Top-rated day birding in and around Windhoek.
Discover the avian wonders of Windhoek, Namibia, a birding haven boasting over 300 species, including near-endemics and other unique Namibian specialties. Perfect for birding enthusiasts with limited time, our expertly guided day tours to Windhoek’s top birding hotspots offer an unforgettable experience. Whether you’re chasing rare sightings or expanding your life list, this tour guarantees rewarding birdwatching in the heart of Namibia.
Extend your day trip for more diversity.
A possible 2 or 3 day extension that includes the coast and escarpment will increase the diversity of birds you can find in a short space of time.
| Safari starts and ends in Windhoek | Duration: Day tour | Book as private guided |
Top Birds:
Rockrunner, Bradfield’s Swift, Damara Red-billed and Monteiro’s Hornbill, White-tailed Shrike, Short-toed Rock Thrush, Cape Penduline Tit, Orange River Francolin, Violet-eared and Black-faced Waxbill, Acacia Pied Barbet, Pririt Batis, Carp’s Tit, Rosy-faced Lovebird, Chestnut Weaver, Burnt-necked Eremomela.
How it works:
Our expert guide, will pick up guests early in the morning from where they are staying, be it in a hotel or guesthouse or elsewhere.
We will embark on our day trip in a comfortable, airconditioned vehicle. We will stop for lunch somewhere in the city, and you will be dropped off at your accommodation at the end of the day, hopefully having ticked many special species!
For the day trip we are flexible and will create a customized itinerary according to your target birds, budget and time that you have available.
Key areas:
•The Daan Viljoen Game Reserve is on the western side of the city provides excellent dry-country birding.
You could see Monteiro’s and Damara Red-billed Hornbill, Rockrunner, Carp’s Tit, Rosy-faced Lovebird, Short-toed Rock Thrush, Burnt-necked Eremomela, Cape Penduline Tit, Violet-eared and Black-faced Waxbill, Great Spotted and African Cuckoo, Verreaux’s Eagle, Barred Wren-warbler, the white-capped morph of Mountain Wheatear, Pale-winged Starling, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, the stout-billed subspecies of Sabota Lark, Scaly-feathered and Chestnut Weaver, Icterine Warbler and Kalahari Scrub Robin and many others.
The park also hosts Gemsbok, Common Eland, Greater Kudu, Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra, Giraffe and other antelope, along with Common Rock Hyrax and Dassie Rat.
•The popular Avis Dam is situated on the east side of the city.
Here you should add several key species to your list. If there is water in the dam you could also see some interesting water birds. These include waders and warblers, including Maccoa and Fulvous Whistling Duck, Red-billed Teal, White-throated Swallow, Black-necked Grebe and others. A rarity like Dwarf Bittern might even pop up!
The acacia woodland surrounding the dam is generally good for Orange River Francolin, Rockrunner, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Black-throated Canary, Capped Wheatear, Desert Cisticola, Ant-eating Chat, Ashy Tit, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Acacia Pied Barbet, Rock Kestrel and many others.
•The Water Treatment works in the city is, as always, a productive if somewhat strange spot to visit. Only a birder would understand!
Here you could see loads of warblers, Maccoa Duck, Black-crowned Night Heron, Purple and Squacco Heron, African Swamphen, Black Crake, Common Moorhen or even Black-necked Grebe and Baillon’s Crake if you are lucky.
•Private game reserves in the area will give you the opportunity to combine birding with excellent game viewing with the possibility of seeing White Rhinoceros, African Elephant, Lion, African Wild Dog, Giraffe, Springbok, Gemsbok, Red Hartebeest, Common Wildebeest and more.
Most of these specials can be seen on our popular 3 night Endemics Blitz Trip. You can also combine the day tour with a visit to Sossusvlei which could be a great two or three-day trip.
On the trips a little further afield the specials include:
Mountain Wheatear, Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, Rüppel’s Parrot, Herero and Tractrac Chat, Violet Wood Hoopoe, Dune, Gray’s and Stark’s Lark, Rüppel’s Korhaan, Damara Tern, Orange River White-eye, Augur Buzzard.
