RESEARCH DISCUSSION PAPERNumber 31

January 1999

Important Bird Areas in Namibiaby

R.E. Simmons \ K.N. Barnes 2, A.M. Jarvis 3 & A. Robertson 3

1 Division of Specialist Support Services, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Private Bag 13306, Windhoek

2 Avian Demography Unit, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7700, South Africa

3 Directorate of Environmental Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Private Bag 13306, Windhoek

Directorate of Environmental AffairsMinistry of Environment and Tourism

Private Bag 13306Windhoek, Namibia

This series of ResearchDiscussionPapers is intended to present preliminary,new or topical informationand ideas for discussionand debate. The contents are not necessarily the final views or firm positions ofthe Ministry of Environmentand Tourism. Commentsand feedback will be welcomed.

lot rod ucti00••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••·••••••••·•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••·••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••3What are Important Bird Areas? 3What birds are "important"? 3How were Namibia's Important Bird Areas selected? : 4The selected IBAs 4Acknowledgements '" 6Figure I: Location of proposed Important Bird Areas in Namibia 7

1mpo rtao tBird Area Accouo ts ...........................................................•........................................................... 8NOO1 Cunene River Mouth 8N002 Epupa-Ruacana 10N003 Eastern Caprivi Wetlands 12N004 Mahango Game Reserve and Okavango River 15N005 Etosha National Park 18N006 Hobatere 21N007 Bushrnanland Pan System 23N008 Waterberg Plateau Park 26N009 Brandberg 28NO10 Cape Cross Lagoon 30NOII Namib-Naukluft Park 32NO12 Mile 4 Saltworks 35N013 30 km beach: Walvis - Swakopmund 37NO14 Walvis Bay '" '" 39NO15 Sandwich Harbour 41Figure 2: Sandwich Harbour's southern mudflats as they appeared in 1997 43NO16 Hardap Nature Reserve 44NO17 Mercury Island 45NO18 Ichaboe Island 47NO19 LUderitz Bay Islands 49N020 Possession Island 51N021 The Sperrgebiet. 53

Ref ereo ces .....•.•.•.........•...•........•........••......•..........•••....•....•.......•......•....•.....•..........••..........•...........................•. 56APpen dices ......•....•....••.......................•......•........•..•...........•.•..................................... ;....•.•.....•....•..........•.•...... 62

Appendix 1: Endemic and near-endemic birds of Namibia 62Appendix 2: Biome-restricted species occurring in Namibia 63Appendix 3: Scientific names and English common and names of species mentioned in the text.. 64

The Important Bird Areas (IBA) project is a BirdLife International initiative to formally recognise the mostimportant areas for birds in each country of the world. Its aim is to identify and protect a network of siteswhich are critical for the long-term viability of bird populations across the entire range of each species.

BirdLife International, in collaboration with the Avian Demography Unit at The University of Cape Town,has compiled information to produce a book identifying and describing all Important Bird Areas withinSouthern Africa (Barnes in prep). Experts within each country have identified areas of critical importance tobirds. This Research Discussion Paper is based on the Namibian chapter of the book and presents informationon Namibia's IBAs. Additional data and comments were received from other sectors of the Ministry ofEnvironment and Tourism, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and National Botanical ResearchInstitute.

• significant assemblages of birds occur (defined as 5 ~OObirds at a national level, or 20000 globally),• significant numbers of restricted-range or biome-specific birds occur (see Appendix 2),• significant numbers of threatened birds occur (i.e. globally and nationally threatened Red Data species),

or• I% of the world population of any species occurs t

t for some species we have taken the 1% level for the recognised subspecies rather thanthe full species e.g. BlackneckedGrebe Podiceps nigricollis guerneyi.

By identifying where these areas are we can not only prioritise our conservation efforts but add to a world-wide effort to recognise the relatively small number of core areas where most ofthe world's endangered birdsare concentrated. The overall philosophy is that rather than trying to conserve "everything" we can putresources into first conserving the really critical sites. These may be IBAs or they may be Endemic Bird Areas(EBAs) as recognised by Bibby (1992).

The birds included as important are those identified in Namibia's Red Data lists prepared by Brown et al. (inprep) as well as those recognised by Collar et al. (1994) as globally threatened (Table 1). For the purposes ofthis document we pared down Namibia's list of 86 Red Data species by disregarding:

• doubtful or erratic (vagrant) species,• extinct species,• species that are not threatened but require further work (e.g. amber species), and particularly• species that have large ranges in adjacent countries but whose range just stretches into Namibia (e.g.

several species in northern eastern Namibia).

All of Namibia's endemics are retained, as are species threatened by poisons and habitat degradation. We alsoretained threatened Palearctic migrants since their winter quarters are as important as their breeding areas.

Vulnerable Near-threatenedSlaty Egret African Penguin Black Harrier Damara TernCape Vulture Cape Gannet Pallid Harrier Sclater's LarkLesser Kestrel Crowned Cormorant African Black Oystercatcher Herero ChatBlue Crane Bank Cormorant Great Snipe Cinderella WaxbillWattled Crane Lesser Flamingo Blackwinged PratincoleRed Lark *

Scientific names of all birds and other groups listed in the text are presented in Appendix 3. Plants arereferred to by their Latin binomials throughout, and common names listed in Appendix 3, where applicable.

IBA sites are selected taking into account the existing protected area network and conservation areas. In manycases these areas wiII form the backbone of the IBA network, with additional sites proposed to fill in the gaps.This has been the case in Namibia. As well as including individual sites which fulfil the criteria above, thenational lEA network as a whole should include all threatened species which breed within the country and allbiome-specific and restricted-range species. Each lEA should ideally be large enough to support self-sustaining populations of as many of the species as possible for which it was identified or, in the case ofmigrants, provide their requirements for the duration of their presence.

Sources of information on the population status of Namibia's bird populations used to evaluate IBA sitesinclude:

• nationwide wetland bird monitoring since 1991 constituting part of the Wetlands International Program(Simmons 1996a),

• published estimates of endemic bird population sizes (Jarvis and Robertson in press),• specific studies of individual species (e.g. Brown (1985b)), and• estimates from the recent Bird Atlas data (Harrison et al. 1997)

World populations of wetland species were taken from Rose & Scott (1997), with modifications from localknowledge (e.g. for flamingos).

Table 2 (page 5) lists 21 sites in Namibia that we consider to be Important Bird Areas. These are presented inFigure 1 (page 7). We have included both large (e.g. Namib-Naukluft Park) and small (e.g. Mercury Island)areas, and every species that was identified as threatened in some way is included. The list is not exhaustivehut probably captures 90% of the important areas for birds in Namibia.

Of the 21 sites, 19 qualify as globally important sites; the remaining two are of sub-regional importance. Thesites are predominantly coastal, reflecting the importance of the Benguela current and coastal wetlands thatboast large numbers of breeding gannets, penguins, and cormorants, as well as the hundreds of thousands ofPalearctic migrants that congregate on the central coast.

Because of Namibia's predominantly arid environment it is little surprise that inland wetland sites alsodominate the !BAs. These include protected areas such as Mahango Game Reserve (on the Okavango River),

East Caprivi's extensive wetlands and Etosha National Park. However, unprotected sites include theBushmanland Pans in Tsumkwe District and the stretch of Cunene River between Ruacana and Epupa Falls.Some of these have been amalgamated into very large areas because the system is a single ecological unit.

We have also specifically included a site within the best area for Namibia's main endemic birds (listed inAppendix I), just west of Etosha National Park. This area, encompassing three quarter-degree squares ispredicted to contain I % of the world's Herero Chats, a new finding. The Hobatere tourist lodge concessionoffers partial protection to this site, even though it is afforded no formal protection. All of Namibia's 14 nearendemic birds are contained within the lEAs selected, including the newly elevated Barlow's Lark. Otherpossible near endemics which may be genetically determined in the near future, such as the Damara RedbilledHombill, will also fall within these lEAs.

Site name *IBA Conservation t Criteria Notes on Conservation StatusStatus status used to

select site

NOOI Cunene River Mouth SR U 4

N002 Epupa-Ruacana G U 1; 2; 3

N003 Eastern Caprivi Wetlands G P 1; 3 Two National Parks

N004 Mahango Game Reserve & Okavango River G P I; 3 Game Reserve

N005 Etosha National Park G F 1; 3; 4 National Park (and Ramsar site)

N006 Hobatere Area G P 2;3

N007 Bushmanland Pan System G U 1; 3; 4 Proposed Conservancy

N008 Waterberg Plateau Park G F 1; 3 Park

N009 Brandberg G U 2; 3 Proposed World Heritage Site

NOlO Cape Cross Lagoon G U 1; 4 Nature Reserve

NOll Namib-Naukluft Park G F 1; 2; 3; 4 National Park

N012 Mile 4 Saltworks G F I; 4 Private Nature Reserve

NOl3 30 km beach: Walvis - Swakopmund G U I; 4 Proposed Nature Reserve

NOl4 Walvis Bay G U 1; 4 Ramsar Site

N015 Sandwich Harbour G F 1; 4 Park, Nature Reserve and Ramsar Site

N016 Hardap Nature Reserve SR F 4 Recreation Resort

N017 Mercury Island G P 1; 4 Recreation Resort

N018 Ichaboe Island G P 1; 4 Rec. Resort, Proposed Nature Reserve

N019 Uideritz Bay Islands G P 1; 4

N020 Possession Island G P 1; 4 Staffed by Ministry of Fisheries

N021 The Sperrgebiet G F 1; 2; 3; 4 Protected by NAMDEB, partial RamsarSite

* G Global; SR Sub-regional.t 1 includes threatened species; 2 includes restricted-range species; 3 biome-representative site; 4 wetland site

Since birds have been shown to be effective indicators of biodiversity in other plant and animal groups, theconservation of the IDA network should help to ensure the survival of a correspondingly large number ofother taxa. It should be noted, however, that for many species a site-based conservation approach may not beappropriate, and for others it must be combined with broader-scale conservation measures to be effective.

New sites may be added in future as avian research continues, and new data may also add to existingdescriptions or species lists. As this is a draft document, comments are welcomed and should be directed toRob Simmons, Ornithology Program, Private Bag 13306, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Windhoek.

5

The data used in designating IBAs were largely collected by volunteers for the Southem African Bird AtlasProject and the Wetland monitoring scheme. Thanks go to the referees of various texts who made constructivecomments, particularly Rod Braby, Holger Kolberg, Brian Jones, Imke Cordes, Dr John Mendelsohn andKeith Weame. Names at the end of some accounts convey important input of additional authors. Foradditional information we thank Dr Phoebe Bamard, Dave Boyer, Dr Chris Brown, Pat Craven, Dr Jean-PaulRoux, Dr Alison Sakko and Dr Tony Williams. Additional information was provided by the WorldConservation Monitoring Centre protected area site sheets. Barbara Curtis assisted with proof-reading plantand invertebrate names.

Funding was provided by BirdLife South Africa (to KB), the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism(to RS, AJ and TR), and the Namibian National Biodiversity Programme (to AJ and TR).

Epupa to Ruacana----:,

MahangoGame Reserve& Okavango RivE\r

I,,, I~-- I

II

~-------East Caprivi

-BushmanlandPans,

,L _

-Waterberg PlateauPark

Cape Cross----

Mile 4------------,

30 km Beach-------Walvis Bay-------'

Sandwich Harbour-'

<b---------------- - Hardap NatureReserve

Mercury Island-----:

Ichaboe Island 1

LOderitzBay------, I

Possession Island'':

Important Bird Area Accounts

NOOI Cunene River MouthUnprotected (Skeleton Coast Park)Sub-regional IBA

17°08'S; II °53'E500 ha

Site descriptionThe Cunene River fonns an east-west linear oasisof pennanent freshwater which crosses thenorthern Namib Desert to reach the AtlanticOcean. The river mouth is considered to be thesection of river within 4 km of the coast. The smalllagoon that occurs immediately east and south ofthe mouth is a 2.3 km long stretch of mud/sandwhich, at its widest point, is 1.6 km across. When'river flow is low, the total area of exposed sandand mudflat is about 125 ha. The mouth itselfvaries from 30 to 80 m in width at low flows, toabout I km in width during high flow years. Athigh tide fresh water backs up into the lagoon,which can then be up to 2 km wide. Shorebirds areconcentrated in these areas. During low flowmonths (July-Nov) however, little water is backedup and large amounts of sandflats are exposed.Although not traditionally seen as an estuary,saline water penetrates the lagoon. At the mouth,sandbars develop from both northern and southernshores but these are periodically obliterated duringlarge scale flood surges, and river flow to the sea isnever closed off. Along the lower reaches of theriver, only thin strips of wetland vegetation(Phragmites australis) occur, and the lagoon andvegetated islands at the mouth are probably themost biologically productive areas on the lowerCunene. Satellite images reveal the presence oflarge volumes of wann freshwater in the coldocean for up to 100 km2 north of the mouth.

BirdsAlthough this area never supports particularly highnumbers of birds (with maximum counts of 3 900birds), it is thought to be important as a stagingand feeding post for waders which migrate to sitesfarther south such as Walvis Bay, SandwichHarbour and on South African wetlands on theAtlantic coast. It is one of the most isolated coastalwetlands along the Atlantic flyway, with thenearest pennanent wetland being almost 700 kmaway at Walvis Bay. It is, however, the second-richest coastal wetland in Namibia with 72 speciesof wetland birds recorded, including twelve

Namibian Red Data species. Wetland birdsrecorded here include Cape Gannet (offshore),White Pelican, Chestnutbanded Plover, and bothbreeding and migrating Damara Tern. Lessfrequently recorded species include Black Stork,African Black Oystercatcher and the nocturnalWhitecrowned Night Heron. Curlew Sandpiper,Little Stint and Sanderling are some of thecommoner waders, while Ospreys, rare inNamibia, are almost always present fishing in thelagoon and at sea.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeNile Soft-Shelled Terrapin and Green Turtle utilisethe river mouth and the former may breed here.This represents the southernmost limit of theseturtles' distributions on the west coast of Africa.The large freshwater prawn Macrobrachiumvollenhoveni reaches its southern limit at the lowerCunene River. A variety of mammals includingElephant, Lion, Brown Hyaena and Springbokoccasionally pass through the area. Of the 69freshwater fish species in the lower Cunene, fiveare endemic to the river. A small population ofNile Crocodile occurs as far west as the mouth. Itis also the western-most location of the RockPython.

Conservation issuesThe existence of this wetland, and some of theunique fauna which it supports, is threatened bythe proposal to build a dam further upstream atEpupa. Feasibility studies reached their conclusionin 1998. During the filling of a dam at Epupa,which would take between one and four years, thereduced (or possibly zero) water flow at theCunene River mouth would have drastic effects onthis wetland. Reduced water flow may either allowthe mouth to close or salinity levels to increase,drastically changing the character of the lagoon.Once in operation the dam would introduce coldwater into an unusually warm water systempossibly driving away poikilothenns such ascrocodiles, snakes and turtles. Fish utilising thelower Cunene might also be lost if flow patterns

and floods are regulated or smoothed, reducing oreliminating breeding. Consequently, the guild ofpiscivorous birds would also disappear. The fate ofthe river will be decided shortly.

Barnard 1998, Bethune 1995, Braine 1990, Curtis1991, Holtzhausen 1991, Noli-Peard and Williams1991, Penrith 1970, i976, Ryan et al. 1984,Simmons 1993a, 1993b, Tarr and Tarr 1987, VanZyl 1991, Warwick 1996, Wipplinger 1960.

Globally near-threatened species¥ African Black Oystercatcher¥ Damara Tern¥ Lesser Flamingo

OV96 (av) - 2000 (max)300

Namibian Red Data species¥ White Pelican¥ Greater Flamingo¥ Chestnutbanded Plover¥ Swift Tern¥ Caspian Tern

125 (max)147112 (max)46 (max-)36 (max)

¥ Species does not meet IBA thresholdOV Occasional visitor

av Yearly average (max count)max Absolute maximum

N002 Epupa-RuacanaUnprotectedGlobal IBA

17°18'S; 14°15'Ec. 28000 ha

Site descriptionThe Cunene River forms an east-west linear oasisof permanent freshwater crossing the northernNamib Desert to the Atlantic Ocean. It is a warmriver, with highly variable annual flow volumesdiffering 14 fold between and high and low years.It also varies within years by as much as II foldbetween high flow in April to low flow in October.The lower Cunene is the 340 km stretch of riverthat forms the border between Namibia andAngola. Epupa Falls, about 190 km upstream ofthe river mouth, is the last major waterfall alongthis very steep river that flows for I 050 km fromsource (in the Angolan highlands) to mouth. It alsomarks the proposed site for a hydro-electric damwhich would produce a body of water c. 75 km inlength. Hydro-power in Namibia is currently onlygenerated from the diversion weir located atRuacana, the end point of this IBA. Either side ofthe river, rocky cliffs, wind-stripped plains anddune fields mark its progress through the hyper-arid desert. Precipitation is about 300 mm p.a. inthe east, decreasing to the west, and evaporation ishigh at 2 - 3 m p.a. Riparian vegetation is confinedto a narrow strip along the river banks and theriver is typically confined within rocky gorges formost of its 340 km journey along the border ofAngola. Where the river widens and braids intoseveral channels, or mist generated from waterfallscreates a relative humid environment, riverinevegetation occurs in profusion. Hyphaene palmsare common and luxuriant at Epupa, attractingperipheral species found nowhere else in Namibia.Other riparian vegetation includes Ficusverruculosa, Phragmites mauritanius, largeFaidherbia albida and Ficus sycamorus trees andclumps of Salvadora persica. On surroundinghillsides Colophospermum mopane andCommiphora species dominate. Nomadicpastoralists, the Ova-Himba, descendant of theHerero, number about 5 000 and are reliant on theriver for water in the dry season. Extremely hightemperatures (over 40°C) are common here, andthe river's effect as an oasis then becomes mostapparent.

BirdsThe river and surrounding areas support over 300bird species. While two April river surveysrevealed only 30 wetland birds/l Okm of river

(mainly' herons), recent more comprehensivesurveys revealed 63 birds/lO km at low flow -relatively high compared to other Namibian rivers.Where dense ribbons of palms fringe the river,much higher bird densities occur. The riparianfringe is home to two highly localised speciesfound nowhere else in Namibia: CinderellaWaxbill and Rufoustailed Palmthrush. Both areassociated with Hyphaene palms and adjacentthickets. Several species also occur in disjunctdistributions here, hundreds of kilometres fromtheir stronghold in the Okavango and adjacentwetlands. These include Hartlaub's Babbler,Jameson's Firefinch, Golden Weaver, GreyheadedBush Shrike and Pygmy Kingfisher. Severalspecies are, in fact, at the tail end of a morenortherly tropical distribution. Grey Kestrels,common elsewhere in Africa, just extend into thesubregion on the Cunene and further east in formerOvamboland. A distinctive race of RedneckedFrancolin also appears here with the closest othersouthern African records being in easternZimbabwe. These species co-occur with near-endemics such Barecheeked Babbler, Herero Chat,Rtippell's Parrot and Whitetailed Shrike. Otherspecies recorded include 17 species of raptor withOsprey, African Marsh Harrier and Martial Eaglebeing notable, as well as two species of owluncommon in Namibia, Wood Owl and BarredOwl. It is thus an unusual section of river whichsupports a unique assemblage of species InNamibia.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeElephants use the river as an oasis. A newlydiscovered (1997) species of fish may go extinct ifthe proposed dam development goes ahead since itbreeds in shallow water on flooded banks. Fivespecies of fish are endemic to the river. NileCrocodile inhabit most sections of the lowerCunene River. This area represents thesouthernmost distribution of the River Oyster.Recent findings include a new distribution recordfor Simulium /ragai, from the Blackfly genus. Theknown global range of a recently described snake,the Cunene Racer, would be flooded by theproposed dam.

Conservation issuesThe existence of this area is threatened by a

proposal to build a hydroelectric scheme nearEpupa Falls further upstream. No fewer than ninedams have been proposed for the lower reaches ofthe river, four between Epupa and Ruacana, theproposed IBA area. The first, at Epupa Falls, willbe 17 times larger than Namibia's largest existingdam, flooding 75 kIn of river and an area of 200km2 including most of the IBA. During the time itwould take for the dam to fill and reachoperational level (up to 4 years), the resultingreduced or possibly zero water flow along theCunene could have drastic effects on the river andits riparian vegetation. If the Epupa site is chosen,the main area for Cinderella Waxbill andRufoustailed Palmthrush will be inundated by thedam waters. Due to the expected annual draw-down in the dam level it is expected that none ofthe riverine vegetation would re-establish,

effectively eliminating the most speciose areasassociated with the palm fringe. A dam in thedownstream Baynes Mountains would have lessimpact due to lower species richness and fewerpalms. The effect of the Ruacana diversion weirhas been to create fluctuations in water levels of20 - 110 cm (depending on river width) within a24 h period. Fish and insect larvae reliant onflooding of levees have already been severelyaffected and may eventually go extinct if theseshort term fluctuations persist.

Further readingBarnard 1997, 1998, Bethune 1995, Braine 1990,de Moor 1998, Harrison et at. 1997, Holtzhausen1991, Noli-Peard and Williams 1991, Jarvis andRobertson 1997, Simmons 1993b, Simmons andHerremans 1997, Underhill and Brown 1997.

Globally near-threatened speciesHerero ChatCinderella Waxbill

Restricted-range and biome restricted speciesRtippeII's ParrotBradfield's HornbillMonteiro's HornbillStark's LarkBlackfaced BabblerHartlaub's BabblerBarecheeked BabblerKalahari RobinHerero ChatRockrunnerWhitetailed ShrikeCarp's Black TitViolet WoodhoopoeWhitebellied Sunbird

10 - 20200 - 500

CommonUncommonFairly CommonCommonCommonCommonFairly CommonCommonUncommonRareCommonUncommonUncommonFairly Common

N003 Eastern Caprivi WetlandsPartially ProtectedGlobal IBA

17°40'S-18°30'S; 23°16'£-25°15'£c. 468000 ha

Site descriptionLocated in the eastern Caprivi bulge, this wetlandsystem forms the international borders withBotswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and stretchesfrom the Kwando River in the west to theZimbabwean border post at Kazangula in the east.It is Namibia's largest single permanent wetlandand is fed by two of Namibia's five perennialrivers. The area is divided into five geographicallydistinct zones: the Upper Kwando (137 km2

),

Lower Kwando and Linyanti Swamp (3 830 km2),

the ephemeral Lake Liambezi (406 km2), the

Chobe River and marsh (311 km2) and theZambezi floodplains (1 800 km2

). The area istopographically featureless and almost completelyflat - a key determinant in the unusual hydrologicalregime. Under flood conditions the Kwando isessentially linked to the Zambezi, with waterflowing from the Kwando into the LinyantiSwamps, about 10% of which finally reaches LakeLiambezi. This water is, however, insufficient tokeep the lake level from dropping, and the lake isusually dry. When full, it has an outlet to theChobe River which subsequently joins theZambezi at Kazangula. When the Zambezi is inflood the flow is reversed and water is pushed upthe Chobe to fill Lake Liambezi - a rare occurrencelast seen in the late 1970s. Lake Liambezi and thefloodplain zone are thus only intermittentlyinundated, while the Zambezi, Kwando andLinyanti Swamp are permanent wetland features.The abrupt change in the direction of the KwandoRiver as it merges into the Linyanti system is dueto the extensive geological faulting present in thearea. Flood waters channel down the Kwandobetween June and August and then swing north-east along the Chobe fault into the LinyantiSwamps. It may take up to six months for water topercolate through the Phragmites / Cyperusdominated reed swamp as less than one third of thearea is open water. Lake Liambezi is now (1998)completely overgrown, and the dry lakebed isfarmed. These long-term wet/dry periods appear tobe cyclical. The Chobe Marsh, into which theLinyanti and Lake Liambezi drain when full, ismore usually inundated by water backing up alongthe Chobe from the Zambezi River. The Zambezifloods typically last 4 to 6 weeks in March orApril, before subsiding back into side channelsand the main Chobe-Zambezi riverbed. The lower

lying floodplains remain inundated for longerperiods, however, and support vast papyrus andreed beds in a maze of small channels and islands.The climate of the region can be divided into twodistinct seasons - a dry season between April andNovember, and a shorter wet season from the endof November to late March early April. This is thewettest area in Namibia with rainfall averaging650 mm p.a. and sometimes exceeding 1 000 mmp.a. The monthly average maximum temperature isabout 30°C.

The area is surrounded by pristine riparian fringeswhich are extremely rare in Namibia as most havebeen destroyed by human activity. These aredominated by Lonchocarpus capassa, Garcinialivingstonei, Syzigium guineense and Diospyrosmespiliformis. The floodplain is made up ofreed beds, swamps, open flooded grasslands andpapyrus. Phoenix reclinata and Adansoniadigitata are conspicuous on the edge of thefloodplain.

BirdsEast Caprivi as a whole, and its wetlands inparticular, holds one of the ricbest diversities ofbird species anywhere in Namibia. This highdiversity reflects the combination of wetland andtropical passerine species. The most importantfeatures of this system are the swampy areas andfloodplains which are important breeding habitatfor wetland birds including Slaty Egret, WattledCrane, Rufousbellied Heron, Saddlebilled Stork,Lesser Jacana, Whitecrowned Plover, LongtoedPlover, Redwinged Pratincole, PinkthroatedLongclaw and Montagu' s Harrrier. The reed andbulrush beds on the margins hold Swamp Boubou,Chirping Cisticola and Greater Swamp Warbler.The riverbanks hold African Skimmer, the mid-stream rocks hold Rock Pratincole, while thedensest riparian vegetation in certain areas holdsPel's Fishing Owl and Whitebacked Night Heron.While diversity is high, linear densities of wetlandbirds are low, possibly because of low-nutrientwater.

The surrounding grassveld is also good forpalearctic migrants, including BlackwingedPratincole and Caspian Plover. The area is rich inraptor species and Secretarybird, Whitebacked

Vulture and Lappetfaced Vulture are common.Whiteheaded Vulture, Lesser Kestrel, Dickinson'sKestrel and African Hobby Falcon occur lesscommonly. Eagles found here include TawnyEagle, Ayre's Hawk Eagle, Western BandedSnake Eagle, Martial Eagle and Bateleur. KoriBustard, Blackbellied Korhaan, Temminck'sCourser and the Yellowthroated Sandgrouse andBurchell's Sandgrouse can be found around theopen woodland. Species preferring acacia andbroad leaf woodland include Bradfield's Hornbill,Redbilled Francolin, Redcrested Korhaan,Monotonous Lark, Crimson breasted Shrike,Whitecrowned Shrike, Kalahari Robin, PiedBabbler, Blackfaced Babbler, Cape Parrot,Southern Ground Hornbill, Greyrumped Swallow,Hartlaub's Babbler, Longtailed Shrike, Brown

Firefinch, Burntnecked Eremomela, MaricoFlycatcher, Whitebellied Sunbird, ScalyfeatheredFinch, Violeteared Waxbill, Shafttailed Whydah,Longtailed Glossy Starling and Burchell's GlossyStarling.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeThreatened mammals occurring in the area includeLeopard, Wild Dog, thousands of Elephant, RoanAntelope and Sable Antelope. Red Lechwe arecommon on the floodplains of the lower Kwando.Puku may exist in very small numbers while Oribiand Waterbuck are probably extinct but may filterin from Zambia as poaching decreases. Otherparticularly rare mammals include the last knownindividuals of the chobensis subspecies of BlackRhino, which unconfirmed reports suggest maystill also occur in south eastern Angola. The highlyendangered Blackfooted Cat has also beenreported from this area. Among other taxa,particularly vulnerable species include the MpachaGrass Frog which is an endemic known only fromthe Mpacha airport in Katima Mulilo. The highlyunusual Striped Killifish, which survivesdesiccation in egg form only, is found exclusivelyin ephemeral pools south of Katima. East Capriviboasts the highest species richness of frogs (38species), reptiles (particularly snakes andterrapins) and mammals (particularly waterdependent mammals such as rats and bats) inNamibia.

Conservation issuesUntil recently there were no conservation areas inEast Caprivi. On 1 March 1990 two conservationareas were proclaimed. One of these, MamiliNational Park (32 000 ha), is centred on the Nkasaand Lupala Islands near the Linyanti Swamps in

the southwestern corner of East Caprivi. Thesurface area of water fluctuates, but at high floodssome 80% of the area is inundated, thus this areaprovides essential protection for swamp andfloodplain species. The second conservation area,Mudumu National Park (101 400 ha), is mainlywoodland with small areas of wetland on thewestern fringes where it borders the KwandoRiver. In dry years it is possible that these parkswill be the only areas in East Caprivi which are notovergrazed. These two parks will, however, onlybe effective at maintaining the region's bioticdiversity if legislation and enforcement areimproved and wildlife education andcommunication programmes are continued andexpanded. Involvement of local communities inthe management of buffer zones, setting up ofconservancies linking the two parks and running oftourist camps will help to alleviate encroachmentof people and livestock into these parks.

The region's waterways have held the alien waterweed Salvinia molesta since the 1950s. This weedhas caused massive problems by cloggingwaterways and altering the functioning of thewetlands and threatening other macrophytes withlocal extinction. Currently the S. molestainfestation is under control due to a successfulbiological control programme initiated in 1981.The distribution of the weed has not changed butthe intensity of the infestation has been drasticallyreduced and, in some places, is entirely undercontrol. The demise of the herbivores that onceteemed this region has been largely attributed toorganised poaching for ivory and hunting for meat.Uncontrolled army poaching during the guerrillawar also took its toll. Campaigns by variousgovernment and non government organisationshave temporarily reduced the poaching problembut the animal stocks have been drasticallydepleted and will require some time to recoverbefore sustainable harvesting can be implemented.Spraying of Dieldrin and DDT to control Tsetsefly and Malaria has been widespread in the pastand DOT is still used. Monitoring programmesinvestigating toxicity levels in the resident humanpopulation and non-target tertiary consumers areessential as these organisms could accumulatetoxins, resulting in detrimental side effects. Thegreatest environmental threat in this area is thegrazing pressure exerted by a burgeoningpopulation of over 100 000 head of cattle.approximately 60% of which is concentrated in theeastern floodplain (30% ofthe land area). With thedrying of Lake Liambezi, local inhabitants

intensively fish the Chobe River with mosquito.nets. This non-selective method, and theunsustainable level, of fishing may have drasticconsequences on the recovery of fish populationsonce floods return. Fires are deliberately started ona massive scale each year and over 3 000 may bestarted in one season in an attempt to promote newgrass growth for cattle. This also reduces plantdiversity, promoting fire-tolerant species. Humandisturbance to African Skimmers in the area fromwaves caused by speed boats destroys nesting

sites. Disturbance by humans causes adult birds toabandon their nests, exposing eggs and chicks tointolerable heat and additional predation pressure.

Further readingBarnard 1998, Bethune 1995, Crerar 1986, Griffinand Channing 1991, Griffin and Grobler 1991,Mendelsohn and Roberts 1997, Olivier and Olivier1993, Robertson et al. 1998, Schlettwein et al.1991.

Globally threatened speciesSlaty Egret¥ Lesser KestrelWattled Crane

Globally near-threatened speciesBlackwinged Pratincole

Restricted-range and biome restricted speciesDickinson's KestrelBurchell's SandgrouseCopperytailed CoucalRackettailed RollerBradfield's HornbillBlackfaced BabblerHartlaub's BabblerKurrichane ThrushArnot's ChatKalahari RobinBarred WarblerStierling's Barred WarblerBurchell's Glossy StarlingLongtailed Glossy StarlingWhitebellied SunbirdBrown FirefinchBroadtailed Paradise Whydah

100-500OV50 - 100

StatusFairly CommonUncommonCommonUncommonCommonUncommonCommonCommonCommonUncommonUncommonUncommonCommonCommonCommonCommonUncommon

N004 Mahango Game Reserve and Okavango RiverPartially protectedGlobal IBA

18°15'S-18°20'S; 20033'£-20041'E24462 ha

Site descriptionThis IBA includes the portion of the OkavangoRiver between Andara Mission and the Botswanaborder on the 'western edge of the Caprivi Strip.The IBA includes the Mahango Game Reservewhich essentially consists of the vast floodplainalong the Okavango River (the start of thepanhandle of the Okavango Delta) and itsassociated riverine forest and woodlands. Afterleaving Namibia, the Okavango River flows intoBotswana and creates the Okavango Delta. Highwater occurs in April as a result of rains in thehighlands of Angola, and floods usually reachheights 3 - 4 m above the low water level ofNovember. This flooding is essential to theecology of the aquatic systems along the river. Theclimate of the region can be divided into twodistinct seasons - a dry season between April andNovember, and a shorter wet season from the endof November to early April. The monthly averagemaximum temperature is 30°C and about 80% ofthe region's rain (550 to 600 mm) falls betweenOctober and April. Vegetation along the river isextremely diverse with 869 plant species from 88families recognised so far; about 25% morespeciose than the delta itself. The vegetated dunesthat dominate the topography include extensivedry woodlands. Dominant species of the riparianwoodland include Garcinia livingstonei, Sc/erocaryabirrea, Diospyros mespi/iformis, Acacia nigrescensand Grewia spp. The vegetation of the dunes isdominated by mixed Pterocarpus angolensis,Schinziophyton rautanenii, Terminalia species,Ziziphus mucronata, dense stands of Baikiaeaplurijuga and Baphia massaiensis. This riparianvegetation is of particular importance: matureriparian woodland is increasingly rare in Namibiaas it is mostly destroyed during human settlement.The floodplain comprises reed beds, swamps, openflooded grasslands and Papyrus. Two conspicuousspecies on the edge of the floodplain are thePhoenix rec/inata and Adansonia digitata.

BirdsThe reserve's most important feature is thefloodplain which is critical habitat for breedingwetland bird species. About two thirds ofNamibia's bird species have been recorded inMahango; a consequence of high richness of bothwetland and tropical species. The floodplain

supports important populations of rare wetlandbirds including Slaty Egret, Wattled Crane,Rufousbellied Heron, Pinkbacked Pelican,Saddlebilled Stork, Lesser Jacana, WhitecrownedPlover, Longtoed Plover, Redwinged Pratincole,Pinkthroated Longclaw and Montagu's Harrier.The reed and bulrush beds on the margins holdSwamp Boubou, Chirping Cisticola and GreaterSwamp Warbler. The riverbanks and rocks supportRock Pratincole and African Skimmer. Pel'sFishing Owl, Whitebacked Night Heron andAfrican Finfoot are found in the fringing riparianvegetation. The surrounding grassveld also holdspalearctic migrants, including BlackwingedPratincole and Caspian Plover. The reserve is richin raptor species (48 species recorded) includingSecretarybird, Whitebacked Vulture, LappetfacedVulture, Palmnut Vulture, African Marsh Harrier,Dickinson's Kestrel, Cuckoo Hawk and evenOsprey. Whiteheaded Vulture, Bat Hawk, LesserKestrel and African Hobby Falcon and EuropeanMarsh Harrier are less common. Several species ofeagle are found here including Tawny Eagle,Ayre's Hawk Eagle, Western Banded SnakeEagle, Martial Eagle and Bateleur. Typical opencountry species include Kori Bustard, BlackbelliedKorhaan, Temminck's Courser and DoublebandedCourser.

Woodland and riparian species include Bradfield'sHornbill, Redbilled Francolin, RedcrestedKorhaan, Monotonous Lark, Crimson breastedShrike, Whitecrowned Shrike, Kalahari Robin,Pied Babbler, Blackfaced Babbler, Cape Parrot,Southern Ground Hornbill, Greyrumped Swallow,Rufousbellied Tit, Hartlaub's Babbler, LongtailedShrike, Sharptailed Glossy Starling, BrownFirefinch, Barred Warbler, BurntneckedEremomela, Marico Flycatcher, WhitebelliedSunbird, Scalyfeathered Finch, VioletearedWaxbill, Shafttailed Whydah, Longtailed GlossyStarling and Burchell's Glossy Starling. Theriparian forest supports the rare Cape Parrot,Emerald Cuckoo and Wood Owl.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeThreatened mammals occurring in the reserveinclude Leopard, Wild Dog, Elephant, RoanAntelope and Sable Antelope. Uncommon speciesinclude Red Lechwe (decreasing), Sitatunga,

Puku, Waterbuck, Oribi and unsubstantiatedreports of Black footed Cat. The vulnerable SpottedNecked Otter, which requires pristine aquatichabitat, is also found here. It is the second mostspecies-rich area for mammals in Namibia, with 99species. The Spotted Rubber Frog, with only fivespecimens known, also occurs here. About 71species of fish occur in the Okavango River, twoof which inhabit rocky rapids and are Red Dataspecies.

Conservation issuesDeclared a conservation area by the formerKavango Executive Committee in 1983, Mahangowas opened to the public three years later in 1986.The reserve was officially proclaimed in 1989.After Namibian Independence, ownership of thereserve was transferred to the Ministry ofEnvironment and Tourism. Mahango is part of acomprehensive planning programme in the CapriviStrip under the Northeast Parks Project, largelyfunded by the German Development Bank (KFW).The project involves development planning fortourism infrastructure and wildlife management.The management of the riparian strip andfloodplain is of utmost importance. Any dramaticalteration of the Namibian portion of this river willaffect the Okavango Delta (also an IBA) inneighbouring Botswana. The entire portion of theriver in Namibian territory needs carefulmanagement planning since 78% of the 120 000people who live along the Okavango live within 5km of the river and the pressure for resources isintense. The greatest environmental problem isdeforestation caused by fires and elephants.Uncontrolled fires in the Kavango region can alsocause extensive damage to wildlife and reduceplant species diversity. Mitigating measures onhuman impacts and alternative options to slash andbum agriculture need to be sought. Education

campaigns on sustainable utilisation of the river'sresources and its surrounding habitats must be apriority.

Species such as Elephant and Red Lechwe migrateout of the park and are threatened by poachers inthe neighbouring areas. Furthermore, uncontrolledgrowth in the elephant population is of someconcern. The highly sensitive riparian zone hasalready suffered considerable impact and habitatmodification by elephants in the last few years.Human disturbance to African Skimmers is causedby the wake generated by speed boats destroyingsand-bank nesting sites, and also by the collectionof eggs. Disturbance by humans causes adult birdsto abandon their nests, exposing eggs and chicksto intense heat and additional predation pressure.Pesticides used annually to control malarialmosquitoes and Tsetse fly (DOT and Dieldrin) arefound in the river and occur mainly from thepractice of rinsing equipment and sometimessimply dumping extra supplies direct into theriver. That this happens in the protected MahangoReserve is cause for great concern

If future water abstraction occurs at Rundu tosupply the growing population in Windhoek,takeoff during times of flooding may bedetrimental to spawning fish dependent onflooding. Non-selectivity of fishing gear has led toan almost total absence of larger fish. It has beensuggested that fishing be restricted in some areasto allow fish stocks to recover.

Andersson 1861, Barnard 1998, Bethune 1991,Griffin and Channing 1991, Griffm and Grobter1991, Skelton and Merron 1987.

Globally threatened speciesSlaty Egret• Lesser KestrelWattled Crane

Globally near-threatened speciesBlackwinged Pratincole

Restricted-range and biome restricted speciesDickinson's KestrelBurchell's SandgrouseCopperytailed CoucalRackettailed RollerBradfield's HornbillRufousbellied TitBlackfaced BabblerHartlaub's BabblerKurrichane ThrushArnot's ChatKalahari RobinBarred WarblerChirping CisticolaBurchell's Glossy StarlingLongtailed Glossy StarlingSharptailed Glossy StarlingWhitebellied SunbirdBrown Firefinch

15 - 100OV

. 6 - 10

StatusFairly CommonCommonCommonRareCommonUncommonUncommonCommonCommonRareCommon"UncommonCommonCommonCommonUncommonCommonCommon

¥ Species does not meet IBA thresholdBr Confirmed breeding

N005 Etosha National ParkFully protectedGloballBA

18°30'S-19°28'S; 14°20'E-17°lO'E2291 200 ha

Ramsar site

Site descriptionEtosha National Park lies some 400 km north ofWindhoek. The primary feature within the park isEtosha salt pan, "the great white place", about4760 km2 in size and up to 129 km long and 72km wide, which covers almost one quarter of thepark. Numerous smaller salt and clay pans exist tothe west and north of Etosha pan, some of whichlie just outside the park boundaries. The parkrepresents an area of inland drainage on the greatAfrican plateau. Most of the year the pan lies dry,appearing barren, desolate and clearly visible onsatellite images of southern Africa. However,during some wet seasons the pan is inundated withwater from the Ekuma and Oshigambo riverswhich drain catchments in former Owambolandand southern Angola. Inflow from the east throughthe Omuramba Owambo may also be important,flooding Fischer's Pan and the southern ancientriver course on the pan. The extent of flooding isdependent on the amount of rain that falls in thecatchment area. In years of exceptional rain thepan becomes a shallow lake a few centimetresdeep. Geologically, the area comprises calcareoussand, gravel and limestone with dolomite outcropsin the west. Soils are shallow and alkaline.Temperature variation is extreme, ranging frombelow freezing on some winter nights to above45°C during the day in mid summer, when pansurface temperatures can reach 60°C. Annualrainfall averages 300 mm p.a. in the west and 500mm p.a. in the east. The vegetation is primarilyarid savanna, shrub and thorn scrub in the west,tending towards tree savanna and broad leavedwoodland in the east. Acacia woodland is foundthroughout the region with mostly Acacia tortilis,A. reficiens and A. nebrownii dominating. Patchesof Combretum spp. and Colophospermum mopane

.are also characteristic of the park, especially in theeastern broadleaved savanna belt. All these speciesoccur throughout the park varying in shape andform from shrub to tree. Dominant grass generainclude Anthephora, Enneapogon, Aristida,Stipagrostis, Eragrostis and Sporobolus.

BirdsThis park supports at least 340 bird species. Themain pan is of particular importance as bothGreater and Lesser Flamingo mass breed here

when rainfall exceeds 440 mm p.a. Historicalcounts of up to 1.1 million flamingos have beenrecorded in exceptional rain years. Etosha is one ofonly two regular breeding sites for these species insouthern Africa, the other being Sua Pan in theMakgadikgadi Salt Pans (also an IBA) inBotswana. Unfortunately breeding success is verylimited and Etosha Pan cannot be considered aviable breeding area. In recent years the pan hasregularly held over 20 000 waterbirds during thewet season. Apart from flamingos, White Pelicanand Chestnutbanded Plover also breed here inlarge numbers in years of good rainfall. Raritiesare also attracted at such times and Slaty Egret andStriped Crake are unusual visitors. The pan andsurrounding grassveld are good for palearcticmigrants, including important numbers ofBlackwinged Pratincole and Caspian Plover.Occasionally small numbers of RedwingedPratincole, Saddlebilled Stork, Wattled Crane andCrowned Crane occur on the pan in the wetseason. Etosha also supports the only breedingpopulation of Blue Crane outside South Africa; atiny population of about 60 birds known to havedeclined in the last 10 years. The park isparticularly rich in raptors with 46 speciesrecorded. It supports all the vulture species foundin Namibia including Cape Vulture, the locallyrare Egyptian Vulture, and Lappetfaced Vulture.Scavengers such as Tawny Eagle and Bateleur areparticularly common since they are unaffected bypoisons here, while both Greater Kestrel andRednecked Falcon breed. Whiteheaded Vulture,Pallid Harrier, Montagu's Harrier and LesserKestrel are less common. A host of eagles (12species) is found here including Martial Eagle andthe migrant Steppe and Lesser Spotted Eagleduring the rains. Good rains also bring in ChestnutWeaver which form large breeding colonies. Thefar western woodland holds small populations ofendemic and near-endemics including VioletWoodhoopoe, Carp's Black Tit, Monteiro'sHornbill, Bradfield's Hornbill, RosyfacedLovebird, RUppell's Parrot, Whitetailed Shrike,Bradfield's Swift, Rockrunner and Hartlaub'sFrancolin. Typical open country species foundmost commonly around the pan include KoriBustard, Ludwig's Bustard, Blackbellied Korhaan,Burchell's Courser, Temminck's Courser,

Doublebanded Courser and all of southernAfrica's Sand grouse species. WhitebelliedKorhaan was recently sighted in the Andonigrasslands - the only known sighting in Namibia.Species found among acacia woodland and areasof partial cover include Redbilled _Francolin,Redcrested Korhaan, Monotonous Lark,Crimson breasted Shrike, Whitecrowned Shrike,Kalahari Robin, Pied, Blackfaced andBarecheeked Babbler, Barred Warbler,Burntnecked Eremomela, Marico Flycatcher,Whitebellied Sunbird, Cape Penduline Tit, PriritBatis, Scalyfeathered Finch, Yioleteared Waxbill,Shafttailed Whydah, Longtailed and Burchell'sGlossy Starling. Sociable Weaver and theassociated Pygmy Falcon also occur.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeThreatened mammals occurring in the park includeLeopard, Cheetah, Elephant, Roan Antelope,Black Rhino, Hartmann's Mountain Zebra and theendemic subspecies Blackfaced Impala. TheNamibian near-endemic Damara Dik-Dik alsooccurs here. Efforts to reintroduce African WildDog have so far failed. Reptiles include the RockPython, Dwarf Python, Kalahari Star Tortoise,Leopard Tortoise and Etosha Agama.

Conservation issuesOriginally established in 1907, Etosha GameReserve covered 9 324 000 ha. This was reducedto 2314000 ha between 1947 and 1953. In 1958,it was officially designated a National Park underSection 37 of the Nature Conservation Ordinance31. On the recommendation of the Commission ofEnquiry into Southwest Africa's Affairs (OdendaalCommission) in 1964, the size of the park wasincreased to include sections of the SkeletonCoast, enlarging the area to 9 952 600 ha. By 1970the parks borders were once again deproclaimed toprovide land to Herero speaking people, reducingEtosha to its current size.

Several management challenges persist. Etosha issurrounded on its southern and western borders bycommercial farmland and is delimited by doubleelectric boundary fences, primarily designed tokeep lion and elephant in the park and poachersand domestic animals out of the park. This hasresulted in serious disturbance of ungulate

migratory patterns. In particular, wildebeestmigration was blocked by the northern fence, witha resultant decline from 25 000 to 2 300 animals inthe space of 25 years. Elephants, however, stillmigrate out of the park in the wet season and maythen create problems in commercial and communalfarms. Additionally, anthrax remains a problem,killing many species of herbivores. Anotherdisease, Feline Immune Deficiency Yirus (FlY)affects cats, particularly cheetah, althoughEtosha's lions remain flY-free. Between 1955 andthe present, elephant numbers increased by morethan an order of magnitude from 100 to 1 500.Drought periods between 1979 and 1996 havefurther complicated issues as ungulates have beenunable to migrate away from the area. Highpredation rates in combination with anthrax serveto reduce ungulate populations well below theavailable food resources. Lion dispersing from thePark are able to break through fencing and manyindividuals are shot outside the park each year.Some individuals disperse down the rivers to theSkeleton Coast to become the famous coastallions, scavenging on seals and beached whales.These too are usually exterminated by communalfarmers.

Recent research has shown that while flamingosoccur in spectacular numbers they rarely breedsuccessfully (once in 9 years) because the waterrapidly evaporates, exposing chicks and fledglingsto predators and eliminating food sources adjacentto the colony. Low breeding success in the lastfour decades indicate that the pan does not supporta self-sustaining population. Measures to reversethis problem have been suggested but notimplemented. Scientific research to assess andaddress management problems is conductedthrough the Etosha Ecological Institute atOkaukuejo.

Further readingArchibald 1991, Archibald and Nott 1987, Aves1992, Barnard 1998, Barnard et al. 1998, Berry1972, Berry et al. 1973, 1987, Brown 1992,Brown et al. 1987, Clinning and Jensen 1976,Gasaway et al. 1996, Jensen and Clinning 1976, IeRoux et al. 1988, Lindeque and Archibald 1990,Osborne and Osborne 1998, Simmons 1996b,Simmons et al. 1998b.

N006 HobaterePartially protectedGlobal IBA

19°15'S; 14° OO'Ec. 222 000 ha

Site descriptionThis IBA is one of the best areas holdingNamibian-escarpment endemics and near-endemics. Its identification arose directly fromresearch co-ordinated by the Ministry ofEnvironment's Ornithology Section aimed atidentifying the most important endemic areasusing field survey and bird atlas data inconjunction with GIS techniques. The Namibianescarpment forms the interface between theinterior plateau and coastal plain, varying inaltitude between 400 and 2 500 m a.s.!. This highdiversity zone stretches from Windhoek to justwest of Ruacana. The most important node withinthis zone is the area surrounding the tourist lodgeHobatere, immediately west of the easternboundary of Etosha National Park. The IBAconsists of an east-west orientated block of threequarter degree squares falling just west of theinterface between commercial (east) andcommunal (west) farmland in the Sesfontein-Kamanjab area. The IBA is part of the westerncatchment of the Ombonde/Hoanib River, one ofthe largest ephemeral rivers in north-westernNamibia. Rainfall averages 200 - 300 mm andaltitude varies from 900 to 1 500 m a.s.l. Therainfall gradient from east to west across thisregion is very steep varying from 300 mm p.a. inwestern Etosha to 15 mm p.a. in the Namib Desertover a mere 160 km. The river valleys runningthrough this area enhance diversity indices becausemany Namibian endemics are comparativelyabundant in rivers. Several private lodges runningtourist safaris and small hunting operations haveopened in the area: the land is leased fromgovernment and is afforded protection by theoperators. To the west, low-use communal farmsare concentrated in the ephemeral Ombonde Rivertributaries.

BirdsThe main species here are Namibia's endemics(excluding the larks and Damara Tern) which areendemic to the Namibian escarpment and NamibDesert. These species are, in decreasing order ofpopulation size within the IBA, Whitetailed Shrike(11 900 birds), Carp's Black Tit (5 800 birds), andMonteiro's Hombill (2 360 birds), all found in drywoodland where large trees are common. The areaof highest density of the shrike lie!! slightly north

of this IBA, while the main centre of distributionfor the hornbill and tit occur somewhat east(higher rainfall) of the IBA. Herero Chat andRockrunner, occur predominantly on rockyhillsides common within the IBA. These twospecies are cryptic and most common in theremote areas of Namibia's rocky escarpment;consequently they are erroneously seen as veryrare. Herero Chat density (l 870 birds) is relativelyhigh in this region while Rockrunner (680 birds) ismost common far to the southeast of this area.Namibian populations for both species areestimated at about 100 000 birds, and more thanI % of Herero Chats are predicted to occur in thisIBA. Rilppell's Korhaan (580 birds) is found onopen plains mainly to the west of this IBA.Barecheeked Babbler (335 birds) is foundpredominantly in mopane woodland and favoursriver beds where it occurs in groups averaging sixbirds. Its centre of distribution (highest densities)occurs within this area. Rilppell's Parrot (450birds) occurs at relatively high density in the rivervalleys here, but this bird is nowhere common,with a Namibian population of around 29 000birds. One of the rarest of the endemics isHartlaub's Francolin (450 birds), a bird found oninselbergs and koppies throughout this region. Therarest and most enigmatic is the VioletWoodhoopoe (35 - 70 birds), a species difficult todistinguish from the morphologically similarRedbilled Woodhoopoe, with which it hybridises.Only found close to large rivers with large trees,the Namibian population is predicted to be 1 800birds.

Many non-endemic species occur within this IBA,and raptors are numerous with 33 speciesrecorded. Notable among these are Cuckoo Hawk,Egyptian Vulture and Peregrine Falcon. Otherspecies recorded here include Short-toed RockThrush, Stark's Lark and Rosyfaced Lovebird. Atotal of 215 species occur in this region, about halfthe number recorded in the most speciose areas ofnortheastern Namibia.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeBlack Rhino, Elephant and Lion occur in thisregion and may come into conflict withcommercial farmers. The area is extremely rich inendemic frogs, reptiles, mammals and plants; more

information on these is presented in the specialissue of Biodiversity & Conservation (April 1998).

Conservation issuesThe main concern is that the rich vein ofendemism of Namibian birds, mammals, frogs,reptiles and plants falls squarely in between two ofNamibia's main protected areas - the EtoshaNational Park in the east and the Skeleton CoastPark in the west. It has been suggested that a parkjoining the two would be ideally situated to protectmany of these endemic taxa, as well as to act as acorridor for large mammals (e.g. Lion, Elephant,Giraffe) that regularly move between Etosha andthe Skeleton Coast Park. Such a corridor couldeffectively help fill the Skeleton Coast park withmammals that once naturally occurred there.Proposed conservancies at Sesfontein and Bergsigshould improve the situation.

intensity but on communal lands overstocking mayoccur, particularly where goats congregate aroundwaterholes. The dry river courses to the coast areinhabited by pastoralists who regularly shoot lionand other large mammals that "threaten" theirlivestock.

Among the endemic birds, only Rtippel1's Parrot isunder direct threat since it is illegally trapped forthe cage bird trade. Unknown numbers of birds areremoved from the wild population each year.

Further readingBarnard 1998, Clinning and Tarboton 1972, duPlessis 1997, Jarvis and Robertson 1997, in press,Jensen and Jensen 1971, Robertson 1993,Robertson et al. 1995, 1998, Simmons 1997b,1997c, 1997d, 1997e, 1997f, 1997g, 1997h,Simmons et al. 1998b.

Restricted-range and biome restricted·speciesHartlaub's FrancolinLudwig's BustardRtippell's KorhaanBurchell's SandgrouseRiippell's ParrotMonteiro's HornbillStark's LarkBlackfaced BabblerBarecheeked BabblerKalahari RobinHerero ChatLayard's TitbabblerBarred WarblerRockrunnerWhitetailed ShrikeViolet WoodhoopoeCarp's Black TitBurchell's Glossy Starling

StatusUncommonUncommonFairly CommonCommonFairly CommonCommonUncommonUncommonUncommonCommonCommonFairly CommonFairly CommonFairly CommonCommonRareCommonCommon

N007 Bushmanland Pan SystemUnprotectedGlobal IBA

19°15'S-20000'S; 20033'£-20041'Ec. 120000 ha

Site descriptionWidely known as Bushmanland after theinhabitants of this region, the new name isTsumkwe District. This very extensive wetlandsystem of northeastern Namibia has developed ona broad, flat watershed on the eastern edge of theKalahari Basin, between the Nhoma and Daneibdrainage systems. Here, surficial hardpancalcretes, granite and quartzites restrict drainageand, as there are no major drainage lines out of thearea, these pans, flooded grasslands andwoodlands can remain wet throughout the dryseason in years of above average rainfall. Thetown of Tsumkwe lies in the centre of the area,which is inhabited by the Ju'llHoan people.Livestock, so common in other parts of Namibia,are largely absent from the area due to the hunter-gathering lifestyle which was, until recently,practiced by the inhabitants. However, cattlefarming has recently been introduced and willlargely replace hunter-gathering (Jones 1996).

The climate of the Tsumkwe district ischaracterised by high summer temperatures andseasonal rainfall between October and April.Rainfall shows considerable spatial and temporalvariation, with an average of c. 450 mm p.a., and arange of 110 to 1 200 mm p.a. The pans system iscentred on the Nyae-Nyae wetlands which run in abroad arc south-east of Tsumkwe. Nyae-Nyae panitself consists of a large deflation basin comprisingboth grassland and open wetlands. Also includedare the Pannetjies Veld wetlands 25 km east ofTsumkwe, comprising mainly flooded woodland,the Klein Dobe wetlands (2 pans of 30 and 50 ha)15 km north of Tsumkwe and the CinQo wetlands40 km northeast of Tsumkwe. The wetland systemas a whole is both extensive and variable. Thewetlands are widely interconnected and many ofthe 6 wetland types identified below intergradeinto one another.

1) Unvegetated open water pans with highlyalkaline evaporite basins. These pans are thelast to dry up and can be up to 1.5 m deep.

2) Doline pans. These appear to be sinkholesformed in areas underlain by calcrete. Whenfull they are more than 2 m deep andunvegetated.

3) Open water pans. These medium size pans

form where the underlying soils are not veryalkaline, and can hold water for three months.Vegetation is dominated by floating andsubmerged macrophytes such as Persicarialimbata, Nymphaea spp., Aponogeton spp.,Elytrophorlls globlilaris, Eragrostis viscosa,sedges and members of the Characeae. Wheregrasses dominate, the commonest species areOryzidillm barnardii, Echinochloa colona andE. stagnina. Other common plants includeSesbania macowaniana, Ottelia kllnenensis,Aeschynomene indica and the fern Marsileaunicornis. A second type of open water pandevelops where shallow calcareous sandsmake the pans more alkaline. The vegetationin these pans is dominated by Cyperaceae and,in the deeper parts of the system, floating matsof Polygonllm limbatum.

4) Grass pans. These small pans form whereorganic clays have impeded drainage and aredominated by Echinochloa pyramidalis and E.colona. Other grass pans dominated byDiplachne fusca are the commonest pans inthe system.

5) Hygrophilous grasslands. These develop oncalcareous sands where the period ofinundation is short. Digitaria spp., Odysseapaucinervis, Sporobolus coromandelianlls orEriospermum bakerianllm dominate, whileprolonged inundation leads to domination byDiplachne fusca.

6) Flooded woodlands. These develop duringperiods of extreme inundation on clay soils.The overstory is dominated by typicalwoodland species such as Combretumimberbe, C. hereroensis and Acacia luederitziiand a grass layer including Melinis repens,Sporobolus spp., Aristida rhiniochloa, A.hordeacea and A. adscensionis. Scrubby areasof Grewia jlava and Croton spp. becomeflooded in years of very high rainfall. Palmssuch as Hyphaene petersiana are found onhigh lying areas surrounding the pans.

BirdsThe variety of wetland habitats, ranging fromunvegetated open water systems to hygrophilousgrasslands, supports a diverse assemblage of floraand fauna. This area holds important numbers ofrare and endangered bird species; regularly

holding more than 10 000 waterbirds of 84 specieswhen wet. The most important birds found hereinclude breeding Slaty Egret, Great Snipe, andnon-breeding Wattled Crane which occur in largernumbers here than anywhere else in Namibia.These wetlands are also important for Rallidae,especially migratory palearctic and intra-Africancrakes. The pans occasionally support thousandsof both Greater and Lesser Flamingo (probably onpassage between Etosha and Makgadikgadi Pansin Botswana) as well as thousands of BlackwingedStilt. Other more common species includeDabchick, White Pelican, Little Egret, DwarfBittern, breeding Open billed Stork, SaddlebilledStork, Marabou Stork, breeding Glossy Ibis,Redbilled Teal, Southern Pochard, Pygmy Goose,African Marsh Harrier, Lesser Moorhen, PaintedSnipe, Curlew Sandpiper and occasionallyRedshank. Wood Sandpiper and Ruff may beparticularly numerous with over 1 000 birdspresent. The pans also support some importantpopulations of rare wetland and grassland birdsincluding Rufousbellied Heron, RedwingedPratincole, Montagu's Hamier and Pallid Harrier.The surrounding grassveld holds palearcticmigrants including Blackwinged Pratincole andCaspian Plover. The flooded grasslands aroundNyae Nyae support large mixed breeding coloniesof Blacknecked Grebe, Whiskered Tern,Redknobbed Coot, Purple Gallinule, LesserMoorhen, Stilt and a handful of BailIon's Crakes.The high species richness here puts it in the top 20quarter degree squares for overall avian richness inNamibia.

Raptors can be particularly numerous around theephemeral pan system with 60 species recorded.These include Secretarybird, WhitebackedVulture, Lappetfaced Vulture and Dickinson'sKestrel. Whiteheaded Vulture, Bat Hawk, LesserKestrel, Montagu's, Pallid, and European MarshHarrier and African Hobby Falcon are of lesscommon occurrence. A host of eagles is also foundhere including Tawny, Martial and Bateleur.Typical species found in the open woodlandinclude Kori Bustard, Blackbellied Korhaan,Temminck's Courser, Doublebanded Courser andall of southern Africa's Sandgrouse speciesincluding the rare Yellowthroated Sandgrouse andBurchell's Sandgrouse. Species found in the

acacia woodlands include Bradfield's Hornbill,Redbilled Francolin, Redcrested Korhaan,Monotonous Lark, Crimsonbreasted Shrike,Whitecrowned Shrike, Kalahari Robin, PiedBabbler, Blackfaced Babbler, Southern GroundHornbill, Greyrumped Swallow, Hartlaub'sBabbler, Longtailed Shrike, Sharptailed GlossyStarling, Barred Warbler, BurntneckedEremomela, Marico Flycatcher, WhitebelliedSunbird, Scalyfeathered Finch, VioletearedWaxbill, Shafttailed Whydah, Longtailed GlossyStarling and Burchell's Glossy Starling.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeThe temporary wetland system supports the near-endemic Shortridge's Mouse. Threatenedmammals occurring in the area include Leopard,Cheetah, Wild Dog, Elephant, Tsessebe and RoanAntelope.

Consenration issuesOverall threats to temporary wetlands in this areaare low since it is used mainly by traditionalhunter-gathering Ju'//Hoan. Developments in thetourism industry and subsistence livestock farmingintroduced 10 years ago may have negativeconsequences if they are not adequately controlled.Tourism is on the increase in eastern Bushmanlandand the pans of the Nyae-Nyae area can be heavilyutilised. The area was gazetted as a Conservancyin February 1998 and land use policies andwildlife management plans have been initiated.Threats to birds come largely from disturbance ofbreeding waterfowl, and 4 x 4 vehicle usersdriving through wetland areas. Livestock farmingin the Gautcha area has already led to overgrazingof upland sites and this may change drainagepatterns, ground water percolation and vegetationdevelopment. Continued monitoring of thesewetlands over a long period, encompassing bothwet and dry phases, could give important insightsinto arid zone wetland functioning and resources.Careful assessment of the threats to this system,particularly tourism, is required.

Further readingBiesele and Weinberg 1990, Hines 1989, 1993,Jones 1988, 1996, Mendelsohn and Ward 1989,Olivier and Olivier 1993, Robertson et al. 1998,Simmons et al. in press.

Globally threatened speciesSlaty Egret~Lesser KestrelWattled Crane

Globally near-threatened speciesLesser FlamingoPallid HarrierGreat SnipeBlackwinged Pratincole

Restricted-range and biome restricted speciesDickinson's KestrelBurchell's SandgrouseBradfield's HombillBlackfaced BabblerKurrichane ThrushKalahari RobinBarred WarblerBurchell's Glossy StarlingLongtailed Glossy StarlingWhite bellied Sunbird

1% or more of populationGreater FlamingoBlackwinged StiltCaspian Player

15 - 200OV38 (aY) - 95 (max)

475 (aY) - 2634 (max)20 - 5012 (aY) - 33 (max)50 - 100

StatusUncommonCommonCommonUncommonFairly CommonCommonCommonCommonCommonCommon

740 (aY) - 3 950 (max)391 (aY) - 1 140 (max)50 - 200

¥ Species does not meet IBA thresholdav Yearly average (max count)

OV Occasional visitormax Absolute maximum

N008 Waterberg Plateau ParkFully protectedGlobal IBA

20025'S; 17°\3'Ec. 40 500 ha

Site descriptionWaterberg Park is located some 30 km east ofOtjiwarongo. The primary feature within the parkis the Waterberg Plateau which rises to 1 800ma.s.1. on the western and southern sides. Themajority of this differentially weathered sandstoneplateau is at 1 600 m a.s.l., some 150 to 200 mabove the surrounding plain. The plateau itselfcomprises an undulating landscape with deep sandand scattered granite koppies. On the east and westthe plateau is demarcated by near-vertical cliffs, upto 140 m high. In the north the plateau graduallywidens and dips to join the plain. Below the cliffsthe ground slopes steeply but evenly away to thebase of the mountain; these slopes are covered bysandstone rocks weathered from the summit. Theplateau is an erosional relic of a hard Etjosandstone casing which covered large parts ofNamibia millions of years ago. Most of the plateauwas carved up over aeons, but the Etjo sandstoneresisted erosion to form the Waterberg. To thesouth of the main plateau lies the Klein Waterberg,an inselberg rising to 1 930 m a.s.1., now part of alarge conservancy surrounding the park. Thesummer months are hot, with temperaturesreaching 40°C, whilst winter is cool withtemperatures falling below zero. About 85% of theregion's mean annual rainfall of 400 mm fallsbetween November and March. Due to altitudinalvariation the park supports a clearly demarcatedvariety of woodlands, with some 60 tree species.Thick broad leaved woodland and shrub savannaoccurs on the top of the plateau right to the edge ofthe escarpment. This is dominated by Terminaliasericea, Burkea africana, Combretum colIinum,Combretum psidioides and Peltophorumafricanum. Below this, and surrounding theplateau for thousands of square kilometres, lies asea of dense, bush encroached acacia scrub.dominated by Acacia mellifera and Dichrostachyscinerea. Isolated grass savanna valleys aredominated by Aristida meridionalis, Anthephorapubescens and Eragrostis superba.

BirdsThis park supports over 200 bird species. Theseinclude Namibia's only breeding population ofCape Vulture, on the cliffs of OkarukuwisaMountain (l 884 m a.s.1.) in the Waterberg range.It is the only area in Namibia where Booted Eagles

are known to breed. Other cliff nesting raptorsbreeding on the Waterberg include PeregrineFalcon and Black Eagle. Vultures includeLappetfaced, Whiteheaded and WhitebackedVulture. Other raptors include Secretarybird,Bateleur, Martial Eagle and Tawny Eagle. Theplains support Kori Bustard and BlackbelliedKorhaan. The Sociable Weaver and associatedPygmy Falcon occur at the base of the plateau. Thewoodland, kloofs and gorges which are typicallyspring-fed throughout the year hold someinteresting endemic and near-endemics includingMonteiro's Hornbill, Bradfield's Hombill,Rosyfaced Lovebird, RUppell's Parrot, Bradfield'sSwift, Rockrunner and Hartlaub's Francolin.Indeed, this is one of the areas of highest diversityof endemic birds in Namibia. The acacia savannaholds several species typical of southern Africa'sarid woodlands including Redbilled Francolin,Redcrested Korhaan, Burchell's Sandgrouse,Monotonous Lark, Crimson breasted Shrike,Whitecrowned Shrike, Kalahari Robin, PiedBabbler, Barecheeked Babbler, Barred Warbler,Burntnecked Eremomela, Marico Flycatcher,Whitebellied Korhaan, Violeteared Waxbill,Shafttailed Whydah, Scalyfeathered Finch andBurchell's Glossy Starling. Isolated populations ofRufousbellied Tit are suspected but not confirmed.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeThe park was originally established to resettle andbreed rare and endangered species. To date Ro~nAntelope, Sable Antelope, Eland, Giraffe, BlueWildebeest, White Rhino, Black Rhino andBuffalo have been reintroduced. Other threatenedmammals occurring in the park include Leopardand Cheetah. The Namibian near-endemic DamaraDik-Dik is common here.

Conservation issuesOriginally established in 1965 as the Eland GameReserve, the Waterberg Plateau Park wasproclaimed in 1972. The Cape Vulture colonynumbered over 500 in the 1950s, but this declinedto 20 birds by 1980, and an all time low of 14birds remained in 1987, with only 3 pairs breedingin 1996. Vultures have declined as a result ofindiscriminate use of poisons by farmers to controlvermin and the severe increase in tree coverthroughout their foraging range. These birds are

now exceptionally vulnerable, and a singlepoisoning event could result in this species goingextinct in Namibia. Poisoning may have beenresponsible for the sudden cessation of breeding in1995 and the drop in population size from 25 birdsto the present five birds. In. an attempt to preventextinction of this colony, a vulture restaurant wasestablished in 1984 to supplement the bird's diet.Concurrent with this was the initiation of a farmerawareness programme. Other conservationproblems include severe bush encroachmentaround the plateau due to grazing, disturbance ofthe natural fire regime and the influence of turn ofthe century rinderpest epidemics that decimatedbrowsers, allowing the establishment of acacia

where grassland once dominated. This is beingpartially reversed through controlled burning. In1997 a Conservancy completely surrounding theplateau was established; one of the first and largestto be established in Namibia. The plateau featuresa 18 600 ha wilderness area where humanactivities are kept to a minimum. The park is richin cultural heritage with many rock engravingsfrom Stone Age inhabitants and dinosaurfootprints from earlier times.

Further readingBarnard 1998, Brown 1985a, 1985b, Brown andCooper 1987, Jankowitz and Venter 1987, Olivierand Olivier 1993.

Globally threatened speciesCape Vulture¥ Lesser Kestrel

Restricted-range and biome restricted speciesHartlaub's FrancolinBurchell's SandgrouseRiippell's ParrotBradfield's HornbillMonteiro's HornbillBarecheeked BabblerKalahari RobinBarred WarblerRockrunnerBurchell's Glossy StarlingPalewinged StarlingWhitebellied Sunbird

10 - 25OV

StatusUncommonUncommonCommonFairly CommonCommonCommonFairly CommonCommonFairly CommonFairly CommonCommonCommon

N009 BrandbergUnprotectedGlobal IBA

21°08'S; 14°35'E50000 ha

Site descriptionNamibia's highest mountain, at 2606m, thismassive conical mountain is an ancient volcanicgranitic plug situated in the central section of theNamib Desert. Rainfall averages 100 mm p.a.Basalt plains occur on the northern side supportingslightly different vegetation assemblages toelsewhere. The mountain is uninhabited, but theephemeral Ugab River flowing past its northernextremities supports traditional pastoralists. Due tohigher cloud cover and the relative accumulationof water on top of the mountain, many of thegrasses on the mountain's plateau-like summit areperennial, replacing the annuals common on theplains below. Grass composition may, however,change in decades with poor rainfall when bothplants and some vertebrates may disappear. Thewestern side receives coastal fog and consequentlysupports higher vegetation biomass than otherslopes. The valleys and gorges in these areas alsodiffer in plant community composition because ofthe higher runoff and some species found high up(e.g. Sterculia quinqueloba) are replaced by closerelative (e.g. S. africana) on lower slopes. Woodyvegetation is more common on the top and flanksthan on the barren plains below, but these plantsgenerally occur in. stunted forms on the mountaintop, together with dwarf shrubs (such as Ruelliabrandbergensis) and narrow-leaved Fynbos-likevegetation. Olea europaea subsp. africana andAcacia hereroensis are common species on theplateau where Euphorbia spp and endemic Lithopsspp. are also found.

BirdsBrandberg is rich in raptor species (18 species).Lappetfaced Vulture, Black Eagle, Tawny Eagle,Martial Eagle whilst uncommon are breedingresidents, while Pale Chanting Goshawk and RockKestrel are particularly abundant. The Brandberginselberg, and the Ugab River which runs north ofit, holds many of the typical Namib species. Theflat plains below the inselberg are home to KoriBustard, Ludwig's Bustard, Rfippell's Korhaan,Doublebanded Courser, Gray's Lark, Stark's Larkand Tractrac Chat. Typical Namibian near-endemic species which occur in the gorges andvalleys around the mountain include Hartlaub'sFrancolin, Rosyfaced Lovebird, Riippell's Parrot,

Monteiro's Hornbill, Barecheeked Babbler, VioletWoodhoopoe, Herero Chat, Rockrunner, ShorttoedRock Thrush and Whitetailed Shrike. Speciespreferring acacia woodland and partial coverinclude Redbilled Francolin, Kalahari Robin,Crimson breasted Shrike, Pririt Batis andScalyfeathered Finch. Bradfield's Swift nest infissures in the rock face, and more atypical speciessuch as Hamerkop and Cape White-eye may beattracted to the mountain in wetter periods. About150 species have been recorded on this mountain,twice as many as on the surrounding gravel plains.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeRecent analyses show that Brandberg is the epi-centre of a rich vein of endemic mammals,reptiles, plants and amphibians that runs from theSperrgebiet in the south to the Otjihipa mountainsin the north. No other area in Namibia is as rich inendemics as the Brandberg massif; among the 90endemic plants, eight are found nowhere else,whilst three of six near-endemic frogs, eight of 14near-endemic mammals, 49 of 59 near-endemicreptiles, and 11 of 14 near-endemic birds occur onor around this outstanding inselberg. Furtherdetails can be found in the special issue ofBiodiversity & Conservation (April, 1998).

Conservation issuesBrandberg is famous for the prodigious quantitiesof rock art left by nomadic peoples who inhabitedthe mountain 4 000 to 500 years ago. T~eenigmatic "White Lady" painting is visited bythousands of tourists annually. Thus this mountainis of particular importance within Namibia,ecologically, culturally and historically, and forthese reasons it has been proposed Namibia's firstWorld Heritage Site. The local communityexperiences problems with visitors to the mountainand currently derives no benefits. Communityprogrammes similar to that at nearby Spitzkoppemay alleviate such problems, providingcustodianship and some protection to the speciesand rock art unique to the mountain.

Further readingBarnard 1998, Brown 1991, Bruyns , Craven1989, 1997, Griffin 1998, Kinahan 1986, 1992,Maggs et al. 1998, Nordenstam 1974, Robertson etal. 1998, Simmons et al. 1998b.

NOlO Cape Cross LagoonUnprotectedGlobal IBA

21°45'8; 13°50'£500 ha

Proposed Ramsar Site

Site descriptionLongshore drift of sediments from south to northalong the coast, driven by the Benguela current,has resulted in the formation of a sand barrieracross what was formerly a coastal embayment justsouth of the rocky promontory of Cape Cross. Theinner part of the embayment remains a series ofsaline lagoons. These receive saline sea water fromseepage through the sand barrier and, duringextreme high tides or storms, by water washedover the sand barrier. The lagoons vary in size andnumber depending on water level and arecontrolled by two main factors: evaporation andseawater input. Desiccation of the eastern bordersof the embayment has produced sterile salt pansand flats. These salt deposits are workedcommercially on a small scale. Three woodenplatforms with a total area of 68 000 m2 have beenerected in some of the lagoons to provide roostingand breeding places for seabirds whose guano iscommercially harvested. Guano from theseplatforms probably also serves to enrich the micro-flora and fauna of the lagoons. There is anirregular fringe of salt marsh vegetation along thecoastal edge of the lagoons; the speciescomposition of this vegetation has not beendocumented. Inland of this region are the rockyand gravel plains of the Namib Desert.

BirdsThe lagoons and platforms have been known tosupport up to 14% of the global population ofCape Cormorant (30600 pairs), with estimates ashigh as 900 000 cormorants made from aerialcounts in 1974. Counts indicate that in addition tocormorants these lagoons regularly support up to11 000 other birds. In total, the lagoon andplatforms regularly support over 20 000 birds,including up to 16% of the southern African

endemic subspecies of the Blacknecked Grebe andlarge numbers of Greater and Lesser Flamingo,Chestnutbanded Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, LittleStint, Kelp Gull, Hartlaub's Gull, Damara Tern,Swift Tern and large flocks of Common Tern.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeA massive mainland breeding colony of the near-endemic Cape Fur Seal, numbering 156 000 adultand subadults, occurs here. This is one of twopopulations in Namibia that are harvestedcommercially, mainly pups for their pelts, andsome bulls for their genitalia.

Conservation issuesCurrently this wetland is registered as a PrivateNature Reserve. The purpose of this registrationwas to restrict access to the public who mightdisturb birds on the guano platforms. It is also aseal reserve, visited by 40 000 tourists per year.Substantial quantities of guano enter the water.The effect of this guano enrichment onproductivity of micro-organisms has not beenassessed but algal production is likely to beenhanced. This area qualifies for registration as awetland of international importance under theRamsar Convention. The large number of sealsmay potentially threaten the seabirds which feed inthe area, since a small fraction of seals are knownto take young birds at sea. The Ministry ofEnvironment and Tourism and Fisheries hasjurisdiction over the area, while the Ministry' ofMarine Resources is responsible for managementof the seals.

Further readingBerry 1976b, Cooper et al. 1982, Noli-Peard andWilliams 1991, Olivier and Olivier 1993,Simmons 1991, 1992, Williams 1993, Tarr 1996.

Globally near-threatened speciesLesser FlamingoDamara Tern

779 (av) - 1 435 (max)4 - 20

1% or more of populationBlackneckedGrebeCape CormorantGreater FlamingoKelp GullSwift Tern

1 120 (av) - 2 187 (max)1 200 - 30 600 (max) 2 420 (av) - 60 000 (max)

1 354 (av) - 1 961 (max)126 (av) - 300 (max)265 (av) - 500 (max)

Other important populations¥ Chestnutbanded Plover 32 - 112 (max)

¥ Species does not meet IBA thresholdmax Absolute maximum

NOll Namib-Naukluft ParkFuIly protectedGlobal IBA

22°35'S-26°40'S; 14°25'E-16°22'E4976800 ha

Site descriptionThis massive conservation area, one of the largestin Africa, incorporates a large portion of theNamib Desert, which some authorities consider theoldest desert in the world. The park containsgravel plains of intensely weathered schists,marbles, quartzites and granites, with somegypsum crusts, calcrete and desert pavement.River canyons are intermittent and sand-filled.Extensive sand dunes form a dune sea which runsparallel to the coastline for up to 120 km inland.The Naukluft Mountains are part of the high risingescarpment which marks the western edge of theinterior highlands of Namibia. The flat, p1ateau-like top of the mountain complex is separated fromthe adjacent highland plateau to the south byimpressive near vertical cliffs, while in thenorthwest and west its highest peaks loom almost1 000 m above the plains of the Namib Desert.The Naukluft mountains form part of a largetriangular plateau which is higher than the mainNamibian plateau and separated from it by almostunbroken cliffs, 500 m high. The plateau consistsmainly of dolomite and limestone formations.Dissolution ofthe dolomite and limestone by waterover many millennia has given rise tokarstification of the plateau and an extensiveunderground drainage system. In some of thedeeply incised kloofs, discharge from thisunderground water reservoir occurs as crystal clearsprings and streams. Soils are shallow except onthe less pronounced slopes. The southern portionof these mountains holds the Sesriem Canyon,where the Tsauchab River has carved a spectaculargorge into the gravels deposited some 15 to 18million years ago. It is thought that the Tsauchabonce flowed to the Atlantic Ocean but,approximately 60 000 years ago, was blocked byencroaching sand dunes some 70 km inland. Overthousands of years the Tsauchab River has,nevertheless, managed to keep parts of its courseopen, ending at Sossusvlei, a clay pan 65 kmsouthwest of Sesriem. The sand dune desert occursas widely dispersed patches north of the OrangeRiver, becoming a vast sea of dunes north ofLtideritz. Its northwards spread is abruptly stoppedby the Kuiseb River. The mean daily temperaturein the desert is 20°C with almost no frost. Meanannual rainfall is as low as 23 mm, but a further 31mm p.a. results from fog precipitation, which

occurs on an average of 60 days annually. In themountains the summers are hot with a meanmaximum temperature of 35°C. Summerconvective storms provide 200 mm of rain, and thewinters are cool and dry with occasional frosts.Large portions of the desert are usually devoid ofvegetation. After good rains, or when conditionspermit, ephemeral species grow rapidly and flowerquickly. Vegetation is extremely sparse on theshifting dunes of the sand sea with occasionalgrassy pockets of Dune Grass in more stableslacks. Plants which can tolerate the extremearidity on a permanent basis include the lichensand succulent plants which dominate on inselbergsand pegmatite dykes, making use of the moisturein fog and dew. Lichens include Parmeliahottentotta, P. namaensis and Caloplacaelegantissima. Succulent genera include Hoodia,Lithops, Sarcocaulon, Euphorbia, Aloe andMesembryanthemum. Sandy wastes supporthalophytes such as Zygophyllum stapfii, Z. simplexand Aizoon dinteri. The plains also hold thebizarre Welwitschia mirabilis. Riverbeds near thecoast are colonised by Tamarix, Lycium andSalsola and inland by a denser growth of Acaciaerioloba and Faidherbia albida with some Eucleapseudebenus and Salvadora persica. The fruit ofAcanthosicyos horridus, which occurs in the KuisebValley, is a valuable source of water in the desert.The vegetation on the Naukluft mountains iscomplex and varied due to the wide variation inaspect and edaphic conditions. The plateau surfacepeneplain is a mosaic of smaller communitiesdominated by low scattered scrub interspersedwith bare ground or clumps of perennial grass.The southern slopes of the mountain massif arecovered mainly by grass and short shrub speciesincluding Commiphora, Euphorbia, Bosciaalbitrunca, Maerua schinzii, Aloe dichotoma andMoringa ovalifolia. Uncommon species includeAloe sladeniana, Lithops, Huernia, Stapelia, Aloestriata subsp. karasbergensis and Cyphostemmaspp.

BirdsThe park is rich in raptors with Secretarybird,Whitebacked Vulture, Lappetfaced Vulture,Tawny Eagle, Martial Eagle and Greater Kestrelbeing particularly common breeding species.Whiteheaded Vulture, Pallid Harrier, Black

Harrier and Lesser Kestrel occur less frequently. Inthe east the Naukluft mountains hold breedingBlack Eagle and Black Stork. Several typicalkaroo species reach the northern limit of thedistribution in the southern portion of the park,including Karoo Korhaan, Layard's Titbabbler,Karoo Eremomela, Cinnamonbreasted Warbler,Blackheaded Canary and Blackeared Finchlark.Other species more typical of northern Namibiaalso penetrate the northern section of the parkaround the Naukluft mountains, includingHartlaub's Francolin, ROppell's Parrot, Monteiro'sHornbill, Herero Chat, Rockrunner, ShorttoedRock Thrush and Whitetailed Shrike. Typicaldesert dune and gravel plains species include KoriBustard, Ludwig's Bustard, RUppell's Korhaan,Burchell's Courser, Temminck's Courser,Doublebanded Courser, Dune Lark, Gray's Lark,Stark's Lark, Karoo Chat, Tractrac Chat andRufouseared Warbler. Species preferring acaciawoodland and partial cover include RedbilledFrancolin, Pied Babbler, Kalahari Robin, BarredWarbler, Marico Flycatcher, CrimsonbreastedShrike, Rosyfaced Lovebird, Cape Penduline Tit,Pririt Batis, Scalyfeathered Finch, VioletearedWaxbill and Shafttailed Whydah. Sociable Weaverand the associated Pygmy Falcon occur wherethere are trees large enough to support theirmassive nests. The coastline holds roosting andforaging areas for African Black Oystercatcher,Common Tern, (breeding) Damara Tern, AfricanPenguin, Bank Cormorant, Crowned Cormorantand Hartlaub's Gull. The coast also holdsNamibia's only mainland breeding colony ofAfrican Penguin. When wet, Sossusvlei may holdseveral wetland birds including flamingos.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeThis park supports many species which areendemic to the Namib desert. Unique threatened orendemic plants include Aloe namibensis, A.sladeniana, Aloe striata subsp. karasbergensis,Welwitschia mirabilis, Lithops schwantesii,Trichocaulon spp. and the MyrothamnusflabeUifolius. Interesting endemic invertebratesinclude Onymacris unguicularis and Lepidochoraspp. Reptiles include Palmatogecko rangei,

Aporosaura anchietae and Sidewinder Adder.Endemic and threatened mammals include DesertGolden Mole, Hairy-footed Gerbil, Leopard,Cheetah and Hartmann's Mountain Zebra.

Conservation issuesThe Namib Desert National Park was firstestablished as a game reserve in 1907, with theSandwich Bay area being incorporated in 1941. In1956 the reserve was enlarged by the inclusion ofthe Kuiseb Canyon, Swakop River Valley and theWelwitschia Plains, changing the name to theNamib Desert Park. In 1966 Naukluft Farm waspurchased and two years later the NaukluftMountain Zebra Park was established. The ZebraPark was amalgamated in 1979, by the addition ofa 30 kIn wide corridor. The area was officiallyproclaimed as a National Park in 1986 when theremainder of Diamond Area II was added underNature Conservation Ordinance No 31. The landtenure is currently under the jurisdiction of MET.The Topnaar Hottentots are a permanentpopulation of the park, having lived in the KuisebRiver VaHey for many generations, farming goatsand cattle. Illegal nomadic farming in the Kuisebfloodplain is a conservation concern and is beingstopped.

Three large inactive mining concessions remain inthe park. Prospecting in the region prior to parkestablishment has left visible scars in several areas.Natural migration patterns of gemsbok arethreatened because numerous springs of theescarpment are being farmed intensely, resulting inland degradation and/or fencing. The area has beenwell studied, particularly through the DesertEcological Research Institute which wasestablished in 1963 and is located at Gobabeb onthe banks of the Kuiseb River. Studies haveparticularly concentrated on the physiological andbehavioural adaptations of invertebrates and smallvertebrates to extreme desert conditions.

Further readingBarnard 1998, Brown et al. 1987, Boyer 1988,Olivier and Olivier 1993.

Globally threatened speciesAfrican Penguin

Globally near-threatened speciesBank CormorantCrowned CormorantLesser FlamingoAfrican Black OystercatcherDamara Tern

Br220

Restricted-range and biome restricted speciesHartlaub's FrancolinLudwig's BustardKaroo KorhaanRiippell's KorhaanRiippell's ParrotMonteiro's HornbillDune LarkStark's LarkGray's LarkBlackeared FinchlarkTractrac ChatKaroo ChatKalahari RobinHerero ChatLayard's TitbabblerKaroo EremomelaBarred WarblerCinnamon breasted WarblerRockrunnerWhitetailed ShrikePalewinged StarlingSociable WeaverBlackheaded Canary

1% or more of populationKelp GullCommon Tern

100 -20050 - 150200 (max)30 - 50560

StatusUncommonFairly CommonFairly CommonCommonUncommonUncommonCommonCommonCommonUncommonCommonCommonCommonUncommonUncommonUncommonCommonUncommonUncommonUncommonCommonFairly CommonCommon

250 - 35010000 (max)

N012 Mile 4 SaltworksFully protectedGlobal IBA

22°39'S; 14°33'£3400 ha

Site descriptionThis coastal IBA comprises a private naturereserve of 400 ha and a saltworks. It lies adjacentto the sea on the central Namib Desert coast andhas been extensively altered to create numerousevaporation ponds. Immediately inland lie thegravel plains of the Namib Desert. The saltworksare situated about 7 km (4 miles) north ofSwakopmund, off route 76 to Terrace Bay.Production of the concentrated brine at the salt panknown as Panther Beacon began in 1933, but by1952 the salt source was exhausted. Seawater hassince been pumped into open evaporation andconcentration ponds from which crystallised salt isremoved with mechanical scrapers. The pans areshallow and of varying salinity. A large woodencommercial guano platform covering 31 000 m2

has been built in one of the northern pans. Apartfrom a few halophytes, the saltworks are devoid ofvegetation.

BirdsMile 4 occasionally supports massive numbers ofwaterbirds: the guano platform alone hassupported up to 700 000 Cape Cormorant, with anaverage of 45 000 birds in recent years.Cormorants aside, the area may support more than50 000 waterbirds, including large numbers ofGreater and Lesser Flamingo, African BlackOystercatcher and up to 100 000 Common Tern.Breeding species include Damara Tern,Chestnutbanded Plover, Kelp Gull, Hartlaub'sGull and Caspian Tern.

A maximum of 34 White Pelicans have beenrecorded. This species probably would breed onthe platforms but are dissuaded (by the owners)from doing so as they produce poor quality guanoand disrupt breeding cormorants. In 1997, the areawitnessed the first recorded breeding attempt ofGreater and Lesser Flamingos in coastal areas. Justover 100 nests were built in the salt pan and eggs

were laid but presumed disturbance byBlackbacked Jackals led to early breeding failure.Recent breeding attempts on islands in the saltpans by Bank Cormorants, and the occurrence andpossible breeding of the endemic Gray's Larkimmediately inland add to the reserve'simportance.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeBrown Hyaenas occur at the nearby Swakopmunddump and scavenge along the beaches in this area.

Conservation issuesThe proprietors of the salt works have registeredthe aquatic portion of this wetland, an area of 400ha, as a private nature reserve. The RichwaterOyster Company has been cultivating oysters onthe pan since 1985. Oyster production and guanoscraping at the salt works appears to be compatiblewith maintaining large numbers of terns,cormorants and plovers, some of which breedthere. The value of these commercial saltpans ashabitat for waders and others birds is evident frombiannual wetland counts, with up to 93 000 birdsof c. 35 species recorded at anyone time.Management options which enhance the value ofthese systems to breeding flamingos should besought, although the owners are not keen on largenumbers of visitors who may disturb the breedingcormorants. Substantial quantities of guano eitherfall into the pans or are washed off the birds whenthey bathe. The effect of this guano enrichment onproductivity of micro-organisms in the pan has notbeen directly assessed. The site can be consideredsecure as long as guano harvesting remainscommercially viable.

Further readingBerry 1976a, Cooper et al. 1982, Crawford andDyer 1995, Noli-Peard and Williams 1991,Simmons 1991, 1992, Tarr 1996.

Globally near-threatened speciesLesser FlamingoAfrican Black OystercatcherDamara Tern

1% or more of populationCape CormorantGreater FlamingoKelp Gullav Yearly average (max count)Sr Confirmed breeding

Br64 (once)120max Absolute maximum

883 (ay) - 1 996 (max)21 (aY) - 34 (max)12 (aY) - 88 (max)

45 400 - 700 00 (max)1 306 (aY) - 2 688 (max)372 (aY) - 706 (max)

Non 30 km beach: Walvis - SwakopmundUnprotectedGlobal IBA

22°42'S-22°56'S; 14°31'Ec.2 100 ha

Site descriptionThis coastal IBA is situated in central Namibia onthe edge of the Namib Desert, between the townsof Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. It is essentially a30 km stretch of beach, 700m wide, comprisingmainly sand, with rocky outcrops forming lessthan 5% of its length. Two small resorts occur inthis otherwise uninhabited section of coast, namelyLongbeach and Dolphin Park. Rainfall here ishighly variable, averaging about 15 mm p.a., butcoastal fog occurs on average every three days.Line angling is common along the northernsections, while swimmers and surfers areconcentrated around the two resorts. The area isthe focus of an intense ocean upwelling systemthat begins in Liideritz, where nutrients arebrought to the surface, and algal and zooplanktonblooms form as the water is swept north by theBenguela Current. In the area between Walvis Bayand Henties Bay (to the north), inshore winds pushlarge quantities of nutrients onshore, supporting anabundance of invertebrates on the sandy and rockyshores. Invertebrate densities on both shore typesare higher than any other beach in southern Africa.Furthermore, the Pelican Point sandspit at WalvisBay refracts waves around and into the bay,concentrating the nutrients still further on theseshores. Little vegetation occurs although strandedKelp occurs on some sections and provides a richmicrohabitat for kelp flies and associatedshorebirds. Associated with this beach is the onlybulge along an otherwise straight shore, known asCaution Reef (or Patrysburg). This is an area ofsand flats immediately behind a shingle beachabout 600 m inland, rising to a plateauoverlooking the shore. The national road betweenSwakopmund and Walvis Bay acts as boundary tothis area.

BirdsThis site is not only the richest shoreline in termsof shorebird density anywhere in southern Africa,but it also supports the densest colony of breedingDamara Terns known. Surveys 20 years agoshowed the beach to hold a peak shorebirdnumbers of 448 birdslkm, a density which wasconfirmed in 1996 (451 birdslkm). Individual10 km sections which include the rocky shoresbetween Caution Reef and Swakopmund peakeven higher at 770 birdslkm. Totals for this 30 km

beach section therefore exceed 13 000 shorebirdsof 31 species, most of which are Palearcticmigrants. . The most abundant Charadrii areTurnstone, Curlew Sandpiper, Grey Plover andWhimbrel. Breeding Damara Terns Occur mainlyat Caution Reef, from October to February.Densities within a 2 km2 study area have exceeded120 nesting pairs, or 60 pairslk.m2

• This isconsiderably higher than the modal density alongNamibia's shore of about I pairlkm2

• Other birdsbreed further inland at lower densities andbreeding and ringing studies have continued since1995. Large numbers of Common and ArcticTerns flock here, and large numbers of cormorantswhich use the artificial guano platform at thesouthern end of this IBA sometimes roost on thebeach.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeIn recent years Pygmy Sperrri Whale, SouthernBottlenosed Whale, Pygmy Right Whale andMinke Whale have all occurred, or been stranded,on these beaches, while the endemic Dusky,common Bottlenosed and the rare Heaviside'sDolphin are frequent visitors. Leatherback Turtleshave also been seen in the bay.

Conservation issuesThis important breeding area of dune slacks andbeach is unprotected. Tracks of 4WD vehicles arenumerous. Breeding Damara Terns areunprotected on their Caution Reef breeding site.Losses are attributable to 4WD vehicles drivingover eggs and increased egg predation by KelpGulls attracted to fishermen and their bait.Predation rates are higher at this colony than anyother closely studied colony where disturbance islower.

Fishermen regularly use the same beaches as theshorebirds but space competition is not severe.More important is the possibility of majordevelopments, including casinos and hotels,proposed for the Caution Reef plains. A buildingon, or close to, the site is likely to drive birds awayeven though a certain degree of visitor traffic istolerated by these terns. Dogs and visitors to thetwo resorts also disturb feeding birds in somesections of this productive beach, but this impact isrelatively minor at current levels.

Pollution is becoming increasingly common andtankers anchored in the bay frequently clean bilgetanks and throw garbage overboard oppositePelican Point. The nature of the wave actionmeans virtually all of this stays in the bay.

Further readingBraby 1995, Simmons et al. 1998a, Simmons andCordes submitted, Summers et al. 1987, Tarr et al.1985, Whitelaw et al. 1978.

Globally near-threatened speciesAfrican Black OystercatcherDamara Tern

1% or more of populationTurnstoneKelp Gull

Other important populationsCape CormorantGrey PloverCurlew SandpiperSwift TernCommon Ternmax Absolutemaximum

17 (max)250 (max)

5211 (max)1 688 (max)

2916 (max)438 (max)3905 (max)323 (max)5400 (max)

N014 Walvis BayUnprotectedGloballBA

22°59'S; 14°31'£c.4 000 ha

Ramsar Site

Site descriptionOnce famous for its whales, hence the name,Walvis Bay is a large modem town and Namibia'sonly commercial port. It is one of four Ramsarsites in Namibia and is located in the Kuiseb Riverdelta, approximately half way down the NamibDesert Coast. The wetlands south and west of thetown comprise the natural areas of Walvis BayLagoon, and include inter-tidal mudflats and theeastern half of a north-south sand spit extending10 km, called Pelican Point. This spit providesprotection to the bay from Atlantic swells. Alagoon lies at the southern end of the open water.A saltworks at the southern end of the lagoonreduces the tidal sweep, possibly adding toincreased siltation. Included in this IBA are theartificially flooded evaporation ponds of thesaltworks, as well as the occasionally flooded areasto the south of the saltworks. The only terrestrialvegetation in the wetland is the extensive riverinevegetation in the delta and ephemeral river itself.Walvis Bay is only 55 km north of Namibia'ssecond most important wetland, SandwichHarbour. Walvis Bay lagoon is a tourist attractionbecause of the proximity of a hundred thousandbirds, mainly flamingos, to public areas, andfishermen and tourists throng to its cool shores inDecember-January. Rainfall is sporadic andaverages about 15 mm p.a. while coastal fog iscommon.

BirdsIn terms of bird numbers this is the most importantcoastal wetland area in southern Africa and isprobably one of the three most important coastalwetlands in Africa. This area regularly supportsover 100 000 birds in summer and 50 000 birds inwinter. Peak counts per species indicate annual useby up to 150000 wetland birds. Most birds(c. 90% by number) which use the wetland insummer are non-breeding intra-African andpalearctic migrants. The area is vitally importantfor palearctic waders and flamingos which makeup the majority of the birds. Between 80 and 90 %of the subcontinent's flamingos winter here and atSandwich Harbour, utilising especially theevaporation ponds of the salt works. As many as13 species occur in numbers exceeding the 1%world population criteria for inclusion in the

Several species number in their thousandsincluding Greater and Lesser Flamingo, CurlewSandpiper, Little Stint and Common/Arctic Tern,and significant proportions of the globalpopulation of the Chestnutbanded Plover andBlacknecked Grebe. Other common speciesinclude African Black Oystercatcher, breedingDamara Tern, Grey Plover, Whitefronted Plover,Turnstone, Sanderling, Avocet, Kelp Gull,Hartlaub's Gull, breeding Caspian Terns, SwiftTern, Sandwich Tern and most of southernAfrica's Black Terns. It also holds largeproportions of the southern African populations ofKnot, Bartailed Godwit, Curlew and Whimbrel.Smaller numbers of White Pelican, Cape Teal andRinged Plover occur. It is possibly the only placein southern Africa where one or more species ofPhalarope are regular visitors (with up to 12 birdspresent at a time,) to the salt works and offshore.The very high species richness and abundance isprobably due to nutrients from the high-productionLiideritz upwelling cell being brought north by thecold Benguela current and being blown onshore byyear-round winds. The sandy and rocky beacheshere also support higher linear densities of wadingbirds than any other area in southern Africa (seeIBA NOl3). Dune Lark, entirely endemic to thegravel plains and inter-dune areas of the centralNamib, occurs within this area.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeWhales including the Southern Right Whale andHumpback Whales once brought their calves intothese sheltered waters but were exterminated by

.early whalers; they are still sometimes seen at sea.In recent years Pygmy Sperm Whales, SouthernBottlenosed Whales, the rare Pygmy Right Whaleand the Minke Whale have all occurred. Dusky,Common Bottlenosed and the poorly-knownBenguela endemic Heaviside's Dolphin arefrequent visitors. Leatherback Turtles have beenrecorded as vagrants to the lagoon and just north.

Conservation issuesOnce an enclave of South Africa, Walvis Bayceded to Namibia in March 1994. However, thelegislation in the Walvis Bay and Offshore Islands

Act of 1994 made no provision for the gazettedCape Nature Reserve to be re-promulgated and itis not formally protected. However, the recentlyformed Walvis Bay Environmental Action Group,the Municipality and the Ministry of Environmentand Tourism are making progress toward.srectifying this and management problems in thereserve.

Although the construction of the salt works atWalvis Bay destroyed large areas of naturallyflooded salt pan, it does provide large areas ofpermanently flooded shallow water with a range ofsalinities not naturally occurring in thisenvironment. This artificial section of the wetlandregularly supports more than half the birds atWalvis Bay. Natural threats to the system includethe deposition of large quantities of wind-drivensand from the Kuiseb delta into the lagoon and thelarge silt load present in the ocean in and aroundthe mouth of the lagoon which may lead to theeventual siltation of part of the system. The growthof the Pelican Point sand spit at around 22 m per

year decreases the tidal sweep that once helpedscour the bay of wind-transported sand.

Fish oils, fish processing wastes and ship-bornepollution from the harbour have affected analready hyper-rich system, but most marine die-offs are associated with natural build ups ofsulphur dioxide precipitated by the high nutrientload of the waters. Contingency plans are in placeto deal with potential oil spill problems.

Light aircraft, prohibited from flying low over thelagoon and mudflats, consistently violate theheight restrictions and regularly disturb feedingbirds, particularly flamingos.

Further readingBarnard 1998, Berry 1976a, 1976b, Boyer 1988,Curry 1997, Hockey et al. 1992, Jacobson et al.1995; Noli-Peard and Williams 1991, Simmons1991, 1992, 1996a, 1997a, Ward 1997, Whitelawet al. 1978, Williams 1987, 1988, 1997, Williamset al. in prep.

Globally near-threatened species10 Bank CormorantLesser FlamingoAfrican Black OystercatcherDamara Tern

1% or more of populationBlacknecked GrebeGreater FlamingoAvocetGrey PloverChestnutbanded PloverWhitefronted PloverTurnstoneSanderlingCurlew SandpiperKelp GullCaspian TernSwift TernCommon Tern

Other important populations10 White Pelican

10 Speciesdoes not meet IBA thresholdmax Absolutemaximum

5-814200 (av) - 33060 (max)110 (av) - 204 (max)60 (av) - 265 (max)

2 050 (av) - 4 230 (max)11 350 (av) - 31 800 (max)818 (av)-2 340 (max)816 (av) - 3360 (max)1 810 (av) - 6040 (max)1 010 (av) - 1 610 (max)2 110 (av) - 4420 (max)2 11O(av) - 7 360 (max)11 180 (av) - 22 700 (max)1 710 (av) - 5 170 (max)70 (av) - 230 (max)350 (av) -1 660 (max)5410 (av) - 23610 (max)

N015 Sandwich HarbourFully protectedGlobal IBA

23°20'S; l4°30'Ec. 8500 ha

Ramsar Site

Site descriptionSandwich Harbour is a natural lagoon which lieson the Namib Desert coast approximately 55 kmsouth of Walvis Bay (see Figure 2). One ofNamibia's four Ramsar sites, Sandwich was oncea natural harbour for whalers and fish processors,who could gain access to freshwater here. Due todynamic geomorphological change, its sand barsand lagoons shift constantly with winter stormsand longshore currents. Two main sections of thiswetland are recognised: the northern fresh waterwetland, much reduced in size since the early1970s when it covered several square kilometres,and the southern mudflats, a 20 km2 area of sandand mudflats inundated daily by the tides. Thenorthern wetland is now a thin sliver of mainlyPhragmites australis fed by a massive freshwateraquifer beneath the high dunes of the Namib sandsea. This potable water, possibly up to 7000 yearsin age, seeps slowly through the wetland and theresupports ever decreasing stands of emergentvegetation. The brackish pools are partially fringedby Typha capensis, Sarcocornia natalensis andPhragmites australis. Further from the water,coarse grasses Sporobolus virginicus, Odysseapaucinervis and Cladoraphis cyperoidesintermingle, and together with the sedgeScirpoides dioecus and Sarcocornia natalensiscover large areas. The endemic Acanthosicyoshorridus is found just inland within the dune seawhere fresh water is available. The species'distributions are determined by the salinitygradient between the freshwater seepage and themarine system. The wetland is protected from theAtlantic Ocean swells by a barrier beach which hasmoved from 1 km offshore to within 150 m of thedunes in the last 30 years, forming a small lagoon.The southern lagoon, which leads into mudflats, isa relatively shallow water body some 5 km long by3 km wide, protected from the main ocean by awestern sandspit that once reached the northernwetland but now joins the mainland some 3 kmsouth. This western sandspit is breached at themouth of the southern lagoon, forming 3-4 sandbarislands which are jackal-free.

Sandwich Harbour is one of the most activegeomorphic areas along the Namib coast. In thelate 1800s there was no barrier beach and therefore

Little StintCurlew SandpiperKelp GullCaspian TernSwift TernSandwich TernCommon Tern

¥ Species does not meet IBA thresholdmax Absolute maximum

no protected wetland, but the southern sandspitprovided some shelter for an otherwise openharbour. The system continues to evolve rapidlybut, contrary to popular belief, is far from dead.

BirdsThis is one of the most important wetland areas insouthern Africa, regularly supporting over 50 000birds in summer and over 20 000 in winter. Todate, 115 species have been recorded here.Traditionally, the northern wetland holds thehighest species diversity (with up to 51 species ofwetland birds), while the southern mudflats holdby far the largest number of birds, dominated byterns, sandpipers, flamingos and cormorants.Shorebirds occur here at densities up to 7 000birdslkm2

, among the highest in the world. Thelargest number of birds counted at SandwichHarbour was 238000 birds in January 1998, ofwhich 187 000 were Common and Black Terns.The area is vitally important for palearctic wadersand flamingos which comprise the majority of thenumbers. The area also supports massive numbersof several species including Cape Cormorant,Greater and Lesser Flamingo, up to 40% of theworld population of Chestnutbanded Plover andtens of thousands of Curlew Sandpiper and LittleStint. Other numerous species include AfricanBlack Oystercatcher, Whitefronted Plover,Turnstone, Sanderling, Avocet, Kelp Gull,Hartlaub's Gull, Caspian Tern, Swift Tern,Sandwich Tern and breeding Damara Tern. ThisIBA also holds large proportions of the southernAfrican populations of Ringed Plover, GreyPlover, Knot, Bartailed Godwit, Curlew andWhimbrel. Isolated breeding populations ofGreatcrested Grebe, Blackcrowned Night Heronand Purple Gallinule occur, but like most fresh-water species their numbers here have decreaseddrastically with the reduction of the northernwetland. Rarities regularly detected includeEuropean Oystercatchers Collared Flycatcher,Greater Sandplover, Whiterumped andBroadbilled Sandpiper. Peregrine and LannerFalcons occasionally come to hunt the shorebirdsand terns but in lower numbers than the abundanceof prey would suggest.

5J9U (avJ-jU LfW lmax)3 580 (av) - 43 680 (max)280 (av) - 3 200 (max)30 (av) - 168 (max)80 (av) - 820 (max)200 (av) - 3 660 (max)4610 (av) - 42000 (max)

Sandwich Harbour's southern mudflats as they appeared in 1997. This area regularly holdsover 50 000 birds including vast flocks of terns and sandpipers. It is regularly surveyed usingGPS technology to monitor geomorphological change.

1\"-:J """I.. :"I ..

[:::>::::1 Dunes_ Mudflats["~&<;T:;;;l Sand flatsIII Inundated flats

N016 Hardap Nature ReserveFu lIy protectedSub-regional IBA

24°30'S; J 7.°50'Ec. 25 000 ha

Site descriptionThis reserve is centred on Namibia's largest damat Hardap on the Fish River, just to the west ofMariental. The reserve is divided into two sectionsby the dam, covering 1 848 ha in the north and23 420 ha in the south. The surrounding areacomprises a rugged, rocky landscape withscattered basalt ridges. An extensive plateauoccurs in the west, tapering into a valIey in theeast. The topography of the reserve consists ofwide plains interspersed by smalI round hills andstony ridges, especially near the upper reaches ofthe dam. The summer months are hot withtemperatures reaching 40°C, whilst winter is coolwith temperatures falling below zero. The area issemi-arid with an average rainfall of 192 mm p.a.and an average evaporation of 3397 mm p.a. Thereserve's vegetation has been classified as DwarfShrub Savanna with scattered trees such as Acaciakarroo and Tamarix usneoides occurring mainlyalong the river courses. The open veld ischaracterised by Acacia erioloba, Acacianebrownii, Boscia foetida and Parkinsoniaafricana. Rhigozum trichotomum andCataphractes alexandri dominate the shrub layerwhile the most important grasses are of the generaStipagrostis, Eragrostis and Aristida.

BirdsOwing to the diverse habitat types some 260 birdspecies are found in the reserve, with wetlandbirds present in reasonably large numbers. This isone of only two sites in Namibia that regularlyhold large numbers of White Pelican which breedon the rocky islands near the west shores. Darter,Little Egret, African Spoonbill and occasionallyWhitebacked Duck also occur. Booted Eagles andbreeding Fish Eagles occur on the highest cliffs.The surrounding areas support Kori Bustard,

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeThreatened wildlife occurring .in the park includeCheetah and Cape Wolf Snake. Hartmann'sMountain Zebra, Black Rhinoceros and severalspecies of game have been reintroduced to thereserve.

Conservation issuesThe recreation resort was originally established in1964. The Nature Reserve surrounding the damwas established in 1968 by the merging of severalfarms. The management plan makes provision fora recreation area on 5% of the reserve, with theremainder of the reserve being managed as aconservation area to which people are excluded.Ownership of the reserve was transferred to theMinistry of Environment and Tourism afterNamibian Independence. Below the dam wall isthe Fresh Water Fish Institute of the Ministry ofFisheries and Marine Resources where researchinto various aspects of fish production, breedingand conservation problems is conducted. Thereserve is situated in a high-intensity, small stockfarming area leading to periodic tension withneighbouring farms over small carnivoresoriginating in the reserve but predating on smalI-stock. Intense use of fertilisers in the irrigated"Hardap Scheme" lucerne growing areasimmediately south of the dam wall, has choked thenatural river with a thick growth of Phragmitesaustralis. Various methods of clearing theblockage have failed, adding to the possibility thatif the dam overflows the river itself will overflowand flood Mariental.

Further readingOlivier and Olivier 1993.

Globally threatened species¥ Lesser Kestrel

Other important populationsWhite Pelican

N017 Mercury IslandPartially protectedGlobal IBA

25°43'S; 14°50'Ec.3 ha

Site descriptionLocated 800 m offshore, Mercury Island lieswithin Spencer Bay, about 110 kIn north ofLiideritz. Geologically it is comprised of meta-arkoses with a dyke of Karoo dolerite that has beenpreferentially eroded. The island is within an areaof intense ocean upwelling which adds to the highnutrients and high fish biomass around these near-shore islands. Somewhat elongate at 500 m by100m, this small steep sided island reaches 40 ma.s.\. It is the smallest of the three guano islands at3 ha; the other two are Possession and Ichaboe,also global !BAs. Known as the island that shakes,the interior of the island is hollow, and largeswells, common in this region, thunder inside thecoves under the island causing it to reverberateominously. The island has one stone building forpermanent staff. The island is unvegetated and wasfirst exploited for guano in the 1840s whenthousands of tons of "white gold" were strippedfrom its flanks. It is the northernmost of the 18near shore islands off the Diamond Coast used bybreeding seabirds.

BirdsMercury Island is one of three very importantcoastal seabird breeding islands along theDiamond Coast of south western Namibia; theother two are Ichaboe (IBA N018) and Possession(IBA N020). Mercury regularly supports over15 000 seabirds including 3 000 pairs of AfricanPenguin, 1 300 pairs of Cape Gannet, 800 pairs ofBank Cormorant and small numbers of CrownedCormorant. The island's Bank Cormorantpopulation has decre/lSed by about 50 % in the last15 years. The seabirds cover virtually the wholesurface area of the island leaving no space forother species. Wooden extensions to the island anda simple bridge to an adjoining section of islandincreases the surface area available for breedingcormorants and, thus, harvestable guano.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeKiller whales occur around the island, takingyoung penguins or seals when the opportunityarises. Several whales migrate through thesewaters including Minke Whale, Southern RightWhale and Humpback Whales with their calves.Heaviside's Dolphin, Dusky Dolphin and thecommon Bottlenosed Dolphin also occur.

Conservation issuesAll of the 18 near-shore islands on Namibia'sDiamond coast were managed by Cape NatureConservation as nature reserves under SouthAfrican rule until the 1994 Walvis Bay andOffshore Islands Act returned them to Namibianjurisdiction. Now under Namibian law they nolonger carry the same status, but fall under thejurisdiction of the Ministry of Fisheries andMarine Resources. Three seabird species, AfricanPenguin, Cape Gannet and Cape Cormorant havesuffered serious population declines in the last 30years mostly because of overfishing of surface-shoaling fish such as Sardines and Pilchards, theirmain food source. From an already-reducedpopulation of 70 000 African Penguins in the1950s, only 5 300 pairs remained in Namibia 30years later and, at current rates of decline, thisspecies is projected to become extinct by the year2155. These birds are renowned for their guanodroppings which have been harvested for over 100years for fertiliser. Disturbance caused by guanoharvesting during breeding has compounded theirpopulation declines. The African Penguin is mostseverely affected as it prefers to burrow into theguano. Large scale harvesting removes their coverand forces penguins to breed in the open, exposingchicks and eggs to increased predation by gullsand seals, excessive heat during the day and otherelements. Conservation measures presently ensurethat these birds are not disturbed during the mainbreeding season by the now infrequent guano-scraping, but some disturbance is unavoidablesince breeding occurs year-round. Egg-collectingoccurred well into the 1970s on some of theseislands. Further conservation problems for coastalseabirds include a Cape Fur Seal population whichhas been steadily increasing in number along theNamib coast after being severely depleted byhunting in the 1800s. Seals can disrupt anddisplace breeding seabirds on islands by occupyingareas originally used for breeding by the birds.This has led to population declines in several ofthese species. Seals are discouraged from breedingwhere they dramatically affect sensitive seabirdspecies and since seals were chased from theislands in 1986, penguin numbers have increased.

Further readingBarnard 1998, Cooper et al. 1980, Crawford et al.

1989, 1982, Hockey 1982, Pallet 1995, Rand1963, Swart 1987,1988, Williams 1993.

Globally threatened speciesAfrican Penguin

Globally near-threatened speciesCape GannetBank CormorantCrowned CormorantAfrican Black Oystercatcher

1 300800 - 1 00010

10000200010 - 2020 - 30 (max)

N018 Ichaboe IslandPartially protectedGlobal IBA

26°17'S; 14°56'Ec. 6.5 ha

Site descriptionThis small (6.5 ha) island lies 1.4 kIn offshorefrom Namibia's Diamond Coast some 50 km northof Liideritz. It is a circular island which is mostlyflat and unvegetated and, geologically, comprisesmelanogneissis and schists intruded by granites.Rocky outcrops reach only 7 metres a.s.l. allowingsea spray to cover much of the island duringstorms. The island is now completely surroundedby a sea wall to prevent seals from hauling out anddisturbing the birds. Repeated guano .scrapingsince the 1840s, when guano deposits were over20 m thick, have left the rocky island floor entirelyexposed. Guano scraping is now limited. It lies inthe heart of the one of the strongest upwellingsystem in the world, caused by the consistentlystrong long-shore winds. The upwellings bringnutrients to the surface where they enhance phytoand zooplankton blooms that are the basis for richabundance of fish on which the birds thrive.Rainfall is minimal «10 mm p.a.) but coastal fogand storms often envelop this small island.

BirdsIchaboe Island is one of the most important anddensely-packed coastal seabird breeding islands inthe world. It regularly supports over 50 000seabirds of at least eight species including largenumbers of African Penguin (3400 pairs), CapeGannet (40000 birds), Cape Cormorant (8000pairs) and Bank Cormorants (5200 pairs). KelpGulls and African Black Oystercatcher also breedhere. Ichaboe is the most important location forBank Cormorant in the world, holding 65% of theglobal population. I About 4% of the worldbreeding population 'of Crowned Cormorants also

occurs here. The island may also harbourthousands of roosting terns, particularly Commonand Black Tern.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeKiller whales are sometimes sighted around theisland and may take young penguins or seals whenthe opportunity arises. Other whales sighted hereinclude the Southern Right Whale, HumpbackWhale and Minke Whale. The Dusky, commonBottlenosed and the endemic Heaviside's Dolphinare also visitors to the island's waters.

Conservation issuesSee the account for Mercury Island (IBA N017)for a general discussion of conservation issuesrelating to the offshore islands around Liideritz.

The guano on Ichaboe island was 22 m deep whenexploitation began in the 1840s, but within threeyears it was completely cleared. Decisiveconservation action on Ichaboe Island involvinglimiting guano collection to certain times of theyear, and active prevention of seals landing tobreed has begun to restore the penguin population.A crayfish sanctuary has been established aroundthe island where crayfishing is not allowed.European Rabbits were introduced onto the islandto supplement the diet of visitors, but they are nota threat to bird populations.

Further readingCrawford et al. 1982, in prep, Pallet 1995, Rand1963, Simmons and Cordes submitted, Swart1987, 1988.

Globally threatened speciesAfrican Penguin

Globally near-threatened speci~sCape GannetCrowned CormorantBank CormorantAfrican Black Oystercatcher

1% or more of populationCape Cormorant

av Yearly average (max count)Sr? Suspected breeding

11 0001435200Br?

25 000 - 40 00019010 000 (av) - 12 000 (max)5 - 10

. Globally threatened speciesAfrican Penguin

. Globally near-threatened speciesCrowned CormorantBank CormorantAfrican Black Oystercatcher

1% or more of populationKelp GullHartlaub's GullSwiftTemav Yearly average (max count)

80605-10

500 - 800200 -400800 - 2470 (max)max Absolute maximum

160 - 350200200

I 200 - 2000I 5006000 (max)

Namaqua Warbler and Cape Francolin reach thenorthern limit of their distributions. The OrangeRiver mouth is particularly species rich with 64wetland species, and is the sixth most importantwetland for total bird abundance in southernAfrica, with a maximum of 26 000 birds recorded.Four species occur in numbers exceeding I% oftheir world population. The Orange River mouth isthus one of Namibia's four Ramsar sites.

Raptors number only 24 species but include bothBlack and African Marsh Harrier. Several typicalkarroid species occur including Karoo Korhaan,Southern Grey Tit, Cinnamonbreasted Warblerand Layard's Titbabbler. Other arid zone speciesfound within the area include Ludwig's Bustard,Dune Lark, Blackeared Finchlark, Gray's Lark,Stark's Lark, Tractrac Chat, Karoo Chat,Sicklewinged Chat and Blackheaded Canary. Theshoreline in the intensively mined Diamond AreaNo.1 (extending 100 km north ofOranjemund) isdepauperate in birds, holding only 14shorebirds/km of 16 species compared with 45birds/km of 29 species immediately north. Shoresaround Llideritz, by contrast, support 89 birds/kmbecause of the rocky substrate. Both Greater andLesser Flamingo occur.

Other threatened/endemic wildlifeThe Sperrgebiet is characterised by high levels ofendemicity in various taxa. At least 45 plantspecies are endemic to the Sperrgebiet and thusNamibia, but many more are endemic to theSperrgebiet and Richtersveld of South Africa. Thecoastal zone holds the spectacular endemicSarcocaulon patersonii. Aurusberg holds severalplants which are exclusive to this peak. In theOrange River valley the inselbergs Skilpadbergand Swartkop hold several plants endemic to thelower Orange River including Aloe ramosissimaand A. gariepensis. Endemic and near-endemicamphibians include Desert Rain Frog, NamaquaRain Frog, Namaqualand Frog and the as yetundescribed Paradise Toad. Endemic and near-endemic reptiles include Nama Padloper,Namaqua Dwarf Adder, Dwarf Mountain Adderand two legless and burrowing skinks. TheSperrgebiet comprises about 40% of the globalrange of the Namaqua Dune Molerat. Heaviside'sDolphin, probably one of the world's rarestdolphins, is endemic to the southwest coast ofAfrica and is fairly common off the Sperrgebietcoast. Aardwolf, Brown Hyaena, Spotted Hyaena,Cape Fox, Bat-eared Fox, Wild Cat, Cheetah andCape Clawless Otter all occur in the Sperrgebiet

Conservation issuesThe Sperrgebiet is currently protected by virtue ofthe security surrounding the diamonds minedthere. Following its deproclamation, the area isearmarked to become a protected area under theauspices of the Ministry of Environment &Tourism, which would thus create a continuousstrip of land between the Cunene and OrangeRivers all under MET jurisdiction. It is adjacent tothe Namib-Naukluft Park to the north, and is alsonarrowly to the recently proclaimed Ai-AislHunsberg Reserve Complex in the east. To thesoutheast, across the Orange River, is theRichtersveld National Park in South Africa. Thispark shares the lower Orange River as a commonboundary for several kilometres. The scenic valueof this area has the potential to make an importantcontribution to the local and national economy.

The only permanent water supply in the area is theOrange River, but flow rates have dwindled andwill continue to do so in future as the LesothoHighlands Scheme diverts more water from theheadwaters. Agricultural potential along the lowerOrange River is low and difficult to realisebecause of the great distance from suitable marketsand the anticipated reduction of available water inthe river. Nevertheless, organophosphatesconstantly filter into the river from lucerne farmingon the riverbanks and may be detrimental to theriverine flora and fauna.

The area is largely utilised for diamondprospecting and mining by NAMDEB; theremainder of the area falls under the jurisdiction ofthe Ministry of Mines and Energy, which inten.dsto maintain the security of the entire Sperrgebietby restricting access and thereby restricting humanimpacts in the region. The Ministry of Mines andEnergy has recently opened up 46 concessionsalong a 3 km wide strip of the Orange River.Environmental Assessment procedures are inplace, thus minimising further impacts of allmining activities. Additionally, mining activitiesshould be restricted, mined areas requirerehabilitation, and the massive quantities of wastegenerated by mining should be appropriatelymanaged.

The vegetation of the Sperrgebiet is, for the mostpart, pristine. The main terrestrial impacts on thisarea occur for 100 km along the coast and about3 kIn inland from the town of Oranjemund. The

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Appendix 1: Endemic and near-endemic birds of Namibia i.e. species for which Namibia holds 90 % or moreof their distribution (after Brown et aI. (1998), Jarvis and Robertson (1997».

Hartlaub's Francolin Francolinus hart/alibiRUppell's Korhaan Elipodotis rlleppelliiDamara Tern Sterna ba/aenarumRUppell's Parrot Poicepha/us rueppelliiViolet Woodhoopoe Phoenicu/lis damarensisMonteiro's Hornbill Tockus monteiriDune Lark Certhi/auda erythroch/amysBarlow's Lark Certhilauda bar/owiGray's Lark Ammomanes grayiCarp's Black Tit Pants carpiBarecheeked Babbler Turdoides gymnogenysHerero Chat Namibornis hereroRockrunner Achaetops pycnopygiusWhitetailed Shrike Lanioturdus torquatus

* From Harrison et al. (1997)t From Jarvis & Robertson (1997)t From Ryan et al. (1998)

Distribution in Namibia (000 km2):

* Known t Predicted34 28149 21120126 14036 93163 2502318t4694 25276 9129 11358 248155 209

Ludwig's Bustard Neotis /udwigiiKaroo Korhaan Eupodotis vigorsiiRUppell's Korhaan Eupodotis rueppelliiKaroo Lark Certhilauda a/bescensDune Lark Certhi/auda erythrochlamysRed Lark Certhilauda burraSclater's Lark Spizocorys selateriStark's Lark Spizocorys starkiGray's Lark Ammomanes grayiCape Longbilled Lark Certhilauda curvirostrisBlackeared Finchlark Eremopterix australisSouthern Grey Tit Parus aferTractrac Chat Cercome/a tractracSicklewinged Chat Cercomela sinuataKaroo Chat Cercome/a sch/egeliiHerero Chat Namibornis hereroLayard's Titbabbler Parisoma /ayardiKaroo Eremomela Eremomela gregalisCinnamonbreasted Warbler Euryptila subcinnamomeaNamaqua Warbler Phragmacia substriataRufouseared Warbler Malcorus pectoralisBlackheaded Canary Serinus a/ario

Redbilled Francolin Francolinlls adspersllsNatal Francolin Francolinlls natalensisHartlaub's Francolin Francolinlls hartlallbiSwainson's Francolin Francolinus swainsoniiRedcrested Korhaan Eupodotis ruficristaBurchell's Sandgrouse Pterocles burchelliRiippell's Parrot Poicephalus rueppe/liiLilian's Lovebird Agapornis lilianaeBradfield's Hornbill Tockus bradfieldiMonteiro's Hornbill Tockus monteiriMonotonous Lark Certhilauda passerinaShortclawed Lark Mirafra chuanaBlackfaced Babbler Turdoides melanopsHartlaub's Babbler Turdoides hart/aubiiPied Babbler Turdoides bic%rBarecheeked Babbler Turdoides gymnogenysWhitethroated Robin Cossypha humeralisBoulder Chat Pinarornis p/umosusKalahari Robin Erythropygia paenaBurntnecked Eremomela Eremomela usticollisBarred Warbler Ca/amonastesfasciolatusRockrunner Achaetops pycnopygiusChirping Cisticola Cistico/a pipiensCrimsonbreasted Shrike Laniarius atrococcineusWhitetailed Shrike Lanioturdus torquatusWhitecrowned Shrike Eurocephalus anguitimensBurchell's Glossy Starling Lamprotornis australisLongtailed Glossy Starling Lamprotornis mevesiiWhitebellied Sunbird Nectarinia talatalaSociable Weaver Philetairus sociusBrownthroated Weaver P/oceus xanthopterusBrown Firefinch Lagonosticta nitidulaVioleteared Waxbill Uraeginthus granatinusCinderella Waxbill Estrilda thomensisShafttailed Whydah Vidua regia

PlantsAcacia erioloba Camel ThornAcacia hereroensis Mountain ThornAcacia karroo Sweet ThornAcacia luederitzii False Umbrella ThornAcacia nebrownii Water AcaciaAcacia nigrescens Knob ThornAcacia reficiens Red Umbrella ThornAcacia tortilis Umbrella ThornAcanthosicyos horridus !NaraAdansonia digitata BaobabAloe dichotoma Quiver TreeBaikiaea plurijuga Rhodesian TeakBaphia massaiensis Sand CamwoodBoscia albitrunca Shepherd's TreeBosciafoetida Smelly Shepherd's TreeBurkea africana Wild SeringaCatophractes alexandri Trumpet-thorn, Rattle TreeColophospermum mopane MopaneCombretum collinum Weeping BushwillowCombrelllm hereroense Mouse-eared CombretumCombretum imberbe LeadwoodCyperus papyrus PapyrusDichrostachys cinerea Sickle bush

African Black Oystercatcher Haematopus moquiniAfrican Finfoot Podica senegalensisAfrican Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vociferAfrican Hobby Falcon Falco cuvieriiAfrican Marsh Harrier Circus ranivorusAfrican Penguin Spheniscus demersusAfrican Skimmer RynchopsflavirostrisAfrican Spoonbill Platalea albaArctic Tern Sterna paradisaeaAvocet Recurvirostra avosettaAyre's Eagle Hieraaetus ayresiiBaillon's Crake Porzana pusillaBank Cormorant Phalaeroeorax negleetusBarecheeked Babbler Turdoides gymnogenysBarlow's Lark Certhilauda barlowiBarred Owl Glaucidium eapenseBarred Warbler CalamonastesfasciolatusBartailed Godwit Limosa lapponicaBat Hawk Macheiramphus aleinusBateleur Terathopius eeaudatusBlack Eagle Aquila verreauxiiBlack Harrier Circus maurusBlack Stork Cieonia nigraBlack Tern Chlidonias nigerBlackbelIied Korhaan Eupodotis melanogastorBlackcrowned Night Heron Nyetieorax nyctieoraxBlackeared Finchlark Eremopterix australisBlackfaced Babbler Turdoides melanopsBlackheaded Canary Serinus alarioBlacknecked Grebe Podieeps nigrieollisBlackwinged Pratincole Glareola nordmanniBlackwinged Stilt Himantopus himantopusBlue Crane Anthropoides paradiseusBooted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus

Diospyros mespiliformis Jackal BerryEuelea pseudebenus False Ebony, Wild EbonyFaidherbia albida Ana TreeFicus syeamorus Sycamore FigFicus verruculosa Water FigGarcinia livingstonei African MangosteenHyphaene petersiana Makalani PalmLonehocarpus capassa Apple LeafMyrothamnus flabellifolius Resurrection PlantOlea europaea subsp. afrieana Wild OlivePeltophorum afrieanum African WattlePhoenix reelinata Wild Date PalmPteroearpus angolensis Wild TeakSalvadora persiea Mustard TreeSchinziophyton rautanenii MankettiSeleroearya birrea MarulaStipagrostis sabulieola Dune GrassSyzigium guineense WaterpearTamarix usneoides TamariskTerminalia serieea Silver TerminaliaWelwitsehia mirabilis WelwitschiaZiziphus mueronata Buffalo Thorn

Bradfield's Hornbill Toekus bradfieldiBradfield's Swift Apus bradfieldiBroadbilled Sandpiper LimieolafalcinellusBrown Firefinch Lagonostieta nitidulaBurchell's Courser Cursorius rufusBurchell's Sandgrouse Pterocles burehelliBurchell's Glossy Starling Lamprotornis australisBurntnecked Eremomela Eremomela ustieollisCape Cormorant Phalaeroeorax eapensisCape Eagle Owl Bubo eapensisCape Francolin Franeolinus eapensisCape Gannet Morus eapensisCape Parrot Poieephalus robustusCape Penduline Tit Anthoseopus minutusCape Teal Anas eapensisCape Vulture Gyps eoprotheresCape White-Eye Zosterops pallidusCarp's Black Tit Panls carpiCaspian Plover Charadrius asiatic usCaspian Tern Hydroprogne easpiaChestnut Weaver Ploceus rubiginosusChestnutbanded Plover Charadrius pallidusChirping Cisticola Cistieola pipiensCinderella Waxbill Estrilda thomensisCinnamonbreasted Warbler Euryptila subcinnamomeaCollared Flycatcher Fieedula albicollisCommon Tern Sterna hirundoCrimsonbreasted Shrike Laniarius atrococcineusCrowned Cormorant Phalaeroeorax coronatusCuckoo Hawk Avieeda eueuloidesCurlew Sandpiper Calidris ferrugineaDabchick Taehybaptus rufieollisDamara Tern Sterna ba/aenarumDarter Anhinga me/anogaster

Dickinson's Kestrel Falco diekinsoniDoublebanded Courser Smutsornis afrieanllsDoublebanded Sandgrouse Pterocles bieinetllsDune Lark Cerlhilallda erylhroehlamysDwarf Bittern lxobryehus s/llrmiiEgyptian Vulture Neophron perenopterusEmerald Cuckoo Chrysoeoeeyx ellprellsEuropean Oystercatcher Haematoplls ostralegllsFranklin's Gull Larus pipixeanFulvous Duck Dendroeygna bieolorGlossy Ibis P/egadisfa/cinellusGolden Weaver Ploeeus xanthopsGray's Lark Ammomanes grayiGreat Crested Grebe Podiceps eristatusGreat Snipe Gallinago mediaGreater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruberGreater Kestrel Falco rupicoloidesGreater Swamp Warbler Acrocephalus rufeseensGrey Kestrel Falco ardosiaceusGrey Plover Pluvia/is squatarolaGreyheaded Bush Shrike Ma/aeonotus blanehotiGreyheaded Gull Larus eirrocephalllsGreyrumped Swallow Pseudhirundo griseopygaSouthern Ground Hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateriHamerkop Scopus umbreltaHartlaub's Babbler Turdoides hartlaubiiHartlaub's Francolin Francolinus hart/aubiHartlaub's Gull Larus hartlaubiiHerero Chat Namibornis hereroJameson's Firefinch Lagonosticta rhodopareiaKalahari Robin Erythropygia paenaKaroo Chat Cercomela seh/egeliiKaroo Eremomela Eremome/a gregalisKaroo Korhaan Eupodotis vigorsiiKelp Gull Larus dominicanusKnot Calidris canutusKori Bustard Ardeotis koriLanner Falcon Falco biarmicusLappetfaced Vulture Torgos traehe/iotusLayard's Titbabbler Parisoma layardiLesser Flamingo Phoenieonaias minorLesser Jacana Microparra capensisLesser Kestrel Falco naumanniLesser Moorhen Gallinula angulataLesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarinaLittle Egret Egretta garzettaLittle Stint Calidris minutaLongtailed Shrike Corvinella melanoleucaLongtailed Glossy Starling Lamprotornis mevesiiLongtoed Plover Vanellus crassirostrisLudwig's Bustard Neotis ludlVigiiMarabou Stork Leptoptilos crumeniferusMarico Flycatcher Melaenornis mariquensisMartial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosusMeyer's Parrot Poicephalus meyeriMonotonous Lark Certhilauda passerinaMontagu's Harrier Circus pygargusMonteiro's Hornbill Tockus monteiriNamaqua Sandgrouse Pterocles namaquaNamaqua Warbler Phragmacia substriataOpenbilIed Stork Anastomus lamelligerusOsprey Pandion haliaetusPainted Snipe Rostratula benghalensisPale Chanting Goshawk Melierax canorus

Pallid Harrier Circus maerollrusPalmnut Vulture Gypohierax angolensisPel's Fishing Owl Seotopelia peliPeregrine Falcon Falco peregrinllsPied Babbler Turdoides bieolorPinkbacked Pelican Pelecanus rufeseensPinkthroated Longclaw Maeronyx ameliaePririt Batis Balis priritPurple Gallinule Porphyrio porphyrioPygmy Falcon Polihierax semitorqualllsPygmy Goose Neltapus auritusPygmy Kingfisher lspidina pictaRedbilled Francolin Francolinlls adspersllsRedbilled Teal Anas erythrorhynchaRedbilled Woodhoopoe Phoenicullls purpureusRedcrested Korhaan Eupodotis rllficristaRedknobbed Coot Fuliea cristalaRednecked Falcon Falco chicqlleraRednecked Francolin Francolinlls aferRedshank Tringa totanusRedwinged Pratincole Glareola pratincolaRinged Plover Charadrius hiaticulaRock Kestrel Falco tinnuncu/usRock Pratincole Glareola nuchalisRockrunner Achaetops pycnopygillsRosyfaced Lovebird Agapornis roseicollisRoyal Tern Sterna maximaRuff Philomachus pugnaxRufousbellied Heron Butorides rufiventrisRufousbellied Tit Parus rufiventrisRufouseared Warbler Malcorus pectoralisRufoustailed Palm Thrush Ciehladusa ruficaudaRUppell's Korhaan Eupodotis rueppelliiRUppell's Parrot Poicephalus rueppelliiSaddlebilled Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensisSand Plover Charadrius leschenaultiiSanderling Calidris albaSandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensisScalyfeathered Finch Sporopipes squamifronsSclater's Lark Spizocorys sclateriSecretarybird Sagittarius serpentariusShafttailed Whydah Vidua regiaSharptailed Glossy Starling Lamprotornis acutieaudusShorttoed Rock Thrush Monticola brevipesSicklewinged Chat Cercomela sinuataSlaty Egret Egretta vinaceigulaSociable Weaver Philetairus sociusSouthern Black Tit Parus nigerSouthern Grey Tit Parus aferSouthern Pochard Netta erythrophthalmaStark's Lark Spizoeorys starkiSteppe Eagle Aquila nipalensisStriped Crake Aenigmatolimnas marginalisSwamp Boubou Laniarius bicolorSwift Tern Sterna bergiiTawny Eagle Aquila rapaxTemminck's Courser Cursorius temminekiiTractrac Chat Cercomela traetracTurnstone Arenaria interpresViolet Woodhoopoe Phoeniculus damarensisVioleteared Waxbill Uraeginthus granatinusWattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatusWestern Banded Snake Eagle Circaetus cinerascensWhimbrel Numenius phaeopus