Table Of ContentNamibia’s Caprivi Strip
Christopher Hines
Resume: Labandede CaprivienNamibie estunlongcouloiretroitde450kmallantdu coinnord-est
ducorpsprincipaldupaysauxplainesinondeesetauxliesdufleuveZambeze.Avecplusde450especes
signaleesdanscettepetiteregionetuneinfrastructureraisonnablementbonne,labandedeCapriviest
l’undesmeilleursendroitsd’Afriqueaustralepourobserverlesoiseaux.Pourlesornithologistesenquete
des 'specialties de l’Okavango’, comme 1’Aigrette vineuse et le Coucal des Papyrus, cette region a
l’avantage d’offrirla chance d’observerces especes a une fraction du cout du Botswanavoisin.
N
amibia’sCapriviStrip is alongnarrowextension Egret and Coppery-tailed Coucal it has the distinct
of land, running about 450 km from the north- advantage of costing a fraction of the amount one
east corner of the main body of the country to the wouldspendonajourneyinneighbouringBotswana.
flood-plainsandislandsoftheZambeziRiver.Named The area and sites discussed in this article are
after Chancellor Bismark’s successor, Leo Graf von shown in Figure 1. I have tried to cover most ofthe
Caprivi, the stripwas ceded to colonial Germany by important bird sites between Rundu and the eastern
theBritish.AtthetimeGermanyandPortugalwanted flood-plains of the Zambezi River. The best time to
bothtostopthenorthwardadvanceofBritishcoloni- visit the area is without doubt the austral summer,
alism and then join their own East African colonies particularly the wet season from NovembertoApril,
(Tanzania and Mozambique) to their western colo- when most ofthe migrants are present and resident
nies (nowNamibia andAngola). species are in breeding plumage.
Cecil Rhodes was quicker offthe mark and was 1 have assumedthat mostvisitorstothe area will
able tobamboozle tribal leaders in what is now Bot- be coming from the south and west (ie Etosha Na-
swana, Zambia andMalawi into agreementswith his tionalPark)andtheroutedescribedisalongthemain
British South Africa Company, thereby halting the roadfromRundu to KatimaMulilo. The construction
German and Portuguese plan. The Germans, how- ofanewtarroadthroughtheCaprivi hasopenedup
ever, came to an understanding with the British theregionconsiderablyandevenduringthemainwet
governmentandwerecededtheCapriviStripinorder season from December to March most of the sites
togivethemriparianaccesstotheZambezi. Whythe described can be accessed bytwowheel-drive vehi-
Britishdidthisisanyone’sguess,buttheodditiesofa cles. For birders interested in getting out into more
colonialpasthavecertainlyopenedopportunitiesfor remote areas with poor roads a four-wheel-driveve-
birders. hicle is recommended, but my advice is to be very
Withmorethan450speciesrecordedinthissmall careful. Shouldyougetseriouslystuckitcanbedays
areaandareasonablygoodinfrastructure,theCaprivi before someone comes along or a long walk to the
StripisoneofsouthernAfrica’stopbirdingspots. For
birdersinpursuitofOkavangospecials,suchasSlaty For scientific names see appendix
Birding Namibia’s Caprivi Strip: Hines BullABC Vol3 No2- 113
nearest settlement to get help. Ask about local road Crombec, Diederik Cuckoo, Little Bee-eater,
conditions before attempting some of the trickier Black-eyed Bulbul, Groundscraper Thrush and
areas. Brubru. Purple-banded Sunbird, Orange-
Malaria is an endemic, year round problem and breasted Bush Shrike and Parasitic Weaver
prophylaxis are recommended for all visitors. Per- (Cuckoo Finch) have occasionally been seen along
sonalsecurityisnotaseriousriskandmostpeopleare the fairways. Capped Wheatear favour the open
friendlyand helpful, buttakebasicprecautions: lock exposedareas towards the zooand I have seenboth
valuables out of sight and don't leave your vehicle Temminck’s and Burchell’s Courser in this area.
unattended inthebiggertowns at night. When plan- Lateeveningsareagoodtimetolookoutforsomeof
ning to bird along borders or near borderposts etc, those difficult crepuscular species. Bronze-winged
check with local officials and lodge owners on the Courserarequitecommon, asareseveralspeciesof
current security situation. There have been minor nightjarincludingSquare-tailed, Fiery-neckedand
flare-ups particularly along the Angolan border and Rufous-cheeked, although Pennant-winged is
althoughnothingserioushaseverhappened,itcould rarely recorded. Birds like African Hobby and Bat
spoil yourholiday. Hawk are infrequently seen, but look for Pearl-
spottedOwlet, CommonScops and White-faced
The Sites West to East Scops Owls around the floodlights at night. Listen
Rundu outforRed-chestedFlufftailinthenearbyreedbeds.
Thesewageworkslieimmediatelyadjacenttothe
Rundumakesagoodovernightstopforthosebirders
who cannot go all the way through to Popa Falls. gforlofmcalurbo.unTdhethseecpuornitdysfaenndciyngouhawsillallalbweaeyns sfitnodlena
Thereisawidevarietyofaccommodation,frombudget number ofpeople in the area, occasionally hunting.
camping to fairly upmarket lodges. There is some Althoughthistendstodetractfromthebirdingalistof
reasonable birding around Sarasunga River Lodge
over100speciesshouldbeeasilyachievedinamorn-
(also has a camp ground), but none ofthe establish-
ing. The best areas to bird are the upper settling
ments is particularly geared towards birders. It is ponds, which are usually good for a variety ofterns
importanttocheckthecurrentsecuritysituationwith
andwaders(includingWhite-frontedSand-Plover),
local lodge owners before birding along the river
and the flooded reed areas on the riverside of the
front.Anotherdrawbackwithbirdinginthisareaisthe ponds. Bird numbers depend to a large extent on
amount of disturbance from Rundu’s large popula-
water levels, which fluctuate markedly, but several
tion. speciesofheronshouldbepresentyearroundinclud-
About 5 km south ofthe town (about 1 km from ing Little Bittern, Slaty Egret and DwarfBittern
theturnofftotheairportandmilitarycamp)themain have alsobeenrecorded, usuallyduringthewetsea-
road(B8) crossesawell-developeddrainageline. All son.Thelattertendstofavourtheareasofshortgrass
thewastewaterfromthemilitarycampdrainsintothis
neardensebushortrees,wheretheywilloftenperch
omuramba and the reedbeds and ponds are some-
afterbeing disturbed.
timesgoodforwaterbirds. LesserMoorhen,Allen’s
Gallinule,AfricanCrake,AfricanSnipeandBlack
Crake are regularly recorded here. African Reed
Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Yellow-crowned
(Golden) Bishop, Red-shouldered Widow and
Common Waxbill are also common. Early morn-
ingsand lateafternoonsare bestatthisspotandyou
may be rewarded with views of Greater Painted-
Snipe, severalspeciesofnightjarandwithluckaBat
Hawk
Thebestbirdingspotistheareajusttotheeastof
the town by the zoo, golfcourse andsewage works.
The best access is through the golfcourse which is MarkAndrews
easily found off the old main road. Park near the
Look out for several species ofrallids, including
clubhouse and ask if you may walk around. The AfricanWaterRail AfricanCrake,SpottedCrake,
acaciathicketsandtreesalongthefairwaysareexcel- Purple Gallinule and Common Moorhen. Afri-
lent for a variety of species, such as White-bellied canSkimmerhavebeenrecordedhereinthepast,as
Sunbird Burnt-necked Eremomela, Long-billed
114 BullABC Vo!3 No2 Birding Namibia's Caprivi Strip: Hines
have large concentrations of Collared Pratincole, the Caprivi) during the early part ofthe wet season
whichtendtooccurmostlyintheopenareasaround from November to late January, depending on the
thegolfcourseandzoo.Bee-eatersarealwaysaround pattern of rainfall. Termite emergences take place
and flocks of Carmine, Blue-cheeked and Euro- synchronouslyoverlarge areas andare a majorfood
pean can be present together. Smaller numbers of source forlarge numbers ofbirds. Termites canonly
Little, White-fronted and rarely, Swallow-tailed bedescribedasthepopcornofthebirdworld. Ifyou
canalso befound. MarshOwloccurs insmall num- are lucky enough to come across an emergence, the
bers. variety and numbers of birds feeding will astound
Several specialitiesshouldbeseenrelativelyeas- you. Aerial feeders includeHobby, Red-footedFal-
ily. Coppery-tailed Coucal occur throughout the con, Black Kite (both the African Yellow-billed
area (as do Senegal and White-browed) and are and the migrant races), Lannerand PeregrineFal-
easiesttosee in the earlymorning, when theyperch cons,AfricanHobbyandaccipiterssuchasAfrican
and call from high in the reedbeds. White-rumped Little Sparrowhawk. Check all the big feeding
Babbler, Chirping Cisticola, Swamp Boubou, groups for small numbers of Eastern Red-footed
the blackheaded form of the Spotted-backed (Vil- Falcon, Lesser Kestrel (they tend to favour very
lage)WeaverandBrownFirefinchareallcommon open habitats such as grasslands and airfields) and
inthesewage works area. QuailFinch is abundant, Dickinson’sKestrel.Thelargerraptorstendtofeed
but are almost impossible to see, listen out for their on thegroundandfeedingparties mayinclude most
distinctive trilinktrilinkcall as theyshoot out ofthe species ofvulture, SecretaryBird, Wahlberg’sEa-
grass atyourfeet. gle, African Hawk Eagle, African Fish Eagle,
Bateleur, Tawny Eagle and Dark Chanting Gos-
The Rundu Divundu road (B8)
hawk.
The 240 km between Rundu and Divundu is on a Large numbers of Abdim’s, Marabou and
good-quality tarmac road, which runs parallel with
Woolly-necked Storks are also found at termite
the Okavango River, and can be covered in a few emergences. Grey Hornbill show a deft touch in
hours. However,itisdefinitelyworthmakinganearly catching termites on the wing, with Red-billed,
start,tobirdthebroad-leavedwoodlandsenroute,to Southern Yellow-billed and Bradfield’s Horn-
find a goodlistoftypicalspecies. Don’tbotherstop- bills all tending to feed on the ground. In one
pasintghenreearissmetutclhemepnrtisstainnedwoonodclleaanrde.dagriculturalland eparretdicualnardlyWwheittey-eawrinIgseadwTseevrenrsalfheuenddirngedatWhaisbki-g
In the summer months the woodlands are good
emergenceintheLakeLiambeziareaofeasternCaprivi.
for a variety of migrant raptors including Steppe Regularstopsalongthewayintall,maturewood-
EagleandLesserSpottedEagle,whichcanbeseen
land should give good views of African Golden
in large numbers at termite emergences (throughout
Birding Namibia's Caprivi Strip: Hines BullABC Vol3 No 2- 115
Oriole. Tinkling(Grey)Cisticola, Neddicky(Pip- are regularly recorded in the tall trees here but are
ingCisticola),SouthernBlackTit,PaleFlycatcher difficult to see. Patient searching in these tallertrees
andBlack(Amethyst)Sunbird. Keepalookoutfor should yield at least African Little Sparrowhawk,
Sharp-tailed Starling and Rufous-bellied Tit in African Goshawk and Shikra (Little-banded Gos-
any stand of tall woodland east of the Omuramba hawk). OtherspeciesshouldincludeGolden-tailed,
Omatako(about90kmfromRundu).Thewoodlands Cardinal and Bearded Woodpeckers, African
around Katere have reached near mythical status as GreenPigeon(especiallyintheearlymorningwhen
the place to see these species but 1 have found that they tend to sit out to sun themselves) and Black-
theyarereadilyseeninmaturewoodlandallalongthe collaredBarbet. Thedense understoreyinthis area
main road. ofthe camp is excellent forTerrestrialBrownbul,
The Okavango Riverisbroken up into a mazeof White-browedRobin-Chat(Heuglin'sRobin),Red-
smallchannelsandwoodedislandsintheAndaraarea capped (Natal) Robin (rare), White-rumped
(signposted offthe B8) by a broad band ofquarzites Babbler, SwampBoubou, Orange-breastedBush
whichrunatrightanglesthroughtheriver.Outsideof Shrike, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Ashy Fly-
Popa Falls this is the easiest place to see Rock catcherand a range ofPalaearctic warblers.
Pratincole, which occur in fairly large numbers on The drierrockyslopesofthemiddleofthecamp
boulders and rocky outcrops from May through to arecoveredwithrelativelylowscrubbyvegetation in
February. Thedense riparian forest and scrub on the which it is difficult to see birds. Yellow-breasted
riverbankandislandsisalsogoodhabitatforAfrican Apalis favour this area, as do Brown-headed
EmeraldandRed-chestedCuckoos, Long-crested Tchagra, Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting
Eagle. AfricanWood Owl, Retz’s Red-billed Hel- (rare), Blue and Violet-eared Waxbill and Emer-
met Shrike, Collared Sunbird and, very rarely, ald-spotted Wood Dove. The more open areas of
Red-cappedRobin-Chat(NatalRobin). Ifyouarein exposed rock are the favoured roosting and nesting
the area at about sunset listen out for the distinctive sitesforFreckledNightjar. Otherspeciesofnightjar
kow kowkow of Freckled Nightjar this is the best recorded here include Fiery-necked, Rufous-
place to see it in the north-east ofNamibia and look cheeked and Square-tailed. Pennant-winged
out forBatHawkandAfricanHobbyhunting over Nightjar tends to favour open woodland habitats
theriver. Theareaismosteasilyreachedthroughthe closer to the Mahango. In the campground area of
RomanCatholicMissionatAndarawhereyoushould PopaFallsthedrierscrubcomesdowntotheedgeof
ask permission to walk around. A number of the asmallsidechanneloftheriver.Lookoutinthesmall
islandsaretraditional burial groundsandyou should stands of candelabra acacias Acacia hebeclada for
not go onto these underany circumstances. Brown, Red-billed and Jameson’s Firefinches,
GoldenWeaver, Yellow-belliedBulbul, Collared
Popa Falls and the Mahango Section of the
Sunbird and Tawny-flanked Prinia. At both the
Okavango National Park
campground and the huts there are several Black
PopaFallsisabout30hainextentandisaverypopular Crakewhichareveiytameandfeedonscrapsaround
camping and accommodation site administered by
the fireplaces.
theMinistryofEnvironmentandTourism. Itisnamed Thesmallislandontheeasternsideofthecampis
aftera lowseries ofrapidswhichdrop about 3 m. also good for most of the species listed above, but
PopaFallsandtheMahangoSectionoftheabout providesaccesstotheriverinehabitatswhereanumber
tobere-proclaimedOkavangoNationalParkarewith- of specialities occur. As you cross the small zigzag
out doubt the prime sites for birding in the western footbridge turn left along the small channel. The
sectionoftheCaprivi. With over420species, includ- papyrus Cyperuspapyrusbedshereare thefavoured
ingalltheOkavangospecialities, recordedinanarea haunt of Greater and Lesser Swamp-Warblers,
covering only some 25,000 ha, this is the place no Winding and Chirping Cisticolas. Thick-billed
birdershould miss. Weavermaketheirneat nests in the reedsalongthis
Popa Falls park can be broadly divided into four section. The more forested sections are good for
distinct habitats. The area around the hutted accom- Crested, Black-collared and Yellow-fronted
modation is made up largely ofvery tall knobthorn Tinkerbird, Terrestrial Brownbul, Kurrichane
Acacianigrescensforest,withadenseunderstoreyof Thrush, African MourningDove, EasternBlack-
shrubs where it hasn’t been cleared. AfricanWood headed Oriole, Grey Tit-Flycatcher (Fan-tailed
OwlandAfricanBarredOwletcan easilybecalled Flycatcher) and African Green Pigeon.
up hereat night but please use tapessparingly. Afri- On the far side ofthe island there is good view
can Emerald African and Red-chested Cuckoo
overthetopofthe ‘falls’andtherockyoutcropshere
116 BullABC Vol3 No 2 Birding Namibia’s Caprivi Strip: Hines
are favoured roosting sites for Rock Pratincole. About 4 km from the turnoff the road passes a
Another good area is at the junction of the camp series of small wetlands on the west and this is an
boundary fence and the river. The best times to see excellent area for waterbirds, including Red-billed
thisspecies arethe earlymorningand late afternoon Duck, GreaterPainted-Snipe, African Snipe and
when they can be seen hunting and displaying over Three-bandedPlover.Baillon’s,AfricanandSpot-
thefalls. ted Crake have been found in the grassier areas.
During the heat of the day search the rocks for Slaty Egret, Rufous-bellied Heron, Squacco
baskingCrocodile. Hippo occurinthearea and itis Heron and Dwarf Bittern occur here following
forthisreasonthatitisinadvisabletowalkaroundon good rains.
the island at night when they come ashore to graze. The flood-plains ofthe Okavango Riverare vari-
Earlymorningwalksalongtherivermayberewarded ableinwidthandcharacterthroughthenorthernend
with views ofCape Clawless Otter. ofthe park. OnquieterlagoonsandbackwatersAfri-
SouthofPopaFalls,about15kmonthemainroad can Pygmy Goose, African and Lesser Jacana
to Botswana (D3403), is the Mahango Section ofthe (rare), White-backed Duck and Allen’s Gallinule
Okavango National Park, one of Namibia’s birding should be looked for. Listen out for Chirping
hotspots.Thereasonforthisisthevarietyofhabitats, Cisticola, Greater Swamp-Warbler, Swamp
rangingfromopenwater,flood-plainsandswampsto Boubou and WindingCisticola in dense stands of
dry, densebroad-leavedwoodland. Themostimpor- papyrus andPhragmitesreedbeds.
tant areas are accessible by two-wheel-drive vehicle There are three resident pairs ofWattledCrane
(except the western section) andyou are allowed to in the Mahango and these are mostly seen on the
walk in the park. However, you should exercise ex- northern flood-plains and near the Giant Baobab
tremecautionwhenbirdingintheMahango.Elephant, picnic site, which is also the best place to watch the
buffalo, hippoandlionall occurandare, needlessto flood-plain. Long-toed Lapwing, Wattled Plover,
say, highlydangerous. Coppery-tailed and BlackCoucals, BlackHeron,
ThelooproadrunningdownalongtheMahango Goliath Heron, African Open-billed Stork,
Omurambaandontotheflood-plainmarginprovides Saddle-billedStork, GlossyIbis, severalspeciesof
the best viewing opportunities. From the gate to the Bee-eater, Banded Martin, Grey-rumped,
turnoffontothe loop road(c 1 km) thevegetation is Wire-tailed and Lesser Striped Swallow and
short, broad-leafed woodland and scrub and is an
excellent area to seeAfricanCuckooFalcon, Pale
Flycatcher, Bradfield’s Hornbill, Mosque Swal-
lowand flocks ofBlack-throatedCanary. Striped
KingfisherbreedinthelargefalsemopaneGuibortia
coleosperma at the main gate. Turn left (east) along
the omuramba (deep sand on the roadwest necessi-
tates four-wheel-drive vehicles) and search the tops
of the large trees for raptors in the early morning.
Martial Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Bateleur,
TawnyEagle,Dickinson’sKestrel,CommonKes-
trel, Lanner Falcon, African Hobby and Dark
ChantingGoshawkareregularlyseenalongthefirst
2 kmofthe road.
Secretary Bird can often be found striding
through the short grasslands in the omuramba bot-
tom. Dusky, Red-capped, Fawn-coloured,
Rufous-naped and Flappet Larks commonly oc-
cur. Waders found in the short grasslands include
Temminck’s Courser, Crowned Plover, Spotted
Dikkop and Bronze-winged Courser (late
evening). Blue Wildebeest, Burchell’s Zebra,
Tsessebe,RoanAntelopeandWarthogfavourthis
area,particularlywhenthereisagreenflushfollowing
rain. Small herdsofRedLechwemove intothisarea MartialEaglePolemaetusbellicosus(ChrisHines)
when the lowersections flood.
Birding Namibia’s Caprivi Strip: Hines BullABC Vol3 No2- 117
no decision has been made because of the intense
pressurebroughttobearonthewildlifeauthoritiesby
international ‘green’ groups.
The diywoodlands in thewestern sectionofthe
park are mostly only accessible by four wheel drive
vehicle. However, birding in the woodlands about
500msouthofthelooproadturnoff(ieabout 1.5km
fromtheparkgates)isquitegood.Long-billedPipit
ofthe race nyassae(oftenknownasWoodPipit) isa
rare species which favours open woodland habitat
where it feeds in the grassy areas. When flushed it
tendstoflyupandperchonanexposedbranchfairly
high up.
Lookinthecanopyofthetallertreesforsmallbird
parties which often contain Yellow White-eye,
White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike, Green-capped
Eremomela, White Helmet Shrike, African
GoldenOriole and SouthernBlackTit. Bennett’s
Woodpeckerismostcommonlyseeninbroad-leafed
woodlandssuchasthese. Checktheundergrowthfor
GlossyIbisPlegadisfalcinellus(ChrisHines) Grey Cisticola and Neddicky. Rufous-belliedTit
is rare and difficult to find in the park as is Sharp-
White-winged Widow can all be seen from here. tailed Starling. They are more easily seen outside
Pink-throated Longclaw, Collared Pratincole, the park in the vicinityofsome livestock pens anda
African Skimmer (dry season only), Parasitic cattle crush about 3 kmnorth ofthe park gates.
Weaver, Osprey and African Marsh Harrier oc- DenseteakBaikiaeaplurijugawoodlands in the
cur directly in front ofthe baobab. This area is also extreme west of the Mahango may yield views of
goodformammalsincluding,withluck, moreelusive White-headed Black Chat, Racket-tailed Roller,
species such as Sable and Sitatunga (very early Stierling’sWren-WarblerandWahlberg’sHoney-
morning). bird(Sharp-billedHoneyguide),buttheyaresparsely
The picnic site at Kwetche (about 4 km south of distributed and very hard to find. Meyer’sParrot is
theBaobab)issetina narrowstripofriparianwood- found throughout the park but the Brown-necked
landandoverlooksa broadbackwater. Kwetche is a Parrottendstofavourthe drierwoodlandsandthey
good spottoseeWhite-frontedBee-eater, Golden canbemostoftenseenflyinguptheomurambasinthe
and Southern Brown-throated Weaver and early morning on theirway to feedinggrounds.
Swamp Boubou. Playing tapes near the papyrus A frustration for birders is that the park closes at
reed swamps forGreaterSwamp-Warbler, Chirp- sunset and it is difficult to see nocturnal species.
ing Cisticola and African Water Rail is often However, a slow drive back towards Popa Falls is
successful. AfricanBarredOwlet, CrestedBarbet, oftenquiteprofitableandyoucanpickupBarnOwl
Yellow-billed and Red-billed Oxpeckers and Af- and European Nightjar as well as most of the
rican Little Sparrowhawk have all been recorded nightjarsandowlsmentionedearlier.However,Fiery-
breeding in the verytall treesjusttothe south ofthe necked and Rufous-cheeked Nightjars are the
picnic site Pel’sFishingOwland SmallerBanded commonestspecies, whileSpottedEagle-Owlisthe
Snake Eagle have been recorded in this area in the commonest large owl in the area, with Verreaux’s
past, but there are fewrecent records. Eagle-Owl being heard more often than seen. Spot-
Ilavea look at the(former)woodlandsjusttothe lighting along the road may yield views of Lesser
south andwestofthepicnicspottogetan ideaofthe Bushbaby and Common Genet.
destructionthatElephantscancause.Theareaaround Thereisnoaccommodationinthepark,butthere
Kwetche used to be an excellent site to see ‘forest’ isarangeoffacilitiesinthearea.PopaFallsRestCamp
speciessuchasTerrestrialBrownbul,CollaredSunbird (administered by the Ministry of Environment and
and White-browed Robin-Chat - no more. This was Tourism) has inexpensive campsites and pleasant
alsothefavouredhabitatofChobeBushbuckwhich huttedaccomodation. NgepiCamp,about5kmsouth
isnow rare within the park. There is a strongcase to ofPopa,hasbasiccampingfacilitiesbutissometimes
be made forcullingofElephant in the Mahango, but difficult to get to. Ndhovu Lodge, 2 km north ofthe
118 BullABC Vot3 No2 Birding Namibia's Caprivi Strip: Hines
Mahango Gate, is a luxurytented camp, set right on PurpleRollerandanumberoflargerraptorspecies.
the river and the owners are sensitive to birder’s Towards the Kwando River the interdunes become
needs.AshortboattripheremayyieldWhite-backed more defined and some contain small pans which
Night Heron and Pel’s Fishing Owl, while Bat provide some interesting birding in the wet season.
HawkandAfricanHobby have been seen hunting Lesser Moorhen, Yellow-crowned Bishop and
over the river in front ofthe camp on several occa- Sedge Warbler can be common at these small
sions.IfPel'sFishingOwlisa‘havetosee'onyourtrip wetlands.
you maybe temptedto dashdownto Shakawe Fish- The west bank of the Kwando River
ing Camp or Drotsky’s Cabins about 30 km south in
Botswana. The Kwando River is a narrow, highly channelised
river, whichrarelyfloods, with anarrowflood-plain.
The riparian habitats are similar to those along the
Okavango River but are generally fairly limited in
extentandtheflood-plains are drier’. Large Kalahari
sanddunescomedowndirectlyontotheflood-plains
andarecoveredbylarge,tall,maturestandsofbroad-
leafedwoodlands,dominatedbyteak.Thejunctionof
theduneandtheflood-plainisdominatedbytypically
denseriparianwoodlandvegetation,anditisinthese
areasthat birding isbest.
JustbeforethebridgeovertheKwandoRiverturn
northontheroadtothemainMinistryofEnvironment
andTourismofficeatSusuwe(about4km).Thisarea
has some of the best birding along the Kwando, is
accessiblebytwo-wheel-drivevehicleandhasafairly
basic unserviced campground. The area is currently
unproclaimed but falls under the jurisdiction of the
MinistryofEnvironmentandTourism, who areplan-
ningto proclaim the area in the nearfuture.
Around the office complexsearch the largetrees
forNarina’sTrogonorlistenoutfortheirdistinctive
twosyllableghoogboocall.Theyarecommoninthese
dune slopewoodlands andrespondreadilytotapes.
AnotherspecialityoftheareaisRacket-tailedRoller
which should be searched for in the tall teak wood-
lands just to the south ofthe office complex. In the
summer months Broad-billed Roller and Wood-
land Kingfisher are both common. Coppery
MTayhpsaiicnmaiglloabrGrtoaoamdtehleeRaMeviseeodrmvwbeo,ooNd(aBlmraianbcdihayos.ntTeKhgaiilsaa)vhewagroeiotsdaaltniadonsndiisonfvtehrey bSeunmboisrtdeiassailnyotsheeernsfueemdmienrgvoinsitthoretloartgheeparueraplaendflcoawn-
CentralAfrica(ChrisHines) ers oftheteaktrees onthe dunes. Retz’sRed-billed
Helmet Shrike, African Emerald Cuckoo, Red-
chested Cuckoo, African Striped Cuckoo,
West Caprivi and the Divundu Kongola road
Orange-breastedBushShrike,Grey-headedBush
The road between Divundu and the Kongola bridge
Shrike, Greater Honeyguide, Bradfield’s
on the Kwando River is currently being upgraded,
with only the first 40 km tarred. This road is notori- Hornbill, Crested Barbet, Purple-banded
Sunbird, Eastern Black-headed and African
ouslybadduringthewetseasonandextremecaution
shouldbeexercised. Theroadpassesthroughexten- GoldenOriolesandseveralspeciesofwoodpecker,
sivetractsoftypicalbroad-leafedwoodlandonKalahari particularlyBearded, shouldbeseeninthesewood-
sand, occasionallydissectedbybeltsofacaciawood- lands. White-browed Scrub Robin and White-
land and scrub or grasslands along omurambas or browedRobin-Chatareeasilyseen,butRed-capped
interdunes.Birdingisnotparticularlygoodanywhere Robin-Chat remains extremely difficult to find, al-
alongthisroadbutlookoutforBradfield’sHornbill, though their mimicking calls can be heard every
Dark Chanting Goshawk, Dickinson’s Kestrel, morning. The understorey of scrub is good for
Birding Namibia's Caprivi Strip: Hines BullABC Vol3 No2- 119
Palaearctic migrants, but species such as Thrush sandytrackdirectlyoppositetheSusuweturnoff.The
NightingaleandEurasianRiverWarbleraremore birds are largely the same as around Susuwe as the
often heard than seen. Raptors are also well repre- habitatsarethesame.Theappealoftravellinghereis
sented in the area. Wahlberg’sEagle is common in that the tracks take you through some of the best
thesummermonthsandSteppe,LesserSpottedand unspoiled countryside in Namibia this is real ‘wild
other Palaearctic migrants should be searched for Africa'.About10kmsouthofthemainroadisNambwa
followinggoodrainsorattermiteemergences. Black campsite which is beautifully laid out under some
Sparrowhawk has been recorded at Susuwe but is largetreesonasmallflood-plainisland.Alittlefurther
veryrare. OtheraccipitersincludeAfricanLittleand south along the flood-plain lies a large cutofflagoon
OvampoSparrowhawk,Gabar,Little-bandedand (called‘Lagoon’)andHorseshoe, anoldriveroxbow,
AfricanGoshawk and LizardBuzzard. Search the which are excellent areas for watching all kinds of
trees along the margins of open areas for African wildlife. Large herds ofHippo can be seen at both
Cuckoo Falcon which are not uncommon here. sites. Roan Antelope, Sable Antelope, Impala,
African Wood, White-faced Scops, Barn and Greater Kudu, Red Lechwe, Reedbuck, Buffalo
Marsh Owls, Spotted Eagle-Owl and Pearl-spot- and Elephant are regularly seen here. Search the
ted and African Barred Owlets, have all been grassier areas for Cheetahand Serval, especially in
recordedaroundthecamp. Becareful nottoconfuse theearlymorning.WildDogareirregularlyrecorded
the booming calls ofGroundHornbill (most often all along the flood-plain.
heard in the early morning) withVerreaux’sEagle- Mudumu National Park
Owl,Thwehibcahckcwaantearlss,ocbheanhneealrsd caanldligngraastslSaunsdusweo.fthe Mudumu National Park lies on the east bank ofthe
KwandoRiverabout40kmsouthofthemainKongola
flood-plains directly to the north of Susuwe hold a
wide suite ofwetland birds, including cormorants, Katimaroad(B8)ontheD3511whichrunstoSangwali
herons, storks, ibis, wildfowl and crakes. Early and Linyanti. It constitutes about85,000 ha ofmixed
woodlands and narrow flood-plains along the main
morning is the best time to search for Black and channel of the Kwando River. Large areas of the
Coppery-tailedCoucal as they tend to sit out sun-
easternpartoftheparkarenutrient-poorsandswhich
ningthemselvesduringthisperiod.Thekapokkapok.
arecoveredbysilverleafterminaliaTerminaliasericea
call of Black Coucal is heard often, but this is a
and coarse grasslands. These areas are relatively un-
notoriouslydifficultbirdtosee. Breedingcoloniesof
productive from both a birding and other wildlife
the distinctive black headed subspecies ofSpotted-
backed Weaver, Red-headed Quelea, Southern pointofview.Closertotheriveronheaviersoilscalled
Brown-throated Weaver and isolated nests of ‘black cotton soils’ the woodlands are dominated by
GoldenWeavercan be found in the reedbeds. mopane Colophospermum mopane, a distinctivetree
The flood-plain grasslands are the best areas to with a large leafshaped likeacow’sfootprint. These
seeDenham’sBustardandBlack-belliedBustard, woodlands are also relatively unproductive but have
theirowndistinctivesuiteofbirds.Thenarrowfringe
butthesetwospeciesare neverabundant, tendtobe
ofriparianwoodland and the narrow flood-plain are
eruptive and can be very sneaky. Desert and Fan-
the mostdiversefromavegetationpointofviewand
tailedCisticolacallconstantlyduringthewetseason
andLittleButtonQuailandHarlequinQuailshould itisherethatbirdingisatitsbestandover350species
have been recorded in the park.
be easily flushed, especially in the early morning.
CollaredPratincoles breed in fairly large numbers Theroadinfrastructurewithinthepark islimited.
on islands which have been denudedofgrass. There is a track that turns west off the D3511 to
MammalsarenotasabundantasintheMahango, Lianshulu Lodge about 5 km from the northern park
boundary. This joins a track that runs south close to
but caution is still necessary and it is inadvisable to the rivertotheMinistryofEnvironment andTourism
walk around at night as Hippo often feed in close
proximitytothecampsite.BirdingtowardstheAngolan rangerstation at Nakatwa, whichisalsodirectlycon-
nected via a narrow road to the D3511. Lianshulu
mbthooirrsdeaerretahisainnsolatabrvogeeurltyy5duinfkcfomenrtenrnootrlttlohedt,ohfeISdSuoussnuuowwtee.adavArisesakeaagnbodoiunatgs bLaondkgse oisfathbeeaKuwtiafnuldloy Rliaviedr.ouTtheluyxuorfyferloadgvearioentythoef
activitiesincludingboatingandgamedrives.Theonly
current conditions before taking off.
ThemainmammalpopulationsalongtheKwando otheraccommodation available within the park isan
unservicedcampsiteat Nakatwa. Bothplacescanbe
Riveroccursouth ofthe main road(B8)but thisarea
reachedinordinarycarsbuttheroadbetweenNakatwa
is unfortunately only accessible by four-wheel-drive
and Lianshulu should not be attempted following
vehicles. To access this area drive south along the
120 - BullABC Vol3 No2 Birding Namibia's Caprivi Strip: Hines
heavy rains. Other tracks should only be attempted at Nakatwashould producea goodrangeofwetland
with fourwheel-drive vehicles. birds. Black, White-browed and Coppery-tailed
The Terminalia woodlands are unlikely to pro- Coucalall occur here but are difficult to see.
ducelargenumbersofeitherspeciesorbirds, butare
Mamili National Park
the best place to see Coqui Francolin, Orange
River Francolin (rare), Fawn-coloured Lark, MamiliNationalParkliesatthesouthernmostpointof
theCapriviwheretheKwandoRiver,nowtheLinyanti
Flappet Lark, Grey Cisticola, Lilac-breasted
River,makesarightangledturntothenortheast.This
Roller and in the grassland patches, Black-bellied
Bustard and, rarely, Denham’s Bustard. Look out 32,000 ha park is made up of a mosaic of flooded
grasslands, braided flood-plain channels, extensive
forthe elusiveOribiin thegrasslandsrunningalong
Lianshulu’sairfield,aswellasTemminck’sCourser. reedbeds and papyrus swamps, heavily wooded is-
landsandopenwaterhabitats.Thetwolargestislands,
Themopanewoodlands arethepreferredhabitat
Nkasa andLupala, form thecentral focusofthe park
of the stunning White-herded Black Chat which
can seen virtually anywhere. Bennett’s, Golden-
tailed, Cardinal and Bearded Woodpecker are
relativelycommon,asareCrestedandPiedBarbets.
SeveralsmallraptorsincludingLizardBuzzard,Dark
Chanting Goshawk, Shikra and African Little
Sparrowhawkshouldbeseenonmostvisits.Mopane
woodlands seem to be the habitat in which to find
Common Scops Owl and you should hear them
throughout the night. White-facedScops and Barn
Owls, African Barred and Pearl-spotted Owlets
have also been recorded here. Bird parties occur in
this woodland type and usually comprise Southern
Black Tit, Long-billed Crombec, Black Cuckoo- FloodplainsandislandsoftheKwando-Linyanti-Choberiver
shrike, White Helmet Shrike and Burnt-necked systemsinMamiliNationalPark(ChrisHines)
Eremomela. Long-tailed and White-crowned
Shrikes are also relatively common in these wood- and seldom, if ever, flood. The rest of the park is
inundated at least once every few years during the
lands.
The riverine fringe should yield typical species winter months. The park is really only accessible by
suchasYellow-belliedandTerrestrialBrownbul, four-wheel-drive vehicle even when it is completely
White-browed Robin-Chat, Ashy and Paradise dryas thetracksare unservicedand rough. Mamiliis
Flycatchers, Swamp and Tropical Boubous, Or- now accessed offthe D3511 through the villages of
ange-breastedBushShrike and Retz’sRed-billed SangwaliorMalengalenga.Thereareseveraltracksin
Helmet Shrike. The gardens at Lianshulu are par- trhaengpearrsktaatnidonistsisoatdhvaitsyaobluektnoocwhercokugthhleymwahpesreatytohue
ticularlypleasanttobird in andyou shouldgetgood
views ofLesser Striped Swallow, White-rumped aregoingasnoneofthemaresignposted.Accommo-
Babbler, Black Crake, Violet-backed Starling, dation is limited to unserviced campsites at Nyanda
andLyadura, both ofwhich are quite attractive.
Collared Sunbird and Thick-billedWeaver. Pin-
tailed, Shaft-tailed and Paradise Whydahs have Waterlevelfluctuationsstronglyinfluencetheoc-
currenceofbirdsinthepark. Duringthedrierperiods
allbeenrecorded in the area. theextensivegrasslandsaregoodforDenham’sand
Theflood-plainsandriverarenotgenerallyacces-
Kori Bustard, as well as Black-bellied Bustard.
sibleexceptviaLianshulu’sboats,butpatientviewing
During the rains these grasslands should produce
Little Button Quail, Harlequin and Common
Quail, Rufous-naped Lark and Red-faced
Cisticola. When they have been flooded these
grasslands are excellent for Pink-throated
Longclaw, Wattled Crane, Slaty Egret and Black
Coucal. They are, however, difficult to reach and
extremecaution isadvisedbeforewalkingaround in
the water here as crocodiles come up into these
White-rumpedBabblerTurdoidesleucopygilts flooded areas to feed. Other wetland habitats yield
MarkAndrews
Birding Namibia's Caprivi Strip: Hines BullABC Vol3 No2-121
Red-billedFrancolinFrancolinusadspersus(ChrisHines)
Shaft-tailedWhydah Viduaregia(K.Bartlett) Bronze-wingedCourserCursoriuschalcopterus(ChrisHines)
122 BullABC Vol3 No 2 Birding Namibia's Capriui Strip: Hines
