BIRDS

With its diverse habitats, ranging from rocky mountain tops to beaches and open sea, the Cape of Good Hope is home to a wide variety of birds. Over 250 species have been recorded here, of which more than 100 are known to have bred. Visitors include migrant shorebirds from the northern hemisphere, and albatrosses and petrels from the sub-Antarctic. “Bush birds” tend to be rather scarce because of the coarse scrubby nature of the fynbos vegetation. When flowering, however, the proteas and ericas do attract sunbirds, sugarbirds and other species in search of nectar.

For most of the year you will find more small birds in the coastal thicket than in the fynbos.

On the Atlantic coast side Olifantsbos Bay is a good starting point for waders and shore birds as well as the beaches south to Maclear Beach. The rocks at the Cape of Good Hope are excellent view sites (bring along a telescope) for pelagic birds, especially after a winter north-west gale.

The False Bay beaches are good for waders and shore birds ‘out of season’ when they are not crowded with holiday-makers. A walk along any of the trails will result in a good count of sightings.

ROCK KESTREL

The following is a list of birds recorded in the Cape of Good Hope.

Those printed in italics, together with their status/habitat details are the 100 species which you are most likely to encounter. The species reference numbers according to Roberts’ Birds of Southern Africa (6th edition) are also given.

CODES—STATUS 
B-breeding resident; S-summer visitor; W-winter visitor; R-rare; N-year round 
non-breeding visitor 
CODES—HABITAT 
o-open sea; f-freshwater; s-seashore; p-protea/ericas; w-widespread; 
m-mountain fynbos; t-coastal thicket 

Roberts Species No 

1 Ostrich, common (B-w) 
3 Penguin, African (N-s) 
4 Penguin, Rockhopper 
5 Penguin, Macaroni 
8 Grebe, Little 
9 Albatross, Southern Royal 
10 Albatross, Wandering 
11 Albatross, Shy (W-o) 
-Albatross, Indian Yellow-nosed 
12 Albatross, Black-Browed (W-o) 
14 Albatross, Atlantic yellow –nosed (W-o) 
15 Albatross, Dark-mantled sooty 
16 Albatross, Light-mantled sooty 
17 Petrel, Southern giant (W-o) 
18 Petrel, Northern Giant (W-o) 
19 Fulmar, Southern 
21 Petrel, Pintado 
23 Petrel, Great-winged 
24 Petrel, Soft plumage 
26 Petrel, Atlantic 
28 Petrel, Blue 
29 Prion, Broad-billed (W-o) 
30 Prion, Slender-billed 
32 Petrel, White-chinned (W-o) 
34 Shearwater, Cory’s (S-o) 
35 Shearwater, Great 
36 Shearwater, Flesh-foot 
37 Shearwater, Sooty (W-o) 
38 Shearwater, Manx 
39 Shearwater, Little 
42 Storm-Petrel, European 
44 Storm-Petrel, Wilson’s 
47 Tropicbird, Red-tailed 
53 Gannet, Cape, (N-o) 
55 Cormorant, White-breasted (B-s) 
56 Cormorant, Cape (B-s) 
57 Cormorant, Bank (N-s) 
58 Cormorant, Reed 
59 Cormorant, Crowned (N-s) 
60 Darter, African 
-Heron, Western Reef 
62 Heron, Grey (N-s) 
63 Heron, Black-headed (N-w) 
67 Egret, Little (N-s) 
68 Egret, Yellow-billed 
71 Egret, cattle 
76 Night-heron, Black-crowned (N-f) 
81 Hamerkop (B-f) 
83 Stork, White 
84 Stork, Black 
91 Ibis, African Sacred (N-s) 
93 Ibis, Glossy 
94 Ibis, Hadeda 
96 Flamingo, Greater 
97 Flamingo, Lesser 
102 Goose, Egyptian (B-s) 
103 Shelduck, South African 
104 Duck, Yellow-billed (B-s) 
105 Duck, African, Black 
106 Teal, Cape 
108 Teal, Red-billed 
113 Pochard, Southern 
116 Goose, Spur-winged (N-f) 
118 Secretarybird 
122 Vulture, Cape 
126b Kite, Yellow-billed 
127 Kite, Black-shouldered (B-w) 
131 Eagle, Verreaux’s (B-w) 
136 Eagle, Booted 
148 Fish-Eagle, African (B-fs) 
149 Buzzard, Steppe (S-w) 
150 Buzzard, Forest 
152 Buzzard, Jackal (B-w) 
155 Sparrowhawk, Rufous-chested 
158 Sparrowhawk, Black 
160 Goshawk, African 
162 Goshawk, Southern Pale Chanting 
165 Marsh-Harrier, African 
168 Harrier, Black 
169 Harrier-Hawk, African (Gymnogene) 
170 Osprey 
171 Falcon, Peregrine (B-w) 
172 Falcon, Lanner 
181 Kestrel, Rock (B-w) 
182 Kestrel, Greater 
183 Kestrel, Lesser 
190 Spurfowl, Grey-winged (B-m) 
195 Spurfowl, Cape (B-t) 
200 Quail, Common 
203 Guineafowl, Common (B-t) 
206 Buttonquail, Hottentot 
208 Crane, Blue 
221 Flufftail, Striped 
225 Gallinule, American Purple 
226 Moorhen, Common 
228 Coot, Red-knobbed 
242 Snipe, Greater Painted 
244 Oystercatcher, African Black (B-s) 
245 Plover, Common Ringed (S-s) 
246 Plover, White-fronted (B-s) 
248 Plover, Kittlitz’s (B-s) 
394 Owl, African Wood 
395 Owl, Marsh 
401 Owl, Spotted Eagle (B-w) 
403 Owl, Pel’s Fishing 
404 Nightjar, European 
405 Nightjar, Fiery-necked (B-t) 
412 Swift, African Black (B-t) 
415 Swift, White-rumped 
417 Swift, Little 
418 Swift, Little (B-w) 
424 Mousebird, Speckled (B-t) 
425 Mousebird, White-backed 
426 Mousebird, Red-faced 
428 Kingfisher, Pied (N-s) 
429 Kingfisher, Giant 
430 Kingfisher, Half-collared 
431 Kingfisher, Malachite 
436 Kingfisher, Grey-headed 
438 Bee-eater, European 
446 Roller, European 
451 Hoopoe, African 
454 Scimitarbill, Common 
465 Barbet, Acacia Pied
476 Honeyguide, Lesser 
480 Woodpecker, Ground (B-m) 
495 Lark, Cape Clapper (B-m) 
516 Sparrowlark, Grey-backed 
518 Swallow, Barn (S-w) 
520 Swallow, White-throated 
526 Swallow, Greater Striped 
529 Martin, Rock (B-w) 
530 Martin, Common House 
533 Martin, Brown-throated 
536 Swallow, Black Saw-wing 
541 Drongo, Fork-tailed 
547 Crow, Cape 
548 Crow, Pied 
550 Raven, White-necked (B-t) 
566 Bulbul, Cape (B-t) 
572 Greenbul, Sombre 
577 Thrush, Olive 
581 Thrush, Cape Rock (B-t) 
582 Thrush, Sentinel Rock 
586 Wheatear, Mountain 
587 Wheatear, Capped 
589 Chat, Familiar (B-w) 
596 Stonechat, African (B-m) 
601 Robin-Chat, Cape (B-w) 
614 Scrub-Robin, Karoo 
625 Warbler, Icterine 
635 Swamp-Warbler, Lesser 
638 Rush-Warbler, Little 
645 Apalis, Bar-throated 
651 Crombec, Long-billed 
661 Grassbird, Cape (B-w) 
664 Cisticola, Zitting 
666 Cisticola, Cloud (B-m) 
669 Cisticola, Grey-backed 
677 Cisticola, Levaillants (B-w) 
681 Neddicky (B-m) 
686 Prinia, Karoo (B-w) 
689 Flycatcher, Spotted 
690 Flycatcher, African Dusky 
698 Flycatcher, Fiscal (B-t) 
700 Batis, Cape 
710 African Paradise Flycatcher 
713 Wagtail, Cape (B-s) 
715 Wagtail, Grey 
717 Pipit, Long-billed 
718 Pipit, Plain-backed (B-m) 
727 Longclaw, Cape (B-m) 
731 Shrike, Lesser Grey 
732 Shrike, Common Fiscal (B-w) 
733 Shrike, Red-backed 
736 Boubou, Southern (B-t) 
746 Bokmakierie (B-w) 
757 Starling, Common 
760 Starling, Wattled 
769 Starling, Red-winged (B-w) 
773 Sugarbird, Cape (B-mp) 
775 Sunbird, Malachite (B-pt) 
777 Sunbird, Orange-breasted (B-mp) 
783 Sunbird, Sthn Double-collared (B-mp) 
788 Sunbird, Dusky 
792 Sunbird, Amethyst 
796 White-eye, Cape (B-tp) 
801 Sparrow, House 
803 Sparrow, Cape 
804 Sparrow, Sthn Grey-headed 
813 Weaver, Cape 
814 Weaver, Southern Masked 
821 Quelea, Red-billed 
824 Bishop, Southern Red 
827 Bishop, Yellow (B-m) 
846 Waxbill, Common (B-t) 
860 Wydah, Pin-tailed 
868 Chaffinch, Common 
872 Canary, Cape (B-m) 
874 Siskin, Cape (B-m) 
877 Canary, Brimstone (B-t) 
878 Canary, Yellow 
879 Canary, White-throated 
885 Bunting, Cape (B-tm)

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD A PRINTABLE LIST  > > > >    FIELD CHECK LIST (Birds)

Information provided by Mike Frazer and Liz McMahon and Barry Rose. 

Published by: 

The Friends of the Cape of Good Hope 
PO Box 252, Simon’s Town, 7995 

For further information regarding birding on the Cape Peninsula and in the south western Cape, contact: 

The Cape Bird Club 
PO Box 2113, Clareinch, 7740 
Website: www.capebirdclub.org.za 
E-mail: info@capebirdclub,org.za 
Phone: 021-559-0726