Birds to See in South Africa in August
77 bird species on our list for South Africa are recorded regularly in August
Of these, the most often recorded are Egyptian Goose, Pied Crow, Fork-tailed Drongo, Cape Sparrow and Helmeted Guineafowl. New this month: Buzzard, Wood Sandpiper, Little Stint and Little Tern and 2 more.
On the move in August
GBIF · AugFrom South Africa’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 77 birds in August
77 birds
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 1.73% in Aug
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 1.19% in Aug
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.16% in Aug
Cape SparrowPasser melanurusResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.11% in Aug
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 1.00% in Aug
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.94% in Aug
Cape StarlingLamprotornis nitensResidentCommon25–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.82% in Aug
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.59% in Aug
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Aug
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Aug
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in Aug
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in Aug
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Aug
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Aug
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.41% in Aug
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in Aug
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaSummer visitorCommon15–19 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.37% in Aug
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentUncommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Aug
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentUncommon210–275 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Aug
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentUncommon35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Aug
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentUncommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Aug
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentUncommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Aug
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentUncommon120–145 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Aug
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Aug
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentUncommon38–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Aug
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaResidentUncommon42–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Aug
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Aug
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Aug
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Aug
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusResidentUncommon112–150 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Aug
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Aug
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollisResidentUncommon28–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Aug
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.08% in Aug
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentUncommon44–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Aug
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Aug
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Aug
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.07% in Aug
African PenguinSpheniscus demersusResidentUncommon60–70 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Aug
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusResidentUncommon42–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Aug
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Aug
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Aug
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Aug
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Aug
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Aug
Pale-winged StarlingOnychognathus nabouroupResidentRare25–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Aug
Crowned EagleStephanoaetus coronatusResidentRare80–99 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Aug
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Aug
White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialisResidentUncommon50–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Aug
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorUncommon36–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Aug
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.03% in Aug
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorUncommon18–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Aug
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentUncommon45–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Aug
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixResidentUncommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Aug
Barn OwlTyto albaResidentRare33–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Aug
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentRare14–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Aug
Little StintCalidris minutaSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.03% in Aug
BuzzardButeo buteoSummer visitorCommon51–57 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.03% in Aug
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Aug
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorUncommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Aug
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusSummer visitorUncommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Aug
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusResidentRare33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Aug
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentRare50–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Aug
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentRare50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
African Pygmy-falconPolihierax semitorquatusResidentRare19–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorRare37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
White-bellied BustardEupodotis senegalensisResidentRare48–61 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiWinter visitorRare33–41 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 0.01% in Aug
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentRare86–230 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.01% in Aug
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.00% in Aug
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusSummer visitorRare18–19 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.00% in Aug
Great ShearwaterArdenna gravisResidentRare43–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Aug
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.00% in Aug
ChukarAlectoris chukarPassage migrantRare32–38 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 0.00% in Aug
Southern Royal AlbatrossDiomedea epomophoraPassage migrantRare115–123 cmRegularly Jul–Oct · 0.00% in Aug
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaSummer visitorRare33–39 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.00% in Aug
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