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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 - 45 of 45
Thursday, 1 June 2017
Moongo JT 2017. Determining wildlife numbers in the Fish River Canyon Reserve based on high resolution aerial photography.

Determining wildlife numbers and their distribution patterns are an important and relevant factor for increasing scientific knowledge, to provide credible information for managerial decisions to conserve and protect biodiversity. This research was aimed at studying the distribution of wildlife species within the Fish River Canyon using different Geographical Information System (GIS) approaches and methods by analysing distribution patterns, slope and aspect analysis on which the animals were counted in, and favourable vegetation type from which different wildlife species were…

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.

Kolberg H 2019. Summary of the 2018 winter wetland bird counts in Namibia. Lanioturdus 52 (2) 17-20
Goelst C, Moeller M, Kilian W 2018. Etosha National Park Carnivore Monitoring Project Update, Unofficial Report Re: Lion GPS-Satellite Monitoring, 2018 Lion Population Call-Up Survey.

Carnivore populations face threats from increasing human populations and rapidly diminishing, suitable habitat. Large carnivores such as African lions (Panthera leo) commonly attack livestock on lands adjacent to protected areas. This can lead to human-wildlife conflict (HWC) events that result in retaliatory lion killings. Conflict is a primary driver of wild lion population declines which are estimated to have decreased by 43% in the last 20 years.

Kolberg H 2018. Summary of the 2017 winter wetland bird counts in Namibia. Lanioturdus (51) 34-37
Kolberg H 2017. Status assessment of Namibia's vultures . Lanioturdus 50 (1) 9-17

Vultures provide essential ecological services, yet are amongst the world's most threatened species with populations having declined by more than 95% within ten years in some places. The biggest factor causing this decline is the use of poison, either intentionally or unintentionally. Other factors causing declines are collision with and electrocution by powerlines, illegal harvesting for traditional medicines, habitat loss and drowning in reservoirs.

Kolberg H 2016. Wetland bird counts in Namibia: a summary . Lanioturdus 49 (5) 2-193
Kolberg H 2016. Book Review: Birds of Botswana by Peter Hancock and Ingrid Weiersbye, Princeton University Press . Lanioturdus 49 (1) 28

The species accounts are very detailed, doubtlessly benefitting from Peter's intimate and long-term knowledge of Botswana's birds. The range maps give one an immediate indication of where the bird occurs and the breeding bars give one an idea of when to expect the bird and when it breeds. These will prove handy when identifying e.g. migratory birds. The excellent illustrations show the birds in their local race and where sexes and ages differ, these are also illustrated. Perhaps one shortcoming of the illustrations is, that diagnostic features e.g.

Attachment Size
Book Review_Birds of Botswana.pdf 346.34 KB
Kolberg H 2016. Summary of the 2015 Winter Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia . Lanioturdus 49 (3) 2-5
Kolberg H 2015. Summary of the 2015 Summer Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia . Lanioturdus 48 (3) 31-33

Summary of the 2015 Summer Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia.

Simmons R, Kolberg H, Braby R, Erni B 2015. Declines in migrant shorebird populations from a winter-quarter perspective: State-Space Models for Shorebird Trends . Conservation Biology 29 (3) 877-878

Many long-distance migrating shorebird (i.e., sandpipers, plovers, flamingos, oystercatchers) populations are declining. Although regular shorebird monitoring programs exist worldwide, most estimates of shorebird population trends and sizes are poor or nonexistent. We built a state-space model to estimate shorebird population trends. Compared with more commonly used methods of trend estimation, state-space models are more mechanistic, allow for the separation of observation and state process, and can easily accommodate multivariate time series and nonlinear trends.

Kolberg H 2014. Summary of the 2013 Winter Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia . Lanioturdus 47 23-31
Kolberg H 2014. Summary of the 2014 Summer Wetland Bird counts in Namibia . Lanioturdus 47 (3) 28-30

Summary of the 2014 Summer Wetland Bird counts in Namibia.

Kolberg H 2013. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 9: Waders and Shorebirds - Part 1. Lanioturdus 46 (1) 27-44

The following is a summary of waterbird count data for selected species in Namibia, covering the period 1977 to December 2008.

Kolberg H 2013. Report on a mountain zebra aerial survey in the Naukluft and Khomas Hochland, 19 to 24 June 2013.

An aerial survey specifically aimed at mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae) was carried out by the survey unit of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism from 19 to 24 June 2013. The survey covered the Naukluft Mountains in the Namib-Naukluft Park and a large area of the Khomas Hochland west of Windhoek, between the Swakop River in the north and the Naukluft Mountains in the south (Figure 1). The survey was carried out using a Bell Jet Ranger 206 helicopter (V5-HIR) with a crew of four using standard aerial survey methodology.

Kolberg H 2013. Summary of the 2013 Summer Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia . Lanioturdus 46 (4) 27
Kolberg H 2013. Summary of the 2012 winter wetland bird counts in Namibia. Lanioturdus 46 (3) 34
Kolberg H 2012. Trends in Namibian waterbird populations: Rails, Gallinules, Coot and Jacana . Lanioturdus 45 (4) 13-17

The eighth article in the series on trends in Namibian waterbird populations summarizes count data for six species for the period 1977 to December 2008. For each species the Red Data Book (RDB) status, both global and Namibian, is given, the population trend as per Wetlands International, the number of times the species was counted, the number of times it has passed the 1% population criterion, the maximum count and the sites where it has passed the 1% population criterion.

Kolberg H 2012. Summary of the 2012 Summer Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia . Lanioturdus 45 (4) 21

Wetland bird counts were once again conducted throughout Namibia during the months of January and February 2012. A total of 33 sites were covered resulting in 262 833 birds of 112 species. For the first time since 2007 counts were also conducted in the Caprivi, on the Okavango and the Kwando Rivers. The effects of the good rainy seasons over the past few years are still very evident with low numbers of especially flamingos and ducks recorded at the coast.

Kolberg H 2012. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 7: Ducks and Geese (2) . Lanioturdus 45 (3) 15-19

This article continues the series on trends in Namibian waterbird populations and summarizes count data for ducks and geese for the period 1977 to December 2008. For each species the Red Data Book (RDB) status, both global and Namibian, is given, the population trend as per Wetlands International, the number of times the species was counted, the number of times it has passed the 1% population criterion, the maximum count and the sites where it has passed the 1% population criterion.

Kolberg H 2012. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 7: Ducks and Geese (1) . Lanioturdus 45 (2) 17-22

This article continues the series on trends in Namibian waterbird populations and summarizes count data for ducks and geese for the period 1977 to December 2008. For each species the Red Data Book (RDB) status, both global and Namibian, is given, the population trend as per Wetlands International, the number of times the species was counted, the number of times it has passed the 1% population criterion, the maximum count and the sites where it has passed the 1% population criterion.

Kolberg H 2012. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 6: Spoonbill, Hamerkop, Flamingos and Cranes . Lanioturdus 45 (1) 17-21

The sixth article in the series on trends in Namibian waterbird populations summarises count data for African Spoonbill, Hamerkop, Greater and Lesser Flamingo and Wattled Crane for the period 1977 to December 2008. For each species the Red Data Book (RDB) status, both global and Namibian, is given, the population trend as per Wetlands International, the number of times the species was counted, the number of times it has passed the 1% population criterion, the maximum count and the sites where it has passed the 1% population criterion.

Kolberg H 2012. Report on an Aerial Survey of Etosha National Park, 6 to 17 August 2012.

Conducting aerial surveys is one of the core functions of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. The surveys are essential management tools, allowing for informed decision making. Aerial surveys have been conducted in Etosha National Park since 1968. Apart from a series of elephant surveys, these surveys were strictly speaking not comparable as they were undertaken at irregular intervals with different sampling intensities and area cover. The first comprehensive multi-species sample count was conducted in 1995, and repeated in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2010.

Attachment Size
2012 Etosha NP_Aerial census 2012.pdf 656.25 KB
Kolberg H 2012. Report on the Winter 2011 Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia . Lanioturdus 45 (1) 31-40

The winter wetland bird counts were conducted during July and August 2011 at 32 sites throughout Namibia. The abnormal rainy season experienced in most parts of the country had resulted in plenty of water still being in the field and this was evident in the counts. Lower numbers than usual were recorded at most sites and the Walvis Bay count was the lowest since regular counts were started. The low numbers are due to an almost complete absence of flamingos, lower than usual numbers of geese and ducks and the absence of certain waders e.g.

Kolberg H 2011. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 4: Herons and Egrets Part 2 . Lanioturdus 44 (3) 10-15

This article continues the series on trends in Namibian waterbird populations and summarises count data for herons and egrets for the period 1977 to December 2008. For each species the Red Data Book (RDB) status, both global and Namibian, is given, the population trend as per Wetlands International, the number of times the species was counted, the number of times it has passed the 1% population criterion, the maximum count and the sites where it has passed the 1% population criterion.

Kolberg H 2011. Summary of the 2011 Summer Wetland Bird Counts . Lanioturdus 44 (3) 17-18

Namibia was blessed with extraordinary rains in most parts of the country early in 2011 and this is evident in the results of the summer wetland bird counts. Access to many of the count sites was difficult due to the wet conditions. In fact, the count at Lake Oponono had to be abandoned because of the muddy conditions. Rain interrupted many counts and even at Sandwich Harbour the counters had to endure about two hours of pouring rain before continuing with the count. Oddly enough, Tsutsab Vlei, near Tsintsabis in northern Namibia, was bone dry when the counts were done.

Kolberg H 2011. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 4: Herons and Egrets Part 1 . Lanioturdus 44 (2) 12-15

This article continues the series on trends in Namibian waterbird populations and summarises count data for herons and egrets for the period 1977 to December 2008. For each species the Red Data Book (RDB) status, both global and Namibian, is given, the population trend as per Wetlands International, the number of times the species was counted, the number of times it has passed the 1% population criterion, the maximum count and the sites where it has passed the 1% population criterion.

Kolberg H 2011. Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia 4: Coastal Wetlands . Lanioturdus 44 (1) 9-31

This is the last article in a series describing the results of regular wetland bird counts in Namibia. This paper looks at eight coastal sites, including two of Namibia's four Ramsar sites i.e. Sandwich Harbour and Walvis Bay. Unfortunately data for Namibia's other coastal Ramsar site, the Orange River Mouth, is incomplete and hence it has not been included in this analysis. (Larger scale replications of the graphs in this article are attached to the end of this edition).

Kolberg H 2011. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 3: Cormorants and Darter . Lanioturdus 44 (1) 16-18

The third article in the series on trends in Namibian waterbird populations summarises count data for cormorants and darter for the period 1977 to December 2008. For each species the Red Data Book (RDB) status, both global and Namibian, is given, the population trend as per Wetlands International, the number of times the species was counted, the number of times it has passed the 1% population criterion, the maximum count and the sites where it has passed the 1% population criterion.

Kolberg H 2011. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 5: Storks and Ibises . Lanioturdus 44 (4) 13-17

The fifth article in the series on trends in Namibian waterbird populations summarises count data for storks and ibises for the period 1977 to December 2008. For each species the Red Data Book (RDB) status, both global and Namibian, is given, the population trend as per Wetlands International, the number of times the species was counted, the number of times it has passed the 1% population criterion, the maximum count and the sites where it has passed the 1% population criterion.

Kolberg H 2010. Summary of the 2009 Winter Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia . Lanioturdus 43 (2) 15-16

During the month of July 2009 volunteers once again participated in the winter wetland bird counts all over Namibia. A total of 27 wetlands were counted resulting in just over 99,000 birds of 87 species. The number of sites being counted is up thanks to the Namibia Bird Club, which is now conducting regular counts at Avis Dam, the Gammams (Windhoek) Sewage Works and Monte Christo. The Walvis Bay Ramsar site tops the list with over 50,000 birds, followed by Sandwich Harbour and the Mile 4 Saltworks.

Kolberg H 2010. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 1: Introduction and Overview . Lanioturdus 43 (2) 16-18

Data on wetland bird numbers has been collected in Namibia on an ad hoc basis since the early 1960's. Since 1991 regular counts have been conducted at several sites and thus a considerable amount of data has accumulated. This article and the ones to follow is a summary of the available data and an attempt to derive population trends for selected wetland bird populations. To date (July 2009), data from 1703 counts at 172 places has been entered into a database. A total of 177 different species of waterbird have been counted at these sites.

Kolberg H 2010. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 2: Grebes and Pelicans . Lanioturdus 43 (3) 8-41

The following is a summary of waterbird count data for selected species in Namibia, covering the period 1977 to December 2008. For each species the Red Data Book (RDB) status, both global and Namibian, is given, the population trend as per Wetlands International, the number of times the species was counted, the number of times it has passed the 1% population criterion, the maximum count and the sites where it has passed the 1% population criterion.

Kolberg H 2010. Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia 2: Perennial rivers and dams . Lanioturdus 43 (3) 21-26

This is the second article in a series describing the results of regular wetland bird counts in Namibia and groups together inland sites where water is present most of the time. The article gives details for two perennial river sites and nine dams for which ten or more counts are available up to the end of 2008.

Kolberg H 2010. Report on an aerial game count of Kaross, Etosha National Park, 14 December 2009.

The survey took two hours 54 minutes, which translates into a search rate of 1.6 km/min. The flight path was recorded on the GPS tracklog and is shown in Figure 2 (deviations from the transects are where rhino, elephant or large herds of animals were encountered). A total of 253 sightings were recorded during this time (Figure 3) which comprised 1539 animals of seventeen species (Table 1). Kaross game camp is 144 km² in size so the density of animals calculates to 10.7 animals/km². The distribution and herd size for selected species is shown in Figure 4 to Figure 11.

Attachment Size
Kaross_Aerial census 2009.pdf 2.53 MB
Kolberg H 2010. Summary of the summer 2010 wetland bird counts in Namibia . Lanioturdus 43 (4) 13, 28-33

January 2010 announced its arrival with welcome and wide-spread rain throughout Namibia. The result of this was that we were expecting bumper counts at many of the inland wetlands, although the two coastal heavyweights would be expected to contribute the majority in terms of numbers, as usual. During this count cycle 26 sites were counted, an increase on previous counts, in no small part due to the efforts of the Namibia Bird Club that is now counting many wetlands around Windhoek.

Kolberg H 2010. Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia 3: Inland Wetlands . Lanioturdus 43 (4) 7-12

This is the third article in a series describing the results of regular wetland bird counts in Namibia and groups together inland sites where water is seasonally present as well as three sewage treatment plants. The article gives details for ten sites for which ten or more counts are available up to the end of 2008.

Kolberg H 2010. Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia 1: Introduction and Overview . Lanioturdus 43 (2) 13-14

In more than 100 countries, millions of waterbirds are counted each year. Wetlands International coordinates the International Waterbird Census (IWC) throughout the world and the data is used to e.g. designate Wetlands of International Importance and Important Bird Areas. Namibia has participated in these counts since 1990 and hence a considerable set of data has accumulated. Data is on hand for 1703 (as at July 2009) waterbird counts at 172 sites in Namibia. The earliest counts are from 1976 and a peak in terms of sites counted was reached in 1995 when 73 wetlands were counted…

Kolberg H 2009. Of gale-force winds and balmy days - Narrative of twenty-five days of bird counting in the wild hinterland of Namibia . Lanioturdus 42 (2) 2-4
Kolberg H 2009. Population Census of Flamingos in Namibia, July 2008 . Lanioturdus 42 (2) 12-14

The southern African Lesser Flamingo population was estimated to number 55,000 - 65,000 individuals in the mid-1990s, but these were either under estimates or the numbers have increased since, because at times Kamfers Dam, the Goldfields wetlands (in South Africa), Etosha Pan (Namibia) and Sua Pan (Botswana) each support more than that number. In order to try and get to grips with the size of the southern African population of Lesser Flamingos, a coordinated survey was planned for 20-21 July 2008.

Kolberg H 2009. Summary of the 2007 Ringing Season in Namibia . Lanioturdus 42 (1) 15-19

The 30 June 2008 signaled the end of the 2007 ringing season and the following is a summary thereof. In total 9 637 birds of 270 species were ringed or re-trapped, controlled etc. this season. Out of this total 9 033 were newly ringed birds (i.e. SAFRING code 1). Data from 19 ringers was received and Dirk Heinrich once again is the "ringing king" of code 1 birds, followed by Tim Osborne and Mark Boorman but in the re-trap etc. category Tim pipped Dirk, followed by Ursula Franke. Dirk also held top spot in the number of different species ringed category.

Kolberg H 2009. Report on the Summer Wetland Bird Counts, January/February 2009 . Lanioturdus 42 (3) 11

The start of the new year once again meant that Namibia's bird watchers had to dust off their binoculars and venture out to do the annual summer wetland counts. The global economic crisis does not seem to have affected the birders because I'm pleased to report that twenty-seven sites were counted although the geographic coverage is still very much biased in favour of the coast. The two Ramsar sites, Sandwich Harbour and Walvis Bay, once again came up trumps in terms of bird numbers but the most species were encountered by Wilferd at Oponono.

Kolberg H 2006. Summary of the 2006 January Wetland Bird Counts .

Namibia experienced some extreme rainfall in the first three months of 2006 and this, perhaps, is reflected in the results of the January wetland counts. One counter, Wilfred, could not get to his sites because it was too wet! In terms of numbers Walvis Bay leads by far but the Mahango yet again confirms its status as the most species rich birding destination in our country.

Kolberg H 2006. Summary of Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia, July 2004 to July 2006 .
Kolberg H 2005. Summary of the July 2005 Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia .

Namibia's loyal wetland bird counters once again delivered the goods in July/August in the twice annual wetland bird counts. In total 141704 birds of 112 species were counted at 21 localities.

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