Birds of South Africa

South Africa has an incredible diversity of birds – more than 870 species have been recorded in the country which is 8% of all birds worldwide. 18 are true endemics, meaning they only occur in South Africa. A further 31 species are near endemics as most of their distribution falls within South Africa. We use the BirdLife South Africa National Checklist for the purposes of this club.

How to join the South Africa Listers’ Club or update your total

Simply hit the button in the form below and fill in your details! Totals are updated roughly once a week.

Purchase your milestone pin badges

We have produced commemorative pin badges to celebrate your birding journey. These badges are in the colours of the South African flag, and are a proud way to display your progress and love for SA’s birds. These badges also help to cover the costs of the Listers’ Club, so please consider purchasing yours today!

Plan your next birding trip!

Looking for a new birding site to visit? Planning a trip and want to know where to stay? Searching for a local guide or tour operator? Trying to find a bird club to join? Find all of that and more on BirdLife South Africa’s GoBirding platform.

Rules

• The minimum number of species for membership is 300. Anybody can join, whether they are a South African resident or otherwise. There are no age restrictions.
• The South African listing region is the area within the sovereign borders of the Republic of South Africa, thus excluding Eswatini (previously called Swaziland) and Lesotho, but including the Prince Edward Islands in the Southern Ocean and their associated 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• Birds may be ticked both on sight and on call for those who would like to do so. This is to minimize disturbance to birds and prevent harmful actions like excessive playback.
• Please always abide by the BirdLife South Africa ‘Birders Code Of Ethics‘.
• We are governed by the honour system – you are only cheating yourself if you are dishonest. We will not vet anybody’s list as this is a trust-based community.

Contact Us

For any queries please email salistersclub@birdlife.org.za