Birds of Africa

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Most people come on safari only wanting to see the larger mammals that Africa is famous for, which is understandable, but is also a shame as there is so much more to see. Africa has a huge diversity of birds all just as interesting as any large mammal once you get to know them.

In this guide I aim to pass on some of the interesting information and facts on some of the birds that you may see whilst on safari, or even whilst you are sitting in the hotel near the airport. That for me is what is so great about birding and birdwatching as you can see many African birds in the towns or cities. In fact some of my best bird photographs actually come from my parents garden in Harare, Zimbabwe!

Some of my favorite Birds of Southern Africa

• African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer)
• Arrow-marked Babbler (Turdoides jardineii)
• Bateleur
• Bee-eater - Carmine
• Bee-eater - Little
• Common Scimitarbill (Scimitar-billed wood-hoopoe)
• Dove -Cape Turtle
• Flycatcher - Fiscal (Sigelus silens)
• Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis)
• Jacana - African Jacana (Actophilornis africana)
• Kingfisher - Giant
• Kingfisher - Malachite (Alcedo cristata)
• Kurrichane Thrush (Turdus libonyanus)
• Lourie -Grey
• Oxpeckers
• Plover - Crowned
• Red Bishop Bird
• Roller - Lilac-breasted
• Roller - Purple
• Shrike - Common Fiscal (Lanius collaris)
• Wire-tailed Swallow
• Yellow-billed Kite

African Bird Books

If you are looking for a book that is more than just a field guide, one that the most common and interesting questions on African birds and the bush are answered, I highly recommend Beat About The Bush Birds.

If you are looking for a great field guide to take out with you on safari, below are a few that I have used and recommend:

Sasol Birds of Southern Africa	Newman's Birds of Southern Africa	Collins Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa
Highly Recommended Features an advanced technique for improved field identification, and an extensive taxonomy featuring corrected misidentifications and recorded species splits that have occured since the previous edition. Uupdated names based on recommendations of the International Ornithological Committee and name hyphenations. The guide features distribution maps that feature dual shading to show relative abundance of a species in the region, as well as crosses to indicate occurances of vagrants.	Highly Recommended The eighth edition of this popular Southern African birding book has been updated to incorporate the information obtained since the previous edition relating to the birds of the region. The user-friendly design makes it ideal for use in the field, with aids such as colour-coding of major bird groups, running heads at the top of each page to indicate which family of birds is being described, large page numbers for easy reference and large accurate paintings which reflect the bird as it is seen in the field.	The Collins Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa, is an excellent book if you are visiting any of the countries in this this spectacular birding region, including Kenya and Tanzania. Review: 'This is by far the best available guide to the birds in this region, but has one major drawback - virtually no migrants from Eurasia are illustrated.'
Buy on Amazon.co.uk	Buy on Amazon.co.uk	Buy on Amazon.co.uk
Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.com	Buy on Amazon.com