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. KOAR (Kavango Open Africa Route) which is an Open Africa initiative, was formally established in May 2011 with the formation of an association, run by an elected committee and governed by a constitution. The group established a tourist route along the Okavango River from Katwitwi on the Angolan border to Mohembo on the Botswana border. There are now over 40 establishments as members along this route all committed to ther onservation principles of the KOAR Association. One of these principles, and indeed a requirement for membership, is the monitoring of the five flagship species. Two of these species are birds and one, the primary species, is a water-bird, the African Skimmer. It was therefore a natural progression for the group to get involved with the annual wetland water-bird census programme.