List of Birds documented in the area
Bonza Bay offers a prolific abundance of bird life... A haven for birding enthusiasts!
Common Name | Scientific name | Number | Status | Habitat | No. |
Dabchick | Tachybaptus ruficollis | variable | winter | lagoon | 8 |
Cory's Shearwater | Calonectris diomedea | scarce | vagrant | pelagic | 34 |
Cape Pigeon | Daption capense | scarce | vagrant | pelagic | 21 |
Greatwinged Petrel | Pterodrom macroptera | scarce | vagrant | pelagic | 23 |
Fairy Prion | Pachyptila turtur | scarce | vagrant | pelagic | 31 |
Cory's Shearwater | Calonectris diomedea | scarce | vagrant | pelagic | 34 |
Pinkbacked Pelican | Pelicanus rufescens | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 50 |
Audubon's Shearwater | Puffinus lherminieri | scarce | vagrant | pelagic | 40 |
Reed Cormorant | Phalacrocorax africanus | regular | local | lagoon | 58 |
Cape Cormorant | Phalacrocorax capensis | frequent | winter | marine | 56 |
Whitebreasted Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | frequent | local | marine | 55 |
Darter | Anhinga anhinga | occasional | local | lagoon | 60 |
Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | regular | local | lagoon | 62 |
Goliath Heron | Ardea goliath | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 64 |
Blackheaded Heron | Ardea melanocephala | regular | local | grassland | 63 |
Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | occasional | vagrant | lagoon | 65 |
Squacco Heron | Ardeola ralloides | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 72 |
Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | regular | winter | grassland | 71 |
Great White Egret | Egretta alba | occasional | vagrant | lagoon | 66 |
Black Egret | Egretta ardesiaca | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 69 |
Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | regular | local | river | 67 |
Yellowbilled Egret | Egretta intermedia | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 68 |
Little Bittern | Ixobrychus minutus | scarce | summer | lagoon | 78 |
Blackcrowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | occasional | local | lagoon | 76 |
Hamerkop | Scopus umbretta | frequent | local | river | 81 |
Black Stork | Ciconia nigra | scarce | winter | on route | 84 |
Woollynecked Stork | Ciconia episcopus | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 86 |
Openbill | Anostomus lamelligerus | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 87 |
Yellowbilled Stork | Mycteria ibis | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 90 |
Hadeda | Bostrychia hagedash | regular | resident | grassland | 94 |
Spoonbill | Platalea alba | occasional | local | lagoon | 95 |
Sacred Ibis | Threskiornis aethiopicus | occasional | winter | lagoon | 91 |
Greater Flamingo | Phoenicopterus ruber | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 96 |
Egyptian Goose | Alopochen aegypticus | regular | resident | river | 102 |
Cape Teal | Anas capensis | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 106 |
Redbilled Teal | Anas erythrorhyncha | frequent | local | lagoon | 108 |
Shoveller | Anas smithii | occasional | local | lagoon | 112 |
Black Duck | Anas sparsa | occasional | local | river | 105 |
Yellowbill Duck | Anas undulata | regular | local | lagoon | 104 |
Whitefaced Duck | Dendrocygna viduata | occasional | local | lagoon | 99 |
Spurwinged Goose | Plectropterus gambensis | occasional | vagrant | lagoon | 116 |
Shelduck | Tadorna cana | occasional | vagrant | lagoon | 103 |
Secretary Bird | Sagittarius serpentarius | scarce | vagrant | on route | 118 |
Black Sparrowhawk | Accipiter melanoleucus | occasional | local | 158 | |
Little Sparrowhawk | Accipiter minullus | frequent | local | forest | 157 |
African Goshawk | Accipiter tachiro | regular | resident | forest | 160 |
Cuckoo Hawk | Aviceda cuculoides | occasional | local | forest | 128 |
Jackal Buzzard | Buteo rufofuscus | occasional | local | grassland | 152 |
Marsh Harrier | Circus ranivorus | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 165 |
Fish Eagle | Haliaeetus vocifer | regular | resident | river | 148 |
Longcrested Eagle | Lophaetus occipitalis | occasional | local | grassland | 139 |
Yellowbilled Kite | Milvus migrans | occasional | summer | 126 | |
Gymnogene | Polyboroides typus | frequent | local | 169 | |
Crowned Eagle | Stephanoaetus coronatus | frequent | local | 141 | |
Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | frequent | summer | marine | 170 |
Peregrine | Falco peregrinus | scarce | vagrant | 171 | |
Lanner | Falco biarmicus | occasional | local | 172 | |
Hobby | Falco subbuteo | occasional | summer | dunes | 173 |
Common Quail | Coturnix coturnix | scarce | summer | on route | 200 |
Rednecked Francolin | Francolinus afer | occasional | resident | grassland | 198 |
Redwing Francolin | Francolinus levaillantii | occasional | resident | grassland | 192 |
Helmeted Guineafowl | Numida meleagris | frequent | feral | 203 | |
Crowned Crane | Balearica regulorum | regular | local | lagoon | 209 |
Black Crake | Amaurornis flavirostris | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 213 |
Redknobbed Coot | Fulica cristata | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 228 |
Purple Gallinule | Porphyrio porphyrio | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 223 |
Buffspotted Flufftail | Sarothrura elegans | occasional | local | forest | 218 |
Jacana | Actophilornis africana | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 240 |
Painted Snipe | Rostratula benghalensis | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 242 |
Black Oystercatcher | Haematopus moquini | regular | resident | sea-shore | 244 |
European Oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus | scarce | summer | sea-shore | 243 |
Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula | frequent | summer | sea-shore | 245 |
Whitefronted Plover | Charadrius marginatus | regular | resident | sea-shore | 246 |
Threebanded Plover | Charadrius tricollaris | frequent | local | river | 249 |
Blacksmith Plover | Vanellus armatus | occasional | local | lagoon | 258 |
Crowned Plover | Vanellus coronatus | occasional | local | grassland | 255 |
Blackwinged Plover | Vanellus melanopterus | occasional | local | grassland | 257 |
Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | regular | summer | sea-shore | 262 |
Sanderling | Calidris alba | regular | summer | sea-shore | 281 |
Little Stint | Calidris minuta | occasional | summer | lagoon | 274 |
Ethiopian Snipe | Gallinago nigripennis | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 286 |
Bartailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica | scarce | summer | sea-shore | 288 |
Whimbrel | Numeius phaeopus | regular | summer | sea-shore | 290 |
Grey Phalarope | Phalaropus fulicarius | scarce | summer | sea-shore | 291 |
Ruff | Philomachus pugnax | scarce | summer | lagoon | 284 |
Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola | occasional | summer | lagoon | 266 |
Common Sandpiper | Tringa hypoleucos | frequent | summer | river | 264 |
Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | frequent | summer | lagoon | 270 |
Spotted Dikkop | Burhinus capensis | regular | resident | grassland | 297 |
Water Dikkop | Burhinus vermiculatus | regular | resident | sea-shore | 298 |
Bronzewinged Courser | Rhinoptilus chalcopterus | scarce | vagrant | savanna | 303 |
Pomarine Skua | Stercoracius pomarinus | scarce | summer | marine | 309 |
Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus | regular | local | sea-shore | 312 |
Greyheaded Gull | Larus cirrocephalus | scarce | vagrant | marine | 315 |
Sabine's Gull | Larus sabini | scarce | vagrant | marine | 318 |
Little Tern | Sterna albifrons | occasional | summer | marine | 335 |
Caspian Tern | Hydroprogne caspia | scarce | vagrant | marine | 322 |
Swift Tern | Sterna bergii | regular | local | marine | 324 |
Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | regular | summer | marine | 327 |
Feral Pigeon | Columba livia | regular | feral | 348 | |
Rock Pigeon | Columba guinea | frequent | local | sea-shore | |
Cinnamon Dove | Aplopelia larvata | frequent | resident | forest | 360 |
Turtle Dove | Streptopelia capicola | occasional | local | grassland | 354 |
Redeyed Dove | Streptopelia semitorquata | regular | resident | forest | 352 |
Laughing Dove | Streptopelia senegalensis | regular | resident | commensal | 355 |
Green Pigeon | Treron calva | frequent | local | forest | 361 |
Emeraldspotted Dove | Turtur chalcospilos | occasional | local | savanna | 358 |
Tambourine Dove | Turtur tympanistria | frequent | resident | forest | 359 |
Cape Parrot | Poicephalus robustus | scarce | vagrant | on route | 362 |
Roseringed Parakeet | Psittacula krameri | scarce | feral | 366 | |
Knysna Lourie | Tauraco corythaix | regular | resident | forest | 370 |
Burchell's Coucal | Centropus superciliosus | frequent | resident | grassland | 391 |
Didric Cuckoo | Chrysococcyx caprius | occasional | summer | grassland | 386 |
Klaas's Cuckoo | Chrysococcyx klaas | frequent | local | forest | 385 |
Black Cuckoo | Cuculus clamosus | regular | summer | savanna | 378 |
Barn Owl | Tyto alba | occasional | local | 392 | |
Spotted Eagle Owl | Bubo africanus | frequent | local | 401 | |
Scops Owl | Otus senegalensis | regular | resident | forest | 396 |
Wood Owl | Strix woodfordii | scarce | local | forest | 394 |
European Nightjar | Caprimulgus europeus | scarce | summer | forest | 404 |
Fierynecked Nightjar | Caprimulgus pectoralis | regular | resident | grassland | 405 |
Little Swift | Apus affinis | occasional | local | aerial | 417 |
European Swift | Apus apus | occasional | summer | aerial | 411 |
Black Swift | Apus barbatus | frequent | local | aerial | 412 |
Whiterumped Swift | Apus cafer | frequent | summer | aerial | 415 |
Horus Swift | Apus horus | occasional | local | aerial | 416 |
Alpine Swift | Apus melba | frequent | local | aerial | 418 |
Palm Swift | Cypsiurus parvus | frequent | local | aerial | 421 |
Redfaced Mousebird | Colius indicus | occasional | winter | savanna | 426 |
Speckled Mousebird | Colius striatus | frequent | resident | forest | 424 |
Narina Trogon | Apaloderma narina | scarce | local | forest | 427 |
Malechite Kingfisher | Alcedo cristata | occasional | local | lagoon | 431 |
Halfcollared Kingfisher | Alcedo semitorquata | frequent | local | river | 430 |
Giant Kingfisher | Ceryle maxima | frequent | local | river | 429 |
Pied Kingfisher | Ceryle rudis | frequent | local | lagoon | 428 |
Pygmy Kingfisher | Ceyx pictus | frequent | summer | forest | 432 |
Brownhooded Kingfisher | Halcyon albiventris | frequent | resident | forest | 435 |
European Bee-eater | Merops apiaster | scarce | vagrant | 438 | |
Hoopoe | Upupa epops | scarce | local | grassland | 451 |
Redbilled Wood Hoopoe | Phoeniculus purpureus | regular | resident | forest | 452 |
Trumpeter Hornbill | Bycanistes bucinator | regular | local | forest | 455 |
Crowned Hornbill | Tockus alboterminatus | regular | resident | savanna | 460 |
Blackcollared Barbet | Lybius torquatus | regular | resident | forest | 464 |
Redfronted Tinker Barbet | Pogoniulus pusillus | regular | resident | forest | 469 |
Greater Honeyguide | Indicator indicator | scarce | local | savanna | 474 |
Lesser Honeyguide | Indicator minor | frequent | resident | forest | 476 |
Scalythroated Honeyguide | Indicator variegatus | scarce | local | forest | 475 |
Sharpbilled Honeyguide | Prodotiscus regulus | occasional | local | savanna | 478 |
Knysna Woodpecker | Campethera notata | frequent | resident | forest | 484 |
Olive Woodpecker | Mesopicos griseocephalus | frequent | resident | forest | 488 |
Rufousnaped Lark | Mirafra africana | no longer | resident | grassland | 494 |
House Martin | Delichon urbica | occasional | summer | lagoon | 530 |
Lesser Striped Swallow | Hirundo abyssinica | regular | summer | savanna | 527 |
Whitethroated Swallow | Hirundo albigularis | regular | summer | river | 520 |
Greater Striped Swallow | Hirundo cucullata | occasional | summer | grassland | 526 |
Pearlbreasted Swallow | Hirundo dimidiata | occasional | summer | lagoon | 523 |
Rock Martin | Hirundo fuligula | frequent | local | lagoon | 529 |
European Swallow | Hirundo rustica | frequent | summer | grassland | 518 |
Cliff Swallow | Hirundo spilodera | scarce | local | lagoon | 528 |
Black Sawwing Swallow | Psalidoprocne holomelas | regular | summer | forest | 536 |
Banded Martin | Riparia cincta | occasional | summer | lagoon | 534 |
Black Cuckooshrike | Campephaga flava | occasional | local | savanna | 538 |
Whitebreast Cuckooshrike | Coracina pectoralis | scarce | winter | forest | 539 |
Forktailed Drongo | Dicrurus adsimilis | regular | resident | savanna | 541 |
Squaretailed Drongo | Dicrurus ludwigii | scarce | vagrant | forest | 542 |
Blackheaded Oriole | Oriolus larvatus | regular | local | forest | 545 |
Raven | Corvus albicollis | scarce | vagrant | on route | 550 |
Pied Crow | Corvus albus | frequent | local | commensal | 548 |
Black Crow | Corvus capensis | scarce | vagrant | on route | 547 |
Black Tit | Parus niger | occasional | resident | savanna | 554 |
Sombre Bulbul | Andropadus importunus | regular | resident | forest | 572 |
Terrestrial Bulbul | Phyllastrephus terrestris | frequent | resident | forest | 569 |
Blackeyed Bulbul | Pycnonotus barbatus | regular | resident | forest | 568 |
Cape Robin | Cossypha caffra | occasional | local | forest | 601 |
Chorister Robin | Cossypha dichroa | frequent | resident | forest | 598 |
Natal Robin | Cossypha natalensis | occasional | resident | forest | 600 |
Whitebrowed Robin | Erythropygia leucophrys | frequent | resident | forest | 613 |
Brown Robin | Erythropygia signata | frequent | resident | forest | 616 |
Cape Rock Thrush | Monticola rupestris | occasional | local | cliffs | 581 |
Starred Robin | Pogonocichla stellata | occasional | winter | forest | 606 |
Stonechat | Saxicola torquata | occasional | winter | lagoon | 596 |
Spotted Thrush | Turdus fischeri | scarce | vagrant | forest | 578 |
Olive Thrush | Turdus olivaceus | regular | resident | forest | 577 |
Great Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus arundinaceus | occasional | summer | lagoon | 628 |
Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus gracilirostris | scarce | vagrant | lagoon | 635 |
European Marsh Warbler | Acrocephalus palustris | frequent | summer | savanna | 633 |
Yellowbreasted Apalis | Apalis flavida | frequent | resident | forest | 648 |
Barthroated Apalis | Apalis thoracica | frequent | resident | forest | 645 |
Sedge Warbler | Bradypterus baboecala | occasional | local | lagoon | 638 |
Barratt's Warbler | Bradypterus barratti | frequent | winter | lagoon | 639 |
Knysna Warbler | Bradypterus sylvaticus | occasional | local | lagoon | 640 |
Lazy Cisticola | Cisticola aberrans | frequent | resident | grassland | 679 |
Neddicky | Cisticola fulvicapilla | frequent | resident | grassland | 681 |
Fantailed Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis | occasional | local | lagoon | 664 |
Levaillant's Cisticola | Cisticola tinniens | frequent | resident | lagoon | 677 |
Bleating Warbler | Cameroptera brachyura | regular | resident | forest | 657 |
Willow Warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus | frequent | summer | forest | 643 |
Spotted Prinia | Prinia maculosa | frequent | resident | sea-shore | 686 |
Tawnyflanked Prinia | Prinia subflava | frequent | resident | forest | 683 |
Cape Batis | Batis capensis | frequent | resident | forest | 700 |
Chinspot Batis | Batis molitor | occasional | resident | savanna | 701 |
Black Flycatcher | Melaenornis pammelaina | scarce | local | savanna | 694 |
Dusky Flycatcher | Muscicapa adusta | regular | resident | river | 690 |
Bluegrey Flycatcher | Muscicapa cinerea | frequent | resident | forest | 691 |
Fiscal Flycatcher | Sigelus silens | occasional | local | savanna | 698 |
Paradise Flycatcher | Terpsiphone viridis | frequent | summer | forest | 710 |
Bluemantled Flycatcher | Trochocercus cyanomelas | frequent | resident | forest | 708 |
Plainbacked Pipit | Anthus leucophrys | frequent | local | grassland | 718 |
Orangethroated Longclaw | Macronyx capensis | frequent | resident | grassland | 727 |
Pied Wagtail | Motacilla aquimp | occasional | local | river | 711 |
Cape Wagtail | Motacilla capensis | frequent | resident | lagoon | 713 |
Puffback | Dryoscopus cubla | frequent | resident | forest | 740 |
Boubou | Laniarius ferrugineus | frequent | resident | forest | 736 |
Greyheaded Shrike | Malaconotus blanchoti | regular | resident | forest | 751 |
Olive Shrike | Telophorus olivaceus | occasional | local | forest | 750 |
Orangebreasted Shrike | Telophorus sulphureopectus | occasional | local | savanna | 748 |
Bokmakierie | Telophorus zeylonus | scarce | local | grassland | 746 |
Blackcrowned Tchagra | Tchagra senegala | scarce | local | savanna | 744 |
Greybreasted Tchagra | Tchagra tchagra | occasional | resident | forest | 742 |
Wattled Starling | Creatophora cinerea | scarce | vagrant | commensal | 760 |
Blackbellied Starling | Lamprotornis corruscus | occasional | local | forest | 768 |
Glossy Starling | Lamprotornis nitens | occasional | local | savanna | 764 |
Redwinged Starling | Onychognathus morio | occasional | local | cliffs | 769 |
European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | regular | resident | commensal | 757 |
Black Sunbird | Nectarinia amethystina | regular | resident | savanna | 792 |
Gt.Double-collar.Sunbird | Nectarinia afra | frequent | local | forest | 785 |
Less.Double-col. Sunbird | Nectarinia chalybea | frequent | resident | forest | 783 |
Olive Sunbird | Nectarinia olivacea | occasional | resident | forest | 790 |
Collared Sunbird | Anthreptes collaris | regular | resident | forest | 793 |
Malechite Sunbird | Nectarinia famosa | scarce | winter | grassland | 775 |
Grey Sunbird | Nectarinia veroxii | regular | resident | forest | 789 |
Cape White-eye | Zosterops pallidus | regular | resident | forest | 796 |
Thickbilled Weaver | Ambylospiza albifrons | frequent | resident | grassland | 807 |
Redshouldered Widow | Euplectes axillaris | occasional | resident | grassland | 828 |
Red Bishop | Euplectes orix | occasional | resident | lagoon | 824 |
House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | scarce | local | commensal | 801 |
Greyheaded Sparrow | Passer griseus | frequent | resident | commensal | 804 |
Forest Weaver | Ploceus bicolor | frequent | resident | forest | 808 |
Spottedbacked Weaver | Ploceus cucullatus | frequent | resident | savanna | 811 |
Spectacled Weaver | Ploceus ocularis | frequent | resident | savanna | 810 |
Yellow Weaver | Ploceus subaureus | occasional | resident | river | 817 |
Common Waxbill | Estrilda astrild | frequent | resident | grassland | 846 |
Swee Waxbill | Estrilda melanotis | occasional | local | forest | 850 |
Bluebilled Firefinch | Lagonosticta rubricata | occasional | local | forest | 840 |
Green Twinspot | Mandingoa nitidula | scarce | vagrant | forest | 835 |
Quail Finch | Ortygospiza atricollis | scarce | local | lagoon | 852 |
Bronze Mannikin | Spermestes cucullatus | frequent | resident | commensal | 857 |
Black Widowfinch | Vidua funerea | occasional | summer | savanna | 864 |
Pintailed Whydah | Vidua macroura | occasional | summer | grassland | 860 |
Cape Canary | Serinus canicollis | occasional | winter | 872 | |
Streakyheaded Canary | Serinus gularis | frequent | resident | savanna | 881 |
Yelloweyed Canary | Serinus mozambicus | frequent | resident | savanna | 869 |
Forest Canary | Serinus scotops | frequent | resident | forest | 873 |
Bully Canary | Serinus sulphuratus | occasional | local | savanna | 877 |