Birds in South Africa

129 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024

Our list for South Africa has 129 bird species recorded regularly there: 55 residents, 44 summer visitors, 2 winter visitors, 19 passage migrants and 9 scarce visitors.

The list comes from 5.1 million birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Birds to see in South Africa in September

85 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

All 85 birds in September

Arriving in September: European Bee-eater, Ringed Plover, Common Swift, House Martin, Arctic Jaeger, Sabine's Gull, Red Knot, Damara Tern and 1 more.

Through the year

Species recorded regularly in South Africa each month: most in January (111), fewest in June (66). Choose a month to see its birds.

11185
Show as a table
Willow Warbler
Willow WarblerSmallest · 11cm
to
Common Ostrich
Common OstrichLargest · 275cm
From the Willow Warbler (11 cm) to the Common Ostrich (275 cm)49 families

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All 129 birds on the list

Showing 1–23 of 129 species

ResidentRecorded all yearSummer visitorArrives to breed; scarce or absent in winterWinter visitorPresent outside the breeding seasonPassage migrantSeen mainly in spring and autumn migrationScarceRecorded in some years but not every yearCommonAmong the most-recorded birds in its best monthUncommonRecorded regularly, but on a minority of outingsRareFew records, even in its best month
Egyptian Goose

Egyptian Goose

Alopochen aegyptiacaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Fork-tailed Drongo

Fork-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus adsimilisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rusticaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Cape Sparrow

Cape Sparrow

Passer melanurusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Pied Crow

Pied Crow

Corvus albusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Helmeted Guineafowl

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagrisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Cape Starling

Cape Starling

Lamprotornis nitensLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Southern Masked Weaver

Southern Masked Weaver

Ploceus velatusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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House Sparrow

House Sparrow

Passer domesticusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Ardea ibisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Ardea cinereaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rock Dove

Rock Dove

Columba liviaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Starling

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgarisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carboLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lesser Striped Swallow

Lesser Striped Swallow

Cecropis abyssinicaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Moorhen

Moorhen

Gallinula chloropusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Hoopoe

Hoopoe

Upupa epopsLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Buzzard

Buzzard

Buteo buteoLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Aug–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Bee-eater

European Bee-eater

Merops apiasterLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-backed Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurioLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Spur-winged Goose

Spur-winged Goose

Plectropterus gambensisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Egret

Little Egret

Egretta garzettaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Frequently Asked Questions

Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made

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