Information about Namibia's birds of interest

Namibia is rich with unusual birds, primarily due to the unique dry areas found within Namibia.

Click on a bird's name below to learn more about these unique birds.

Namibian Specials

• Bare-cheecked Babbler  Turdoides gymnogenys

  • Bare-cheecked Babblers are rather easy to recognize with the bare patches below their eyes.  These birds are found in various habitats, such as Mopani and other types of dry woodland typical of much of the north west of Namibia.  Bare-cheecked Babblers extend into Angola, making them a near endemic.  Bare-checked Babblers are normally seen foraging in small parties, which can be rather noisy.  They are often found in Halali restcamp in Namibia.

    
    
• Barlow's Lark  Calendulauda barlowi

  • Barlow's Larks are only found in a really small area around Namibia's Sperrgebiet (the huge diamond mining area in the south west of the country.) Barlow's Lark's range extends down into South Africa. It is a rather challenging bird to find as most of it's range is found within the Sperrgebiet.

    
    
• Hartlaub's Francolin  Francolinus hartlaubi

  • Hartlaub's Francolins are rather hard to find as the adults remain sedentary through most of the day. The best time to find them is early mornings and always in their preferred habitat, granite and sandstone outcrops, especially among small bolders. They are almost completely endemic, with just a small range in Angola. These birds are found in hilly areas from central area up to the northwest.

    
    
    [ref img from Peregrine's Bird Blog]
    
    
• Ruppell's Korhaan  Eupodotis rueppellii

  • These birds are endemic to the eastern margin of the Namib Desert, in some places extending quite deep into the desert. In their normal habitats they are quite abundant, but can be hard to find as they blend into even bare desert landscapes. Their morning duets are very distinctive frog like calls.

    
    
• Damara Tern  Sterna balaenarum

  • For those accustomed to seeing larger terns, the best way to describe this little tern is 'cute'. Damara Terns are almost breeding endemics to Namibia, where they breed on open gravel plains near the ocean. Damara Terns have faced increasing human pressure due to Uncontrolled four wheel driving along the coast. Damara terns migrate up to west Africa in the non breeding season. They are in Namibia from approximately September to April, and therefore the best time to see them is during summer. Read more on Damara Terns here.

    
    
• Ruppell's Parrot  Poicephalus rueppellii

  • Parrots are really a novelty in a desert region. Despite the common assumption that they are found mainly in tropical forest areas, Namibia has a number of Parrots and love birds found within it's borders. The Ruppell's Parrot is a near endemic, extending into Angola and with an estimated 80% of it's population found in Namibia. These birds are often found in the large, dry river course found in some parts of the northern Namib. Their range in Namibia extends over much of the central and north-west of the country.

    
    
• Violet Woodhoopoe  Phoeniculus damarensis

  • The Phoeniculidae family, to which the Violet Woodhoopoe belongs, is special as a group.  It is one of the few families endemic to Africa.  The Violet Woodhoopoe is a Namibian near endemic, also found in the central and north western regions.  Violet Woodhoopoes occur along Namibia's escarpement from the central areas to the north-west where they live in pockets of woodlands, often along larger river courses.  They can also be found within Etosha.

    
    
• Monteiro's Hornbill  Tockus monteiri

  • This big and bold hornbill is sometimes encountered around Windhoek.  As is typical of many near endemics it is found in the central and north western regions of Namibia.  Monteiro's Hornbills have some local movement, and are known to track after rain.  These hornbills occupy the driest habitats of any hornbill world wide.

    
    [ref img from Peregrine's Bird Blog]
    
    
• Dune Lark  Calendulauda erythrochlamys

  • Namibia's only true endemic bird species, the Dune Lark is rather special. This bird is found only in the Namib Sand Sea, the huge expanse of dunes found south of Walvis Bay. The dune lark is found mainly in areas where the dunes have some vegetation, especially along the Kuiseb river and on the eastern margin of the dune field. They can be rather hard to find, but in un-disturbed areas they can be very confiding birds.

    
    
• Gray's Lark  Ammomanes grayi

  • Vast parts of the dry Namib Desert are covered by dry gravel or gypsum plains. These areas may seem devoid of life at first appearance, but a closer look reviels that the desert is alive even here. With beetles and lizards and various other creatures, the desert has it's own web of life. One bird species has specifically carved out a living for itself here, and that is the Gray's Lark. Endemic to the gravel plains of the Namib, this bird is found mainly on the western side of Namibia and extends just a little into south western Angola. They are small and white and can really be hard to find, even if you have heard them.

    
    
• Carp's Tit  Parus carpi

  • Another near endemic of Namibia's north western region, the Carp's Tit is usually found in small groups, often in small runoff lines.

    
    
• Herero Chat  Namibornis herero

  • This near endemic bird is found in a rather small home range, all along the eastern part of the desert in the north of Namibia. It can be a rather hard bird to find.

    
    
• Rockrunner  Achaetops pycnopygius

  • This rather well known near endemic has sent many a birder scampering up rocky hills. They are found among bolders and rocky areas on hills in the central and north west of Namibia, where they much prefer to scamper over the rocks than fly. Despite being a challenge to find, they can be confiding (once you found them) and have a lovely call.

    
    
• White-tailed Shrike  Lanioturdus torquatus

  • Namibia's bird club uses the genus name of the bird, Lanioturdus, as the name for their publication. A near endemic bird, these little shrikes are really unlike other shrikes in behavior and look. They are often found in small areas of trees where a pair usually moves up and down all day long.

    
    
• Benguela Long-billed Lark  Certhilauda benguelensis

  • One of the Long-billed Lark group, the Benguela Long-billed Lark is a near endemic and found in the drier regions of Namibia's north west. Further to the south the Karoo Long-billed Lark is also a rather special bird to the region. These big larks have a strangely human like whistle call.

    
    
• Damara Hornbill  Tockus damarensis

  • This less known Hornbill is almost entirely confined to Namibia.  Until recently it was considered a sub-species of the Red-billed Hornbill, but it is clearly discernable from that species based on the face markings and eye color.  There is a narrow band where the two species hybridize.

    The Damara Hornbill is found in Namibia's north western regions.

    
    
• Bradfield's Swift  Apus bradfieldi

  • Perhaps Namibia's capital city, Windhoek, is the best place to find this near endemic Swift.  Bradfiel's Swift is a medium sized, light brown Swift.  These Swifts are found through much of Namibia and extend into some of the drier regions of South Africa.  These swifts are largely sedentary and they are the main breeding Swift in Namibia.  They favor most open habitats, including dry Savanna areas and desert margins.  Bradfield's Swifts are often found roosting in towns throughout Namibia. 

    
    

Other birds of interest in Namibia

• Lesser Flamingo  Phoenicopterus minor

  • Though not endemic to Namibia, Namibia is still an important region for Lesser Flamingos. At the coast the Lesser Flamingos often spend the non-breeding months. More importantly, though, once every few years, when the rains have been good, Lesser Flamingso (along with other birds, including Greater Flamingos) fly to Etosha's pan while it is a temporary lake, and breed there. Lesser Flamingos have been recognized as being under threat from human activities world wide, and have only a few suitable breeding areas left. The fact that the Etosha pan is found within a well protected area, with no mining or other threats, is important for the continued existence of this beautiful bird. Learn more about people's efforts in to help protect this species here

    
    
• Cinderella Waxbill  Estrilda thomensis

  • Really an Angolan bird, dedicated birders often travel to Namibia's northern border region to find these birds, due to the difficulty of traveling in Angola. The Grey Kestrel is another bird which also just makes it into Namibia, and can be found near the border in specific areas. Conditions are improving in Angola, but Namibia is still much easier to travel in.

    
    
• Lappet-faced Vulture  Trogos tracheliotus

  • These huge birds are found throughout much of Africa, but they could be facing threats to their breeding areas and to their food source. Like many vultures, they are viewed as problems on farming. They also face threats from human structures such as power lines. The Lappet Faced Vultures that breed in Namibia are monitored by a dedicated team. The vulture working group is one of several groups working on protecting Namibia's birds.

    
    
• Black Harrier  Circus maurus

  • The Black Harrier is the only endemic bird of prey to southern Africa. It's main breeding population is in South Africa but their is a good, but scattered presence of Black Harriers in Namibia.

    
    
• Blue Crane  Anthropoides paradiseus

  • Endemic only to southern Africa, this bird only has a very small breeding population in Namibia.  They are sometimes seen in Etosha, if you are lucky.  Blue Cranes have a conservation status is considered Vulnerable

    
    [ref image from Flickr under Creative Commons licence]
    
    
• Common Ostrich  Struthio camelus

  • Ostrich may not jump to mind when you think of birding, but these birds are of interest for a number of reasons.  For a start...though it is common knowledge, it's worth noting...Ostrich are the largest birds in the world.  There is some dispute about their taxonomy, and scientists are split as to weather the Somali Ostrich should be split from Common Ostrich as a separate species.  If so, true wild Ostrich are rather uncommon, with only Namibia and Botswana holding significant populations.  Though the populations are unknown, it is possible, perhaps likely, that Namibia has the largest population of pure wild Ostrich.

    Another reason why Ostrich are worth a mention is that they are really well adapted to desert environments.

    Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Ostrich is their history.  Ostrich were farmed from as early as the 1880's and the demand for feathers meant that many early Ostrich farmers became very wealthy men [ref].  Today Ostrich are farmed all over the world, including in Namibia.  A very interesting view of the history of Ostrich farming (worth a read) is a book by Rob Nixon called Dreambirds [Amazon].

    
    
    [ref image from Image from Wikimedia under wikicommons licence]
    
    
• Rosy-faced Lovebird  Agapornis roseicollis

  • These very attractive Lovebirds are found mainly in Namibia and Angola.  Their Namibian distribution almost takes up the whole country, with the exception of some of the most dry areas and the thicker woodlands of the Caprivi region. They fly fast and can be hard to spot, but may be found in large numbers around watering points in dry areas.  Rosy-faced Lovebirds are also often encountered in Windhoek.

    
    [ref img from Peregrine's Bird Blog]
    
    
• Ludwig's Bustard  Neotis ludwigii

  • More a special of the 'south-west arid zone', basically the drier regions of southern Africa, Ludwig's Bustard is often found along Namibia's escarpment.  Smaller than Kori Bustards, the Ludwig's Bustard is still a large bird and rather easy to spot in the field.  Locally nomadic, these Bastards are known to follow the good rains. 

    
    

Worth a mention

Chestnut-banded Plovers have some of their most significant populations around Walvis Bay and Sandwich Harbor on Namibian's coast.

African Skimmers, Rynchops flavirostris are partial intra-African migrants and have a significant population around the Panhandle region of the Okavango Delta (in Botswana.) This region just touches onto Namibia's Caprivi Strip.  The bird is considered endangered, with much of it's population in central Africa.

The Hartlaub's Gull, Larus hartlaubii is endemic to southern Africa western coastline. They are found right the way up Namibia's coast.