Birding in Namibia
Namibia, located in southwestern Africa, has 670 species of birds
found in a wide range of habitats: Namib Desert, Nama Karoo, upland
scrubland, deciduous woodland, riverine woodland, floodplains,
grasslands, ocean and estuary. Within these habitats one can
find a large variety of species ranging from specialized larks
with restricted distributions to ostriches and African Finfoots.
Namibia has the largest single colony of Carmine Bee-eaters
(over 5000) in Africa.
Birding at Tandala Ridge
Are you looking for a place to see the endemics of Namibia?
Tandala Ridge B+B at Windpoort Farm, has 8 of the 17 endemic
Namibian bird species and all but one can be seen at the B & B.
Wake up to the calls of Hartlaub's Francolin and Carp's Black Tit.
From the lapa you can see Monteiro's Hornbill, Damara Hornbill,
Ruppell's Parrot, Bare-cheeked Babbler, and White-tailed Shrike
while it is only a short ways to Rock Runner habitat. In addition
we have many other species of birds not commonly seen in southern
Africa including Orange River Francolin, Chestnut Weaver, Short-toed
Rock Thrush and 3 nesting pairs of African Hawk Eagles.
Your hosts, Tim and Laurel Osborne, have 30 years of birding
experience in Africa and are quite willing to share their knowledge
and expertise. They will gladly assist with birding on the farm,
as well as planning your trip and offering helpful tips on Namibian
travel.
Bird Tours
We also offer custom built tours for those who would like to travel
with an experienced guide. These are led by ornithologist Tim Osborne
who has more than 30 years of birding in Africa.
Bird tours typically last 2-3 weeks depending on what birds you desire
to see and where you want to go. To ensure your comfort and individual
attention we limit the tour to a maximum of 3 passengers. Tours includes
all transportation, accommodation, meals, cold drinks, and park entry
fees. Prices vary depending on the class of accommodation and itinerary.
Please contact us for a quote.
Bird ringing/banding
Ring birds with Tim Osborne , one of southern Africa's top ringers,
at Windpoort Farm. Since 1999 he has ringed over 15,500 birds ranging
from white pelicans to sunbirds. We mainly use mist nets, but also
have balchatris for raptors, and our bustard net (with its various
modifications) which has caught everything from pelicans to curlew
sandpipers. We will willingly share our knowledge about various trapping
and bird ringing techniques.
We will supply all rings and equipment. The Namibian Ministry of Environment
and Tourism will issue a temporary ringing permit to any licensed ringer.
The price is £400/week which includes transportation from Windhoek to Windpoort
Farm and return, accommodation, and all meals. A surcharge of £40/day will be
added for visiting other ringing sites (i.e. Walvis Bay for flamingos) and
for overnight trips to nearby Etosha National Park.
