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CHECKLIST

OKAVANGO DELTA

BOTSWANA
LOCALE

Area (ha):6,864,000
# Species:463
# Excl Vagrants:463
# Endemics:0
# Near Endemics:0
Species/100 ha:0.0

ABOUT THE BIRDING

The Okavango Delta is the most visited place in Botswana, and with good reason. It offers spectacular game view and spectacular birding along with a wide variety of accommodations. It is most visited during dry season from May through October when game viewing is at its best but of course breeding season for the birds is during rainy season. Game viewing features large populations of Red Lechwe as well as many Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Zebra, and Hippopotamus. The numerous antelope include Waterbuck, Reedbuck, Impala, Kudu, Steenbok, Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Roan, and Sable. Carnivores are abundant, including Lion and Cheetah, and it's one of the best places to see Leopard. Primates include Chacma Baboon, Vervet Monkey, and Lesser Bush-Baby.

The Okavango can be divided into three distinct regions: the panhandle, the delta proper, and the dryland. The panhandle to the northwest encompasses about a third of the entire Okavango. It is permanently flooded with extensive stands of Papyrus and reedbeds, has deep channels, and is dotted by small islands. The central delta is seasonally flooded with large woodlands and extensive floodplains. The Moremi Game Reserve encompasses a large portion of the delta, some 4870 SqKm, and is considered one of Africa's most outstanding wildlife sanctuaries. The southeast is dryland where the vegetation is mainly Mopane woodland, Acacia, and scrub bush.

Birding in the Okavango is spectacular, with over 440 species recorded. It's a haven for wetland birds, but many other species are also noteworthy. Among these are Wattled Crane, a species which is listed as Vulnerable by IUCN, and occurs in its greatest concentration in the delta, and Pel's Fishing-Owl, a rare owl that hunts for fish after dusk. Other sought-after species regularly seen include Slaty Egret,White-backed Night-Heron, Banded Snake-Eagle, Long-toed Lapwing, Lesser Jacana, African Skimmer, Coppery-tailed Coucal, Chirping Cisticola, Luapula Cisticola (sometimes split from Winding Cisticola, Hartlaub's Babbler, and Brown Firefinch.

LOCATION OF SITE

The Okavango Delta is situated deep within the Kalahari Basin of northern Botswana. It is usually reached by flying into Maun but can be reached via road from Zambia by driving through the Chobe River area or from the south by driving the A3 up from Windhoek, Namibia.