birds – Travel Namibia

November 25, 2014

Wetland wildlife in the Zambezi region

Anja Denker, Namibian wildlife photographer and visual artist, visited Namibia's north-east, the Zambezi region, a place of unparalleled wildlife abundance and striking greenery juxtaposed against the rest of the country's arid, desert Eco-systems. Anja, with a skilled and knowledgeable eye, captured this lush and opulent Eden, shedding light on a road less travelled.

July 13, 2018

Starlings not that Common

If there were a lion behind every second bush, or a leopard in every tree, would they be so special? Would photographers want to shoot them (to protect them), would photographers drive off-road or into a no-entry road to get a better angle on their million dollar picture? I have in fact seen people drive all over each other to get a closer look at a lion, to get to the front of the scene of the crime. Imagine, for a lion! Luckily no photographer will ever do that. The point I want to make about starlings is that they are too common. Most of the starlings have a metallic sheen flashing back when the sun touches their feathers, but unfortunately they are not so special because they are just too common. This might be where this terrible word is coming from: ‘common’, like too many seen too often. Possibly it is also because they are robust and gregarious. Let’s rather call them plebeian.

September 20, 2018

Birding for Beginners

Arriving in Namibia many moons ago as a free man, not on any anti-depressants but with lots of hair and muscles, weekends were open for enjoyment. As a novice birder (2 months), I decided that Etosha should be the first place to conquer with my new-found knowledge and enthusiasm for the world of birds. Since I had been in the country for just one month there were a few birds to discover, over 600 to be more precise. Without wanting to bore the reader with the "wel en weë van (ups and downs of) die blou bul birder" this might be of real importance to any novice Namibian and birder.

January 9, 2020

Travel Notes from a Vagabond: Scientific Names

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Willie Olivier is a veteran journalist and travel writer. He has been compiling guides and travel directories for visitors to Namibia since before independence. In […]

March 3, 2021

It’s time to explore the Zambezi

Explore the hidden charms of Lüderitz, the gateway to Namibia's historic Kolmanskop ghost town. Immerse yourself in rich history, dine at seaside eateries, and discover stunning architecture. From the iconic Felsenkirche to the intriguing Kolmanskop, Lüderitz beckons with tales of the past.

March 10, 2021

The life of birds in trees

It might sound like a bit of a cliché to mention the importance of trees for birds and vice versa, although there are unfortunately people who still cannot see that importance, and probably not the importance of trees for humans either – so how in hell would they ever see the importance of trees at all.

November 1, 2021

Birding with Pompie: Slowness

Namibia is a large country, size does indeed matter, so driving and being on the road will be part and parcel of travelling (and bird watching) in this vast and beautiful country. To get to the different hotspots for birding you need to do the travel thing (remember slowness), be it by car, boat or on foot, although I must confess Namibians are not known for the foot thing.

December 1, 2021

Birding with Pompie: What’s in a name

I think the only bird which has been named and featured in a movie is Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Bird on a wire by Leonard Cohen is the song most covered by other artists – about 400 different artists, I think. If this is because it is such a beautiful song or if it is about the bird I do not know. What is important is that I do not know what bird it was, but I think it has been sitting on the same wire for the last 50 years.

March 9, 2022

The story of a dove-hunting black- backed jackal at Chudop

Early one morning at the end of November 2021 at the Chudop waterhole in Etosha National Park, a black-backed jackal bitch appears. Hundreds of Cape Turtle Doves and a few Laughing Doves, now called Palm Doves, come to drink at the water’s edge. In the usual jackal trot the female moves around the waterhole watching the thirsty doves while keeping a distance of two to four metres from the water. The moment a dove starts to drink, with its back turned towards the prowling jackal, the small predator lowers its head and body and tries to sneak up close to the dove. Most potential victims are too wary or warned by nearby doves taking off. Several attacks end with a splash of water and feathers in the mouth while the prey gets away with a big fright and sometimes the loss of a few feathers.

September 1, 2022

Birding with Pompie: Quelea quelea

Visiting Etosha National Park in early May this year we encountered what might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience: watching a flock, or rather flocks, of Red-billed Queleas at Goas waterhole one morning coming in for their daily drink. Apparently this usually happens twice a day, but my fellow waterhole visitors in the car got a bit fed up with the once-in-a-lifetime experience after a few hours and I had to leave the birds on their own for the rest of the day, to my utter dismay.

September 1, 2022

The value and virtue of vultures

I was hoping I would spot a Pygmy Falcon on my last trip to the Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia’s largest conservation area. Small, spirited and snow-white, the bird appeared as misplaced as an Edelweiss flower in the desert. The Pygmy Falcon soared like a white star, in stark contrast to the dry riverbeds, gravel and grassy plains.

March 24, 2023

Space and Time

Untouched landscapes spanning as far as the eye can see. An abundance of wildlife roaming free, as nature intended, over bushveld, desert and wetland. A world of birds brimming with sought-after endemic species, found nowhere else on the planet. To the novice this may seem like scenes from the Lion King. In Namibia it is commonplace.

June 21, 2023

The land of sand and freedom: Birds of a feather

We feel tremendously privileged to know some nature specialists who are founts of knowledge. Luckily, they are also amazing human beings who share their wisdom and their knowledge. Birds of a feather flock together. As this story is about our birding experiences over the years, that seemed like an apt segue.

June 21, 2023

The ‘Slow Travel’ Check List

Namibia is a destination to be savoured and enjoyed at a leisurely pace. Don’t rush through the vast vistas in order to tick as much as possible off your to-do list. Curate your itinerary, stay longer, explore more. Here is a list of ways to enjoy Namibia more thoroughly as part of our ‘Slow Travel’ theme for this issue.

June 29, 2023

Birding with Pompie: Three wise men from the west

Did they bring any presents? Yes, they did. Are they wise? Indeed they are. Are they windgat? No. Are they your typical bird watchers/guides? Not at all. Do they know everything about birds? No, they know everything about nature, be it birds, bees, flowers, trees, butterflies, reptiles. They do not know that much about rugby, but that makes it so much easier to explain the finer points of the Blue Bulls, not to be corrected by wise-guy Stormer supporters. These are probably all the reasonable nice things I can say about these fellows.

January 17, 2024

Discover the TOP 5 EXPERIENCES to enjoy in the Zambezi Region

The Zambezi Region, a lush and vibrant wilderness in Namibia, beckons adventurers with its abundant wildlife and captivating landscapes. If you are planning a trip to Namibia, don’t miss out on the must-do activities that this region has to offer. Here are our top five recommendations for unforgettable experiences in the Zambezi Region.

January 21, 2024

‘Ugly’ is in the eye of the beholder

One of the Marabou Storks’ exceptionally sophisticated habits is to defecate on their legs, giving them a white appearance. Apparently the reason is to cool down by urohidrosis, since they do not spend that much time near water. The other two stork species that share this habit are the Openbill and White Storks.

March 21, 2024

Practice Makes Perfect

This is probably the most fascinating bird that occurs in Namibia, at least as far as their hunting/ fishing methods are concerned. They are skimming the water with accuracy and precision with their flexible orange red bill only 2–5 centimetres below the surface for fish that might have the audacity to come up that close.

June 11, 2024

From Swakopmund’s sands to Amsterdam’s canals: A Tern’s 8,429-kilometer Odyssey

Follow the remarkable journey of a Common Tern from the salt flats of Swakopmund, Namibia, to the coasts of Amsterdam, Netherlands. This in-depth exploration details the impressive 8,429-km migration and the terns’ annual 20,000-km flights between hemispheres. Through field notes and rare sightings, learn about the challenges, habitats, and conservation needs of these migratory seabirds. Discover the efforts of dedicated bird ringers and the global network tracking the lives of these avian travelers.