Birds to See in South Africa in July
73 bird species on our list for South Africa are recorded regularly in July
Of these, the most often recorded are Egyptian Goose, Fork-tailed Drongo, Pied Crow, Cape Sparrow and Helmeted Guineafowl. New this month: Lesser Striped Swallow, Common Sandpiper, Ruff and Sanderling and 4 more.
On the move in July
GBIF · JulArriving
Leaving soon
From 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 73 birds in July
73 birds
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 1.82% in Jul
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.39% in Jul
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 1.05% in Jul
Cape SparrowPasser melanurusResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.02% in Jul
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.97% in Jul
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Jul
Cape StarlingLamprotornis nitensResidentCommon25–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.86% in Jul
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Jul
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in Jul
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Jul
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Jul
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Jul
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in Jul
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in Jul
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Jul
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.41% in Jul
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentUncommon35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Jul
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentUncommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Jul
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentUncommon210–275 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Jul
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentUncommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Jul
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentUncommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Jul
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Jul
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentUncommon120–145 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Jul
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentUncommon38–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Jul
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Jul
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaResidentUncommon42–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Jul
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentUncommon44–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Jul
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaSummer visitorCommon15–19 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.10% in Jul
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusResidentUncommon112–150 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Jul
White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialisResidentUncommon50–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Jul
African PenguinSpheniscus demersusResidentUncommon60–70 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Jul
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Jul
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Jul
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Jul
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Jul
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollisResidentUncommon28–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Jul
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Jul
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Jul
Crowned EagleStephanoaetus coronatusResidentRare80–99 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Jul
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Jul
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Jul
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Jul
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Jul
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Jul
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentUncommon45–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Jul
Barn OwlTyto albaResidentRare33–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Jul
Pale-winged StarlingOnychognathus nabouroupResidentRare25–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Jul
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusResidentRare33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Jul
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentRare14–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Jul
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentRare50–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Jul
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Jul
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusSummer visitorUncommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Jul
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorUncommon36–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Jul
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorUncommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Jul
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusResidentUncommon42–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Jul
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.01% in Jul
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixResidentUncommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Jul
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentRare50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Jul
Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinusPassage migrantRare30–38 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.01% in Jul
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.01% in Jul
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorUncommon18–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Jul
Great ShearwaterArdenna gravisResidentRare43–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Jul
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Jul
African Pygmy-falconPolihierax semitorquatusResidentRare19–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Jul
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorRare37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Jul
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiWinter visitorRare33–41 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 0.01% in Jul
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.00% in Jul
Southern Royal AlbatrossDiomedea epomophoraPassage migrantRare115–123 cmRegularly Jul–Oct · 0.00% in Jul
White-bellied BustardEupodotis senegalensisResidentRare48–61 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Jul
ChukarAlectoris chukarPassage migrantRare32–38 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 0.00% in Jul
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentRare86–230 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Jul
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.00% in Jul
Wandering AlbatrossDiomedea exulansPassage migrantRare107–135 cmRegularly Jul · 0.00% in Jul
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