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Namibia is home to over 644 of the 887 species of birds listed in Southern Africa and though there about 500 that breed locally the rest are migrants. Eleven species are endemic, meaning that over 75% of their total world populations are found in Namibia.
Special endemics are the Herero chat, rockrunner, Monteiro's hornbill and Damara tern. The African Fish Eagle, a bird that typifies the lakes, rivers, swamps and flood plains of Africa, is also featured on the Namibian coat of arms. Of keen interest to visitors is the sociable weaver, a bird that builds incrediblly huge communal nests in trees or on phone lines - several hundred birds can live together and records show that some nests have been in continuous use for over a 100 years. The nests are often shared with pygmy falcons and its not unusual to see a snake hanging from a nest in search of a tasty dinner! |