Top 10 South African Safari Birds

  Top 10 african safari">South African Safari Birds:Winged Wonders:

South Africa is like a birding safari paradise! With its diverse ecosystems spread across nine biomes, it’s home to an amazing 800 recorded bird species. If you’re a bird watcher or just love nature, you can enjoy the majestic flight of the African Fish Eagle or watch the adorable waddle of the endangered African Penguin at some of the best bird-watching spots in the country, like Kruger National Park, the West Coast National Park, and iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Come along with us on an exciting adventure through the skies of South Africa! We’ll explore 10 amazing birds that you definitely don’t want to miss on your next safari in South Africa:

1. African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus)

African Pelican on are a hunt

South Africa is one of the rare spots on the African continent where you can catch a glimpse of this little guy sporting its stylish black-and-white ‘tuxedo-like’ coat. The African penguin, once called the jackass penguin due to its donkey-like bray, stands about 60 to 70 cm tall, which is roughly 24 to 28 inches.

They’re really well-suited for life in the water, thanks to their thick layers of overlapping feathers that keep them nice and dry. The unique spot patterns on their white torsos help us identify each bird individually. They eat a variety of things like pilchards, herring, squid, crustaceans, anchovies, and horse mackerel.

African penguins mainly hang out on island colonies along the Southern African coast, stretching from Hollams Bird Island in Namibia all the way to Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape. Boulders Beach and Betty’s Bay, both located near Cape Town, are now popular tourist spots in the Western Cape.

Did you know?
Even though they might not be the most graceful on land, African penguins are fantastic swimmers! They use their flippers and streamlined bodies to zip through the water at speeds of up to 20 km/h (12 mph), almost like they’re flying. Did you know they can dive to an incredible 130 metres, which is more than 400 feet? That’s pretty impressive!

2. Cape Sugarbird (Promerops cafer)

The Cape sugarbird has these really long tail feathers that are quite impressive. It features a long, curved beak that’s perfect for sipping nectar, especially from proteas, also known as sugarbushes, which are native to the Cape fynbos biome. Sugarbirds sport a somewhat dull brown on top, but their torso is nicely mottled, and they have a vibrant yellow undertail that really stands out.

They have this really loud and grating call that you can easily recognize. Even though they mainly feed on nectar, they’ll also munch on spiders and other insects. They’ve got some pretty strong claws to hang on in those crazy Cape winds.

Cape sugarbirds are found only in the special fynbos habitat of Cape Point and other reserves in the Western Cape. This area is filled with lots of nectar-producing plants, such as proteas and ericas.

Did you know?
The Cape sugarbird is super important for pollinating the fynbos. While it enjoys the nectar from those lovely flowers, it also does a great job of moving pollen between plants.

3. Lilac-Breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus)

The lilac-breasted roller, which is medium-sized, is often seen as a stunning little rainbow, showcasing eight different colors in its feathers. Its lilac breast and bright turquoise underparts really stand out. You’ll often spot rollers hanging out in a nice high vantage point. They stick to one partner and are really protective of their space.

Thesetypically hang out in pairs and make their nests in tree holes or termite mounds. They eat a variety of things like grasshoppers, crabs, beetles, little lizards, amphibians, rodents, and birds. They swoop down and grab them off the ground with their strong, hook-tipped beaks.

You’ll find them in open bushveld savannahs and along riversides across southern and eastern Africa.

Did you know this?
Rollers get their name from the amazing aerial acrobatics they perform while courting, featuring a bunch of quick dives and rolls.

4. Malachite Kingfisher (Corythornis Cristatus)

This tiny kingfisher from the wetlands, sporting its shiny blue and bright orange hues, is truly a gem of the South African bush. You can find it in just about every water-rich spot. Its hunting style is pretty cool—it just sits there still for a bit, then suddenly darts down to grab its meal from the water.

They eat fish, frogs, crabs, tadpoles, and aquatic insects. They make a loud ‘tshik’ sound that you often hear while they’re flying around. Mating pairs typically set up their nests in burrows they dig into riverbanks.

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You can find them all over South Africa, hanging out near freshwater spots like rivers, lakes, wetlands, and coastal estuaries. You’ll find them even in drier spots like the Kalahari basin and the western Karoo.

Did you know?
Once the bird catches its prey, which is usually a small fish, it heads back to its perch. There, it gives the fish a good whack against the branch to finish it off and make it easier to swallow, going down head-first.

5. Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbill (Tockus Leucomelas)

This clever and often funny bird was quite oddly introduced to us as Zazu in The Lion King! It’s a medium-sized bird that eats a variety of foods, easily recognized by its big yellow beak and its eye-catching black, white, and grey feathers.

It munches on a variety of things like seeds, fruit, bird chicks, termites, ants, frogs, and even chameleons. Did you know that yellow-billed hornbills are monogamous? The male actually tries to impress the female by bringing her food before they mate! How sweet is that? Once they mate, the female finds a cozy spot in a tree to settle in, while the male sticks around to keep her fed until the eggs are ready to hatch.

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You can spot hornbills in dry, open savannahs, acacia, and broadleaved woodlands, where they often forage on the ground.

Did you know?
This bird is pretty smart and has a cool partnership with dwarf mongooses. They usually search for food together in a friendly way that helps them both out.

6. Bateleur Eagle (Terathopius Ecaudatus)

The bateleur is the biggest of the snake eagles and really stands out with its striking red face and legs. Plus, its short tail gives it a cool, unique look when it’s flying around. The females are larger than the males, and the pairs put on an amazing show with their aerial acrobatics during mating flights.

Bateleur eagles are known to pair for life and stick with the same nest, often found in a big tree, for many years. So, there’s just one egg that gets laid, and it takes around 55 days to hatch. The female does most of the incubating during that time. Bateleurs eat a variety of things like mice, snakes, birds, carrion (especially road kills), and lizards.

Bateleur eagles can be spotted in grasslands and acacia savannahs across much of sub-Saharan Africa, but it seems their numbers are on the decline.

Did you know?
Bateleurs really enjoy soaking up the sun! They’ll take a bath, strike a classic upright ‘phoenix pose’ with their wings spread wide, and even twist around to chase the sun.

7. Knysna Turaco (Tauraco Corythaix)

This bird, once called the Knysna loerie, is a charming medium-sized creature. It sports a lovely soft forest green color, with shiny blue feathers on its wings and tail, plus striking red patches on its wings. It features a striking white-tipped crest, some really eye-catching red and white eye ‘makeup,’ and a bold red bill.

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You’ll mostly find it in southern Africa, especially in the Eastern and Western Cape regions. You’ll find its main habitats in the thick, lush indigenous forests and woodlands around here, especially in places like the Knysna and Tsitsikamma forests, as well as the Amatole and Hogsback mountains.

Did you know?
The Knysna turaco is famous for its distinctive, loud, and melodious call.

8. Martial Eagle (Polemaetus Bellicosus)

The martial eagle is among the largest eagles out there, boasting a wingspan of nearly two meters. The females are actually bigger. This impressive bird really grabs your attention with its sharp eyes, dark brown head and upper body, and stunning speckled feathers. Its powerful talons can actually break a human arm!

Birds play a key role in what the martial eagle eats, like bustards, guineafowl, and francolins. It’ll also include dassies, small antelopes, and monkeys. A mating pair typically has two big nests that they take turns using each year. In the Lower Sabie area of Kruger, you can spot some amazing birds, including the impressive martial eagle.

Martials like to hang out in open and semi-open spaces, such as savannahs and semi-desert areas. You can often spot them soaring high on the thermals.

Did you know this?
Martial eagles are top predators with amazing eyesight, thought to be about three to four times sharper than what we humans have. This helps them see their prey from miles away.

9. Blue Crane (Anthropoides Paradiseus)

The national bird of South Africa is this beautiful endemic bird. It has this gorgeous blue-grey plumage, a really eye-catching crown of feathers, and those lovely trailing tertial plumes. They’re around 110 to 120 cm tall, which is definitely more than 3 feet!

Blue cranes often search for food on the ground and eat a variety of things. Their diet includes bulbs, seeds, leaves, roots, grasshoppers, small mammals, reptiles, frogs, fish, and crustaceans. They make these loud, guttural calls that sound a bit like bugles, and they stick together as monogamous pairs. Plus, they’re really protective of their territory.

Blue cranes can be spotted in places like the Mpumalanga Highveld, the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and both the Eastern and Western Cape. There are around 60 of these birds hanging out in and around the Etosha pan. They like open grasslands, but you can also spot them in cultivated pastures and croplands. In drier places like the Karoo and Namibia, you’ll often find them in dwarf shrubland and dry grasslands.

Did you know?

Blue cranes have this really fascinating and elegant courtship dance. They do all sorts of intricate moves, like flapping their wings, bowing, jumping around, and even tossing grass into the air.

10. African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus Vocifer)

This big and beautiful bird of prey is super easy to spot thanks to its eye-catching white head, chest, and tail that really pop against its deep brown body. It really looks a lot like the American bald eagle, sharing that same striking color scheme.

The fish eagle mostly munches on catfish and lungfish, but it’s also been spotted snatching up flamingoes and other birds that hang around the water. It also takes prey from other birds. You often spot it perched high up in a tall tree, ready to swoop down and expertly grab its meal from the water with its sharp talons.

You’ll find it all over southern Africa, especially hanging out near big water spots like lakes, rivers, and reservoirs.

Did you know?
It’s famous for its clear and unique call, often referred to as ‘the voice of Africa’. They say that once you hear its unique call, it sticks with you for good.

At Engagi Safaris, we love sharing Africa’s amazing wildlife with you, and South Africa’s stunning birdlife definitely adds to the wildlife adventures you can pick from. No matter where your dream destination is, we’re here to create the perfect, unforgettable birding safari tour just for you.