Birds of Namibia 2

Here are a handful of additional birds to look for in the thornveld of Namibia...

Acacia Pied Barbet
About 7 inches long. It is colored with a red forehead, bright yellow eyebrow, and broad white stripe behind the eye. It has a black throat, white underparts and a black back with narrow yellow streaking. The immature has a black, not red, forehead. The call of this species is either a nasal "nehh-nehh", repeated at intervals, or a hoopoe-like "doo-doo-doo". Found alone or in pairs in dry broad-leafed woodland, thornveld and scrub, this common resident avoids true desert.

African Hoopoe
About 11 inches long, this species is easily identified by the combination of a cinnamon-colored body, black and white barred wings and tail, and long decurved bill. The female is duller than the male withless white in the wings; the immature is duller than the female. The black-tipped crest is often kept closed but when the bird is alarmed it is held erect. Its call is a soft, frequently uttered "hoop-hoop-hoop". This common resident inhabits thornveld, open broadleafed woodland, parks and gardens. (This bird is frequently mentioned in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books.)

Cardinal Woodpecker
Just 6 inches long, this is the smallest woodpecker in the region. It appears black and white all over. The male has a brown forehead and a red nape (back of the neck); the female lacks the red nape. The immature has a red crown and a black nape. This bird is sometimes difficult to locate, but its incessant soft tapping on wood and high-pitched "krrrek-krrrek-krrrek" call reveal its position. It frequents a wide range of habitats from thornveld to thick forest.

Lesser Honeyguide
Overall a dull, greyish bird with an unmarked grey head, a greenish wash on the wing coverts, dark moustachial stripes and conspicuous white outer-tail feathers. The immature lacks the moustachial stripes of the adult. This bird is easily detected by its distinctive "klew klew klew" call. It occurs in woodland, forsts and thornveld, and has adapted to suburban gardens. This common resident is often seen interacting with its host, the Acacia Pied Barbet.

Redbilled Hornbill
About 18 inches long. Similar to the Southern Yellowbilled Hornbill, this species has a shorter, more slender, all-red bill. It is also slightly smaller. The display call is a "kokwe-kokwe-kokwe"; in calling display the head is lowered and the wings held closed. This bird usually occurs singly or in pairs in thornveld and mopane woodland and is the most common small hornbill in the central and northern areas.