Annual bird count reveals surge in Walvis numbers

At the end of August, conservationists, bird enthusiasts and students once again gathered for the annual Walvis Bay Wetland Winter Bird Count. For two days, several teams surveyed the lagoon and the Walvis Bay Salt Works along predetermined routes on foot and by vehicle. They carefully counted and recorded every bird they saw, including noting its species. The winter bird count, held around July or August each year, is complemented by a summer count in February or March. Together, these two annual counts provide valuable long-term information about bird numbers and the health of the Walvis Bay Lagoon. The counts rely on a popular approach known as citizen science: members of the public volunteer their time to help collect scientific data.

By bringing together many volunteers, large amounts of valuable information can be collected efficiently and at a much lower cost than would be possible with scientists working alone. Beyond that, citizen science gives ordinary people the opportunity to play an active role in understanding and protecting their local environment. HABITAT ‘HOPPERS’ This winter, citizen scientists counted just over 87 000 birds. In comparison, 33 000 were counted in August last year and 74 500 in 2024. The highest winter count ever – 114 000 birds – was recorded in 1992. Of the 87 000 birds counted this winter, 51 000 were flamingos. In summer this year, volunteers counted almost 90 000 birds in total but only around 5 500 of those were flamingos. Why such a big difference? The answer lies in the seasonal movements of these fascinating birds. This year has seen very good rainfall inland, filling Namibia’s Etosha Pan, Botswana’s Sua Pans and other smaller shallow water bodies. Flamingos are considered intra-African migrants, meaning they move between…