Birds of Prey

An astonishingly diverse range of birds of prey were on display in both Namibia and Botswana. Day hunting habits and abundance in the desert helped us spot many. Here are some of our best photos

Bateleur

Bateleur eagles are a common sight during the day. Closely related to other Snake Eagles, they have a distinctively short tail. The instability this causes makes them obvious to spot whilst flying. That and their bright red beak and toes. They’re scavengers and will often be the first on the scene to a fresh kill.

African Fish Eagle

The Nkwazi is such a distinctive feature of the riverine regions. They’re present in large numbers around Chobe riverfront, and in the Okavango Delta. It is the national bird of Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Wow.

Secretary Bird

The Secretary Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a distinctive and large raptor native to sub-Saharan Africa. Known for its unique appearance, it stands out with its tall legs, long neck, and striking black and white plumage. Secretary Birds primarily feed on small mammals and reptiles, using their powerful legs to stomp and kill prey. They are terrestrial birds that prefer open grasslands and savannas

They’re famous for hunting snakes. Everyone and their dog has a youtube video of them killing snakes. We didn’t see this in action, the specimen we spotted was alarming nesting plovers more than anything else. Secretary birds are a widespread species, but a fairly uncommon sight. Wikipedia has them down as endangered.

Tawny Eagle

The Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) is a large and powerful bird of prey found in various parts of Africa and parts of South Asia. These eagles are characterized by their distinctive tawny-brown plumage, broad wings, and a pale patch on the upper side of their wings. Tawny Eagles are skilled hunters, primarily preying on small mammals and birds. They inhabit a range of habitats, from open savannas to wooded areas.

Tawny Eagle - A common sight in trees across Southern Africa — *A common sight in trees across Southern Africa*

Tawny Eagles are plentiful in this part of the world, in particular within Chobe national park. Often we’d spot a large bird of prey in a tree, only to identify it as another Tawny.

In their own right they are large and impressive creatures, and we were so fortunate to be able to be so casual about our sightings

Vultures

Snake Eagle

I believe this is a Brown Snake Eagle – despite its very dark or almost black appearance

Snake eagles are huge, and they like to hang out in the very tops of trees to get the best view of the area. Often they have a striking spiky crest, but I wouldn’t rely on this to identify them.

Yellow Billed Kite

*Kite and Jackal compete for lunch at Savuti*

An exciting encounter, we watched as a Yellow Billed Kite hunted Rock Doves at the Marabou Pan in Savuti. The bird shown had three of four attempts to pick up the injured Rock Dove, however it was distracted by the Jackal in the background. The Kite was in pole position, but didn’t manage to pick up the dove cleanly which allowed the Jackal to swoop in to seize a free lunch.

Jackal steals the Kite's lunch - Savuti — *Jackal steals the Kite’s lunch* *– Savuti*

Other small Birds of Prey

*Some kind of hawk – a common sight on the drive across Namibia*

*Pale Chanting Goshawk – plentiful in Etosha*

There are numerous Goshawk around Savuti, as well as in Etosha. We were fortunate (or unfortunate) to see a Gabar Goshawk take down a Tchagra near Savuti. Which was not the only bird on bird attack we saw there.

Southern Carmine Bee Eater - Perching in the late afternoon sun at Chobe riverfront

Birds home

Find more photos

Rollers

Lilac breasted and fun

Bee-Eaters

Bees aren’t going to eat themselves

Water Birds

Storks and Herons and things