Namibia
Namibia is one of Africa's driest countries, dominated by spectacular deserts, rocky mountains and open savannas. The ancient Namib Desert stretches along the Atlantic coast, with enormous dunes, gravel plains and fog-dependent ecosystems, while the Great Escarpment rises toward a high interior plateau. Eastern Namibia transitions into the Kalahari, and the far northeast becomes much wetter around the Zambezi Region, with rivers, floodplains and woodland. The stark Skeleton Coast, Etosha salt pan and red dunes of Sossusvlei are among the country's most distinctive landscapes.
Overview
Namibia is outstanding for arid-zone specialties and southern African endemics, with excellent opportunities for self-drive birding. The rocky northwest is the core area for species such as Herero Chat, Hartlaub's Spurfowl, Rüppell's Korhaan, Bare-cheeked Babbler and Monteiro's Hornbill. The Namib Desert supports highly adapted birds including Dune Lark, Namibia's only true endemic, while Etosha National Park attracts huge concentrations of flamingos and other waterbirds when its pan floods and offers excellent raptor and savanna birding year-round. The wetter Zambezi Region adds species otherwise associated with the Okavango and tropical southern Africa. Namibia has strong tourism infrastructure, good roads and numerous lodges, making independent travel relatively straightforward. However, distances are enormous, many roads are gravel, and remote desert routes require careful preparation.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola | 32.9% | 26.2% | 33.8% | 33.8% | 33.3% | 29.6% | 33.2% | 35.8% | 35.1% | 33.4% | 32.7% | 36.5% | 31.1% |
| Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis | 30.1% | 27.1% | 31.2% | 31.8% | 31.8% | 28.8% | 25.1% | 31.5% | 30.4% | 31.8% | 31.7% | 32.1% | 28.2% |
| Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis | 27.4% | 20.0% | 25.7% | 25.9% | 24.5% | 26.9% | 28.7% | 32.3% | 33.0% | 30.5% | 26.4% | 29.0% | 25.3% |
| Black-fronted Bulbul Pycnonotus nigricans | 25.0% | 21.4% | 21.4% | 18.3% | 21.3% | 29.6% | 27.6% | 31.9% | 28.2% | 29.4% | 25.4% | 23.9% | 22.0% |
| Gray Go-away-bird Crinifer concolor | 24.3% | 18.5% | 23.1% | 24.6% | 24.2% | 25.4% | 23.5% | 27.5% | 25.8% | 25.6% | 25.0% | 27.5% | 21.3% |
| Blacksmith Lapwing Vanellus armatus | 22.6% | 16.6% | 21.3% | 20.3% | 19.1% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 25.2% | 26.2% | 25.3% | 21.9% | 25.4% | 20.5% |
| Cape Starling Lamprotornis nitens | 20.2% | 14.8% | 16.0% | 19.9% | 18.5% | 22.0% | 20.9% | 24.9% | 22.7% | 22.4% | 20.9% | 20.9% | 18.0% |
| White-browed Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser mahali | 19.5% | 20.1% | 19.0% | 21.3% | 21.7% | 21.6% | 21.1% | 19.9% | 17.3% | 17.2% | 16.4% | 18.6% | 19.4% |
| Red-billed Spurfowl Pternistis adspersus | 17.9% | 16.0% | 17.9% | 19.4% | 18.3% | 16.5% | 17.2% | 19.4% | 17.4% | 16.9% | 17.2% | 21.6% | 17.4% |
| Southern Crag-Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula | 16.8% | 16.4% | 17.5% | 16.6% | 16.2% | 18.0% | 16.0% | 19.3% | 17.0% | 17.3% | 14.7% | 16.4% | 15.6% |