located the pale Tractrac Chat as well. There was no sign of any courser and by sunset we arrived in Walvis Bay along the Skeleton Coast.

Our next day started early right in front of our hotel watching the waterbirds of the bay pushed towards us by the rising tide. It was a breath-taking view with hundreds of flamingos and thousands of waders in the perfect morning sun! We quickly found several Damara Terns, Cape Cormorant, African Oystercatcher and Hartlaub’s Gulls. The tiny little Damara Tern is a real specialty and probably the best place in the world to see them. They breed in the desert a few kilometres off the coast and feed in the rich cold waters of the Benguela current. After this short introduction birding we made our way to the dunes of Rooibank. Once we got into the right habitat it only took minutes for us to find the near-endemic Dune Lark as it was running, feeding and singing amongst the sparse vegetation of the bottom of the dunes. It was a special moment, and we really enjoyed it! A few other birds were spotted in this habitat like a flying Ludwig’s Bustard, a singing Bokmakierie and Chestnut-vented Warblers. After our successful visit we returned to the saltpans of Walvis Bay where we tracked down Lesser Flamingo, and both White-fronted and Chestnut-banded Plovers. Eventually when we got out to the seashore we spent two hours seawatching and it was really productive! There were birds passing by continuously and we had about 120 Sooty Shearwaters, 15 White-chinned Petrels, a Southern Giant Petrel, many Cape Gannets, Brown and Pomarine Skuas as well as several Humpback Whales and two Heaviside’s Dolphins. We had to drag ourselves away from this amazing birding, but we still had a special bird to find which we have no chance to see later on the tour. We drove back to town and started to search for the Orange River White-eye which was not difficult, and we were soon watching these colourful little birds as they were feeding on some flowers! It was an epic day, and we finished it in a seaside restaurant with some excellent food!

It was an uncomfortably early start the next day as we wanted to arrive to Spitzkoppe in the morning hours to increase our chances for the Herero Chat. This was our second chance to see this localised and special bird, and we made sure that we give it a good go! We left the coast behind and drove inland to these famous pointy rocks and this time we got lucky as soon after entering the reserve we found a pair of Herero Chats! It was a relief to find them here after our hard work at Spreetshoogte Pass without any luck. They were very obliging, and we could watch the pair as long as we wanted. Fantastic moments! We spent some more time in this rocky habitat and found Short-toed Rock Thrush, Carp’s Tit, Black-chested Prinia, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Dusky Sunbird and White-throated Canary but there was no sign of White-tailed Shrikes. After a late morning coffee, we left the area and made our way towards Uis near the Brandberg. Our drive was also productive as we found ‘Benguela’ Long-billed Lark which is currently lumped with Karoo Long-billed Lark (as it has been lumped and split several times in the last 20 years), Grey-backed Sparrow-lark, Karoo Chat and Yellow Canary. A wooded riverine habitat also produced our first Pearl-spotted Owlet and a family party of Violet Woodhoopoes! Our afternoon visit to the Brandberg Plains was quiet, but we got to see our first Northern Black Korhaan and Ashy Tit while we had yet another superb encounter with Rüppell’s Korhaan as they were singing on a distant hilltop and then flew towards us. A Bushveld Sengi was a nice mammal bonus on the afternoon walk.

Our next destination was the famous Etosha National Park, however our morning birding was still in the Brandberg area and our visit to the Ugab River area was a very productive as we managed to find Damara Red-billed Hornbill, Bare-cheeked Babbler and Rüppell’s Parrot! The supporting cast was also exciting with Greater Painted-snipe, Southern White-crowned Shrike, Carp’s Tit and Gabar Goshawk. Our random lunch stop gave us our first White-crested Helmetshrikes, Brubru and Black-backed Puffback. By early afternoon we were at the Anderson gate (the new name is Ombika gate) of Etosha and soon were admiring the plentiful wildlife as we were heading towards Okaukuejo. We saw our first Southern Pied Babblers, Red-headed Finches and Black-faced Imapalas. In the afternoon we drove to the Gemsbokvlakte waterhole seeing our first Double-banded Courser, Kori Bustard and Shaft-tailed Whydah. After the evening meal some of us spent a few hours at the floodlit waterhole of Okaukuejo which was simply amazing with seven Black Rhinos, a Cheetah which was drinking for 20 minutes and almost got trampled by Southern Giraffes. There were Rufous-cheeked Nightjars flying around and even an African Marsh Owl made a brief appearance.

The following day was spent around Okaukuejo in the central part of the park where we visited several waterholes and tracked down our main targets. Our focus was on larks and we managed to see hundreds of Grey-backed and Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Larks, Spike-heeled, Sabota Lark, Pink-billed and Red-capped Lark. We also had a great day for raptors with close encounters of Lappet-faced, White-headed and White-backed Vultures, Bateleur, Tawny Eagle, Greater Kestrel and a superb Secretarybird.  We also had Spotted Thick-knee, daytime Double-banded Sandgrouse, Red-crested Korhaan, White-crested Helmetshrike, Ant-eating Chat, migrant European Bee-eaters and a great selection of mammals with four Lions, Banded Mongoose, African Savanna Elephant and Spotted Hyenas. Unfortunately, our evening night-drive was cancelled due to a huge thunderstorm, but Okaukuejo area eventually was only hit by the edge of this storm – but there were lots of lightning around for sure! The following morning, we started at the waterhole where 150 Double-banded Sandgrouse came to drink pre-dawn. After breakfast when the gate was open, we left Okaukuejo and made our way towards Namutoni Camp which is in the eastern part of the park. Our first spot was the Gemsbokvlakte waterhole this morning and it was a great visit with hundreds of Namaqua Sandgrouses arriving for a morning drink and a Honey Badger passing by the hole when suddenly a fine male Lion arrived for a drink and started roaring right in front of us. Wow it was a special one hour for sure, and we continued towards Halali along the Etosha Pan. A fine Jacobin Cuckoo and a male Red-crested Korhaan was seen on the way while a lone tree out on the plains held both Lanner and Red-necked Falcons in the shady canopy allowing superb looks of both falcon species! We had our lunch at Halali Camp with Violet Woodhoopoes and Cape Starlings. The afternoon drive to Namutoni in the heat of the day was quiet but we had several huge bull ‘White’ Elephants and more Secretarybirds. In Namutoni we had a different set of birds in the campground with our first White-bellied Sunbirds, Yellow-breasted Apalis and Burchell’s Starlings. The late afternoon game drive to some obscure waterhole produced superb look of male and female Burchell’s Sandgrouse! Yet another action-packed day in Etosha.

On our final full day in this fantastic park, we made our way towards the Andoni Plains on the eastern edge of the Etosha Pan. On our ride we encountered more African Savanna Elephants as well as Damara Dikdik and gorgeous Golden-breasted Buntings. The waterhole at Andoni is special as it is large and muddy hence perfect for birds. There were Three-banded, Kittlitz’s and Chestnut-banded Plovers and migrant Little Stints and Ruffs. We also spotted a South African Shelduck and soon found our main target as six Blue Cranes were feeding on the grassy plains not far from the waterhole. This amazing bird – also known as Paradise Crane – is the national bird of South Africa but a tiny, isolated population exists in Etosha National Park. Unfortunately, there are fewer than 100 left in Namibia, so it is a rare bird indeed! The waterhole was very busy with animals, and we counted 640 Blue Wildebeest, many Plains Zebras, Springboks and Common Warthogs. We even saw a serious Zebra fight. Further out on the plains we eventually tracked down four Burchell’s Courser which was our other target for the morning. These elegant waders allowed great looks, and we were happy to finally connect with this scarce bird. Back in Namutoni we found Burnt-necked Eremomela, Long-billed Crombec and Ashy Tit. Another waterhole in the afternoon was very productive, especially with temperatures reaching 39C. Many raptors were coming to drink, and we got superb look of two Bateleur, Pale-chanting Goshawk, Tawny Eagle and White-backed Vulture. Even a party of five Temminck’s Courser showed up by the water. A mother and two young Spotted Hyena playing in the water was a great experience, as was the young bull African Savanna Elephant chasing away everything. The day was not over yet as after an early dinner we embarked on a night game drive. First, we were back to the waterhole and counted 10 Spotted Hyenas terrorising whatever dared to come to the water. Although they cannot really take on the African Savanna Elephants and the Black Rhinos, but they were still menacing around. In the next hours we found Barn Owl, Southern Aardwolf, African Wild Cat, Southern African Springhare, Bat-eared and Cape Fox and Cape Porcupine, a truly amazing selection of mammal goodies in a single drive! In fact, we saw 88 bird and 24 mammal species on this remarkable day!

It was time for us to make our way towards the Caprivi Strip. On our way out of the park we eventually connected with Martial Eagle and it was an exceptional good view of an adult. A real highlight for the raptor fans of the tour! We arrived to Roy’s Camp for lunch and it took us only a few minutes to locate the sought-after Black-faced Babblers in the garden. Most of the afternoon was also spent driving but by late afternoon we arrived to our lodge located by the mighty Okavango River. In the last hour of the day our walk in the garden produced White-browed Robin Chat, Swamp Boubou, Barn Owl, African Barred Owlet, African Paradise Flycatcher and Ashy Flycatcher. Our early morning walk before breakfast the next day was more productive with Little Sparrowhawk, breeding Spotted Thick-knee, Levaillant’s Cuckoos, Magpie Shrike, Kurrichane Thrush and three species of babblers! On our way to Mahango we had a few hours in a miombo type habitat and with the help of a local bird guide we managed to see a male Souza’s Shrike, a pair of Arnot’s Chats, Southern Black Tit, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Southern Yellow White-eye, Yellow-fronted Canary, Dark-chanting Goshawk and Sharp-tailed Starling. We continued to Ndhovu Lodge, but a roadside scan resulted in great looks of Rock Pratincole before we got to the lodge. We quickly checked in and tracked down a roosting African Wood Owl before driving to the Mahango Reserve. We arrived at the floodplain of the Okavango in the late afternoon and there were African Savannah Elephants everywhere as they were heading back to the bush from the midday drinking-bathing session. We soon found several Wattled Cranes and although they were distant, we got our first sightings. We were screening through the egrets and herons, but we could not turn the only Black Heron into Slaty Egret. New birds for the tour included Long-toed Lapwing, Goliath Heron, African Openbill, Crested Barbet and Bennett’s Woodpecker.

The following day we had a short boat ride on the Okavango River before breakfast. It was a great outing in perfect morning light. We had many Water Thick-knees, African Skimmers, Brown-throated Martins, Lesser Striped Swallows, and we also managed to locate a White-backed Night Heron, but the breeding colony of the Southern Carmine Bee-eaters stole the show. Around the lodge we saw many Meyer’s Parrot, White-browed Coucal and Holub’s Golden Weaver, plus two lions in the scope while having breakfast was special. We were back to the Mahango Reserve (nowadays called Bwabwata NP) on our way to Botswana in the hope of a Slaty Egret but there were even fewer herons and egrets than yesterday. However, we did see seven Wattled Cranes and much closer this time as well as the localised Bradfield’s Hornbill, while Hadada Ibis, Lesser Honeyguide and African Black-headed Oriole were new to our list! The border crossing to Botswana was easy and early afternoon we arrived to Shakawe River Lodge. Our afternoon boat ride was a superb adventure, and we located a huge Pel’s Fishing Owl which could not have given better views. A very special sighting and one of our key birds in this area!

Our pre-dawn excursion yielded Fiery-necked Nightjar and Southern Lesser Galago. As soon as there was light, we were on the boat again slowly meandering downstream on the Okavango with papyrus beds on both sides of the river. Obligate papyrus birds like Greater Swamp Warbler and Chirping Cisticola were easily seen, and we were scanning and checking every flying egret in the search of Slaty Egret – but only Black Herons were spotted. After a few miles we had a promising riverside flooded meadow where sure enough we eventually located this rather hard-to-come by egret! While we were watching and photographing the Slaty Egret a second individual joined in, and they allowed good looks as long as we wanted! A nearby African Rail, many Grey-rumped Swallows, Fan-tailed Widowbirds and Southern Brown-throated Weavers were extra bonuses. The coffee and breakfast were very welcome after this great morning birding. In the next few hours, we were working hard to boost our Botswana bird list, but a few new birds were also found for our overall list like Blue-billed Teal, Black Cuckoo, Chin-spot Batis, Collared Sunbird and Luapula Cisticola. Our afternoon boat ride on the Okavango was a relaxed outing having seen our main targets. We had especially good looks of White-throated Swallows and some migrant Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters as well as many African Fish Eagles and African Skimmers.

Our last morning in Botswana still gave us a few new birds like African Goshawk, Wahlberg’s Eagle and Orange-breasted Bushshrike. The ever-spreading Common Myna was new too but not something we were happy about. Back through the border we spent more time in the Mahango Reserve but despite our efforts not many gamebirds or rare antelopes were seen. In the afternoon we birded around our lodge seeing Rock Pratincoles and a few firefinches. We were leaving the Caprivi Strip behind the next day, but we still had some miombo birding along the way. This time we found Red-billed Oxpecker, a party of three Racket-tailed Rollers, Diederik’s Cuckoo, Green-capped Eremomela and Sharp-tailed Starling. In the heat of the day, we also visited the sewer ponds near Rundu. Some would say there is no real birding tour without some proper sewage pond birding and indeed we found a Lesser Moorhen and picked up a few warblers in the reedbed. By the last hour of daylight, we rolled into our comfortable lodge and enjoyed a great African sunset with lots of birds and mammals.

On our last full day, we made our way to the Erongo area and arrived at our excellent lodge after lunch. Ondudu Lodge or Erongo Wild as it was called in the past has amazing scenery and it is a great location with some fantastic birds!  There were still a few very special targets left for us, and it did not take long to find a party of White-tailed Shrikes. These fantastic birds, also called Ground Batis, gave us a show allowing mega good views and excellent photography opportunities. We also had Chestnut Weavers, Carp’s Tit, Monteiro’s Hornbills and lots of Rosy-faced Lovebirds. In the evening, we found several Freckled Nightjars and a Western Barn Owl was calling in the distance. On our last morning, we tracked down the localised Hartlaub’s Spurfowl. We had a very active male with two chicks and finally the female also turned up. It was a fitting final to our superb tour throughout this fascinating and diverse country. Reluctantly we left the Erongo area and made our way to the airport where our tour finished and we departed to different directions. It was a very keen group, and we had a memorable birding tour together!

BIRDS OF THE TOUR

1st: Pel’s Fishing Owl

2nd: Martial Eagle

3rd: Slaty Egret

4th: Southern Giant Petrel

5th: White-tailed Shrike

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR

Species marked with the diamond symbol (◊) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered ‘special’ birds for some other reason (e.g., it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a full species).

The species names and taxonomy used in the bird list follows AviList v2025 (AviList Core Team. 2025. AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025).

BIRDS

Common Ostrich  Struthio camelus

White-backed Duck  Thalassornis leuconotus  Three were seen at Avis Dam.

White-faced Whistling Duck  Dendrocygna viduata

Maccoa Duck  Oxyura maccoa  About 110 were seen at Avis Dam.

Spur-winged Goose  Plectropterus gambensis

Egyptian Goose  Alopochen aegyptiaca

South African Shelduck ◊  Tadorna cana  A few seen at Namibgrens and in Etosha NP.

Knob-billed Duck  Sarkidiornis melanotos

Southern Pochard  Netta erythrophthalma

Blue-billed Teal  Spatula hottentota

Cape Shoveler ◊  Spatula smithii  Just two were seen at Avis Dam.

Cape Teal  Anas capensis

Red-billed Teal (R-b Duck)  Anas erythrorhyncha

Helmeted Guineafowl  Numida meleagris

Crested Francolin  Ortygornis sephaena

Hartlaub’s Spurfowl ◊  Pternistis hartlaubi  Excellent looks of male, female and two chicks at Ondudu Lodge.

Red-billed Spurfowl ◊ (R-b Francolin)  Pternistis adspersus  Common throughout the tour.

Lesser Flamingo  Phoeniconaias minor

Greater Flamingo  Phoenicopterus roseus

Little Grebe  Tachybaptus ruficollis

Great Crested Grebe  Podiceps cristatus

Black-necked Grebe  Podiceps nigricollis

Grey Go-away-bird (G Lourie)  Crinifer concolor

Kori Bustard  Ardeotis kori

Ludwig’s Bustard ◊  Neotis ludwigii  Just two sightings on the tour.

Rüppell’s Korhaan ◊  Heterotetrax rueppelii  A total of 64 were logged. Many family parties seen together.

Red-crested Korhaan  Lophotis ruficrista  Nine were seen, mostly in Etosha NP.

Northern Black Korhaan ◊  Afrotis afraoides  A total of 58 were logged, mostly in Etosha NP.

Coppery-tailed Coucal ◊  Centropus cupreicaudus  Several excellent looks in the Caprivi Strip.

White-browed Coucal  Centropus superciliosus 

Levaillant’s Cuckoo   Clamator levaillantii  Two sightings in the Caprivi Strip and in Botswana.

Jacobin Cuckoo   Clamator jacobinus  One was seen in Etosha NP.

Diederik Cuckoo   Chrysococcyx caprius  One was seen in the Caprivi Strip.

Black Cuckoo   Cuculus clamosus  One was seen in Botswana.

Red-chested Cuckoo   Cuculus solitarius  One was seen in the Caprivi Strip.

African Cuckoo   Cuculus gularis  Two were seen in the Caprivi Strip.

Namaqua Sandgrouse ◊  Pterocles namaqua  Many excellent sightinghs!

Double-banded Sandgrouse  Pterocles bicinctus  Crepuscular drinker. Many seen in Etosha NP.

Burchell’s Sandgrouse ◊  Pterocles burchelli  Great looks in Etosha NP.

Laughing Dove (Palm D)  Spilopelia senegalensis

Ring-necked Dove (Cape Turtle D)  Streptopelia capicola

Red-eyed Dove  Streptopelia semitorquata

Mourning Collared Dove (African Mourning D)  Streptopelia decipiens

Speckled Pigeon (Rock P)  Columba guinea

Rock Dove (introduced)  Columba livia

Namaqua Dove  Oena capensis

Emerald-spotted Wood Dove  Turtur chalcospilos

African Green Pigeon  Treron calvus

Wattled Crane ◊  Grus carunculate  Seven were seen in Mahango and two more in Botswana.

Blue Crane ◊  Grus paradisea  Fantastic looks in Etosha NP. A total of eight were seen.

African Rail (A Water R)  Rallus caerulescens  We had god views in Botswana.

Lesser Moorhen  Paragallinula angulata  One was seen in the sewer ponds at Rundu.

Common Moorhen  Gallinula chloropus

Red-knobbed Coot (Crested C)  Fulica cristata

Purple Swamphen (African S)  Porphyrio [porphyrio] madagascariensis

Black Crake  Zapornia flavirostra

Spotted Thick-knee  Burhinus capensis

Water Thick-knee  Burhinus vermiculatus

Pied Avocet  Recurvirostra avosetta

Black-winged Stilt  Himantopus himantopus

African Oystercatcher ◊  Haematopus moquini  Just two were seen in Walvis Bay.

Grey Plover   Pluvialis squatarola

Common Ringed Plover   Charadrius hiaticula

Three-banded Plover  Thinornis tricollaris

Long-toed Lapwing  Vanellus crassirostris

Blacksmith Lapwing  Vanellus armatus

Crowned Lapwing  Vanellus coronatus

African Wattled Lapwing  Vanellus senegallus

Kittlitz’s Plover  Anarhynchus pecuarius

Chestnut-banded Plover  Anarhynchus pallidus

White-fronted Plover  Anarhynchus marginatus

Greater Painted-snipe  Rostratula benghalensis

African Jacana  Actophilornis africanus

Eurasian Whimbrel   Numenius phaeopus

Bar-tailed Godwit   Limosa lapponica

African Snipe  Gallinago nigripennis  Non-leader in Botswana.

Common Sandpiper   Actitis hypoleucos

Wood Sandpiper   Tringa glareola

Common Greenshank   Tringa nebularia

Ruddy Turnstone   Arenaria interpres

Ruff   Calidris pugnax

Curlew Sandpiper   Calidris ferruginea

Sanderling   Calidris alba

Little Stint   Calidris minuta

Double-banded Courser  Smutsornis africanus  Excellent looks in Etosha NP. A total of 19 were counted.

Temminck’s Courser  Cursorius temminckii  Five were seen in Etosha NP.

Burchell’s Courser ◊  Cursorius rufus  We had superb looks of four in Etosha NP, often tricky to see bird but.

Rock Pratincole  Glareola nuchalis  Beautiful looks along the Okavango River.

Collared Pratincole  Glareola pratincola

Pomarine Jaeger   Stercorarius pomarinus  One was seen while seawatching near Walvis Bay.

Brown Skua (Subantarctic S)  Stercorarius antarcticus  One was seen while seawatching near Walvis Bay.

African Skimmer  Rynchops flavirostris  Common along the Okavango River.

Damara Tern ◊  Sternula balaenarum  We counted 30 in Walvis Bay. Special bird!

Caspian Tern  Hydroprogne caspia

Whiskered Tern  Chlidonias hybrida

Sandwich Tern  Thalasseus sandvicensis

Greater Crested Tern  Thalasseus bergii

Common Tern  Sterna hirundo

Hartlaub’s Gull ◊  Chroicocephalus hartlaubii  Common in Walvis Bay.

Grey-headed Gull  Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus

Kelp Gull ◊  Larus [dominicanus] vetula  Common in Walvis Bay.

Southern Giant Petrel  Macronectes giganteus  One was seen while seawatching. Very likely this species!

White-chinned Petrel  Procellaria aequinoctialis  About 15 were seen while seawatching.

Sooty Shearwater  Ardenna grisea  About 120 were seen while seawatching.

African Openbill (A Open-billed Stork)  Anastomus lamelligerus

Marabou Stork  Leptoptilos crumenifer

Yellow-billed Stork  Mycteria ibis

Cape Gannet ◊  Morus capensis  About 20 were seen while seawatching.

African Darter  Anhinga rufa

Reed Cormorant (Long-tailed C)  Microcarbo africanus

Cape Cormorant ◊  Phalacrocorax capensis

Great Cormorant (White-breasted C)  Phalacrocorax [carbo] lucidus

Glossy Ibis  Plegadis falcinellus

Hadada Ibis  Bostrychia hagedash

African Spoonbill  Platalea alba

African Sacred Ibis  Threskiornis aethiopicus

Hamerkop  Scopus umbretta

Great White Pelican  Pelecanus onocrotalus

Little Bittern  Botaurus minutus

White-backed Night Heron ◊  Calherodius leuconotus  Just one was spotted along the Okavango River.

Black Heron (B Egret)  Egretta ardesiaca

Slaty Egret ◊  Egretta vinaceigula  Major highlight to see this localised bird. Two were seen in Botswana.

Little Egret  Egretta garzetta

Black-crowned Night Heron  Nycticorax nycticorax

Little Heron  Butorides atricapilla

Squacco Heron  Ardeola ralloides

Great Egret  Ardea alba

Yellow-billed Egret  Ardea brachyrhyncha

Western Cattle Egret  Ardea ibis

Purple Heron  Ardea purpurea

Black-headed Heron  Ardea melanocephala

Goliath Heron  Ardea goliath

Grey Heron  Ardea cinerea

Rufous-cheeked Nightjar  Caprimulgus rufigena

Fiery-necked Nightjar  Caprimulgus pectoralis

Freckled Nightjar  Caprimulgus tristigma

African Palm Swift  Cypsiurus parvus

Alpine Swift  Tachymarptis melba

White-rumped Swift  Apus caffer

Little Swift  Apus affinis

Bradfield’s Swift ◊  Apus bradfieldi  We had the best views at Avis Dam.

Common Swift   Apus apus

Western Barn Owl  Tyto alba  A few sightings in Etosha, Caprivi Strip and Ondudu Lodge.

Pearl-spotted Owlet (P-s Owl)  Glaucidium perlatum  Many encounters throughout the tour.

African Barred Owlet (African B Owl)  Glaucidium capense  Good looks in the Caprivi Strip.

African Scops Owl  Otus senegalensis  Heard-only.

Marsh Owl  Asio capensis  One was seen at Etosha NP.

Spotted Eagle-Owl  Bubo africanus  Just one was seen and others heard.

Pel’s Fishing Owl ◊  Scotopelia peli  Superb look in Botswana. Voted as the Bird of the trip!

African Wood Owl  Strix woodfordii  Great looks in the Caprivi Strip.

Secretarybird  Sagittarius serpentarius  Three were seen in Etosha NP. Special bird!

Osprey   Pandion haliaetus

Black-winged Kite  Elanus caeruleus

African Harrier-Hawk  Polyboroides typus

White-headed Vulture  Trigonoceps occipitalis  Three were seen in Etosha NP.

Lappet-faced Vulture  Torgos tracheliotos  A total of 10 were seen on the tour.

White-backed Vulture  Gyps africanus

Bateleur  Terathopius ecaudatus

Black-chested Snake Eagle  Circaetus pectoralis

Brown Snake Eagle  Circaetus cinereus

Martial Eagle  Polemaetus bellicosus  Exceptional looks in Etosha NP.

Wahlberg’s Eagle  Hieraaetus wahlbergi

Tawny Eagle  Aquila rapax

Verreaux’s Eagle (Black E)  Aquila verreauxii  Two were seen at Namibgrens and one at Ondudu Lodge.

African Hawk-Eagle  Aquila spilogaster

Gabar Goshawk  Micronisus gabar

Dark Chanting Goshawk  Melierax metabates  A few were seen in the Caprivi Strip.

Pale Chanting Goshawk (Southern P C G)  Melierax canorus 

African Goshawk  Aerospiza tachiro  Just one was seen in Botswana.

Little Sparrowhawk  Tachyspiza minulla

Shikra  Tachyspiza badia

African Marsh Harrier  Circus ranivorus

Black Kite (Yellow-billed Kite)  Milvus [migrans] aegyptius

African Fish Eagle  Icthyophaga vocifer

Red-faced Mousebird  Urocolius indicus

White-backed Mousebird ◊  Colius colius  First seen at Avis Dam and several more sightings.

Common Hoopoe (African H)  Upupa [epops] africana

Common Scimitarbill  Rhinopomastus cyanomelas

Green Wood Hoopoe  Phoeniculus purpureus

Violet Wood Hoopoe ◊  Phoeniculus damarensis  Our first encounter was near Uis and seen in Etosha NP too.

Bradfield’s Hornbill ◊  Lophoceros bradfieldi  This localised bird was seen well in Mahango.

African Grey Hornbill  Lophoceros nasutus

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill  Tockus leucomelas

Monteiro’s Hornbill ◊  Tockus monteiri  Seevral seen at Avis Dam and Ondudu Lodge.

Southern Red-billed Hornbill  Tockus rufirostris

Damara Red-billed Hornbill ◊ (Damara H)  Tockus damarensis  Seen at the Ugab River and later in Etosha.

Broad-billed Roller  Eurystomus glaucurus  Most obvious along the Okavango in Botswana.

Racket-tailed Roller ◊  Coracias spatulatus  Three birds were seen in the Caprivi Strip. Fantastic!

Purple Roller (Rufous-crowned R)  Coracias naevius  Several sightings throughout.

Lilac-breasted Roller  Coracias caudatus  Several sightings throughout.

White-fronted Bee-eater  Merops bullockoides

Little Bee-eater  Merops pusillus

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater  Merops hirundineus

Southern Carmine Bee-eater  Merops nubicoides  Many excellent looks, even a breeding colony!

European Bee-eater   Merops apiaster  Migrants were regularly seen.

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater   Merops persicus  A few seen along the Okavango River in Botswana.

Malachite Kingfisher  Corythornis cristatus

Giant Kingfisher  Megaceryle maxima  Common along the Okavanmgo River.

Pied Kingfisher  Ceryle rudis

Striped Kingfisher  Halcyon chelicuti

Crested Barbet  Trachyphonus vaillantii

Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird  Pogoniulus chrysoconus

Acacia Pied Barbet  Tricholaema leucomelas

Black-collared Barbet  Lybius torquatus

Lesser Honeyguide  Indicator minor

Bennett’s Woodpecker ◊  Campethera bennettii  Several were seen in the Mahango area.

Golden-tailed Woodpecker  Campethera abingoni

Cardinal Woodpecker  Dendropicos fuscescens

Greater Kestrel  Falco rupicoloides

Rock Kestrel  Falco rupicolus

Red-necked Falcon ◊  Falco chicquera  Exceptional looks in Etosha NP.

Lanner Falcon  Falco biarmicus

Meyer’s Parrot (Brown P)  Poicephalus meyeri

Rüppell’s Parrot ◊  Poicephalus rueppellii  One was seen at the Ugab River.

Rosy-faced Lovebird ◊  Agapornis roseicollis  It was common at some locations. Beautiful birds!

Brubru  Nilaus afer

Brown-crowned Tchagra  Tchagra australis

Black-backed Puffback  Dryoscopus cubla

Bokmakierie ◊  Telophorus zeylonus  First seen at Namibgrens and more sightings in the west.

Orange-breasted Bushshrike  Chlorophoneus sulfureopectus

Swamp Boubou ◊  Laniarius bicolor  Common along the Okavango River.

Crimson-breasted Shrike ◊  Laniarius atrococcineus  Common and beautiful!

White-tailed Shrike ◊  Lanioturdus torquatus  Excellent looks of the ‘Ground Batis’ at Ondudu Lodge.

Chinspot Batis  Batis molitor

Pririt Batis ◊  Batis pririt  Regular sightings at various locations.

White-crested Helmetshrike  Prionops plumatus

Black-headed Oriole (Eastern B-h O)  Oriolus larvatus

Fork-tailed Drongo  Dicrurus adsimilis

African Paradise Flycatcher  Terpsiphone viridis

Magpie Shrike  Urolestes melanoleucus

Souza’s Shrike ◊  Lanius souzae  A male was seen in the Caprivi Strip. An often tricky bird to see!

Southern Fiscal (S F Shrike)  Lanius collaris

Southern White-crowned Shrike ◊  Eurocephalus anguitimens  Seen at the Ugab River and in Etosha NP.

Cape Crow (C Rook, Black C)  Corvus capensis

Pied Crow  Corvus albus

House Crow  Corvus splendens

Southern Black Tit ◊  Melaniparus niger  Regular sightings in the Caprivi Strip.

Carp’s Tit ◊ (C’s Black T)  Melaniparus carpi  A few sightings, first at Spitzkoppe.

Ashy Tit ◊ (A Grey T)  Melaniparus cinerascens  A few sightings, first near Uis.

Gray’s Lark ◊  Ammomanopsis grayi  We had good looks in the Namib.

Spike-heeled Lark ◊  Chersomanes albofasciata  Common around the Etosha waterholes.

Karoo Long-billed Lark ◊ (Benguela L-b L)  Certhilauda [subcoronata] benguelensis  One was seen at Uis.

Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark ◊ (G-b Finchlark)  Eremopterix verticalis  Very common in Etosha NP.

Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark (C-b Finchlark)  Eremopterix leucotis  Common in Etosha NP.

Sabota Lark ◊  Calendulauda sabota  The most common lark on the tour.

Fawn-colored Lark  Calendulauda africanoides

Dune Lark ◊  Calendulauda erythrochlamys  Endemic. Excellent looks near Walvis Bay! Beautiful lark!

Eastern Clapper Lark ◊  Corypha fasciolata  Common in some parts of Etosha NP.

Rufous-naped Lark  Corypha africana  Just one was seen.

Stark’s Lark ◊  Spizocorys starki  We had good looks in the Namib.

Pink-billed Lark ◊  Spizocorys conirostris  Common in some parts of Etosha NP.

Red-capped Lark  Calandrella cinerea  Common in some parts of Etosha NP.

Rockrunner ◊  Achaetops pycnopygius  Speial bird! Several excellent looks on the tour!

Long-billed Crombec  Sylvietta rufescens

Yellow-bellied Eremomela  Eremomela icteropygialis

Green-capped Eremomela  Eremomela scotops

Burnt-necked Eremomela  Eremomela usticollis

Barred Wren-Warbler (African W-W)  Calamonastes fasciolatus

Bleating Camaroptera (Grey-backed C)  Camaroptera [brachyura] brevicaudata

Yellow-breasted Apalis  Apalis flavida

Tawny-flanked Prinia  Prinia subflava

Black-chested Prinia ◊  Prinia flavicans  Common throughout the tour.

Rattling Cisticola  Cisticola chiniana

Tinkling Cisticola  Cisticola rufilatus  Heard-only.

Luapula Cisticola ◊  Cisticola luapula  Excellent looks along the Okavango River.

Chirping Cisticola ◊  Cisticola pipiens  Papyrus inhabitant which was seen well along the Okavango River.

Desert Cisticola  Cisticola aridulus

Common Reed Warbler (African R W)  Acrocephalus [scirpaceus] baeticatus

Lesser Swamp Warbler (Cape Reed W)  Acrocephalus gracilirostris 

Greater Swamp Warbler ◊  Acrocephalus rufescens  Seen well along the papyrus beds of the Okavango River.

Little Rush Warbler  Bradypterus baboecala

Grey-rumped Swallow  Pseudhirundo griseopyga

Banded Martin  Neophedina cincta

Brown-throated Martin  Riparia paludicola

Large Rock Martin (African R M)  Ptyonoprogne fuligula

Wire-tailed Swallow  Hirundo smithii

White-throated Swallow  Hirundo albigularis

Barn Swallow   Hirundo rustica

Lesser Striped Swallow  Cecropis abyssinica

Red-breasted Swallow (Rufous-chested S)  Cecropis semirufa

Greater Striped Swallow  Cecropis cucullata

South African Cliff Swallow ◊  Petrochelidon spilodera  Non-leader sighting in Botswana.

Willow Warbler   Phylloscopus trochilus

Yellow-bellied Greenbul  Chlorocichla flaviventris

Terrestrial Brownbul  Phyllastrephus terrestris

African Red-eyed Bulbul ◊  Pycnonotus nigricans  Common.

Common Bulbul (Dark-capped B)  Pycnonotus [barbatus] tricolor

Layard’s Warbler ◊  Curruca layardi  We had good looks near Namibgrens.

Chestnut-vented Warbler  Curruca subcoerulea

Orange River White-eye ◊  Zosterops pallidus  A few of these handsome birds were seen at Walvis Bay.

Southern Yellow White-eye  Zosterops anderssoni

Arrow-marked Babbler  Turdoides jardineii

Bare-cheeked Babbler ◊  Turdoides gymnogenys  Great looks along the Ugab River.

Southern Pied Babbler ◊  Turdoides bicolor  Several excellent sightings in Etosha and near Grootfontein.

Hartlaub’s Babbler ◊  Turdoides hartlaubii  Very common along the Okavango River.

Black-faced Babbler ◊  Turdoides melanops  It was seen at Roy’s Camp and also along the Okavango River.

Red-billed Oxpecker  Buphagus erythroryncha

Yellow-billed Oxpecker  Buphagus africanus

Wattled Starling  Creatophora cinerea

Violet-backed Starling  Cinnyricinclus leucogaster

Pale-winged Starling ◊  Onychognathus nabouroup  Common in appropriate habitat.

Burchell’s Starling ◊  Lamprotornis australis  Common in the north-east.

Meves’s Starling ◊  Lamprotornis mevesii  Common in the north-east.

Sharp-tailed Starling ◊  Lamprotornis acuticaudus  Localised bird which was seen well in the Caprivi Strip.

Greater Blue-eared Starling  Lamprotornis chalybaeus

Cape Starling (C Glossy S)  Lamprotornis nitens

Common Myna  Acridotheres tristis

Groundscraper Thrush  Turdus litsitsirupa

Kurrichane Thrush  Turdus libonyana

Kalahari Scrub Robin ◊ (Kalahari R)  Cercotrichas paena  Common.

White-browed Scrub Robin (White-browed R)  Cercotrichas leucophrys

Chat Flycatcher ◊  Agricola infuscatus  Regular sightings in the west.

Pale Flycatcher (Mouse-coloured F, Pallid F)  Agricola pallidus

Ashy Flycatcher  Fraseria caerulescens

Herero Chat ◊  Namibornis herero  Near-endemic. Eventually a pair was seen well at Spitzkoppe!

Southern Black Flycatcher  Melaenornis pammelaina

Marico Flycatcher ◊  Bradornis mariquensis  Common.

Spotted Flycatcher   Muscicapa striata

White-browed Robin-Chat  Cossypha heuglini

Short-toed Rock Thrush ◊  Monticola brevipes  Many excellent sightings.

Karoo Chat ◊  Emarginata schlegelii  Several sightings from the Namib to the Brandberg plateau.

Tractrac Chat ◊  Emarginata trictrac  It was only seen in the Namib.

Ant-eating Chat ◊  Myrmecocichla formicivore  Surprisingly few were seen in Etosha NP this time.

Mountain Chat  Myrmecocichla monticola

Arnot’s Chat ◊  Myrmecocichla arnotti  Scarce miombo bird which was seen weel in the Caprivi Strip.

Capped Wheatear  Oenanthe pileata

Familiar Chat (Red-tailed C)  Oenanthe familiaris

Collared Sunbird  Hedydipna collaris

Amethyst Sunbird  Chalcomitra amethystina

Scarlet-chested Sunbird  Chalcomitra senegalensis

Marico Sunbird  Cinnyris mariquensis

White-bellied Sunbird  Cinnyris talatala

Dusky Sunbird ◊  Cinnyris fuscus  Common in appropriate habitat.

Thick-billed Weaver (Grosbeak W)  Amblyospiza albifrons

Scaly-feathered Weaver ◊ (S-f Finch)  Sporopipes squamifrons  Many excellent sightings in the west.

Sociable Weaver ◊  Philetairus socius  Just a few were attending some huge nests.

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver  Plocepasser mahali

Red-billed Buffalo Weaver  Bubalornis niger

Holub’s Golden Weaver  Ploceus xanthops

Southern Brown-throated Weaver  Ploceus xanthopterus

Lesser Masked Weaver  Ploceus intermedius  A few were seen by some in Etosha NP.

Southern Masked Weaver  Ploceus velatus

Village Weaver  Ploceus cucullatus

Chestnut Weaver  Ploceus rubiginosus  Non-breeding birds were common at Ondudu Lodge.

Red-billed Quelea  Quelea quelea

Southern Red Bishop  Euplectes orix

Fan-tailed Widowbird  Euplectes axillaris

Red-headed Weaver  Anaplectes rubriceps

Long-tailed Paradise Whydah (Eastern P W)  Vidua paradisaea

Pin-tailed Whydah  Vidua macroura

Shaft-tailed Whydah  Vidua regia

Black-faced Waxbill ◊  Brunhilda erythronotos  A few excellent looks throughout the tour.

Common Waxbill  Estrilda astrild

Red-headed Finch ◊  Amadina erythrocephala  A few good sightings in Etosha NP.

Violet-eared Waxbill ◊  Granatina granatina  Beautiful bird which was regularly seen!

Blue Waxbill (B-breasted Cordon-bleu)  Uraeginthus angolensis

Green-winged Pytilia (Melba Finch)  Pytilia melba

Red-billed Firefinch  Lagonosticta senegala

Southern Grey-headed Sparrow  Passer diffusus

Cape Sparrow ◊  Passer melanurus  Commonly seen along the coast.

Great Sparrow  Passer motitensis

House Sparrow (introduced)  Passer domesticus

Cape Wagtail  Motacilla capensis

African Pied Wagtail  Motacilla aguimp

Buffy Pipit  Anthus vaalensis

Nicholson’s Pipit  Anthus nicholsoni

African Pipit (Grassveld P)  Anthus cinnamomeus

Yellow-fronted Canary  Crithagra mozambica

Black-throated Canary  Crithagra atrogularis

Yellow Canary ◊  Crithagra flaviventris  Just a few seen near Uis.

White-throated Canary ◊  Crithagra albogularis  Several sightings from the Namib to the Brandberg Plateau.

Golden-breasted Bunting (African G-b B)  Emberiza flaviventris

Cape Bunting ◊  Emberiza capensis  A few seen in the Namibgrens area.

Lark-like Bunting ◊  Emberiza impetuani  Very common at Namibgrens.

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting  Emberiza tahapisi

MAMMALS

Rock Hyrax (Cape R Hyrax)  Procavia capensis

African Savanna Elephant  Loxodonta africana

Bushveld Sengi  Elephantulus intufi

Cheetah  Acinonyx jubatus  A fantastic sighting of one drinking at night at Okaukuejo.

African Wildcat  Felis lybica  Two were seen in Etosha NP.

Lion  Panthera leo  Five were seen in Etosha NP.

Common Genet (Small-spotted G)  Genetta genetta  Great looks at Ondudu Lodge.

Spotted Hyena  Crocuta crocuta  A total of 22 were logged in Etosha NP.

Southern Aardwolf  Proteles cristata  Superb sighting of one at Etosha NP.

Yellow Mongoose ◊  Cynictis penicillata

Angolan Slender Mongoose ◊  Herpestes flavescens  One was seen by some at Ondudu Lodge.

Common Slender Mongoose  Herpestes sanguineus

Banded Mongoose  Mungos mungo

Black-backed Jackal  Lupulella mesomelas

Bat-eared Fox  Otocyon megalotis  Three were seen in Etosha NP.

Cape Fox  Vulpes chama  Just one was seen in Etosha NP.

Afro-Australian Fur Seal  Arctocephalus pusillus

Honey Badger (Ratel)  Mellivora capensis  A superb daytime sighting in Etosha NP.

Plains Zebra (Burchell’s Z)  Equus [quagga] burchellii  Common in Etosha NP.

Plains Zebra (Burchell’s Z)  Equus [quagga] chapmanii  Common in the Mahango area.

Black Rhinoceros  Diceros bicornis  A total of 17 were seen in Etosha NP.

Common Warthog  Phacochoerus africanus

Southern Giraffe  Giraffa giraffa

Impala  Aepyceros melampus

Hartebeest  Alcelaphus buselaphus

Springbok  Antidorcas marsupialis

Blue Wildebeest (Brindled Gnu)  Connochaetes taurinus

Tsessebe (Topi)  Damaliscus lunatus  A few were seen in the Mahango area.

Waterbuck (Common W)  Kobus ellipsiprymnus

Southern Lechwe  Kobus leche  Common in the Mahango area.

Damara Dik-dik  Madoqua damarensis

Klipspringer  Oreotragus oreotragus

Gemsbok (Southern Oryx)  Oryx gazella

Steenbok (Steinbok)  Raphicerus campestris

Southern Reedbuck (Common R)  Redunca arundinum

Cape Buffalo (Cape B)  Syncerus caffer

Southern Bushbuck  Tragelaphus sylvaticus

Greater Kudu  Tragelaphus strepsiceros

Common Hippopotamus  Hippopotamus amphibius

Humpback Whale  Megaptera novaeangliae  Two or three were seen on our seawatching near Walvis Bay.

Heaviside’s Dolphin  Cephalorhynchus heavisidii  Two were seen on our seawatching near Walvis Bay.

Southern Lesser Galago  Galago moholi  One was seen at Shakawe in Botswana.

Malbrouck Monkey  Chlorocebus cynosuros

Chacma Baboon  Papio ursinus

Cape Hare  Lepus capensis

African Savanna Hare  Lepus victoriae

Cape Porcupine  Hystrix africaeaustralis  One was seen in Etosha NP.

Noki  Petromus typicus  It was seen at Namibgrens and Ondudu Lodge.

Congo Rope Squirrel  Funisciurus congicus  One was seen along the Ugab River.

Smith’s Bush Squirrel  Paraxerus cepapi  Regular sightings in Etosha NP and east of it.

South African Ground Squirrel (Cape G S)  Xerus inauris

Southern African Springhare  Pedetes capensis  About nine were seen in Etosha NP.

Black-tailed Thallomys  Thallomys nigricauda  One was seen at Okaukuejo in Etosha NP.