January 2013 Wet Season waterbird counts
Of note (see Table 1) was the relatively high number of birds counted in southeastern Botswana
compared to other areas. However, the scattered discrete dams and sewage ponds are easy to access
and to count compared with the vast areas of wetland in the north, so much being inaccessible to
observers.
In northern Botswana the usual well motivated team led by Phil Zappala and Mark Vandevalle covered
the Chobe River and floodplain between the old park entrance gate and Ngoma Bridge. January counts
there are always lower than winter counts but a respectable 3,489 birds were noted. Species in the
highest numbers were Cattle Egret (818), Eygptian Goose (395) and Blacksmith Lapwing (779). A good
range of species was seen with two Slaty Egrets, six White-crowned Lapwings, a Wattled Lapwing and
three Ringed Plovers amongst those of particular interest. Counts in early January at Kasane Seep turned
up four White-fronted Plovers, six White-headed Lapwings and an Osprey.
Gavin and Marjorie Blair managed to check 12 pan complexes (Rhino Vlei, Zwei Zwei and Marabou Pans
were new additions to their usual pans) in Chobe N.P. as well as Savuti Marsh and Channel, part of the
Chobe River between Kavimba and Katchikau and part of the Linyanti River. Water levels in Savuti
Channel and Marsh were lower than in January 2012 so there were many fewer birds. An Osprey was
seen in the Channel. At the 12 pans there were almost 2,000 waterbirds of 36 species; Blacksmith
Lapwings were the most numerous species (429) but other good counts included 68 Woolly-necked and
198 Abdim’s Storks, 161 Comb Ducks and 180 Egyptian Geese, 243 Collared Partincoles and 11 Lesser
Moorhens.
In the Okavango Delta counts were made by Steph Tyler & Felicity Burge along the Okavango River
between the Namibian border to Mohembo, from Mohembo to Shakawe Camp and down to Palm
Island. In Moremi Game Reserve the same observers counted along transects between South Gate and
Third Bridge and between Third and Fourth Bridges, as well as on the Xini Lediba Loop. Over 1,500
waterbirds were noted between South Gate and Third Bridge, including 429 Cattle Egrets and 385
Woolly-necked Storks. Other sites covered included Dombo Hippo Pool in Moremi, Maun Sewage Ponds,
Xigera lagoon, and two short (4km) sections of the Boteti River between Dikgathong and Samedupi. No
full count was made at Lake Ngami but a visit to a short stretch (500m) of wooded shoreline showed
how rich the birdlife was there.
As usual a wide range of species (69) was seen within the Okavango system including four White-backed
Night Herons, nine Wattled Cranes, 15 Slaty Egrets and four African Skimmers, the latter at Xigera
lagoon. Nonetheless only a tiny fraction of the delta was visited.
At the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans Steph Tyler & Felicity Burge surveyed the eastern shore of Lake
Xau near Mopipi from the inflow to Kedia. There they found >3,000 waterbirds including 750-800 White
Pelicans, 219 Greater Flamingos and 39 Lesser Flamingos. Other species of interest included 95 Black
Herons, a White-fronted Plover, a Common Ringed Plover, 11 Grey-headed Gulls and 21 Caspian Terns.
The southwest corner of Rysana Pan had 840 Greater and 54 Lesser Flamingos but unfortunately heavy
rain prevented access around the whole pan. Four members of DWNP staff from Serowe were unable to
count at Mmeya Pan, Nata Sanctuary and Zibanana Pan because of floods preventing access.
In eastern Botswana DWNP staff did visit Shashe, Letsibogo, Ntimbale and Bonwakatlhako Dams and
made partial counts. Numbers of birds at all the dams were remarkably low but a flock of 114 White
Pelican and eight Pink-backed Pelicans were seen at Letsibogo Dam and a Black Stork at Shashe Dam.
Over 100 Lesser Flamingos were at Bonwakatlhako. Near the Limpopo on the border of Botswana a new
large dam called Thune Dam which is 25 km long was counted a few weeks after it first filled with water
by Helena Fitchat and David Hancock. Not surprisingly numbers of birds were low but already there
were 13 species of waterbird at the dam, including 12 African Spoonbills, 35 Abdim’s Storks and a Fish
Eagle.
In southeast Botswana there was excellent cover of 13 dams, sewage ponds and pans. The highest count
came not from Bokaa Dam but from Thagale Dam 50km north of Gaborone, where 3,000 White Storks
and 1,200 Abdim’s Storks were seen. The count at Thagale Dam (4,875) even if the White Storks are
subtracted is the highest since records began there, the previous highest being in January 2012 when
1,481 waterbirds were noted. Counts at Bokaa Dam of Cattle Egrets, Egyptian Gesse and Blacksmith
Lapwings exceeded the previous highest totals of these species. Other highlights in the southeast
included a Little Bittern and 12 Wattled Lapwings at Lobatse S.P., seven Lesser Moorhens at Ramotswa
S.P., 90 Greater Flamingos at Ngotwane Dam and 100 at Bokaa Dam with eight Lesser Flamingos, two
Black Ducks at Nnywane Dam and a single at Jwaneng S.P., 15 Maccoa Duck at Jwaneng S.P. and six at
Mosupa Dam, 54 Black-crowned Night Herons at Gamoleele Dam, 34 Yellow-billed Storks – eight at
Mosupa Dam, singles at Ngotwane Dam and the sewage overflow area in Gaborone Game Reserve, 20
at Bokaa Dam and four at Thagale Dam and two Fulvous Ducks and a flock of 250 Black-winged
Pratincoles at Bokaa Dam.
At Mokolodi Nature Reserve a count of birds roosting on an island in Gwithiau Dam was made; four
Darters, 63 Reed Cormorants, five Little Egrets, 1061 Cattle Egrets and 62 Sacred Ibis were counted
although numbers may have been more than twice those counted as the whole island was not visible
and birds were still arriving as the observers left.
Table 1. Total number of waterbirds counted in Botswana in January 2013 with number of species in
parentheses. Numbers exclude coucals, kingfishers and wagtails (see below)
Northeastern Botswana
6,527 (61)
Southeastern Botswana
13,219 (63)
Chobe River Kasane to Ngoma
Chobe River Liambezi area
Chobe N.P. pans (12 pans)
Savuti marsh/channel
Kasane Seep
Kasane S.P.
Linyanti River
3,489 (44)
264 (22)
1,923 (36)
361 (34)
129 (24)
157 (17)
144 (21)
376 (18)
2,760 (33)
199 (15)
705 (24)
1,247 (29)
Okavango Delta
6,980 (69)
Bathoen Dam
Bokaa Dam
Gamoleele Dam
Jwaneng S.P.
Lobatse S.P.
Mahalapye S.P.
Mogobane Dam
Mokolodi Nature Reserve
Moshupa Dam
374 (22)
1,195 (5) Roost
253 (16)
Maun S.P.
Xigera lagoon
Xigera camp and pans
South Gate to Third Bridge
Third to Fourth Bridge
Dombo Hippo Pool
Xini Lediba loop
Floodplain Goa-Ngarange – small area
Okavango River border to Mohembo
Ok. River Mohembo to Shakawe Camp
Ok. River Shakawe Camp to Palm Island
Boteti River near Samedupi 4km
Boteti River near Xobe 4km
Segoro Pan
Lake Ngami 500m shoreline
Khwai River
1,236 (27)
129 (19)
366 (40)
1,538 (31)
61 (19)
173 (26)
239 (21)
261 (24)
94 (22)
598 (29)
528 (9)
667 (24)
485 (22)
87 (5)
341 (21)
148 (15)
Ramotswa S.P.
Thagale Dam
Tsholofelo S.P. + Gabs G.R.
Tswaiing Pans
846 (30)
4,875 (29)
482 (29)
185 (12)
Makgadikgadi Pans
Lake Xau – eastern shore
Rysana Pan – SW corner
4,410 (47)
3,317 (48)
1,093 (13)
Eastern Botswana
Shashe Dam
Ntimbale Dam
Letsibogo Dam
Bonwakatlhako
Thune Dam
769 (31)
170 (16)
26 (4)
331 (14)
161 (12)
83 (13)
Although coucals, kingfishers and wagtails are excluded from the totals shown in Table 1, records are
kept of all sightings that are submitted with the counts. Table 2 below details data for January 2013.
Woodland and Grey-headed Kingfishers are not listed above but do please continue to submit records of
these species with your counts.
Table 2. Coucals, kingfishers and wagtails
SE
Black Coucal
Coppery-tailed Coucal
Senegal Coucal
White-browed Coucal
Burchell’s Coucal
Giant Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher
Malachite Kingfisher
African Pied Wagtail
Cape Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
E
M.P.
Ok. Delta
6
12
5
2
NE
5
1
2
7
20
1
7
1
3
Totals
6
17
7
2
1
1
51
39
2
72
2
5
139
42
5
9
10
7
14
30
10
2
All the Black Coucals were seen at Xigera. Pied Kingfishers were the most numerous kingfisher
throughout Botswana. The large number of Malachite Kingfishers in the Okavango Delta was mainly (36
birds) from the Okavango River between Mohembo and Palm Island below Shakawe. Surprisingly few
Giant Kingfishers are reported. Two were at Nnywane Dam in SE Botswana, one by the Okavango River
at Shakawe (although another was seen just before the count started) and two in Savuti Channel. At
least three flocks of Yellow Wagtails (ca 30 birds) were seen along the Mohembo to Seronga road but
outside the count area.
Acknowledgements
I thank all those observers who carried out counts in January 2013:
In SE Botswana: Mark Bing, Chris Brewster, Felicity Burge, Mike & Daphne Goldsworthy, Harold Hester,
Mark & Mary Lane-Jones, Eugenie Skelton, Steph Tyler and Ian White,.
In E Botswana: D.W.N.P. staff from Serowe and Helena Fitchat and Dave Hancock across on the
Limpopo.
In the Chobe River count between Kasane and Ngoma: Tempe Adams, Bernard, Pete Comley, Jen Cowie,
Stephen Griesel, Elise Honey, Janine Krayer, Kylie McQualter, Ellen Messerly, Clive Millar, Lowani Misika,
Grant Nel, Mayezi Nkwazi, Rob Sutcliffe, Goiste Tuelo, Mark Vandewalle and Phil & Jen Zappala.
Gavin & Marjorie Blair carried out many counts in Chobe N.P. at pans, Savuti Marsh and Channel and
along the Linyanti; they also looked at the river between Kavimba and Katchikau outside the park.
In Moremi Game Reseve and other areas of the Okavango Delta and at Lake Xau and Rysana Pan in the
northern Makgadikgadi Pans : Felicity Burge & Stephanie Tyler; DWNP staff counted along the Khwai
River.
We would also like to thank D.W.N.P. for waiving the Chobe National Park and Moremi Game Reserve
park fees for those who contributed to the counts.
Stephanie Tyler
Co-ordinator of waterbird counts in Botswana for Wetlands International