Full itinerary – Namibia, Botswana & Zambia Birding Tour
Tour info:
Duration: 14 days / 13 nights
Tour starts in Livingstone (Zambia) ends in Walvis Bay (Namibia)
Comfortable, mid-range accommodation
Available to book as private guided birding tour.
Next Group departure date: 12 November 2026 (booking open), 7 January 2027 (booking open) and 11 November 2027 (booking open)
Full Itinerary:
Day 1: Livingstone, Zambia.
Start of the Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia Birding Tour in Livingstone, Zambia
Our Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia birding tour, also known as the NBZ tour, begins today in Livingstone in southern Zambia. Participants are in for an unforgettable birding adventure.
After arriving at Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport, guests are met and transferred by comfortable vehicle to our lodge on the banks of the Zambezi River, approximately 30 minutes away. Livingstone is a major tourism center near Victoria Falls and was named after Scottish explorer and missionary David Livingstone, the first European to explore the area.
Guests will spend the next two nights at a lodge located along the banks of the mighty Zambezi River, with views stretching along the property. Accommodation is in luxury tented chalets with en suite facilities. The lodge has earned several awards, including the Certificate of Excellence from Tripadvisor (2015–2018) and the Guest Review Award from Booking.com (2016–2018).
Once settled, the first birding activity is a walk around the lodge grounds. The Zambezi riverside habitat is home to a wide variety of bird species. During the walk, guests may see Collared Palm Thrush, Red-faced Cisticola, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Orange-breasted Bushshrike, Southern Yellow White-eye, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Bearded Scrub Robin, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Arrow-marked Babbler, White-browed Coucal, and African Emerald, Jacobin, Red-chested, Levaillant’s, Klaas’s, and Diederik Cuckoo.
The day concludes with a sundowner drink and a welcome dinner, where guests can share stories of previous birding trips and discuss target species for the tour. The natural sounds of wildlife along the Zambezi River provide a perfect backdrop, creating an immersive African experience. Afterward, guests settle in for a restful night, ready for the adventures ahead.
Day 2: Victoria Falls & Zambezi River.
The day begins with a cup of coffee while scanning the river, hoping to spot the resident African Finfoot pair. Afterwards, we make our way to Victoria Falls, where we will spend the morning exploring one of the world’s natural wonders and birding in the riverine woodland surrounding the falls.
Victoria Falls, also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya or “The Smoke that Thunders,” is the largest waterfall in the world by volume, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. While facts and figures are impressive, nothing prepares you for the sight of the vast, powerful water plunging into the Zambezi Gorge. The falls are truly majestic, unforgettable, and a must-see destination for adventure and wildlife travelers.
Birding Around Victoria Falls
While enjoying the falls, birding continues along several footpaths in the small national park surrounding the area. Target species include Schalow’s Turaco, Trumpeter Hornbill, White-browed Robin-chat, Red-winged Starling, Terrestrial Brownbul, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Rock Martin, Rock Pratincole, Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, and a variety of water birds. Time permitting, we may also visit the local water treatment works, where African Rail, African Swamphen, Orange-breasted and Blue Waxbill, and raptors such as Augur Buzzard and Verreaux’s Eagle can be observed.
Lunch is planned in town near the falls after an exhilarating morning of sightseeing and birding.
Zambezi River Boat Cruise
In the afternoon, we enjoy a boat cruise on the Zambezi River, another highlight of the tour. Gliding down the river with a drink in one hand and binoculars in the other offers excellent birding and wildlife viewing opportunities. On the cruise, we hope to see African Skimmer, Rufous-bellied Heron, White-backed Night Heron, African Finfoot, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Dickinson’s Kestrel, and Half-collared, Malachite, Pied, and Giant Kingfishers. Along the river, we will also encounter our first animals of the trip, including Nile Crocodile and Hippopotamus.
After the cruise, we return to the same lodge as the previous night to update our bird lists, enjoy dinner, and rest after an exciting day in Africa’s “adventure capital.”
Day 3: Eastern Caprivi.
The day begins with a pre-breakfast birding walk in the miombo woodland near the lodge. Birders may spot Miombo Rock Thrush, Racket-tailed Roller, Miombo Pied Barbet, Retz’s and White-crested Helmetshrike, Striped Kingfisher, Kurrichane Thrush, Lizard Buzzard, and a variety of other woodland birds before returning for breakfast.
Crossing into Namibia via Katima Mulilo
After breakfast, we leave Zambia and travel to the Namibian border, crossing near the town of Katima Mulilo. Several birding stops are planned along the way. Katima Mulilo, often called “Katima” by locals, is the main town in the Caprivi Strip (Zambezi region) of northeastern Namibia. The town lies on the banks of the Zambezi River and historically held strategic importance during the Second World War and the South African Border War.
Depending on the time of year, we may visit the Muchile Important Bird Area to search for the localized Black-cheeked Lovebird. The mopane woodlands in the area also provide sightings of Arnot’s Chat, Bennett’s Woodpecker, Meves’s Starling, and Southern Ground Hornbill.
During lunch in Katima Mulilo, guests may spot Northern Grey-headed Sparrow and Bronze Mannikin. The day concludes at the spectacular Southern Carmine Bee-eater colony near our lodge, offering a remarkable birding experience.
Evening at the Lodge
Tonight’s accommodation is an intimate, owner-run lodge situated on the banks of a large Zambezi backwater. The lodge offers comfortable rooms, tree-filled grounds, a bar, restaurant, and a swimming pool. Guests should keep an eye out for Common Genet after dark, and it is possible to see Greater Kudu, Impala, or even African Elephant nearby.
Before heading to your room after dinner, look up at the Milky Way, which is especially spectacular in this remote bush location.
Day 4: The Zambezi Floodplains & Okavango River.
The day begins with an early cup of coffee while enjoying the flight of Wire-tailed, Lesser Striped, and Grey-rumped Swallows, along with Brown-throated and Banded Martins over the river. Afterward, we depart for a pre-breakfast birding excursion across the lily-covered pans and the Zambezi floodplain.
Target species during this morning birding include Lesser Jacana, African Pygmy Goose, White-backed Duck, Slaty Egret, Rosy-throated Longclaw, Coppery-tailed Coucal, Saddle-billed Stork, Black and Rufous-bellied Heron, White-crowned Lapwing, and, if we are very lucky, Black Coucal.
Drive Across the Caprivi Strip
After breakfast, we embark on a lengthy drive across the Caprivi Strip to the Botswana border. Along the way, there will be stops at notable birding sites, including a stake-out for Rock Pratincole, before arriving at our lodge on the banks of the Okavango River.
The Caprivi Strip, approximately 450 km long and 32 km wide, was named after German Chancellor Leo von Caprivi. In 1890, he negotiated the acquisition of the land in an exchange with the United Kingdom at the Berlin Conference. The strip was annexed to German South West Africa to give Germany access to the Zambezi River and a route to its colony in East Africa (now part of Tanzania). However, the river later proved unnavigable to the Indian Ocean due to the presence of Victoria Falls.
Birding at the Okavango Lodge
Time permitting, we will enjoy birding in the lodge’s grounds, which are home to Hartlaub’s Babbler, Southern Brown-throated Weaver, Green Wood Hoopoe, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, and Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird. African Wood Owl and African Barred Owlet are also often observed in this area.
Lodge Accommodation and Evening
Tonight’s lodge offers a warm welcome, personalized attention, local knowledge from owners and staff, an excellent restaurant, lush gardens, and a swimming pool. Situated in a birding and fishing paradise in the Okavango Panhandle, it provides the perfect base for both relaxation and wildlife observation.
In the evening, we will enjoy a sumptuous dinner while updating our growing trip list. Before returning to your room for a restful night, listen for the distinctive who-who, who-who-who-are-you call of the African Wood Owl, a perfect soundtrack under the African sky.
Day 5: The Okavango River.
The day begins with a morning walk in the riverine forest, where we will search for Narina Trogon, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Grey-headed Bushshrike, Bradfield’s Hornbill, Swamp Boubou, Brubru, Black-backed Puffback, and Bennett’s, Golden-tailed, Cardinal, and Bearded Woodpecker.
After breakfast, we depart for an exciting boat cruise on the Okavango River, which promises to be one of the highlights of the tour. Key target species include the elusive Pel’s Fishing Owl, the even more elusive White-backed Night Heron, Luapula and Chirping Cisticola, Greater Swamp Warbler, Little Rush Warbler, Little Bittern, Allen’s Gallinule, and Purple Heron. More common species along the river include Squacco and Grey Heron, Tawny-flanked Prinia, White-winged Tern, Hamerkop, African Openbill, African Fish Eagle, and African Marsh Harrier, as well as Village Weaver.
Afternoon Birding in Mahango Game Park
The afternoon is dedicated to exploring Mahango Game Park, a small but incredibly diverse reserve. Covering 25,000 hectares (60,000 acres) along the Okavango River floodplain in the western Caprivi, it forms part of the greater Bwabwata National Park. Mahango has a bird list of over 400 species and is recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. The park includes three distinct habitats: riverside areas with trees, reedbeds, and grassland; open woodland further from the river; and dry woodland with dense patches of large trees in the south.
Birds we hope to see include Wattled Crane, Long-toed Lapwing, Slaty Egret, Collared Pratincole, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Violet-eared Waxbill, Verreaux’s Eagle-owl, Crested Francolin, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Greater and Lesser Honeyguide, Long-billed Crombec, Grey Tit-flycatcher, Broad-billed Roller, African Fish Eagle, Western Osprey, Brown-necked Parrot, African Cuckoo-hawk, Ayres’s Hawk-eagle, and smaller raptors such as Lizard Buzzard, Little and Ovambo Sparrowhawk, and Shikra.
Mahango also provides excellent game viewing, with the possibility of spotting Sable and Roan Antelope, Tsessebe, African Elephant, African Buffalo, Hippopotamus, Red Lechwe, Greater Kudu, Impala, and, with luck, predators including Lion, Cheetah, African Wild Dog, or Leopard.
Lodge Stay on the Okavango River
We will check in to our lodge on the banks of the Okavango River, overlooking Bwabwata National Park just before sunset. The lodge offers comfortable thatched, air-conditioned bungalows and excellent Namibian cuisine. Sunsets from the decks provide incredible photo opportunities and lasting memories.
The day concludes with dinner together, after which guests retire for a good night’s rest, ready for the adventures of the following day.
Day 6: The Caprivi Broadleaf Woodland
The day begins with a pre-breakfast birding walk around the lodge. Target species include Black Cuckoo, Mourning Collared and Red-eyed Dove, African Green Pigeon, Meves’s and Violet-backed Starling, Brown Firefinch, Woodland Kingfisher, Thick-billed Weaver, Swamp Boubou, Meyer’s Parrot, Hartlaub’s Babbler, White-browed Robin-chat, and Southern Yellow White-eye.
Morning Birding Between Divundu and Rundu
After the lodge walk, we spend the morning birding the woodland between Divundu and Rundu, which offers the chance to see miombo and broadleaf woodland specials normally found further north in Zambia. Key species include Racket-tailed Roller, Rufous-bellied Tit, Souza’s Shrike, Green-backed Honeybird, African Hobby, and, with luck, Sharp-tailed Starling.
More common woodland birds in the area include Pale and Southern Black Flycatcher, Green-capped Eremomela, Southern Black Tit, Striped Kingfisher, Meyer’s Parrot, Fork-tailed Drongo, Tinkling Cisticola, Neddicky, Coqui Francolin, and Dark Chanting Goshawk.
Evening at the Okavango Lodge
Tonight, we stay at the lodge on the Okavango River, set in a beautiful and tranquil environment with green lawns and large trees. Before dinner, guests may enjoy a swim in the lodge’s pool. Dinner follows, with time to update birding lists, after which we retire for a restful night’s sleep.
Day 7: Eastern Etosha National Park
After breakfast we will leave the more tropical woodlands of the Caprivi behind and make our way southwest to Etosha National Park where we will spend the next 3 nights. Our drive is only about 4 hours long, but we will see the landscape change dramatically!
We will reach the eastern side of Etosha at about midday, have lunch at our chosen lodge for the next two nights, and then after a short siesta we go into the park proper.
The Etosha National Park covers more than 22,300 km2 (8,620 sq mi) and is synonymous with big game and wide open spaces. The name Etosha actually means “great white place” referring to the huge dry pan in the middle of the park, believed to have been formed over 100 million years ago and visible from space. It is a dry lakebed, covered in salt and minerals (much like the Bonneville salt flats in the USA). The pan is 130km long and up to 50km wide, totally inaccessible to humans, and covers a quarter of the whole park.
Etosha is one of the main reasons visitors from all over the globe come to Namibia, and is home to a staggering amount of wildlife, both common and rare, including several threatened and endangered species. The mammal list is at over 110 species, including four of the famed Big Five. Etosha has no African Buffalo, but excitingly there is currently a conservation program on the go to reintroduce African Wild Dogs.
Etosha also has a bird list of more than 350 species, and has the odd record of having the smallest southern African bird, the Cape Penduline Tit, the world’s largest bird, the Common Ostrich, and the world’s largest flying bird, the Kori Bustard, all in one park! The sight of thousands of bright pink flamingos in the Etosha pan after summer rain is something one never forgets.
The first two nights will be in the eastern section of the park where we hope to find Blue Crane, Black-faced Babbler, Swainson’s Spurfowl, Blue Waxbill, Chestnut Weaver, White-browed Robin-chat, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Cape Starling, Double-banded Courser and Chat Flycatcher along the way. If the Etosha pan is full of water it is transformed into a water bird spectacle with huge numbers of pelicans, Lesser and Greater Flamingo, Caspian and Chestnut-banded Plover, Red-billed and Cape Teal, Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt and Black-necked and Great Crested Grebe.
From a mammal point of view this area is perfect for finding the endemic Kirk’s Dik-dik (Namibian subspecies). We could also see African Elephant, Lion, Black Rhinoceros, Giraffe, Cheetah, Spotted Hyaena, Leopard, Black-backed Jackal, Black-faced Impala (another endemic subspecies), Hartebeest (Red subspecies), Gemsbok (Namibia’s national animal), Greater Kudu, Springbok and many other smaller mammals during our stay in the park.
Our accommodation for the next two nights is right on the eastern doorstep of Etosha, situated in the mopane woodland of the region. Classic African safari style thatched buildings are dotted around the vast indigenous gardens, allowing for some good birding from your own room! The localized Black-faced Babbler has been recorded here in the past! The lodge is on its own 4,000 hectare private nature reserve that shares a border with Etosha, so you could even see some interesting mammals.
The staff are very proud of their cuisine here and we will settle in for a good meal tonight. After a week together it might be a good idea to start chatting about future trips we could plan for to another exotic location somewhere around the globe.
After our meal we will retire to our rooms and have a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow we have our first full day in Etosha!
Day 8: East-central Etosha National Park
Today will be dedicated to exploring the east-central section of the vast Etosha National Park. We will either have an early breakfast at the lodge or a packed one that we will enjoy at one of the waterholes dotted around the park. Either way, there will definitely be coffee!
We will enter the park after a few minutes’ drive at the eastern gate. We will look for Monotonous and Rufous-naped Lark, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Burnt-necked Eremomela and Violet-eared Waxbill. We will also keep an eye out for Etosha’s raptors, which include Martial and Tawny Eagle, Black-chested and Brown Snake Eagle, Lanner, Peregrine and Red-necked Falcon, Bateleur, and Pale Chanting and Gabar Goshawk.
The major attraction and unique feature in Etosha are the permanent waterholes, each with its own characteristics and surroundings. It is sometimes best to sit and wait quietly and patiently for an hour or two at one of these waterholes and wait for the mammals and birds to turn up; a fantastic treat and one you will talk about for a long time!
Depending on what we see this morning, we can either return to our lodge for lunch, have a packed lunch in a nice spot or go to Halali camp for lunch in the restaurant.
Halali camp itself is known for sightings of Violet Wood Hoopoe, Carp’s Tit, Bare-cheeked and Southern Pied Babbler, White-crested Helmetshrike, Damara Red-billed Hornbill, Greater Blue-eared Starling, African Scops Owl and Southern White-faced Owl.
Etosha is also well known for vultures and we might see Lappet-faced, White-backed, White-headed and Hooded Vulture. Every now and again an Egyptian Vulture even turns up!
After a superb first full day in Etosha we will again exit at the eastern gate and return to our lodge for listing, dinner and a good night’s sleep.
Day 9: Southern Etosha National Park
After breakfast we will again enter the park and make our way westwards as we continue to explore this great park.
We will stop at waterholes during our drive, as this is where the mammals congregate, especially in the dry months. We will obviously also stop for interesting birds along the way. And keep your cameras at the ready, as Etosha is a photographer’s dream, with the contrasts in light, colour and textures particularly dramatic. Many a guest’s “lifer shots” of African animal and bird species were taken in this park.
We will stop for lunch at Halali camp, and if there is time we will take a short stroll to the famous waterhole that can be seen from inside the camp. All sorts of mammals come to drink here, and every now and again something truly spectacular happens!
The area around Okaukuejo camp (where we are heading) should produce Dusky and Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Acacia Pied Barbet, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Southern White-crowned Shrike, Marico and Chat Flycatcher, Rattling Cisticola, Double-banded and Namaqua Sandgrouse, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Common Ostrich, Kori Bustard, Northern Black and Red-crested Korhaan and Great Sparrow to name a few. We will scan on top of all the huge Sociable Weaver nests for Pygmy Falcon. Also keep an eye out for snakes in the nests or close to them, something else Etosha is famous for.
We will also use the late afternoon (if there is time) to bird the Okondeka plains north of the camp where we will look for Spike-heeled, Pink-billed, Eastern Clapper, Red-capped and Sabota Lark as well as Grey-backed and Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark, Capped Wheatear, Double-banded Courser, Ant-eating Chat, Desert Cisticola and Rufous-eared Warbler. The waterhole in this area is also famous as being the best place in the park to see Lions.
We will reach our next camp, Okaukuejo, late in the afternoon and check in to our rooms. The camp is located only 17 km (11 mi) from the southern entrance of the Etosha Park, the Andersson gate, and is at the western end of the Etosha pan. It is the oldest tourist camp in Etosha and the administrative centre of the park.
The camp grounds themselves are also very productive, and here we could see Crimson-breasted Shrike, Groundscraper Thrush, Pririt Batis, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Red-headed Finch, Acacia Pied Barbet and South African Ground Squirrel.
We will enjoy dinner in the restaurant and update our lists, and then walk to the famous floodlit waterhole in the camp. We will sit quietly with a drink in hand and we look for Verreaux’s Eagle-owl, Western Barn Owl and Rufous-cheeked Nightjar, and we could even see Black Rhinoceros come for a drink. There might also be African Elephant, Giraffe, Gemsbok, Greater Kudu, Springbok, Common Warthog and many other animals. Sitting here will make you realise why Etosha is such a special place…
Day 10: Western Etosha National Park
We will start with an early coffee and a short morning birding and game drive around Okaukuejo (where we could bird the Okondeka plains north of the camp if we didn’t do so yesterday).
After breakfast we will make our way to the far western section of the park, visiting several waterholes along the way, hoping to see Burchell’s Sandgrouse drinking at one of them during the course of the morning. Today is mostly a driving day, but we will still see some fantastic mammals, birds and dramatic scenery.
The birdlife in the far western part of Etosha remains prolific, and the area holds several specials, some of which cannot easily be seen elsewhere in the park. These include Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Rüppell’s Parrot, White-tailed Shrike, Rockrunner, Violet Wood Hoopoe and Bare-cheeked Babbler.
We will reach Dolomite camp late in the afternoon after another fantastic day in Etosha. As the name suggests, the camp nestles in the dolomite outcrops of western Etosha and offers an intimate experience in one of the most scenic areas of the park, and was the first lodge to be built in this section of the park. The area is rich in waterholes that attract African Elephant, rhinos, Leopard, Lion, Springbok, Gemsbok and Red Hartebeest. The seasonal flowers of Dolomite Hill are also a highlight for botanists.
We will get together for socialising, updating our lists and dinner before settling in for our final night in wonderful Etosha. Tomorrow a different part of the tour starts!
Day 11: Damaraland
We will be up early and once we leave the park we have an option to visit a lodge near Kamanjab. This lodge and the surrounding area is home to several of Namibia’s near-endemic birds and other specials that include Bare-cheeked Babbler, Carp’s Tit, Rockrunner, Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, Ruppell’s Parrot, African Scops Owl, Southern Pied Babbler and White-tailed Shrike. Monteiro’s and Damara Red-billed Hornbills are also both common around the lodge.
Then we will make our way south to Damaraland. It is a region in the north-central part of the country, bounded to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the east by the Kalahari desert, to the north by Kaokoland, and to the south by the Great Namaqualand. It is a visually dramatic area, with rugged rocks, prehistoric water courses, open plains and grassland, massive granite koppies (hills) and deep gorges. Get your cameras ready!
The rocky outcrops of Twyfelfontein is a top-notch attraction of the area, and one of Namibia’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, featuring exceptional Bushmen engravings, which are considered to be some of the best-preserved etchings on the continent.
This beautiful mountainous region is also home to an assortment of scientifically important desert-adapted wildlife such as elephant, rhino, zebra and lion, which somehow survive and thrive in this near-barren landscape. We hope to see some of them; a special treat indeed!
We are heading for the arid plains around the Brandberg Mountain (literally “fire mountain” in Afrikaans), Namibia’s highest mountain (2,573 m/ 8,442 ft), where we will spend the night and search for specific target birds.
We will scan the plains north of the mountain for Rüppell’s Korhaan, Burchell’s Courser, Bokmakierie and Benguela Long-billed Lark. The hills will hopefully produce Herero Chat, arguably the toughest of the endemics to find, and Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Cape Penduline Tit and Grey-backed Cisticola can also be ticked here.
Our tranquil lodge is situated close to the Ugab River where we hope to see Violet Wood Hoopoe and Bare-cheeked Babbler. Rüppell’s Parrot and Augur Buzzard can be found here as well. Sometimes the desert adapted wildlife come right up to the lodge!
We will enjoy a traditional Namibian dinner and then head off to bed. Once again, remember to look at the stars while you are out here – a spectacular sight you will never forget.
Day 12: The Erongo Mountains
We will start with an early coffee and breakfast, and then spend the morning birding around the Brandberg, making sure we pick up all the species we still need. The Brandberg is a spiritual site of great significance to the San (Bushman) tribes. The main tourist attraction, apart from the peak, is the White Lady rock painting (one of over 45,000 paintings), located on a rock face with other artwork, under a small rock overhang, in the Tsisab ravine at the foot of the mountain.
We will make our way south to the Erongo mountains after leaving Brandberg. The Erongo mountains and surrounds are a real endemic hotspot and we will focus on finding any of the endemics that we might have missed.
We will have lunch on the way to Erongo and arrive in the afternoon with enough time to enjoy this spectacular area.
The granite hills surrounding the beautiful and luxurious lodge where we will stay tonight are famous for Hartlaub’s Spurfowl and Rockrunner. Besides these two specials we can look for Rüppell’s Parrot, Carp’s Tit, White-tailed Shrike, Monteiro’s and Damara Red-billed Hornbill, Violet Wood Hoopoe, Pale-winged Staring, Red-billed Spurfowl, Augur Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, African Hawk-eagle, Booted Eagle, vultures, and Cinnamon-breasted, Golden-breasted, Cape and Lark-like Bunting.
Rosy-faced Lovebirds are present in massive numbers and we will also wrap up on the general scrub savannah birds like White-throated, Yellow and Black-throated Canary, Green-winged Pytilia, Short-toed Rock Thrush, Violet-eared, Black-cheeked and Blue Waxbill, Barred Wren-warbler, Rattling Cisticola, Marico Flycatcher, Pririt Batis, Shaft-tailed Whydah, African Red-eyed Bulbul, White-backed Mousebird, Cape Starling and Mountain Wheatear.
Dassie Rat and Common Rock Hyrax are common mammals while the endemic Kaokoveld Slender Mongoose, Leopard and Caracal are seen quite often. Western Barn Owl and Freckled Nightjar are seen on most evenings at the floodlit waterhole as we enjoy our excellent dinner.
Day 13: Walvis Bay
We will start the day with an early walk looking for Hartlaub’s Spurfowl if we didn’t see it yesterday. This beautiful near-endemic is difficult to find at the best of times, and the most successful way to locate it is to listen for the ventriloquial call and then try to sneak up on it!
After our morning birding and breakfast we will make our way further southwest to Walvis Bay and the Atlantic coast, stopping to look for Gray’s Lark along the way.
Walvis Bay (literally meaning “Whale Bay” in Afrikaans), with its large bay and sand dunes, is an important centre of tourism activity in Namibia and a favourite spot for internationals and locals alike.
Attractions include the artificial Bird Island, the Dune 7 sand dune, the salt works and a museum. It is also Namibia’s most important harbour, and is well suited for the outdoor lifestyle, boasting sports such as sandboarding, kiting, surfing, kitesurfing, swimming, angling, sailing, golf and other indoor and outdoor sport codes. The town is also making a name for its self in the culinary world, with local Namibian and German cuisine at the forefront.
After checking into our lodge for the evening we will spend the afternoon at the famous Walvis Bay lagoon, which has been declared a Ramsar site of global importance for the thousands of waders that are found here. It is regarded as the most important coastal wetland in all of southern Africa.
One of our main targets today will be the Damara Tern. Other birds we hope to find include Great White Pelican, Ruff, Little Stint, Sanderling, Curlew, Terek and Pectoral Sandpiper, Black-necked Grebe, Red-necked Phalarope, Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwit, Common and Spotted Redshank, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Swift, Common, Sandwich, Black and Caspian Tern, African Oystercatcher, Common Ringed, Chestnut-banded, Grey and Three-banded Plover and Greater and Lesser Flamingo. Cape Cormorants are usually spotted in huge flocks and we will also look for Crowned and White-breasted Cormorant and if we are lucky even Bank Cormorant.
The great thing about this area is that almost anything can turn up so we have the possibilities to see a rarity or two. Pomarine Jaeger and Subantarctic Skua are sometimes seen from the shoreline. Also look out for American and Pacific Golden Plover, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Franklin’s Gull.
Our brightly coloured lodge is situated a stone’s throw from the Walvis Bay lagoon and is especially famous for their fantastic breakfast and superb personal service. From a birding perspective, Orange River White-eye, Cape Sparrow and Common Waxbill are all present in the lodge gardens.
We will have our farewell dinner somewhere in town at one of the many excellent establishments, and afterwards enjoy our final night of the tour under African skies.
Day 14: Dune Lark and departure
Unfortunately our wonderful trip has almost come to an end. However, there is one more very special bird we need for our lists.
On our final morning we will focus on finding Dune Lark, Namibia’s only true endemic and a great bird to end the trip with. We will spend time in the scenic Kuiseb riverbed searching for this special species at the base of some of the impressive dunes that form a beautiful backdrop.
This hard-to-find sandy-coloured lark survives in this harsh environment without any water, instead getting everything it needs to survive from seeds and insects found in the sparsely vegetated areas between the dunes in the desert. In fact there are no known records of it ever drinking even a drop of water!
Other interesting birds we might see here include Bokmakierie, White-backed Mousebird, Cape and Great Sparrow, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Dusky Sunbird, Grey-backed Cisticola, Jackal Buzzard, Pale Chanting Goshawk and the desert form of the Tractrac Chat.
As most flights from Walvis Bay International Airport depart around lunchtime we should have a little extra time to bird the lagoon area for any waders or shorebirds that we might have missed.
We will then transfer you to the Walvis Bay Airport for your onward flight. This will be the official end of our superb two week birding safari in Namibia, Botswana and Zambia.
