Uncommon Birds in South Africa
Our list for South Africa has 48 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 29 residents, 18 summer visitors and 1 winter visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in South Africa in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 48, most common first
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorUncommon27–29 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year
Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurioSummer visitorUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentUncommon75–115 cmRecorded all year
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentUncommon55–65 cmRecorded all year
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentUncommon210–275 cmRecorded all year
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentUncommon35–50 cmRecorded all year
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentUncommon23–31 cmRecorded all year
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentUncommon38–42 cmRecorded all year
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentUncommon120–145 cmRecorded all year
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorUncommon36–41 cmRecorded all year
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Little StintCalidris minutaSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–May
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaResidentUncommon42–45 cmRecorded all year
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