Title:

Okavango River Basin Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis: Environmental Flow Module. Specialist Report. Country: Namibia, Discipline: Birds (Avifauna)

Author(s):
Publication Year:
2009
Abstract:

A series of field trips to the two sites (Kapako and Popa Falls) was undertaken during the period from October 2008 until March 2009, involving myself and various other specialists. These excursions were primarily orientation and information gathering visits but also involved a fair degree of information sharing between the available disciplines. This information sharing helped to clear up many aspects within each discipline and how each section relates to the other. The group discussions and interactions gave me some valuable insight although living in the area and on the river system itself for sixteen years allowed for more of an understanding along with subsequent visits to each sight for further familiarisation regarding the changing river levels and how it affected the birds at each individual site thereby broadening the knowledge base for the birding indicators. From 30th March to 4th April 2009 during the "knowledge capturing" workshop, that was held in Windhoek with the participation of specialists in all other disciples from all of the three countries. Here we collaboratively generated response curves for each of the indicator species and tied this into hydrological and rainfall information over the past forty five years since 1964. Available relevant literature on this aspect i.e. birds was extremely difficult to find or access being plainly unavailable, this being a very much understudied river system with regard to bird species and their relationship with the changing river water levels. We therefore had to rely heavily on "gut-feeling" based on over 16yrears of living on this river system and involving personal knowledge with birds as one of the prime areas of interest.

Place:
Namibia
Type:
Specialist Report
Item Type:
Report
Language:
en
Files:
Attachment Size
Birds Namibia Mark review May 2009.doc 1.63 MB