Bird list of the south-western Erongo Mountains

Compiled by Katrin Denker

Black Eagle in mid-flight over the majestic Erongo Mountains, Ornithology Ameib Scientific Station (ID)

This bird list includes the bird species recorded in the south-western Erongo Mountains (Farms Ameib, Brabant, Schlucht and surroundings).

The numbers in brackets correspond to the numbers of the birds in “Roberts’ Birds of Southern Africa” (seventh edition).

*New species added 29/12/2025: #14.

1 Ostrich

2 Dabchick

3 White Pelican              

4 Whitebreasted Cormorant 

5 Darter

6 Grey Heron

7 Blackheaded Heron 

8 Purple Heron 

9 Great White Egret

10 Little Egret           

11 Black Egret

12 Cattle Egret

13 Squacco Heron

*14 Green-backed Heron

15 Blackcrowned Night Heron

16 Dwarf Bittern                          

17 Hamerkop

18 Black Stork

19 Abdim’s Stork

20 Woolynecked Stork

21 Marabou Stork

22 Yellow-billed Stork

23 African Spoonbill

24 Greater Flamingo

25 Whitefaced Duck

26 Egyptian Goose

27 South African Shelduck

28 African Black Duck

29 Cape Teal

30 Redbilled Teal

31 Southern Porchard            

32 Knobbilled Duck        

33 Maccoa Duck      

34 Whitebacked Vulture             

35 Lappetfaced Vulture

36 Yellowbilled Kite 

37 Blackshouldered Kite       

38 Black Eagle

39 Tawny Eagle

40 Steppe Eagle

41 Booted Eagle

42 African Hawk Eagle

43 Martial Eagle

44 Brown Snake Eagle 

45 Blackbreasted Snake Eagle

46 African Fish Eagle

47 Steppe Buzzard

48 Augur Buzzard

49 Little Sparrowhawk

50 Little Banded Goshawk

51 Gabar Goshawk                     

52 Pale Chanting Goshawk

53 Black Harrier 

54 Osprey

55 Peregrine Falcon

56 Lanner Falcon

57 Hobby Falcon

58 Rock Kestrel

59 Lesser Kestrel

60 Orange River Francolin

61 Redbilled Francolin

62 Hartlaub‘s Francolin

63 Swainson’s Francolin

64 Common Quail

65 Harlequin Quail      

66 Helmeted Guineafowl

67 Kurrichane Buttonquail

68 Black crake

69 Moorhen    

70 Lesser Moorhen

71 Redknobbed Coot 

72 Kori Bustard

73 Ludwig’s Bustard

74 Rüppell’s Korhaan

75 Redcrested Korhaan

76 Northern Black Korhaan

77 Painted Snipe

78 Threebanded Plover

79 Crowned Plover

80 Blacksmith Plover

81 Greenshank

82 Ethiopian Snipe

83 Blackwinged Stilt

84 Spotted Dikkop            

85 Burchell’s Courser

86 Temminck’s Courser

87 Doublebanded Courser

88 Bronzewinged Courser     

89 Namaqua Sandgrouse

90 Doublebanded Sandgrouse

91 Rock Pigeon

92 Cape Turtle Dove

93 Laughing Dove

94 Namaqua Dove   

95 Greenspotted Dove

96 Rüppell’s Parrot

97 Rosyfaced Lovebird

98 Grey Lourie

99 African Cuckoo

100 Black Cuckoo

101 Great Spotted Cuckoo

102 Striped Cuckoo

103 Jacobin Cuckoo

104 Klaas’s Cuckoo

105 Diderik Cuckoo

106 Barn Owl

107 African Scops Owl

108 Whitefaced Owl

109 Pearlspotted Owl

110 Spotted Eagle Owl

111 Giant Eagle Owl

112 Fierynecked Nightjar

113 Rufouscheeked Nightjar

114 Freckled Nightjar

115 Bradfield’s Swift

116 Whiterumped Swift

117 Horus Swift

118 Little Swift

119 Alpine Swift  

120 Palm Swift

121 Whitebacked Mousebird

122 Readfaced Mousebird

123 Greyhooded Kingfisher

124 European Bee-eater

125 Swallowtailed Bee-eater

126 European Roller  

127 Lilacbreasted Roller  

128 Purple Roller  

129 Hoopoe  

130 Violet Woodhoopoe   

131 Scimitarbilled Woodhoopoe   

132 Grey Hornbill

133 Damara Hornbill  

134 Southern Yellowbilled Hornbill  

135 Monteiro’s Hornbill   

136 Pied Barbet  

137 Lesser Honeyguide

138 Cardinal Woodpecker  

139 Bearded Woodpecker

140 Rufousnaped Lark

141 Fawncoloured Lark

142 Sabota Lark

143 Karoo Long-billed Lark

144 Gray’s lark  

145 Greybacked Finchlark

146 Pearlbreasted Swallow

147 Greater Striped Swallow

148 Rock Martin

149 Forktailed Drongo

150 European Golden Oriole

151 Pied Crow

152 Ashy Tit

153 Carps Tit

154 Cape Penduline Tit

155 Pied Babber

156 Redeyed Bulbul

157 Shorttoed Rock Thrush

158 Mountain Chat  

159 Familiar Chat

160 Tractrac Chat

161 Anteatig Chat

162 Whitebrowed Robin

163 Kalahari Robin  

164 Hereo Chat  

165 Titbabbler

166 Layard’s Titbabbler

167 Longbilled Crombec

168 Yellowbellied Eremomela

169 Grey-backed Camaroptera

170 Barred Warbler

171 Rockrunner

172 Tinkling Cisticola

173 Blackchested Prinia

174 Spotted Flycatcher

175 Marico Flycatcher

176 Pririt Batis

177 Paradise Flycatcher

178 Lesser Grey Shrike

179 Fiscal Shrike

180 Redbacked Shrike

181 Crimsonbreasted Shrike

182 Puffback   

183 Brubru

184 Threestreaked Tchagra   

185 Bokmakierie   

186 Whitetailed Shrike

187 White Helmetshrike

188 Whitecrowned Shrike

189 Wattled Starling

190 Plumcoloured Starling

191 Burchell’s Starling

192 Glossy Starling

193 Palewinged Starling

194 Marico Sunbird   

195 Dusky Sunbird              

196 Scarletchested Sunbird

197 Cape White-eye

198 Redbilled Buffalo Weaver

199 Whitebrowed Sparrowweaver

200 House Sparrow   

201 Great Sparrow

202 Greyheaded Sparrow

203 Scalyfeathered Finch

204 Chestnut Weaver

205 Masked Weaver

206 Lesser Masked Weaver   

207 Redbilled Quelea

208 Melba Finch

209 Redbilled Firefinch

210 Blue Waxbill

211 Violeteared Waxbill

212 Common Waxbill   

213 Blackcheeked Waxbill

214 Redheaded Finch 

215 Shafttailed Whydah

216 Paradise Whydah

217 Blackthroated Canary

218 Yellow Canary

219 Whitethroated Canary   

220 Goldenbreasted Bunting

221 Cape Bunting

222 Rock Bunting   

223 Larklike Bunting

Struthio camelus (1)

Tachybaptus ruficollis (8)

Pelecanus onocrotalus (49)

Phalacrocorax carbo (55)

Anhinga rufa (60)

Ardea cinerea (62)

Ardea melanocephala (63)

Ardea purpurea (65)

Egretta alba (66)

Egretta garzetta (67)

Egretta ardesiaca (69)

Bubulcus ibis (71)

Ardeola ralloides (72)

Butorides striata (74)

Nycticorax nycticorax (76)

Ixobrychus sturmii (79)

Scopus umbretta (81)

Ciconia nigra (84)

Ciconia abdimii (85)

Ciconia episcopus (86)

Leptoptilos crumeniferus (89)

Mycteria ibis (90)

Platalea alba (95)

Phoenicopterus ruber (96)

Dendrocygna viduata (99)

Alopochen aegyptiacus (102)

Tadorna cana (103)

Anas sparsa (105)

Anas capensis (106)

Anas erythrorhyncha (108)

Netta erythrophthalma (113)            

Sarkidiornis melanotos (115)

Oxyura maccoa (117)

Gyps africanus (123)

Torgos tracheliotus (124)

Milvus migrans (126)

Elanus caeruleus (127) 

Aquila verreauxi (131)   

Aquila rapax (132) 

Aquila nipalensis (133)       

Hieraaetus pennatus (136)

Hieraaetus spilogaster (137)

Polemaetus bellicosus (140)          

Circaetus cinereus (142)  

Circaetus pectoralis (143)

Haliaeetus vocifer (148)

Buteo buteo (149)

Buteo augur (153)

Accipiter minullus (157)

Accipiter badius (159)      

Micronisus gabar (161)                       

Melierax canorus (162)

Circus maurus (168)           

Pandion haliaetus (170)

Falco peregrinus (171)              

Falco biarmicus (172)            

Falco subbuteo (173)

Falco tinnunculus (181)

Falco naumanni (183)

Francolinus levaillantoides (193)                                    

Francolinus adspersus (194)

Francolinus hartlaubi (197)

Francolinus swainsonii (199)

Coturnix coturnix (200)

Coturnix delegorguei (201)                                           

Numida meleagris (203)  

Turnix sylvatica (205)                                        

Amaurornis flavirostris (213)

Gallinula chloropus (226)

Gallinula angulata (227)

Fulica cristata (228)

Ardeotis kori (230)

Neotis ludwigii (232)

Eupodotis rueppellii (236)

Eupodotis ruficrista (237)

Eupodotis afraoides

Rostratula benghalensis (242)

Charadrius tricollaris (249)

Vanellus coronatus (255)

Vanellus armatus (258)

Tringa nebularia (270)

Gallinago nigripennis (286)            

Himantopus himantopus (295)            

Burhinus capensis (297)                           

Cursorius rufus (299)                                      

Cursorius temminckii (300)

Smutsornis africanus (301)

Rhinoptilus chalcopterus (303)

Pterocles namaqua (344)

Pterocles bicinctus (347)

Columba guinea (349)

Streptopelia capicola (354)

Streptopelia senegalensis (355)

Oena capensis (356)                  

Turtur chalcospilos (358                     

Poicephalus rueppellii (365)             

Agapornis roseicollis (367)                             

Corythaixoides concolor (373)  

Cuculus gularis (375)                

Cuculus clamosus (378)

Clamator glandarius (380)                

Clamator levaillantii (381) 

Clamator jacobinus (382)     

Chrysococcyx klaas (385)          

Chrysococcyx caprius (386)              

Tyto alba (392)

Otus senegalensis (396)

Otus leucotis (397)

Glaucidium perlatum (398)

Bubo africanus (401)   

Bubo lacteus (402)

Caprimulgus pectoralis (405)

Caprimulgus rufigena (406)

Caprimulgus tristigma (408)

Apus bradfieldi (413)

Apus caffer (415)

Apus horus (416)

Apus affinis (417)

Apus melba (418)

Cypsiurus parvus (421)

Colius colius (425)       

Urocolius indicus (426)

Halcyon leucocephala (436)  

Merops apiaster (438) 

Merops hirundineus (445)                         

Coracias garrulus (446)                             

Coracias caudata (447)    

Coracias naevia (449)                                 

Upupa epops (451)       

Phoeniculus damarensis (453)

Rhinopomastus cyanomelas (454)

Tockus nasutus (457)

Tockus damarensis

Tockus leucomelas (459)                 

Tockus monteiri (462)                     

Tricholaema leucomelas (465)    

Indicator minor (476)                   

Dendropicos fuscescens (486)     

Thripias namaquus (487)

Mirafra africana (494)

Mirafra africanoides (497)

Mirafra sabota (498)

Certhilauda subcoronata

Ammomanes grayi (514)

Eremopterix verticalis (516)

Hirundo dimidiata (523)

Hirundo cucullata (526) 

Hirundo fuligula (529)

Dicrurus adsimilis (541)

Oriolus oriolus (543)

Corvus albus (548)

Parus cinerascens (552)

Parus carpi (555)

Anthoscopus minutus

Turdoides bicolor (563)

Pycnonotus nigricans (567)

Monticola brevipes (583)

Oenanthe monticola (586)

Cercomela familiaris (589)

Cercomela tractrac (590)

Myrmecocichla formicivora (595)

Erythropygia leucophrys (613)      

Erythropygia paena (615)

Namibornis herero (618)

Parisoma subcaeruleum (621)

Parisoma layardi (622)

Sylvietta rufescens (651)

Eremomela icteropygialis (653)

Camaroptera brevicaudata

Calamonastes fasciolatus (658)

Archaetops pycnopygius (662) 

Cisticola rufilatus (671)

Prinia flavicans (685)

Muscicapa striata (689)

Melaenornis mariquensis (695)

Batis pririt (703)

Terpsiphone viridis (710)

Lanius minor (731)

Lanius collaris (732)

Lanius collurio (733)

Laniarius atrococcineus (739)

Dryoscopus cubla (740)

Nilaus afer (741)

Tchagra australis (743)

Telophorus zeylonus (746)

Lanioturdus torquatus (752)

Prionops plumatus (753)

Eurocephalus anguitimens (756)

Creatophora cinerea (760)

Cinnyricinclus leucogaster (761)

Lamprotornis australis (762)

Lamprotornis nitens (764)

Onychognathus nabouroup (770)     

Nectarinia mariquensis (779)

Nectarinia fusca (788) 

Nectarinia senegalensis (791)

Zosterops pallidus (796)  

Bubalornis niger (798)

Plocepasser mahali (799)

Passer domesticus (801)

Passer motitensis (802)

Passer diffusus (804)

Sporopipes squamifrons (806)

Ploceus rubiginosus (812)

Ploceus velatus (814)

Ploceus intermedius (815)

Quelea quelea (821)

Pytilia melba (834)

Lagonosticta senegala (842)

Uraeginthus angolensis (844)

Uraeginthus granatinus (845)

Estrilda astrild (846)

 Estrilda erythronotos (847)

Amadina erythrocephala (856)

Vidua regia (861)

Vidua paradisaea (862)

Serinus atrogularis (870)   

Serinus flaviventris (878)

Serinus albogularis (879)

Emberiza flaviventris (884) 

Emberiza capensis (885)

Emberiza tahapisi (886)

Emberiza impetuani (887)

Stragglers

224 Saddlebilled Stork

225 African Crake

226 American Purple Gallinule   

227 African Jacana

228 Common Tern   

229 Pennantwinged Nightjar   

230 Carmine Bee-eater

231 Black Widowfinch

Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis (88) 

Crex egregia (212)  

Porphyrula martinica (225)

Actophilornis africanus (240)

Sterna hirundo (327)

Macrodipteryx vexillaria (410)

Merops nubicoides (441)

Vidua funerea (864)

Namibian Endemics

62 Hartlaub‘s Francolin

74 Rüppel’s Korhaan   

96 Rüppell’s Parrot  

130 Violet Woodhoopoe

133 Damara Hornbill

135 Monteiro’s Hornbill

153 Carp’s Tit

164 Hereo Chat

171 Rockrunner   

186  Whitetailed Shrike

Francolinus hartlaubi (197)

Eupodotis rueppellii  (236)  

Poicephalus rueppellii (365)    

Phoeniculus damarensis (453)

Tockus damarensis

Tockus monteiri (462)

Parus carpi (555)

Namibornis herero (618)

Archaetops pycnopygius (662)

Lanioturdus torquatos (752)

KUD

Augur Buzzard (Buteo augur) in typical Erongo boulder landscape.

ID

The endemic Monteiro’s Hornbill (Tockus monteiri).

KUD

A juvenile African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer).

ID

A redeyed bulbul (Pycnonotus nigricans).

ID

ID

 A Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta).

A peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)

KUD

A hoopoe (Upups epops).

KUD

ID

Next
Next

Observations on breeding behaviour following the rainy season 2024/25