Bird Mania
Nothing shouts 'spring' louder than a frenzied colony of weaverbirds setting up house across the grasslands and savanna of South Africa. The Cape weavers are the most manic of all the weaverbirds. But it's not just the nest building that reminds us of a new season, it's the emergence of dazzling breeding plumages, as seen in widowbirds, bishops, whydahs and, yes, those noisy, busy weavers.
When they are not breeding, the males look very much like their drab brown partners, but they spruce themselves up come mating season to impress the females, who get to choose a nest and breeding mate. Watch out for the desperate gleam in a male weaver's eye as he is made to destroy a substandard nest…
The best thing about watching birds is that you can do it just about anywhere. South Africa Online ® provides informative, educational content on many South African bird species that ornithologists and bird-watchers would enjoy. Find out all about the birds of South Africa including both common and rare bird species.
Africa Red-eyed Bulbul
The African red-eyed bulbul has greyish/brown plumage on its upper parts, extending onto the chest, with white plumage on their underparts....moreAfrican Black Oystercatcher
The adult oystercatcher is entirely black with bright red eyes surrounded by an orange ring. The wedge-like orange-tipped red bill is somewh...moreAfrican Finfoot
The African Finfoot can be mistaken for a cormorant from a distance, but the bright orange legs, feet and bill make this bird easily disting...moreAfrican Green Pigeon
They are usually gregarious and found in small groups. African green-pigeons forage in trees, flap their wings to keep their balance and oft...moreAfrican Jacana
The African jacana is around 30 cm in length, with the female being up to double the size of the male....moreAfrican Purple Swamphen
The African swamphen is around the size of a chicken, 43 cm. It has bright purple plumage, with a bronze-green /blue back and scapulars (sho...moreAll you need to know on Kingfishers
Kingfishers are conspicuous birds in the Lowveld thanks to their bright colours and noisy, active habits....moreAll You Need to Know on Oxpeckers
Oxpeckers live in association with medium to large mammalian herbivores....moreBank Cormorant
The bank cormorant is a heavy-bodied black bird with a bronze sheen and webbed feet. The adult has a small crest on the head and usually a w...more
The bat hawk only hunts for about half an hour each day in Africa, but longer in the East, where the prey is swiftlets rather than bats....Bee-Eaters of South Africa
There are nine species of bee-eaters found in South Africa, from the commonly found white-fronted bee-eater to the rare vagrant, the Bohms b...moreBlack Headed Oriole
The adult black-headed oriole is a striking bright yellow colour with a distinctive black head. Its long, strong bill is good at devouring m...moreBlack Heron
The black heron is a medium-sized heron, at 55 cm in length. It is a very dark grey to black, with black plumage, black legs, black bill and...moreBlack Stork
At this time the immature black storks are noisy and aggressive, especially when somebody approaches the nest. A baby black stork is covered...moreBlack-winged Stilt
The black-winged stilt is a wader, with long red to orange legs. The plumage is black above and white below, with a white head and neck. Thi...moreBokmakierie
The bokmakierie is a bushshrike around 23 cm in length. The bokmakierie has olive-green underparts, with a bright yellow tip on its black ta...moreBrown Headed Parrot
The brown-headed parrot is a small (22-25 cm) green parrot with a brownish-grey head. The under wing coverts are yellow which unfortunately ...moreBurchell's Coucal
The Burchell’s coucal is a medium-sized bird with a length of around 41 cm. The back and wings are rufous brown, with white underparts....moreCape Crow
The Cape crow is around 50 cm in length. This crow is black throughout. The head, bill, legs, feathers and eyes are black. This is the only ...moreCape Gannet
The adult Cape gannet is an unmistakable, large black and white seabird with a yellow head and hind neck. It has distinctive black lines on ...moreCape Robin-chat
The Cape robin-chat has an orange breast and grey belly. The bird has a white eyebrow and a black band across the face....moreCape Shovler
As with most ducks found in South Africa, the sexes appear similar. The Cape shoveler has a long black spatulate bill that is distinctive....moreCape Sparrow
The Cape sparrow is a small bird of 15 cm. Male and female birds differ slightly in appearance....moreCape Sugarbird
One of only two sugarbirds found in South Africa, the Cape sugarbird is easy to recognise....moreCape Wagtail
Cape wagtails can usually be found near freshwater or coastal lagoons but has also adapted to city parks and gardens of South Africa....moreCaspian Tern
The Caspian tern is the largest tern in South Africa. It has a white body, black cap on the head and a massive red bill. Immature birds are ...moreCommon Greenshank
The common greenshank can appear very like a marsh sandpiper when wading, but the bill on the greenshank has an upturned appearance and the ...moreCommon Tern
The adult common tern is very pale grey above with a black bar on the shoulder of the wing. The crown is usually a mottled black with a soot...moreCormorants
Cormorants are often referred to as sea crows because of their black coloration. The family name, Phalacrocoracidae, means bald raven in Gre...moreCrested Barbet
Crested barbets are common in South Africa. They are also found in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana and Northern Namibia....moreCrested Guineafowl
The crested guineafowl is one of the larger of the ground birds in South Africa, at 50 cm in length. This guineafowl has almost black plumag...more
The curlew is a non-breeding summer migrant from the Palaearctic (Europe and Asia north of the Himalayas) to the South African coasts and la...Damara Tern
The Damara tern breeds near Table Bay in South Africa, beyond Rocky Point right up to the Cunene River and also the Namibian coast. The nest...moreDark-capped Bulbul
The dark-capped bulbul has grayish/brown plumage on its upper parts, extending onto the chest, with white plumage on its underparts....moreDiderick Cuckoo
The diderick cuckoo is one of the smaller cuckoos, with a length of around 19 cm....more
The name finch is colloquially given to a lot of birds such as twinspots, firefinches and waxbills....Fork- tailed Drongo
The fork-tailed drongo is a medium sized bird at 25 cm in length, including the tail. The fork-tailed drongo has a mainly glossy black pluma...moreFrancolin and Spurfowl
Francolin and spurfowl were for a long time all referred to as francolin. Although the birds all look similar scientists have discovered tha...moreFulvous Duck
The fulvous duck is around 46 cm in length. This duck has a grey bill and grey legs....moreGoliath Heron
Standing at 1.43 m and with a wingspan of around 2 m, the Goliath heron is the world’s largest heron....moreGreat White Pelican
The great white pelican is a huge water bird, with short legs and massive long, pink and yellow bill, with a large pale yellow gular pouch. ...moreGreater Flamingo
The greater flamingo is an easily recognised slender large bird, up to 1.5 m tall. It has a pale pink to white plumage, with a long neck and...moreGreen-backed Heron
The green-backed heron is one of the smaller herons at around 45 cm in length. The green-backed heron has a greenish black back with distinc...moreGrey Go-away Bird
The grey go-away bird is a uniform all grey bird with a shaggy crest. The legs, feet and bill are black....moreGrey Heron
The grey heron is a tall bird, standing around 1 m tall, but a real lightweight for its size, weighing in at between 1 and 2 kgs....moreGrey Plover
The grey plover is a summer migrant from the Palaearctic (Europe and Asia north of the Himalayas) to South Africa’s saltwater marshes, tid...moreGreyheaded Gull
The breeding adult grey-headed gull have an all-grey hood. The non-breeding gull’s head is white with a grey smudge on the ear coverts. Th...moreGround Hornbills
Ground hornbills are conspicuous by their size and their striking black plumage and red wattles....moreHamerkop Nests
Hamerkops are esteemed for their enormous nests, which may contain material including sticks 1.5 m in length and assortments of human debris...moreHartlaub's Gull
The Hartlaub’s gull is a white gull, measuring 38 cm, with grey upper wings and back. It has dark wing tips. It has a dark red bill and le...moreHelmeted Guineafowl
Of all the birds in Southern Africa, the helmeted guineafowl is surely one of the most iconic, unmistakable for its bony bare casque or ‘h...moreHoneyguide
South Africa is home to both honeyguides and honeybirds, with honeyguides being larger than honeybirds....more
All species of hornbills, excluding the ground hornbill, share an intriguing nesting method. They are monogamous, with a pair bond normally ...
The adult kelp gull is white with black upperparts and wings. The bill is bright yellow with a red spot near the tip and the eyes are dark b...Knysna Turaco
Knysna Turaco or commonly known in South Africa as a Knysna Lourie or in Afrikaans as the Knysna loerie....moreKori Bustard
The kori bustard is Africa’s heaviest flying bird and can weigh up to 19 kg. It is a light brown to grey ground-dwelling bird with a long ...moreLesser Flamingo
The lesser flamingo is smaller than the greater flamingo, up to 1.2 m tall, it has the same slender build as the greater flamingo....moreLilac Breasted Roller
The average lilac-breasted roller is 36-38 cm. The green head is large, the neck is short, the greenish-yellow legs are rather short and the...moreLong-crested Eagle
The long-crested eagle is an eagle that prefers the forest edge and moist woodland with adjacent marshes, grassland and rivers....moreMarabou Stork
The marabou stork is a large, unusual looking bird and reaches a height of 1.5 metres with a wingspan of 2.6 m. It is a heavy-bodied stork w...more
Nightjars are the superbly adapted swallows of the night. They are often spotted sitting on roads just after sundown....
The ostrich is a member of a group of birds known as Ratites. They are flightless birds without a keel to their breastbone. They are very fa...Pearl-spotted Owlet
Pearl-spotted owls are one of Southern Africa’s smallest owls. They are only 18–19 cm and do not have ‘ear’ tufts. They have cinnamo...morePel's Fishing Owl
The pel’s fishing owl is quite unmistakable, as the second largest owl found in South Africa, with its rufous plumage, with dark markings...morePied Crow
Both sexes are alike with a black head, neck and upper breast. The wings and tail are uniform black. The pied crow has a white collar on its...morePurple Heron
The purple heron is a tall bird, standing around 85 m tall, but light for its size, weighing in at between 0.5 and 1 kgs....morePurple Roller
The purple roller is a large stocky roller with a length of 35–40 cm and a weight of 160 g. The sexes look alike. From a distance or in po...more
The little sparrow-hawk, the Lowveld’s smallest raptor, is the same size as a dove....Red-billed Firefinch
The red-billed firefinch is a very small bird at around 10 cm in length. The adult male red-billed firefinch has a pinkish red crown, breast...moreRed-fronted Tinkerbird
The red-fronted tinkerbird is a smaller barbet, measuring around 12 cm. This tinkerbirds head has black, white and yellow markings, with a r...moreRed-knobbed Coot
The red-knobbed coot has all black plumage with a white bill and frontal shield. 2 red knobs are found on the head, at the top of the shield...moreRuddy Turnstone
The ruddy turnstone adult’s head and neck is a unique black-and-white pattern and the scapulars and wing-coverts are a bright chestnut. Th...moreSanderling
The sanderling is rather dull with white below, a pale grey on the crown and upper parts and a black shoulder marking. The eyes are brown an...moreSandgrouse
Sandgrouse are superbly cryptically-coloured ground birds and they choose to sit-up on open sandy habitats that perfectly match their attire...moreSandwich Tern
The sandwich tern is much larger than the common tern. It has white underparts and the grey back is paler than other similar-sized terns. Sa...moreSouth Africa Bird Guide
The South Africa Bird Guide offers a wide range of bird behaviour and birding facts that will interest even the most reluctant student. The ...moreSpoonbill
The African spoonbill is a long-legged wading bird with a height of 90 cm. Its body is predominantly white and the face, bill and legs red. ...moreSpotted Thick-knee
The spotted thick-knee is a medium sized bird, standing at around 40 cm in height. Males and females are alike, with brown heads, short plov...moreSquacco Heron
The squacco heron is a small squat heron, 43 cm high, with 2 distinct looks, breeding and non-breeding. In the non-breeding phase, the pluma...more
South Africa has 21 species of sunbirds found locally. They all fall under the family Nectariniidae, referring to their preference for feedi...Swift Tern
The swift tern breeds from March - October in South Africa. The nest is a shallow scrape on the ground and typically on some open, flat area...moreThree-banded Plover
The three-banded plover’s back, wings and the top of its head are brown. The face and underparts are white....moreViolet-backed Starling
The plum-coloured starling weighs 45 g. The bill and legs are black and the eyes have a yellow outer ring around a brown centre. The sexes a...more
Vultures play a vital role in the bush – they clean up dead and decaying carcasses and thereby remove centres of disease....Water Thick-knee
The water thick-knee is a plover like bird, around 40 cm in height. Males and females are alike, with a light brown upper body, streaked wit...more
A total of nine species of waxbill are found in South Africa, all falling under the family of Estrildidae. The swee waxbill is endemic and t...Weaver Birds
Weavers are named for their intricately woven nests. The nests come in various sizes and shapes, with different material used to build the n...moreWeavers Nests
Since the ultimate selection of a mate is usually up to the female, the male weavers leave nothing to chance in their construction of delica...moreWhite -throated Swallow
The White-throated swallow is a small bird that is around 16 cm in length with both sexes being alike, other than the female having a shallo...moreWhite Eared Barbet
The white-eared barbet is a medium sized barbet at around 18 cm in length. This is the only chocolate to brown coloured barbet in South Afri...moreWhite Faced Duck
The white-faced duck eats underwater tubers and seeds of aquatic plants, molluscs, small aquatic animals and invertebrates such as aquatic i...moreWhite-backed Night-Heron
The white-backed night heron has a black head with a large eye that is surrounded by a white eye-ring. The white-backed night heron has a ru...moreWhite-browed Robin-chat
The white-browed robin-chat has a bright orange underpart, a black crown with a white eyebrow. The back and wings are grey-brown....moreWhite-fronted Plover
The adult white-fronted plover is white below and grey-brown above. The eyes are brown and the bill and legs are black. The male has a more ...moreWhite-throated Robin-chat
The white-throated robin-chat has a white breast, shoulder bar, eyebrow and throat. An orange rump is visible....moreWhydah Birds
The whydah birds genus is Vidua, which is the Latin for widow, due to the breeding male’s black plumage and long tail, which looks like a ...moreWoodpeckers
Woodpeckers are remarkable for their ability to chisel into bark and wood in search of insect larvae or to create their hole-cavity nests du...moreYellow-billed duck
Both sexes of the yellow-billed duck are alike. The yellow-billed duck has darkish to grey plumage, with a darker head....more