BirdlifeAn estimated 460 species of birds inhabit the Chobe National Park and many of these species migrate during our winter. These birds are starting to return now in the late spring and early summer period so the species richness of the Chobe area was still on the increase during October.
The well watered gardens of the Lodge attracted hosts of birds from the surrounding bush and only a short stroll around the Lodge gardens would have produced quite a number of species. The elusive grey headed bush shrikes inhabit the thick foliage of the brown ivory trees on the river side of the Lodge. Their equally elusive cousins the orange breasted bush shrikes were often heard calling from the upper levels of the trees as well.
One of our more spectacular summer resident species have also been spotted around the Lodge grounds again. A pair of broad billed rollers normally breeds in a hollow in a dead tree in front of the Lodge in summertime. These colourful bird have cinnamon coloured upperparts and purple chest and belly with a contrasting bright yellow bill. They spend our southern hemisphere winter in the more temperate areas closer to the equator in Africa and then move south to breed in summer time. |
