List of South African Birds

Photos by Steven Herbert

OVER 850 SPECIES OF BIRDS HAVE BEEN RECORDED IN SOUTH AFRICA MAKING IT A GREAT PLACE TO GO BIRD-WATCHING. BELOW IS A LIST OF THE SPECIES THAT HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED ON BLUEGNU

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A
Avocet, Pied	Recurvirostra avosetta
B
Babbler, Arrow-marked	Turdoides jardineii
Barbet, Black-collared	Lybius torquatus
Barbet, Crested	Trachyphonus vaillantii
Barbet, White-eared	Stactolaema leucotis
Bateleur	Terathopius ecaudatus
Batis, Chinspot	Batis molitor
Bee-eater, European	Merops apiaster
Bee-eater, Little	Merops pusillus
Bee-eater, White-fronted	Merops bullockoides
Bishop, Southern Red	Euplectes orix
Bokmakierie	Telophorus zeylonus
Boubou, Southern	Laniarius ferrugineus
Bulbul, African Red-eyed	Pycnonotus nigricans
Bulbul, Dark-capped	Pycnonotus barbatus
Bunting, Cinnamon-breasted	Emberiza tahapisi
Bunting, Golden-breasted	Emberiza flaviventris
Bush-shrike, Grey-headed	Malaconotus blanchoti
Bustard, Kori	Ardeotis kori
Buzzard, Jackal	Buteo rufofuscus
Buzzard, Steppe	Buteo vulpinus
C
Canary, Yellow-fronted	Serinus mozambicus
Chat, Ant-eating	Myrmecocichla formicivora
Cisticola, Levaillant's	Cisticola tinneins
Cliff-Chat, Mocking	Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
Coot, Red-knobbed	Fulica cristata
Cormorant, Reed	Microcarbo africanus
Cormorant, White-breasted	Phalacrocorax lucidus
Coucal, Burchells	Centropus burchellii
Courser, Temminck's	Cursorius temminckii
Crake, Black	Amaurornis flavirostra
Crane, Blue	Anthropoides paradiseus
Crane, Grey Crowned	Balearica regulorum
Crane, Wattled	Grus carunculata
Crombec, Long-billed	Sylvietta rufescens
Crow, Pied	Corvus albus
Cuckoo, Diderick	Chrysococcyx caprius
Cuckoo, Klaas's	Chrysococcyx caprius
Cuckooshrike, Grey	Coracina caesia
D
Darter, African	Anhinga rufa
Dove, African Mourning	Streptopelia decipiens
Dove, Cape Turtle	Streptopelia capicola
Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood	Turtur chalcospilos
Dove, Laughing	Spilopelia senegalensis
Dove, Namaqua	Oena capensis
Dove, Red-eyed	Streptopelia semitorquata
Dove, Tembourine	Turtur tympanistria
Drongo, Fork-tailed	Dicrurus adsimilis
Drongo, Square-tailed	Dicrurus ludwigii
Duck, African Black	Anas sparsa
Duck, Maccoa	Oxyura maccoa
Duck, White-faced	Dendrocygna viduata
Duck, Yellow-billed	Anas undulata
E
Eagle, African Fish	Haliaeetus vocifer
Eagle, Long-crested	Lophaetus occipitalis
Eagle, Martial	Polemaetus bellicosus
Eagle, Tawny	Aquila rapax
Eagle-Owl, Cape	Bubo capensis
Eagle-Owl, Spotted	Bubo africanus
Egret, Cattle	Bubulcus ibis
Egret, Great	Egretta alba
Egret, Little	Egretta garzetta
F
Falcon, Lanner	Falco biarmicus
Firefinch, Red-billed	Lagonosticta senegala
Fiscal, Common	Lanius collaris
Flamingo, Greater	Phoenicopterus roseus
Flycatcher, African Dusky	Muscicapa adusta
Flycatcher, Fiscal	Sigelus silens
Flycatcher, Southern Black	Melaenornis pammelaina
Flycatcher, Spotted	Muscicapa striata
Francolin, Crested	Dendroperdix sephaena
G
Go-away-bird, Grey	Corythaixoides concolor
Goose, Egyptian	Alopochen aegyptiacus
Goose, Spur-winged	Plectropterus gambensis
Goshawk, African	Accipiter tachiro
Goshawk, Southern Pale Chanting	Melierax canorus
Grebe, Little	Tachybaptus ruficollis
Greenbul, Sombre	Andropadus importunus
Greenbul, Yellow-bellied	Chlorocichla flaviventris
Greenshank, Common	Tringa nebularia
Guineafowl, Crested	Guttera edouardi
Guineafowl, Helmeted	Plectropterus gambensis
Gull, Kelp	Larus dominicanus
H
Hamerkop	Scopus umbretta
Harrier-Hawk, African	Polyboroides typus
Heron, Black	Egretta ardesiaca
Heron, Black-headed	Ardea melanocephala
Heron, Green-backed	Butorides striatus
Heron, Grey	Ardea cinerea
Heron, Purple	Ardea purpurea
Honeyguide, Lesser	Indicator minor
Hoopoe, African	Upapa africana
Hornbill, African Grey	Tockus nasutus
Hornbill, Crowned	Tockus alboterminatus
Hornbill, Red-billed	Tockus rufirostris
Hornbill, Southern Ground	Bucorvus leadbeateri
Hornbill, Southern Yellow-billed	Tockus leucomelas
Hornbill, Trumpeter	Bycanistes bucinator
I
Ibis, Glossy	Plegadis falcinellus
Ibis, Hadeda	Bostrychia hagedash
Ibis, Sacred	Threskiornis aethiopicus
Ibis, Southern Bald	Geronticus calvus
J
K
Kestrel, Greater	Falco rupicoloides
Kingfisher, Giant	Ceryle maxima
Kingfisher, Brown-hooded	Halcyon albiventris
Kingfisher, Malachite	Alcedo cristata
Kingfisher, Pied	Ceryle rudis
Kingfisher, Woodland	Halcyon senegalensis
Kite, Black-shouldered	Elanus caeruleus
Kite, Yellow-billed	Milvus aegyptius parasitus
Korhaan, Red-crested	Lophotis ruficrista
Korhaan, Southern Black	Eupodotis afra
L
Lapwing, African Wattled	Vanellus senegallus
Lapwing, Blacksmith	Vanellus armatus
Lapwing, Black-winged	Charadrius tricollaris
Lapwing, Crowned	Vanellus coronatus
Lark, Rufous-naped	Mirafra africana
Lark, Sabota	Calendulauda sabota
Longclaw, Cape	Macronyx capensis
Longclaw, Yellow-throated	Macronyx croceus
M
Mannikin, Bronze	Lonchura cucullata
Mannikin, Red-backed	Lonchura nigriceps
Marsh-Harrier, African	Circus ranivorus
Martin, Banded	Riparia cincta
Masked-Weaver, Lesser	Ploceus intermedius
Masked-Weaver, Southern	Ploceus velatus
Moorhen, Common	Acridotheres tristus
Mousebird, Red-faced	Urocolius indicus
Mousebird, Speckled	Colius striatus
Myna, Common	Acridotheres tristis
N
O
Oriole, Black-headed	Oriolus larvatus
Osprey	Pandion haliaetus
Ostrich, Common	Struthio camelus
Owl, African Scops	Otus senegalensis
Owl, Marsh	Asio capensis
Owl, Pearl-spotted	Glaucidium perlatum
Oxpecker, Red-billed	Buphagus erythrorhynchus
Oystercatcher, African Black	Haematopus moquini
P
Paradise-Flycatcher, African	Terpsiphone viridis
Parakeet, Rose-ringed	Psittacula krameri
Parrot, Brown-headed	Poicephalus cryptoxanthus
Pelican, Pink-backed	Pelecanus rufescens
Penguin, African	Spheniscus demersus
Pigeon, African Olive-	Columba arquatrix
Pigeon, Rameron	Columba arquatrix
Pigeon, Speckled	Columba guinea
Pipit, African	Anthus cinnamomeus
Plover, Three-banded	Charadrius tricollaris
Prinia, Tawny-flanked	Prinia subflava
Puffback, Black-backed	Dryoscopus cubla
Pytilia, Green-winged	Pytilia melba
Q
Quelea, Red-billed	Quelea quelea
R
Raven, White-necked	Corvus albicollis
Robin, Kalahari Scrub	Cercotrichas paena
Robin, White-browed Scrub	Cercotrichas leucophrys
Robin-Chat, Cape	Cossypha caffra
Robin-Chat, Red-capped	Cossypha natalensis
Robin-Chat, White-browed	Cossypha heuglini
Robin-Chat, White-throated	Cossypha humeralis
Roller, European	Coracias garrulus
Roller, Lilac-breasted	Coracias caudatus
Roller, Purple	Coracias naevius
S
Sandgrouse, Burchell's	Pterocles burchelli
Sandgrouse, Double-banded	Pterocles bicinctus
Sandgrouse, Namaqua	Pterocles namaqua
Secretarybird	Sagittarius serpentarius
Shelduck, South African	Tadorna cana
Shoveler, Cape	Anas smithii
Shrike, Crimson-breasted	Laniarius atrococcineus
Shrike, Magpie	Urolestes melanoleucus
Shrike, Red-backed	Lanius collurio
Shrike, Southern White-crowned	Eurocephalus anguitimens
Snake Eagle, Black-chested	Circaetus pectoralis
Snake Eagle, Brown	Circaetus cinereus
Sparrow, Cape	Passer melanurus
Sparrow, House	Passer domesticus
Sparrow, Southern Grey-headed	Passer diffusus
Sparrowhawk, Black	Accipiter melanoleucus
Sparrowhawk, Little	Accipiter minullus
Spoonbill, African	Platalea alba
Spurfowl, Natal	Pternistis natalensis
Spurfowl, Swainson's	Pternistis swainsonii
Starling, Black-bellied	Lamprotornis corruscus
Starling, Burchell's	Lamprotornis australis
Starling, Cape Glossy	Lamprotornis nitens
Starling, Greater Blue-eared	Lamprotornis chalybaeus
Starling, Pied	Spreo bicolor
Starling, Red-winged	Onychognathus morio
Starling, Wattled	Creatophora cinerea
Stonechat, African	Saxicola torquatus
Stork, Black	Ciconia nigra
Stork, Marabou	Leptoptilos crumeniferus
Stork, Saddlebilled	Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
Stork, White	Ciconia ciconia
Stork, Woolly-necked	Ciconia episcopus
Stork, Yellow-billed	Mycteria ibis
Sugarbird, Gurney's	Promerops gurneyi
Sunbird, Amethyst	Nectarinia amethystina
Sunbird, Collared	Hedydipna collaris
Sunbird, Grey	Cyanomitra veroxii
Sunbird, Marico	Cinnyris mariquensis
Sunbird, Olive	Cyanomitra olivacea
Sunbird, Scarlet-chested	Chalcomitra senegalensis
Sunbird, White-bellied	Cinnyris talatala
Swallow, Barn	Hirundo rustica
Swallow, Lesser Striped	Hirundo abyssinica
Swallow, Red-breasted	Cecropis semirufa
Swallow, White-throated	Hirundo albigularis
Swift, African-Palm	Cypsiurus parvus
Swift, Little	Apus affinis
T
Teal, Red-billed	Anas erythrorhyncha
Tern, Swift	Sterna bergii
Tern, Whiskered	Chlidonias hybrida
Thick-knee, Spotted	Burhinus capensis
Thrush, Groundscraper	Psophocichla litsitsirupa
Thrush, Olive	Turdus olivaceus
Tit, Southern Black	Parus niger
Trogon, Narina	Apaloderma narina
Turaco, Knysna	Tauraco corythaix
Turaco, Purple-crested	Tauraco porphyreolophus
U
V
Vulture, Cape	Gyps coprotheres
Vulture, White-backed	Gyps africanus
Vulture, White-headed	Trigonoceps occipitalis
W
Wagtail, African Pied	Motacilla aguimp
Wagtail, Cape	Motacilla capensis
Waxbill, Blue	Uraeginthus angolensis
Waxbill, Common	Estrilda astrild
Waxbill, Violet-eared	Granatina granatina
Weaver, Sociable	Philetairus socius
Weaver, Spectacled	Ploceus ocularis
Weaver, Thick-billed	Amblyospiza albifrons
Weaver, Village	Ploceus cucullatus
Weaver, Yellow	Ploceus subaureus
Wheatear, Mountain	Oenanthe monticola
White-eye, Cape	Zosterops pallidus
Whydah, Long-tailed Paradise	Vidua paradisaea
Whydah, Pin-tailed	Vidua macroura
Whydah, Shaft-tailed	Vidua regia
Widow, Fan-tailed	Euplectes axillaris
Widowbird, Long-tailed	Euplectes progne
Widowbird, White-winged	Euplectes albonotatus
Wood-hoopoe, Green	Phoeniculus purpureus
Woodpecker, Bennett's	Campethera bennettii
Woodpecker, Cardinal	Dendropicos fuscescens
Woodpecker, Golden-tailed	Campethera abingoni
Wryneck, Redthroated	Jynx ruficollis
X
Y
Z