South Africa boasts a remarkable array of bird species, both common and rare, making it a paradise for ornithologists and bird-watchers alike. South Africa Online ® provides informative and educational content on many South African bird species that ornithologists and bird-watchers would enjoy. The best thing about watching birds is that you can do it just about anywhere.
This article explores the fascinating world of ground birds in South Africa, highlighting their unique characteristics, habitats, and conservation status.
Diversity of Bird Species in South Africa
South Africa is a large country, ranked 25th by size in the world, and is situated in the temperate latitudes and subtropics. Due to a range of climate types present, a patchwork of unique habitat types occur, which contribute to its biodiversity and level of endemism. This list incorporates the mainland and nearshore islands and waters only. The submerged though ecologically important Agulhas Bank is for most part inside its territorial waters.
According to BLSA, 18 species are endemic, 20 are SLE endemic, and 11 have been introduced by humans. This list contains 879 species according to the Clements taxonomy.
Several bird families are well-represented in South Africa, including:
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- Anatidae: The family Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans.
- Guineafowl: The guineafowl are a family of birds native to Africa.
- Phasianidae: The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds consisting of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowl, and jungle fowls.
- Flamingos: Flamingos are large gregarious wading birds found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae.
- Grebes: Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers.
- Sandgrouse: 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.
- Bustards: 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.
- Turacos: 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.
- Cuckoos: The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis.
- Nightjars: 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.
- Swifts: 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.
Other families include:
- Rallidae
- Cranes
- Stone-curlews and Thick-knees
- Recurvirostridae
- Charadriidae
- Jacanas
- Scolopacidae
- Buttonquails
- Crab-plover
- Stercorariidae
- Laridae
- Terns
- Skimmers
- Tropicbirds
- Penguins
- Storm-petrels
- Storks
- Frigatebirds
- Sulids
- Anhingas or Darters
- Phalacrocoracidae
- Pelicans
- Hamerkop
- Ardeidae
- Threskiornithidae
- Pandionidae
- Accipitridae
- Barn-owls
- Typical owls
- Mousebirds
- Trogonidae
- Woodhoopoes
- Hornbills
- Bee-eaters
- Rollers
- Barbets
- Honeyguides
- Woodpeckers
- Falconidae
- Parrots
- Broadbills
- Pittas
- Cuckooshrikes
- Old World orioles
- Wattle-eyes
- Bushshrikes
- Drongos
- Shrikes
- Corvidae
- Spotted creepers
- Starlings
- Thrushes
- Old World flycatchers
- Sunbirds
Examples of South African Birds
Here are some examples of ground birds found in South Africa:
Ostrich
The Ostrich (struthio camelus) is a member of a group of birds known as ratites, that is they are flightless birds without a keel to their breastbone. The largest and one of the world’s most well known birds, the ostrich is found exclusively in Africa. 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.
Ostriches are found throughout Africa, but contrary to popular belief, they prefer to inhabit lush, open grasslands, not deserts.
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Kori Bustard
The kori bustard, native to Africa may be the heaviest bird capable of flight. It is mostly grey in color, with a black crest on its head and yellow legs.
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. Kori bustards are polygynous.
Secretary Bird
The secretary bird is a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savannah of the sub-Sahara.
The secretary bird hunts its prey on foot. 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.
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.
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Helmeted Guineafowl
The head and neck of the helmeted guinea fowl are bare with bright blue skin and a red wattle hanging from the throat and cheeks. On top of the head sits a dull yellow or reddish bony knob which gives the bird its characteristic “helmeted” appearance. The rest of its body is covered with blackish-grey feathers dotted with white spots.
These birds are terrestrial, and prone to run rather than fly when alarmed. Guinea fowl are equipped with strong claws and scratch in loose soil for food much like domestic chickens.
Southern Ground Hornbill
Southern ground hornbills are charismatic birds with their large size, contrasting colours, and rumbling calls. It is not surprising that, within their range across Africa, they have great cultural importance. They are believed to bring bad luck, predict death, provide protection against evil spirits and lighting, bring rain, indicate changes in season, and enable altered states of perception. Protecting these birds is essential for conserving the culture and biodiversity of Africa.
Southern ground hornbills are large black birds with distinctive red wattle. They are the world’s largest hornbill species, standing 90-130 cm high. The purple mark on their throat can distinguish females. Juveniles have grey wattles that gradually change to yellow, then pink before they mature to red.
Southern ground hornbills live in groups of 2-9 members, consisting of the dominant pair and their male offspring from previous years. The younger birds assist the dominant male with finding food for the female and chick during the breeding season. They nest in the hollows of large trees.
Southern ground hornbills are listed as vulnerable globally and as endangered in South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Namibia. Habitat loss has been chiefly due to clearance of land for agriculture, and habitat degradation due to grazing by livestock. Furthermore, due to secondary poisoning, trade, and persecution, their population is rapidly declining in South Africa and other countries. Birds sometimes break windowpanes when they attack their reflection, leading to persecution.
The bird is sometimes killed for traditional uses, but their cultural significance provides more protection than harm. Because they are long-lived, slow-breeding birds, their population stability is especially vulnerable to unnatural deaths.
Climate change could pose a threat to southern ground hornbills. They are sensitive to heat and will seek shade when air temperatures increase above 26°C. Therefore, increased average daytime temperatures and heat waves could reduce the amount of time they forage during the day before it gets too hot.
Birdlife South Africa and the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project have several conservation initiatives, such as:
- Hand-rearing second-hatched chicks for rehabilitation and re-introduction.
- Counting and monitoring of populations.
- Research on behaviour and ecology.
- Artificial nest-site provision.
- Removal of threats from habitats.
- Awareness and education campaigns for the public.
Southern ground hornbills are unique, beautiful birds of great cultural significance. Unfortunately, they are threatened by habitat loss, human-caused mortalities, and climate change.
Endemic Bird Species of South Africa
South Africa has a remarkable total of 70 bird species which are confined to its borders, or nearly so. The tiny nations of Lesotho and Eswatini (Swaziland), both of which are virtually surrounded by South Africa (bizarrely), do kind of make things a bit complicated, though.
This is because a remarkable 21 of the 70 South African “endemics” actually occur in all three countries (South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho). Only 18 bird species are absolutely strictly confined to South Africa.
Most of the remaining 31 species on the list are “near-endemics”, with 70 % or more of their range or population within the boundaries of South Africa with less than 30 % of their range or population in countries to the north.
One other species (South African Cliff Swallow) is a “breeding near-endemic” with most of its breeding population in South Africa (its breeding range seems to be increasing through Namibia and Zimbabwe because it breeds on artificial structures, especially bridges).
Below, courtesy of BirdLife South Africa (BLSA), are comprehensive lists showing all 70 South African avian endemics and near-endemics - along with Global IUCN Red Data statuses of those endemic species that are threatened with extinction (disturbingly, there are a lot of those!). This South African endemics list is a subset of the Official BirdLife South Africa country bird list, which is updated annually and can be downloaded from the BLSA link shown above.
The 20 bird species endemic to the region south of the Limpopo River: South Africa and the two tiny countries virtually within South Africa’s borders i.e.
The 31 bird species that are near-endemic* to South Africa, *i.e. Blue Crane (Grus paradisea) Vulnerable.
Over 60 of the 70 endemics and near-endemics, including South Africa’s national bird (Blue Crane) and both rockjumper species, can be seen given 25 days in South Africa if you combine the subtropical South Africa birding tour and the 8-day Cape birding tour shown at Birding Tours South Africa.
Most South African avian endemics lurk in one of two places, 1) the Cape: the fynbos and Karoo - the toughest fynbos endemic is Fynbos Buttonquail and 2) the Drakensberg Escarpment. But there are a good number of endemics elsewhere too.
In fact, while the bulk of the endemics are seen on our tours, given 25 days in South Africa, we hope to see a stack of non-endemics as well, and a bird-list of up to 550 species (which includes an absolutely brilliant set of pelagic seabirds) can sometimes be seen on the 25-day Cape/subtropical South Africa combo. And we never ignore the big and small African mammals.
We like to see everything - including as many of the endemics as possible, but we certainly also never ignore all the other wildlife. See our South Africa birding tours here.
The Fairest Cape, from the North Peninsula (Cape Town and Table Mountain; above) to the South Peninsula, is the richest endemic region on the entire African mainland!
Cinnamon-breasted Warbler manages to skulk and often remain elusive in rock crevices in semi-desert.
Here is the table with data about threatened species:
| Globally threatened bird species | Average protected area coverage of IBAs/KBAs |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Species in |
| Common name | Scientific name |
| Family | IUCN Red List category |
| Breeding endemic | Loading... |
| StateIUCN Red List category of species | Globally threatened bird species |
| Globally threatened bird species | Global population trends |
| Number of bird species with declining global populations | Red List Index of species survival |
| Pressure | Ongoing threats to globally threatened species |
| Response | Conservation actions in place for globally threatened species |
| Conservation actions needed for globally threatened species | SitesIntroduction |
| Total number of important sites for birds (IBAs/KBAs) | Number of IBAs/KBAs identified for migratory bird species |
| Number of Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) sites | List of IBAs/KBAsSite name |
| IBA classification | KBA classification |
| IBA criteria | KBA criteria |
| Year of last assessment | Loading... |
| Sites meeting IBA and/or KBA criteria for birdsStateCondition of key species/habitats in assessed IBA/KBAs | Percentage of assessed IBAs/KBAs in unfavourable or very unfavourable condition |
| Pressure | Threats to important sites for birds (IBAs/KBAs) |
| Level of threat to key species/habitats in assessed IBAs/KBAs | Percentage of assessed IBAs/KBAs under high or very high pressure |
| Response | Conservation actions in place at important sites for birds (IBAs & KBAs) |
| Coverage of IBAs/KBAs by protected areas and OECMs | Average coverage of IBAs/KBAs by protected areas and OECMs |
| Trends in coverage of IBAs/KBAs by protected areas and OECMs | Extent of action for key species/habitats in assessed IBAs/KBAs |
| Percentage of assessed IBAs/KBAs receiving medium or high levels of action for key species/habitats | Policy instrumentsPolicy instruments relating to site |
| Please note that the table is not a comprehensive list of policy instruments relating to this country - only a selection of key instruments are shown. |
Hornbills of South Africa
Southern Ground Hornbill | Kruger National Park
Of the 24 species of hornbills in Africa, six of them are found in South Africa. And all of these hornbills of South Africa are found in Kruger National Park. Their large bills are very distinct and heavy, and are supported by powerful neck muscles. This large bill is used in preening, foraging, nest construction, and fighting. South African hornbill casques (the horny projection on top of bill). Males shown.
Hornbills are monogamous and they nest in tree trunks and rock cavities. When nesting, the female seals herself up inside the nesting cavity by blocking the entrance with mud, droppings, and regurgitated food. She leaves a narrow slot that they male uses to feed the adult female through. This creates a nearly predator-proof nest.
She will stay sealed inside the cavity for about 2.5 months. The hornbill is an omnivorous bird and feeds on invertebrates, small mammals, small lizards, birds eggs, birds nestlings, seeds, and fruits. They seem to be very fond of figs.
Found in woodlands, the crowned hornbill (Lophoceros alboterminatus) has dark brown plumage, yellow eyes, white belly, and is the only hornbill in South Africa that has a yellow strip at the base of its bill. You can find crowned hornbills foraging in groups around the forest canopy.
The largest of the South African hornbills, the Southern ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) is an endangered bird and any encounter with these incredible animals is memorable. They can measure over three feet tall, weight up to 14 pounds, and have a wingspan of about five feet.
You can see these large birds walking around the savanna in small family groups, occasionally up to 12 individuals. We saw the individual in the photo with another adult and a juvenile (juvenile southern ground hornbills have yellow face markings instead of red). We observed them for a while as they were foraging for insects.
Southern ground hornbills have a long lifespan and can live up to 70 years of age in the wild. To learn more about the conservation efforts to save the Southern Ground hornbill visit Mabula Ground-Hornbill Project.
Southern red-billed hornbills inhabit the savannah and open woodlands along riverine grasslands. They can also be found in semi-desert like in the Kalahari. While you can find southern red-billed hornbills in trees, they forage for prey on the ground.
Their diet is mainly invertebrates, although occasionally will prey on small rodents, birds nestlings, lizards, and some fruits. Found normally in pairs or in small groups, they favor Mopane forests, thornveld, savannah and other dry habitats. During the dry season when not breeding, they become somewhat nomadic in most areas and flocks may form, feeding together and gathering at water holes in the savanna where dung piles and food are plentiful, but often returning to roost in their territory.
Southern yellow-billed hornbills inhabit the savannah and open woodlands, along riverine grasslands. They can also be found in semi-desert like the Kalahari. They feed on the ground, and search in the leaf litter for small invertebrates. When available, they will eat small rodents, birds eggs, and nestlings.
They are territorial, and are found in pairs or in small family flocks. During one of our visits to the Kgalagadi Transfontier National Park, we were staying in a cabin at Urikaruus Wilderness Camp when a tap on the window glass woke us up. There were two southern yellow-billed hornbills ‘knocking’ at our window!
African grey hornbills (Lophoceros nasutus) are territorial and can be found in resident pairs during their mating season or in large flocks during non breeding season.
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