Home›Birds›Ecosystem›Okavango DeltaEcosystemOkavango DeltaWetland and FreshwaterReference and ClassificationVerifiedThe largest inland delta on Earth, formed where the Okavango River, rising in the Angolan highlands, spreads across the sands of the Kalahari Desert in northern Botswana and disappears entirely through evaporation and absorption rather than reaching the sea. Because the floodwaters take months to travel downstream from Angola, the delta flood peak arrives during the Botswana dry season, turning parched grassland into a seasonal wetland that draws immense concentrations of elephants, lions, hippopotamuses and African wild dogs. Inscribed as the one thousandth UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, the channels and floodplains of the delta shift from year to year, so no single map of the system stays accurate for long.FactsOkavango DeltaConnectionsIn the Other AtlasesSourcesTake a Related QuizComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsDisputedArea (sq km)Scholarly debate15,000 1The flooded extent of the delta varies seasonally from roughly 6,000 square kilometers in the dry season to as much as 15,000 to 22,000 square kilometers at peak flood; this figure reflects a commonly cited maximum extent.ClassificationBiogeographic RealmWell-attestedAfrotropic 1Protected StatusWell-attestedManaged or Multiple-Use Protection 1Okavango DeltaFilter Results4 entriesCommon GroupAllBirds Of Prey (Raptors) (1)Gulls, Terns And Auks (1)Herons, Egrets And Allies (2)Everyday GroupAllBirds Of Prey (Raptors) (1)Gulls, Terns And Auks (1)Herons, Egrets And Allies (2)HabitatAllLake (1)Wetlands (2)Where It LivesAllAfrica (4)Belgium (1)Denmark (1)Kenya (1)Mozambique (1)Norway (4)Poland (1)Russia (1)South Africa (1)South Asia (1)Spain (2)Sweden (1)Tanzania (1)Ukraine (1)Conservation StatusAllLeast Concern (4)DietAllCarnivore (2)Detritivore or Scavenger (1)Piscivore (1)System (Realm)AllFreshwater (3)Marine (1)Terrestrial (3)Living or ExtinctAllYes (4)Relationship to PeopleAllEcotourism and Research (1)Source of Fibre (1)CITES AppendixAllAppendix II (1)Not Listed (3)TaxonomyAllArdeidae (1)Aves (1)Circus (1)Laridae (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 4African marsh harrierOkavango DeltaAfrican skimmerOkavango DeltaEurasian bitternOkavango DeltaMarabou StorkOkavango DeltaConnectionsDemonstratesWater Cycle, Natural Phenomena Well-attested Source Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1HostsAardwolf, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: HippopotamusAdditional Source Okavango Delta (Wikipedia)Article textAfrican Buffalo, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: HippopotamusAdditional Source Okavango Delta (Wikipedia)Article textAfrican Bush Elephant, Species Well-attested Source African Bush Elephant (Wikipedia)tier 2African Elephant, Species Well-attested Source Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1African marsh harrier, Species Well-attested Source African marsh harrier (Wikipedia)African skimmer, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: HippopotamusAdditional Source Okavango Delta (Wikipedia)Article textAfrican Wild Dog, Species Well-attested Source African Wild Dog (Wikipedia)tier 2Caracal, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: HippopotamusAdditional Source Okavango Delta (Wikipedia)Article textCommon Warthog, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: HippopotamusAdditional Source Okavango Delta (Wikipedia)Article textEurasian bittern, Species Well-attested Source Eurasian bittern (Wikipedia)Giraffe, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: HippopotamusAdditional Source Okavango Delta (Wikipedia)Article textGreater Kudu, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: HippopotamusAdditional Source Okavango Delta (Wikipedia)Article textHippopotamus, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: HippopotamusAdditional Source Okavango Delta (Wikipedia)Article textHoney Badger (Mellivora capensis), Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: HippopotamusAdditional Source Okavango Delta (Wikipedia)Article textImpala, Species Well-attested Source Impala (Wikipedia)tier 2Lechwe, Species Well-attested Source Lechwe (Wikipedia)Marabou Stork, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: HippopotamusAdditional Source Okavango Delta (Wikipedia)Article textNile Crocodile, Species Well-attested Source World Wildlife FundPuku, Species Well-attested Source Puku (Wikipedia)Sable Antelope, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: HippopotamusAdditional Source Okavango Delta (Wikipedia)Article textSitatunga, Species Well-attested Source Sitatunga (Wikipedia)Tsessebe, Species Well-attested Source Damaliscus lunatus (Wikipedia)Tsetse Fly, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: HippopotamusAdditional Source Okavango Delta (Wikipedia)Article textVervet Monkey, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: HippopotamusAdditional Source Okavango Delta (Wikipedia)Article textIn BiomeFreshwater, Biomes Well-attested An inland river delta in the Kalahari that never reaches the sea, ending instead in seasonal freshwater flood plains and permanent freshwater swamp.Source Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1In the Other AtlasesSame AsOkavango DeltaAlso in Geography Atlas: the same subject.Found InBotswanaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.Sources1. Encyclopaedia Britannicatier 1Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.britannica.com/place/Okavango-River, delta description paragraphThis delta region, less than half of which is swamp year-round, covers an area of about 6,500 square miles (16,800 square km).Biogeographic realm: afrotropic (derived from location stated in entity description)Protected status (stated plainly in the entity own recorded description)Inscribed as the one thousandth UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, the channels and floodplains of the delta shift from year to year, so no single map of the system stays accurate for long.Demonstrates: Water CycleHosts: African ElephantIn Biome: FreshwaterView the SourceWorld Wildlife FundWorld Wildlife FundHosts: Nile CrocodileView the SourceDamaliscus lunatus (Wikipedia)Hosts: Tsessebe, Common tsessebeQuote, Hosts: Tsessebe, Common tsessebeIn northern Botswana, on the other hand, populations declined from 1996 to 2013, tsessebe populations in the Okavango Delta declined by 73%, with a 87% decline in the Moremi Game Reserve in particular.View the SourceSitatunga (Wikipedia)Hosts: Sitatunga, Threats and conservationQuote, Hosts: Sitatunga, Threats and conservationAround 40 percent of the populations (based on the overestimate of 170,000) occurs in protected areas, mainly in Okavango Delta and Linyanti and Chobe swamps (Botswana); Dja Faunal Reserve and Lobéké National Park (Cameroon); Bangassou (Central African Republic); Odzala National Park, Lake TéléView the SourceLechwe (Wikipedia)Hosts: Lechwe, RangeQuote, Hosts: Lechwe, RangeThe lechwe is native to Botswana, Zambia, southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, northeastern Namibia, and eastern Angola, especially in the Okavango Delta, Kafue Flats, and Bangweulu Wetlands.View the SourcePuku (Wikipedia)Hosts: Puku, LeadQuote, Hosts: Puku, LeadThe puku (Kobus vardonii) is a medium-sized antelope found in wet grasslands in southern Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and more concentrated in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.View the SourceImpala (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Impala, Threats and conservationQuote, Hosts: Impala, Threats and conservationAround a quarter of the common impala populations occur in protected areas, such as the Okavango Delta (Botswana); Masai Mara and Kajiado (Kenya); Kruger National Park (South Africa); the Ruaha and Serengeti National Parks and Selous Game Reserve (Tanzania); Luangwa Valley (Zambia); Hwange, Sebungwe and Zambezi Valley (Zimbabwe).View the SourceAfrican Wild Dog (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: African Wild Dog, Sneeze communication and 'voting'Quote, Hosts: African Wild Dog, Sneeze communication and 'voting'Populations in the Okavango Delta have been observed 'rallying' before setting out to hunt.View the SourceAfrican Bush Elephant (Wikipedia)tier 2Wikimedia FoundationHosts: African Bush Elephant, PathogensQuote, Hosts: African Bush Elephant, PathogensFrom April to June 2020, over 400 bush elephants died in Botswana's Okavango Delta region after drinking from desiccating waterholes that were infested with cyanobacteria.View the SourceEurasian bittern (Wikipedia)Hosts: Eurasian bittern, Distribution and habitatQuote, Hosts: Eurasian bittern, Distribution and habitatThe subspecies B. s. capensis is endemic to southern Africa, where it is found sparingly in marshes near the east coast, the Okavango Delta and the upland foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains.View the SourceAfrican marsh harrier (Wikipedia)Hosts: African marsh harrier, ConservationQuote, Hosts: African marsh harrier, ConservationOutside South Africa there are still large areas of suitable habitat, e.g. the Okavango Delta in Botswana and over much of Zambia, and the species is still locally common .View the SourceOkavango Delta (Wikipedia)Hosts: Sable Antelope, Article textspecies include the giraffe, blue wildebeest, plains zebra, hippopotamus, impala, common eland, greater kudu, sable antelope, roan antelope, puku, waterbuck, sitatunga, tsessebe, cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, caracal, serval, aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, African savanna hare, honey badger,Hosts: Vervet Monkey, Article textwild dog, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, caracal, serval, aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, African savanna hare, honey badger, common warthog, chacma baboon, vervet monkey and NileHosts: Marabou Stork, Article textThe delta also hosts over 400 bird species, including the helmeted guineafowl, African fish eagle, Pel's fishing owl, Egyptian goose, South African shelduck, African jacana, African skimmer, marabou stork, crested crane, African spoonbill, African darter, southern ground hornbill, wattled crane, lilac-breasted roller, secretary bird and common ostrich.Hosts: Aardwolf, Article textkudu, sable antelope, roan antelope, puku, waterbuck, sitatunga, tsessebe, cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, caracal, serval, aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, African savanna hare, honey badger, common warthog, chacma baboon, vervet monkey and NileHosts: Tsetse Fly, Article textMost Batawana, however, have traditionally lived on the edges of the delta, due to the threat that the tsetse fly poses to their cattle.Hosts: Hippopotamus, Article textspecies include the giraffe, blue wildebeest, plains zebra, hippopotamus, impala, common eland, greater kudu, sable antelope, roan antelope, puku, waterbuck, sitatunga, tsessebe, cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, caracal, serval, aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, African savanna hare, honey badger,Hosts: African Buffalo, Article textAll of the big five game animals, the lion, leopard, African buffalo, African bush elephant, black and white rhinoceros are present.Hosts: Common Warthog, Article texttsessebe, cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, caracal, serval, aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, African savanna hare, honey badger, common warthog, chacma baboon, vervet monkey and NileHosts: African skimmer, Article textThe delta also hosts over 400 bird species, including the helmeted guineafowl, African fish eagle, Pel's fishing owl, Egyptian goose, South African shelduck, African jacana, African skimmer, marabou stork, crested crane, African spoonbill, African darter, southern ground hornbill, wattled crane, lilac-breasted roller, secretary bird and common ostrich.Hosts: Giraffe, Article textspecies include the giraffe, blue wildebeest, plains zebra, hippopotamus, impala, common eland, greater kudu, sable antelope, roan antelope, puku, waterbuck, sitatunga, tsessebe, cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, caracal, serval, aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, African savanna hare, honey badger,Hosts: Greater Kudu, Article textspecies include the giraffe, blue wildebeest, plains zebra, hippopotamus, impala, common eland, greater kudu, sable antelope, roan antelope, puku, waterbuck, sitatunga, tsessebe, cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, caracal, serval, aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, African savanna hare, honey badger,Hosts: Caracal, Article textimpala, common eland, greater kudu, sable antelope, roan antelope, puku, waterbuck, sitatunga, tsessebe, cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, caracal, serval, aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, African savanna hare, honey badger, common warthog, chacma baboon, vervet monkey and NileHosts: Honey Badger (Mellivora capensis), Article textwaterbuck, sitatunga, tsessebe, cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, caracal, serval, aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, African savanna hare, honey badger, common warthog, chacma baboon, vervet monkey and NileView the SourceTake a Related QuizWetlands, Reefs and Deltas: New EcosystemsIncludes a question about Okavango Delta.Comments (0)No comments yet. 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