Bird Watching

bird-watching

With over 400 species of bird, Sekoma Island Lodge is a bird watchers paradise. Waterfowl, raptors, hornbills, heron, flycatchers, bee-eaters, Turacos and the shy African Finfoot can be seen.

After the first rains birds descend on the island, large flocks of Green Pigeon and Trumpeter Hornbills swoop the canopies, feasting on figs. The Trumpeter Hornbill can be heard for miles with its baby-like cry. During the low-water season Rock Pratincoles can be spotted raising their families on the large rocks at the centre of the rapids. Migratory birds can be seen during the summer months when birds from all over the world flock to the region to breed.

Raptors are well represented on the island, with the African Fish Eagle the most prolific bird of prey. The Pel’s Fishing Owl has also found a safe haven in the forest on Sekoma Island. Our guides at Sekoma Island Lodge have an outstanding knowledge of the fauna and flora, they will be more than happy to take you for a tour of the island or on a river cruise.

 

Gallery

Click HERE to view the entire Bird List

Birds found in the Caprivi Region:

 

LITTLE GREBE
AFRICAN DARTER
GOLIATH HERON
BLACK-HEADED HERON
LITTLE EGRET
BLACK HERON
WHITE-BACKED NIGHT-HERON
GREEN-BACKED HERON
BLACK STORK
YELLOW-BILLED STORK
AFRICAN OPENBILL
LESSER FLAMINGO
HADEDA IBIS
SPURWINGED GOOSE
WHITE-FACED DUCK
AFRICAN PYGMY GOOSE
YELLOW-BILLED DUCK
HOTTENTOT TEAL
WHITE-BACKED VULTURE
AFRICAN FISH-EAGLE
BROWN SNAKE-EAGLE
STEPPE EAGLE
MARTIAL EAGLE
LONG-CRESTED EAGLE
BOOTED EAGLE
STEPPE BUZZARD
WESTERN MARSH-HARRIER
SOUTHERN PALE CHANTING GOSHAWK
YELLOW-BILLED KITE
LIZZARD BUZZARD
SHIKRA
AFRICAN GOSHAWK
RED-NECKED FALCON
BAT HAWK
RED-FOOTED FALCON
GREATER KESTREL
ORANGE RIVER FRANCOLIN
HELMETED GUINEAFOWL
HARLEQUIN QUAIL
AFRICAN FINFOOT
LESSER MOORHEN
BLACK CRAKE
AFRICAN RAIL
BAILLON’S CRAKE
WATTLED CRANE
KORI BUSTARD
RED-CRESTED KORHAAN
COMMON RINGED PLOVER
CASPIAN PLOVER
LONG-TOED LAPWING
BLACKSMITH’S LAPWING
CURLEW SANDPIPER
GREEN SANDPIPER
MARSH SANDPIPER
AFRICAN SNIPE
BLACK-WINGED PRATINCOLE
WATER THICK-KNEE
THREE-BANDED COURSER
GREY-HEADED GULL
DOUBLE-BANDED SANDGROUSE
BURCHELL’S SANDGROUSE
RED-EYED DOVE
AFRICAN GREEN-PIGEON
GREY-HEADED PARROT
SCHALOW’S TURACO
AFRICAN CUCKOO
LEVAILANT’S CUCKOO
GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO
AFRICAN EMERALD CUCKOO
SENEGAL COUCAL
PEL’S FISHING-OWL
MARSH OWL
PEARL-SPOTTED OWLET
PENNANT-WINGED NIGHTJAR
SQUARE-TAILED NIGHTJAR
COMMON SWIFT
WHITE-RUMPED SWIFT
AFRICAN BROADBILL
PIED KINGFISHER
AFRICAN PYGMY-KINGFISHER
GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER
BLUE-CHEECKED BEE-EATER
SOUTHERN CARMINE BEE-EATER
LILAC-BREATED ROLLER
PURPLE ROLLER
TRUMPETER HORNBILL
AFRICAN GREY HORNBILL
GREEN WOOD-HOEPOE
GREATER HONEYGUIDE
GREEN-BACKED HONEYBIRD
CRESTED BARBET
CARDINAL WOODPECKER
BEARDED WOODPECKER
FLAPPET LARK
SABOTA LARK
RED-CAPPED LARK
GREY-BACKED SPARROWLARK
GREATER STRIPED SWALLOW
WIRE-TAILED SWALLOW
COMMON HOUSE-MARTIN
BANDED MARTIN
FORK-TAILED DRONGO
AFRICAN GOLDEN ORIOLE
PIED CROW
ARROW-MARKED BABLER
SOUTHERN PIED BABLER
TERRESTRIAL BROWNBUL
KURRICHANE THRUSH
CAPPED WHEATEAR
WHITE-BROWED ROBIN-CHAT
KALAHARI SCRUB-ROBIN
WILLOW WARBLER
COMMON WHITETHROAT
GREEN-CAPPED EREMOMELA
LITTLE RUSH-WARBLER
AFRICAN REED-WARBLER
GREATER SWAMP-WARBLER
STIERLING’S WREN-WARBLER
CHESTNUT-VENTED TIT-BABLER
ZITTING CISTICOLA
TINKLING CISTICOLA
LUAPULA CISTICOLA
TAWNY-FLANKED PRINIA
GREY TIT-FLYCATCHER
PALE FLYCATCHER
CHINSPOT BATIS
AFRICAN PIED WAGTAIL
PLAIN-BACKED PIPIT
ROSY-THROATED LONGCLAW
RED-BACKED SHRIKE
TROPICAL BOUBOU
BROWN-CROWNED TCHAGRA
RETZ’S HELMET-SHRIKE
BRUBRU
CAPE GLOSSY STARLING
VIOLET-BACKED STARLING
WATTLED STARLING
SCARLET-CHESTED SUNBIRD
SHELLEY’S SUNBIRD
MARICO SUNBIRD
YELLOW-THROATED PETRONIA
RED-BILLED BUFFALO-WEAVER
VILLAGE WEAVER
SPECTACLED WEAVER
GOLDEN WEAVER
YELLOW-CROWNED BISHOP
PIN-TAILED WHYDAH
BROAD-TAILED PARADISE-WHYDAH
JAMESON’S FIREFINCH
BLACK-FACED WAXBILL
COMMON WAXBILL
CUT-THROAT FINCH
AFRICAN QUAILFINCH
YELLOW-EYED CANARY
GOLDEN-BREASTED BUNTING
WHITE-BREASTED CORMORANT
GREAT WHITE PELICAN
PURPLE HERON
YELLOW-BILLED EGRET
CATTLE EGRET
SLATY EGRET
EURASIAN BITTERN
DWARF BITTERN
ABDIM’S STORK
MARABOU STORK
WOOLLY-NECKED STORK
AFRICAN SPOONBILL
GLOSSY IBIS
EGYPTIAN GOOSE
FULVOUS DUCK
SOUTHERN POCHARD
CAPE TEAL
LAPPET-FACED VULTURE
PALM-NUT VULTURE
OSPREY
BLACK-CHESTED SNAKE-EAGLE
LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE
VERREAUX’S EAGLE
AFRICAN HAWK-EAGLE
EUROPEAN HONEY-BUZZARD
AFRICAN HARRIER-HAWK
PALLID HARRIER
DARK CHANTING GOSHAWK
BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE
OVAMBO SPARROWHAWK
LITTLE SPARROWHAWK
LANNER FALCON
EURASIAN HOBBY
DICKINSON’S KESTREL
LESSER KESTREL
RED-BILLED FRANCOLIN
CRESTED FRANCOLIN
CRESTED GUINEAFOWL
COMMON QUAIL
RED-KNOBBED COOT
AFRICAN PURPLE SWAMPHEN
AFRICAN JACANA
SPOTTED CRAKE
RED-CHESTED FLUFFTAIL
BLUE CRANE
DENHAM’S BUSTARD
BLACK-WINGED STILT
THREE-BANDED PLOVER
WHITE-FRONTED PLOVER
WHITE-CROWNED LAPWING
GREY PLOVER
LITTLE STINT
WOOD SANDPIPER
BLACK-TAILED GODWIT
GREAT SNIPE
ROCK PRATINCOLE
TEMMINCK’S COURSER
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
WHITE-WINGED TERN
YELLOW-THROATED SANDGROUSE
ROCK DOVE
CAPE TURTLE-DOVE
EMERALD-SPOTTED WOOD-DOVE
MEYER’S PARROT
GREY GO-AWAY-BIRD
RED-CHESTED CUCKOO
JACOBIN CUCKOO
DIDERICK CUCKOO
COPPERY-TAILED COUCAL
BLACK COUCAL
SPOTTED EAGLE-OWL
SOUTHERN WHITE-FACED SCOPS-OWL
AFRICAN SCOPS-OWL
FIERY-NECKED NIGHTJAR
SWAMP NIGHTJAR
LITTLE SWIFT
AFRICAN PALM-SWIFT
RED-FACED MOUSEBIRD
HALF-COLLARED KINGFISHER
WOODLAND’S KINGFISHER
STRIPED KINGFISHER
MADAGASCAR BEE-EATER
SWALLOW-TAILED BEE-EATER
RACKET-TAILED ROLLER
BROADBILLED ROLLER
BRADFIELD’S HORNBILL
SOUTHERN YELLOW-BILLED HORNBILL
COMMON SCIMITARBILL
LESSER HONEYGUIDE
BROWN-BACKED HONEYBIRD
ACASIA PIED BARBET
GOLDEN-TAILED WOODPECKER
OLIVE WOODPECKER
EASTERN CLAPPER
FAWN-COLLARED LARK
PINK-BILLED LARK
RED-BREASTED SWALLOW
LESSER STRIPED SWALLOW
WHITE-THROATED SWALLOW
GREY-RUMPED SWALLOW
BROWN-THROATED MARTIN
BLACK CUCKOOSHRIKE
EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE
RUFOUS-BELLIED TIT
HARTLAUB’S BABLER
AFRICAN RED-EYED BULBUL
YELLOW-BELLIED GREENBUL
GROUNDSCRAPER THRUSH
AFRICAN STONECHAT
BEARDED SCRUB-ROBIN
THRUSH NIGHTINGALE
ICTERINE WARBLER
BURNT-NECKED EREMOMELA
YELLOW-BELLIED EREMOMELA
LESSER SWAMP-WARBLER
EURASIAN REED-WARBLER
GREAT REED-WARBLER
BARRED WREN-WARBLER
LONG-BILLED CROMBEC
DESERT CISTICOLA
CROAKING CISTICOLA
CHRIPING CISTICOLA
SPOTTED FLYCATCHER
SOUTHERN BLACK FLYCATCHER
AFRICAN PARADISE-FLYCATCHER
CAPE WAGTAIL
WOOD PIPIT
BUFFY PIPIT
CRIMSON-BREASTED SHRIKE
LESSER GREY SHRIKE
SWAMP BOUBOU
GREY-HEADED BUSH-SHRIKE
WHITE-CRESTED HELMET-SHRIKE
BLACK-BACKED PUFFBACK
SHARP-TAILED STARLING
BURCHELL’S STARLING
RED-BILLED OXPECKER
AMETHYST SUNBIRD
COLLARED SUNBIRD
PURPLE-BANDED SUNBIRD
NORTHERN GREY-HEADED SPARROW
WHITE-BROWED SPARROW-WEAVER
SOUTHERN MASKED-WEAVER
RED-HEADED WEAVER
RED-BILLED QUELEA
WHITE-WINGED WIDDOWBIRD
SHAFT-TAILED WHYDAH
VILLAGE INDIGOBIRD
BROWN FIREFINCH
VIOLET-EARED WAXBILL
BRONZE MANNIKIN
GREEN-WINGED PYTILIA
ORANGE-BREASTED WAXBILL
YELLOW CANARY
REED CORMORANT
PINK-BACKED PELICAN
GREY HERON
GREAT WHITE EGRET
SQUACCO HERON
RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
LITTLE BITTERN
WHITE STORK
SADDLE-BILLED STORK
GREATER FLAMINGO
HAMERKOP
AFRICAN SACRED IBIS
COMB DUCK
WHITE-BACKED DUCK
CAPE SHOVELER
RED-BILLED TEAL
WHITE-HEADED VULTURE
HOODED VULTURE
BATELEUR
WESTERN BANDED SNAKE-EAGLE
TANWY EAGLE
AFRICAN CROWNED EAGLE
AYRES’S HAWK-EAGLE
WAHLBERG’S EAGLE
AFRICAN MARSH-HARRIER
MONTAGU’S HARRIER
BLACK KITE
AFRICAN CUCKOO HAWK
GABAR GOSHAWK
BLACK SPARROWHAWK
PEREGRINE FALCON
AFRICAN HOBBY
AMUR FALCON
ROCK KESTREL
SWAINSON’S SPURFOWL
COQUI FRANCOLIN
COMMON OSTRICH
SMALL BUTTONQUAIL
COMMON MOORHEN
ALLEN’S GALLINULE
LESSER JACANA
AFRICAN CRAKE
GREY-CROWNED CRANE
SECRETARY BIRD
BLACK-BELLIED BUSTARD
PIED AVOCET
KITTLITZ’S PLOVER
CROWNED LAPWING
AFRICAN WATTLED LAPWING
RUFF
COMMON SANDPIPER
COMMON GREENSHANK
GREAT PAINTED-SNIPE
COLLARED PRATINCOLE
SPOTTED THICK-KNEE
BRONZE-WINGED COURSER
AFRICAN SKIMMER
WHISKERED TERN
NAMAQUA SANDGROUSE
AFRICAN MOURNING DOVE
LAUGHING DOVE
NAMAQUA DOVE
BLACK-CHEECKED LOVEBIRD
COMMON CUCKOO
BLACK CUCKOO
THICK-BILLED CUCKOO
KLAAS’S CUCKOO
WHITE-BROWED COUCAL
VERREAUX’S EAGL-OWL
AFRICAN WOOD-OWL
AFRICAN BARRED OWLET
EUROPEAN NIGHTJAR
RUFOUS-CHEECKED NIGHTJAR
ALPINE SWIFT
HORUS SWIFT
NARINA TROGON
GIANT KINGFISHER
MALACHITE KINGFISHER
BROWN-HOODED KINGFISHER
EUROPEAN BEE-EATER
WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATER
LITTLE BEE-EATER
EUROPEAN ROLLER
SOUTHERN GROUND-HORNBILL
CROWNED HORNBILL
RED-BILLED HORNBILL
AFRICAN HOOPOE
GREEN-BACKED HONEYGUIDE
BLACK-COLLARED BARBET
YELLOW-FRONTED TINKERBIRD
BENNETT’S WOODPECKER
DUSKY LARK
MONOTONOUS LARK
RUFOUS-NAPED LARK
CHESTNUT-BACKED SPARROWLARK
MOSQUE SWALLOW
BARN SWALLOW
PEARL-BREASTED SWALLOW
SAND MARTIN
ROCK MARTIN
WHITE-BREASTED CUCKOOSHRIKE
BLACK-HEADED ORIOLE
SOUTHERN BLACK TIT
BLACK-FACED BABLER
DARK-CAPPED BULBUL
EASTERN NICATOR
ARNOTT’S CHAT
RED-CAPPED ROBIN-CHAT
WHITE-BROWED SCRUB-ROBIN
COLLARED PALM-THRUSH
OLIVE-TREE WARBLER
GARDEN WARBLER
GREY PENDULINE-TIT
RIVER WARBLER
MARSH-WARBLER
SEDGE WARBLER
GREY-BACKED CAMEROPTERA
YELLOW-BREASTED APALIS
NEDDICKY
RATTLING CISTICOLA
RED-FACED CISTICOLA
ASHY FLYCATCHER
MARICO FLYCATCHER
AFRICAN YELLOW WHITE-EYE
YELLOW WAGTAIL
AFRICAN PIPIT
TREE PIPIT
MAGPIE SHRIKE
SOUZA’S SHRIKE
BLACK-CROWNED TCHAGRA
ORANGE-BREASTED BUSH-SHRIKE
SOUTHERN WHITE-CROWNED SHRIKE
GREATER BLUE-EARED STARLING
MIOMBO BLUE-EARED STARLING
MEVE’S STARLING
YELLOW-BILLED OXPECKER
COPPER SUNBIRD
WHITE-BELLIED SUNBIRD
HOUSE SPARROW
SOUTHERN GREY-HEADED SPARROW
THICK-BILLED WEAVER
LESSER MASKED-WEAVER
SOUTHERN BROWN-THROATED WEAVER
SOUTHERN RED BISHOP
FAN-TAILED WIDDOWBIRD
LONG-TAILED PARADISE-WHYDAH
PURPLE INDIGOBIRD
RED-BILLED FIREFINCH
BLUE WAXBILL
SCALY-FEATHERED FINCH
ORANGE-WINGED PYTILIA
BLACK-THROATED CANARY
CINNAMON-BREASTED BUNTING