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Namibian Wildlife Surveys archive

This archive of reports of wildlife surveys in Namibia aims to:

  • provide easy public access to published information and statistics
  • enable easy stakeholder access to recent and historical data on wildlife populations
  • provide a comprehensive archive of wildlife survey reports in Namibia

Public access to information is a vital component of ensuring community engagement in prevalent issues. Wildlife surveys are critical to determine the health of wildlife populations and determine trends over time to guide conservation and management actions. 

Wildlife surveys are done for different species using methods that are suited to counting them (e.g. by air or road) in their natural habitats. Such surveys need to be repeated over time to detect long-term trends and inform conservation managers. The Namibian government, non-governmental organisations and private reserves all conduct regular surveys covering different parts of Namibia and targeting different species. This archive will thus serve as a repository of our collective knowledge of the trends and status of a variety of species occurring throughout Namibia.

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Displaying results 1 - 21 of 21
Loonam K, Ausband DE, Mitchell MS, Robinson HS 2020. Estimating abundance of an unmarked, low‐density species using cameras. The Journal of Wildlife Management

Estimating abundance of wildlife populations can be challenging and costly, especially for species that are difficult to detect and that live at low densities, such as cougars (Puma concolor). Remote, motion‐sensitive cameras are a relatively efficient monitoring tool, but most abundance estimation techniques using remote cameras rely on some or all of the population being uniquely identifiable. Recently developed methods estimate abundance from encounter rates with remote cameras and do not require identifiable individuals.

Kopij G, Paxton M 2019. Waterbirds in the panhandle of the Okavango Delta: dry season counts over two seven-year periods. Zoology and Ecology (29) 15-27

We counted waterbirds along a fixed route in the panhandle of the Okavango River in Mahango Game Reserve in the dry season during two seven-year periods (1991–1997 and 2000–2006). Palearctic migrants represented by 11 species in 1991–1997 and nine species in 2000–2006 together composed only a small percentage of all birds recorded in both periods. The two most numerous foraging guilds were birds foraging in shallow water and those foraging in deep water. The former guild was more numerous in 2000–2006, while the latter guild was more numerous in 1991–1997.

Paxton M 2013. KOAR Winter (July) Wetland Water-bird Counts, Okavango River 2012. Lanioturdus 46 (1) 21-24

The Okavango River system, about 480 kms of which constitutes the border between Namibia and Angola, has previously been largely neglected in the annual wetland water-bird counts programme conducted throughout Namibia. The exceptions have been the Mahango Game Reserve and a section of the river at Shamvura Camp where voluntary wetland water-bird counts have however been conducted over a consecutive period of 15 years and 11 years respectively. The remainder of the river had been left uncounted until 2012.

Stein AB, Aschenborn O, Kastern M, Andreas A, Thompson S 2012. Namibia Large Carnivore Atlas.

In 2011, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism conducted a questionnaire to various stakeholders to determine relative abundance of large carnivores throughout Namibia. The results of this questionnaire were quantified and mapped to establish the current range and relative abundance of the six Namibian large carnivores. Recent population estimates for leopards are used here, however, the remaining species we used estimates from the previous Atlas as our best estimates to date.

Attachment Size
Namibia Large Carnivore Atlas_2012.pdf 3.87 MB
Brown CJ, Meyer-Rust R 2004. Winter counts of wetland and floodplain birds in the Kwando River and floodplain system, Caprivi .

Human and, increasingly, elephant pressure on Namibia's wetlands and riparian belts are a major cause of conservation concern. Many wetland birds are listed in Namibia's Red Data Book (Simmons & Brown in prep) because of population declines caused by the degradation and destruction of wetland habitats, and because of high levels of disturbance. Good information on the status of major wetlands and their avifauna is important for their conservation management. Birds provide one of the best indicators of wetland health.

Brown CJ, Stander P, Meyer-Rust R, Mayes S 2004. Results of a Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus survey in the river systems of north-east Namibia during August 2004 .

This study has provided baseline data on crocodile numbers from aerial and spotlight counts. These data can be used with the results of future counts to determine population trends. The census has also provided information on their distribution of crocodiles in the Kavango and Caprivi regions. And third, it has resulted in the first population estimate for crocodiles in the north-east wetlands of Namibia.

Attachment Size
Crocodile Survey in NE Namibia_2004.pdf 404.87 KB
Brown CJ, Stander P, Mayes S, Conradie L, Haredoeb P, Singwangwa M, Cilliers W 2004. Status of Wattled Cranes on the floodplains of north-east Namibia: Results from an aerial survey during August 2004 .

Areas surveyed: The Okavango River in Namibia, from just northwest the bridge on the Trans-Caprivi highway south to the Botswana border; the entire length of the Kwandu-Linyanti-Lake Liambezi-Chobe system, including the Mamili National Park; and the Zambezi river for its entire length on Namibia's border, including parts of the adjacent East Caprivi floodplains.

Attachment Size
Wattled Crane Survey_2004.pdf 1.02 MB
Paxton M, Sheehan L 2002. Mahango bird count January 2002 . Lanioturdus 35 (4) 24-28
Attachment Size
Mahango bird count January 2002.pdf 353.37 KB
Paxton M, Sheehan L 2001. Mahango wetland bird count - January 2001 . Lanioturdus 34 (2) 2-7
Paxton M 2000. July wetland bird count - Mahango Game Reserve . Lanioturdus 33 (1&2) 13-19
Paxton M, Sheehan L 1999. January wetland bird count in the Mahango Game Reserve, Kavango . Lanioturdus 32 (1) 15-18
Robertson A, Simmons RE, Jarvis AM, Brown CJ 1995. Can Bird Atlas data be used to estimate population size? A case study using Namibian endemics . Biological Conservation 71 87 - 95

An assessment of population size is a fundamental stage in the conservation of any species. The recent availability of data from the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP) provides a tool to investigate the status and distribution of approximately 900 bird species covered by this work. Here, we assess whether or not reporting rate can be used to establish absolute abundance and thereby produce estimates of population size.

Herremans M, Brown CJ, Borello WD, Herremans-Tonnoeyr D 1993. The abundance of European Rollers Coracias garrulus in Botswana and Namibia . Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology 64 (2) 93 – 94

Short paper discussing previous documented records and interpretation in relation to records data.

Attachment Size
European Rollers in Namibia_1993.pdf 3.06 MB
Brown CJ 1991. Birds of the Swakop River lagoon . Lanioturdus 26 (1) 16-21
Brown CJ 1989. Pygmy Falcon population in the central Namib desert, Namibia . Gabar 3 10 - 13

Distribution is restricted by the availability of Sociable Weaver nests, rather than by other environmental factors. There is a 26% occupancy rate and the falcons choose larger Sociable Weaver nest masses.

Brown CJ 1988. Greater Kestrel and Rednecked Falcon population in the Ganab region of the central Namib Desert . Gabar 3 21 - 25
Attachment Size
Brown CJ 1988 Gabar 3_21_25.pdf 415.77 KB
Brown CJ, Brown SE 1987. Some observations on oxpeckers in the Eastern Caprivi, SWA/Namibia . Lanioturdus 22 (4) 74 - 79
Brown CJ, Cooper TG 1987. The status of cliff-nesting raptors on the Waterberg SWA/Namibia . Madoqua 15 (3) 243 - 249
Attachment Size
Brown_1987_Madoqua_15_3_raptors.pdf 1.51 MB
Brown CJ 1985. The status and conservation of the Cape Vulture in SWA/Namibia . Vulture News 14 4 - 15
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Brown CJ 1985 Vulture News 14_4_15.pdf 386.16 KB
Williams AJ, Brown CJ 1984. Preliminary report on Walvis Bay bird count, March 1984.
Brown CJ, Williams AJ 1983. Bird census at Walvis Bay, November 1983.

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