List of birds of Africa
They are the largest living species of bird and are distinctive in appearance, with a long neck and legs and the ability to run at high speeds.
These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
Order: Galliformes Family: Numididae Guineafowl are a group of African, seed-eating, ground-nesting birds that resemble partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage.
Order: Phoenicopteriformes Family: Phoenicopteridae Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.
Order: Otidiformes Family: Otididae Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World.
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Burhinidae The thick-knees are a group of waders found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia.
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Haematopodidae The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Rostratulidae Painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly colored.
Order: Phaethontiformes Family: Phaethontidae Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers.
Order: Procellariiformes Family: Oceanitidae The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering.
Order: Procellariiformes Family: Procellariidae The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
Order: Suliformes Family: Anhingidae Anhingas or darters are often called "snake-birds" because of their long thin neck, which gives a snake-like appearance when they swim with their bodies submerged.
Order: Coliiformes Family: Coliidae The mousebirds are slender greyish or brown birds with soft, hairlike body feathers and very long thin tails.
Found in tropical woodlands worldwide, they feed on insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits.
Order: Bucerotiformes Family: Bucerotidae Hornbills are a group of birds whose bill is shaped like a cow's horn, but without a twist, sometimes with a casque on the upper mandible.
Order: Coraciiformes Family: Alcedinidae Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.
They are named for the greater honeyguide which leads traditional honey-hunters to bees' nests and, after the hunters have harvested the honey, feeds on the remaining contents of the hive.
Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Calyptomenidae The broadbills are small, brightly colored birds, which feed on fruit and also take insects in flycatcher fashion, snapping their broad bills.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Eurylaimidae The broadbills are small, brightly colored birds, which feed on fruit and also take insects in flycatcher fashion, snapping their broad bills.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Pittidae Pittas are medium-sized by passerine standards and are stocky, with fairly long, strong legs, short tails and stout bills.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Vireonidae The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World and Southeast Asia.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Vangidae The helmetshrikes are similar in build to the shrikes, but tend to be colourful species with distinctive crests or other head ornaments, such as wattles, from which they get their name.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Malaconotidae Bushshrikes are similar in habits to shrikes, hunting insects and other small prey from a perch on a bush.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Picathartidae Rockfowl are lanky birds with crow-like bills, long necks, tails and legs, and strong feet adapted to terrestrial feeding.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Macrosphenidae African warblers are small to medium-sized insectivores which are found in a wide variety of habitats south of the Sahara.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Zosteropidae The white-eyes are small and mostly undistinguished, their plumage above being generally some dull colour like greenish-olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast or lower parts, and several have buff flanks.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Cinclidae Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Buphagidae As both the English and scientific names of these birds imply, they feed on ectoparasites, primarily ticks, found on large mammals.
Order: Passeriformes Family: Bombycillidae The waxwings are a group of passerine birds with soft silky plumage and unique red tips to some of the wing feathers.
