Birds of Namibia
Introduction: Crested guineafowl (Guttera edouardi) are noisy birds that vocalize well into the night and before dawn. They prefer a habitat of forest edge and in thick bush under the foliage. Flocks of over 20 birds are common and for all the noise they make, can be conspicuous and secretive. This species of guineafowl become tame in the vicinity of bush camps and are often seen on the sides of dirt roads in forest and woodland. They roost at night in trees and move out of the forest areas in the morning to preen and take advantage of the morning sun.
Distribution: There is an isolated population in the Caprivi either side of the Kwando River.
Diet: Crested guineafowl are omnivorous eating a wide range of fruits and berries, seeds, soft shoots, green leaves stems, roots and bulbs. They also consume spiders, beetles, termites, millipedes and grasshoppers. They forage on the ground in fallen leaves and will fly into trees to pick fruit and berries.
Breeding: Females lay between 4 and 7 eggs with an incubation period of 23 days.
Description: Crested guineafowl have characteristic crests of long black feathers. Their plumage is black with white spots and the wing and body feathers have a bluish tinge. Guttera is the Latin word for drop-shaped spots. They are named after Edouard Verreaux, a French natural history dealer.
Size: 50cm. Weight: 1.5kg.
23 Days - Visits everything between the Fish River Canyon (in the south) to the Zambezi Region (in the north) and still has time to head via the Okavango Delta to Victoria Falls. Ideal for the first time visitor wanting to pack as much into their trip as possible
19 Days - a good choice for those wishing to experience the best parts of Namibia & Botswana. For good measure a visit to the Okavango Delta & Victoria Falls is also include. Departs from Windhoek & ends either at Vic Falls or back in Windhoek
15 Days - Our 'mobile safaris' offer a slightly more comfortable camping experience than the other itineraries on these pages. Alternating departures run between Windhoek & Victoria Falls visiting Chobe National Park, Etosha Park, a himba village, the coastal town of Swakopmund and the Sossusvlei sand dunes.
14 Days - When we first designed a Namibian trip this was the itinerary, it still works brilliantly and is our most popular safari. Runs from Windhoek to Windhoek and includes all the major tourist attractions
12 Days - This mobile safari takes in the most popular attractions. Including the Waterberg Plateau, Etosha National Park, Kaokoland (and a visit to a Himba settlement) the Skeleton Coast & Sossusvlei