BIRD SPECIES CLASSIFICATION AND ORDER FOLLOWING ROBERTS BIRD GUIDE – SECOND EDITION.
This is a selection from my pix of all the species that occur in Southern Africa. According to Trevor Hardaker’s Southern African bird list there are 983 “countable” species and, as of end-January 2021 – I had photographed 806 of them although a number of these pix are “record” shots and not that great.
I should also point out that a number of these pix of “hard to get ” species – such as Thrush Nightingale – were taken outside of Southern Africa. It’s a hell of a lot easier to photograph Thrush Nightingale when it is out in the open in Poland singing at the start of the breeding season in early May than it is trying to find it in thick bush along the Zaagkuildrift Road!
If a particular species has no pictures yet, it means that I am still working on getting them – and will post them as soon as I have tracked them down!
We are continually updating this page – check back soon if the link is not yet active.
OSTRICHES
GUINEA FOWL & PEAFOWL
FRANCOLINS
SPURFOWL
QUAILS
BUTTONQUAILS
PARTRIDGES
DUCKS
GEESE
SHOVELLERS
TEALS
POCHARD
PENGUINS
ALBATROSSES
GIANT PETRELS
PETRELS
SHEARWATERS
GADFLY PETRELS
PRIONS & PRION-LIKE PETRELS
STORM PETRELS
TROPIC BIRDS
FRIGATE BIRDS
GREBES
FLAMINGOS
PELICANS
STORKS
IBISES
SPOONBILL
BITTERNS
HAMERKOP
NIGHT HERONS
HERONS
EGRETS
GANNETS
BOOBIES
CORMORANTS
DARTER
WESTERN OSPREY
AFRICAN FISH EAGLE
PALM-NUT VULTURE
CUCKOO-HAWK & HONEY BUZZARD
BAT HAWK
AFRICAN HARRIER-HAWK
KITES
SECRETARY BIRD
VULTURES
BATELEUR
SNAKE EAGLES
HARRIERS
CHANTING GOSHAWKS
GOSHAWKS
SHIKRA
LIZARD BUZZARD
SPARROWHAWKS
BUZZARDS
LARGE BROWN EAGLES
LARGE EAGLES
SMALL EAGLES
KESTRELS
FALCONS
HOBBIES
BUSTARDS
KORHAANS
FLUFFTAILS
CRAKES
RAILS
MOORHENS
FINFOOT
SWAMPHEN
GALLINULES
COOTS
CRANES
THICK-KNEES
STILTS
AVOCET
SHEATHBILL
OYSTERCATCHERS
CRAB PLOVER
LAPWINGS
LARGE PLOVERS
PLOVERS
JACANAS
SNIPES
DOWITCHER & GODWITS
WHIMBREL
CURLEW
REDSHANKS
GREENSHANK & YELLOWLEGS
SANDPIPERS
TURNSTONE & KNOTS
RUFF
STINTS
PHALAROPES
COURSERS
PRATINCOLES
SKIMMER
NODDIES
GULLS
TERNS
COASTAL TERNS
LAKE (INLAND) TERNS
SKUAS & JAEGERS
SANDGROUSE
DOVES & PIGEONS
TURACOS & GO-AWAY BIRD
COUCALS
MALKOHA
CUCKOOS
SMALL CUCKOOS
OWLS
SMALL OWLS
LARGE OWLS
NIGHTJARS
LARGE SWIFTS
SWIFTS & SPINETAILS
MOUSEBIRDS
TROGON
ROLLERS
KINGFISHERS
BEE-EATERS
HOOPOES & SCIMITARBILL
HORNBILLS
BARBETS
TINKERBIRDS
HONEYBIRDS & HONEYGUIDES
WRYNECK
WOODPECKERS
PARAKEETS & LOVEBIRDS
PARROTS
BROADBILL, PITTA & WATTLE-EYE
WHITE-TAILED SHRIKE
BATISES
SHRIKE-FLYCATCHER AND HELMETSHRIKES
BUSHSHRIKES
BOKMAKIERIE & BRUBRU
BOUBOUS & PUFFBACK
TCHAGRAS
CUCKOOSHRIKES
SHRIKES
ORIOLES
DRONGOS
ROCKJUMPERS
FLYCATCHERS – CRESTED, PARADISE & FAIRY
CROWS & RAVENS
TITS
PENDULINE TITS
LARKS
LONG-BILLED LARKS
SPARROW-LARKS
NICATOR
BULBULS
GREENBULS & BROWNBULS
SAW-WINGS
SWALLOWS
MARTINS
MACROSPHENID WARBLERS
CREEPER
CROMBECS
YELLOW FLYCATCHERS & LEAF WARBLERS
REED, SWAMP & BUSH WARBLERS
GRASS WARBLERS (BRADYPTERUS & LOCUSTELLID WARBLERS)
WARBLERS
PLAIN-BACKED CISTICOLAS
MOTTLED-BACKED CISTICOLAS
SHORT-TAILED CISTICOLAS
PRINIA-LIKE WARBLERS
PRINIAS
APALISES
CAMAROPTERAS & WREN-WARBLERS
EREMOMELAS
BABBLERS
BLACKCAPS
WHITETHROAT
SYLVIID WARBLERS
HYLIOTAS
LAYARD’S WARBLER
CHESTNUT-VENTED WARBLER
WHITE-EYES
STARLINGS
GLOSSY STARLINGS
OXPECKERS
GROUND THRUSHES
THRUSHES
ALETHE
ROBINS & AKALATS
ROBIN-CHATS
PALM THRUSHES
THRUSH NIGHTINGALE
SCRUB ROBINS
CHATS
REDSTART
WHEATEARS
CLIFF CHATS
ROCK THRUSHES
FLYCATCHERS
TIT-FLYCATCHER
SUGARBIRDS
SUNBIRDS
SPARROWS
PETRONIA
SPARROW-WEAVERS AND ALLIES
WEAVERS
QUELEAS
BISHOPS
WIDOWBIRDS
PYTILIAS & FINCHES
TWINSPOTS, CRIMSONWINGS & SEEDCRACKERS
FIREFINCHES
WAXBILLS
FINCHES & MANNIKINS
INDIGOBIRDS
CUCKOO FINCH
WHYDAHS
PALEARCTIC WAGTAILS
WAGTAILS
LONGCLAWS
PIPITS
CANARIES
SEEDEATERS
SISKINS
BUNTINGS