269 | BIRDSCONTOUR REPORT (17.5.-31.5.'14)

269

Art. # 269

BIRDSCONTOUR REPORT

(17.05.’14 – 31.05.’14)

Text and photos from Stefan Rust

2014

(In terms of the Geneva Convention the copyright of these texts belong to Stefan Rust)

Dear birding friends, 

as birdwatching is a relatively new and one of the fastest growing and a most popular pursuit, it attracts people of all ages around the world. There can hardly be a better place than southern Africa (Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, South Africa) to nurture an interest in birds as it supports almost 1000 bird species, which is about 10 per cent of the world's entire bird. Taking birding to new heights, Hobby-Ornithologist Stefan Rust together with BirdsConTour represents some of the ontour bird sightings and several other interesting birding aspects to showcase the fun of birding, promote citizen science, highlight conservation, indicate where to view what birds and raise awareness of southern Africa's (sometimes international) birds and their habitats.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WORK GETS DISTRIBUTED INTERNATIONALLY

Have a quick look if your name or business is included in this scientific informational work (alphabetically arranged):

A Little Sossus Lodge, Namibia

Booth Barbara & Colin Eric Kay

Botha Christian (Web Designer), Namibia

Camp Chobe, Namibia

Chamäleon Reisen

Chobe NP., Botswana

Drescher Cornelia

Drescher Dr. Karla Ulrike

Dulitz-Schulz Renate Elsbeth Anna

Etosha National Park, Namibia

Etosha Safari Camp (Gondwana Collection), Namibia

Fischer Matthias

Gisela, Ngatuve Vatere Orphanage, Namibia

Gondwana Collection (Etosha Safari Camp), Namibia

Hosea Kutako International Airport, Namibia

Imvelo Gorges Lodge, Zimbabwe

Kempinski Estates, Namibia

Kuiseb River Canyon Lookout, Namibia

Leicher Birgit

Lianshulu Bush Lodge, Namibia

Mudumu NP., Namibia

Naukluft Mountains, Namibia

Neumaier Stefan

Ngatuve Vatere Orphanage, Namibia

Nunda River Lodge, Namibia

Popa Falls, Namibia

Rust Leni and Wencke

Rüttimann Nicole

Schulz Werner Willy Ernst

Seidarap Guesthouse, Namibia

Simone, Ngatuve Vatere Orphanage, Namibia

Sossusvlei (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Namibia

Sea Breeze Guesthouse, Namibia

Swakopmund, Namibia

Victoria Falls NP., Zimbabwe

Walvisbay Lagoon, Namibia

Windhoek, Namibia

Zambon Susanne Margarete Ursula & Franco

Sites and countries visited during this period incl. amount of species per site:

(0-0 - Haven’t been there myself)

(single letter – indicates several sites per day)

17.05: (A) Kempinski Estates, Windhoek (19 species)

18.05: (A) Kempinski Estates, Windhoek (8 species, additional to yesterday)

19.05: (A) Road from Windhoek to Hosea Kutako International

            Airport (8 species), (B) Windhoek (6 species)

20.05: (A) Windhoek (3 species, additional) (B) Road from Windhoek to Little Sossus

           Lodge (35 species), (C) Sossus, UNESCO World Heritage Site (8 species), (D)

           Little Sossus Lodge (1 species)

21.05: (A) Little Sossus Lodge (10 species, additional to yesterday), (B) Road

           from Little Sossus Lodge to Swakopmund, Sea Breeze Guesthouse (22 species),

           (C) Walvisbay Lagoon (17 species), (D) Swakopmund (6 species), (E) Sea Breeze

           Guesthouse (6 species)

22.05: (A) Sea Breeze Guesthouse (1 species, additional to yesterday), (B) Road from

           Sea Breeze Guesthouse to Etosha Safari Camp, Gondwana Collection (31  

           species), (C) Etosha Safari Camp (9 species)

23.05: (A) Etosha Safari Camp (4 species, additional to yesterday), (B) Etosha NP (52

           species) (C) Etosha Safari Camp (6 species, additional)

24.05: (A) Etosha Safari Camp (1 species, additional to yesterday), (B) Etosha NP (9

           species, additional to before), (C) Road from Etosha NP. to Seidarap Guesthouse

           (2 species), (D) Seidarap Gästehaus (4 species)

25.05: (A) Seidarap Gästehaus (8 species, additional to yesterday), (B) Road

           from Seidarap Guesthouse to Nunda River Lodge (19 species), (C) Nunda River

           Lodge (42 species)

26.05: (A) Nunda River Lodge (1 species, additional to yesterday), (B) Road from Nunda

           River Lodge to Lianshulu Bush Lodge (26 species), (C) Lianshulu Bush Lodge

           and Mudumu NP. (37 species)

27.05: (A) Lianshulu Bush Lodge and Mudumu NP. (45 species, additional to previous

           day)

28.05: (A) Lianshulu Bush Lodge (2 species, additional to yesterday), (B) Road

           from Lianshulu Bush Lodge to Camp Chobe (24 species), (C) Camp Chobe (48

           species)

29.05: (A) Camp Chobe (27 species, additional to yesterday)

30.05: (A) Camp Chobe (3 species, additional), (B) Road from Camp Chobe to Gorges

           Lodge (19 species), (C) Chobe NP. (51 species), (D) Victoria Falls NP. (7

           species), (E) Gorges Lodge (7 species)

31.05: (A) Gorges Lodge (19 species, additional to previous), (B) Amadeus Gardens (4

           species)

Total Distance traveled:

3 190 km

Personal Highlights:

BIRDS IN ART

BLACK KITE

GREY KESTREL

OSPREY

TWINSPOT INDIGOBIRD

17.05.'14  Kempinski Estates, Windhoek, Namibia  Shaft-tailed Whydah (1) According to an experiment, males with longer tail feathers have a higher copulation success.

18.05.'14  Kempinski Estates, Windhoek, Namibia  White-tailed Shrike (2) These near-endemic birds have rarely been observed drinking, only once in three years.

19.05.’14 Hosea Kutako International Airport, Namibia  Violet-eared Waxbill (1) These near-endemic birds forage mainly in the mornings, even six o’clock in winter while it is still dark, then briefly at midday and again from 16:30.

20.05.’14 Naukluft Mountains, Namibia  Rosy-faced Lovebird (4) When nesting in communal nests of Sociable Weaver the Rosy-faced Lovebird doesn’t add any nest material, but when building its own nest in rock crevices, the female cuts bark strips or grass leaves and carries the material in her rump feathers to the nest.

21.05.'14  Road C19, Kuiseb Canyon Lookout, Namibia  BirdsConTour for a cleaner Bird Habitat  While on tour with an 11 guest group, a lookout point at the Kuiseb River on the C19 was cleaned during a break.

Read more in the electronic newsletter Birds in Words (www.birdscontour.blogspot.com) article 266.

22.05.'14  Ngatuve Vatere Orphanage, Namibia  Aiding Wings  Mrs, Wencke Rust and child Leni Rust delivered second hand clothes which was handed over to children of the Ngatuve Vatere Orphanage by the BirdsConTour Aiding Wings project.

Read more in the electronic newsletter Birds in Words (www.birdscontour.blogspot.com) article 265.

23.05.'14  Ombika Waterhole, Etosha NP., Namibia  Martial Eagle (2) In Namibia this species is classified as Endangered because its numbers decreased three-fold within six years because of persecution on farmlands.

24.05.'14  Klein Namutoni Waterhole, Etosha NP., Namibia  Whiskered Tern (1) The Southern African population is fairly small, probably less than 15 000 birds. The Whiskered Tern is a partial intra-African migrant, nomad and resident.

25.05.’14  ±100 KM north of Otjiwarongo, Veterinary Fence, Namibia  Black Kite (1) An unusual sighting this time of the year! The Milvus migrans migrans is described to be a non-breeding visitor to southern Africa, departing in March. The Milvus migrans parasitus is an intra-African migrant, being present almost year-round except May till June. This individual bird didn’t seem to be weak or similar to explain why this bird is still around, instead it made an absolute vital impression.

26.05.’14  Kongola, Zambezi (Caprivi) Strip, Namibia  Dickinson’s Kestrel (1) This species is classified as uncommon to rare in the Zambezi Strip and in northern Botswana.

27.05.’14  Lianshulu Bush Lodge and Mudumu NP., Zambezi (Caprivi) Strip, Namibia  Grey Kestrel (1) Way out of its natural range was this uncommon species sighted. There are estimated 40 breeding pairs in southern Africa.

27.05.’14  Lianshulu Bush Lodge and Mudumu NP., Zambezi (Caprivi) Strip, Namibia  African Green-Pigeon (2) Clambering parrot-like, the male collected twigs, delivering them to its female, who tucks it under her body onto the nest. In average the female incorporates only 25 % of ca 60 delivered twigs per 6 hours into her one nest.

28.05.’14  Camp Chobe, Zambezi (Caprivi) Strip, Namibia  Osprey (1) Worldwide the Osprey numbers are gradually increasing. Although most birds depart southern Africa by March till May, some overwinter or are resident. Overwintering individuals are most probably immatures or sub-adults.

29.05.’14 Camp Chobe, Zambezi (Caprivi) Strip, Namibia  African Golden Oriole (1) Movements of this shy and unobtrusive, intra-African breeding migrant are not well understood yet.

30.05.’14  Gorges Lodge, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe BirdsConTOUR for conservation  By traveling directly with BirdsConTour or making use of a guide from BirdsConTour you support bird conservation and create an economic platform for local livelihoods. Sometimes travelers also participate in another BirdsConTour project. To say THANK YOU, every tour participant receives a Bird & Birder Friendly Award at the end of the tour.

Today nine German-speaking guests were rewarded with one penguin-rated Bird & Birder Friendly Awards.

Read more in the electronic newsletter Birds in Words (www.birdscontour.blogspot.com) article 259 and find more awardees in article 71.

31.05.’14  Gorges Lodge, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Black Cuckooshrike (4) Only the female incubates the eggs, whereby she is fed by the male on the nest. In KwaZulu-Natal about 50 % of these birds have a bright yellow patch on their carpal joint and in Zimbabwe only 9 %. Two were observed in the garden of the Imvelo Garden Lodge.

31.05.’14  Gorges Lodge, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird (1) Only a small percentage of these birds have a deep orange, not red, forecrown. This individual had the deep orange forecrown.

31.05.’14  Amadeus Gardens, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe  Twinspot Indigobird (5) Little is known about the population and demography. Apparently this species is uncommon to rare.

31.05.’14  Birds in Words  Aiding Wings (Birds in Art)  A regular space is created in the Birds in Words news (electronic and paper). Under the heading It’s time to show your art skills, the BirdsConTour Birds in Art project aims to inspire artists of all levels from all over the world and invites artists to show a picture of their artwork in this space. In this edition Birgit Leicher is the first artist to exhibit some of her photos.

Read more in the electronic newsletter Birds in Words (www.birdscontour.blogspot.com) article 268.

Index to bird species observed in this period:

(English names and date when seen)

(*  - See text about species on according date above)

(A or B – Appears when species is recorded at different sites on same day, specifying where on according date beneath species list)

-Acacia Pied Barbet   17.5.(A) / 20.5.(B) / 21.5.(A)(B) / 23.5.(B)(C) / 29.5.(A) / 30.5.(C)

-African Black Swift   30.5.(E) /

-African Darter   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-African Fish-Eagle   26.5.(C) / 28.5.(B) / 30.5.(C) /

-*African Golden Oriole   29.5.*(A) / 31.5.(A) /

-*African Green-Pigeon   27.5.*(A) /

-African Grey Hornbill   25.5.(B) / 26.5.(B)(C) / 28.5.(B) / 30.5.(C) /

-African Hoopoe    20.5.(B) / 24.5.(B) /

-African Jacana   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-African Mourning Dove   25.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(B) /

-African Openbill   28.5.(B)(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-African Palm-Swift   19.5.(A) / 23.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) /

-African Pied Wagtail   25.5.(C) /

-African Pipit   29.5.(A) /

-African Pygmy Goose   27.5.(A) / 28.5.(C) /

-African Quailfinch   23.5.(B) /

-African Red-eyed Bulbul   17.5.(A) / 20.5.(A) / 21.5.(A)(B) / 23.5.(C) / 25.5.(A) /

-African Sacred Ibis   28.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-African Scops-Owl   28.5.(A) /

-African Spoonbill   28.5.(C) /

-African Stonechat   27.5.(A) /

-African Wattled Lapwing   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Banded Martin   26.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) / 28.5.(C) /

-Barn Owl   22.5.(A) / 23.5.(A) / 25.5.(A) / 31.5.(A) /

-Bateleur   23.5.(B) / 26.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) / 28.5.(B) / 30.5.(B)(C) /

-Bearded Scrub-Robin   27.5.(A) /

-Black-backed Puffback   31.5.(A) /

-Black-chested Prinia   20.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) /

-Black-chested Snake-Eagle   23.5.(B) /

-Black-collared Barbet   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) / 29.5.(A) / 31.5.(A) /

-Black Crake   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) /

-Black-crowned Night-Heron   25.5.(B) /

-*Black Cuckooshrike   31.5.*(A) /

-Black-faced Babbler   28.5.(B) /

-Black-headed Heron   24.5.(B) / 29.5.(A) /

-Black-headed Oriole   30.5.(B) /

-*Black Kite   25.5.*(B) /

-Black-shouldered Kite   20.5.(B) / 25.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Black Stork   31.5.(A) /

-Black-throated Canary   18.5.(A) / 23.5.(B) / 30.5.(C) /

-Black-winged Stilt   30.5.(C) /

-Blacksmith Lapwing   20.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) / 24.5.(D) / 25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) / 28.5.(B)(C) / 30.5.(B)(C) /

-Blue Waxbill   26.5.(C) / 29.5.(A) / 30.5.(C) /

-Bokmakierie   21.5.(A) /

-Bradfield’s Hornbill   25.5.(B) /

-Bradfield’s Swift   19.5.(B) / 22.5.(B) /

-Bronze-winged Courser   30.5.(E) /

-Brown-crowned Tchagra   18.5.(A) /

-Brown-headed Kingfisher   31.5.(B) /

-Brown-throated Martin   26.5.(C) /

-Brubru   22.5.(B) / 28.5.(C) /

-Burchell’s Courser   20.5.(C) /

-Burchell’s Starling   20.5.(B) / 25.5.(C) / 26.5.(B)(C) / 28.5.(B)(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Cape Cormorant   21.5.(C) /

-Cape Crow   23.5.(B) / 25.5.(B) /

-Cape Glossy Starling   17.5.(A) / 20.5.(B) / 21.5.(B) / 22.5.(B)(C) / 23.5.(B) / 25.5.(B) / 28.5.(B) / 30.5.(B) /

-Cape Sparrow   20.5.(C) / 21.5.(A)(B)(D)(E) / 22.5.(B) /

-Cape Turtle-Dove   18.5.(A) / 19.5.(A) / 20.5.(B)(C) / 21.5.(A) / 22.5.(B)(C) / 23.5.(B) / 24.5.(D) / 25.5.(B)(C) / 26.5.(B)(C) / 28.5.(B)(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Cape Wagtail   21.5.(B)(C)(E) /

-Capped Wheatear   21.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) /

-Cardinal Woodpecker   22.5.(C) /

-Caspian Tern   21.5.(C) /

-Cattle Egret   21.5.(C) / 25.5.(B) / 26.5.(C) / 28.5.(B) / 30.5.(C) /

-Chat Flycatcher   23.5.(B) /

-Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark   23.5.(B) /

-Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler   23.5.(B) /

-Chinspot Batis   26.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) / 30.5.(D) / 31.5.(A) /

-Chirping Cisticola   26.5.(C) /

-Cinnamon-breasted Bunting   22.5.(C) / 31.5.(A) /

-*Collared Pratincole   28.5.*(C) /

-Comb Duck   28.5.(C) /

-Common Fiscal   20.5.(B) /

-Common House-Martin   22.5.(B) /

-Common Ostrich   20.5.(B) / 21.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) /

-Common Scimitarbill   27.5.(A) / 31.5.(A) /

-Common Waxbill   21.5.(C) /

-Coppery-tailed Coucal   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(E) /

-Crested Barbet   27.5.(A) / 30.5.(C) /

-Crested Francolin   28.5.(B) / 30.5.(A)(B) /

-Crimson-breasted Shrike   25.5.(A)(B) / 29.5.(A) /

-Crowned Lapwing   22.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) / 25.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) / 30.5.(C) /

-Damara Hornbill   20.5.(B) /

-Dark-capped Bulbul   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5. (B)(C)(D) / 31.5.(A) /

-Dark Chanting Goshawk   26.5.(B) / 30.5.(C) /

-*Dickinson’s Kestrel   26.5.*(B) /

-Double-banded Sandgrouse   27.5.(A) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Dusky Sunbird   20.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) / 24.5.(C) /

-Egyptian Goose   23.5.(B) / 25.5.(C) / 27.5.(A) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove   25.5.(B) / 26.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) / 30.5.(A)(C) / 31.5.(B) /

-Familiar Chat   18.5.(A) / 21.5.(A)(E) / 22.5.(C) / 25.5.(A) /

-Fork-tailed Drongo   20.5.(B) / 22.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) / 25.5.(A)(B)(C) / 26.5.(B)(C) / 28.5.(B)(C) / 30.5.(C)(E) /

-Gabar Goshawk   20.5.(A) / 22.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) / 25.5.(B) /

-Giant Kingfisher   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(B)(C) / 29.5.(A) /

-Glossy Ibis   28.5.(C) /

-Golden-breasted Bunting   18.5.(A) /

-Golden-tailed Woodpecker   27.5.(A) / 29.5.(A) / 31.5.(A) /

-Golden Weaver   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) /

-Goliath Heron   26.5.(C) /

-Great Egret   28.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Great Sparrow   23.5.(A)(B) /

-Great White Pelican   21.5.(C) /

-Greater Blue-eared Starling   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(B) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(B)(C) /

-Greater Flamingo   21.5.(C)(D) /

-Greater Kestrel   21.5.(B) /

-Green-backed Heron   25.5.(C) / 29.5.(A) /

-Green Wood-Hoopoe   28.5.(B) / 29.5.(A) /

-Grey-backed Camaroptera   24.5.(D) / 26.5.(A)(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Grey-backed Sparrowlark   20.5.(B) / 21.5.(A)(B) / 23.5.(B) /

-Grey Go-away-bird   17.5.(A) / 20.5.(B) / 24.5.(B) / 25.5.(A)(B)(C) / 26.5.(B)(C) / 28.5.(B)(C) / 30.5.(B)(C)(D) /

-Grey-headed Gull   21.5.(C) / 29.5.(A) /

-Grey-headed Kingfisher   22.5.(B) /

-Grey Heron   28.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-*Grey Kestrel   27.5.*(A) /

-Grey Plover   21.5.(C) /

-Groundscraper Thrush   28.5.(B) /

-Hadeda Ibis   26.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(D) /

-Hartlaub’s Babbler   25.5.(C) / 27.5.(A) / 29.5.(A) / 30.5.(C) /

-Hartlaub’s Gull   21.5.(C)(D) /

-Hamerkop   26.5.(C) /

-Helmeted Guineafowl   17.5.(A) / 21.5.(D) / 22.5.(B)(C) / 23.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) / 31.5.(A) /

-House Sparrow   19.5.(B) / 20.5.(B) / 21.5.(B)(C) /

-Kalahari Scrub-Robin   20.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) /

-Kelp Gull   21.5.(C)(D) /

-Kori Bustard   23.5.(B) /

-Lanner Falcon   20.5.(C) / 23.5.(B) /

-Lappet-faced Vulture   22.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) /

-Lark-like Bunting   20.5.(B) / 21.5.(A)(B) / 22.5.(B) /

-Laughing Dove   17.5.(A) / 19.5.(A) / 20.5.(A) / 21.5.(A)(C)(E) / 22.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) / 24.5.(C) / 25.5.(A)(B)(C) / 26.5.(B)(C) / 28.5.(B)(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Lesser Masked-Weaver   26.5.(C) /

-Lesser Striped Swallow   26.5.(B)(C) / 28.5.(B)(C) /

-Lilac-breasted Roller   22.5.(B) / 24.5.(B) / 26.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) / 28.5.(B)(C) / 30.5.(B) /

-Little Bee-eater   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(B)(C) / 29.5.(A) / 30.5.(C) /

-Little Egret   25.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Little Grebe   24.5.(B) / 30.5.(A)(B) /

-Little Sparrowhawk   22.5.(B) /

-Little Swift   18.5.(A) / 19.5.(A) / 20.5.(A) / 22.5.(B) / 24.5.(D) / 26.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) /

-Long-billed Crombec   17.5.(A) / 26.5.(B) /

-Long-toed Lapwing   28.5.(C) /

-Magpie Shrike   25.5.(B) / 26.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) / 28.5.(B)(C) / 30.5.(B)(C) /

-Malachite Kingfisher   27.5.(A) / 29.5.(A) /

-Marabou Stork   30.5.(C) /

-Marico Flycatcher   22.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) / 29.5.(A) /

-Marico Sunbird   27.5.(A) /

-*Martial Eagle   23.5.*(B) / 30.5.(C) /

-Meves’s Starling   25.5.(C) / 28.5.(B) /

-Meyer’s Parrot   25.5.(C) / 27.5.(A) / 28.5.(B) /

-Monteiro’s Hornbill   20.5.(B) / 22.5.(B) /

-Mountain Wheatear   20.5.(B) / 21.5.(B) /

-Namaqua Dove   22.5.(B) / 23.5.(B)(C) / 26.5.(B) /

-Namaqua Sandgrouse   20.5.(B) / 21.5.(B) / 22.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) /

-Natal Spurfowl   31.5.(A) /

-Northern Black Korhaan   23.5.(B) /

-Orange River Francolin   17.5.(A) / 25.5.(B) /

-*Osprey   28.5.*(C) /

-Pale Flycatcher   27.5.(A) /

-Pale-winged Starling   17.5.(A) / 19.5.(B) / 20.5.(B) / 21.5.(B) / 22.5.(B) /

-Pearl-spotted Owlet   22.5.(C) / 28.5.(A) / 29.5.(A) /

-Pied Crow   20.5.(C) / 21.5.(B) / 22.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) / 25.5.(B) / 29.5.(A) / 30.5.(C)(D) / 31.5.(A)(B) /

-Pied Kingfisher   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Pririt Batis   17.5.(A) / 23.5.(A)(B) /

-Purple Indigobird   26.5.(C) /

-Purple Roller   20.5.(B) / 22.5.(B) / 25.5.(C) / 26.5.(B) /

-Pygmy Falcon   21.5.(B) /

-Rattling Cisticola   28.5.(C) /

-Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver   23.5.(B) / 29.5.(A) / 30.5.(B) /

-Red-billed Firefinch   27.5.(A) / 31.5.(A) /

-Red-billed Hornbill   24.5.(B) / 26.5.(C) / 28.5.(B) / 30.5.(C) /

-Red-billed Oxpecker   27.5.(A) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Red-billed Quelea   23.5.(B) / 28.5.(C) /

-Red-billed Spurfowl   17.5.(A) / 23.5.(B)(C) / 25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Red-billed Teal   23.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) /

-Red-breasted Swallow   23.5.(B) /

-Red-eyed Dove   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) / 29.5.(A) / 30.5.(B) /

-Red-faced Mousebird   19.5.(A) / 21.5.(C) / 27.5.(A) /

-Red-headed Finch   23.5.(B) /

-Red-headed Weaver   27.5.(A) /

-Red-winged Starling   30.5.(D) / 31.5.(A) /

-Reed Cormorant   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(B)(C) /

-Retz’s Helmet-Shrike   31.5.(A) /

-Rock Kestrel   19.5.(A) / 21.5.(B) /

-Rock Martin   17.5.(A) / 19.5.(A) / 20.5.(D) / 21.5.(B) / 22.5.(B) / 23.5.(B)(C) / 30.5.(E)

-*Rosy-faced Lovebird   17.5.(A) / 20.5.*(B) / 21.5.(B) /

-Ruddy Turnstone   21.5.(C) /

-Rüppell’s Korhaan   20.5.(B)(C) / 21.5.(B) /

-Rüppell’s Parrot   22.5.(B) /

-Sabota Lark   20.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) /

-Saddle-billed Stork   27.5.(A) /

-Scaly-feathered Finch   20.5.(C) /

-Scarlet-chested Sunbird   17.5.(A) /

-Secretarybird   24.5.(B) /

-Senegal Coucal   25.5.(C) /

-*Shaft-tailed Whydah   18.5.*(A) / 23.5.(B) /

-Sharp-tailed Starling   25.5.(C) /

-Shikra   30.5.(C) /

-Short-toed Rock-Thrush   17.5.(A) /

-Sociable Weaver   20.5.(B) / 21.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) /

-Southern Black Tit   23.5.(A) /

-Souther Brown-throated Weaver   27.5.(A) /

-Southern Grey-headed Sparrow   17.5.(A) / 23.5.(B) /

-Southern Ground-Hornbill   30.5.(B) /

-Southern Masked-Weaver   21.5.(E) / 23.5.(B) /

-Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk   20.5.(B)(C) / 22.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) /

-Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill   20.5.(B) / 22.5.(B)(C) / 23.5.(B) / 26.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) /

-Speckled Pigeon   17.5.(A) / 21.5.(A)(C)(E) / 25.5.(A) /

-Spotted Thick-knee   24.5.(A) / 27.5.(A) /

-Spur-winged Goose   25.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) /

-Squacco Heron   27.5.(A) / 28.5.(C) /

-Swainson’s Spurfowl   27.5.(A) / 30.5.(C) /

-Swallow-tailed Bee-eater   20.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) /

-Swamp Boubou   25.5.(C) / 26.5.(C) /

-Tawny Eagle   22.5.(B) / 24.5.(B) / 25.5.(B) / 26.5.(B) / 30.5.(C) /

-Tawny-flanked Prinia   27.5.(A) /

-Thick-billed Weaver   25.5.(C) /

-Tractrac Chat   20.5.(B) / 22.5.(B) /

-Tropical Boubou   26.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) /

-Twinspot Indigobird   31.5.(B) /

-Verreaux’s Eagle   20.5.(B) / 21.5.(B) / 30.5.(E) /

-Village Indigobird   27.5.(A) /

-Village Weaver   28.5.(B) /

-*Violet-eared Waxbill   19.5.*(A) /

-Water Thick-knee   25.5.(C) / 27.5.(A) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(C) /

-Wattled Starling   23.5.(B) / 29.5.(A) /

-*Whiskered Tern   24.5.*(B) / 28.5.(C) /

-White-backed Mousebird   19.5.(B) /

-White-backed Vulture   22.5.(B) / 23.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) / 30.5.(B)(C) /

-White-browed Coucal   28.5.(C) /

-White-browed Robin-Chat   25.5.(C) / 27.5.(A) / 29.5.(C) / 30.5.(D) /

-White-browed Scrub-Robin   29.5.(A) /

-White-browed Sparrow-Weaver   17.5.(A) / 19.5.(A)(B) / 20.5.(B) / 22.5.(B)(C) / 23.5.(B) / 29.5.(A) / 30.5.(B)(E) /

-White-crested Helmet-Shrike   26.5.(B) / 27.5.(A) /

-White-crowned Lapwing   25.5.(C) /

-White-faced Duck   25.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) /

-White-fronted Bee-eater   25.5.(C) / 27.5.(A) /

-White-fronted Plover   21.5.(D) /

-*White-tailed Shrike   18.5.*(A) /

-White-throated Canary   20.5.(B) /

-White-winged Widowbird   25.5.(C) /

-Wire-tailed Swallow   26.5.(C) / 28.5.(C) / 30.5.(B)(C) /

-Yellow-bellied Greenbul   26.5.(B) / 31.5.(A) /

-Yellow-billed Egret   21.5.(C) / 29.5.(A) /

-Yellow-billed Oxpecker   28.5.(B) / 29.5.(A) /

-Yellow-billed Stork   29.5.(A) /

-*Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird   31.5.*(A) /

Total number of species identified:

243

Enjoy Birding, 

Stefan Rust

Please note: Most scientific information has been taken from Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, V11th edition!

(For further reading see www.birdscontour.blogspot.com)

(For more information contact Stefan Rust on +264 (0)81 129 8415 or birdscontour@iway.na)