Africa is home to more than 2,500 different bird species. While many nature enthusiasts initially focus on Africa’s safari animals, its magnificent birds deserve equal attention. With over 950 species, approximately 10% of all bird species occur in Africa, many of which migrate annually.
Each bird species has internationally accepted names, often influenced by their unique habits or features. This article explores some remarkable African birds, detailing their names, characteristics, and habitats.
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Iconic African Birds
An icon captures the spirit of a time or the essence of a place. For renowned biologist and conservationist Thomas Lovejoy, "if you take care of birds, you take care of most of the problems in the world". Birds inspire emotion and are considered poetry by some.
The Ostrich (Struthio camelus)
The largest and one of the world’s most well-known birds, the ostrich is found exclusively in Africa. The ostrich is currently the largest bird alive and the fastest bird or mammal on two legs. It is also the world’s heaviest bird, measuring up to eight feet tall and weighing up to 300 pounds.
Ostriches are also sexually dimorphic - males are black in color with white wing plumes and tail, and females are almost entirely drab gray. Although they still have flight feathers on their wings, they cannot fly and instead, have evolved long, powerful legs, which serve as their main mode of transportation. Though far too large to fly, it can run at over 40 miles an hour and cover up to 17 feet in one stride. Their long legs have the ability to kick a human or a potential predator like a lion to death.
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Ostriches are found throughout Africa, but contrary to popular belief, they prefer to inhabit lush, open grasslands, not deserts. Because of their size, they favor grasslands and savanna regions like the Serengeti and Maasai Mara, where they are extremely easy to find. If you want to get up close to these birds, you can tour ostrich farms in South Africa. Ostriches can be spotted in the winter in couples or alone.
The Grey Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum)
Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa are just a few of the countries in Eastern and Southern Africa where you can see the grey crowned crane. The body of the grey crowned crane is mainly gray. Also known as the crested crane, the grey crowned crane grows to a height of around 3 feet and has a wingspan of nearly 7 feet.
The wings are predominantly white, but contain feathers with colors ranging from white to brown to gold. The head is topped with a crown of stiff golden feathers. Cheek patches are white, and a red gular sack is present under the chin. Legs and toes are black and the bill is short and dark gray. All cranes engage in dancing, which includes various behaviors such as head pumping, bowing, jumping, running, stick or grass tossing, and wing flapping. Grey crowned cranes perform a complex courtship dance that includes bowing, bouncing, expanding their wings, and hopping.
The Secretary Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius)
Another species occurring in all nine provinces, the Secretary bird is charismatic and unmistakable. One of the African birds with the most striking appearances is the secretary bird. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savannah of the sub-Sahara.
Wearing what looks like black trousers, the Secretary bird is the only long-legged raptor. The name is believed to have originated from the belief that this bird somewhat resembles a 19th-century clerk or secretary. At over 4 feet tall, the Secretary bird gets its name from the crest of long feathers that look like the quill pens that 19th-century office workers used to tuck behind their ears. They also have a dark coat, and the feathers on their head resemble quills!
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The secretary bird hunts its prey on foot. The secretary bird is one of only two species of raptors (the other is the South American caracara) that forage on the ground rather than from the air. Prey consists of insects, small mammals, lizards, snakes, young birds, bird eggs, and sometimes dead animals killed in grass or bush fires. It also waits near fires, eating anything it can that is trying to escape. They are well known for stomping their victims to death with their muscular feet and keen claws while feeding on tiny rodents, frogs, and reptiles.
Secretary birds associate in monogamous pairs. During courtship, they exhibit a nuptial display by soaring high with undulating flight patterns and calling with guttural croaking.
The African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer)
With a wingspan that may measure up to a whopping 8 feet, the African fish eagle is one of the most recognizable of all African birds of prey. One of the “sounds of Africa” is thought to be its characteristic shrieking call. The African fish eagle has a vast range and may be found all over sub-Saharan Africa. It is the national bird of Namibia and Zambia.
Found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, African fish eagles are found primarily along bodies of water including rivers, lakes, floodplains, coasts, estuaries, mangrove lagoons, and swamps. Adult African fish eagles are large, readily recognizable raptors, with their pure white head, neck, chest, and tail and dark chestnut brown body. Since fish is the majority of its diet, it is frequently seen sitting conspicuously close to lakes and rivers. Their primary food source, as the name implies, is fish. An individual may consume half a pound of fish per day.
Typical fishing behavior involves soaring followed by diving to the water’s surface to catch fish with their talons. It often requires several attempts before a successful catch occurs, with only one in seven to eight attempts ending in success. The majority of the 60 eagle species inhabit Europe and Africa.
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The Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori)
The kori bustard, native to Africa may be the heaviest bird capable of flight. The Kori Bustard is huge in size and the lack of reddish on its hind-neck render this species unmistakable. The kori bustard, one of Africa’s biggest and heaviest flying birds, spends much of its time sitting on the ground. It only flies to avoid predators and lands as quickly as possible.
It is mostly grey in color, with a black crest on its head and yellow legs. They are significantly different from the nimble flamingo in that they can grow to a height of 3 feet. The East African subspecies is found in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. The southern subspecies is distributed in southern Africa in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, southern Angola, South Africa, and southern Mozambique. These birds can be found throughout eastern and southern Africa, particularly in Botswana, Namibia, and Tanzania.
They frequently accompany herds of zebras or antelopes in search of critters that have been startled by their hooves. They occasionally appear to have a “dust bath” because, unlike other African birds, they lack a preening gland that secretes oil to keep their feathers free of parasites. Kori bustards are polygynous.
Other Notable African Birds
- Malachite Kingfishers: Widely distributed in Africa south of the Sahara, these small birds are known for their bright metallic blue upper parts and rufous underparts.
- Lilac-Breasted Roller: Found in sub-Saharan Africa, these birds prefer open woodland and savanna. They are known for their conspicuous perching and aggressive defense of their nests.
- Yellow-Billed Hornbills: Two species, the southern and eastern, are found in southern and eastern Africa, respectively. They are characterized by a long yellow beak and feed mainly on the ground.
- Greater Flamingos: These birds are most well-known for their bright pink coloration and live in large colonies near mud flats.
- Saddle-Billed Stork: A large wading bird with iridescent black and white plumage and a distinctive crimson bill with a yellow frontal shield.
- African Masked Weaver: Found throughout southern Africa, these birds are known for their intricate nest-building techniques.
- Southern Ground Hornbill: Characterized by black coloration and vivid red patches of bare skin on the face and throat, they forage on the ground for reptiles, frogs, and insects.
- Collared Sunbird: These tiny birds are common breeders across sub-Saharan Africa, feeding largely on nectar.
- Jackass Penguin: Also known as the African or black-footed penguin, this endangered species is the only penguin found on the African continent.
- Sacred Ibises: Native to sub-Saharan Africa, these birds have all-white body plumage apart from dark plumes on the rump.
- Little Bee-Eaters: Preferring areas with open ground, these richly colored birds predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps, and hornets.
- Red-Billed Hornbills: Social birds unique for their fused neck vertebrae to support their large bills.
- Red and Yellow Barbets: Found in eastern Africa, these birds have strong red bills and are strongly patterned with blotches and spots of red, yellow, black, and white.
- Crowned Plover: Also known as the crowned lapwing, this adaptable species occurs throughout southern Africa.
- Yellow-Billed Stork: Favoring aquatic habitats, this stork has mainly pinkish-white plumage with black wings and a bright yellow bill.
- Helmeted Guinea Fowl: Terrestrial birds with a bare head and neck, bright blue skin, and a red wattle.
- Marabou Stork: Unmistakable due to its size, bare head and neck, black back, and white underparts, it is a frequent scavenger.
Conservation and Birding in Africa
Listing birds by area contributes to the information about the distribution of birds which goes into a big computer in Cape Town for use by ornithologists, and contributes to the little distribution maps you find in all commercially available Birding Guide books. About 10% of all species occur here, and many of them travel backwards and forwards every year free of man-made controls - no need for visas.
Table of African Birds
| Bird Name | Scientific Name | Habitat | Distinctive Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ostrich | Struthio camelus | Grasslands and savanna | Largest and heaviest bird |
| Grey Crowned Crane | Balearica regulorum | Eastern and Southern Africa | Golden crown of feathers |
| Secretary Bird | Sagittarius serpentarius | Grasslands and savannah of sub-Sahara | Long-legged raptor with quill-like feathers |
| African Fish Eagle | Haliaeetus vocifer | Rivers, lakes, and coasts of sub-Saharan Africa | White head, neck, and chest with chestnut brown body |
| Kori Bustard | Ardeotis kori | Eastern and Southern Africa | Heaviest flying bird |
