Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Identification The Common (or European) Starling Sturnus vulgaris can be identified by its short tail, pointed head, triangular-shaped wings, and pale speckles ...
Category: Bird identification
Cape Robin-Chat (Cossypha caffra)
Identification The Cape Robin-Chat can be identified by its dark grey back, orange throat, white “eyebrows” and its orange rump and tail feathers. I...
Ring-necked Dove (Streptopelia capicola)
Identification The Ring-necked Dove, also known as the Cape Turtle Dove, is a very common bird species that occurs all over South Africa. It can be identified b...
Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
Identification The Egyptian Goose is not actually a goose, but a shelduck. It has many characteristics of a duck, but also some external traits of a goose. Egyp...
Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild)
Identification Common Waxbills are small greyish-brown birds. This species is not sexually dimorphic; males females look the same. Overall, the Common Waxbill i...
Cape Canary (Serinus canicollis)
Cape Canaries are small, brightly-coloured birds. Males and females can be difficult to tell apart; you must look closely!
Cape White-eye (Zosterops virens)
The Cape White-eye is a very small, fast-moving bird. Males and females look alike but show geographic variation. This term means that one species can look diff...
Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura)
Identification The Pin-tailed Whydah is a small sexually dimorphic species. Males and females differ dramatically when breeding, and appear similar outside of t...
Cape Weaver (Ploceus capensis)
Identification The Cape Weaver is a medium-sized, brightly coloured bird. Males and females look similar but are not quite alike. Males also differ slightly in ...
Southern Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus)
Identification The Southern Masked Weaver is a medium-sized, brightly coloured bird. Males and females look similar outside of the breeding season but are easil...