Farm ClaratalBirds, game and a very dark sky.
More than 170 bird species have been recorded on the farm, leopards walk past the camera traps, and at night there is no light for kilometres.
Birding.
Claratal has many different habitats close together: dams, a riverbed, thorn savannah and mountain. That brings a wide range of birds, several of them found only in Namibia and its neighbours.
Birds are a good sign of healthy land. A rich bird life tells us the farm is being managed in a way that keeps its biodiversity.
What to bring
Binoculars are enough to start. A spotting scope, a tripod and a long lens help. Bring a field guide, a hat and a water bottle.
The Claratal bird list.
Rubén has recorded 170 species so far. If you see one that is missing, tell us and we will add it. Download the list as a spreadsheet
170 species
- Acacia Pied Barbet Tricholaema leucomelas
- African Cuckoo Cuculus gularis
- African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer
- African Grey Hornbill Lophoceros nasutus
- African Hawk-Eagle Aquila spilogaster
- African Hoopoe Upupa africana
- African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus
- African Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus
- African Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus nigricans
- African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus
- African Spoonbill Platalea alba
- Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba
- Ant-eating Chat Myrmecocichla formicivora
- Ashy Tit Melaniparus cinerascens
- Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
- Barn Owl Tyto alba
- Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
- Barred Wren-Warbler Calamonastes fasciolatus
- Bearded Woodpecker Chloropicus namaquus
- Bee-eater Merops apiaster
- Black Cuckoo Cuculus clamosus
- Black-chested Prinia Prinia flavicans
- Black-chested Snake Eagle Circaetus pectoralis
- Black-faced Waxbill Brunhilda erythronotos
- Blacksmith Lapwing Vanellus armatus
- Black-throated Canary Crithagra atrogularis
- Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus
- Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
- Bokmakierie Telophorus zeylonus
- Bradfield's Swift Apus bradfieldi
- Bronze-winged Courser Rhinoptilus chalcopterus
- Brown-crowned Tchagra Tchagra australis
- Brubru Nilaus afer
- Buffy Pipit Anthus vaalensis
- Burchell's Starling Lamprotornis australis
- Burnt-necked Eremomela Eremomela usticollis
- Cape Bunting Emberiza capensis
- Cape Sparrow Passer melanurus
- Cape Starling Lamprotornis nitens
- Cape Teal Anas capensis
- Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis
- Capped Wheatear Oenanthe pileata
- Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens
- Chat Flycatcher Melaenornis infuscatus
- Chestnut Weaver Ploceus rubiginosus
- Chestnut-vented Warbler Curruca subcoerulea
- Common Buttonquail Turnix sylvaticus
- Common Ostrich Struthio camelus
- Common Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas
- Crimson-breasted Shrike Laniarius atrococcineus
- Crowned Lapwing Vanellus coronatus
- Desert Cisticola Cisticola aridulus
- Diederik Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius
- Double-banded Courser Rhinoptilus africanus
- Double-banded Sandgrouse Pterocles bicinctus
- Dusky Sunbird Cinnyris fuscus
- Dwarf Bittern Ixobrychus sturmii
- Eastern Clapper Lark Mirafra fasciolata
- Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca
- Familiar Chat Oenanthe familiaris
- Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis
- Fawn-colored Lark Calendulauda africanoides
- Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis
- Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar
- Golden-tailed Woodpecker Campethera abingoni
- Great Sparrow Passer motitensis
- Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius
- Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
- Greater Kestrel Falco rupicoloides
- Greater Striped Swallow Cecropis cucullata
- Greenshank Tringa nebularia
- Green-winged Pytilia Pytilia melba
- Grey Go-away-bird Crinifer concolor
- Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
- Grey-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brevicaudata
- Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix verticalis
- Groundscraper Thrush Turdus litsitsirupa
- Hamerkop Scopus umbretta
- Hartlaub's Spurfowl Pternistis hartlaubi
- Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris
- Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus
- House Sparrow Passer domesticus
- Jacobin Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus
- Kalahari Scrub Robin Cercotrichas paena
- Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius
- Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori
- Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus
- Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos
- Large Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula
- Lark-like Bunting Emberiza impetuani
- Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis
- Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor
- Lesser Masked Weaver Ploceus intermedius
- Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus
- Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
- Little Swift Apus affinis
- Ludwig's Bustard Neotis ludwigii
- Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa
- Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumenifer
- Marico Flycatcher Melaenornis mariquensis
- Marico Sunbird Cinnyris mariquensis
- Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus
- Monteiro's Hornbill Tockus monteiri
- Mountain Wheatear Myrmecocichla monticola
- Namaqua Dove Oena capensis
- Namaqua Sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua
- Northern Black Korhaan Afrotis afraoides
- Orange River Francolin Scleroptila gutturalis
- Pale Chanting Goshawk Melierax canorus
- Pale-winged Starling Onychognathus nabouroup
- Pearl-breasted Swallow Hirundo dimidiata
- Pearl-spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum
- Pied Crow Corvus albus
- Pririt Batis Batis pririt
- Purple Roller Coracias naevius
- Quail Coturnix coturnix
- Rattling Cisticola Cisticola chiniana
- Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio
- Red-billed Buffalo Weaver Bubalornis niger
- Red-billed Firefinch Lagonosticta senegala
- Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea
- Red-billed Spurfowl Pternistis adspersus
- Red-billed Teal Anas erythrorhyncha
- Red-crested Korhaan Lophotis ruficrista
- Red-faced Mousebird Urocolius indicus
- Red-headed Finch Amadina erythrocephala
- Reed Cormorant Microcarbo africanus
- Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola
- Rock Kestrel Falco rupicolus
- Rosy-faced Lovebird Agapornis roseicollis
- Rufous-cheeked Nightjar Caprimulgus rufigena
- Rufous-eared Warbler Malcorus pectoralis
- Sabota Lark Calendulauda sabota
- Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
- Scaly-feathered Weaver Sporopipes squamifrons
- Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius
- Shaft-tailed Whydah Vidua regia
- Short-toed Rock Thrush Monticola brevipes
- Sociable Weaver Philetairus socius
- South African Shelduck Tadorna cana
- Southern Fiscal Lanius collaris
- Southern Grey-headed Sparrow Passer diffusus
- Southern Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus
- Southern Pied Babbler Turdoides bicolor
- Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma
- Southern White-faced Owl Ptilopsis granti
- Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill Tockus leucomelas
- Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea
- Spotted Eagle-Owl Bubo africanus
- Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis
- Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
- Swallow-tailed Bee-eater Merops hirundineus
- Swift Apus apus
- Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax
- Temminck's Courser Cursorius temminckii
- Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris
- Verreaux's Eagle Aquila verreauxii
- Verreaux's Eagle-Owl Bubo lacteus
- Violet Wood Hoopoe Phoeniculus damarensis
- Violet-eared Waxbill Uraeginthus granatinus
- Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea
- White-backed Mousebird Colius colius
- White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus
- White-breasted Cormorant Phalacrocorax lucidus
- White-browed Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser mahali
- White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus
- White-tailed Shrike Lanioturdus torquatus
- Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
- Yellow Canary Crithagra flaviventris
- Yellow-bellied Eremomela Eremomela icteropygialis
Bird ringing.
Ringing means catching a wild bird, fitting a numbered metal ring and releasing it. The ringer also records species, age, sex, measurements, weight and breeding condition.
When a ringed bird is caught again, we learn about migration routes, survival and territory. A station that rings regularly can follow the health of the whole bird population over years.
Claratal supports this research and regular ringing sessions take place on the farm. Contact us if you would like to take part.
Leopards and cheetahs.
Since April 2021 Claratal and the Auas Oanob Conservancy have hosted a research project on big cats.
InterMuc
The project is run by the Carnivore Ecology Lab at the University of Ljubljana and the Cheetah Research Project of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin. It studies how leopards and cheetahs avoid or seek each other.
Researcher Rubén Portas is based on the farm. He fits leopards with GPS collars to follow their movements, find the places they scent-mark and find where they make their kills.
Guests may be able to join Rubén in the field, checking kill sites or servicing camera traps and box traps. Ask us when you book.
Visit the InterMuc project site
Cheetah research by the Leibniz IZW
The institute supports farmers in conflict between people and wildlife. Its scientists track large carnivores with satellite collars and analyse cheetah hair to learn what the animals have been eating.
Game
Giraffe, kudu and other antelope live on the farm. You meet them on the trails and they come closest to riders.
Stargazing
There is no light pollution and the highland air is clear. Stay at the fire after dark and look up.
Lily season
After good rain the lilies flower, usually early in the year. They do not last long, so come soon after the rain.
Check the weather on the farm.
A SASSCAL WeatherNet station stands on Claratal. It records temperature, rain, UV index and wind, and you can look up today's readings or past records.
SASSCAL is the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management. It runs 34 stations across Namibia.
