This is a list of the bird species recorded in Malawi. The avifauna of Malawi

Malawi

The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...

 includes a total of 650 species, of which 1 has been introduced

Introduced species

An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...

 by humans, and 31 are rare or accidental. 10 species are globally threatened. Several subspecies

Subspecies

Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...

 of bird are endemic to Malawi. One of these, the Yellow-throated Apalis

Yellow-throated Apalis

The Yellow-throated Apalis is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. It is endemic to Malawi.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...

, is treated as a full endemic species by some authors. Several species such as the Thyolo Alethe

Thyolo Alethe

The Thyolo Alethe is a species of bird in the Turdidae family.It is found in Malawi and Mozambique.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...

 are near-endemic to Malawi with only a restricted range outside the country.

This list's taxonomic

Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...

 treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of Clements

James Clements

Dr. James Franklin Clements was an ornithologist, author and very successful businessman. He was born in New York....

's 5th edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflects this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Malawi.

The following tags have been used to highlight certain relevant categories, but not all species fall into one of these categories. Those that do not are commonly occurring, native species.

• (A) Accidental A rarely-occurring species with no more than about five records in Malawi.
• (I) Introduced A species introduced to Malawi as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions.
• (Ex) Extirpated A species that no longer occurs in Malawi although populations exist elsewhere.

Table of contents
Non-passerines: Grebes . Pelicans . Cormorants . Darters . Herons, egrets and bitterns . Hamerkop . Storks . Ibises and spoonbills . Flamingos . Ducks and geese . Osprey . Hawks, kites and eagles . Secretary-bird . Falcons . Francolins and quails . Guineafowl . Buttonquails . Cranes . Rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots . Finfoots . Bustards . Jacanas . Painted snipe . Avocets and stilts . Thick-knees . Pratincoles and coursers . Plovers and lapwings . Sandpipers and allies . Gulls . Terns . Skimmers . Sandgrouse . Pigeons and doves . Parrots . Turacos . Cuckoos . Barn owls . Typical owls . Nightjars . Swifts . Mousebirds . Trogons . Kingfishers . Bee-eaters . Typical rollers . Hoopoes . Woodhoopoes . Hornbills . Barbets . Honeyguides . Woodpeckers .
Passerines: Broadbills . Pittas . Larks . Swallows and martins . Wagtails and pipits . Cuckoo-shrikes . Bulbuls . Thrushes . Cisticolas and allies . Old World warblers . Old World flycatchers and chats . Wattle-eyes . Monarch flycatchers . Babblers . Tits . Treecreepers . Penduline tits . Sunbirds . White-eyes . Old World orioles . Shrikes . Bushshrikes and allies . Helmetshrikes . Drongos . Crows and ravens . Starlings . Weavers and allies . Waxbills and allies . Indigobirds . Buntings . Finches . Sparrows .
See also       References

Grebes

Order: Podicipediformes
Family: Podicipedidae

Grebe

Grebe

A grebe is a member of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds, some of which visit the sea when migrating and in winter...

s are small to medium-large sized freshwater diving birds. They have lobed toes, and are excellent swimmers and divers. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land. There are 20 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Malawi.

• Little Grebe
  Little Grebe
  The Little Grebe , also known as Dabchick, member of the grebe family of water birds. At 23 to 29 cm in length it is the smallest European member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.-Description:The Little Grebe is a small water bird with a pointed...
  
   Tachybaptus ruficollis

Pelicans

Order: Pelecaniformes

Pelecaniformes

The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...

Family: Pelecanidae
Pelican

Pelican

A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....

s are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under the beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes. There are 8 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
• Pink-backed Pelican
  Pink-backed Pelican
  The Pink-backed Pelican is a member of the pelican family of birds. It is a resident breeder in Africa, southern Arabia and apparently extinct in Madagascar in swamps and shallow lakes.-Description:...
  
   Pelecanus rufescens

Cormorants

Order: Pelecaniformes

Pelecaniformes

The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...

Family: Phalacrocoracidae

The Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium-to-large coastal, fish-eating sea-birds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage colouration varies with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black and white, and a few being colourful. There are 38 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Great Cormorant
  Great Cormorant
  The Great Cormorant , known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the Black Cormorant in Australia and the Black Shag further south in New Zealand, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds...
  
   Phalacrocorax carbo
• Long-tailed Cormorant
  Long-tailed Cormorant
  The Reed Cormorant , also known as the Long-tailed Cormorant, is a bird in the cormorant family Phalacrocoracidae. It breeds in much of Africa south of the Sahara, and Madagascar. It is resident but undertakes some seasonal movements.This is a common and widespread species, and is not considered to...
  
   Phalacrocorax africanus

Darters

Order: Pelecaniformes

Pelecaniformes

The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...

Family: Anhingidae

Darters are frequently referred to as "snake-birds" because of their long thin neck, which gives a snake-like appearance when they swim with their bodies submerged.
The males have black and dark brown plumage, an erectile crest on the nape and a larger bill than the female. The females have a much paler plumage especially on the neck and underparts. The darters have completely webbed feet, and their legs are short and set far back on the body. Their plumage is somewhat permeable, like that of cormorants, and they spread their wings to dry after diving. There are 2-4 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Malawi.

• Darter
  African Darter
  The African Darter , sometimes called the Snakebird, is a water bird of sub-Saharan Africa.-Taxonomy:The African Darter is a member of the darter family, Anhingidae, and is closely related to American , Oriental , and Australian Darters.-Description:The male is mainly glossy...
  
   Anhinga melanogaster

Herons, egrets and bitterns

Order: Ciconiiformes

Ciconiiformes

Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...

Family: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the bittern

Bittern

Bitterns are a classification of birds in the heron family, Ardeidae, a family of wading birds. Species named bitterns tend to be the shorter-necked, often more secretive members of this family...

s, heron

Heron

The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....

s and egret

Egret

An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...

s. Herons and egrets are medium to large sized wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Unlike other long-necked birds suck as storks, ibises and spoonbills, members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted. There are 61 species worldwide and 18 species which occur in Malawi.

• Gray Heron Ardea cinerea
• Black-headed Heron
  Black-headed Heron
  The Black-headed Heron is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, common throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It is mainly resident but some west African birds move further north in the rainy season....
  
   Ardea melanocephala
• Goliath Heron
  Goliath Heron
  The Goliath Heron is a very large wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa, with smaller numbers in Southwest and South Asia.-Description:This is the world's largest heron...
  
   Ardea goliath
• Purple Heron
  Purple Heron
  The Purple Heron is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia. The European populations are migratory, wintering in tropical Africa; the more northerly Asian populations also migrate further south within Asia...
  
   Ardea purpurea
• Great Egret
  Great Egret
  The Great Egret , also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret, White Heron, or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized...
  
   Ardea alba
• Black Heron
  Black Heron
  The Black Heron also known as the Black Egret, is an African heron. It is a medium-sized , black-plumaged heron with yellow legs and feet. It is found south of the Sahara Desert, including Madagascar, and prefers shallow open waters, such as the edges of freshwater lakes and ponds...
  
   Egretta ardesiaca
• Intermediate Egret
  Intermediate Egret
  The Intermediate Egret, Median Egret, or Yellow-billed Egret is a medium-sized heron. It is a resident breeder from east Africa across tropical southern Asia to Australia. It often nests in colonies with other herons, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs...
  
   Egretta intermedia
• Little Egret
  Little Egret
  The Little Egret is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret.-Subspecies:Depending on authority, two or three subspecies of Little Egret are currently accepted....
  
   Egretta garzetta
• Squacco Heron
  Squacco Heron
  The Squacco Heron, Ardeola ralloides, is a small heron, long, of which the body is , with wingspan. It is of Old World origins, breeding in southern Europe and the Greater Middle East.-Behaviour:...
  
   Ardeola ralloides
• Madagascar Pond-Heron
  Madagascar Pond-heron
  The Malagasy Pond Heron , also known as the Madagascar Pond Heron, is a species of heron in the Ardeidae family. It is found in Angola, Bahamas, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mayotte, Mozambique, Rwanda, Réunion, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania,...
  
   Ardeola idae
• Rufous-bellied Heron
  Rufous-bellied Heron
  The Rufous-bellied Heron is a species of heron in the Ardeidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Ardeola rufiventris
• Cattle Egret
  Cattle Egret
  The Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species, the Western Cattle Egret and the Eastern Cattle Egret...
  
   Bubulcus ibis
• Striated Heron
  Striated Heron
  The Striated Heron, Butorides striata, also known as Mangrove Heron, Little Heron or Green-backed Heron, is a small heron. Striated Herons are mostly non-migratory and noted for some interesting behavioral traits. Their breeding habitat is small wetlands in the Old World tropics from west Africa to...
  
   Butorides striata
• Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
• White-backed Night-Heron
  White-backed Night-heron
  The White-backed Night Heron is a species of heron in the Ardeidae family. This relatively small and dark night heron is found throughout a large part of sub-Saharan Africa. It was formerly placed in the genus Nycticorax....
  
   Gorsachius leuconotus
• Little Bittern
  Little Bittern
  The Little Bittern is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, native to the Old World, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, western and southern Asia, and Madagascar. Birds from temperate regions in Europe and western Asia are migratory, wintering in Africa and further south in...
  
   Ixobrychus minutus
• Dwarf Bittern
  Dwarf Bittern
  The Dwarf Bittern is a species of heron in the Ardeidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,...
  
   Ixobrychus sturmii
• Great Bittern
  Great Bittern
  The Eurasian Bittern or Great Bittern is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies.-Etymology:...
  
   Botaurus stellaris

Hamerkop

Order: Ciconiiformes

Ciconiiformes

Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...

Family: Scopidae

The Hamerkop is a medium-sized bird with a long shaggy crest. The shape of its head with a curved bill and crest at the back is reminiscent of a hammer, hence its name. Its plumage is a drab brown all over.

• Hamerkop Scopus umbretta

Storks

Order: Ciconiiformes

Ciconiiformes

Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...

Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills. Storks are mute; bill-clattering is an important mode of stork communication at the nest. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory. There are 19 species worldwide and 8 species which occur in Malawi.

• Yellow-billed Stork
  Yellow-billed Stork
  The Yellow-billed Stork, Mycteria ibis, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It occurs in Africa south of the Sahara and in Madagascar....
  
   Mycteria ibis
• African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus
• Black Stork
  Black Stork
  The Black Stork Ciconia nigra is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a widespread, but rare, species that breeds in the warmer parts of Europe, predominantly in central and eastern regions. This is a shy and wary species, unlike the closely related White Stork. It is seen in...
  
   Ciconia nigra
• Abdim's Stork
  Abdim's Stork
  The Abdim's Stork, also known as White-bellied Stork, is a black stork with grey legs, red knees and feet, grey bill and white underparts. It has red facial skin in front of eye and blue skin near the bill in breeding season...
  
   Ciconia abdimii
• Woolly-necked Stork
  Woolly-necked Stork
  The Woolly-necked Stork or White necked stork , Ciconia episcopus, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It can also be known as the Espiscopos....
  
   Ciconia episcopus
• White Stork
  White Stork
  The White Stork is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to end of tail, with a wingspan...
  
   Ciconia ciconia
• Saddle-billed Stork
  Saddle-billed Stork
  The Saddle-billed Stork is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. It is a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya south to South Africa, and in The Gambia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad in west Africa.This is a close...
  
   Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
• Marabou Stork
  Marabou Stork
  The Marabou Stork, Leptoptilos crumeniferus, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It breeds in Africa south of the Sahara, occurring in both wet and arid habitats, often near human habitation, especially waste tips...
  
   Leptoptilos crumeniferus

Ibises and spoonbills

Order: Ciconiiformes

Ciconiiformes

Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...

Family: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae

The family Threskiornithidae includes 34 species of large terrestrial and wading birds, falling into two subfamilies, the ibises and the spoonbills. It was formerly known as Plataleidae. The spoonbills and ibises were once thought to be related to other groups of long-legged wading birds in the...

The Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibis

Ibis

The ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae....

es and spoonbill

Spoonbill

Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, which also includes the Ibises.All have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side...

s. They have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary feathers. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers. There are 36 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Malawi.

• Sacred Ibis
  Sacred Ibis
  The African Sacred Ibis is a species of ibis.-Description:An adult individual is 68 cm long with all-white body plumage apart from dark plumes on the rump. The bald head and neck, thick curved bill and legs are black. The white wings show a black rear border in flight...
  
   Threskiornis aethiopicus
• Hadada Ibis
  Hadada Ibis
  The Hadada or Hadeda Ibis, Bostrychia hagedash, is an ibis found in Sub-Saharan Africa.-Appearance:The Hadeda is a large , dark brown ibis with a white "moustache", glossy greenish purple wings, a large black bill with a red stripe on the upper mandible, and blackish legs.-Call:It has a...
  
   Bostrychia hagedash
• Glossy Ibis
  Glossy Ibis
  The Glossy Ibis is a wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae.This is the most widespread ibis species, breeding in scattered sites in warm regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean region of the Americas...
  
   Plegadis falcinellus
• African Spoonbill
  African Spoonbill
  The African Spoonbill is a long-legged wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The species is widespread across Africa and Madagascar, including Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. It lives in marshy wetlands with some open shallow water and...
  
   Platalea alba

Flamingos

Order: Phoenicopteriformes
Family: Phoenicopteridae

Flamingo

Flamingo

Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...

s are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 feet high, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. They are more numerous in the latter. Flamingos filter-feed on shellfish and algae. Their oddly-shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume, and are uniquely used upside-down. There are 6 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Greater Flamingo
  Greater Flamingo
  The Greater Flamingo is the most widespread species of the flamingo family. It is found in parts of Africa, southern Asia , and southern Europe...
  
   Phoenicopterus roseus
• Lesser Flamingo
  Lesser Flamingo
  The Lesser Flamingo is a species in the flamingo family of birds that resides in Africa and in southern Asia...
  
   Phoenicopterus minor

Ducks and geese

Order: Anseriformes

Anseriformes

The order Anseriformes contains about 150 living species of birds in three extant families: the Anhimidae , Anseranatidae , and the Anatidae, which includes over 140 species of waterfowl, among them the ducks, geese, and swans.All species in the order are highly adapted for an aquatic existence at...

Family: Anatidae

Anatidae

Anatidae is the biological family of birds that includes ducks, geese and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica and on most of the world's islands and island groups...

The family Anatidae includes the duck

Duck

Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...

s and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese

Goose

The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....

 and swan

Swan

Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...

s. These are birds that are modified for an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating. There are 131 species worldwide and 18 species which occur in Malawi.

• Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor
• White-faced Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna viduata
• White-backed Duck
  White-backed Duck
  The White-backed Duck is a waterbird of the family Anatidae. It is distinct from all other ducks, but most closely related to the whistling ducks in the subfamily Dendrocygninae, though also showing some similarities to the stiff-tailed ducks in the subfamily Oxyurinae...
  
   Thalassornis leuconotus
• Egyptian Goose
  Egyptian Goose
  The Egyptian Goose is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae, and is the only extant member of the genus Alopochen...
  
   Alopochen aegyptiacus
• Spur-winged Goose
  Spur-winged Goose
  The Spur-winged Goose is a large bird in the family Anatidae, related to the geese and the shelducks, but distinct from both of these in a number of anatomical features, and therefore treated in its own subfamily, the Plectropterinae...
  
   Plectropterus gambensis
• Comb Duck
  Comb Duck
  The Knob-billed Duck , or Comb Duck, is an unusual, pan-tropical duck, found in tropical wetlands in sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar and south Asia from Pakistan to Laos and extreme southern China...
  
   Sarkidiornis melanotos
• African Pygmy-goose Nettapus auritus
• African Black Duck
  African Black Duck
  The African Black Duck is a species of duck of the genus Anas. It is genetically closest to the mallard group , but shows some peculiarities in its behavior and plumage; it is accordingly placed in the subgenus Melananas pending further research.The African Black Duck is an...
  
   Anas sparsa
• Cape Teal
  Cape Teal
  The Cape Teal is a 44-46 cm long dabbling duck of open wetlands in sub-Saharan Africa.This species is essentially non-migratory, although it moves opportunistically with the rains. Like many southern ducks, the sexes are similar. It is very pale and mainly grey, with a browner back and pink...
  
   Anas capensis (A)
• Yellow-billed Duck
  Yellow-billed Duck
  The Yellow-billed Duck, Anas undulata, is a 51–58 cm long dabbling duck which is an abundant resident breeder in southern and eastern Africa.This duck is not migratory, but will wander in the dry season to find suitable waters...
  
   Anas undulata
• Northern Pintail
  Northern Pintail
  The Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator...
  
   Anas acuta (A)
• Red-billed Duck Anas erythrorhyncha
• Hottentot Teal
  Hottentot Teal
  The Hottentot Teal is a species of dabbling duck of the genus Anas. It is migratory resident in eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan and Ethiopia west to Niger and Nigeria and south to South Africa and Namibia. In west Africa and Madagascar it is sedentary.The Hottentot Teal breed year round,...
  
   Anas hottentota
• Garganey
  Garganey
  The Garganey is a small dabbling duck. It breeds in much of Europe and western Asia, but is strictly migratory, with the entire population moving to southern Africa, India Santragachi and Australasia in winter, where large flocks can occur. This species was first described by Linnaeus in 1758...
  
   Anas querquedula
• Northern Shoveler
  Northern Shoveler
  The Northern Shoveler , Northern Shoveller in British English, sometimes known simply as the Shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, and is a rare vagrant to Australia...
  
   Anas clypeata (A)
• Southern Pochard
  Southern Pochard
  The Southern Pochard is a duck.There are two subspecies, the South American Pochard N. e. erythrophthalma and the African Pochard N. e...
  
   Netta erythrophthalma
• Tufted Duck
  Tufted Duck
  The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
  
   Aythya fuligula (A)
• Maccoa Duck
  Maccoa Duck
  The Maccoa Duck is a small long African stiff-tailed duck.Adult males have a chestnut body, a blue bill and a black head...
  
   Oxyura maccoa (A)

Osprey

Order: Falconiformes

Falconiformes

The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...

Family: Pandionidae

The Pandionidae family contains only one species, the Osprey. The Osprey is a medium large raptor

Bird of prey

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....

 which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.

• Osprey
  Osprey
  The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
  
   Pandion haliaetus

Hawks, kites and eagles

Order: Falconiformes

Falconiformes

The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...

Family: Accipitridae

Accipitridae

The Accipitridae, one of the two major families within the order Accipitriformes , are a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a...

Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey and includes hawk

Hawk

The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...

s, eagle

Eagle

Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...

s, kites

Kite (bird)

Kites are raptors with long wings and weak legs which spend a great deal of time soaring. Most feed mainly on carrion but some take various amounts of live prey.They are birds of prey which, along with hawks and eagles, are from the family Accipitridae....

, harriers

Harrier (bird)

A harrier is any of the several species of diurnal hawks forming the Circinae sub-family of the Accipitridae family of birds of prey. Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds....

 and Old World vultures. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight. There are 233 species worldwide and 43 species which occur in Malawi.

• African Cuckoo-Hawk
  African Cuckoo-Hawk
  The African Cuckoo-Hawk is a medium-sized raptor in the family Accipitridae resembling a Common Cuckoo, found in sub-Saharan Africa and along the eastern parts of Southern Africa...
  
   Aviceda cuculoides
• European Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus
• Bat Hawk
  Bat Hawk
  The Bat Hawk is a raptor found in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia to New Guinea. It is named for its diet, which consists mainly of bats. It requires open space in which to hunt, but will live anywhere from dense rainforest to semi-arid veld.-Description:The Bat Hawk is a slender, medium-sized...
  
   Macheiramphus alcinus
• Black-shouldered Kite
  Black-shouldered Kite
  The Black-shouldered Kite or Australian Black-shouldered Kite is a small raptor found in open habitat throughout Australia and resembles similar species found in Eurasia and North America, which have in the past also been named as Black-shouldered Kites...
  
   Elanus caeruleus
• Black Kite
  Black Kite
  The Black Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. Unlike others of the group, they are opportunistic hunters and are more likely to scavenge. They spend a lot of time soaring and gliding in thermals in search of food. Their...
  
   Milvus migrans
• African Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer
• Palm-nut Vulture
  Palm-nut Vulture
  The Palm-nut Vulture or Vulturine Fish Eagle, is a very large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards and harriers, vultures, and eagles. It is the only member of the genus Gypohierax...
  
   Gypohierax angolensis
• Hooded Vulture
  Hooded Vulture
  The Hooded Vulture is an Old World vulture in the order Accipitriformes, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the only member of the genus Necrosyrtes....
  
   Necrosyrtes monachus
• White-backed Vulture
  White-backed Vulture
  The White-backed Vulture is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is closely related to the European Griffon Vulture, G. fulvus...
  
   Gyps africanus
• Lappet-faced Vulture
  Lappet-faced Vulture
  The Lappet-faced Vulture or Nubian Vulture is a mostly African Old World vulture belonging to the bird order Accipitriformes, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the only member of the genus Torgos. A distinct subspecies T. t. negevensis occurs in the Sinai, the Negev...
  
   Torgos tracheliotus
• White-headed Vulture
  White-headed Vulture
  The White-headed Vulture is an Old World vulture endemic to Africa. It has a pink beak and a white crest, and the featherless areas on its head are pale. Its has dark brown upper parts and black tail feathers. The feathers on its lower parts and legs are white. It has a wing span of 2 m and spends...
  
   Trigonoceps occipitalis
• Black-breasted Snake-Eagle Circaetus pectoralis
• Brown Snake-Eagle
  Brown Snake-eagle
  The Brown Snake Eagle is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa....
  
   Circaetus cinereus
• Banded Snake-Eagle Circaetus cinerascens
• Bateleur
  Bateleur
  The Bateleur is a medium-sized eagle in the bird family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as buzzards, kites and harriers...
  
   Terathopius ecaudatus
• Western Marsh-Harrier Circus aeruginosus
• African Marsh-Harrier Circus ranivorus
• Pallid Harrier
  Pallid Harrier
  The Pale or Pallid Harrier is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. It breeds in southern parts of eastern Europe and central Asia and winters mainly in India and southeast Asia...
  
   Circus macrourus
• Montagu's Harrier
  Montagu's Harrier
  The Montagu's Harrier is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu.-Plumage:...
  
   Circus pygargus
• African Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides typus
• Lizard Buzzard
  Lizard Buzzard
  The Lizard Buzzard is a bird of prey. It belongs to the family Accipitridae. Despite its name, it may be more closely related to the Accipiter hawks than the Buteo buzzards....
  
   Kaupifalco monogrammicus
• Dark Chanting-Goshawk Melierax metabates
• Gabar Goshawk
  Gabar Goshawk
  The Gabar Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana,...
  
   Micronisus gabar
• African Goshawk
  African Goshawk
  The African Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family.As defined here following the Handbook of the Birds of the World, it is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique,...
  
   Accipiter tachiro
• Shikra
  Shikra
  The Shikra is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found widely distributed in Asia and Africa where it is also called the Little Banded Goshawk. The African forms may represent a separate species but have usually been considered as subspecies of the Shikra...
  
   Accipiter badius
• Little Sparrowhawk
  Little Sparrowhawk
  The Little Sparrowhawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda,...
  
   Accipiter minullus
• Ovampo Sparrowhawk
  Ovampo Sparrowhawk
  The Ovambo or Ovampo Sparrowhawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia,...
  
   Accipiter ovampensis
• Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk
  Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk
  The Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk , also known as the Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk, is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family...
  
   Accipiter rufiventris
• Black Goshawk
  Black Goshawk
  The Black Sparrowhawk , sometimes known as the Black Goshawk or Great Sparrowhawk, is the largest African member of the genus Accipiter . Downloaded on 06 October 2011....
  
   Accipiter melanoleucus
• Eurasian Buzzard Buteo buteo
• Mountain Buzzard
  Mountain Buzzard
  The Mountain Buzzard is a bird of prey that lives in montane forests in East Africa and forests and plantations in South Africa. The latter population is sometimes considered a separate species, the Forest Buzzard The Mountain Buzzard (Buteo oreophilus) is a bird of prey that lives in montane...
  
   Buteo oreophilus
• Augur Buzzard
  Augur Buzzard
  The Augur Buzzard is a 55–60 cm long African bird of prey. The taxonomy on this species is confusing, with some taxonomists considering this species, the Jackal Buzzard, and the Archer's Buzzard to be the same superspecies. Many taxonomists consider them all to be distinct, having...
  
   Buteo augur
• Lesser Spotted Eagle
  Lesser Spotted Eagle
  The Lesser Spotted Eagle is a large Eastern European bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae...
  
   Aquila pomarina
• Tawny Eagle
  Tawny Eagle
  The Tawny Eagle is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. It was once considered to be closely related to the migratory Steppe Eagle, Aquila nipalensis, and the two forms have previously been treated as conspecific...
  
   Aquila rapax
• Steppe Eagle
  Steppe Eagle
  The Steppe Eagle is a bird of prey. It is about in length and has a wingspan of . Females, weighing 2.3–4.9 kg , are slightly larger than males, at 2–3.5 kg . Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae...
  
   Aquila nipalensis
• Wahlberg's Eagle
  Wahlberg's Eagle
  The Wahlberg's Eagle is a bird of prey. It is about 55–60 cm in length and has a wingspan of 130–160 cm. Body mass is 1.04 kg for males and 1.3 kg for females on average. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae.Wahlberg's Eagle breeds in most of Africa south of...
  
   Aquila wahlbergi
• Verreaux's Eagle
  Verreaux's Eagle
  Verreaux's Eagle , alternatively known as the Black Eagle , is a large bird of prey. This eagle lives in hilly and mountaineous regions of southern and eastern Africa , and very locally in Western Asia.- Description :It is long. Males weigh and females weigh...
  
   Aquila verreauxii
• African Hawk-Eagle Aquila spilogaster
• Booted Eagle
  Booted Eagle
  The Booted Eagle is a medium-sized bird of prey. It is about in length and has a wingspan of . Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae....
  
   Aquila pennatus
• Ayres's Hawk-Eagle
  Ayres's Hawk-eagle
  Ayres's Hawk-Eagle is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Its name honours South African ornithologist Thomas Ayres.-References:...
  
   Aquila ayresii
• Martial Eagle
  Martial Eagle
  The Martial Eagle , is a very large eagle found in open and semi-open habitats of sub-Saharan Africa. It is the only member of the genus Polemaetus.-Description:...
  
   Polemaetus bellicosus
• Long-crested Eagle
  Long-crested Eagle
  The Long-crested Eagle is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. It is currently placed in a monotypic genus Lophaetus....
  
   Lophaetus occipitalis
• Crowned Hawk-Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus

Secretary-bird

Order: Falconiformes

Falconiformes

The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...

Family: Sagittariidae

The Secretary-bird is a bird of prey in the order Falconiformes

Falconiformes

The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...

 but is easily distinguished from other raptors by it long crane-like legs.

• Secretary-bird Sagittarius serpentarius

Falcons

Order: Falconiformes

Falconiformes

The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that comprises the diurnal birds of prey. Raptor classification is difficult and the order is treated in several ways.- Classification problems :...

Family: Falconidae

Falconidae

The falcons and caracaras are around 60 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae. The family is divided into two subfamiles, Polyborinae, which includes the caracaras and forest falcons, and Falconinae, the falcons, kestrels and falconets.-Description:Falcons and...

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their feet. There are 62 species worldwide and 12 species which occur in Malawi.

• Lesser Kestrel
  Lesser Kestrel
  The Lesser Kestrel is a small falcon. This species breeds from the Mediterranean across southern central Asia to China and Mongolia. It is a summer migrant, wintering in Africa and Pakistan and sometimes even to India and Iraq. It is rare north of its breeding range, and declining in its European...
  
   Falco naumanni
• Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
• Gray Kestrel Falco ardosiaceus (A)
• Dickinson's Kestrel
  Dickinson's Kestrel
  Dickinson's Kestrel is a bird of prey of southern and eastern Africa belonging to the falcon family Falconidae. It is named after John Dickinson, an English physician and missionary who collected the type specimen. It is also known as the White-rumped Kestrel...
  
   Falco dickinsoni
• Red-necked Falcon
  Red-necked Falcon
  The Red-necked Falcon or Red-headed Merlin is a bird of prey in the falcon family. This bird is a widespread resident in India and adjacent regions as well as sub-Saharan Africa. It is sometimes called Turumti locally....
  
   Falco chicquera
• Red-footed Falcon
  Red-footed Falcon
  The Red-footed Falcon , formerly Western Red-footed Falcon, is a bird of prey. It belongs to the family Falconidae, the falcons. This bird is found in eastern Europe and Asia although its numbers are dwindling rapidly due to habitat loss and hunting. It is migratory, wintering in Africa...
  
   Falco vespertinus
• Amur Falcon
  Amur Falcon
  The Amur Falcon , formerly Eastern Red-footed Falcon, is a small raptor of the falcon family. It breeds in south-eastern Siberia and Northern China, wintering in Southern Africa...
  
   Falco amurensis
• Sooty Falcon
  Sooty Falcon
  The Sooty Falcon is a medium-sized falcon breeding from northeastern Africa to the southern Persian Gulf region. It belongs to the hobby group, a rather close-knit number of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis...
  
   Falco concolor (A)
• Eurasian Hobby
  Eurasian Hobby
  The Eurasian Hobby , or just simply Hobby, is a small slim falcon. It belongs to a rather close-knit group of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis.-Description:...
  
   Falco subbuteo
• Lanner Falcon
  Lanner Falcon
  The Lanner Falcon is a large bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. It is mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely after the breeding season.-Description:...
  
   Falco biarmicus
• Taita Falcon
  Taita Falcon
  The Taita Falcon is one of the smallest falcons in the Southern African Sub-region. It was first described from the Taita Hills of Kenya from which it derives its name. It is spread throughout the eastern portion of subsaharan Africa but is mostly found in Kenya...
  
   Falco fasciinucha
• Peregrine Falcon
  Peregrine Falcon
  The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
  
   Falco peregrinus

Francolins and quails

Order: Galliformes

Galliformes

Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...

Family: Phasianidae

Phasianidae

The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and partridges, including the junglefowl , Old World Quail, francolins, monals and peafowl. The family is a large one, and is occasionally broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae, and the Perdicinae...

The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quail

Quail

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...

s, partridge

Partridge

Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are a non-migratory Old World group.These are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East...

s, snowcock

Snowcock

The snowcocks are a group of bird species in the genus Tetraogallus of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are ground-nesting birds which breed in the mountain ranges of southern Eurasia from the Caucasus to the Himalayas and western China. The Himalayan Snowcock has been introduced...

s, francolin

Francolin

Francolins are birds that traditionally have been placed in the genus Francolinus, but now commonly are divided into multiple genera , although some of the major taxonomic listing sources have yet to divide them. They are members of the pheasant family, Phasianidae...

s, spurfowls, tragopan

Tragopan

Tragopan is a genus of bird in the family Phasianidae. These birds are commonly called "horny pheasants" because of two brightly-colored, fleshy horns on their heads that they can erect during courtship displays...

s, monal

Monal

A Monal is a bird of genus Lophophorus of the Pheasant family, Phasianidae. There are three species and several sub-species within the genus Lophophorus:* Himalayan Monal Lophophorus impejanus* Sclater's Monal Lophophorus sclateri...

s, pheasant

Pheasant

Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...

s, peafowl

Peafowl

Peafowl are two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring peachicks. The adult female...

s and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump (although they may vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings. There are 156 species worldwide and 11 species which occur in Malawi.

• Coqui Francolin
  Coqui Francolin
  The Coqui Francolin is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania,...
  
   Francolinus coqui
• Crested Francolin
  Crested Francolin
  The Crested Francolin is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe...
  
   Francolinus sephaena
• Red-winged Francolin
  Red-winged Francolin
  The Red-winged Francolin is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.Elgon Francolin may be a hybrid between the Red-winged Francolin and...
  
   Francolinus levaillantii
• Shelley's Francolin
  Shelley's Francolin
  Shelley's Francolin is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family. The species is named after Sir Edward Shelley, cousin of George Ernest Shelley.-Distribution and habitat:...
  
   Francolinus shelleyi
• Scaly Francolin
  Scaly Francolin
  The Scaly Francolin is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sudan,...
  
   Francolinus squamatus
• Hildebrandt's Francolin
  Hildebrandt's Francolin
  The Hildebrandt's Francolin is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia. The species is named for Johannes Hildebrandt, who collected the first specimens in Kenya.-References:*...
  
   Francolinus hildebrandti
• Red-necked Francolin
  Red-necked Francolin
  The Red-necked Spurfowl or Red-necked Francolin , is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds....
  
   Francolinus afer
• Swainson's Francolin
  Swainson's Francolin
  The Swainson's Spurfowl or Swainson's Francolin is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:...
  
   Francolinus swainsonii
• Common Quail
  Common Quail
  The Common Quail, Coturnix coturnix, is a small bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is widespread and is found in parts of Europe, .- Description :It is a small rotund bird, essentially streaked brown with...
  
   Coturnix coturnix
• Harlequin Quail
  Harlequin Quail
  The Harlequin Quail is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family.It is found in Africa.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
  
   Coturnix delegorguei
• Blue Quail
  Blue Quail
  The Blue Quail or African Blue Quail, is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family.-Geographic Range:The species ranges from Sierra Leone to Ethiopia, and south to Zambia, and eastward to Kenya, and is migratory...
  
   Coturnix adansonii

Guineafowl

Order: Galliformes

Galliformes

Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...

Family: Numididae

Guineafowl are a group of African, seed-eating, ground-nesting birds that resemble partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage. There are 6 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Helmeted Guineafowl
  Helmeted Guineafowl
  The Helmeted Guineafowl is the best known of the guineafowl bird family, Numididae, and the only member of the genus Numida...
  
   Numida meleagris
• Crested Guineafowl
  Crested Guineafowl
  The Crested Guineafowl is a member of the Numididae, the guineafowl bird family. It is found in open forest, woodland and forest-savanna mosaics in sub-Saharan Africa. It has a total length of approximately 50 cm and weighs . The plumage is overall blackish with dense white spots...
  
   Guttera pucherani

Buttonquails

Order: Gruiformes

Gruiformes

The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....

Family: Turnicidae

The buttonquails are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails. The female is the brighter of the sexes, and initiates courtship. The male incubates the eggs and tends the young. There are 16 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Small Buttonquail
  Small Buttonquail
  The Kurrichane Buttonquail, Small Buttonquail, Common Buttonquail, or Andalusian Hemipode, Turnix sylvaticus, is a buttonquail, one of a small family of birds which resemble, but are unrelated to, the true quails...
  
   Turnix sylvatica
• Hottentot Buttonquail Turnix hottentotta

Cranes

Order: Gruiformes

Gruiformes

The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....

Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". There are 15 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Gray Crowned-Crane Balearica regulorum
• Wattled Crane
  Wattled Crane
  The Wattled Crane, Bugeranus carunculatus is a large bird found in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. It is monotypical for its genus.At a height of up to , it is the largest crane in Africa and is the second tallest species of crane, after the Sarus Crane. The wingspan is , the length is...
  
   Bugeranus carunculatus

Rails, crakes, gallinules, and coots

Order: Gruiformes

Gruiformes

The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....

Family: Rallidae

Rallidae

The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coot

Coot

Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Fulica. Coots have predominantly black plumage, and, unlike many of the rails, they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water...

s, and gallinule

Rallidae

The rails, or Rallidae, are a large cosmopolitan family of small to medium-sized birds. The family exhibits considerable diversity and the family also includes the crakes, coots, and gallinules...

s. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and be weak fliers. There are 143 species worldwide and 17 species which occur in Malawi.

• Buff-spotted Flufftail
  Buff-spotted Flufftail
  The Buff-spotted Flufftail is a species of bird in the Rallidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone,...
  
   Sarothrura elegans
• Red-chested Flufftail
  Red-chested Flufftail
  The Red-chested Flufftail is a species of bird in the Rallidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone,...
  
   Sarothrura rufa
• Chestnut-headed Flufftail
  Chestnut-headed Flufftail
  The Chestnut-headed Flufftail is a species of bird in the Rallidae family.It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia.-References:...
  
   Sarothrura lugens (A)
• Streaky-breasted Flufftail
  Streaky-breasted Flufftail
  The Streaky-breasted Flufftail is a species of bird in the Rallidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:*...
  
   Sarothrura boehmi
• Striped Flufftail
  Striped Flufftail
  The Striped Flufftail is a species of bird in the Rallidae family.It is found in Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:...
  
   Sarothrura affinis
• African Rail
  African Rail
  The African Rail is a small wetland bird of the rail family.Its breeding habitat is marshes and reedbeds across eastern and southern Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa...
  
   Rallus caerulescens
• African Crake
  African Crake
  The African Crake is a bird in the rail family that breeds in most of sub-Saharan Africa away from the arid south and southwest. It is seasonally common in most of its range other than the rainforests and areas that have low annual rainfall...
  
   Crecopsis egregia
• Corn Crake
  Corn Crake
  The Corn Crake, Corncrake or Landrail is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the winter...
  
   Crex crex
• Black Crake
  Black Crake
  The Black Crake, Amaurornis flavirostra, is a waterbird in the rail and crake family Rallidae. It breeds in most of sub-Saharan Africa except in very arid areas. It undertakes some seasonal movements in those parts of its range which are subject to drought...
  
   Amaurornis flavirostris
• Baillon's Crake
  Baillon's Crake
  The Baillon's Crake is a very small waterbird of the family Rallidae.-Distribution:Their breeding habitat is sedge beds in Europe, mainly in the east, and across Asia. They used to breed in Great Britain up to the mid-19th century, but the western European population declined through drainage....
  
   Porzana pusilla
• Spotted Crake
  Spotted Crake
  The Spotted Crake is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae.Their breeding habitat is marshes and sedge beds across temperate Europe into western Asia. They nest in a dry location in marsh vegetation, laying 6-15 eggs...
  
   Porzana porzana
• Striped Crake
  Striped Crake
  The Striped Crake is a species of bird in the Rallidae family. It is the only species in the genus Aenigmatolimnas....
  
   Aenigmatolimnas marginalis
• Purple Swamphen
  Purple Swamphen
  The Purple Swamphen , also known as the African Purple Swamphen, Purple Moorhen, Purple Gallinule, Pūkeko or Purple Coot, is a large bird in the family Rallidae . From its name in French, talève sultane, it is also known as the Sultana Bird...
  
   Porphyrio porphyrio
• Allen's Gallinule
  Allen's Gallinule
  The Allen's Gallinule , formerly known as the Lesser Gallinule is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae. Its former binomial name is Porphyrula alleni....
  
   Porphyrio alleni
• Common Moorhen
  Common Moorhen
  The Common Moorhen is a bird in the Rallidae family with an almost worldwide distribution. The North and South American Committees of the AOU and the IOC have voted on or before July 2011 to split the American forms into a new species Common Gallinule, however, no other committee has voted to...
  
   Gallinula chloropus
• Lesser Moorhen
  Lesser Moorhen
  The Lesser Moorhen is a species of bird in the Rallidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana,...
  
   Gallinula angulata
• Red-knobbed Coot
  Red-knobbed Coot
  The Red-knobbed Coot or Crested Coot, , is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae.It is a resident breeder across much of Africa and in southernmost Spain on freshwater lakes and ponds. It builds a nest of dead reeds near the water's edge or more commonly afloat, laying about 8...
  
   Fulica cristata

Finfoots

Order: Gruiformes

Gruiformes

The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....

Family: Heliornithidae

Heliornithidae

The Heliornithidae are a small family of tropical birds with webbed lobes on their feet like those of grebes and coots. The family overall are known as finfoots, although one species is known as a Sungrebe. The family is composed of three species in three genera.-Description:Finfoots resemble...

The Heliornithidae are small family of tropical birds with webbed lobes on their feet similar to those of grebes and coots. There are 3 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Malawi.

• African Finfoot
  African Finfoot
  The African Finfoot is an aquatic bird inhabiting the rivers and lakes of western, central, and southern Africa.-Description:...
  
   Podica senegalensis

Bustards

Order: Gruiformes

Gruiformes

The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....

Family: Otididae

Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World

Old World

The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....

. They are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes, pecking for food as they go. They have long broad wings with "fingered" wingtips, and striking patterns in flight. Many have interesting mating displays. There are 26 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Stanley Bustard
  Stanley Bustard
  Denham's Bustard, Stanley Bustard or Stanley's Bustard, Neotis denhami, is a large bird in the bustard family. It breeds in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is a species of open ground, including agricultural land, grassland, flood-plains and burnt fynbos...
  
   Neotis denhami
• Black-bellied Bustard
  Black-bellied Bustard
  The Black-bellied Bustard is an African ground-dwelling bird in the bustard family. Some authorities place it in the genus Eupodotis.-Description:...
  
   Lissotis melanogaster

Jacanas

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Jacanidae

The jacana

Jacana

The jaçanas are a group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone. See Etymology below for pronunciation....

s are a group of tropical waders in the family Jacanidae. They are found worldwide in the Tropics. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. There 8 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Lesser Jacana
  Lesser Jacana
  The Lesser Jacana is a species of bird in the Jacanidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Microparra....
  
   Microparra capensis
• African Jacana
  African Jacana
  The African Jacana is a jacana. The jacanas are a group of waders in the family Jacanidae, which are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. They are found worldwide within the tropical...
  
   Actophilornis africanus

Painted snipe

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Rostratulidae

Painted snipe are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly coloured. There are 2 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Malawi.

• Greater Painted-snipe Rostratula benghalensis

Avocets and stilts

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadrii. It contains two distinct groups of birds, the avocets and the stilts .-Description and diet:...

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocet

Avocet

The four species of Avocets are a genus, Recurvirostra, of waders in the same avian family as the stilts.Avocets have long legs and long, thin, upcurved bills which they sweep from side to side when feeding in the brackish or saline wetlands they prefer...

s and the stilt

Stilt

Stilt is a common name for several species of birds in the family Recurvirostridae, which also includes those known as avocets. They are found in brackish or saline wetlands in warm or hot climates....

s. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. There are 9 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Black-winged Stilt
  Black-winged Stilt
  The Black-winged Stilt or Common Stilt is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family . Opinions differ as to whether the birds treated under the scientific name H. himantopus ought to be treated as a single species and if not, how many species to recognize...
  
   Himantopus himantopus
• Pied Avocet
  Pied Avocet
  The Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta, is a large black and white wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae. They breed in temperate Europe and western and Central Asia. It is a migratory species and most winter in Africa or southern Asia...
  
   Recurvirostra avosetta

Thick-knees

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Burhinidae

The thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats. There are 9 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Water Thick-knee
  Water Thick-knee
  The Water Thick-knee is a species of bird in the Burhinidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia,...
  
   Burhinus vermiculatus
• Spotted Thick-knee
  Spotted Thick-knee
  The Spotted Thick-knee, Burhinus capensis, also known as the Spotted Dikkop or Cape Thick-knee, is a stone-curlew in the family Burhinidae.- Description :...
  
   Burhinus capensis

Pratincoles and coursers

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Glareolidae

Glareolidae

Glareolidae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadri. It contains two distinct groups, the pratincoles and the coursers. The coursers include the atypical Egyptian Plover, Pluvianus aegyptius, which has sometimes been placed in its own family...

Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincole

Pratincole

The Pratincoles or Greywaders are a group of birds which together with the coursers and Egyptian Plover make up the family Glareolidae. They have short legs, very long pointed wings and long forked tails....

s, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the courser

Courser

The Coursers are a group of birds which together with the pratincoles make up the family Glareolidae. They have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards...

s, which have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards. There are 17 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Malawi.

• Temminck's Courser
  Temminck's Courser
  Temminck's Courser, Cursorius temminckii, is a bird in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae. It is a wader which lives in sub-Saharan Africa....
  
   Cursorius temminckii
• Bronze-winged Courser
  Bronze-winged Courser
  The Bronze-winged Courser or Violet-tipped Courser is a species of bird in the Glareolidae family. It is found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.-References:...
  
   Rhinoptilus chalcopterus
• Collared Pratincole
  Collared Pratincole
  The Collared Pratincole or Common Pratincole, Glareola pratincola, is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae.Pratincoles are unusual among waders in that they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground.The Collared Pratincole is a...
  
   Glareola pratincola
• Black-winged Pratincole
  Black-winged Pratincole
  The Black-winged Pratincole, Glareola nordmanni, is a wader in the pratincole bird family, Glareolidae.Their most unusual feature of the pratincoles is that although classed as waders they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the...
  
   Glareola nordmanni (A)
• Rock Pratincole
  Rock Pratincole
  The Rock Pratincole is a species of bird in the Glareolidae family.-Distribution and habitat:It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea,...
  
   Glareola nuchalis

Plovers and lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Charadriidae

Charadriidae

The bird family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 66 species in all.- Morphology :They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings, but most species of lapwing may have more rounded wings...

The family Charadriidae includes the plover

Plover

Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. There are about 40 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises another 20-odd species.Plovers are found throughout...

s, dotterels, and lapwing

Lapwing

Vanellinae are any of various crested plovers, family Charadriidae, noted for its slow, irregular wingbeat in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. Its length is 10-16 inches. They are a subfamily of medium-sized wading birds which also includes the plovers and dotterels. The Vanellinae are...

s. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water, although there are some exceptions. There are 66 species worldwide and 15 species which occur in Malawi.

• Long-toed Lapwing
  Long-toed Lapwing
  The Long-toed Lapwing is a species of bird in the Charadriidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:*...
  
   Vanellus crassirostris
• Blacksmith Plover Vanellus armatus
• Spur-winged Plover
  Spur-winged Plover
  The Spur-winged Lapwing or Spur-winged Plover is a lapwing species, one of a group of largish waders in the family Charadriidae....
  
   Vanellus spinosus
• White-headed Lapwing Vanellus albiceps
• Senegal Lapwing
  Senegal Lapwing
  The Senegal Lapwing or Lesser Black-winged Lapwing is a species of bird in the Charadriidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria,...
  
   Vanellus lugubris
• Crowned Lapwing
  Crowned Lapwing
  The Crowned Lapwing , also known as the Crowned Plover, is a bird of the lapwing subfamily that occurs contiguously from the Red Sea coast of Somalia to southern and southwestern Africa. It is an adaptable and numerous species, with bold and noisy habits...
  
   Vanellus coronatus
• Wattled Lapwing Vanellus senegallus
• Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva (A)
• Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola
• Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
• Kittlitz's Plover
  Kittlitz's Plover
  The Kittlitz’s Plover is a small plover found in much of Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, and the Nile delta. Some birds, especially in coastal areas, are resident, other populations are migratory or nomadic.-Description:...
  
   Charadrius pecuarius
• Three-banded Plover
  Three-banded Plover
  The Three-banded Plover or Three-banded Sandplover, Charadrius tricollaris, is a small wader. This plover is resident in much of eastern and southern Africa and Madagascar, mainly on inland rivers, pools and lakes. Its nest is a bare scrape on shingle.The adult Three-banded Plover is 18 cm in...
  
   Charadrius tricollaris
• White-fronted Plover
  White-fronted Plover
  The White-fronted Plover or White-fronted Sandplover, Charadrius marginatus, is a small wader. This plover is resident in much of Africa south of the Sahara on rocky, sandy or muddy coasts and large inland rivers and lakes....
  
   Charadrius marginatus
• Greater Sandplover Charadrius leschenaultii (A)
• Caspian Plover
  Caspian Plover
  The Caspian Plover is a wader in the plover family of birds.It breeds on open grassland in central Asia, mainly to the north and east of the Caspian Sea. This bird breeds in loose colonies, with three eggs being laid in a ground nest. These birds migrate south in winter to east Africa, usually...
  
   Charadrius asiaticus

Sandpipers and allies

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae

The sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders or shorebirds. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil...

The Scolopacidae are a large diverse family of small to medium sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlew

Curlew

The curlews , genus Numenius, are a group of eight species of birds, characterised by long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. They are one of the most ancient lineages of scolopacid waders, together with the godwits which look similar but have straight bills...

s, godwit

Godwit

The godwits are a group of large, long-billed, long-legged and strongly migratory wading birds of the genus Limosa. They form large flocks on coasts and estuaries in winter....

s, shanks

Tringa

Tringa is a genus of waders, containing the shanks and tattlers. They are mainly freshwater birds, often with brightly coloured legs as reflected in the English names of six species, as well as the specific names of two of these and the Green Sandpiper. They are typically associated with northern...

, tattler

Tattler (bird)

The tattlers are the two very similar bird species in the shorebird genus Tringa. They formerly had their own genus, Heteroscelus. The old genus name means "different leg" in Greek, referring to the leg scales that differentiate the tattlers from their close relatives, the shanks.The species are:*...

s, woodcock

Woodcock

The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax. Only two woodcocks are widespread, the others being localized island endemics. Most are found in the Northern Hemisphere but a few range into Wallacea...

s, snipe

Snipe

A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...

s, dowitcher

Dowitcher

The three dowitchers are medium-sized long-billed wading birds. They resemble godwits in body and bill shape, and the reddish underparts in summer, but are much shorter legged, more like snipe to which they are also somewhat closer related...

s and phalarope

Phalarope

A phalarope or wadepiper is any of three living species of slender-necked shorebirds in the genus Phalaropus of the bird family Scolopacidae. They are close relatives of the shanks and tattlers, the Actitis and Terek Sandpipers, and also of the turnstones and calidrids...

s. The majority of species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. There are 89 species worldwide and 21 species which occur in Malawi.

• African Snipe
  African Snipe
  The African Snipe, Gallinago nigripennis, also known as the Ethiopian Snipe, is a small stocky wader. It breeds in eastern and southern Africa in wet mountain moorland and swamps at altitudes of 1700 - 4000m. When not breeding it disperses widely, including into coastal lowlands.-Description:This...
  
   Gallinago nigripennis
• Great Snipe
  Great Snipe
  The Great Snipe, Gallinago media is a small stocky wader in the genus Gallinago.This bird's breeding habitat is marshes and wet meadows with short vegetation in north-eastern Europe including north-western Russia. Great Snipes are migratory, wintering in Africa...
  
   Gallinago media
• Common Snipe
  Common Snipe
  The Common Snipe is a small, stocky wader native to the Old World. The breeding habitat is marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows throughout northern Europe and northern Asia...
  
   Gallinago gallinago (A)
• Black-tailed Godwit
  Black-tailed Godwit
  The Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa, is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the Limosa genus, the godwits...
  
   Limosa limosa (A)
• Bar-tailed Godwit
  Bar-tailed Godwit
  The Bar-tailed Godwit is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae, which breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra mainly in the Old World, and winters on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of the Old World...
  
   Limosa lapponica
• Whimbrel
  Whimbrel
  The Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the mostwidespread of the curlews, breeding across much of subarctic North America, Europe and Asia as far south as Scotland....
  
   Numenius phaeopus
• Eurasian Curlew
  Eurasian Curlew
  The Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia...
  
   Numenius arquata
• Spotted Redshank
  Spotted Redshank
  The Spotted Redshank, Tringa erythropus, is a wader in the large bird family Scolopacidae. It breeds across northern Scandinavia and northern Asia and migrates south to the Mediterranean, the southern British Isles, France, tropical Africa, and tropical Asia for the winter...
  
   Tringa erythropus (A)
• Common Redshank
  Common Redshank
  The Common Redshank or simply Redshank is an Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.- Description and systematics :...
  
   Tringa totanus
• Marsh Sandpiper
  Marsh Sandpiper
  The Marsh Sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis, is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to central Asia....
  
   Tringa stagnatilis
• Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
• Green Sandpiper
  Green Sandpiper
  The Green Sandpiper is a small wader of the Old World. It represents an ancient lineage of the genus Tringa; its only close living relative is the Solitary Sandpiper . They both have brown wings with little light dots and a delicate but contrasting neck and chest pattern...
  
   Tringa ochropus
• Wood Sandpiper
  Wood Sandpiper
  The Wood Sandpiper, Tringa glareola, is a small wader. This Eurasian species is the smallest of the shanks, which are mid-sized long-legged waders of the family Scolopacidae.- Description and systematics :...
  
   Tringa glareola
• Terek Sandpiper
  Terek Sandpiper
  The Terek Sandpiper is a small migratory Palearctic wader species, the only member of the genus Xenus.- Description and systematics :...
  
   Xenus cinereus
• Common Sandpiper
  Common Sandpiper
  The Common Sandpiper is a small Palearctic wader. This bird and its American sister species, the Spotted Sandpiper , make up the genus Actitis. They are parapatric and replace each other geographically; stray birds of either species may settle down with breeders of the other and hybridize...
  
   Actitis hypoleucos
• Ruddy Turnstone
  Ruddy Turnstone
  The Ruddy Turnstone is a small wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae...
  
   Arenaria interpres
• Sanderling
  Sanderling
  The Sanderling is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia...
  
   Calidris alba
• Little Stint
  Little Stint
  The Little Stint, Calidris minuta , is a very small wader. It breeds in arctic Europe and Asia, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to Africa and south Asia...
  
   Calidris minuta
• Curlew Sandpiper
  Curlew Sandpiper
  The Curlew Sandpiper is a small wader that breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia. It is strongly migratory, wintering mainly in Africa, but also in south and southeast Asia and in Australasia...
  
   Calidris ferruginea
• Broad-billed Sandpiper
  Broad-billed Sandpiper
  The Broad-billed Sandpiper is a small wading bird. It is the only member of the genus Limicola; some have proposed that it should be placed in the genus Erolia with the "stint" sandpipers, but more recent research suggests that it is should rather go into the genus Philomachus with the ruff and...
  
   Limicola falcinellus (A)
• Ruff Philomachus pugnax

Gulls

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large birds seabirds and includes gull

Gull

Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...

s and kittiwake

Kittiwake

The kittiwakes are two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the Black-legged Kittiwake and the Red-legged Kittiwake . The epithets "Black-legged" and "Red-legged" are used to distinguish the two species in North America, but in Europe, where R...

s. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. There are 55 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in Malawi.

• Lesser Black-backed Gull
  Lesser Black-backed Gull
  The Lesser Black-backed Gull is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa...
  
   Larus fuscus
• Gray-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus
• Black-headed Gull
  Black-headed Gull
  The Black-headed Gull is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory, wintering further south, but some birds in the milder westernmost areas of Europe are resident...
  
   Larus ridibundus (A)

Terns

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Sternidae

Tern

Tern

Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...

s are a group of generally general medium to large sea-birds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species now known to live in excess of 25 to 30 years. There are 44 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Malawi.

• Gull-billed Tern
  Gull-billed Tern
  The Gull-billed Tern formerly Sterna nilotica , is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae...
  
   Sterna nilotica
• Common Tern
  Common Tern
  The Common Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, breeding in temperate and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and east and central North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. It is sometimes...
  
   Sterna hirundo (A)
• Sooty Tern
  Sooty Tern
  The Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscatus , is a seabird of the tern family . It is a bird of the tropical oceans, breeding on islands throughout the equatorial zone. Colloquially, it is known as the Wideawake Tern or just wideawake...
  
   Sterna fuscata (A)
• Whiskered Tern
  Whiskered Tern
  The Whiskered Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in size and minor plumage details....
  
   Chlidonias hybridus
• White-winged Tern
  White-winged Tern
  The White-winged Tern, or White-winged Black Tern, Chlidonias leucopterus, is a small tern generally found in or near bodies of fresh water across from Southeastern Europe east to Australia....
  
   Chlidonias leucopterus

Skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...

Family: Rynchopidae

Skimmer

Skimmer

The Skimmers, Rynchopidae, are a small family of tern-like birds in the order Charadriiformes, which also includes the waders, gulls and auks. The family comprises three species found in South Asia, Africa, and the Americas....

s are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish. There are 3 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Malawi.

• African Skimmer
  African Skimmer
  The African Skimmer is a skimmer that lives in Senegal to northern Congo River and southern Nile Valley, southern Tanzania to the Zambezi Valley, and then to Natal and Angola.- Appearance :...
  
   Rynchops flavirostris

Sandgrouse

Order: Pterocliformes
Family: Pteroclidae

Sandgrouse have small, pigeon like heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies. They have long pointed wings and sometimes tails and a fast direct flight. Flocks fly to watering holes at dawn and dusk. Their legs are feathered down to the toes. There are 16 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Malawi.

• Double-banded Sandgrouse
  Double-banded Sandgrouse
  The Double-banded Sandgrouse is a species of bird in the Pteroclididae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:...
  
   Pterocles bicinctus

Pigeons and doves

Order: Columbiformes

Columbiformes

Columbiformes are an avian order that includes the very widespread and successful doves and pigeons, classified in the family Columbidae, and the extinct Dodo and the Rodrigues Solitaire, long classified as a second family Raphidae. 313 species, found worldwide, comprise the Columbiformes order....

Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and dove

Dove

Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...

s are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere

Cère

The Cère is a long river in south-western France, left tributary of the Dordogne River. Its source is in the south-western Massif Central, near the mountain Plomb du Cantal...

. There are 308 species worldwide and 13 species which occur in Malawi.

• Rameron Pigeon Columba arquatrix
• Delegorgue's Pigeon Columba delegorguei (Ex?)
• Lemon Dove Columba larvata
• Dusky Turtle Dove Streptopelia lugens
• African Mourning Dove
  African Mourning Dove
  The Mourning Collared Dove is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in Africa south of the Sahara. Despite its name, it is not a close relative of the North American Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura. This species is common or abundant near water...
  
   Streptopelia decipiens
• Red-eyed Dove
  Red-eyed Dove
  The Red-eyed Dove is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in Africa south of the Sahara. It is a common, if not abundant, species in most habitats other than desert....
  
   Streptopelia semitorquata
• Ring-necked Dove
  Ring-necked Dove
  The Ring-necked Dove , also known as the Cape Turtle Dove and the Half-Collared Dove, is a widespread and abundant bird in the bush, savannah, farmlands, and woodlands of southern and eastern Africa. Their name comes from a black patch of feathers on the back of their necks...
  
   Streptopelia capicola
• Laughing Dove
  Laughing Dove
  The Laughing Dove is a small pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in the tropics in Africa south of the Sahara, the Middle East and southern Asia east to India. In India it is also known as the Little Brown Dove...
  
   Streptopelia senegalensis
• Emerald-spotted Wood Dove
  Emerald-spotted Wood Dove
  The Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Turtur chalcospilos, is a pigeon which is a widespread and often abundant resident breeding bird in eastern Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa. It also occurs in a belt from northern Botswana west to northern Namibia, and in a narrow coastal strip through Angola to...
  
   Turtur chalcospilos
• Blue-spotted Wood Dove Turtur afer
• Tambourine Dove
  Tambourine Dove
  The Tambourine Dove is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in woodlands and other thick vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its range extends from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Kenya and southwards through eastern Africa to south-eastern South Africa, but it is absent...
  
   Turtur tympanistria
• Namaqua Dove
  Namaqua Dove
  The Namaqua Dove is a small pigeon. It is the only species in the genus Oena. .-Description:The Namaqua Dove is a tiny sparrow-sized pigeon, typically 22 cm in length with a 28–33 cm wingspan, and weighing 40g. It has a very long black tapered tail, and the size and shape have led to...
  
   Oena capensis
• African Green Pigeon Treron calva

Parrots

Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae

Parrot

Parrot

Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...

s are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak shape. Their upper mandibles have slight mobility in the joint with the skull and the have a generally erect stance. All parrots are zygodactyl, having the four toes on each foot placed two at the front and two back. There are 335 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Malawi.

• Lilian's Lovebird
  Lilian's Lovebird
  The Lilian's Lovebird , also known as Nyasa Lovebird, is a small African parrot species of the lovebird genus. It is mainly green and has orange on its upper chest and head. It is 13 cm long and is the smallest parrot on mainland Africa...
  
   Agapornis lilianae
• Brown-necked Parrot Poicephalus robustus
• Meyer's Parrot
  Meyer's Parrot
  The Meyer's Parrot is a small , stocky African parrot. Meyer's parrots display a dull brown head, back and tail, green or blue-green abdomen, blue rump and bright yellow markings on the carpal joint of the wings. Most subspecies have some yellow on the top of the head as well. Forshaw recognizes...
  
   Poicephalus meyeri
• Brown-headed Parrot
  Brown-headed Parrot
  The Brown-headed Parrot is a mostly green African parrot with a greyish-brown head and yellow under its wings. The adult birds have yellow irises and juvenile birds have brown irises....
  
   Poicephalus cryptoxanthus

Turacos

Order: Cuculiformes

Cuculiformes

The near passerine bird order Cuculiformes traditionally included three families as below:* Musophagidae - turacos and allies* Cuculidae - cuckoos, coucals, roadrunners and anis* Opisthocomidae - Hoatzin...

Family: Musophagidae

The turacos, plantain eaters and go-away birds make up the bird family Musophagidae. They are medium-sized arboreal birds. The turacos and plantain eaters are brightly coloured birds, usually blue, green or purple. The go-away birds are mostly grey and white. There are 23 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Malawi.

• Livingstone's Turaco
  Livingstone's Turaco
  The Livingstone's Turaco is a species of bird in the Musophagidae family, which was named for Charles Livingstone, the brother of David Livingstone.It is distributed through the subtropical lowlands of southeastern Africa....
  
   Tauraco livingstonii
• Schalow's Turaco
  Schalow's Turaco
  The Schalow's Turaco is a frugivorous bird in the Musophagidae family. It is named after Herman Schalow. Mature birds have, on average, the longest crests of any turaco species....
  
   Tauraco schalowi
• Purple-crested Turaco
  Purple-crested Turaco
  The Purple-crested Turaco is a species of bird in the Musophagidae family.It is found in Burundi, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Tauraco porphyreolophus
• Bare-faced Go-away-bird
  Bare-faced Go-away-bird
  The Bare-faced Go-away bird is a species of bird in the Musophagidae family.It is found in two areas of Africa: one in southern Ethiopia, and the other in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. It is named after its distinctive "go-away"...
  
   Corythaixoides personatus
• Gray Go-away-bird Corythaixoides concolor

Cuckoos

Order: Cuculiformes

Cuculiformes

The near passerine bird order Cuculiformes traditionally included three families as below:* Musophagidae - turacos and allies* Cuculidae - cuckoos, coucals, roadrunners and anis* Opisthocomidae - Hoatzin...

Family: Cuculidae

The family Cuculidae includes cuckoo

Cuckoo

The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...

s, roadrunner

Geococcyx

The roadrunners are two species of bird in the genus Geococcyx of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, native to North and Central America...

s and anis

Ani (bird)

The anis are the three species of near-passerine birds in the genus Crotophaga of the cuckoo family. They are essentially tropical New world birds, although the range of two species just reaches the United States...

. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. Unlike the cuckoo species of the Old World, North American cuckoos are not brood parasites. There are 138 species worldwide and 19 species which occur in Malawi.

• Pied Cuckoo
  Pied Cuckoo
  The Jacobin Cuckoo, Pied Cuckoo, or Pied Crested Cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds that is found in Africa and Asia. It is partially migratory and in India, it has been considered a harbinger of the Monsoon rains due to the timing of its arrival...
  
   Clamator jacobinus
• Levaillant's Cuckoo
  Levaillant's Cuckoo
  Levaillant's Cuckoo, Clamator levaillantii is a cuckoo which is a resident breeding species in Africa south of the Sahara. It is found in bushy habitats. It is a brood parasite, using the nests of bulbuls and babblers...
  
   Clamator levaillantii
• Great Spotted Cuckoo
  Great Spotted Cuckoo
  The Great Spotted Cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals....
  
   Clamator glandarius
• Thick-billed Cuckoo
  Thick-billed Cuckoo
  The Thick-billed Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Pachycoccyx....
  
   Pachycoccyx audeberti
• Red-chested Cuckoo
  Red-chested Cuckoo
  The Red-chested Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. It is a medium-sized bird , found in Africa south of the Sahara.-Distribution and habitat:...
  
   Cuculus solitarius
• Black Cuckoo
  Black Cuckoo
  The Black Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. The species is distributed widely across sub-Saharan Africa...
  
   Cuculus clamosus
• Common Cuckoo
  Common Cuckoo
  The Common Cuckoo is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, Cuculiformes, which includes the roadrunners, the anis and the coucals....
  
   Cuculus canorus
• African Cuckoo
  African Cuckoo
  The African Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana,...
  
   Cuculus gularis
• Lesser Cuckoo
  Lesser Cuckoo
  The Lesser Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Malawi, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka,...
  
   Cuculus poliocephalus
• Madagascar Cuckoo
  Madagascar Cuckoo
  The Madagascar Cuckoo , also known as the Madagascar Lesser Cuckoo, is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. Though it breeds only in Madagascar, it spends the non-breeding season in a number of East African countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda,...
  
   Cuculus rochii (A)
• Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo
  Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo
  The Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:...
  
   Cercococcyx montanus
• Klaas's Cuckoo
  Klaas's Cuckoo
  The Klaas's Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia,...
  
   Chrysococcyx klaas
• African Emerald Cuckoo
  African Emerald Cuckoo
  The African Emerald Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,...
  
   Chrysococcyx cupreus
• Dideric Cuckoo
  Dideric Cuckoo
  The Diederik Cuckoo , formerly Dideric Cuckoo or Didric Cuckoo, is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis, and the Hoatzin....
  
   Chrysococcyx caprius
• Yellowbill
  Yellowbill
  The Yellowbill is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family. The species is sometimes known as the Green Malkoha. It is monotypic within the genus Ceuthmochares. There are three subspecies that display some differences in plumage colouration; all subspecies have a greyish belly, head and throat...
  
   Ceuthmochares aereus
• Black Coucal
  Black Coucal
  The Black Coucal is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,...
  
   Centropus grillii
• Coppery-tailed Coucal
  Coppery-tailed Coucal
  The Coppery-tailed Coucal is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:...
  
   Centropus cupreicaudus
• Senegal Coucal
  Senegal Coucal
  The Senegal Coucal, Centropus senegalensis, is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, which also includes the roadrunners, the anis, and the Hoatzin....
  
   Centropus senegalensis
• White-browed Coucal
  White-browed Coucal
  The White-browed Coucal is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in sub-Saharan Africa.The southern subspecies is sometimes split as Burchell's Coucal, Centropus burchelli...
  
   Centropus superciliosus

Barn owls

Order: Strigiformes
Family: Tytonidae

Tytonidae

Barn-owls are one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls, Strigidae. They are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons...

Barn owl

Barn Owl

The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...

s are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons. There are 16 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• African Grass-Owl
  African Grass-owl
  The African Grass Owl is a species of owl in the Tytonidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe...
  
   Tyto capensis
• Barn Owl
  Barn Owl
  The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
  
   Tyto alba

Typical owls

Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae

Typical owl

Typical owl

True owl or Typical owl are one of the two generally accepted families of Owls, the other being the barn owls . The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy unites the Caprimulgiformes with the owl order; here, the typical owls are a subfamily Strigidae...

s are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk. There are 195 species worldwide and 10 species which occur in Malawi.

• African Scops-Owl Otus senegalensis
• Southern White-faced Owl
  Southern White-faced Owl
  The Southern White-faced Owl is a fairly small owl in the family Strigidae. It is native to the southern half of Africa. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Northern White-faced Owl but the two are now commonly treated as separate species.It is 22-28 centimetres long and weighs...
  
   Ptilopsis granti
• Cape Eagle-Owl
  Cape Eagle-owl
  The Cape Eagle-Owl is a species of owl in the Strigidae family.It is found in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Bubo capensis (A)
• Spotted Eagle-Owl Bubo africanus
• Verreaux's Eagle-Owl Bubo lacteus
• Pel's Fishing-Owl
  Pel's Fishing-owl
  The Pel's Fishing Owl is a large species of owl in the Strigidae family. It feeds nocturnally on fish and frogs snatched from the surface of lakes and rivers. The species prefers slow moving rivers with large overhanging trees to roost and forage from. It nests in hollows and the forks of large...
  
   Scotopelia peli
• African Wood-Owl
  African Wood-owl
  The African Wood Owl, Strix woodfordii, is a medium-sized owl with dark eyes and no ear tufts. It is 30 to 36 cm long and weighs from 240 to 350 grams. It lives in Africa from Senegambia to Sudan and south to Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and on the east coast to...
  
   Strix woodfordii
• Pearl-spotted Owlet
  Pearl-spotted Owlet
  The Pearl-spotted Owlet is an owl which breeds in Africa south of the Sahara. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping is the barn owls, Tytonidae.Pearl-spotted Owlet is a common and easily seen...
  
   Glaucidium perlatum
• African Barred Owlet
  African Barred Owlet
  The African Barred Owlet is a species of owl in the Strigidae family. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and...
  
   Glaucidium capense
• Marsh Owl
  Marsh Owl
  The Marsh Owl, Asio capensis, is a species of owl which is a mainly resident breeder in Africa and Madagascar.This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl...
  
   Asio capensis

Nightjars

Order: Caprimulgiformes

Caprimulgiformes

The Caprimulgiformes is an order of birds that includes a number of birds with global distribution . They are generally insectivorous and nocturnal...

Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjar

Nightjar

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills. They are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats . Some New World species are named as nighthawks...

s are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills that usually nest on the ground. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves. There are 86 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Malawi.

• Eurasian Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus
• Fiery-necked Nightjar
  Fiery-necked Nightjar
  The Fiery-necked Nightjar is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
  
   Caprimulgus pectoralis
• Abyssinian Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus
• Freckled Nightjar
  Freckled Nightjar
  The Freckled Nightjar is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia,...
  
   Caprimulgus tristigma
• Square-tailed Nightjar
  Square-tailed Nightjar
  The Square-tailed Nightjar is a species of nightjar in the Caprimulgidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania,...
  
   Caprimulgus fossii
• Pennant-winged Nightjar
  Pennant-winged Nightjar
  The Pennant-winged Nightjar, Macrodipteryx vexillarius, is an intra-African migrant that occurs from Nigeria to northern South Africa. The male is characteristic in having a broad white band over the otherwise black primaries. In addition the males acquire a striking 9th primary feather during the...
  
   Macrodipteryx vexillarius

Swifts

Order: Apodiformes

Apodiformes

Traditionally, the bird order Apodiformes contained three living families: the swifts , the tree swifts , and the hummingbirds . In the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, this order is raised to a superorder Apodimorphae in which hummingbirds are separated as a new order, Trochiliformes...

Family: Apodidae

Swift

Swift

The swifts are a family, Apodidae, of highly aerial birds. They are superficially similar to swallows, but are actually not closely related to passerine species at all; swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes, which they share with hummingbirds...

s are small aerial birds, spending the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings that resemble a crescent or a boomerang. There are 98 species worldwide and 11 species which occur in Malawi.

• Scarce Swift
  Scarce Swift
  The Scarce Swift is a species of swift in the Apodidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
  
   Schoutedenapus myoptilus
• Mottled Spinetail
  Mottled Spinetail
  The Mottled Spinetail is a species of swift in the Apodidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia,...
  
   Telacanthura ussheri (A)
• Bat-like Spinetail
  Bat-like Spinetail
  The Böhm's Spinetail or Bat-like Spinetail is a species of swift in the Apodidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
  
   Neafrapus boehmi (A)
• African Palm-Swift Cypsiurus parvus
• Alpine Swift
  Alpine Swift
  The Alpine Swift syn. is a species of Swift. The bird is superficially similar to a large Barn Swallow or House Martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the order Apodiformes...
  
   Tachymarptis melba
• Mottled Swift
  Mottled Swift
  The Mottled Swift is a species of bird in the swift family, Apodidae. It is one of two species in the genus Tachymarptis together with the Alpine Swift . It occurs widely in eastern Africa and locally in western Africa...
  
   Tachymarptis aequatorialis
• Common Swift
  Common Swift
  The Common Swift is a small bird, superficially similar to the Barn Swallow or House Martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes...
  
   Apus apus
• African Swift
  African Swift
  The African Black Swift or African Swift, Apus barbatus, is a small bird in the swift family. It breeds in Africa discontinuously from Liberia, Cameroon, Zaire, Uganda and Kenya south to South Africa, and on Madagascar. The breeding habitat is damp mountains, typically between 1,600 - 2,400 m,...
  
   Apus barbatus
• Little Swift
  Little Swift
  The Little Swift , is a small bird, superficially similar to a Barn Swallow or House Martin. It is, however, completely unrelated to those passerine species, since swifts are in the order Apodiformes. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent evolution reflecting similar life styles...
  
   Apus affinis
• Horus Swift
  Horus Swift
  The Horus Swift, Apus horus, is a small bird in the swift family. It breeds in sub-Saharan Africa. It has an extensive continuous distribution from eastern and southern South Africa north to southern Zambia and central Mozambique, and has recently colonised the De Hoop Nature Reserve area of the...
  
   Apus horus
• White-rumped Swift
  White-rumped Swift
  The White-rumped Swift is a small swift. Although this bird is superficially similar to a House Martin, it is completely unrelated to that passerine species. The resemblances between the swallows and swifts are due to convergent evolution reflecting similar life styles.Swifts have very short legs...
  
   Apus caffer

Mousebirds

Order: Coliiformes
Family: Coliidae

The mousebirds are slender greyish or brown birds with soft, hairlike body feathers and very long thin tails. They are arboreal and scurry through the leaves like rodents in search of berries, fruit and buds. They are acrobatic, and can feed upside down. All species have strong claws and reversible outer toes. They also have crests and stubby bills. There are 6 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Speckled Mousebird
  Speckled Mousebird
  The Speckled Mousebird is the largest species of mousebird, as well as one of the most common.- Description :This bird is about 35 cm long, with the tail comprising approximately half the length, and weighs about 57 grams...
  
   Colius striatus
• Red-faced Mousebird
  Red-faced Mousebird
  The Red-faced Mousebird is a species of mousebird or coly. It is a common in southern Africa from Zaire, Zambia and Tanzania south to the Cape. Its habitat is savanna with thickets, fynbos scrub, other open woodland, gardens and orchards.This bird is about 34 cm long, with the tail...
  
   Urocolius indicus

Trogons

Order: Trogoniformes
Family: Trogonidae

The family Trogonidae includes trogons and quetzals. Found in tropical woodlands worldwide, they feed on insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits. Although their flight is fast, they are reluctant to fly any distance. Trogons have soft, often colourful, feathers with distinctive male and female plumage. There are 33 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Narina Trogon
  Narina Trogon
  The Narina Trogon, Apaloderma narina, is a medium-sized , largely green forest bird in the Trogonidae family, the most widespread and catholic in habitat choice of three Apaloderma trogons...
  
   Apaloderma narina
• Bar-tailed Trogon
  Bar-tailed Trogon
  The Bar-tailed Trogon is a species of bird in the Trogonidae family.-Distribution and habitat:It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia...
  
   Apaloderma vittatum

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes

Coraciiformes

The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...

Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. There are 93 species worldwide and 9 species which occur in Malawi.

• Half-collared Kingfisher
  Half-collared Kingfisher
  The Half-collared Kingfisher Alcedo semitorquata is a species of kingfisher that feeds almost exclusively on fish and can be found near water at all times. It can be found on shores and around larger bodies of water in southern and eastern Africa....
  
   Alcedo semitorquata
• Malachite Kingfisher
  Malachite Kingfisher
  The Malachite Kingfisher is a river kingfisher which is widely distributed in Africa south of the Sahara. It is largely resident except for seasonal climate related movements....
  
   Alcedo cristata
• African Pygmy-Kingfisher
  African Pygmy-Kingfisher
  The African Pygmy Kingfisher is a small insectivorous kingfisher found in the Afrotropics, mostly in woodland habitats. Some texts refer to this species as Ceyx pictus.-Description:...
  
   Ispidina picta
• Gray-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala
• Woodland Kingfisher
  Woodland Kingfisher
  The Woodland Kingfisher is a tree kingfisher.-Description:This is a medium-sized kingfisher, 20–23 cm in length. The adult has a bright blue back, wing panel and tail. Its head, neck and underparts are white, and its shoulders are black. The flight of the Woodland Kingfisher is rapid and direct...
  
   Halcyon senegalensis
• Brown-hooded Kingfisher
  Brown-hooded Kingfisher
  The Brown-hooded Kingfisher is a species of bird in the Halcyonidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:* BirdLife...
  
   Halcyon albiventris
• Striped Kingfisher
  Striped Kingfisher
  The Striped Kingfisher is a species of bird in the tree kingfisher family. It was first described by Edward, Lord Stanley, in Salt's Voyage to Abyssinia in 1814 as "Chelicut Kingfisher" Alaudo Chelicuti....
  
   Halcyon chelicuti
• Giant Kingfisher
  Giant Kingfisher
  The Giant Kingfisher is the largest kingfisher in Africa, where it is a resident breeding bird over most of the continent south of the Sahara Desert other than the arid southwest....
  
   Megaceryle maximus
• Pied Kingfisher
  Pied Kingfisher
  The Pied Kingfisher is a water kingfisher and is found widely distributed across Africa and Asia. Their black and white plumage, crest and the habit of hovering over clear lakes and rivers before diving for fish makes it distinctive. Males have a double band across the breast while females have a...
  
   Ceryle rudis

Bee-eaters

Order: Coraciiformes

Coraciiformes

The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...

Family: Meropidae

The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine

Near passerine

Near passerine or higher land-bird assemblage are terms often given to arboreal birds or those most often believed to be related to the true passerines due to ecological similarities; the group corresponds to some extent with the Anomalogonatae of Garrod All near passerines are land birds...

 birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colorful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar. There are 26 species worldwide and 8 species which occur in Malawi.

• White-fronted Bee-eater
  White-fronted Bee-eater
  The White-fronted Bee-eater, Merops bullockoides, is a species of bee-eater widely distributed in sub-equatorial Africa.They have a distinctive white forehead, a square tail and a bright red patch on their throat...
  
   Merops bullockoides
• Little Bee-eater
  Little Bee-eater
  The little Bee-eater, Merops pusillus is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It is resident in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It should not be confused with the Little Green Bee-eater, Merops orientalis. Migration is limited to seasonal movements depending on rainfall...
  
   Merops pusillus
• Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
  Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
  The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It breeds in savannah woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa. It is partially migratory, moving in response to rainfall patterns....
  
   Merops hirundineus
• Boehm's Bee-eater
  Boehm's Bee-eater
  The Böhm's Bee-eater is a species of bird in the Meropidae family.It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia.-References:...
  
   Merops boehmi
• Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
  Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
  The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Merops persicus, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It breeds in Northern Africa, and the Middle East from eastern Turkey to Kazakhstan and India. It is generally strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, although some populations breed...
  
   Merops persicus
• Madagascar Bee-eater
  Madagascar Bee-eater
  The Olive Bee-eater, is a near passerine bee-eater species in the genus Merops.-References: Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern...
  
   Merops superciliosus
• European Bee-eater
  European Bee-eater
  The European Bee-eater, Merops apiaster, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It breeds in southern Europe and in parts of north Africa and western Asia. It is strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka...
  
   Merops apiaster
• Southern Carmine Bee-eater
  Southern Carmine Bee-eater
  The Southern Carmine Bee-eater occurs across sub-equatorial Africa, ranging from KwaZulu-Natal and Namibia to Gabon, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya....
  
   Merops nubicoides

Typical rollers

Order: Coraciiformes

Coraciiformes

The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...

Family: Coraciidae

Rollers resemble crow

Crow

Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...

s in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfisher

Kingfisher

Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...

s and bee-eater

Bee-eater

The bee-eaters are a group of near-passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa and Asia but others occur in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers...

s. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not. There are 12 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Malawi.

• European Roller
  European Roller
  The European Roller, Coracias garrulus, is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe. Its overall range extends into the Middle East and Central Asia and Morocco....
  
   Coracias garrulus
• Lilac-breasted Roller
  Lilac-breasted Roller
  The Lilac-breasted Roller is a member of the roller family of birds. It is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula, preferring open woodland and savanna; it is largely absent from treeless places...
  
   Coracias caudata
• Racket-tailed Roller
  Racket-tailed Roller
  The Racket-tailed Roller is a species of bird in the Coraciidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Coracias spatulata
• Rufous-crowned Roller
  Rufous-crowned Roller
  The Purple Roller , also called the Rufous-crowned Roller, is found over sub-Saharan Africa to as far south as Namibia and the Transvaal. Compared with other rollers its colours are rather dull and its voice rather harsh and grating...
  
   Coracias naevia
• Broad-billed Roller
  Broad-billed Roller
  The Broad-billed Roller, Eurystomus glaucurus, is a member of the roller family of birds which breeds across tropical Africa and Madagascar in all but the driest regions. It is a wet season breeder, which migrates from the northern and southern areas of its range towards the moister equatorial...
  
   Eurystomus glaucurus

Hoopoes

Order: Coraciiformes

Coraciiformes

The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...

Family: Upupidae

Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head. There are 2 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Malawi.

• Hoopoe
  Hoopoe
  The Hoopoe is a colourful bird that is found across Afro-Eurasia, notable for its distinctive 'crown' of feathers. It is the only extant species in the family Upupidae. One insular species, the Giant Hoopoe of Saint Helena, is extinct, and the Madagascar subspecies of the Hoopoe is sometimes...
  
   Upupa epops

Woodhoopoes

Order: Coraciiformes

Coraciiformes

The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...

Family: Phoeniculidae

The woodhoopoes are related to the kingfisher

Kingfisher

Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...

s, roller

Roller

The rollers are an Old World family, Coraciidae, of near passerine birds. The group gets its name from the aerial acrobatics some of these birds perform during courtship or territorial flights. Rollers resemble crows in size and build, and share the colourful appearance of kingfishers and...

s and hoopoe

Hoopoe

The Hoopoe is a colourful bird that is found across Afro-Eurasia, notable for its distinctive 'crown' of feathers. It is the only extant species in the family Upupidae. One insular species, the Giant Hoopoe of Saint Helena, is extinct, and the Madagascar subspecies of the Hoopoe is sometimes...

. They most resemble the last species with their long curved bills, used for probing for insects, and short rounded wings. However, they differ in that they have metallic plumage

Plumage

Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...

, often blue, green or purple, and lack an erectile crest. There are 8 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Green Woodhoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus
• Common Scimitar-bill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas

Hornbills

Order: Coraciiformes

Coraciiformes

The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colorful near passerine birds including the kingfishers, the Hoopoe, the bee-eaters, the rollers, and the hornbills...

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. Frequently, the bill is brightly coloured. There are 57 species worldwide and 8 species which occur in Malawi.

• Red-billed Hornbill
  Red-billed Hornbill
  Red-billed Hornbill is a relatively small species of hornbill found in savanna and woodland of sub-Saharan Africa. It is sometimes split into five species, the Northern Red-billed Hornbill , Western Red-billed Hornbill , Tanzania Red-billed Hornbill , Southern Red-billed Hornbill Red-billed...
  
   Tockus erythrorhynchus
• Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
  Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
  The Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill is a Hornbill found in southern Africa. It is a medium sized bird, with length between 48 to 60 cm, characterized by a long yellow beak with a casque . The skin around the eyes and in the malar stripe is pinkish...
  
   Tockus leucomelas
• Crowned Hornbill
  Crowned Hornbill
  The Crowned Hornbill, Tockus alboterminatus, is an African hornbill. It is a medium-sized bird, with a length between 50 and 54 cm, and it is characterized by its white belly and black back and wings. The tips of the long tail feathers are white. The eyes are yellow; the beak is red and...
  
   Tockus alboterminatus
• African Gray Hornbill Tockus nasutus
• Pale-billed Hornbill
  Pale-billed Hornbill
  The Pale-billed Hornbill is a species of hornbill in the Bucerotidae family.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia.-References:...
  
   Tockus pallidirostris
• Trumpeter Hornbill
  Trumpeter Hornbill
  The Trumpeter Hornbill, Bycanistes bucinator, is a medium-sized hornbill, with length between , characterized by a large grey casque on the bill, smaller in females. The eyes are brown or red, with pink surrounding skin. Body mass is reported between . They are similar to Silvery-cheeked Hornbill...
  
   Ceratogymna bucinator
• Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
  Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
  The Silvery-cheeked Hornbill is a large bird at in length with a very large creamy casque on the beak. The female has a smaller casque and reddish skin around the eyes. The head is silver-grey and the rest of the plumage is iridescent black, except for the white rump, lower back, thighs, vent and...
  
   Ceratogymna brevis
• Southern Ground-Hornbill
  Southern Ground-hornbill
  The Southern Ground Hornbill or cafer , is one of two species of ground hornbill and is the largest species of hornbill....
  
   Bucorvus leadbeateri

Barbets

Order: Piciformes

Piciformes

Nine families of largely arboreal birds make up the order Piciformes, the best-known of them being the Picidae, which includes the woodpeckers and close relatives...

Family: Capitonidae

The barbets are plump birds, with short necks and large heads. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. Most species are brightly coloured. There are 84 species worldwide and 12 species which occur in Malawi.

• White-eared Barbet
  White-eared Barbet
  The White-eared Barbet is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family.It is found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.-References:...
  
   Stactolaema leucotis
• Whyte's Barbet
  Whyte's Barbet
  The Whyte's Barbet is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family.It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27 July 2007....
  
   Stactolaema whytii
• Green Barbet
  Green Barbet
  The Green Barbet is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family. It is found in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa....
  
   Stactolaema olivacea
• Moustached Tinkerbird Pogoniulus leucomystax
• Green Tinkerbird Pogoniulus simplex
• Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
  Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
  The Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird is a bird species in the family Lybiidae. It used to be placed in the family Bucconidae which has been split up; alternatively, it may be included in a vastly expanded Ramphastidae....
  
   Pogoniulus bilineatus
• Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird
  Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird
  The Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Pogoniulus chrysoconus, is a small African barbet formerly known as Yellow-fronted Tinker Barbet. Barbets are near passerine birds with bristles around the base of the bill and a world-wide tropical distribution....
  
   Pogoniulus chrysoconus
• Miombo Barbet
  Miombo Barbet
  The Miombo Pied Barbet is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27 July 2007....
  
   Tricholaema frontata
• Black-collared Barbet
  Black-collared Barbet
  The Black-collared Barbet is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family.It is found in sub-Saharan Africa through Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Readily...
  
   Lybius torquatus
• Brown-breasted Barbet
  Brown-breasted Barbet
  The Brown-breasted Barbet is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family.It is found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, and Tanzania.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27 July 2007....
  
   Lybius melanopterus
• Black-backed Barbet
  Black-backed Barbet
  The Black-backed Barbet is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.-References:...
  
   Lybius minor
• Crested Barbet
  Crested Barbet
  The Crested Barbet is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family.-Appearance:With its thick bill and very colourful plumage the Crested Barbet is unmistakable. This small bird has a speckled yellow and red face with a small black crest. The belly is yellow with red speckles, wings are black with...
  
   Trachyphonus vaillantii

Honeyguides

Order: Piciformes

Piciformes

Nine families of largely arboreal birds make up the order Piciformes, the best-known of them being the Picidae, which includes the woodpeckers and close relatives...

Family: Indicatoridae

Honeyguides are among the few birds that feed on wax

Wax

thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...

. They are named for the behaviour of the Greater Honeyguide

Greater Honeyguide

The Greater Honeyguide is a bird in the family Indicatoridae, paleotropical near passerine birds related to the woodpeckers. Its English and scientific names refer to its habit of guiding people to bee colonies....

 which leads large animals to bees' nests and then feeds on the wax once the animal has broken the nest open to get at the honey. There are 17 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Malawi.

• Scaly-throated Honeyguide
  Scaly-throated Honeyguide
  The Scaly-throated Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:* BirdLife...
  
   Indicator variegatus
• Greater Honeyguide
  Greater Honeyguide
  The Greater Honeyguide is a bird in the family Indicatoridae, paleotropical near passerine birds related to the woodpeckers. Its English and scientific names refer to its habit of guiding people to bee colonies....
  
   Indicator indicator
• Lesser Honeyguide
  Lesser Honeyguide
  The Lesser Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia,...
  
   Indicator minor
• Pallid Honeyguide
  Pallid Honeyguide
  The Pallid Honeyguide is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:...
  
   Indicator meliphilus
• Green-backed Honeyguide
  Green-backed Honeyguide
  The Green-backed Honeybird , also known as the Eastern Green-backed Honeyguide or Green-backed Honeyguide, is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family....
  
   Prodotiscus zambesiae
• Wahlberg's Honeyguide
  Wahlberg's Honeyguide
  The Brown-backed Honeybird , also known as the Wahlberg's Honeybird or Wahlberg's Honeyguide, is a species of bird in the Indicatoridae family....
  
   Prodotiscus regulus

Woodpeckers

Order: Piciformes

Piciformes

Nine families of largely arboreal birds make up the order Piciformes, the best-known of them being the Picidae, which includes the woodpeckers and close relatives...

Family: Picidae

Picidae

The woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks are a family, Picidae, of near-passerine birds. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia and New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions...

Woodpeckers are small to medium sized birds with chisel like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects. Some species have feet with two toes pointing forward, and two backward, while several species have only three toes. Many woodpeckers have the habit of tapping noisily on tree trunks with their beaks. There are 218 species worldwide and 8 species which occur in Malawi.

• Bennett's Woodpecker
  Bennett's Woodpecker
  The Bennett's Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded...
  
   Campethera bennettii
• Reichenow's Woodpecker
  Reichenow's Woodpecker
  The Speckle-throated Woodpecker , also known as Reichenow's Woodpecker, is an East African woodpecker often considered a subspecies of Bennett's Woodpecker.-Description:...
  
   Campethera scriptoricauda
• Golden-tailed Woodpecker
  Golden-tailed Woodpecker
  The Golden-tailed Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Canada, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mali,...
  
   Campethera abingoni
• Green-backed Woodpecker
  Green-backed Woodpecker
  The Green-backed Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan,...
  
   Campethera cailliautii
• Cardinal Woodpecker
  Cardinal Woodpecker
  The Cardinal Woodpecker, Dendropicos fuscescens, is a widespread and common resident breeder in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is a species found in a wide range of habitats from dense forest to thornbush...
  
   Dendropicos fuscescens
• Stierling's Woodpecker
  Stierling's Woodpecker
  The Stierling's Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests in the Eastern Miombo woodlands ecoregion....
  
   Dendropicos stierlingi
• Bearded Woodpecker
  Bearded Woodpecker
  The Bearded Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and...
  
   Dendropicos namaquus
• Olive Woodpecker
  Olive Woodpecker
  The Olive Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27...
  
   Dendropicos griseocephalus

Broadbills

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Eurylaimidae

The broadbills are small, brightly coloured birds that feed on fruit and also take insects in flycatcher fashion, snapping their broad bills. Their habitat is canopies of wet forests. There are 15 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Malawi.

• African Broadbill
  African Broadbill
  The African Broadbill, Smithornis capensis, is a species of bird in the Eurylaimidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria,...
  
   Smithornis capensis

Pittas

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Pittidae

Pittas are medium-sized by passerine standards, and stocky, with fairly long, strong legs, short tails and stout bills. Many, but not all, are brightly coloured. They are spend the majority of their time on wet forest floors, eating snails, insects and similar invertebrate prey which they find there. There are 32 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Malawi.

• African Pitta
  African Pitta
  The African Pitta, Pitta angolensis, is a species of bird in the Pittidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique,...
  
   Pitta angolensis

Larks

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds. There are 91 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Malawi.

• Rufous-naped Lark
  Rufous-naped Lark
  The Rufous-naped Lark is a species of lark in the Alaudidae family.- Range :The Rufous-naped lark's range is very large, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 5,600,000 square km...
  
   Mirafra africana
• Flappet Lark
  Flappet Lark
  The Flappet Lark is a species of lark in the Alaudidae family.- Range and population :Mirafra rufocinnamomea has a large range covering much of the African continent with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 10,000,000 square km...
  
   Mirafra rufocinnamomea
• Dusky Lark
  Dusky Lark
  The Dusky Lark is a species of lark in the Alaudidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Pinarocorys nigricans (A)
• Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark
  Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark
  The Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark, Eremopterix leucotis, is a passerine bird which is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.This lark is a bird of open dry habitats. It nests on the ground and lays one egg. The food is insects and seeds....
  
   Eremopterix leucotis
• Fischer's Sparrow-Lark
  Fischer's Sparrow-lark
  The Fischer's sparrow-lark is a species of passerine bird in the Alaudidae family.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia....
  
   Eremopterix leucopareia
• Red-capped Lark
  Red-capped Lark
  The Red-capped Lark, Calandrella cinerea, is a small passerine bird. This lark breeds in the highlands of eastern Africa southwards from Ethiopia and northern Somalia. In the south, its range stretches across the continent to Angola and south to the Cape in South Africa.This is a species of short...
  
   Calandrella cinerea

Swallows and martins

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Hirundinidae

The Hirundinidae family is a group of passerines characterized by their adaptation to aerial feeding. Their adaptations include a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and short bills with wide gape. The feet are designed for perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base. There are 75 species worldwide and 21 species which occur in Malawi.

• Bank Swallow Riparia riparia
• Plain Martin Riparia paludicola
• Banded Martin
  Banded Martin
  The Banded Martin or Banded Sand Martin, Riparia cincta, is a small passerine bird in the swallow family.The Banded Martin is found in open habitats such as farmland, grassland and savannah, usually near water...
  
   Riparia cincta
• Mascarene Martin
  Mascarene Martin
  The Mascarene Martin is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Comoros, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, Seychelles, and Tanzania.-References:...
  
   Phedina borbonica
• Gray-rumped Swallow Pseudhirundo griseopyga
• Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula
• Barn Swallow
  Barn Swallow
  The Barn Swallow is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas...
  
   Hirundo rustica
• Angola Swallow
  Angola Swallow
  The Angola Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.-References:...
  
   Hirundo angolensis
• White-throated Swallow
  White-throated Swallow
  The White-throated Swallow is a small bird in the swallow family. It is a common species, found in southern Africa, which has benefited from the increased nesting opportunities presented by the construction of bridges and dams....
  
   Hirundo albigularis
• Wire-tailed Swallow
  Wire-tailed Swallow
  The Wire-tailed Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. Swallows are somewhat similar in habits and appearance to other aerial insectivores, such as the related martins and the unrelated swifts ....
  
   Hirundo smithii
• Blue Swallow
  Blue Swallow
  Blue Swallow is a 2005 South Korean film based on the true story of Park Kyung-won, an early Korean female pilot. The film became controversial when Park's alleged pro-Japanese activities came to light...
  
   Hirundo atrocaerulea
• Pearl-breasted Swallow
  Pearl-breasted Swallow
  The Pearl-breasted Swallow is a small swallow. It breeds in southern Africa from Angola, southern Zaire and Tanzania southwards. It is partially migratory with many birds from the south west of South Africa wintering further north....
  
   Hirundo dimidiata
• Greater Striped-Swallow Cecropis cucullata (A)
• Lesser Striped-Swallow Cecropis abyssinica
• Rufous-chested Swallow
  Rufous-chested Swallow
  The Rufous-chested Swallow , also known as the Red-breasted Swallow, is a large swallow. It breeds in equatorial Africa, although most common in the east. It is partially migratory, following the rains beyond the breeding range in the wet season.This is a bird of dry open country...
  
   Cecropis semirufa
• Mosque Swallow
  Mosque Swallow
  The Mosque Swallow is a large swallow. It is a resident breeder in much of sub-Saharan Africa, although most common in the west. It does not migrate, but will follow the rains to some extent....
  
   Cecropis senegalensis
• Red-rumped Swallow
  Red-rumped Swallow
  The Red-rumped Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in open hilly country of temperate southern Europe and Asia from Portugal and Spain to Japan, India and tropical Africa. The Indian and African birds are resident, but European and other Asian birds are migratory...
  
   Cecropis daurica
• South African Swallow
  South African Swallow
  The South African Cliff Swallow , also known as the South African Swallow, is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family...
  
   Petrochelidon spilodera (A)
• Common House-Martin Delichon urbica
• White-headed Sawwing
  White-headed Sawwing
  The White-headed Saw-wing , also known as the White-headed Rough-winged Swallow is a species of bird in the Hirundinidae family....
  
   Psalidoprocne albiceps
• Blue Sawwing Psalidoprocne pristoptera

Wagtails and pipits

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Motacillidae

Motacillidae

The Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. There are around 65 species in 6 genera and they include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. The longclaws are entirely restricted to the Afrotropics, and the wagtails are predominately found in Europe, Africa and...

The Motacillidae are a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They include the wagtails, longclaws and pipits. They are slender, ground feeding insectivores of open country. There are 54 species worldwide and 14 species which occur in Malawi.

• African Pied Wagtail
  African Pied Wagtail
  The African Pied Wagtail is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.-Habitat and distribution:It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Equatorial...
  
   Motacilla aguimp
• Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
• Gray Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
• Mountain Wagtail
  Mountain Wagtail
  The Mountain Wagtail , also known as the Long-tailed Wagtail, is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family....
  
   Motacilla clara
• Yellow-throated Longclaw
  Yellow-throated Longclaw
  The Yellow-throated Longclaw is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya,...
  
   Macronyx croceus
• Rosy-throated Longclaw
  Rosy-throated Longclaw
  The Rosy-throated Longclaw, also known as the Rosy-breasted Longclaw, Macronyx ameliae, is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family....
  
   Macronyx ameliae
• Striped Pipit
  Striped Pipit
  The Striped Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Its natural habitat is dry savanna.-References:* BirdLife...
  
   Anthus lineiventris
• Woodland Pipit
  Woodland Pipit
  The Wood Pipit or Woodland Pipit is a small passerine bird belonging to the pipit genus Anthus in the family Motacillidae. It was formerly included in the Long-billed Pipit but is now frequently treated as a separate species...
  
   Anthus nyassae
• Plain-backed Pipit Anthus leucophrys
• Buffy Pipit
  Buffy Pipit
  The Buffy Pipit is a species of bird in the Motacillidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Anthus vaalensis
• African Pipit
  African Pipit
  The African Pipit is a fairly small passerine bird belonging to the pipit genus Anthus in the family Motacillidae. It is also known as the Grassveld Pipit or Grassland Pipit...
  
   Anthus cinnamomeus
• Bush Pipit
  Bush Pipit
  The Bush Pipit or Bushveld Pipit is a species of bird in the pipit and wagtail family Motacillidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and dry...
  
   Anthus caffer
• Tree Pipit
  Tree Pipit
  Tree Pipit, Anthus trivialis, is a small passerine bird which breeds across most of Europe and temperate western and central Asia. It is a long-distance migrant moving in winter to Africa and southern Asia....
  
   Anthus trivialis
• Golden Pipit
  Golden Pipit
  The Golden Pipit is a distinctive pipit of dry country grassland, savanna and shrubland in eastern Africa. It is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, and has occurred as a vagrant to Oman, South Africa and Zimbabwe.The adult male, unlike most pipits, is very easy to...
  
  , Tmetothylacus tenellus (A)

Cuckoo-shrikes

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Campephagidae

The cuckoo-shrikes are small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are predominantly greyish with white and black, although some species are brightly coloured. There are 82 species worldwide and 3 species which occur in Malawi.

• White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike
  White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike
  The White-breasted Cuckooshrike is a species of bird in the Campephagidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mali,...
  
   Coracina pectoralis
• Gray Cuckoo-shrike Coracina caesia
• Black Cuckoo-shrike
  Black Cuckoo-shrike
  The Black Cuckooshrike is a species of bird in the Campephagidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Its natural...
  
   Campephaga flava

Bulbuls

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Pycnonotidae

Bulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Some are colourful with yellow, red or orange vents, cheeks, throat or supercilia, but most are drab, with uniform olive brown to black plumage. Some species have distinct crests. There are 130 species worldwide and 12 species which occur in Malawi.

• Common Bulbul
  Common Bulbul
  The Common Bulbul is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is a ubiquitous resident breeder throughout Africa...
  
   Pycnonotus barbatus
• Shelley's Greenbul
  Shelley's Greenbul
  The Shelley's Greenbul is a species of songbird in the Pycnonotidae family. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.The...
  
   Andropadus masukuensis
• Little Greenbul
  Little Greenbul
  The Little Greenbul is a species of songbird in the Pycnonotidae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya,...
  
   Andropadus virens
• Sombre Greenbul
  Sombre Greenbul
  The Sombre Greenbul, Andropadus importunus, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is a resident breeder in coastal bush, evergreen forest and dry shrub land in eastern Africa from Ethiopia to the Cape in South Africa.-Identification:...
  
   Andropadus importunus
• Eastern Mountain-Greenbul Andropadus nigriceps
• Stripe-cheeked Bulbul Andropadus milanjensis
• Yellow-bellied Greenbul
  Yellow-bellied Greenbul
  The Yellow-bellied Greenbul is a species of songbird in the Pycnonotidae family. It is found in Africa south from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Kenya to South Africa...
  
   Chlorocichla flaviventris
• Cabanis's Greenbul
  Cabanis's Greenbul
  The Cabanis's Greenbul is a species of songbird in the Pycnonotidae family. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia...
  
   Phyllastrephus cabanisi
• Terrestrial Brownbul
  Terrestrial Brownbul
  The Terrestrial Brownbul is a species of songbird in the Pycnonotidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry...
  
   Phyllastrephus terrestris
• Gray-olive Greenbul Phyllastrephus cerviniventris
• Yellow-streaked Bulbul
  Yellow-streaked Bulbul
  The Yellow-streaked Greenbul or Yellow-streaked Bulbul is a species of songbird in the Pycnonotidae family. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe...
  
   Phyllastrephus flavostriatus
• Eastern Nicator
  Eastern Nicator
  The Eastern Nicator is a species of songbird in the Pycnonotidae family.It is found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Nicator gularis

Thrushes

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae

The thrushes

Thrush (bird)

The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...

 are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs. There are about 176 species worldwide and 8 species which occur in Malawi.

• Miombo Rock-Thrush
  Miombo Rock-thrush
  The Miombo Rock Thrush is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Monticola angolensis
• Orange Ground-Thrush
  Orange Ground-thrush
  The Orange Ground-thrush is a species of bird in the Turdidae family.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Zoothera gurneyi
• Spotted Ground-Thrush
  Spotted Ground-thrush
  The Spotted Ground-thrush is a species of bird in the Turdidae family.It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and possibly Mozambique.-Description:...
  
   Zoothera guttata
• Groundscraper Thrush
  Groundscraper Thrush
  The Groundscraper Thrush is a passerine bird of southern and eastern Africa belonging to the thrush family Turdidae. It is the only member of the genus Psophocichla....
  
   Psophocichla litsipsirupa
• Olive Thrush
  Olive Thrush
  The Olive Thrush is, in its range, one of the most common members of the thrush family . It occurs in east African highlands from Eritrea and Ethiopia in north to the Cape of Good Hope in south...
  
   Turdus olivaceus
• Kurrichane Thrush
  Kurrichane Thrush
  The Kurrichane Thrush is a species of bird in the Turdidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Turdus libonyanus
• Cholo Alethe Alethe choloensis
• White-chested Alethe
  White-chested Alethe
  The White-chested Alethe is a species of bird in the Turdidae family. It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
  
   Alethe fuelleborni

Cisticolas and allies

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cisticolidae

Cisticolidae

The Cisticolidae family of small passerine birds is a group of about 110 warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are often included within the Old World warbler family Sylviidae....

The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer southern regions of the Old World. They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub. There are 111 species worldwide and 26 species which occur in Malawi.

• Red-faced Cisticola
  Red-faced Cisticola
  The Red-faced Cisticola is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia,...
  
   Cisticola erythrops
• Singing Cisticola
  Singing Cisticola
  The Singing Cisticola is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family.It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali,...
  
   Cisticola cantans
• Trilling Cisticola
  Trilling Cisticola
  The Trilling Cisticola is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia....
  
   Cisticola woosnami
• Black-lored Cisticola
  Black-lored Cisticola
  The Black-lored Cisticola is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family.It is found in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.-References:...
  
   Cisticola nigriloris
• Rock-loving Cisticola Cisticola aberrans
• Rattling Cisticola
  Rattling Cisticola
  The Rattling Cisticola is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and...
  
   Cisticola chiniana
• Gray Cisticola Cisticola rufilatus
• Wailing Cisticola
  Wailing Cisticola
  The Wailing Cisticola is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. It is found in Angola, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.The northern subspecies C. l...
  
   Cisticola lais
• Churring Cisticola
  Churring Cisticola
  The Churring Cisticola is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family.It is found in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.-References:...
  
   Cisticola njombe
• Winding Cisticola
  Winding Cisticola
  The Winding Cisticola is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. It has a scattered distribution across Africa south of the Sahara.-Taxonomy:...
  
   Cisticola galactotes
• Croaking Cisticola
  Croaking Cisticola
  The Croaking Cisticola, Cisticola natalensis, is an Old World warbler in the genus Cisticola. This genus is sometimes split off with various other southern warbler genera and given family status as the Cisticolidae....
  
   Cisticola natalensis
• Piping Cisticola
  Piping Cisticola
  The Piping Cisticola, Cisticola fulvicapillus, is a small passerine bird. In South Africa it is known as the Neddicky from the Afrikaans name for the species....
  
   Cisticola fulvicapillus
• Siffling Cisticola
  Siffling Cisticola
  The Short-winged Cisticola , also known as the Siffling Cisticola, is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family...
  
   Cisticola brachypterus
• Zitting Cisticola
  Zitting Cisticola
  The Zitting Cisticola or Streaked Fantail Warbler , is widely distributed Old World warbler whose breeding range includes southern Europe, Africa outside the deserts and rainforest, and southern Asia down to northern Australia...
  
   Cisticola juncidis
• Wing-snapping Cisticola
  Wing-snapping Cisticola
  The Wing-snapping Cisticola , also known as Ayres' Cisticola, is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. Its scientific name honours South African ornithologist Thomas Ayres.-Distribution and habitat:...
  
   Cisticola ayresii
• Tawny-flanked Prinia
  Tawny-flanked Prinia
  The Tawny-flanked Prinia is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Prinia in the family Cisticolidae, a family of Old World warblers. It is widespread and common in most parts of Africa south of the Sahara. The Plain Prinia The Tawny-flanked Prinia (Prinia subflava) is a small passerine...
  
   Prinia subflava
• Red-winged Prinia Prinia erythroptera
• Bar-throated Apalis
  Bar-throated Apalis
  The Bar-throated Apalis is a small African passerine bird belonging to the genus Apalis of the family Cisticolidae.It inhabits forest and scrub in Southern and East Africa from southern and eastern parts of South Africa north as far as the Chyulu Hills in Kenya...
  
   Apalis thoracica
• White-winged Apalis
  White-winged Apalis
  The White-winged Apalis is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family.It is found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania....
  
   Apalis chariessa
• Yellow-breasted Apalis
  Yellow-breasted Apalis
  The Yellow-breasted Apalis is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,...
  
   Apalis flavida
• Rudd's Apalis
  Rudd's Apalis
  The Rudd's Apalis is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family.It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, and South Africa.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland....
  
   Apalis ruddi (Ex?)
• Chapin's Apalis
  Chapin's Apalis
  The Chapin's Apalis is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family. It is found in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
  
   Apalis chapini
• Black-headed Apalis
  Black-headed Apalis
  The Black-headed Apalis is a species of bird in the Cisticolidae family.It is found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Apalis melanocephala
• Brown-headed Apalis
  Brown-headed Apalis
  The Brown-headed Apalis is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Apalis in the family Cisticolidae. It is sometimes included within the Grey Apalis but is now commonly considered to be a separate species. It has two subspecies: A. a. alticola and A. a. dowsettiIt is 12-13 cm long with a...
  
   Apalis alticola
• Green-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brachyura
• Miombo Camaroptera Calamonastes undosus

Old World warblers

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae

Sylviidae

Sylviidae is a family of passerine birds that was part of an assemblage known as the Old World warblers. The family was formerly a wastebin taxon with over 400 species of bird in over 70 genera. The family was poorly defined with many characteristics shared with other families...

The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. The Sylviidae mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia and, to a lesser extent Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs. There are 291 species worldwide and 32 species which occur in Malawi.

• African Bush-Warbler
  African Bush-warbler
  The African Bush-warbler or Little Rush-Warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family....
  
   Bradypterus baboecala
• Cameroon Scrub-Warbler
  Cameroon Scrub-warbler
  The Cameroon Scrub-Warbler is a grass warbler species in the family Locustellidae. It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. The Evergreen Forest Warbler The Cameroon Scrub-Warbler (Bradypterus lopezi) is a grass warbler species in the family Locustellidae. It was formerly...
  
   Bradypterus lopezi
• Cinnamon Bracken-Warbler
  Cinnamon Bracken-warbler
  The Cinnamon Bracken-warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and...
  
   Bradypterus cinnamomeus
• Moustached Grass-Warbler
  Moustached Grass-warbler
  The Moustached Grass-Warbler is a species of African Warbler, formerly placed in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea,...
  
   Melocichla mentalis
• Eurasian River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis
• Sedge Warbler
  Sedge Warbler
  The Sedge Warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It is a medium-sized warbler with a brown, streaked back and wings and a distinct pale supercilium. Sedge Warblers are migratory, crossing the Sahara to get from their European and Asian breeding grounds to spend winter in Africa...
  
   Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
• Eurasian Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
• African Reed-Warbler
  African Reed-warbler
  The African Reed Warbler or African Marsh Warbler, Acrocephalus baeticatus, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds in much of Africa south of the Sahara...
  
   Acrocephalus baeticatus
• Marsh Warbler
  Marsh Warbler
  The Marsh Warbler, Acrocephalus palustris, is an Old World warbler currently classified in the family Acrocephalidae. It breeds in temperate Europe and western Asia and winters mainly in south east Africa...
  
   Acrocephalus palustris
• Great Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus
• Basra Reed-Warbler
  Basra Reed-warbler
  The Basra Reed Warbler is a "warbler" of the genus Acrocephalus. It is an endemic breeder in East and southern Iraq and Israel in extensive beds of papyrus and reeds. It is easily mistaken for the Great Reed Warbler but is a bit smaller, has whiter under parts and has a narrower, longer and more...
  
   Acrocephalus griseldis
• Lesser Swamp-Warbler
  Lesser Swamp-warbler
  The Lesser Swamp Warbler or Cape Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus gracilirostris, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It is a resident breeder in Africa from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Chad and Ethiopia south to South Africa...
  
   Acrocephalus gracilirostris
• Olive-tree Warbler
  Olive-tree Warbler
  The Olive-tree Warbler is an Old World warbler in the tree warbler genus Hippolais. It breeds in southeast Europe and the near east. It is migratory, wintering in eastern and southern Africa, from Kenya south to South Africa.This small passerine bird is a species found in open-canopy oakwoods,...
  
   Hippolais olivetorum
• Icterine Warbler
  Icterine Warbler
  The Icterine Warbler is an Old World warbler in the tree warbler genus Hippolais . It breeds in mainland Europe except the southwest, where it is replaced by its western counterpart, Melodious Warbler. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa...
  
   Hippolais icterina
• African Yellow Warbler Chloropeta natalensis
• Mountain Yellow Warbler Chloropeta similis
• Yellow-bellied Eremomela
  Yellow-bellied Eremomela
  The Yellow-bellied Eremomela is an Old World warbler. However, the taxonomy of the "African warblers", an assemblage of usually species-poor and apparently rather ancient "odd warblers" from Africa is currently in a state of flux.The Yellow-bellied Eremomela is a common breeding species in Africa...
  
   Eremomela icteropygialis
• Greencap Eremomela
  Greencap Eremomela
  The Greencap Eremomela is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Its...
  
   Eremomela scotops
• Burnt-neck Eremomela
  Burnt-neck Eremomela
  The Burnt-necked Eremomela is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savanna, and subtropical or tropical...
  
   Eremomela usticollis
• Red-capped Crombec
  Red-capped Crombec
  The Red-capped Crombec is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae.It is found in Angola, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Botswana.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry...
  
   Sylvietta ruficapilla
• Red-faced Crombec
  Red-faced Crombec
  The Red-faced Crombec is a species of African warbler, formerly placed in the family Sylviidae.It is found in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Sylvietta whytii
• Cape Crombec
  Cape Crombec
  The Cape Crombec or Long-billed Crombec, Sylvietta rufescens, is an African warbler.The Cape Crombec breeds in southern Africa from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Tanzania southwards to South Africa....
  
   Sylvietta rufescens
• Yellow-throated Wood-Warbler Phylloscopus ruficapillus
• Willow Warbler
  Willow Warbler
  The Willow Warbler is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia, from Ireland east to the Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia...
  
   Phylloscopus trochilus
• Yellow-bellied Hyliota
  Yellow-bellied Hyliota
  The Yellow-Bellied Hyliota is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya,...
  
   Hyliota flavigaster
• Southern Hyliota
  Southern Hyliota
  The Southern Hyliota is a species of Old World warbler in the Sylviidae family.It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Hyliota australis
• Fan-tailed Grassbird
  Fan-tailed Grassbird
  The Fan-tailed Grassbird or Broad-tailed Warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family....
  
   Schoenicola brevirostris
• Blackcap
  Blackcap
  The Blackcap is a common and widespread sylviid warbler which breeds throughout temperate Europe, western Asia and northwestern Africa, and winters from northwestern Europe south to tropical Africa...
  
   Sylvia atricapilla
• Garden Warbler
  Garden Warbler
  The Garden Warbler, Sylvia borin, is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe into western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in central and southern Africa...
  
   Sylvia borin
• Greater Whitethroat Sylvia communis
• Barred Warbler
  Barred Warbler
  The Barred Warbler is a typical warbler which breeds across temperate regions of central and eastern Europe and western and central Asia. This passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical eastern Africa....
  
   Sylvia nisoria (A)
• Brown Warbler
  Brown Warbler
  The Brown Parisoma or Brown Warbler is a typical warbler found in Africa....
  
   Parisoma lugens

Old World flycatchers and chats

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers and chats are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small insectivores. The appearance of these birds is very varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls. There 274 species worldwide and 30 species which occur in Malawi.

• Pale Flycatcher
  Pale Flycatcher
  The Pale Flycatcher is a bird species of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae, found in Africa.- Range :It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea,...
  
   Bradornis pallidus
• White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher Melaenornis fischeri
• Southern Black-Flycatcher Melaenornis pammelaina
• Spotted Flycatcher
  Spotted Flycatcher
  The Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata, is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It breeds in most of Europe and western Asia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa and south western Asia. It is declining in parts of its range....
  
   Muscicapa striata
• Boehm's Flycatcher
  Boehm's Flycatcher
  The Boehm's Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.-References:...
  
   Muscicapa boehmi
• African Dusky Flycatcher
  African Dusky Flycatcher
  The African Dusky Flycatcher or Dusky Alseonax, Muscicapa adusta, is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. It is a resident breeder in Africa from Nigeria, the Central African Republic, Sudan and Ethiopia south to South Africa...
  
   Muscicapa adusta
• Ashy Flycatcher
  Ashy Flycatcher
  The Ashy Flycatcher or Ashy Alseonax is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea,...
  
   Muscicapa caerulescens
• Gray Tit-Flycatcher Myioparus plumbeus
• Collared Flycatcher
  Collared Flycatcher
  The Collared Flycatcher, Ficedula albicollis, is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family, one of the four species of Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers. It breeds in southeast Europe and southwest Asia and is migratory, wintering in sub Sahara Africa...
  
   Ficedula albicollis
• White-starred Robin
  White-starred Robin
  The White-starred Robin is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher and chat family Muscicapidae. It is also sometimes more simply called the Starred Robin. It is monotypic within the genus Pogonocichla. There are around twelve subspecies. The species is found in East and Southern Africa...
  
   Pogonocichla stellata
• Sharpe's Akalat
  Sharpe's Akalat
  The Sharpe's Akalat is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.Its natural habitats are boreal forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
  
   Sheppardia sharpei
• East Coast Akalat
  East Coast Akalat
  The East Coast Akalat or Gunning's Robin is a small passerine bird which can be found in the east of Africa from Kenya to Mozambique, and is named after J. W. B...
  
   Sheppardia gunningi
• Thrush Nightingale
  Thrush Nightingale
  The Thrush Nightingale, Luscinia luscinia , is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
  
   Luscinia luscinia
• Olive-flanked Robin-Chat
  Olive-flanked Robin-chat
  The Olive-flanked Ground Robin , also known as the Olive-flanked Robin-chat, is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family. It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
  
   Cossypha anomala
• Cape Robin-Chat
  Cape Robin-Chat
  The Cape Robin-Chat, Cossypha caffra, is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.It is a mainly resident breeder in southern and eastern Africa from Kenya south to Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland...
  
   Cossypha caffra
• White-browed Robin-Chat
  White-browed Robin-chat
  The White-browed Robin-chat is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South...
  
   Cossypha heuglini
• Red-capped Robin-Chat
  Red-capped Robin-chat
  The Red-capped Robin-chat is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South...
  
   Cossypha natalensis
• Collared Palm-Thrush
  Collared Palm-thrush
  The Collared Palm-thrush is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Cichladusa arquata
• Bearded Scrub-Robin
  Bearded Scrub-robin
  The Bearded Scrub-robin is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Cercotrichas quadrivirgata
• Miombo Scrub-Robin
  Miombo Scrub-robin
  The Miombo Scrub-robin , formerly Cercotrichas barbata, is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia....
  
   Cercotrichas barbata
• Red-backed Scrub-Robin
  Red-backed Scrub-robin
  The White-browed Scrub Robin , also known as the Red-backed Scrub-robin, is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family...
  
   Cercotrichas leucophrys
• Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas galactotes (A)
• Whinchat
  Whinchat
  The Whinchat Saxicola rubetra is a small migratory passerine bird breeding in Europe and western Asia and wintering in Africa.Its scientific name means "small rock-dweller", in reference to its habitat...
  
   Saxicola rubetra
• African Stonechat
  African Stonechat
  The African Stonechat is a species of the Old World flycatcher family , inhabiting sub-Saharan Africa and adjacent regions. Like the other chats, it was long assigned to the thrush family , to which the chats are convergent...
  
   Saxicola torquata
• Northern Wheatear
  Northern Wheatear
  The Northern Wheatear or Wheatear is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
  
   Oenanthe oenanthe
• Capped Wheatear
  Capped Wheatear
  The Capped Wheatear, Oenanthe pileata, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae....
  
   Oenanthe pileata
• Familiar Chat
  Familiar Chat
  The Familiar Chat, Cercomela familiaris, is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is a common resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara in rocky and mountainous habitat and around human habitation.-Description:...
  
   Cercomela familiaris
• White-headed Black-Chat
  White-headed Black-chat
  Arnot's Chat, also called the White-headed Black-chat, is a species of bird in the chat and flycatcher family Muscicapidae.The species is found in southern Africa from Tanzania and Angola to South Africa.-Taxonomy:...
  
   Myrmecocichla arnotti
• Mocking Cliff-Chat
  Mocking Cliff-chat
  The Mocking Cliff Chat is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania,...
  
   Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
• Boulder Chat
  Boulder Chat
  The Boulder Chat is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Pinarornis. It is found in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, where its natural habitat is dry savanna....
  
   Pinarornis plumosus

Wattle-eyes

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Platysteiridae

The wattle-eyes or puffback flycatchers are small stout passerine birds of the African tropics. They get their name from the brightly coloured fleshy eye decorations found in most species in this group. There are 31 species worldwide and 7 species which occur in Malawi.

• Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher
  Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher
  The Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher , also known as the Black-and-white Flycatcher or Vanga Flycatcher, is a species of passerine bird found in Africa...
  
   Bias musicus
• Black-throated Wattle-eye
  Black-throated Wattle-eye
  The Black-throated Wattle-eye is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
  
   Platysteira peltata
• Short-tailed Batis
  Short-tailed Batis
  The Forest Batis or Short-tailed Batis is a species of bird in the wattle-eye family, Platysteiridae. It is found in tropical moist forests in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. It mainly occurs in montane forest but in south-east Kenya it is found in lowland forest near the coast.The Dark...
  
   Batis mixta
• Cape Batis
  Cape Batis
  The Cape Batis, Batis capensis, is a small passerine bird in the wattle-eye family. It is resident in the highlands of southern and eastern South Africa and Zimbabwe....
  
   Batis capensis
• Woodward's Batis Batis fratrum
• Chinspot Batis
  Chinspot Batis
  The chinspot batis is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and...
  
   Batis molitor
• Pale Batis
  Pale Batis
  The Pale Batis is a species of bird in the Platysteiridae family.It is found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and dry savanna.-References:...
  
   Batis soror

Monarch flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Monarchidae

The monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines, which hunt by flycatching. There are 99 species worldwide and 5 species which occur in Malawi.

• Livingstone's Flycatcher
  Livingstone's Flycatcher
  The Livingstone's Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Erythrocercus livingstonei
• White-tailed Blue-flycatcher
  White-tailed Blue-flycatcher
  The White-tailed Blue-flycatcher is a species of bird in the Stenostiridae family. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia....
  
   Elminia albicauda
• White-tailed Crested-flycatcher
  White-tailed Crested-flycatcher
  The White-tailed Crested-flycatcher is a species of bird in the flycatcher family Stenostiridae. It has a discontinuous distribution in eastern Africa. There are three subspecies, E. a. albonotata of central Kenya, and Uganda through to south west Tanzania; E. a. subvaerulea, which ranges from...
  
   Elminia albonotata
• African Crested-flycatcher
  African Crested-flycatcher
  The African Crested-flycatcher is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry...
  
   Trochocercus cyanomelas
• African Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis

Babblers

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Timaliidae

The babblers or timaliids are somewhat diverse in size and coloration, but are characterised by soft fluffy plumage. There are 270 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Malawi.

• Spot-throat
  Spot-throat
  The Spot-throat is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
  
   Modulatrix stictigula
• Mountain Illadopsis
  Mountain Illadopsis
  The Mountain Illadopsis is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda....
  
   Illadopsis pyrrhoptera
• African Hill Babbler
  African Hill Babbler
  The African Hill Babbler is a species of bird in the Sylviidae family, in the monotypic genus Pseudoalcippe....
  
   Illadopsis abyssinica
• Arrow-marked Babbler
  Arrow-marked Babbler
  The Arrow-marked Babbler is a species of bird in the babbler family Timaliidae.-Distribution and habitat:It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda,...
  
   Turdoides jardineii

Tits

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae

The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills. Some have crests. They are adaptable birds, with a mixed diet including seeds and insects. There are species 59 worldwide and 4 species which occur in Malawi.

• Southern Black-Tit Melaniparus niger
• White-winged Black Tit
  White-winged Black Tit
  The White-winged Black Tit Parus leucomelas, also known as the White-winged Tit, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is found in central Africa, from Angola in the west to Ethiopia in the east....
  
   Melaniparus leucomelas
• Rufous-bellied Tit
  Rufous-bellied Tit
  The Rufous-bellied Tit is a species of bird in the tit family.It is found in Africa from the Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Namibia east to Tanzania and northern Mozambique....
  
   Melaniparus rufiventris
• Miombo Tit
  Miombo Tit
  The Miombo Tit is a species of bird in the Paridae family.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests....
  
   Melaniparus griseiventris

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below. They have thin pointed down-curved bills, which they use to extricate insects from bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which they use to support themselves on vertical trees. There are 6 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Malawi.

• Spotted Creeper
  Spotted Creeper
  The Spotted Creeper is a small passerine bird, which is the only member of the subfamily Salpornithinae of the treecreeper family Certhiidae. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa and northern India in open deciduous forest and mango groves...
  
   Salpornis spilonotus

Penduline tits

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Remizidae

The penduline tits are a group of small passerine birds, related to the true tits. They are insectivores. There are 13 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Malawi.

• African Penduline-Tit
  African Penduline-tit
  The Grey Penduline Tit , also known as the African Penduline-tit, is a species of bird in the Remizidae family. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda,...
  
   Anthoscopus caroli

Sunbirds

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Nectariniidae

The sunbirds and spiderhunters are very small passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed. There are 131 species worldwide and 20 species which occur in Malawi.

• Anchieta's Sunbird
  Anchieta's Sunbird
  The Anchieta's Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia, and is named after José Alberto de Oliveira Anchieta....
  
   Anthreptes anchietae
• Western Violet-backed Sunbird
  Western Violet-backed Sunbird
  The Western Violet-backed Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family. It is the most widely ranging species in the violet-backed sunbird superspecies, ranging throughout a large part of tropical mainland sub-Saharan Africa not inhabited by other members of the superspecies...
  
   Anthreptes longuemarei
• Collared Sunbird
  Collared Sunbird
  The Collared Sunbird, Hedydipna collaris , is a sunbird. The sunbirds are a group of very small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Collared Sunbird is in fact mainly insectivorous.Sunbird flight is fast and...
  
   Hedydipna collaris
• Green-headed Sunbird
  Green-headed Sunbird
  The Green-headed Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,...
  
   Cyanomitra verticalis
• Eastern Olive-Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea
• Mouse-colored Sunbird Cyanomitra veroxii
• Amethyst Sunbird
  Amethyst Sunbird
  The Amethyst Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and...
  
   Chalcomitra amethystina
• Scarlet-chested Sunbird
  Scarlet-chested Sunbird
  The Scarlet-chested Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya,...
  
   Chalcomitra senegalensis
• Bronze Sunbird
  Bronze Sunbird
  The Bronze Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Nectarinia kilimensis
• Red-tufted Sunbird
  Red-tufted Sunbird
  The Red-tufted Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.-References:...
  
   Nectarinia johnstoni
• Malachite Sunbird
  Malachite Sunbird
  The Malachite Sunbird, Nectarinia famosa is a small nectivorous bird found in the southern part of the Southern African region.- Taxonomy :...
  
   Nectarinia famosa
• Miombo Sunbird Cinnyris manoensis
• Montane Double-collared Sunbird
  Montane Double-collared Sunbird
  The Ludwig’s Double-collared Sunbird or Montane Double-collared Sunbird, Cinnyris ludovicensis , is a small passerine bird which breeds in forested mountains above 1800 m in western Angola....
  
   Cinnyris ludovicensis
• Eastern Double-collared Sunbird
  Eastern Double-collared Sunbird
  The Eastern Double-collared Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia.-References:...
  
   Cinnyris mediocris
• Shelley's Sunbird
  Shelley's Sunbird
  The Shelley's Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The species is named after George Ernest Shelley....
  
   Cinnyris shelleyi
• Purple-banded Sunbird
  Purple-banded Sunbird
  The Purple-banded Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family....
  
   Cinnyris bifasciatus
• Oustalet's Sunbird
  Oustalet's Sunbird
  The Oustalet's Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Angola, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 26 July 2007....
  
   Cinnyris oustaleti (A)
• White-breasted Sunbird
  White-breasted Sunbird
  The White-breasted Sunbird , also known as the White-bellied Sunbird, is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family....
  
   Cinnyris talatala
• Variable Sunbird
  Variable Sunbird
  The Variable Sunbird, Cinnyris venustus , is a sunbird. The sunbirds are a group of very small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings...
  
   Cinnyris venustus
• Copper Sunbird
  Copper Sunbird
  The Copper Sunbird is a species of bird in the Nectariniidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,...
  
   Cinnyris cupreus

White-eyes

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Zosteropidae

The white-eyes are small and are mostly of undistinguished appearance, the plumage above being generally either some dull color like greenish olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. As their name suggests many species have a white ring around the eyes. There are 96 species worldwide and 1 species which occurs in Malawi.

• African Yellow White-eye
  African Yellow White-eye
  The African Yellow White-eye is a species of bird in the Zosteropidae family.-Taxonomy:The taxa stenocricotus from Central Africa and kirki from the Comoros, by most authorities considered subspecies of the African Yellow White-eye, are occasionally considered separate species, the Cameroon Green...
  
   Zosterops senegalensis

Old World orioles

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Oriolidae

The Old World Orioles are colourful passerine birds. They are not related to the New World orioles. There are 29 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Malawi.

• Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
• African Golden Oriole
  African Golden Oriole
  The African Golden Oriole is a member of the oriole family of passerine birds which is a resident breeder in Africa south of the Sahara....
  
   Oriolus auratus
• Green-headed Oriole
  Green-headed Oriole
  The Green-headed Oriole is a species of bird in the Oriolidae family. It is found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania....
  
   Oriolus chlorocephalus
• African Black-headed Oriole Oriolus larvatus

Shrikes

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. There are 31 species worldwide and 6 species which occur in Malawi.

• Red-backed Shrike
  Red-backed Shrike
  The Red-backed Shrike is a carnivorous passerine bird and member of the shrike family Laniidae.English common names include 'Wariangle' and 'worrier'.-Description:...
  
   Lanius collurio
• Rufous-tailed Shrike Lanius isabellinus (A)
• Souza's Shrike
  Souza's Shrike
  The Souza's Shrike is a species of bird in the Laniidae family. It was named after J.A. de Souza, a 19th century Portuguese zoologist....
  
   Lanius souzae
• Lesser Gray Shrike Lanius minor
• Common Fiscal
  Common Fiscal
  The Common Fiscal is a member of the shrike family found through most of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is also sometimes named Fiscal Shrike, as well as Jackie Hangman or Butcher Bird due to its habit of impaling its prey on acacia thorns to store the food for later consumption. It is sometimes split...
  
   Lanius collaris
• Magpie Shrike
  Magpie Shrike
  The Magpie Shrike , also known as the African Long-tailed Shrike, is a species of bird in the Laniidae family...
  
   Corvinella melanoleuca (A)

Bushshrikes and allies

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Malaconotidae

Bushshrikes are similar in habits to shrikes, hunting insects and other small prey from a perch on a bush. Although similar in build to the shrikes, these tend to be either colourful species or largely black; some species are quite secretive. There are 46 species worldwide and 12 species which occur in Malawi.

• Brubru
  Brubru
  The Brubru is a member of the bushshrike family found in much of sub-Saharan Africa apart from the western rainforests and southern South Africa. It is the only member of the genus Nilaus.-Distribution and habitat:...
  
   Nilaus afer
• Black-backed Puffback
  Black-backed Puffback
  The Black-backed Puffback is a species of bird in the Malaconotidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Its natural habitats are...
  
   Dryoscopus cubla
• Marsh Tchagra
  Marsh Tchagra
  The Marsh Tchagra is a species of bird in the Malaconotidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra...
  
   Tchagra minuta
• Black-crowned Tchagra
  Black-crowned Tchagra
  The Black-crowned Tchagra is a bushshrike. This family of passerine birds is closely related to the true shrikes in the family Laniidae, and was once included in that group....
  
   Tchagra senegala
• Brown-crowned Tchagra
  Brown-crowned Tchagra
  The Brown-crowned Tchagra is a species of bird in the Malaconotidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique,...
  
   Tchagra australis
• Tropical Boubou
  Tropical Boubou
  The Tropical Boubou or Bell Shrike is a medium-sized passerine bird of sub-Saharan Africa. This very diverse "species" with its numerous subspecies and morphs has since long posed a taxonomic problem, and recent research suggests it is a cryptic species complex that ought to be split into several...
  
   Laniarius aethiopicus
• Fuelleborn's Boubou
  Fuelleborn's Boubou
  The Fuelleborn's Boubou is a species of bird in the Malaconotidae family.It is found in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.The name of this bird commemorates the German physician Friedrich Fülleborn.-References:...
  
   Laniarius fuelleborni
• Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike
  Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike
  The Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike or Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike is a species of bird in the Malaconotidae family....
  
   Telophorus sulfureopectus
• Olive Bushshrike
  Olive Bushshrike
  The Olive Bushshrike is a species of bird in the Malaconotidae family.It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Telophorus olivaceus
• Black-fronted Bushshrike
  Black-fronted Bushshrike
  The Black-fronted Bushshrike is a passerine bird of the bushshrike family, Malaconotidae. It inhabits forests in Southern and Eastern Africa. It forms a superspecies with the Many-coloured Bushshrike and the two are sometimes considered to be a single species.-Description:It is 18-19 centimetres...
  
   Telophorus nigrifrons
• Four-colored Bushshrike Telophorus viridis
• Gray-headed Bushshrike Malaconotus blanchoti

Helmetshrikes

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Prionopidae

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. There are 12 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• White Helmetshrike
  White Helmetshrike
  The White-crested Helmetshrike , also known as the White Helmetshrike, is a species of passerine bird in the helmetshrike family Prionopidae, formerly usually included in the Malaconotidae.-Distribution and habitat:...
  
   Prionops plumatus
• Retz's Helmetshrike
  Retz's Helmetshrike
  The Retz's Helmetshrike is a species of bird in the helmetshrike family Prionopidae, formerly usually included in the Malaconotidae....
  
   Prionops retzii

Drongos

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Dicruridae

The drongos are mostly are black or dark grey in colour, sometimes with metallic tints. They have long forked tails, and some Asian species have elaborate tail decorations. They have short legs and sit very upright whilst perched, like a shrike. They flycatch or take prey from the ground. There are 24 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Square-tailed Drongo
  Square-tailed Drongo
  The Square-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus ludwigii, is a drongo. The drongos are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics. They were previously classed as the family Dicruridae, but that has been much enlarged to include a number of largely Australasian groups, such as the Australasian fantails,...
  
   Dicrurus ludwigii
• Fork-tailed Drongo
  Fork-tailed Drongo
  The Fork-tailed Drongo, Dicrurus adsimilis, also called the Common Drongo, African Drongo or Savanna Drongo, is a drongo, a type of small passerine bird of the Old World tropics. The species was earlier considered to cover Asia, but the Asian species is now called the Black Drongo...
  
   Dicrurus adsimilis

Crows and ravens

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae

Corvidae

Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs and nutcrackers. The common English names used are corvids or the crow family , and there are over 120 species...

The Corvidae family includes crow

Crow

Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...

s, raven

Raven

Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...

s, jay

Jay

The jays are several species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the crow family Corvidae. The names jay and magpie are somewhat interchangeable, and the evolutionary relationships are rather complex...

s, chough

Chough

The Red-billed Chough or Chough , Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is a bird in the crow family; it is one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax...

s, magpie

Magpie

Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family, Corvidae.In Europe, "magpie" is often used by English speakers as a synonym for the European Magpie, as there are no other magpies in Europe outside Iberia...

s, treepie

Treepie

The treepies comprise four closely related genera of long-tailed passerine birds in the family Corvidae...

s, nutcracker

Nutcracker (bird)

The nutcrackers are a genus of two species of passerine bird, in the family Corvidae, related to the jays and crows. One, the Spotted Nutcracker , occurs in Europe and Asia, the other, Clark's Nutcracker , in western North America.The most important food resources for both these species are the...

s, and ground jay

Ground jay

The ground jays or ground choughs belong to a distinct group of the passerine order of birds in the genus Podoces of the crow family Corvidae...

s. Corvids are above average in size for the bird order Passeriformes. Some of the larger species show high levels of learning behavior. There are 120 species worldwide and 2 species which occur in Malawi.

• Pied Crow
  Pied Crow
  The Pied Crow is a widely distributed African bird species in the crow genus.Structurally, the Pied Crow is better thought of as a small crow-sized Raven, especially as it can hybridise with the Somali Crow where their ranges meet in the Horn of Africa...
  
   Corvus albus
• White-necked Raven
  White-necked Raven
  The White-necked Raven, Corvus albicollis, is somewhat smaller than the Common Raven or indeed its nearest relative, the Thick-billed Raven C. crassirostris.-Description:...
  
   Corvus albicollis

Starlings

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct, and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen. There are 125 species worldwide and 11 species which occur in Malawi.

• Wattled Starling
  Wattled Starling
  The Wattled Starling is a nomadic resident in eastern and southern Africa. It is a species of grassland, open woodland and cultivation....
  
   Creatophora cinerea
• Greater Blue-eared Glossy-Starling
  Greater Blue-eared Glossy-starling
  The Greater Blue-eared Glossy-starling or Greater Blue-eared Starling is a bird that breeds from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south through eastern Africa to northeastern South Africa and Angola...
  
   Lamprotornis chalybaeus
• Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-Starling
  Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-starling
  The Lesser Blue-eared Glossy-starling or Lesser Blue-eared Starling is a species of starling in the Sturnidae family....
  
   Lamprotornis chloropterus
• Meves's Glossy-Starling
  Meves's Glossy-starling
  The Meves's Glossy-starling is a species of starling in the Sturnidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:...
  
   Lamprotornis mevesii
• Violet-backed Starling
  Violet-backed Starling
  The Violet-backed Starling , also known as the Plum-coloured Starling or Amethyst Starling, is a relatively small species of starling in the Sturnidae family. This strongly sexually dimorphic species is found widely in woodland of mainland sub-Saharan Africa.-References:* BirdLife International 2004....
  
   Cinnyricinclus leucogaster
• Red-winged Starling
  Red-winged Starling
  The Red-winged Starling, Onychognathus morio, is a bird of the starling family Sturnidae native to eastern Africa from Ethiopia to the Cape in South Africa. It is known in Afrikaans as the Rooivlerkspreeu.-Taxonomy:...
  
   Onychognathus morio
• Slender-billed Starling
  Slender-billed Starling
  The Slender-billed Starling is a species of starling in the Sturnidae family.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.-References:...
  
   Onychognathus tenuirostris
• Waller's Starling
  Waller's Starling
  The Waller's Starling is a species of starling in the Sturnidae family.It is found in Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia....
  
   Onychognathus walleri
• Babbling Starling
  Babbling Starling
  The Babbling Starling is a species of starling in the Sturnidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Neocichla.It is found in Angola, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.-References:...
  
   Neocichla gutturalis
• Red-billed Oxpecker
  Red-billed Oxpecker
  The Red-billed Oxpecker, Buphagus erythrorhynchus, is a passerine bird in the starling and myna family Sturndidae; some ornithologists regard the oxpeckers to be in a family by themselves, the Buphagidae. It is native to the savannah of sub-Saharan Africa, from the Central African Republic east to...
  
   Buphagus erythrorhynchus
• Yellow-billed Oxpecker
  Yellow-billed Oxpecker
  The Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Buphagus africanus, is a passerine bird in the starling and myna family Sturnidae; some ornithologists regard the Oxpeckers to be a separate family, the Buphagidae . It is native to the savannah of sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal east to Sudan...
  
   Buphagus africanus

Weavers and allies

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Ploceidae

The weavers are small passerine birds related to the finch

Finch

The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...

es. They are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills. The males of many species are brightly coloured, usually in red or yellow and black, some species show variation in colour only in the breeding season. There are 116 species worldwide and 26 species which occur in Malawi.

• White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
  White-browed Sparrow-weaver
  The White-browed Sparrow-Weaver is a predominantly brown, sparrow-sized weaver found throughout central and northcentral southern Africa. It is found in...
  
   Plocepasser mahali
• Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weaver
  Chestnut-backed Sparrow-weaver
  The Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, and Zambia.-References:...
  
   Plocepasser rufoscapulatus
• Baglafecht Weaver
  Baglafecht Weaver
  The Baglafecht Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical...
  
   Ploceus baglafecht
• Bertram's Weaver
  Bertram's Weaver
  Bertram's Weaver , sometimes called Bertrand's Weaver, is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. It is named after Bertram Lutley Sclater, a captain in the British army who served in Africa in the late 19th century...
  
   Ploceus bertrandi
• Lesser Masked-Weaver Ploceus intermedius
• Spectacled Weaver
  Spectacled Weaver
  The Spectacled Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found widely in woodland, forest edge and gardens of East, Middle and Southern Africa, but is absent from the most arid regions and dense, primary rainforest...
  
   Ploceus ocularis
• African Golden-Weaver
  African Golden-weaver
  The Eastern Golden Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, and Tanzania.-References:...
  
   Ploceus subaureus
• Holub's Golden-Weaver
  Holub's Golden-weaver
  The Holub's Golden Weaver , previously called the African Golden Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family....
  
   Ploceus xanthops
• Southern Brown-throated Weaver
  Southern Brown-throated Weaver
  The Southern Brown-throated Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:...
  
   Ploceus xanthopterus
• Southern Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus
• Village Weaver
  Village Weaver
  The Village Weaver , also known as the Spotted-backed Weaver or Black-headed Weaver , is a species of bird found in much of sub-Saharan Africa...
  
   Ploceus cucullatus
• Forest Weaver
  Forest Weaver
  The Dark-backed Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda,...
  
   Ploceus bicolor
• Olive-headed Weaver
  Olive-headed Weaver
  The Olive-headed Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
  
   Ploceus olivaceiceps
• Red-headed Weaver
  Red-headed Weaver
  The Red-headed Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Anaplectes....
  
   Anaplectes rubriceps
• Cardinal Quelea
  Cardinal Quelea
  The Cardinal Quelea is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.-Origin:...
  
   Quelea cardinalis
• Red-headed Quelea
  Red-headed Quelea
  The Red-headed Quelea is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana,...
  
   Quelea erythrops
• Red-billed Quelea
  Red-billed Quelea
  The Red-billed Quelea is the world's most abundant wild bird species, with an estimated adult breeding population of 1.5 billion pairs. Some estimates of the overall population have been as large as 10 billion...
  
   Quelea quelea
• Black-winged Bishop Euplectes hordeaceus
• Red Bishop Euplectes orix
• Yellow Bishop
  Yellow Bishop
  The Yellow Bishop or Yellow-rumped Widow is a resident breeding bird species in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.This common weaver...
  
   Euplectes capensis
• Fan-tailed Widowbird
  Fan-tailed Widowbird
  The Fan-tailed Widowbird is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda,...
  
   Euplectes axillaris
• Yellow-shouldered Widowbird
  Yellow-shouldered Widowbird
  The Yellow-mantled Widowbird is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is the type species of the Euplectes genus, originally named from the city of Ouidah in Benin. Nowadays the name Whydah The Yellow-mantled Widowbird (Euplectes macroura) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It...
  
   Euplectes macrourus
• White-winged Widowbird
  White-winged Widowbird
  The White-winged Widowbird is a species of passerine bird in the family Ploceidae native to Africa south of the Sahara. It is highly sexually dimorphic in its breeding season, during which the male's yellow plumage turns dark and he gains more white feathers, contrasting with the female's...
  
   Euplectes albonotatus
• Red-collared Widowbird
  Red-collared Widowbird
  The Red-collared Widowbird is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau,...
  
   Euplectes ardens
• Buff-shouldered Widowbird
  Buff-shouldered Widowbird
  The Montane Widowbird , also known as the Mountain Marsh Widowbird is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is an endemic resident of the eastern afro-mountain grassland . Like all widowbirds the difference between male and female appearance is prominent during breeding season...
  
   Euplectes psammocromius
• Grosbeak Weaver
  Grosbeak Weaver
  The Thick-billed Weaver or Thick-billed Weaver is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Amblyospiza....
  
   Amblyospiza albifrons

Waxbills and allies

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Estrildidae

The estrildid finch

Estrildid finch

The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They can be classified as the family Estrildidae , or as a sub-group within the family Passeridae, which also includes the true sparrows....

es are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia

Australasia

Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...

. They are gregarious and often colonial seed-eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have a wide variation in plumage colours and pattern. There are 141 species worldwide and 21 species which occur in Malawi.

• Orange-winged Pytilia
  Orange-winged Pytilia
  The Orange-winged Pytilia is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 2,300,000 km²....
  
   Pytilia afra
• Green-winged Pytilia
  Green-winged Pytilia
  The Green-winged Pytilia is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of .It is found in most of Africa south of the Sahara...
  
   Pytilia melba
• Green-backed Twinspot
  Green-backed Twinspot
  The Green-backed Twinspot is an estrildid finch found in sub-saharan Africa. This species is evaluated as Least Concern.-Subspecies:The Green-backed Twinspot has four sub-species:* Mandingoa nitidula chubbi...
  
   Mandingoa nitidula
• Red-faced Crimson-wing
  Red-faced Crimson-wing
  The Red-faced Crimson-wing is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 390,000 km²....
  
   Cryptospiza reichenovii
• Lesser Seedcracker
  Lesser Seedcracker
  The Lesser Seedcracker is a common species of estrildid finch found in sub-saharan Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 410,000 km²....
  
   Pyrenestes minor
• Peters's Twinspot
  Peters's Twinspot
  Peters's Twinspot is a common species of bird found in sub-saharan Africa. This species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 2,000,000 km²....
  
   Hypargos niveoguttatus
• Red-billed Firefinch
  Red-billed Firefinch
  The Red-billed Firefinch or Senegal Firefinch is a very small passerine bird. This estrildid finch is a resident breeding bird in almost all parts of sub-Saharan Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km²...
  
   Lagonosticta senegala
• African Firefinch
  African Firefinch
  The African Firefinch , also called the Blue-billed Firefinch due to the color of its bill, is a common species of estrildid finch found in almost all parts of Africa...
  
   Lagonosticta rubricata
• Jameson's Firefinch
  Jameson's Firefinch
  Jameson's Firefinch is a common species of estrildid finch found in Southern Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 2,600,000 km²....
  
   Lagonosticta rhodopareia
• Blue-breasted Cordonbleu Uraeginthus angolensis
• Black-tailed Waxbill
  Black-tailed Waxbill
  The Black-tailed Waxbill Estrilda perreini is a common species of estrildid finch found in wetter land of Southern Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 670,000 km².-Habitat:...
  
   Estrilda perreini
• Yellow-bellied Waxbill Estrilda quartinia
• Crimson-rumped Waxbill
  Crimson-rumped Waxbill
  The Crimson-rumped Waxbill Estrilda rhodopyga also known as Rosy-rumped Waxbill is a common species of estrildid finch found in north-eastern Africa...
  
   Estrilda rhodopyga
• Common Waxbill
  Common Waxbill
  The Common Waxbill , also known as the St Helena Waxbill, is a small passerine bird belonging to the estrildid finch family. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa but has been introduced to many other regions of the world and now has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km²...
  
   Estrilda astrild
• Zebra Waxbill
  Zebra Waxbill
  The Zebra Waxbill or Orange-breasted Waxbill is a small sparrow-like bird with a reddish iris, orange breast, red bill and dark olive-green plumage. The male has a red rump, dark bars on the whitish flank and a scarlet eyebrow stripe...
  
   Sporaeginthus subflavus
• African Quailfinch
  African Quailfinch
  The Black-faced Quail-Finch , also known as the African Quail-Finch, is a common species of estrildid finch found in almost all parts of Africa except at far north of Africa...
  
   Ortygospiza fuscocrissa
• Locustfinch
  Locustfinch
  The Locustfinch, Paludipasser locustella, is a species of estrildid finch found in south-east Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Angola, Tanzania, Malawi , Mozambique , Zimbabwe and Botswana...
  
   Paludipasser locustella
• Bronze Mannikin
  Bronze Mannikin
  The Bronze Mannikin or Bronze Munia Lonchura cucullata is a small passerine bird. This estrildid finch is an abundant resident breeding bird in much of Africa south of the Sahara Desert of dry savanna habitats...
  
   Spermestes cucullatus
• Black-and-white Mannikin
  Black-and-white Mannikin
  The Black-and-white Mannikin or Black-and-white Munia Lonchura bicolor is a species of estrildid finch found in southern and central Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 4,200,000 km²....
  
   Spermestes bicolor
• Magpie Mannikin
  Magpie Mannikin
  The Magpie Mannikin or Magpie Munia Lonchura fringilloides is a species of estrildid finch found in southern and central Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,400,000 km²....
  
   Spermestes fringilloides
• Cut-throat
  Cut-throat Finch
  The Cut-throat Finch Amadina fasciata is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa and originated in Africa, also known as the Bearded Finch, the Ribbon Finch, the Cut Throat, or the Weaver Finch....
  
   Amadina fasciata

Indigobirds

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Viduidae

The indigobirds are finch-like species which usually have black or indigo predominating in their plumage. All are brood parasites, which lay their eggs in the nests of estrildid finch species. There are 20 species worldwide and 8 species which occur in Malawi.

• Village Indigobird
  Village Indigobird
  The Village Indigobird, Vidua chalybeata, is a small songbird. It is a resident breeding bird in most of Africa south of the Sahara Desert....
  
   Vidua chalybeata
• Variable Indigobird
  Variable Indigobird
  The Dusky Indigobird or Variable Indigobird is a species of bird in the Viduidae family. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and...
  
   Vidua funerea
• Green Indigobird Vidua codringtoni
• Purple Indigobird Vidua purpurascens
• Pin-tailed Whydah
  Pin-tailed Whydah
  The Pin-tailed Whydah, Vidua macroura, is a small songbird. It is a resident breeding bird in most of Africa south of the Sahara Desert.This whydah is found in many open habitats including open woodland, scrub and cultivation....
  
   Vidua macroura
• Eastern Paradise-Whydah Vidua paradisaea
• Broad-tailed Paradise-Whydah
  Broad-tailed Paradise-whydah
  The Broad-tailed Paradise-whydah is a species of bird in the Viduidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
  
   Vidua obtusa
• Parasitic Weaver
  Parasitic Weaver
  The Cuckoo Finch , also known as the Parasitic Weaver or Cuckoo Weaver, is a small passerine bird now placed in the family Viduidae with the indigobirds and whydahs. It occurs in grassland in Africa south of the Sahara. The male is mainly yellow and green while the female is buff with dark streaks...
  
   Anomalospiza imberbis

Buntings

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Emberizidae

Emberizidae

The Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill.In Europe, most species are called buntings. In North America, most of the species in this family are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the sparrows, the...

The emberizids are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill. In Europe, most species are named as buntings. In North America, most of the species in this family are known as Sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns. There are species 275 worldwide and 4 species which occur in Malawi.

• Cinnamon-breasted Bunting
  Cinnamon-breasted Bunting
  The Cinnamon-breasted Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon,...
  
   Emberiza tahapisi
• Vincent's Bunting Emberiza vincenti
• Golden-breasted Bunting
  Golden-breasted Bunting
  The Golden-breasted Bunting, Emberiza flaviventris, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It occurs in dry open woodlands in Africa south of the Sahara, but is absent from the equatorial forest belt.There are three subspecies:...
  
   Emberiza flaviventris
• Cabanis's Bunting
  Cabanis's Bunting
  The Cabanis's Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family.It is found in Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique,...
  
   Emberiza cabanisi

Finches

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae

Finch

Finch

The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...

es are seed-eating passerine birds, that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. All have 12 tail feathers and 9 primaries. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well. There are 137 species worldwide and 9 species which occur in Malawi.

• Oriole Finch
  Oriole Finch
  The Oriole Finch is species of bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It was classified as monotypic in the genus Linurgus, but now it has been found by molecular phylogeny that it belongs to Genus Serinus. It has a black head and yellow body...
  
   Linurgus olivaceus
• Yellow-crowned Canary Serinus flavivertex
• Southern Citril Serinus hyposticutus
• Lemon-breasted Seedeater
  Lemon-breasted Seedeater
  The Lemon-Breasted Seedeater , also known as the Lemon-breasted Canary, is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Serinus citrinipectus
• Yellow-fronted Canary
  Yellow-fronted Canary
  The Yellow-fronted Canary is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is known elsewhere and in aviculture as the Green Singing Finch....
  
   Serinus mozambicus
• Brimstone Canary
  Brimstone Canary
  The Brimstone Canary or Bully Canary, Serinus sulphuratus, is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is a resident breeder in central and southern Africa....
  
   Serinus sulphuratus
• Reichard's Seedeater
  Reichard's Seedeater
  The Reichard's Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Serinus reichardi
• Black-eared Seedeater
  Black-eared Seedeater
  The Black-eared Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
  
   Serinus mennelli
• Yellow-browed Seedeater
  Yellow-browed Seedeater
  The Yellow-Browed Seedeater is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family.It is found in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
  
   Serinus whytii

Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passeridae

Sparrow

Sparrow

The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...

s are small passerine birds. In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed-eaters, and they also consume small insects. There are 35 species worldwide and 4 species which occur in Malawi.

• House Sparrow
  House Sparrow
  The House Sparrow is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. One of about 25 species in the genus Passer, the House Sparrow occurs naturally in most of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and much of Asia...
  
   Passer domesticus (I)
• Gray-headed Sparrow Passer griseus
• Southern Gray-headed Sparrow Passer diffusus
• Yellow-throated Petronia
  Yellow-throated Petronia
  The Yellow-throated Petronia is a species of bird in the sparrow family Passeridae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe...
  
  Petronia superciliaris

External links

• Birds of Malawi Birdlist, multi-lingual website by country with standardized codes for abundance and seasonal presence.