These are the bird species on the BDI website. Within each species group, the species in that group are listed alphabetically. Species in italics are names which have recently been changed, but which are still very much in use.
For each of these species, the text on the BDI website has been structured into the order we think is the most useful. First comes a section on identification, which starts with annotated photographs, like the ones above. The second section is on distribution. This is illustrated by the distribution map for the species. This comes from the database of the Second Southern African Bird Atlas Project; the interpretation guidelines for these multicoloured maps are here. The third section deals with habitat, and contains photographs which show some typical habitat for the species. The fourth section describes the behaviour of the species. Sometimes there are sections dealing with other aspects of the biology of the species, such as breeding.
Bishop: Yellow Bishop
Bokmakierie: Bokmakierie
Bulbul: African Red-eyed Bulbul Cape Bulbul Dark-capped Bulbul
Bustard: Ludwig’s Bustard
Canary: Cape Canary
Chat: Ant-eating Chat Familiar Chat Karoo Chat Sickle-winged Chat Tractrac Chat
Cormorant: White-breasted Cormorant
Courser: Burchell’s Courser Double-banded Courser
Crow: Pied Crow
Dove: Cape Turtle Dove Laughing Dove Red-eyed Dove Ring-necked Dove
Eagle: Booted Eagle
Egret: Little Egret
Fiscal: Southern Fiscal
Flycatcher: Fiscal Flycatcher
Goose: Egyptian Goose
Goshawk: Pale Chanting Goshawk
Grebe: Little Grebe
Gull: Hartlaubs’ Gull Kelp Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull
Ibis: African Sacred Ibis Hadeda Ibis
Kestrel: Greater Kestrel
Korhaan: Karoo Korhaan
Lapwing: Blacksmith Lapwing Crowned Lapwing
Lark: Cape Clapper Lark Eastern Clapper Lark Karoo Lark Large-billed Lark Red Lark Sclater’s Lark Stark’s Lark
Mannikin: Bronze Mannikin
Martin: Rock Martin
Mousebird: Red-faced Mousebird Speckled Mousebird White-backed Mousebird
Owl: Spotted Eagle Owl
Oystercatcher: African Oystercatcher Eurasian Oystercatcher
Pigeon: Speckled Pigeon
Prinia: Karoo Prinia
Robin-chat: Cape Robin-chat
Rock-thrush: Short-toed Rock-thrush
Sparrow: Cape Sparrow House Sparrow Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
Sparrow-lark: Black-eared Sparrow-lark Grey-backed Sparrow-lark
Starling: Common Starling Red-winged Starling
Sugarbird: Cape Sugarbird Gurney’s Sugarbird
Sunbird: Southern Double-collared Sunbird
Swallow: Greater Striped Swallow White-throated Swallow
Thrush: Olive Thrush
Wagtail: Cape Wagtail
Warbler: Cinnamon-breasted Warbler Namaqua Warbler Rufous-eared Warbler
Waxbill: Common Waxbill Swee Waxbill
Weaver: Cape Weaver Southern Masked Weaver
Wheatear: Capped Wheatear Mountain Wheatear
White-eye: Cape White-eye Orange River White-eye
Whydah: Pin-tailed Whydah
We will update these species texts from time to time. But more important at present is to increase the number of species covered.
Recommended citation format: BDI Admin 2023. Bird species. Biodiversity and Development Institute. Available online at http://thebdi.org/bird-species