Birds are prolific in this area and over 250 species can be seen. This list comprises of birds actually recorded in the Port St Johns area and as far South as Umgazi River and as far North as the Mtafufu River by local birders in the last 10 years.

Crowned Hornbill (Photo by John Costello)

Included are sightings up to +/- 10 kms inland.

Numbers in the first column are the South African Bird List Number of the species

(ref: Roberts Birds of Southern Africa by G.L. Maclean.)

Birds recorded in Port St Johns Area
(supplied by Kathryn Costello)

3	Jackass Penguin Spheniscus demersus	R	526	Greater Striped Swallow Hirundo cucullata	U
53	Cape Gannet Morus capensis	U	527	Lessor Striped Swallow Hirundo abyssinica	C
55	Whitebreasted Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	C	529	Rock Martin Hirundo fuligula	U
56	Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis	C	533	Brownthroated Martin Riparia paludicola	U
58	Reed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus	C	536	Black Sawwing Swallow Psalidoprocne holomelas	U
60	Darter Anhinga melanogaster	C	538	Black Cuckooshrike Campephaga flava	U
62	Grey Heron Ardea cinerea	C	541	Forktailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis	C
63	Blackheaded Heron Ardea melanocephala	C	542	Squaretailed Drongo Dicrurus ludwigii	U
66	Great White Egret Egretta alba	U	543	European Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus R	R
67	Little Egret Egretta garzetta	C	545	Blackheaded Oriole Oriolus larvatus	C
68	Yellowbilled Egret Egretta intermedia	U	547	Black Crow Corvus capensis	C
71	Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis	C	548	Pied Crow Corvus albus	C
72	Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	R	550	Whitenecked Raven Corvus albicollis	C
74	Greenbacked Heron Butorides striatus	R	554	Southern Black Tit Parus niger	C
81	Hamerkop Scopus umbretta	C	568	Blackeyed Bulbul Pyconotus barbatus	C
86	Woollynecked Stork Ciconia episcopus	R	569	Terrestrial Bulbul Phyllastrephus terrestris	U
91	Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus	U	572	Sombre Bulbul Andropadus importunus	C
94	Hadeda Ibis Bostrychia hagedash	C	576	Kurrichane Thrush Turdus libonyana	C
101	Whitebacked Duck Thalassornis leuconotus	U	577	Olive Thrush Turdus olivaceus	C
102	Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus	C	581	Cape Rock Thrush Monticola rupestris	U
104	Yellowbilled Duck Anas undulata	C	596	Stonechat Saxicola torquata	C
105	African Black Duck Anas sparsa	U	598	Chorister Robin Cossypha dichroa	C
114	Pygmy Goose Nettapus auritus	R	600	Natal Robin Cossypha natalensis	C
116	Spurwinged Goose Plectropterus gambensis	C	601	Cape Robin Cossypha caffra	C
126	Yellowbilled Kite & Black Kite Milvus migrans	C	613	Whitebrowed Robin Erythropygia leucophrys	U
127	Blackshouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus	U	616	Brown Robin Erythropygia signata	U
131	Black Eagle Aquila verreauxii	U	635	Cape Reed Warbler Acrocephalus gracilirostris	U
139	Longcrested Eagle Lophaetus occipitalis	U	639	Barratts Warbler Bradypterus barratti	U
141	Crowned Eagle Stephanoeatus coronatus	U	640	Knysna Warbler Bradypterus sylvaticus	U
148	African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer	C	645	Barthroated Apalis Apalis thoracica	U
152	Jackal Buzzard Buteo rufofuscus	C	657	Bleating Warbler Camaroptera fasciolata	C
160	African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro	U	664	Fantailed Cisticola Cisticola juncidis	C
169	Gymnogene Polyboroides typus	U	675	Blackbacked Cisticola Cisticola galactotes	U
170	Osprey Pandion haliaetus	U	679	Lazy Cisticola Cisticola aberrans	U
198	Rednecked Francolin Francolinus Afer	C	681	Neddicky Cisticola fulvicapilla	C
200	Common Quail Coturnix coturnix	U	683	Tawnyflanked Prinia Prinia subflava	C
203	Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris	C	686	Spotted Prinia Prinia maculosa	U
209	Crowned Crane Balearica regilorum	U	689	Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata	U
212	African Crake Crex egregia	U	690	Dusky Flycatcher Muscicapa adusta	C
213	Black Crake Amaurornis flavirostris	U	691	Bluegrey Flycatcher Muscicapa caerulescens	U
218	Buffspotted Flufftail Sarothrura elegans	U	694	Black Flycatcher Maleanornis pammelaina	C
223	Purple Gallinule Pophyrio porphyrio	U	698	Fiscal Flycatcher Sigelus silens	U
226	Moorhen Gallinula chloropus	C	700	Cape Batis Batis capensis	C
228	Redknobbed Coot Fulica crisatata	U	701	Chinspot Batis Batis molitor	U
229	African Finfoot Podica senegalensis	R	708	Bluemantled Flycatcher Trochocercus cyanomelas	U
240	Afican Jacana Actophilornis africanus	C	710	Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis	C
245	Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	C	711	African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp	C
246	Whitefronted Plover Charadrius marginatus	C	712	Longtailed Wagtail Motacilla clara	U
248	Kittlitz’s Plover Charadrius pecuarius	U	713	Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis	C
249	Threebanded Plover Charadrius tricollaris	C	716	Richard’s Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae	U
255	Crowned Plover Vanellus coronatus	C	718	Plainbacked Pipit Anthus leucophrys	U
258	Blacksmith Plover Vanellus armatus	U	720	Striped Pipit Anthus lineiventris	U
262	Turnstone Arenaria interpres	U	728	Yellowthroated Longclaw Macronyx croceus	U
264	Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos	C	732	Fiscal Shrike Lanius collaris	C
266	Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola	U	733	Redbacked Shrike Lanius collurio	U
269	Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis	U	736	Southern Boubou Laniarius ferrugineus	C
270	Greenshank Tringa nebularia	C	740	Puffback Dryoscopus cubla	C
283	Broadbilled Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus	R	742	Southern Tchagra Tchagra tchagra	C
288	Bartailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	U	744	Blackcrowned Tchagra Tchagra senegala	U
290	Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus	C	746	Bokmarie Telophorus zeylonus	U
297	Spotted Dikkop Burhinus capensis	C	748	Orangebreasted Bush Shrike Telephorus sulfureopectus	U
298	Water Dikkop Burhinus vermiculatus	C	750	Olive Bush Shrike Telephorus olivaceus	U
312	Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus	C	751	Greyheaded Bush Shrike Malaconotus blanchoti	C
316	Hartlaub’s Gull Larus hartlaubii	R	757	European Starling Sturnus vulgaris	U
322	Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia	CL	758	Indian Myna Acridotheres tristis	U
324	Swift Tern Sterna bergii	C	764	Glossy Starling Lamprotornis nitens	C
326	Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis	C	768	Blackbellied Starling Lamprotornis corruscus	C
327	Common Tern Sterna hirundo	C	769	Redwinged Starling Onychognathus morio	C
328	Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea	C	774	Gurney’s Sunbird Promerops gurneyi	U
335	Little Tern Srerna albifrons	C	783	Lesser Doublecollared Sunbird Nectarinia chalybea	C
348	Feral Pigeon Columba livia	U	785	Greater Doublecollared Sunbird Nectarinia afra	U
349	Rock Pigeon Columba guinea	U	789	Grey Sunbird Nectarinia veroxii	C
350	Rameron Pigeon Columba aquatrix	U	790	Olive Sunbird Nectarinia olivacea	C
352	Redeyed Pigeon Streptopelia semitorquata	C	792	Scarlet Sunbird Nectarinia amethystina	C
354	Cape Turtle Dove Streptopelia capicola	U	793	Collared Sunbird Anthreptes collaris	C
355	Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis	C	796	Cape White-eye Zosterops pallidus	C
358	Greenspotted Dove Turtur chalcospilos	U	801	House Sparrow Passer domesticus	U
359	Tambourine Dove Turtur tympanisrtria	C	803	Cape Sparrow Passer melanurus	U
360	Cinnamon Dove Aplopelia larvata	R	804	Greyheaded Sparrow Passer griseus	C
361	Green Pigeon Treron calva	C	805	Yellowthroated Sparrow Petronia superciliaris	U
362	Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus L	CL	807	Thickbilled Weaver Amblyospiza albifrons	C
370	Knysna Lourie Tauraco corythaix	C	808	Forest Weaver Ploceus bicolor	C
371	Purplecrested Lourie Tauraco porphyreolophus	R	810	Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis	U
377	Redchested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius	C	811	Spottedbacked Weaver Ploceus cucullatus	C
378	Black Cuckoo Cuculus clamosus	C	813	Cape Weaver Ploceus capensis	U
382	Jacobin Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus	R	816	Golden Weaver Ploceus xanthops	U
384	Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx cupreus	U	817	Yellow Weaver Ploceus subaureus	C
385	Klaas’s Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas	U	818	Brownthroated Weaver Ploceus xanthopterus	R
386	Diederic Cuckoo Chrycococcyx caprius	U	824	Red Bishop Euplectes orix	C
391	Burchell’s Coucal Centropus supercillosus	C	827	Yellowrumped Widow Euplectes capensis	U
394	Wood Owl Strix woodfordii	R	828	Redshouldered Widow Euplectes axillaris	C
400	Cape Eagle Owl Bubo capensis	U	831	Redcollared Widow Euplectes ardens	C
401	Spotted Eagle Owl Bubo africanus	C	832	Longtailed Widow Euplectes progne	U
405	Fierynecked Nightjar Caprimulgus pectoralis	C	840	Bluebilled Firefinch lagonosticta ribricata	C
412	Black Swift Apus barbatus	C	846	Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild	C
415	Whiterumped Swift Apus Caffer	C	850	Swee Waxbill Estrilda melanotis	U
416	Horus Swift Apus horus	C	854	Orangebreasted Waxbill Sporaeginthus subflavus	R
417	Little Swift Apus affinis	C	857	Bronze Mannikin Spermestes cucullatus	C
418	Alpine Swift Apus melba	U	858	Redbacked Mannikin Spermestes bicolor	C
421	Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus	CL	860	Pintailed Whydah Vidua macroura	C
424	Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus	C	864	Black Widowfinch Vidua funerea	C
427	Narina Trogon Apoloderma narina	U	869	Yelloweyed Canary Serinus mozambicus	C
428	Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis	C	872	Cape Canary Serinus canicollis	U
429	Giant Kingfisher Ceryle maxima	C	873	Forest Canary Serinus scotops	U
430	Halfcollared Kingfisher Alcedo semitorquata	U	877	Bully Canary Serinus sulphuratus	U
431	Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata	C	877	Sreakyheaded Canary Serinus gularis	U
432	Pygmy Kingfisher Ispidina picta	U	884	Goldenbreasted Bunting Emberiza flaviventris	U
434	Mangrove Kingfisher Halcyon senegaloides	U
435	Brownhooded Kingfisher Halcyon albiventris	C
452	Redbilled Woodhoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus	C
455	Trumpeter Hornbill Bycanistes bucinator	C
460	Crowned Hornbill Tockus alboterminatus	C
463	Ground Hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri	U
464	Blackcollared Barbet Lybius torquatus	C
469	Redfronted Tinker Barbet Pogoniulus pusillus	U
476	Lesser Honeyguide Indicator minor	U
484	Knysna Woodpecker Campethera notata	U
486	Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicus fuscescens	U
488	Olive Woodpecker Mesopicus griseocephalus	C
518	European Swallow Hirundo rustica	C

Legend:

C : commonly seen in the area everyday birds )
U : common to uncommon, but need to be looked for
R : one or two sightings in the area
C L : uncommon, but plentiful in certain localities e.g. Cape Parrots.

 

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