BirdMap SA
Bird of the day
Black-collared Barbet
Pairs sing a synchronised duet, with both birds calling together.
Photo: (c) Derek Keats, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC-BY-SA
Listen closely
African Hoopoe
Its soft “hoo-poo” call is as distinctive as its fan-shaped crest.
Photo: (c) Dylan Leonard, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC-BY-SA
Our national bird
Blue Crane
Blue Cranes court with graceful leaps, bows and wing displays.
Photo: (c) Brian Snelson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Fynbos favourite
Cape Sugarbird
Males have spectacular long tails; these birds help pollinate proteas.
Photo: no rights reserved, uploaded by Dario Taraborelli · CC0
The voice of Africa
African Fish Eagle
Listen for its ringing cry near rivers, lakes and dams.
Photo: Patrick Jackson · CC-BY
Remarkable builders
Sociable Weaver
Their huge communal nests can shelter hundreds of birds.
Photo: (c) Tony Rebelo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Tony Rebelo · CC-BY-SA
Did you know?
Wild South AfricaOur national bird
Blue Crane
Blue Cranes court with graceful leaps, bows and wing displays.
Photo: (c) Brian Snelson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Fynbos favourite
Cape Sugarbird
Males have spectacular long tails; these birds help pollinate proteas.
Photo: no rights reserved, uploaded by Dario Taraborelli · CC0
The voice of Africa
African Fish Eagle
Listen for its ringing cry near rivers, lakes and dams.
Photo: Patrick Jackson · CC-BY
Remarkable builders
Sociable Weaver
Their huge communal nests can shelter hundreds of birds.
Photo: (c) Tony Rebelo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Tony Rebelo · CC-BY-SA
How to use BirdMap SA
Step 1
Browse the map
See hotspots, confirmed sightings and a heat map of where birds are being seen. Tap a pentad for its species.
Step 2
Search for a bird
Look up any South African bird by English or scientific name for photos, Afrikaans name, ID features and range.
Step 3
Identify from a photo
Snap or upload a picture and get up to three suggestions with confidence scores.
Step 4
Log your sightings
Keep a private list of every bird you've seen. Share a sighting to report it to the map.
How sightings go public: choose Report to map to make your sighting public immediately on the map and heat map. Private logs stay in My birds and are never shown publicly.