Flamingo - Birding - The ‘fairy circle’ of endemism
The origin of the name Erongo could be from the Oshiwambo word, elongo, meaning triplet, which might refer to the three peaks in the Erongo Mountains. Whatever the case, the fact that nobody seems to know precisely where the name comes from, does not in any way detract from the fact that Erongo is one very special birding destination.
Referred to by geologists as the Erongo Volcanic Complex, the Erongos have a diameter of 35 kilometres, with only the Brandberg being higher. If you draw a cross on the map of Namibia to find the centre, you will most likely end up at the Erongo Mountains. I know that Gobabis people might differ, but we are not talking about the centre of the universe, merely the centre of Namibia.
Here you will see many of the truly Namibian trees, such as Cyphostemma, Boscia and Albizia, and plenty of aloes, springbok, Damara dik-dik and gemsbok. What is more to the point, you will see most of the endemic birds that the country has to offer. You can even expect Frank Frede-ricks chasing a cheetah to jump out from behind the first bush. And you can buy Namibian wine and chocolate in Omaruru. What more would you expect from a self-respecting place?
I have often wondered why the Rosy-faced Lovebird isn’t our national bird. There are quite a few good reasons for this, first and foremost because of its beauty; secondly because of its distribution, which covers almost the whole country, crossing the Namibian boundaries only at a few isolated places; and thirdly for its joyful and friendly call. Erongo is one of the places in the country where you will almost certainly see these colourful little birds in their masses. The reason they prefer this arid region is also a true Namibian trait – they prefer it dry, remote and quiet.
Erongo is one of the prime areas if you’re into serious bird-watching, especially if you’re looking for endemic birds. The main reason for this is quite obvious. The Erongo Mountains lie in the middle of the ‘fairy circle’ of endemism. One of the first endemic birds I saw here was the White-tailed Shrike. These birds apparently love the mountainous areas where they move in small groups looking for goggas and other delicacies. Monteiro’s Hornbills (with African Grey Hornbills being the dominant hornbills in the area) are another certainty here. The other day I met birders from South Africa and realised when they mentioned that they had ‘ticked’ more than 700 birds of Southern Africa and that Monteiro’s Hornbill was still on their yet-to-see list, how blasé we have become with our own very special bird population. So, if you’re a serious birder, and these endemics are still on your list, Erongo is just over two hours’ drive from Windhoek. With all the wonderful Namibian flora and fauna to see, it is definitely a must. Other endemics to look out for are the Rockrunner and the enigmatic Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, which both adore the rocky outcrops so typical of this area. Carp’s Tit, (why won’t they ever sit still?), and Ruppell’s Parrot are very common in the area, so keep your eyes open and fortune will smile on you.
In my efforts during our last visit to take the ultimate shot of the White-tailed Shrike, I saw a Herero Chat. For the non-birding population, this is not a lengthy discussion with one of the local Herero residents; it is indeed a bird. Unfortunately I did not get a decent picture of it, so I will have to go back, but, as you know, Africa is a tough country. What I can tell you is that the Herero Chat does exist. Somehow this is one of those endemic birds that has gone unseen by many birders, but it still is such a special bird that going to look for it is indeed worth the effort.
Being such a mountainous area, you would expect to see Verreaux’s Eagles. Little did I know during our last visit that this would be the very first bird we would see. Arriving at our camping site, we saw a large bird sitting on a cliff no more than 100 metres away. My initial thought was that it must be a vulture, but as we got closer, I realised that it was indeed a Verreaux’s Eagle, one of the most imposing raptors in Namibia. I must admit that on our way up, we passed lots of rock hyrax droppings, so it makes sense that it would end up being a Verreaux’s. Other raptors common in this region are the Greater Kestrel, Rock Kestrel, Black-breasted Snake-Eagle, Martial Eagle and Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk, with the migrants adding to the menu during the rainy season. We came across one of the largest group of Yellow-billed Kites I have ever seen in this area.
As you would expect, birding is to a large extent associated with the rocks and mountains, so the Short-toed Rock-Thrush, Speckled Pigeon, Pale-winged Starling, Cape Bunting, Rock Martin, Rock Kestrel, Rockrunner and Mountain Wheatear are but a few of the rock specials to be encountered. No Ian, you don’t find Rock Pratincoles here, but I’m almost certain that if there were a mountain or rock lark, it would have been a regular on the list for the birder in the Erongos.
At night there is a whole bouquet of owls to complete the picture, from the melodious Pearl-spotted Owlet to the Spotted Eagle-Owl, which kept us awake with a nocturnal visit to our bungalow. I must admit it was only the next morning that we realised it was an owl and not a huge rat or even a small rhino looking for a snack on the roof of our bungalow. I am quite sure that somewhere along the line there will also be the odd Barn Owl.
On the plains you will most likely come across some Double-banded and Namaqua Sandgrouse and Red-crested Korhaan. Further west Ruppell’s Korhaan will complete the endemics platter on offer, and if you get carried away and drive too far west, you might even see a Damara Tern, but unfortunately this will not fall under Erongo Mountain jurisdiction.
Wherever there is open water, which is a novelty in this region, you will see some of the smaller inhabitants of the area. At a windpump near our camping spot I sat for hours watching various birds coming in to quench their thirst, the likes of Dusky Sunbird, Scaly-feathered Finch, Southern Masked-Weaver, Violet-eared Waxbill, Black-faced Waxbill, Black-throated Canary, African Red-eyed Bulbul, and Cape Glossy Starling. Some of the birds you might come across at the lodges that have become quite habituated are the Pririt Batis, Brown-crowned Tchagra and Common Scimitarbill.
There is a large variety of accommodation available in the vicinity, from camping to luxurious lodges. So choose your style. Whatever your choice might be, you will not be disappointed, least of all in the birding.
