What animals live in South Africa?
43,265,503 animal records from South Africa cover 1,200+ species. The most-recorded are listed below, with what the record pattern says about each one.
- 43,265,503 records
- 1,200+ species
- 0 classes
Most-recorded animals in South Africa
| Animal | Group | Records | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hadada Ibis
Bostrychia hagedash |
Aves Threskiornithidae |
526,626 | |
| Ring-necked Dove
Streptopelia capicola |
Aves Columbidae |
494,476 | |
| Laughing Dove
Spilopelia senegalensis |
Aves Columbidae |
493,910 | |
| Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiaca |
Aves Anatidae |
475,130 | |
| Cape Wagtail
Motacilla capensis |
Aves Motacillidae |
474,140 | |
| Southern Masked-Weaver
Ploceus velatus |
Aves Ploceidae |
445,510 | |
| Southern Fiscal
Lanius collaris |
Aves Laniidae |
435,878 | |
| Red-eyed Dove
Streptopelia semitorquata |
Aves Columbidae |
425,905 | |
| Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus |
Aves Charadriidae |
408,149 | |
| Cape Sparrow
Passer melanurus |
Aves Passeridae |
375,843 | |
| Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica |
Aves Hirundinidae |
359,697 | |
| Southern Red Bishop
Euplectes orix |
Aves Ploceidae |
357,358 | |
| Helmeted Guineafowl
Numida meleagris |
Aves Numididae |
353,828 | |
| Red-billed Quelea
Quelea quelea |
Aves Ploceidae |
331,395 | |
| Speckled Pigeon
Columba guinea |
Aves Columbidae |
317,050 | |
| Pied Crow
Corvus albus |
Aves Corvidae |
312,414 | |
| Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis |
Aves Dicruridae |
302,100 | |
| Cape White-eye
Zosterops virens |
Aves Zosteropidae |
297,931 | |
| Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis |
Aves Ardeidae |
291,528 | |
| Speckled Mousebird
Colius striatus |
Aves Coliidae |
286,613 | |
| Dark-capped Bulbul
Pycnonotus tricolor |
Aves Pycnonotidae |
284,886 | |
| Yellow-billed Duck
Anas undulata |
Aves Anatidae |
281,019 | |
| Cape Starling
Lamprotornis nitens |
Aves Sturnidae |
277,352 | |
| Long-tailed Cormorant
Microcarbo africanus |
Aves Phalacrocoracidae |
265,483 | |
| Sacred Ibis
Threskiornis aethiopicus |
Aves Threskiornithidae |
263,941 | |
| House Sparrow
Passer domesticus |
Aves Passeridae |
260,869 | |
| Southern Gray-headed Sparrow
Passer diffusus |
Aves Passeridae |
258,203 | |
| Cape Robin-Chat
Cossypha caffra |
Aves Muscicapidae |
257,267 | |
| Cape Weaver
Ploceus capensis |
Aves Ploceidae |
249,277 | |
| Crowned Lapwing
Vanellus coronatus |
Aves Charadriidae |
248,421 | |
| Black-headed Heron
Ardea melanocephala |
Aves Ardeidae |
241,995 | |
| Plain Martin
Riparia paludicola |
Aves Hirundinidae |
236,352 | |
| Red-knobbed Coot
Fulica cristata |
Aves Rallidae |
236,209 | |
| Red-winged Starling
Onychognathus morio |
Aves Sturnidae |
233,963 | |
| Southern Boubou
Laniarius ferrugineus |
Aves Malaconotidae |
230,992 | |
| Black-collared Barbet
Lybius torquatus |
Aves Lybiidae |
230,932 | |
| Gray/Purple Heron
Ardea cinerea |
Aves Ardeidae |
225,250 | |
| African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus |
Aves Muscicapidae |
224,122 | |
| Crested Barbet
Trachyphonus vaillantii |
Aves Lybiidae |
216,049 | |
| Black-shouldered Kite
Elanus caeruleus |
Aves Accipitridae |
215,868 | |
| Greater Striped-Swallow
Cecropis cucullata |
Aves Hirundinidae |
214,026 | |
| Red-faced Mousebird
Urocolius indicus |
Aves Coliidae |
212,986 | |
| Common Myna
Acridotheres tristis |
Aves Sturnidae |
208,443 | |
| Tawny-flanked Prinia
Prinia subflava |
Aves Cisticolidae |
197,879 | |
| Common Waxbill
Estrilda astrild |
Aves Estrildidae |
196,947 | |
| Bokmakierie
Telophorus zeylonus |
Aves Malaconotidae |
191,503 | |
| Fiscal Flycatcher
Sigelus silens |
Aves Muscicapidae |
189,113 | |
| Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Halcyon albiventris |
Aves Alcedinidae |
186,598 | |
| Gray Go-away-bird
Corythaixoides concolor |
Aves Musophagidae |
185,615 | |
| Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollis |
Aves Podicipedidae |
185,082 | |
| Little Swift
Apus affinis |
Aves Apodidae |
184,139 | |
| African Pipit
Anthus cinnamomeus |
Aves Motacillidae |
179,291 | |
| Piping Cisticola
Cisticola fulvicapilla |
Aves Cisticolidae |
177,583 | |
| Levaillant's Cisticola
Cisticola tinniens |
Aves Cisticolidae |
176,766 | |
| Eurasian Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus |
Aves Rallidae |
175,348 | |
| Sombre Greenbul
Andropadus importunus |
Aves Pycnonotidae |
174,881 | |
| Pin-tailed Whydah
Vidua macroura |
Aves Viduidae |
168,870 | |
| African Hoopoe
Upupa africana |
Aves Upupidae |
168,629 | |
| White-rumped Swift
Apus caffer |
Aves Apodidae |
167,766 | |
| White-breasted Sunbird
Cinnyris talatala |
Aves Nectariniidae |
165,883 |
How to read this. These are records, not a census. A high count can mean a
common animal or simply a well-watched one, and rare visitors appear alongside residents. Open an animal to see
whether its records suggest it is resident, seasonal or just passing through.