Namibia
10th - 24th July 2026
Friday 10th July: Having spent the past week in South Africa we then took a flight from Johannesburg to Windhoek where we picked up our 4-by-4 hire car and headed off to the Heinitzburg Hotel in Windhoek. The hotel was in a traditional German-style and would be our base for the next 3 days. Just outside our room was a bird feeder which attracted a mixture of different birds including Rosy-faced Lovebird, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Southern Masked Weaver and African Red-eyed Bulbul.
Rosy-faced Lovebird Southern Masked Weaver African Red-eyed Bulbul
Saturday 11th July: For our first full day in Windhoek we decided to head out to the local Daan Viljoen Game Reserve. This reserve contains a mixture of different habitats including a large lake. On the water were Red-billed Teal, White-breasted Cormorant, Grey Heron, Red-knobbed Coot, Eurasian Moorhen, Little Grebe and Egyptian Goose. Feeding by the side of the lake we found a number of new waders including Three-banded Plover, Blacksmith Lapwing and African Jacana as well as Black-winged Stilt. In the bushes and scrub we located a number of interesting species such as Laughing Dove, Gray Go-away-bird, Mountain Wheatear, Red-billed Spurfowl, Great Sparrow, White-browed Sparrow-weaver, Ostrich and Familiar Chat.
Red-billed Teal Red-nobbed Coot White-breasted Cormorant Three-banded Plover White-browed Sparrow Weaver Mountain Wheatear
In the afternoon we went for a walk around the Windhoek Botanical Garden close to the hotel. This area was surprising buzzing with different birds including a Rockrunner which was seen briefly before disappearing. Other sightings of interest were Acacia Pied Barbet, Marico Sunbird, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Red-billed Quelea, Gray Go-away-bird, Kalahari Bush-robin, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Long-billed Crombec and Southern Red Bishop.
Marico Sunbird Acacia Pied Barbet Monteiro's Hornbill Rockrunner Red-billed Quelea Kalahari Scrub-robin
Sunday 12th July: Another key birding location in Windhoek is Avis Dam which is located about 15 minutes drive to the east of the city on the road back to the airport. On the large lake there were plenty of water birds including Reed Cormorant, a single Hamerkop, Great White Egret, African Spoonbill and Great White Pelican. Several Kittlitz’s Plovers were feeding in the mud and in the scrub and bushes we found Marico Flycatcher, Asian Pipit, Cape Wagtail, Rock Kestrel, Black-chested Prinia, White-backed Mousebird, Familiar Chat and overhead some Alpine Swift.
African Spoonbill Hamerkop Familiar Chat
Back at the hotel another walk around the Windhoek Botanical Garden revealed some new species including Chestnut-vented Warbler, Yellow-bellied Eremomela and Southern Crag Martin as well as Kalahari Scrub-robin and Marico Flycatcher.
Chestnut-vented Warbler Marico Flycatcher Yellow-bellied Eremomela
Monday 13th July: The next morning we set of on the ca. 4h drive westwards towards Swakopmund and the Atlantic coast. As we neared our destination the weather changed noticeable from clear blue skies to cloud and costal mist which characterizes this part of Namibia. Before checking in to our AirBnb we spent a couple of hours hunting around the Swakop River, finding some Cape Teal, Kittlitz’s Plover, Blacksmith Lapwing, Pied Avocet and a new species in the form of White-fronted Plover. Also around were Cape Wagtail, Common Waxbill, Cape Sparrow, Cape Cormorant, Little Egret, Kelp Gull and Hartlaub’s Gull.
Cape Teal White-fronted Plover Cape Sparrow Cape Wagtail Hartlaub's Gull Kelp Gull
Tuesday 14th July: One of the go-to areas is Walvis Bay Lagoon which is ca. 1h south of Swakopmund. This vast area is comprised of large areas of lagoon and particularly salt pans and is very rich in birdlife. We immediately found several Chestnut-banded Plovers and Curlew Sandpipers together with large number of Greater Flamingo and some Greater Crested Terns.
Chestnut-banded Plover Curlew Sandpiper Greater Crested Tern
In the afternoon we ventured slightly north of Swakopmund to some other saltpans where there were some Lesser Flamingos as well as a Tractrac Chat and a small flock of African Black Oystercatcher.
Lesser Flamingo African Oystercatcher Tractrac Chat
Wednesday 15th July: On the Wednesday we booked ourself onto a Pelagic Tour of Walvis Bay which although very enjoyable proved not so fruitful for birds. However, we did see an African Penguin as well as Arctic Tern, Arctic Skua, Wilson’s Petrel and Cape Gannet. A bonus were the delicious Nambian oysters provided for lunch on the way back.
African Penguin African Penguin Black-winged Stilt
Thursday 16th July: We were now heading north towards the Etosha National Park and decided to break the journey by staying a couple of nights in the delightful and very atmospheric Ondudu Safari Lodge near Omaruru. As we approached the lodge we notice birdlife increasing by the roadside including Pale Chanting Goshawk, Purple Roller, Red-crested Korhaan and Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill. At the lodge itself we went for a pre-dinner walk and found Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Common Scimitarbill, Acacia Pied Barbet and Swallow-tailed Bee-eater.
Pale Chanting Goshawk Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill Purple Roller Acacia Pied Barbet Common Scimitarbill Familiar Chat
Friday 17th July
We booked ourself onto an early morning walk around the lodge with our guide Ivan who took us expertly through the dense bush and found a number of interesting birds including Pale-winged Starling, Pearl-spotted Owlet, White-tailed Shrike, Namaqua Dove, Black-throated Canary, White-throated Canary, Red-headed Finch and Southern Black Tit.
Black-throated Canary White-tailed Shrike Pearl-spotted Owlet
Later in the day we explored further afield around the lodge, again under Ivan’s guidance, finding all sort of interesting new birds such as Crimson-breasted Gonolek, Black-faced Waxbill, Green-winged Pytilia, Ring-necked Dove, Cape Bunting, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Sabota Lark and Lizard Buzzard.
Crimson-breasted Gonolek Double-banded Sandgrouse Pale Chanting Goshawk
Saturday 18th July: The next morning we were back in the car for the long 5 hour drive from Ondudu Safari Lodge to Mokuti Safari Lodge within the Etosha NP. En route we spied a Bateleur circling in the sky. After checking in to our apartment at the Motuki Safari Lodge we wandered around the grounds finding many interesting birds including Lesser Masked Weaver, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Violet-cheeked Waxbill, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Red-headed Weaver, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Southern White-crowned Shrike, Black-headed Oriole, Cape Starling, Blue Waxbill, Southern Red-billed Hornbill, Gray Go-away-bird and Fork-tailed Drongo.
Golden-tailed Woodpecker Southern White-crowned Shrike Black-headed Oriole Emerald-spotted Wood Dove Violet-cheeked Waxbill Violet-cheeked Waxbill
Sunday 19th July: The entrance to the Etosha NP is only ca. 15 minutes by car from Mokuti Lodge and so we headed off for the day driving around the roads and tracks called Namutoni Drive. Highlights in the morning were Kori Bustard, Double-banded Courser and Crowned Lapwing and later on in the day we had a great view of a Martial Eagle as well as Greater Kestrel, Brown Snake Eagle and Pale Chanting Goshawk. We also found an Ant-eating Chat, Scaly Weaver, Lilac-breasted Roller, Red-crested Korhaan, Mountain Flycatcher, Cape Turtle Dove, plenty of Marico Flycatchers and later in the day had a distant view of the spectacular Secretary Bird as well as a Wattled Starling.
Double-banded Courser Kori Bustard Crowned Lapwing Martial Eagle Lilac-breasted Roller Greater Kestrel
Monday 20th July: The next morning we started early and investigated another part of Namutoni Drive where we immediately found a singing White-browed Scrub Robin. Other birds present included Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Greater Kestrel, Cape Penduline Tit, a pair of Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters, African Hoopoe, Purple Roller, Pale Chanting Goshawk and Emerald-spotted Wood-dove. Feeding close to a watering-hole were Common Moorhen, Black Crake and White-faced Whistling Duck. Also noted were Black-chested Prinia, Lappet-faced Vulture, White-backed Vulture, Violet-cheeked Waxbill, Sabota Lark and Red-billed Quelea.
White-browed Scrub-robin Swallow-tailed Bee-eater Lappet-faced Vulture Sabota Lark White-backed Vulture White-faced Whistling Duck
A pre-dinner drive added some new species namely Lesser Masked Weaver, Yellow-breasted Apalis, South African Shelduck and Northern Black Korhaan.
Lesser Masked Weaver Yellow-breasted Apalis South African Shelduck
Tuesday 21st July: On the Tuesday we decided to focus on finding some of the local lark species by going further afield to some of the drier areas of the Etosha NP. The tactic paid off with both Fawn-coloured Lark and Red-capped Lark being found as well as Desert Cisticola, Scaly-feathered Weaver, a pair of Burchell’s Sandgrouse and a Sabota Lark.
Fawn-coloured Lark Red-capped Lark Burchell's Sandgrouse
Back at Mukoti Lodge a late afternoon walk produced some skittish White-winged Helmetshrikes and a Grey-backed Camaroptera.
Wednesday 22nd July: We were now on our way south for our final stop before heading back to Windhoek. As we left Mokuti Lodge en route to Okonjima Plains Camp we saw a single African Hawk Eagle, a flock of Pied Crow and several Black-winged Kites sitting on the telegraph wires.
African Hawk-Eagle African Hawk-Eagle Black-winged Kite
Upon arrival at Okonjima Plains Camp we immediately found close to the lodge a Groundscraper Thrush, Yellow Canary, Southern Masked Weaver, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Acaia Pied Barbet and Grey-backed Camaroptera.
Groundscraper Thrush Grey-backed Camaroptera Yellow Canary
Thursday 23rd July: Early the next morning before breakfast we went on a game drive where we had spectacular views of a female Leopard and her 8 month old cub. Back at the lodges new birds included Short-toed Rock Thrush, Pied Babbler and Red-faced Mousebird as well as Pririt Batis, Burchell’s Sandgrouse and a Common Scimitarbill.
Leopard Pied Babbler Red-faced Mousebird
In the afternoon we went on another game drive including a walk in the bush to see a pair of White Rhinos. On the way back to the lodge we spotted a Red-crested Korhaan and a Damara Red-billed Hornbill.
White Rhino Damara Red-billed Hornbill Red-crested Korhaan
Friday 24rd July: We drove back to Windhoek spotting White-backed Vulture on the way. Before heading off to the airport we had a quick stop at Avis Dam finding Rock Martin, African Spoonbill and a Green-winged Pytilia.
Comments