South Africa is a large country, ranked25th by size in the world, and is situated in thetemperate latitudes andsubtropics. Due to a range ofclimate types present, a patchwork ofunique habitat types occur, which contribute to itsbiodiversity and level ofendemism. This list incorporates the mainland and nearshore islands and waters only. The submerged though ecologically importantAgulhas Bank is for most part inside itsterritorial waters. Offshore, South Africa's territory includes thePrince Edward Islands in theSubantarcticIndian Ocean.

This list'staxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (English and scientific names) are those ofThe Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition, except that South African spelling is used.^[1] Taxonomic changes are on-going. As more research is gathered from studies of distribution, behaviour andDNA, the order and number of families and species may change. Furthermore, different approaches toornithological nomenclature have led to concurrent systems of classification (seeSibley-Ahlquist taxonomy andIOU taxonomy).

Unless otherwise noted, the list is that of BirdLife South Africa (BLSA).^[2] Notes in the status column are also from this source. Notes of population status, such as "endangered", refer to the worldwide population, not the South African part of it except for endemics. Unless otherwise noted in the "status" column, the species is a resident or regularly-occurring migrant.

• "Vagrant" means the species rarely or accidentally occurs in South Africa.
• "Endemic" means the species is found only in South Africa.
• "SLE endemic" means the species is found only in South Africa and the Kingdoms ofLesotho andEswatini (formerly Swaziland). Lesotho is surrounded by South Africa and Eswatini nearly so.

This list contains 879 species according to the Clements taxonomy. The BLSA list includes additional entries as species which Clements considers subspecies; some of them are noted. According to BLSA, 18 species are endemic, 20 are SLE endemic, and 11 have beenintroduced by humans. Clements describes only 15 as endemic and 14 as SLE endemic.

Order:Struthioniformes   Family:Struthionidae

Ostriches are flightless birds native to Africa. They are the largest living species of bird. They are distinctive in appearance, with a long neck and legs and the ability to run at high speeds.

Order:Anseriformes   Family:Anatidae

The family Anatidae includes theducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such asgeese andswans. These are birds adapted to an aquatic existence, with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.

Order:Galliformes   Family:Numididae

The guineafowl are a family of birds native to Africa. They typically eat insects and seeds, are ground-nesting, and resemblepartridges, except with featherless heads.

Order:Galliformes   Family:Phasianidae

The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds consisting ofquails,partridges,snowcocks,francolins,spurfowls,tragopans,monals,pheasants,peafowl, andjungle fowls. In general, they are plump and have broad, relatively short wings.

Order:Phoenicopteriformes   Family:Phoenicopteridae

Flamingos are large gregarious wading birds found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.

Order:Podicipediformes   Family:Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land.

Order:Columbiformes   Family:Columbidae

Pigeons anddoves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshycere.

Order:Pterocliformes   Family:Pteroclidae

Sandgrouse have small, pigeon-like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Their legs are feathered down to the toes.

Order:Otidiformes   Family:Otididae

Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays.

Order:Musophagiformes   Family:Musophagidae

The turacos, plantain eaters, and go-away-birds make up the family Musophagidae. They are medium-sized arboreal birds. The turacos and plantain eaters are brightly coloured, usually in blue, green, or purple. The go-away-birds are mostly grey and white.

Order:Cuculiformes   Family:Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includescuckoos,roadrunners, andanis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.

Order:Caprimulgiformes   Family:Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized ground-nesting nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.

Order:Caprimulgiformes   Family:Apodidae

Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.

Order:Gruiformes   Family:Sarothruridae

The flufftails are a small family of ground-dwelling birds found only in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa.

Order:Gruiformes   Family:Rallidae

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes therails,crakes,coots, andgallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.

Order:Gruiformes   Family:Heliornithidae

Heliornithidae is a small family of tropical birds with webbed lobes on their feet similar to those of grebes and coots.

Order:Gruiformes   Family:Gruidae

Cranes are large, long-legged, and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Chionidae

The two species in this family breed on Antarctica and islands near that continent.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Burhinidae

The stone-curlews and thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes, and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes theavocets andstilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Haematopodidae

Theoystercatchers are large and noisyplover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising openmolluscs.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Charadriidae

The family Charadriidae includes theplovers,dotterels, andlapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Rostratulidae

Painted-snipe are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly coloured.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Jacanidae

Thejacanas are a group of waders found throughout the tropics. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including thesandpipers,curlews,godwits,shanks,tattlers,woodcocks,snipes,dowitchers, andphalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Turnicidae

The buttonquails are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails. The female is the brighter of the sexes and initiates courtship. The male incubates the eggs and tends the young.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Dromadidae

The crab-plover is related to the waders. It resembles a plover but with very long grey legs and a strong heavy black bill similar to a tern's. It has black-and-white plumage, a long neck, partially webbed feet, and a bill designed for eating crabs.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Glareolidae

Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising thepratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings, and long forked tails, and thecoursers, which have long legs, short wings, and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Stercorariidae

The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants.

Order:Charadriiformes   Family:Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, thegulls,terns, andskimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish.

Order:Phaethontiformes   Family:Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.

Order:Sphenisciformes   Family:Spheniscidae

The penguins are a group of flightless aquatic birds living almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Most penguins feed onkrill,fish,squid, and other forms of marine life caught while swimming underwater.

Order:Procellariiformes   Family:Diomedeidae

The albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, with those of the genusDiomedea having the largest wingspan of any extant bird.

Order:Procellariiformes   Family:Oceanitidae

The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of thepetrels, feeding onplanktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimesbat-like. Until 2018, this family's species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.

Order:Procellariiformes   Family:Hydrobatidae

Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.

Order:Procellariiformes   Family:Procellariidae

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.

Order:Ciconiiformes   Family:Ciconiidae

Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills. Storks are mute, but bill-clattering is an important mode of communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.

Order:Suliformes   Family:Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black, or black-and-white, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have coloured inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.

Order:Suliformes   Family:Sulidae

The sulids comprise thegannets andboobies. Both groups are medium to large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.

Order:Suliformes   Family:Anhingidae

Anhingas or darters are often called "snake-birds" because of their long thin neck, which gives a snake-like appearance when they swim with their bodies submerged. The males have black and dark-brown plumage, an erectile crest on the nape, and a larger bill than the female. The females have much paler plumage especially on the neck and underparts. The darters have completely webbed feet and their legs are short and set far back on the body. Their plumage is somewhat permeable, like that of cormorants, and they spread their wings to dry after diving.

Order:Suliformes   Family:Phalacrocoracidae

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large coastal, fish-eating seabirds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies, with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black-and-white, and a few being colourful.

Order:Pelecaniformes   Family:Pelecanidae

Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.

Order:Pelecaniformes   Family:Scopidae

The hamerkop is a medium-sized bird with a long shaggy crest. The shape of its head with a curved bill and crest at the back is reminiscent of a hammer, hence its name. Its plumage is drab-brown all over.

Order:Pelecaniformes   Family:Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains thebitterns,herons, andegrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills.

Order:Pelecaniformes   Family:Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes theibises andspoonbills. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.

Order:Accipitriformes   Family:Sagittariidae

The secretarybird is a bird of prey easily distinguished from other raptors by its long crane-like legs.

Order:Accipitriformes   Family:Pandionidae

The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey. The osprey is a medium-largeraptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.

Order:Accipitriformes   Family:Accipitridae

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includeshawks,eagles,kites,harriers, andOld World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight.

Order:Strigiformes   Family:Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.

Order:Strigiformes   Family:Strigidae

Thetypical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk.

Order:Coliiformes   Family:Coliidae

The mousebirds are slender greyish or brown birds with soft, hairlike body feathers and very long thin tails. They are arboreal and scurry through the leaves like rodents in search of berries, fruit, and buds. They are acrobatic and can feed upside down. All species have strong claws and reversible outer toes. They also have crests and stubby bills.

Order:Trogoniformes   Family:Trogonidae

The family Trogonidae includes trogons and quetzals. Found in tropical woodlands worldwide, they feed on insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits. Although their flight is fast, they are reluctant to fly any distance. Trogons have soft, often colourful, feathers with distinctive male and female plumage.

Order:Bucerotiformes   Family:Upupidae

Hoopoes have black, white, and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head.

Order:Bucerotiformes   Family:Phoeniculidae

The woodhoopoes are related to thehoopoes,hornbills, andground-hornbills. They most resemble the hoopoes with their long curved bills, used to probe for insects, and short rounded wings. However, they differ in that they have metallic plumage, often blue, green, or purple, and lack an erectile crest.

Order:Bucerotiformes   Family:Bucorvidae

The ground-hornbills are terrestrial birds which feed almost entirely on insects, other birds, snakes, and amphibians.

Order:Bucerotiformes   Family:Bucerotidae

Hornbills are a group of birds whose bill is shaped like a cow's horn, but without a twist, sometimes with a casque on the upper mandible. Frequently, the bill is brightly coloured.

Order:Coraciiformes   Family:Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.

Order:Coraciiformes   Family:Meropidae

The bee-eaters are a group ofnear passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.

Order:Coraciiformes   Family:Coraciidae

Rollers resemblecrows in size and build, but are more closely related to thekingfishers andbee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not.

Order:Piciformes   Family:Lybiidae

The barbets are plump birds, with short necks and large heads. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. Most species are brightly coloured.

Order:Piciformes   Family:Indicatoridae

Honeyguides are among the few birds that feed onwax. They are named for thegreater honeyguide which leads traditional honey-hunters to bees' nests and, after the hunters have harvested the honey, feeds on the remaining contents of the hive.

Order:Piciformes   Family:Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks.

Order:Falconiformes   Family:Falconidae

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.

Order:Psittaciformes   Family:Psittaculidae

Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawedzygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. In size they range from 8 cm (3.1 in) to 1 m (3.3 ft) in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.

Order:Psittaciformes   Family:Psittacidae

Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak. Their upper mandibles have slight mobility in the joint with the skull and they have a generally erect stance. All parrots are zygodactyl, having the four toes on each foot placed two at the front and two to the back. Most of the more than 150 species in this family are found in the New World.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Calyptomenidae

The broadbills are small, brightly coloured birds which feed on fruit and also take insects in flycatcher fashion, snapping their broad bills. Their habitat is canopies of wet forests.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Pittidae

Pittas are medium-sized by passerine standards and are stocky, with fairly long, strong legs, short tails, and stout bills. Many are brightly coloured. They spend the majority of their time on wet forest floors, eating snails, insects, and similar invertebrates.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Campephagidae

The cuckooshrikes are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are predominantly greyish with white and black, although some species are brightly coloured.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Oriolidae

The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the New World orioles though they appear similar.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Platysteiridae

The wattle-eyes, or puffback flycatchers, are small stout passerine birds of the African tropics. They get their name from the brightly coloured fleshy eye decorations found in most species in this group.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Vangidae

The helmetshrikes are similar in build to the shrikes, but tend to be colourful species with distinctive crests or other head ornaments, such as wattles, from which they get their name.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Malaconotidae

Bushshrikes are similar in habits to shrikes, hunting insects and other small prey from a perch on a bush. Although similar in build to the shrikes, these tend to be either colourful species or largely black; some species are quite secretive.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Dicruridae

The drongos are mostly black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright when perched, like a shrike. They flycatch or take prey from the ground.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Monarchidae

The monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines which hunt by flycatching.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Laniidae

Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A shrike's beak is hooked, like that of a typical bird of prey.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Corvidae

The family Corvidae includescrows,ravens,jays,choughs,magpies,treepies,nutcrackers, andground jays. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Chaetopidae

These two species are the only ones in their family. They are primarily insectivores, but cape rockjumpers also eat small vertebrates.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Hyliotidae

The members of this small family, all of genusHyliota, are birds of the forest canopy. They tend to feed in mixed-species flocks.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Stenostiridae

Most of the species of this small family are found in Africa, though a few inhabit tropical Asia. They are not closely related to other birds called "flycatchers".

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Paridae

The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Remizidae

The penduline-tits are a group of small passerine birds related to the true tits. They are insectivores.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Alaudidae

Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Nicatoridae

The nicators are shrike-like, with hooked bills. They are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Macrosphenidae

African warblers are small to medium-sized insectivores which are found in a wide variety of habitats south of the Sahara.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Cisticolidae

The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Acrocephalidae

The members of this family are usually rather large for "warblers". Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Locustellidae

Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Hirundinidae

The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings, and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Pycnonotidae

Bulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Some are colourful with yellow, red, or orange vents, cheeks, throats or supercilia, but most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage. Some species have distinct crests.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Phylloscopidae

Leaf warblers are a family of small insectivorous birds found mostly in Eurasia and ranging intoWallacea and Africa. The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow below, or more subdued with greyish-green to greyish-brown colours.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Sylviidae

The family Sylviidae ("Old World warblers") is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. They mainly occur as breeding species, as one common name implies, in Europe, Asia, and, to a lesser extent, Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Zosteropidae

The white-eyes are small and mostly undistinguished, their plumage above being generally some dull colour like greenish-olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast, or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. As their name suggests, many species have a white ring around each eye.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Leiothrichidae

The members of this family are diverse in size and colouration, though those of genusTurdoides tend to be brown or greyish. The family is found in Africa, India, and southeast Asia.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Salpornithidae

Spotted creepers are small birds that climb on trees, gleaning and probing bark to fetch insects. They were until recently placed with the treecreepers in the familyCerthiidae.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Buphagidae

As both the English and scientific names of these birds imply, they feed onectoparasites, primarily ticks, found on large mammals.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Turdidae

Thethrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Promeropidae

The two species in this family are restricted to southern Africa. They have brownish plumage, a long downcurved bill, and long tail feathers.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Nectariniidae

The sunbirds and spiderhunters are very small passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Ploceidae

The weavers are small passerine birds related to thefinches. They are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills. The males of many species are brightly coloured, usually in red or yellow and black. Some species show variation in colour only in the breeding season.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Estrildidae

Theestrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics andAustralasia. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colours and patterns.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Viduidae

The indigobirds are finch-like species which usually have black or indigo predominating in their plumage. All arebrood parasites which lay their eggs in the nests ofestrildid finches.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Passeridae

Sparrows are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown, or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Motacillidae

Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They are slender ground-feeding insectivores of open country.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Fringillidae

Finches are seed-eating passerine birds that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have twelve tail feathers and nine primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.

Order:Passeriformes   Family:Emberizidae

The emberizids are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills. In Europe, most species are called buntings. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns.

• Lepage, Denis."Checklist of Birds of South Africa".Bird Checklists of the World. Avibase. Retrieved27 August 2021.
• Clements, James F. (2000).Birds of the World: A Checklist. Cornell University Press. p. 880.ISBN 978-0-934797-16-0.

• List of birds
• Lists of birds by region
• List of birds of the Prince Edward Islands
• List of birds of Gauteng

• Lists of birds by country
• Lists of birds of Southern Africa
• South African animal biodiversity lists
• Lists of birds of Africa

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from September 2022
• Use South African English from May 2020
• All Wikipedia articles written in South African English