A huge series of bare rocks that suddenly rises from the gravel flats. The tallest peak reaches 670 m above the dry plains, so get ready for some epic climbing and scrambling over the boulders! The main target for most birders is the tricky Herero Chat. Local guides can help if you struggle. If you can find a pool of water you might bump into Rosy-faced Lovebird. If that doesn’t work try at the showers. Stop at any riverbeds that you cross and check out the thorn trees for Rüppell’s Parrot and Violet Woodhopoe. The mountains around the nearby town of Omaruru are better for Hartlaub’s Spurfowl and Rockrunner. Spitszkoppe is also a fantastic place to see cool reptiles, like the Giant Plated Lizard.

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Walvis is one of the best spots for coastal birds and waders anywhere in the world. You’ll see flamingos everywhere plus massive numbers of other waterbirds like pelicans, terns and gulls. These are joined in summer by waders in their thousands – many rarities have been spotted here! The salt pans towards the southern end of town are good for Chestnut-banded Plover and Red-necked Phalarope. You can also explore the nearby gravel plains for special LBJs, or visit the low dunes for Namibia’s special Dune Lark.

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This stunning national park in the north of Namibia is one of the largest parks in Africa, and is home to more than 340 species of birds. Etosha Pan itself is huge – about 120 km long! For most of the year it is a bare, salty, white plain. But after good rains it fills up with water and becomes a magnet for waterbirds. There are three camps in Etosha: Okakeujo lies in the drier western part and is surrounded by thornveld and open plains. Good for larks, coursers, cranes, sandgrouse and chats and all the various thornveld specials. Halali is surrounded by hills and koppies – you can find Violet Woodhoopoe and Bare-cheeked Babbler in the camp itself! And Namutoni lies in the east in a beautiful woodland area. In addition to great birding, Etosha will provide crazy mammal sightings as well, including big cats.

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This small town lies right on the border of Angola, along the Kunene River. It’s a looong way to drive, but is the only place in our region where you can tick Grey Kestrel (open fields), Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush (riverine bush) and Cinderella Waxbill (dry watercourses). The palm thrush is not hard to find along the river, but the other two can be tough. These birds are really Angolan species, but they sneak across the border in small number. A small population of Angola Cave Chats live in the remote Zebra Mountains and there have been a few sightings of Angola Swee. Some other exciting have been claimed, but are not confirmed. Do you want to go an explore? This is a pretty wild and remote area! If you really want to mission, you could visit Epupa Falls further downstream.

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If you look on a map you’ll see a small strip at the top right of Namibia. This is the Caprivi Strip. It eventually joins up at Kasane at the Botswana/Zimbabwe border. Most of the Namibia is dry but the Caprivi Strip is a moist, tropical woodland area with plenty of swamps. Most of the Okavango Delta specials can also be seen here at places like Mahango/Bwabwata. Popa Falls near Divundu is a beautiful campsite, and you can see Rock Pratincoles breeding on the rocks there at the right time of year. On the western edge, the town of Rundu is famous among birders as the place to search for Rufous-bellied Tit, Souza’s Shrike and Sharp-tailed Starling. On the eastern edge of the Caprivi Strip, the town of Katima Mulilo has some amazing lodges and you can birding from the river on a boat.

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