Every third Namibian bird sighted in the NAUkLuFT

Bird lovers in Namibia are thrilled with the new book ‘Birds of Namibia’. It contains all 691 species confirmed to occur in Namibia. Incredibly, almost a third of these species have been sighted by experts in the NAUkLuFT.

Whether it’s the ostrich or the sunbird, the fish eagle or the pearl-spotted owl, the rosy-faced lovebird or the social weaverbird, Namibia is a paradise for bird enthusiasts.

The newly published book ‘Birds of Namibia’ is sure to delight these bird lovers. Authors Dayne, Sean, and Steve Braine present all 691 confirmed bird species of Namibia in this book. Each bird is accompanied by a photograph in its natural habitat.

Descriptions of size and plumage, calls and behavior, diet, mating seasons, and nesting habits are also included. Maps provide a clear overview of the bird’s distribution.

The systematic structure of the contents allows to quickly find a specific bird. The inclusion of names in English, German and Afrikaans for each bird is also very helpful.

Over 200 Species in the Naukluft Mountains

It is remarkable that almost one in three birds sighted in Namibia is found in the Naukluft Mountains. This is evident from the annotated list ‘Birds of the Naukluft Mountains’ from 1988 compiled by bird expert Peter Bridgeford. It is avaliable as PDF download on the Environmental Service Namibia’s website.

In this list, he and his colleague H.J. Boyer, from the nature conservation department of the then-administration, enumerate over 200 species. 64 of these species are breeding in the Naukluft Mountains. In 1992, Bridgeford and his wife Marilyn expanded the list.

The reason for this extraordinary biodiversity are the springs providing water throughout the year. Therefore, waterfowl such as hamerkop and grey heron can be found in the NAUKLuFT area. In addition, there are numerous habitats on mountain slopes as well as in the gorges, valleys, and rivers (see also the ‘NAUkLuFT’ section).