albertvoigts
Member
what a great time we had, thanks to Nomtsas Safaris, since I am not very good at writing, I will give a "short how to" do report on the Caprivi in Namibia
click here to find the report with pictures
Birding in the Caprivi - a short collection
Rundu at Okavango: The tall trees mostly belong to Treminalia sericea (Silver Cluster-leaf)
Try and call Barred Owl and Pearl-spotted Owlet. This attracts many birds.
Good birds seen: Ashy Flycatcher (Bluegrey Flycatcher) / Schieferschnäpper – listen to its call.
Southern White-faced Scops-Owl (White-faced Owl) / Weißgesicht-Ohreule
Rundu sewage works: The reeds consist mostly of: Phragmites australis (Common reed) Try and call African Rail / Kapralle. They move inbetween little openings of the dense reed, from one thicket to another. Prepare to have very short sightings.
Call the Little Rush-Warbler (African Sedge Warbler) / Sumpfbuschsänger, they react to the tape quite well
Expect also to see: Hottentot Teal / Hottentottenente; African Openbill (Openbilled Stork) / Klaffschnabel; African Reed-Warbler (African Marsh Warbler) / Gartenrohrsänger; Coppery-tailed Coucal / Angola-Mönchskuckuck
Move down the road to Divundu: Look out for a mixed forest with little disturbance, consisting of: Schinziophyton rautanenii / old: Rhizinodendron rautanenii - Manketti Tree; Philenoptera violecea / old: Lonchocarpus capassa – Rain-tree or Apple leaf; Baikiaea plurijuga – Zambezi Teak or Zambezi Kiaat; Burkea Africana – Burkea or Wildsering; Dense cover of lower vegetation, some dead tree trunks for breeding on deep Kalahari sands ….
Look out for Rufous-bellied Tit / Rotbauchmeise and Green-capped Eremomela / Grünkappen-Eremomela… try and call them in.
Retz’s Helmet-Shrike old: Redbilled Helmetshrike / Dreifarbenwürger, try and call them in
Picknick area 120km from Rundu:
Search for Arnott’s Chat / Arnotschmätzer (although probably not found here, rather between Divundu and Kongola, they prefer well developed Brachystegia, Baikiaea and Mopane woodland)
White-bellied Sunbird / Weißbauch-Nektarvogel
Yellow-throated Petronia old: Yellowthroated Sparrow / Gelbkehlsperling
Striped Kingfisher / Streifenliest and Woodland Kingfisher / Senegalliest
Brown-crowned Tchagra old: Threestreaked Tchagra / Damaratschagra
Bradfield's Hornbill / Bradfieldtoko, Felsentoko,
Pale Flycatcher old: Pallid Flycatcher / Fahlschnäpper,
Amethyst Sunbird old:Black Sunbird / Amethystglanzköpfchen,
Racket-tailed Roller / Spatelracke (try and call them in), mostly flying through and from lower to medium stratum.
Chinspot Batis / Weißflankenschnäpper,
Tinkling Cisticola / Rotschwanz-Zistensänger (try and call them in),
African Hobby / Afrikanischer Baumfalke,
Black-headed Oriole / Maskenpirol (try and call them in),
Brown Firefinch / Großer Pünktchenamarant,
Red-headed Weaver / Scharlachweber
Dark Chanting Goshawk / Graubürzel-Singhabicht
White-breasted Cuckooshrike / Weißbrust-Raupenfänger (try and call them in)
Southern Black Flycatcher / Drongoschnäpper
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird / Gelbstirn – Bartvogel, try and call them, they don’t come closer, but they do respond.
Wahlberg’s Eagle / Wahlbergs Adler
Lizard Buzzard / Sperberbussard
Wood Pipit / Miombopieper, perches readily on rocks, mounds, bushes and trees. Attracted to grass fires.
Retz’s Helmet-Shrike old: Redbilled Helmetshrike / Dreifarbenwürger, try and call them in
About 30-40km outside Divundu, the forest opens a bit and the lower strata turns into high grass. This makes for good birding for:
Coqui Francolin / Coquifrankolin
Small Buttonquail old: Kurrichane Buttonquail / Laufhühnchen
About 20km outside Divundu, the Manketti forest becomes denser, Try for:
Red-headed Weaver / Scharlachweber
Chinspot Batis / Weißflankenschnäpper
White-browed Scrub-Robin / Weißbrauen-Heckensänger, try and call them
Retz’s Helmet-Shrike old: Redbilled Helmetshrike / Dreifarbenwürger, try and call them in and White-crested Helmet-Shrike old: White Helmetshrike / Brillenwürger, they react very actively to call of Pearl-spotted Owlet – use own and that call.
Try the Rufous-bellied Tit / Rotbauchmeise again.
Leave Divundu and enter the Ngepi road… drive along that road till you reach Mahangu Lodge. Birds to find here:
Luapula Cisticola (split from Black-backed Cisiticola) / Luapula Zistensänger, look out at Reedbeds and other wetland vegetation and rank grass (e.g. Echinochloa colona and Diplachne fusca – swamp grass) associated with rivers and wetlands.
Wood Pipit / Miombopieper, perches readily on rocks, mounds, bushes and trees. Attracted to grass fires.
Tree Pipit / Baumpiper, open edges of woodland, grassy hillsides with scattered bushes, check out edges of exotic plantations and gardens. Plain-backed Pipit / Braunrückenpiper, check out burnt areas and grazed areas, they also like cultivated land.
Buffy Pipit / Vaalpiper
African Pipit / Weidelandpiper
Lizard Buzzard / Sperberbussard along riverine vegetation
Sharp-tailed Starling / Keilschwanz-Glanzstar, look out for lower open woodland, mostly drier part of Habitat.
Birding in vegetation right next to Okavango river should result in the following:
Little Bee-eater / Zwergspint
Hartlaub's Babbler / Weißbürzeldroßling
White-fronted Bee-eater / Weißstirnspint
Purple-banded Sunbird / Kleiner Bindennektarvogel
Violet-backed Starling old: Plumcoloured Starling / Amethyst-Glanzstar
Meves's Starling old: Longtailed Starling / Meves-Glanzstar
Laughing Dove / Senegaltaube
African Mourning Dove / Angolaturteltaube
Wattled Starling / Lappenstar
Greater Blue-eared Starling / Grünschwanz-Glanzstar
African Wood-Owl / Woodfordkauz
Grey-headed Bush-Shrike / Graukopfwürger
White-browed Robin-Chat old: Heuglin’s Robin / Weißbrauenrötel
Meyer's Parrot / Goldbugpapagei
Southern Carmine Bee-eater / Scharlachspint
Black Crake / Mohrenralle
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater / Schwalbenschwanzspint
Red-eyed Dove / Halbmondtaube
Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove old: Greenspotted Dove / Bronzeflecktaube
Drive the road to Kongola bridge…
Try the Retz’s Helmet-Shrike old: Redbilled Helmetshrike / Dreifarbenwürger and Search for Arnott’s Chat / Arnotschmätzer; they prefer well developed Brachystegia, Baikiaea and Mopane woodland), again.
Check out the Bradfields Hornbills.
Keep your eyes peeled for Dickinson’s Kestrel / Schwarzrückenfalke, they like open country near water.
Find the great camping site at Nambwa: Various habitat create some fantastic birding here. En route and at Nambwa you should look out for: Southern Brown-throated Weaver / Braunkehlweber
Wood Pipit / Miombopieper
Crested Francolin / Schopffrankolin
Buffy Pipit / Vaalpieper
Black-collared Barbet / Halsband-Bartvogel
Reed Cormorant / Riedscharbe
African Fish-Eagle / Schreiseeadler
Brown Snake-Eagle / Brauner Schlangenadler
Rufous-bellied Heron / Rotbauchreiher
Purple Heron / Purpurreiher
Cardinal Woodpecker / Kardinalspecht
Broad-billed Roller / Zimtroller
Red-faced Mousebird / Rotzügel-Mausvogel
Green Wood-Hoopoe old: Redbilled Woodhoopoe / Steppenbaumhopf
Common Scimitarbill old: Scimitarbilled Woodhoopoe / Sichelhopf
African Wattled Lapwing / Senegalkiebitz
Collared Pratincole old:Redwinged Pratincole / Brachschwalbe
Crested Barbet / Haubenbartvogel
Blacksmith Lapwing old: Blacksmith Plover / Waffenkiebitz
Chirping Cisticola / Sumpfzistensänger
Tawny-flanked Prinia / Rahmbrustprinie
Dark-capped Bulbul old:Blackeyed Bulbul / Gelbsteißbülbül
Terrestrial Brownbul old:Terrestrial Bulbul / Laubbülbül
Arrow-marked Babbler / Braundroßling
Swainson's Spurfowl old: Swainson's Francolin / Swainsonfrankolin
Yellow-breasted Apalis / Gelbbrust-Feinsänger
Grey-backed Camaroptera old: Greybacked BleatingWarbler / Graurücken-Grasmücke
Swamp Boubou / Zweifarbenwürger
Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike / Orangewürger
Hadeda Ibis / Hagedasch-Ibis
Magpie Shrike old:Longtailed Shrike / Elsterwürger
Lesser Honeyguide / Kleiner Honiganzeiger
Red-billed Oxpecker / Rotschnabel-Madenhacker
Southern Black Flycatcher / Drongoschnäpper
Grey Tit-Flycatcher old: Fantailed Flycatcher / Meisenschnäpper
Drive on to the Zambezi, since this is where the real birding begins:
Birds like Grey-headed Gull Graukopfmöwe
Greater Swamp-Warbler / Papyrusrohrsänger
African Skimmer / Braunmantel-Scherenschnabel
Collared Sunbird / Waldnektarvogel
Yellow-bellied Greenbul / Gelbbrustbülbül
Red-billed Firefinch / Senegal-Amarant
Brown-throated Martin / Braunkehl-Uferschwalbe
White-crowned Lapwing / Langspornkiebitz
Bearded Scrub-Robin / Brauner Bartheckensänger
African Wattled Lapwing / Senegalkiebitz Await you here.
And look out for: Ross’s Turaco old: Ross’s Lourie / Rossturako on the edges of the larger forest tracts. Find stands of Euphorbia and dense Brachystegia.
Also find Eastern Nicator old:Yellowspotted Nicator / Bülbülwürger in the riverine forest.
click here for a report with some beautiful pics
have fun...
click here to find the report with pictures
Birding in the Caprivi - a short collection
Rundu at Okavango: The tall trees mostly belong to Treminalia sericea (Silver Cluster-leaf)
Try and call Barred Owl and Pearl-spotted Owlet. This attracts many birds.
Good birds seen: Ashy Flycatcher (Bluegrey Flycatcher) / Schieferschnäpper – listen to its call.
Southern White-faced Scops-Owl (White-faced Owl) / Weißgesicht-Ohreule
Rundu sewage works: The reeds consist mostly of: Phragmites australis (Common reed) Try and call African Rail / Kapralle. They move inbetween little openings of the dense reed, from one thicket to another. Prepare to have very short sightings.
Call the Little Rush-Warbler (African Sedge Warbler) / Sumpfbuschsänger, they react to the tape quite well
Expect also to see: Hottentot Teal / Hottentottenente; African Openbill (Openbilled Stork) / Klaffschnabel; African Reed-Warbler (African Marsh Warbler) / Gartenrohrsänger; Coppery-tailed Coucal / Angola-Mönchskuckuck
Move down the road to Divundu: Look out for a mixed forest with little disturbance, consisting of: Schinziophyton rautanenii / old: Rhizinodendron rautanenii - Manketti Tree; Philenoptera violecea / old: Lonchocarpus capassa – Rain-tree or Apple leaf; Baikiaea plurijuga – Zambezi Teak or Zambezi Kiaat; Burkea Africana – Burkea or Wildsering; Dense cover of lower vegetation, some dead tree trunks for breeding on deep Kalahari sands ….
Look out for Rufous-bellied Tit / Rotbauchmeise and Green-capped Eremomela / Grünkappen-Eremomela… try and call them in.
Retz’s Helmet-Shrike old: Redbilled Helmetshrike / Dreifarbenwürger, try and call them in
Picknick area 120km from Rundu:
Search for Arnott’s Chat / Arnotschmätzer (although probably not found here, rather between Divundu and Kongola, they prefer well developed Brachystegia, Baikiaea and Mopane woodland)
White-bellied Sunbird / Weißbauch-Nektarvogel
Yellow-throated Petronia old: Yellowthroated Sparrow / Gelbkehlsperling
Striped Kingfisher / Streifenliest and Woodland Kingfisher / Senegalliest
Brown-crowned Tchagra old: Threestreaked Tchagra / Damaratschagra
Bradfield's Hornbill / Bradfieldtoko, Felsentoko,
Pale Flycatcher old: Pallid Flycatcher / Fahlschnäpper,
Amethyst Sunbird old:Black Sunbird / Amethystglanzköpfchen,
Racket-tailed Roller / Spatelracke (try and call them in), mostly flying through and from lower to medium stratum.
Chinspot Batis / Weißflankenschnäpper,
Tinkling Cisticola / Rotschwanz-Zistensänger (try and call them in),
African Hobby / Afrikanischer Baumfalke,
Black-headed Oriole / Maskenpirol (try and call them in),
Brown Firefinch / Großer Pünktchenamarant,
Red-headed Weaver / Scharlachweber
Dark Chanting Goshawk / Graubürzel-Singhabicht
White-breasted Cuckooshrike / Weißbrust-Raupenfänger (try and call them in)
Southern Black Flycatcher / Drongoschnäpper
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird / Gelbstirn – Bartvogel, try and call them, they don’t come closer, but they do respond.
Wahlberg’s Eagle / Wahlbergs Adler
Lizard Buzzard / Sperberbussard
Wood Pipit / Miombopieper, perches readily on rocks, mounds, bushes and trees. Attracted to grass fires.
Retz’s Helmet-Shrike old: Redbilled Helmetshrike / Dreifarbenwürger, try and call them in
About 30-40km outside Divundu, the forest opens a bit and the lower strata turns into high grass. This makes for good birding for:
Coqui Francolin / Coquifrankolin
Small Buttonquail old: Kurrichane Buttonquail / Laufhühnchen
About 20km outside Divundu, the Manketti forest becomes denser, Try for:
Red-headed Weaver / Scharlachweber
Chinspot Batis / Weißflankenschnäpper
White-browed Scrub-Robin / Weißbrauen-Heckensänger, try and call them
Retz’s Helmet-Shrike old: Redbilled Helmetshrike / Dreifarbenwürger, try and call them in and White-crested Helmet-Shrike old: White Helmetshrike / Brillenwürger, they react very actively to call of Pearl-spotted Owlet – use own and that call.
Try the Rufous-bellied Tit / Rotbauchmeise again.
Leave Divundu and enter the Ngepi road… drive along that road till you reach Mahangu Lodge. Birds to find here:
Luapula Cisticola (split from Black-backed Cisiticola) / Luapula Zistensänger, look out at Reedbeds and other wetland vegetation and rank grass (e.g. Echinochloa colona and Diplachne fusca – swamp grass) associated with rivers and wetlands.
Wood Pipit / Miombopieper, perches readily on rocks, mounds, bushes and trees. Attracted to grass fires.
Tree Pipit / Baumpiper, open edges of woodland, grassy hillsides with scattered bushes, check out edges of exotic plantations and gardens. Plain-backed Pipit / Braunrückenpiper, check out burnt areas and grazed areas, they also like cultivated land.
Buffy Pipit / Vaalpiper
African Pipit / Weidelandpiper
Lizard Buzzard / Sperberbussard along riverine vegetation
Sharp-tailed Starling / Keilschwanz-Glanzstar, look out for lower open woodland, mostly drier part of Habitat.
Birding in vegetation right next to Okavango river should result in the following:
Little Bee-eater / Zwergspint
Hartlaub's Babbler / Weißbürzeldroßling
White-fronted Bee-eater / Weißstirnspint
Purple-banded Sunbird / Kleiner Bindennektarvogel
Violet-backed Starling old: Plumcoloured Starling / Amethyst-Glanzstar
Meves's Starling old: Longtailed Starling / Meves-Glanzstar
Laughing Dove / Senegaltaube
African Mourning Dove / Angolaturteltaube
Wattled Starling / Lappenstar
Greater Blue-eared Starling / Grünschwanz-Glanzstar
African Wood-Owl / Woodfordkauz
Grey-headed Bush-Shrike / Graukopfwürger
White-browed Robin-Chat old: Heuglin’s Robin / Weißbrauenrötel
Meyer's Parrot / Goldbugpapagei
Southern Carmine Bee-eater / Scharlachspint
Black Crake / Mohrenralle
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater / Schwalbenschwanzspint
Red-eyed Dove / Halbmondtaube
Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove old: Greenspotted Dove / Bronzeflecktaube
Drive the road to Kongola bridge…
Try the Retz’s Helmet-Shrike old: Redbilled Helmetshrike / Dreifarbenwürger and Search for Arnott’s Chat / Arnotschmätzer; they prefer well developed Brachystegia, Baikiaea and Mopane woodland), again.
Check out the Bradfields Hornbills.
Keep your eyes peeled for Dickinson’s Kestrel / Schwarzrückenfalke, they like open country near water.
Find the great camping site at Nambwa: Various habitat create some fantastic birding here. En route and at Nambwa you should look out for: Southern Brown-throated Weaver / Braunkehlweber
Wood Pipit / Miombopieper
Crested Francolin / Schopffrankolin
Buffy Pipit / Vaalpieper
Black-collared Barbet / Halsband-Bartvogel
Reed Cormorant / Riedscharbe
African Fish-Eagle / Schreiseeadler
Brown Snake-Eagle / Brauner Schlangenadler
Rufous-bellied Heron / Rotbauchreiher
Purple Heron / Purpurreiher
Cardinal Woodpecker / Kardinalspecht
Broad-billed Roller / Zimtroller
Red-faced Mousebird / Rotzügel-Mausvogel
Green Wood-Hoopoe old: Redbilled Woodhoopoe / Steppenbaumhopf
Common Scimitarbill old: Scimitarbilled Woodhoopoe / Sichelhopf
African Wattled Lapwing / Senegalkiebitz
Collared Pratincole old:Redwinged Pratincole / Brachschwalbe
Crested Barbet / Haubenbartvogel
Blacksmith Lapwing old: Blacksmith Plover / Waffenkiebitz
Chirping Cisticola / Sumpfzistensänger
Tawny-flanked Prinia / Rahmbrustprinie
Dark-capped Bulbul old:Blackeyed Bulbul / Gelbsteißbülbül
Terrestrial Brownbul old:Terrestrial Bulbul / Laubbülbül
Arrow-marked Babbler / Braundroßling
Swainson's Spurfowl old: Swainson's Francolin / Swainsonfrankolin
Yellow-breasted Apalis / Gelbbrust-Feinsänger
Grey-backed Camaroptera old: Greybacked BleatingWarbler / Graurücken-Grasmücke
Swamp Boubou / Zweifarbenwürger
Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike / Orangewürger
Hadeda Ibis / Hagedasch-Ibis
Magpie Shrike old:Longtailed Shrike / Elsterwürger
Lesser Honeyguide / Kleiner Honiganzeiger
Red-billed Oxpecker / Rotschnabel-Madenhacker
Southern Black Flycatcher / Drongoschnäpper
Grey Tit-Flycatcher old: Fantailed Flycatcher / Meisenschnäpper
Drive on to the Zambezi, since this is where the real birding begins:
Birds like Grey-headed Gull Graukopfmöwe
Greater Swamp-Warbler / Papyrusrohrsänger
African Skimmer / Braunmantel-Scherenschnabel
Collared Sunbird / Waldnektarvogel
Yellow-bellied Greenbul / Gelbbrustbülbül
Red-billed Firefinch / Senegal-Amarant
Brown-throated Martin / Braunkehl-Uferschwalbe
White-crowned Lapwing / Langspornkiebitz
Bearded Scrub-Robin / Brauner Bartheckensänger
African Wattled Lapwing / Senegalkiebitz Await you here.
And look out for: Ross’s Turaco old: Ross’s Lourie / Rossturako on the edges of the larger forest tracts. Find stands of Euphorbia and dense Brachystegia.
Also find Eastern Nicator old:Yellowspotted Nicator / Bülbülwürger in the riverine forest.
click here for a report with some beautiful pics
have fun...
