14 Days Namibia Birdwatching Trip Tour

We’ll be woken by the raucous calls of Red-billed Spurfowl which are abundant in the surrounding scrub and before breakfast we’ll visit a site for one of Namibia’s special birds, Rockrunner. This near endemic is, as its name suggest, found amongst rocky outcrops, and is usually first detected by its strange, oriole-like song. Other birds we hope for include Orange River Francolin, Common Scimitarbill, vivid Southern Red Bishops, and smart Black-faced Waxbills.  During our outdoor breakfast we may be further distracted by Short-toed Rock Thrush, Carp’s Tit, Familiar Chat and Bradfield’s Swift. We’ll then start our journey south and should soon see massive Sociable Weaver nests, clinging to roadside poles and trees, and some may have the tiny Pygmy Falcon in attendance. Southern Pale Chanting Goshawks will also be using the roadside poles as a convenient lookout perch while other raptors could include Black-winged Kite or the mighty Martial Eagle.

Monteiro’s Hornbill, Rufous-crowned Rollers, Southern Anteater-chat, Common Fiscal (of the local ‘white-browed’ Namib form), and Chat Flycatcher should be some of the obvious species, and groups of passerines could include White-browed Sparrow Weaver and lots of Lark-like Buntings. Roadside stops by old river courses may reveal a noisy group of Violet Wood-hoopes or Golden-tailed Woodpecker. Our destination is a working guest farm at Namibgrens which is perched on the edge of the Khomas highlands, close to the famous Spreetshoogte Pass, a gateway to the vast Namib Desert and the perfect base from which to explore the area. Night at Namibgrens.

We’ll start the day birding the grounds of the farm where Groundscraper Thrush, Layard’s Tit Babbler, Karoo Scrub-robin and Crimson-breasted Shrike are all possible before breakfast. We then drive through the Spreetshoogte Pass where from the top we can gaze across the immense Namib-Naukluft wilderness stretching away towards the coast. The Pass should give us a variety of birds from smart Augur Buzzard to stunning Bokmakierie, and Scarlet-chested and the tiny Dusky Sunbirds. It is also one of the traditional sites to see Herero Chat, a bird that is restricted to Namibia and neighbouring Angola. This distinctive flycatcher uses the small acacia trees as a look out but can at times be remarkably difficult to locate. If we fail to find one here we have other sites later in the tour where it can be found.

Moving on we’ll stop to look for some other species, which we may only see in this area such as Cinnamon-breasted Warbler. This dry country is good for larks and we should see Stark’s, Sabota, and Karoo Long-billed Larks today, and we’ll also hope for a sighting of the impressive Ludwig’s Bustard. We’ll stop at Solitaire, an isolated outpost where a small bakery is famous for its apple pie. The trees surrounding the buildings can be a good place to see Rosy-faced Lovebirds coming to drink at dripping taps as we defend our apple pie against Cape and Great Sparrows and Cape Starlings! Although we are in a remote part of the country, Sossusvlei is one of Namibia’s big tourist attractions – it is here where you can see those huge brick-red sand dunes that adorn the guide book pages.

If time permits, we will visit the dunes first in the afternoon. It is then that the low light creates dark curving shadows that contrast with the deep red sand forming endless photo opportunities. There are also birds to look for and this will be the first chance we have for Dune Lark. This sandy coloured lark is Namibia’s only endemic and can be found running fast over the dunes in search of insects. Elsewhere we may find Common Ostrich, Rüppell’s Korhaan, Greater Kestrel and Mountain Wheatear. Night in Sesriem area.

This morning there may be more time to return to the dunes at dawn and to search for more new birds including Secretary bird and Karoo Chat, as well as stately Gemsbok, the most common ungulate in this area. Retracing our steps via Solitaire, we embark on a drive across the Namib-Naukluft, a huge national park the size of Switzerland that takes us through the oldest desert in the world. This is a drive to sit back and take in the slowly unfolding landscape which takes us through more dramatic passes and past dark inselbergs before the landscape levels out as we near the coast.

Birds are not numerous here but there are two in particular that we’ll look for. The striking pale Namib form of Tractrac Chat lives out in this harsh environment and can appear as an almost pure white bird sitting on low vegetation. It shares this environment with small flocks of Gray’s Larks which scurry over the sand in search of seeds. We’ll also search some open gravel fields for Burchell’s Courser.

We should reach the coast and the seaside town of Walvis Bay in the afternoon and after checking in to our hotel, we’ll take our first look at the lagoon.  One thing is certain – there will be lots of birds – tens of thousands of them in fact, but how close they might be will depend on the tide.  Immediately obvious are the pink Lesser Flamingos stretching to the horizon, with smaller numbers of Greater Flamingos in amongst them, and very large flocks of Cape Cormorants constantly streaming up and down the lagoon. Less numerous will be the noisy African Black Oystercatchers, while Great White Pelicans can often be found right up on the boulevard that borders the lagoon. Night at Walvis Bay.

The extensive salt pans at Walvis Bay are a great place for birds. Driving along the convenient roadways that separate the pans it is hard to escape both species of flamingos, but they will be mingling with hordes of Cape Teal, Pied Avocets, and a mix of wintering waders such as Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey Plover, Red-necked Phalarope, Curlew Sandpiper, and Little Stint. Around the edges of the pans there will be White-fronted Plovers dashing back and forth and we’ll look through these to pick out Chestnut-banded Plover, a dapper African wader typically found on salt pans. Kelp and Hartlaub’s Gulls are always present, along with large Swift and Caspian Terns, which dwarf the local speciality, Damara Tern, a small tern often seen diving for tiny fish in the salt pans and out on the main lagoon. Driving around to the seaward side, we may pick up both Arctic and Pomarine Skuas harrying the local terns, and there should also be Sooty and possibly Cory’s Shearwaters cruising past, albeit at some distance.

If we have not yet seen Dune Lark we have another chance near Walvis Bay, and there are also some great places to see Gray’s Lark as the strip of desert that runs inland behind the coast is much to their liking. We may also travel up the coast to Swakopmund to search for Bank Cormorant, and explore places around Walvis Bay for Red-faced Mousebird, Orange River White Eye, and African Reed Warbler. And being on the coast it would be a crime not to sample the local cuisine so we’ll take dinner at least one night at a local seafood restaurant. Night in Walvis Bay.

Today we leave the coast and head inland. We hope to make a detour to see a truly remarkable plant, the Welwitschia.  These ancient plants are totally unique and only found in the costal desert plains of Namibia and Angola.  If we still haven’t seen Herero Chat then we’ll make a detour to visit Spitzkoppe, a gigantic inselberg that rises out of the plain. Other species in this area include Pale-winged Starlings and Rosy-faced Lovebird whilst Verreaux’s Eagles can be seen overhead.

Our final destination today is the Erongo Mountains. Our lodge is located amidst some superb habitat – a wonderful mixture of scrub and mature trees woven in and around the smooth red rocks. There are some special birds here and in particular we hope to see the rare Hartlaub’s Francolin, whose strident calls echo around the rocky habitat at dawn. We’ll also search for the smart White-tailed Shrike, a striking black and white bird that is restricted to Namibia and parts of Angola. As darkness falls the yelping calls of Freckled Nightjar start to fill the air and we stand a good chance of seeing these birds as they flit around the lodge lights. Night in Erongo Mountains.

We’ll have a pre-breakfast walk around the lodge grounds. As well as catching up with Hartlaub’s Francolins, there should also be Red-billed Francolins here, and Green-winged Pytilia, White-browed Scrub Robin, and Black-faced Waxbill to name a few species.

Moving on we spend one night at a lodge located a short distance outside of Etosha National Park. This lodge is surrounded by some good habitats, including large areas of open grassland, and one of the main reasons for staying here is to do a night drive. Although it can be hard to predict what we will see, we hope to find Southern White-faced Scops and Barn Owls, and perhaps a nightjar or two. However the main attraction is likely to be the mammals, with both Aardvark and Aardwolf possible, along with Bat-eared Fox, the strange Spring Hare, White-tipped Mongoose, and Small-spotted Genet. Night at Rustig Toko.

One of Africa’s great wildlife destinations, Etosha – the Great White Place – is a magnificent location for wildlife. At its center lies the massive baked salt pan that gives it its name. Some seventy miles long, this shimmering expanse is dry most of the time, only receiving a thin cover of water after significant rain. However, this impressive natural feature is surrounded by a rich mosaic of savannah, mopane woodland, and open grassland, all of which is alive with birds and animals. Dotted through this are a series of waterholes that provide an essential lifeline for the wildlife, and a unique viewing opportunity for the visitors.

We begin in the west and today’s drive takes us across Damaraland to the western end of Etosha and we’ll arrive at our lodge in time for an afternoon game drive and our first chance to see some of the areas mammals. The number of mammals depends very much on the rains but Giraffe should be immediately obvious towering above the trees and we have a very good chance to see our first African Elephants.

There will be lots of antelope ranging from the huge Kudu to the elegant black-fronted form of Impala, and with so much prey around, a sighting of a Lion or Spotted Hyena can also be expected.  The first lodge we hope to stay at has a large, floodlit waterhole and as dusk falls we can expect a variety of mammals and birds to appear. Sitting quietly within feet of the water we may be treated to a Black Rhinoceros or two coming to drink, a very special encounter with a magnificent animal. There may also be some nocturnal birds present such as Verreaux’s Eagle Owl or a Rufous-eared Nightjar.

Our drives out on the plains can provide us with a wonderful variety of encounters. On the areas of open grassland we’ll be looking for Kori Bustard, Helmeted Guineafowl, Temminck’s and Double-banded Coursers, Red-capped, Spike-heeled, and Pink-billed Larks, Capped Wheatears, Desert Cisticola, Rufous-eared Warbler, and African Pipit. Overhead the open skies are the domain of the park’s many raptors and we’ll be looking for Lappet-faced and African White-backed Vultures, Tawny Eagle, and Bateleur.

These plains will also be home to large herds of Springbok, Blue Wildebeest, Warthog, and Burchell’s Zebra, all of which will join other species at one of the many waterholes. Watching over an active waterhole is fascinating and we could once again be lucky enough to see a Black Rhino, this time in daylight. Black-backed Jackals seem to be everywhere and it is not unusual to find groups of Spotted Hyenas coming to the waterholes as well. Birds also need to drink. At some of the more open waterholes, and if the rains have been sparse, the morning air is filled with the distinctive calls of Namaqua Sandgrouse, flights of which are constantly coming and going.

These birds are always very wary when drinking, as indeed they should be with the attendant Lanner Falcons always on the lookout for a meal. Occasionally the abundant Namaqua Sandgrouse are joined by the much rarer Burchell’s Sandgrouse, their reddish colour and lack of tail streamers helping us separate them out. Many Cape Turtle and Laughing Doves will join the throng, as will the common Grey-backed Sparrow-larks and perhaps a few Chestnut-backed Sparrow-larks. Waders are also attracted to the pools and most will have some resident Kittlitz’s Plovers in attendance, while it’s not unusual to see a Hamerkop stalking the water’s edge.

The savannah, scrub and woodland of Etosha is criss-crossed by numerous tracks that gets us close to many of its birds. Lilac-breasted Rollers can allow a close approach and both Red-crested and Northern Black Korhaans can often be found on the roadside, while the bushes hold a variety of birds such as African Grey and Southern Red-billed Hornbills, Long-billed Crombec, African Barred Warbler, Burnt-necked Eremomela, and Southern White-crowned Shrike.

In the eastern part of Etosha there will take in more waterholes to take in and we’ll also stop at a lodge to search the grounds for the distinctive Bare-cheeked Babbler, another bird found only in Namibia and Angola. This lodge is also usually home to a resident Barn Owl and a tiny African Scops Owl, both of which we hope to see at their daytime roosts.

From our eastern base we’ll undoubtedly have many repeat encounters with the birds and mammals that have entertained us over the past few days. However, there will be new things to look for as we search for Swainson’s Francolins, Red-necked Falcon, Shikra, Gabar Goshawk, Yellow-billed Hornbills, Meyer’s Parrot, Rufous-naped Lark, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, and Scaly-feathered Finch to mention a few. Nights in Etosha National Park.

Taking our reluctant leave of Etosha, we begin our return journey towards Windhoek. However, before we reach there we have one final place to visit, the renowned Waterberg Plateau. This dramatic and very prominent feature rises some 700 feet out of the eastern plains. Our lodge is in a remarkable setting. Located at the end of a long valley, it is surrounded on three sides by towering sandstone cliffs. There is a natural spring which promotes a tropical environment around the lodge and creates a wonderfully relaxing place to end our tour. Night at Waterberg Wilderness Lodge.

We have all day to explore this area. The dense woodland on the approach the lodge is where we may find parties of striking Southern Pied Babblers or White-crested Helmet Shrikes. The rocky cliffs are perfect habitat for Bradfield’s Hornbill and we’ll be listening out for their distinctive whistling call, while there will be another chance to locate Hartlaub’s Spurfowl. This is probably our best location for finding Rüppell’s Parrot as this attractive bird, a near-endemic, can be found feeding on the seed pods of tall acacia trees around the lodge. Other species that we may come across today include African Hawk Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Little Sparrowhawk, Lesser Honeyguide, and White-bellied Sunbird. As night falls we may catch sight of Lesser Bushbabies bouncing around the tall trees, or a Cape Porcupine coming to a feeding station. Night in Waterberg Wilderness Lodge.

After breakfast we will begin our journey back to Windhoek where the tour ends after lunch.