Species Scientific name Notes
SPHENISCIFORMES: Spheniscidae (Penguins)
Rockhopper Penguin Eudyptes chrysocome One record at Orange River mouth on Northern Cape side. No evidence of it crossing into Namibia.
PROCELLARIIFORMES: Diomedeidae (Albatrosses)
Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta Reported to occur in Namibia's coastal & offshore waters. Most former records are probably of White-capped Albatross T. steadi.
Indian Yellow-nosed
Albatross Thalassarche carteri Little known because of confusion with Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross T. chlororhynchos.
Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata Proportedly one record, specimen picked up between Sandwich Harbour & Walvis Bay, but specimen cannot be traced.
PROCELLARIIFORMES: Procellariidae (Petrels, Shearwaters)
Broad-billed Prion Pachyptila vittata No confirmed records at sea due to difficulty of identification.
Slender-billed Prion Pachyptila belcheri Generally southern oceans south of 65oS, irrupts further north in some years. Record off central Namibia coast not verified.
Kerguelen Petrel Aphrodroma brevirostris Eruptive, behind polar & subpolar fronts, usually oceanic waters but occasionally inshore with storms. Records off central Namibia not verified.
Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes Widespread on east coast of southern Africa; most northerly record on west coast off Orange River mouth. Exact location not known and record not verified.
Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis Off southern Africa mainly south of 32oS, wanders north to off Orange River & central Namibia, but records not verified.
PROCELLARIIFORMES: Hydrobatidae (Storm Petrels)
White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina Unconfirmed report – 30 birds on shelf edge, north Namibia; 1 bird reported 220 nm off central Namibia. Records not substantiated.
White-bellied Storm Petrel Fregetta grallaria Oceanic waters, seldom over continental shelf. Report off Walvis Bay March 1997 unconfirmed.
PHOENICOPTERIFORMES: Phoenicopteridae (Flamingos)
Species Scientific name Notes
Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea One unconfirmed record central Namibian coast - Walvis Bay March 2002.
Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis One record - Zambezi River, eastern Zambezi region near Kalizo lodge June 2006 – unsubstantiated.
ACCIPITRIFORMES: Accipitridae (Kites, Hawks, Buzzards, Old World Vultures, Eagles, Goshawks, Sparrowhawks, Harriers) Rüppell's Vulture Gyps rueppelli One unconfirmed record near Otjiwarongo.
Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus Controversial - all based on sight records (north-east Namibia 1986, 1992, 1997; north-central Namibia 2001, central area 1976). Requires verification.
CHARADRIIFORMES: Charadriidae (Lapwings, Plovers)
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius One unsubstantiated record from Fischer's Pan, Namutoni, Etosha National Park August 1974.
Hudsonian Godwit Lomosa haemastica One unsubstantiated record from Walvis Bay, December 2000.
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus Two unconfirmed records: Chobe River November 1987 & Nkasa Rupara National Park on Linyanti marshes August 2002.
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius One record, Swakopmund, November 2013. Would be 1st record for southern Africa, but not unequivocal.
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis One record – Etosha National Park – unconfirmed.
Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii Two records from Swakopmund December 1964 & 1999 not confirmed.
Dunlin Calidris alpina One unconfirmed record of 2 birds, January 1999, Walvis Bay - no supporting evidence.
CHARADRIIFORMES: Laridae (Skimmers, Gulls, Terns) Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis
Reported sporadically since 2005, e.g. at Mile 4 in 2007 & 2008, Halifax Island in 2012. Recent assessment suggests that these are hybrid Lesser Crested - Sandwich Terns originating from Western Europe (Cabot & Nisbet 2013).
Elegant Tern Thalasseus elegans Reported sporadically on central Namibian cost. Recent assessment suggests that these are hybrid Elegant – Sandwich Terns originating from Western Europe (Cabot & Nisbet 2013).
CHARADRIIFORMES: Stercorariidae (Skuas, Jaegers)
South Polar Skua Catharacta maccormicki One unsubstantiated record, south of Walvis Bay, February 2009.
MUSOPHAGIFORMES: Musophagidae (Turacos, Lourie)
Ross's Turaco Musophaga rossae Kavango / Zambezi record unsubstantiated.
APODIFORMES: Apodidae (Swifts)
Mottled Swift Tachymarptis aequatorialis
1 specimen claimed to be of this species collected by Eriksson in central Namibia, in Vänersborg Museum, Sweden. Probably misidentified Bradfield’s Apus bradfieldi or Common Swift A. apus - needs checking.
Species Scientific name Notes PASSERIFORMES: Corvidae (Crows, Ravens)
White-necked Raven Corvus albicollis Rare visitor to Orange River valley, no confirmed records in Namibia.
PASSERIFORMES: Alaudidae (Larks, Sparrow-Larks)
Karoo Lark Calendulauda albescens Recorded along South African north-western coast to Port Nolloth on Orange River - not yet recorded on northern side of river in Namibia.
PASSERIFORMES: Macrosphenidae (Rockrunner, Crombecs)
Red-faced Crombec Sylvietta whytii Records from Shamvura, Kavango East probably attributable to Long-billed Crombec, subsp S. r. flecki. Unsubstantiated record from Impalila Island.
PASSERIFORMES: Phylloscopidae (Phylloscopus Warblers)
Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix Ostensibly recorded & ringed on Osombusatjura farm, Grootfontein & recorded Erongo Mnt, both 1958. Likely misidentifications.
PASSERIFORMES: Cisticolidae (African Warblers, e.g. Cisticolas, Prinias, Apalises, Camaropteras, Wren-Warblers, Eremomelas)
Croaking Cisticola Cisticola natalensis Recorded in Botswana & Zimbabwe immediately contiguous with eastern Zambezi region - but no confirmed records yet in Namibia.
PASSERIFORMES: Muscicapidae (Robins, Chats, Palm Thrushes, Wheatears, Rock Thrushes, Old World Flycatchers)
Fiscal Flycatcher Sigelus silens Old records (early 1960s) from Sandwich Harbour & Kuiseb River unconfirmed - probably erroneous.
PASSERIFORMES: Estrildidae (Pytilia, Finches, Firefinches, Waxbills, Swees, Quailfinches, Mannikins) Angolan Swee (Waxbill) Coccopygia bocagei
Small group reported from Ehomba, about 17 km s of Kunene River. Poor photograph is not unequivocal. Clancey (1980) mentions its occurrence in north-central Namibia but provides no evidence.
PASSERIFORMES: Motacillidae (Wagtails, Longclaws, Pipits)
Fülleborn's Longclaw Macronyx fuelleborni Unsubstantiated sight record from northern Namibia. A specimen collected by Eriksson (in Vänersborg Museum, Sweden) has no locality – probably collected in Angola.
PASSERIFORMES: Fringillidae (Canaries)
Streaky-headed Seedeater Crithagra gularis Said to occur in extreme north-east Namibia but no confirmed records.
Black-eared Seedeater Crithagra mennelli Said to occur in extreme north-east Namibia but no confirmed records.