An entrance into the wonderful world of Namibian birds

DID you know that a greater flamingo can live for up to 40 years?Or a grey loerie can reach the age of 20 years?And that fork-tailed drongos imitate the call of a raptor, fooling other animals to make them drop their prey, which the drongo then takes?

These are some of the interesting bits of information in Peter Reiner’s ‘My First Book of Namibian Birds’, which introduces young readers and interested amateurs to 42 bird species most likely to be seen in Namibia.

Reiner groups the chosen species into seabirds, waterbirds, hunting birds, veld birds and bush birds, and gives a handy description of the appearance of each species, its habitat, behaviour, call, diet, predators and nesting habits.

With many of the species a ‘Did You know?’ section with a usually little-known titbit about the bird at hand is included – for example, informing the reader that kori bustards swallow stones to help with their digestion, that a southern masked weaver can build its skilfully weaved nest in a day and can build up to 50 nests in a year, that kelp gulls can see infrared light, which allows them to see in the dark, and that marabou storks spray urine on their own legs to cool down on hot days.

Aimed at young readers and meant to provide them with an entry into the world of Namibia’s rich birdlife, this book presents its material on the chosen 42 species in an easily accessible and visually engaging format, and is informative not only for the young person but for adults wishing to learn more about our country’s birds as well.

It should be an ideal companion for children not only on road trips around Namibia, but at home, too. And the grown-ups will probably also learn something about birds that they never knew before.

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