Beautiful smaller African Birds
Weaver birds
Weaver birds are famous for their extraordinary nest building skills to attract a mate, the male weaver bird builds an elaborate nest from grass, leaves and twigs in hope that a female will approve it. Only the best nest builders win the ladies.
There are around 60 species of weaver birds most of which live in sub–Saharan Africa with few species in tropical Asia and Australia. Weaver birds vary in colour from speckled brown and black to bright yellow and red but they all have short, conical beaks perfect for weaving nests and eating their favorite food are seeds.
You can see weaver birds tend to build their nests near to water where they will be harder for predators to reach which means you can look out for them along riverbanks and on shores of lakes.
Oxpecker
Oxpecker is another characterful African bird that you are almost guaranteed to see if you do a game drive or a safari in Africa. There are two types of oxpeckers that is red billed oxpecker and yellow billed oxpecker, both live happily alongside large mammals like Buffalo, giraffes and zebras eating the flies and ticks that feast on the blood of these animals.
This seems like a perfect relationship where Oxpecker gets a good meal while the animals get relief from Parasites though the story has a dark side where Oxpeckers favorite food is actually blood and they do eat ticks which also open up open up wounds and eat the flesh and blood of their hosts.
You can see oxpeckers in sub-Saharan Africa Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and many other countries.
Pied kingfisher
There are over 100 species of kingfisher living on every continent except Antarctica but in Africa the most common is a pied kingfisher. These striking black and white birds live near lakes and rivers where they can be seen hanging out in pairs on the riverbank or hovering over the water before diving down to catch small fish or large aquatic insects.
Pied kingfishers can swallow their food in flight meaning they can fly further out over a body of water than other kingfishers.
You can see pied kingfishers in Uganda when you take a boat ride along rivers, they make their nests in holes in the riverbank.
Woodland kingfisher
Woodland kingfisher is a stunningly pretty bird with an electric-blue and black plumage and an orange beak, it’s a striking sight known for its melodious calls. These kingfishers are expert hunters, diving from perches to catch insects, small reptiles and even other birds.
They are aggressive territorial and even have been known to attack humans who enters their space. During the breeding season, they engage in dazzling displays to attract a mate interestingly they are known for their hawk mimicry imitating the calls of predatory birds to scare off rivals and protect their territories.
You can see spot woodland kingfishers across tropical and equatorial Africa usually in wooded habitats. It prefers drier places and travels far from water.
Malachite kingfisher.
Malachite kingfisher is a Jewel toned gem of the African bird world with its radiant sapphire blue and amber plumage and it is easily recognized it around Africa’s waterways where it exhibits remarkable hunting powers, perching near water to plunge into streams for fish and aquatic insects.
Malachite kingfishers known for their agile flight and distinctive calls and their nests in burrows along riverbanks and can frequently be seen perching on reeds near the water’s edge. Their diminutive size, malachite kingfishers fiercely defend their territories.
You can see malachite kingfisher along coastal and freshwater habitats in countries like South Africa, Kenya, Botswana and Uganda.
Lilac-breasted roller.
The lilac-breasted roller is arguably one of the prettiest and most colourful of all African birds. Its part of the roller family which get their name from the amazing aerial acrobatics they perform and it is a national bird of Kenya.
Lilac breasted rollers are highly territorial and will violently defend their nests even taking on much bigger birds and during breeding season the males fly high before diving and swooping down while making loud calls to attract females.
You can see lilac breasted rollers throughout eastern and southern African in open woodland and bushy savannah where they can often be seen perched alone or in pairs on a tree looking for insects and beetles.
Sunbird
Sunbirds are Africa’s answer to humming birds, small, vibrantly-coloured birds that feed mostly on nectar unlike humming birds most sunbirds cannot hover so that they have to perch on the flower in order to drink and only the males are so beautiful colourful while female sunbirds are usually much drabber.
Hummingbirds live only in the Americans while sunbirds are exclusively Asian and African bird. This is a fascinating example of something called convergent evolution where two separate species have independently evolved to be similar due to their similar habitats and lifestyles.
Sunbirds have a long-curved bill that they use to probe the nectar from the flower however if they can’t reach and they will use its sharp tip to cut the flower open at the base to reach the sugary treat.
There are over 80 species of sunbird in Africa and you can easily be spotted in sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar in gardens and plantations where flowers.
Bee eater
There are 27 different types of bee-eater and red throated bee eater is the most common in Africa. Like the sunbirds, they are easily spotted thanks to their vibrant plumage and long pointed beak.
Bee eater mostly eat bees and wasps which they catch on the wing to avoid being stung, the bee-eater repeatedly bashes or rubs the insect on a hard surface which forces it to release most of the venom contained in its stinger.
Bee eaters have large population and shouldn’t be too hard to spot. You can spot them across the tropical and southern regions of Africa including in Burkina Faso, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Uganda.
African wattled lapwing
The African wattled lapwing also known as the wattled plover is a medium-sized brown wading bird with long bright yellow legs, a white forehead and bright red and yellow wattles on its face.
African wattled lapwing quite a noisy bird and makes a loud peep-peep-peep call which you may well hear before you see it. Wattled lapwings mostly feed on insects including locusts, beetles and termites.
African wattled lapwing is non-threatened and are common across sub-Saharan African and can usually be spotted in wet lowland areas, grasslands, marshlands like in Uganda.
African wood owl
Like most owls, African wood owl is nocturnal and is a medium-sized owl that lives in forest or woodland areas. It eats mostly insects such as grasshoppers, moths and beetles as well as occasional small reptiles, mammals or birds.
Africa is a home of more than 30 species of owl in some African cultures, owls are seen as bringers of bad luck or ill health which poses a challenge to their conservation.
You can see African wood owl in Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, south Africa, Zambia, Gambia and Ethiopia.
African Barred Owlet
African barred Owlet is a small owl found in sub–Saharan Africa recognizable by its barred plumage and striking yellow eyes and it is often active during both day and night. These owlets are skilled hunters, preying on insects, small mammals and birds.
They nest in holes of trees and during the day can be seen on open perches, scanning the area for prey.
Despite their small size, African barred owlets assertively defend their territories and communicate with trills and whistles.
You can see African barred owlets across central and south Africa like south Africa, Kenya, Botswana and Tanzania.
African Barbet
There are 43 species of African barbet which are small, chunky and brightly coloured African birds which are related to toucans but they are much smaller with large heads and short thick bill.
African barbets are mainly solitary birds and feed on insects and fruit which they swallow whole and later regurgitate the indigestible parts like seeds
Superb starling
Starlings can be found across Europe, Asia and Africa but the African ones are particularly attractive to their spectacular iridescent plumage which they are also sometimes known as glossy starlings.
One species you can see on your African safari is the superb starling which has a metallic blue and green back and a copper-colored stomach with a narrow white stripe. Superb starlings generally live in savanna, open woodland, gardens and fields.
You can regularly see flocks of them hopping along the ground looking for beetles, termites and worms where they are generally quite tame and unafraid of humans.
You can see a superb starling in East Africa especially in Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Botswana, south Africa and can also be found throughout sub–Saharan Africa.
Burchell’s starling
Burchell’s starling is another beautiful glossy and iridescent species of starling with an eye-catching plumage of metallic blues, greens and purples that makes it stand out a mile away.
They are highly social, forming large flocks and displaying synchronized aerial acrobatics known for their mimicry, they imitate a range of sounds from other bird species to mechanical noises.
Burchell’s starlings look very similar to often confused with blue eared starlings and cape starlings both of which are also a vibrant iridescent blue colour.
You can see Burchell’s starlings National Parks of Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
White browed robin chat
White browed robin chat is a charming bird and one of the favorites with its colourful orange plumage with that cute white eyebrow.
Robin chats are monogamous and build their nests in a variety of places including tree holes, riverbanks and even in the walls of buildings.
You can see a white-browed robin-chat in east and southern Africa including Botswana, Chad, Ethiopia, South Africa, Namibia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
African paradise flycatcher
The African paradise flycatcher is another very pretty small African bird about 15cm long with long tail feathers and vibrant plumage in contrasting whites, oranges and blues. These birds are skilled in aerial acrobatics, catching insects’ mid-flight.
During courtship, males display an intricate dance, showcasing their ornate plumage and long tail streamers which they then molt at the end of the breeding season.
You can see African paradise flycatcher in Kenya, south Africa, Botswana and Tanzania.
Swamp flycatcher
Swamp flycatcher is a small sparrow like bird that eats mainly flies and other flying insects which it catches them in the midair. Swamp flycatcher prefers to live in moist shrubland and swamp areas and this made it harder to spot than some of the larger or more colourful birds.
You can see swamp flycatcher throughout tropical sub-Saharan Africa including in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Benin, Ghana, Chad, Ivory coast, Nigeria and Zambia.
Lovebirds
Lovebirds are small, brightly coloured parrots not more than 15cm long and have 9 species of 8 are native to African continent and one in Madagascar.
Love birds get their name from the fact that they are social and affectionate. Pairs of these cute African birds’ mate for life, spend long periods sitting together and even feed each other.
If one partner dies the other will often pine and show erratic behaviour that has been likened to depression because of their small size, attractive colour and generally sociable disposition, lovebirds are often kept as pets.
You can see lovebirds in equatorial and southern Africa especially in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, south Africa and Ethiopia.