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Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World
Zanzibar Island
This checklist includes all bird species found in Zanzibar Island , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to .
The taxonomic order and nomenclature follows Howard and Moore 4th edition (incl. corrigenda vol.1-2). If you prefer to view the list based on a different authority, click on one of the list available below. Globally threatened species (status in red) were identified by Birdlife International in Birdlife Data Zone (species).
Bird Checklists of the World is part of Avibase and Bird links to the World, which are designed and maintained by Denis Lepage, and hosted by Birds Canada, which is a co-partner of Birdlife International.
© Denis Lepage 2026
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Country or region: Zanzibar Island [map]
Number of species: 361
Number of globally threatened species: 16
Number of introduced species: 7
Last modified: 2025-10-12
See also: http://www.allaboutzanzibar.com/indepth/ecology/02-landecology/id-02-03-birdlist.htm
Number of globally threatened species: 16
Number of introduced species: 7
Last modified: 2025-10-12
See also: http://www.allaboutzanzibar.com/indepth/ecology/02-landecology/id-02-03-birdlist.htm
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| White-faced Whistling Duck | Dendrocygna viduata | |
| Fulvous Whistling Duck | Dendrocygna bicolor | |
| Egyptian Goose | Alopochen aegyptiaca | |
| Garganey | Spatula querquedula | |
| Hottentot Teal | Spatula hottentota | |
| Red-billed Teal | Anas erythrorhyncha | |
| White-backed Duck | Thalassornis leuconotus | |
| African Pygmy Goose | Nettapus auritus | |
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| Helmeted Guineafowl | Numida meleagris | |
| Crested Guineafowl | Guttera pucherani | |
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| Harlequin Quail | Coturnix delegorguei | |
| Blue Quail | Synoicus adansonii | |
| Crested Francolin | Dendroperdix sephaena | Extirpated |
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| Greater Flamingo | Phoenicopterus roseus | |
| Lesser Flamingo | Phoeniconaias minor | Rare/Accidental Near-threatened |
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| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | |
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| Rock Dove | Columba livia | Introduced species |
| Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon | Columba delegorguei | |
| Dusky Turtle Dove | Streptopelia lugens | |
| Red-eyed Dove | Streptopelia semitorquata | |
| Ring-necked Dove | Streptopelia capicola | |
| Laughing Dove | Streptopelia senegalensis | Introduced species |
| African Green Pigeon | Treron calvus | |
| Emerald-spotted Wood Dove | Turtur chalcospilos | |
| Blue-spotted Wood Dove | Turtur afer | |
| Tambourine Dove | Turtur tympanistria | |
| Namaqua Dove | Oena capensis | Introduced species |
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| Red-billed Tropicbird | Phaethon aethereus | Rare/Accidental |
| White-tailed Tropicbird | Phaethon lepturus | |
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| Mozambique Nightjar | Caprimulgus fossii | |
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| Mottled Spinetailed Swift | Telacanthura ussheri | |
| Böhm's Spinetailed Swift | Neafrapus boehmi | |
| African Palm Swift | Cypsiurus parvus | |
| White-rumped Swift | Apus caffer | |
| Horus Swift | Apus horus | |
| Little Swift | Apus affinis | |
| Common Swift | Apus apus | |
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| White-browed Coucal | Centropus superciliosus | |
| Yellowbill | Ceuthmochares aereus | |
| Jacobin Cuckoo | Clamator jacobinus | |
| Levaillant's Cuckoo | Clamator levaillantii | |
| Diederick Cuckoo | Chrysococcyx caprius | |
| Common Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | |
| Madagascar Cuckoo | Cuculus rochii | |
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| African Crake | Crex egregia | |
| Black Crake | Zapornia flavirostra | |
| Purple Swamphen | Porphyrio porphyrio | |
| Allen's Gallinule | Porphyrio alleni | |
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | |
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| Buff-spotted Flufftail | Sarothrura elegans | |
| Red-chested Flufftail | Sarothrura rufa | |
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| Fischer's Turaco | Tauraco fischeri | Near-threatened |
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| White-capped Albatross | Thalassarche cauta | Rare/Accidental |
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| Wedge-tailed Shearwater | Ardenna pacifica | Rare/Accidental |
| Tropical Shearwater | Puffinus bailloni | |
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| Yellow-billed Stork | Mycteria ibis | |
| African Openbill | Anastomus lamelligerus | |
| Woolly-necked Stork | Ciconia episcopus | |
| European White Stork | Ciconia ciconia | |
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| Hamerkop | Scopus umbretta | |
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| Little Bittern | Ixobrychus minutus | |
| Dwarf Bittern | Ixobrychus sturmii | |
| White-backed Night Heron | Gorsachius leuconotus | |
| Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | |
| Striated Heron | Butorides striata | |
| Squacco Heron | Ardeola ralloides | |
| Madagascar Pond Heron | Ardeola idae | Endangered |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | |
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | |
| Black-headed Heron | Ardea melanocephala | |
| Goliath Heron | Ardea goliath | |
| Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | |
| Intermediate Egret | Ardea intermedia | |
| Black Heron | Egretta ardesiaca | |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | |
| Western Reef Egret | Egretta gularis | |
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| African Sacred Ibis | Threskiornis aethiopicus | |
| African Spoonbill | Platalea alba | |
| Hadada Ibis | Bostrychia hagedash | |
| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus | |
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| Lesser Frigatebird | Fregata ariel | Rare/Accidental |
| Great Frigatebird | Fregata minor | Rare/Accidental |
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| Cape Gannet | Morus capensis | Rare/Accidental Endangered |
| Red-footed Booby | Sula sula | Rare/Accidental |
| Masked Booby | Sula dactylatra | |
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| Long-tailed Cormorant | Microcarbo africanus | |
| Great Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | |
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| African Darter | Anhinga rufa | |
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| Water Thick-knee | Burhinus vermiculatus | |
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| Eurasian Oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus | Near-threatened |
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| Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus | |
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| Grey Plover | Pluvialis squatarola | Vulnerable |
| Pacific Golden Plover | Pluvialis fulva | |
| Common Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula | |
| Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius | |
| Three-banded Plover | Charadrius tricollaris | |
| White-fronted Plover | Charadrius marginatus | |
| Lesser Sand Plover | Charadrius mongolus | |
| Greater Sand Plover | Charadrius leschenaultii | |
| Caspian Plover | Charadrius asiaticus | |
| Senegal Lapwing | Vanellus lugubris | |
| African Wattled Lapwing | Vanellus senegallus | |
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| Greater Painted-snipe | Rostratula benghalensis | |
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| African Jacana | Actophilornis africanus | |
| Lesser Jacana | Microparra capensis | |
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| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | |
| Eurasian Curlew | Numenius arquata | Near-threatened |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica | Near-threatened |
| Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa | Near-threatened |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | Near-threatened |
| Ruff | Calidris pugnax | |
| Broad-billed Sandpiper | Calidris falcinellus | Vulnerable |
| Curlew Sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea | Vulnerable |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | |
| Little Stint | Calidris minuta | |
| Great Snipe | Gallinago media | Near-threatened |
| Terek Sandpiper | Xenus cinereus | |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | |
| Green Sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | |
| Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | |
| Common Redshank | Tringa totanus | |
| Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola | |
| Marsh Sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis | |
| Red-necked Phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus | |
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| Common Buttonquail | Turnix sylvaticus | |
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| Crab-plover | Dromas ardeola | |
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| Arctic Skua | Stercorarius parasiticus | |
| Pomarine Skua | Stercorarius pomarinus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Brown Noddy | Anous stolidus | |
| Lesser Noddy | Anous tenuirostris | |
| African Skimmer | Rynchops flavirostris | |
| Black-headed Gull | Chroicocephalus ridibundus | |
| Gray-hooded Gull | Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus | |
| Sooty Gull | Ichthyaetus hemprichii | |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | Larus fuscus | |
| Sooty Tern | Onychoprion fuscatus | |
| Bridled Tern | Onychoprion anaethetus | |
| Little Tern | Sternula albifrons | Rare/Accidental |
| Saunders's Tern | Sternula saundersi | |
| Gull-billed Tern | Gelochelidon nilotica | |
| Caspian Tern | Hydroprogne caspia | |
| Whiskered Tern | Chlidonias hybrida | |
| White-winged Tern | Chlidonias leucopterus | |
| Roseate Tern | Sterna dougallii | |
| Black-naped Tern | Sterna sumatrana | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | |
| White-cheeked Tern | Sterna repressa | |
| Lesser Crested Tern | Thalasseus bengalensis | |
| Sandwich Tern | Thalasseus sandvicensis | |
| Greater Crested Tern | Thalasseus bergii | |
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| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | |
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| Black-winged Kite | Elanus caeruleus | |
| European Honey Buzzard | Pernis apivorus | |
| African Cuckoo Hawk | Aviceda cuculoides | |
| African Harrier Hawk | Polyboroides typus | |
| Palm-nut Vulture | Gypohierax angolensis | |
| Black-chested Snake Eagle | Circaetus pectoralis | |
| Western Banded Snake Eagle | Circaetus cinerascens | |
| White-headed Vulture | Trigonoceps occipitalis | Critically endangered |
| Rüppell's Vulture | Gyps rueppelli | Critically endangered |
| Bat Hawk | Macheiramphus alcinus | |
| Lesser Spotted Eagle | Clanga pomarina | |
| Tawny Eagle | Aquila rapax | Vulnerable |
| Steppe Eagle | Aquila nipalensis | Endangered |
| Booted Eagle | Hieraaetus pennatus | |
| Lizard Buzzard | Kaupifalco monogrammicus | |
| Gabar Goshawk | Micronisus gabar | |
| Western Marsh Harrier | Circus aeruginosus | |
| Madagascar Harrier | Circus macrosceles | Rare/Accidental Endangered |
| Pallid Harrier | Circus macrourus | Near-threatened |
| Montagu's Harrier | Circus pygargus | |
| African Goshawk | Accipiter tachiro | |
| Shikra | Accipiter badius | |
| Little Sparrowhawk | Accipiter minullus | |
| Black Sparrowhawk | Accipiter melanoleucus | |
| African Fish Eagle | Haliaeetus vocifer | |
| Black Kite | Milvus migrans | |
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| Common Barn Owl | Tyto alba | |
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| African Barred Owlet | Glaucidium capense | |
| Pemba Scops Owl | Otus pembaensis | Vulnerable |
| African Wood Owl | Strix woodfordii | |
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| Speckled Mousebird | Colius striatus | Extirpated |
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| Narina's Trogon | Apaloderma narina | |
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| Southern Ground Hornbill | Bucorvus leadbeateri | Vulnerable |
| Crowned Hornbill | Tockus alboterminatus | |
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| Common Hoopoe | Upupa epops | |
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| Green Wood-hoopoe | Phoeniculus purpureus | |
| Common Scimitarbill | Rhinopomastus cyanomelas | |
| Abyssinian Scimitarbill | Rhinopomastus minor | |
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| Lesser Honeyguide | Indicator minor | |
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| Golden-tailed Woodpecker | Campethera abingoni | |
| Green-backed Woodpecker | Campethera cailliautii | |
| Cardinal Woodpecker | Dendropicos fuscescens | |
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| Eastern Green Tinkerbird | Pogoniulus simplex | |
| Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird | Pogoniulus bilineatus | |
| Red-fronted Tinkerbird | Pogoniulus pusillus | |
| Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird | Pogoniulus chrysoconus | |
| White-headed Barbet | Lybius leucocephalus | |
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| White-throated Bee-eater | Merops albicollis | |
| Northern Carmine Bee-eater | Merops nubicus | |
| Olive Bee-eater | Merops superciliosus | |
| Blue-cheeked Bee-eater | Merops persicus | |
| European Bee-eater | Merops apiaster | |
| Swallow-tailed Bee-eater | Merops hirundineus | |
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| Rufous-crowned Roller | Coracias naevius | |
| Lilac-breasted Roller | Coracias caudatus | |
| European Roller | Coracias garrulus | |
| Broad-billed Roller | Eurystomus glaucurus | |
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| African Pygmy Kingfisher | Ispidina picta | |
| African Malachite Kingfisher | Corythornis cristatus | |
| Pied Kingfisher | Ceryle rudis | |
| Grey-headed Kingfisher | Halcyon leucocephala | |
| Striped Kingfisher | Halcyon chelicuti | |
| Mangrove Kingfisher | Halcyon senegaloides | |
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| Lesser Kestrel | Falco naumanni | |
| Grey Kestrel | Falco ardosiaceus | |
| Dickinson's Kestrel | Falco dickinsoni | |
| Red-necked Falcon | Falco chicquera | |
| Amur Falcon | Falco amurensis | |
| Eleonora's Falcon | Falco eleonorae | |
| Sooty Falcon | Falco concolor | Vulnerable |
| Eurasian Hobby | Falco subbuteo | |
| African Hobby | Falco cuvierii | |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | |
| Taita Falcon | Falco fasciinucha | Vulnerable |
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| Grey Parrot | Psittacus erithacus | |
| Brown-headed Parrot | Poicephalus cryptoxanthus | |
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| Fischer's Lovebird | Agapornis fischeri | Near-threatened |
| Yellow-collared Lovebird | Agapornis personatus | Endemic (country/region) |
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| Black Cuckooshrike | Campephaga flava | |
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| Eurasian Golden Oriole | Oriolus oriolus | |
| African Golden Oriole | Oriolus auratus | |
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| Forest Batis | Batis mixta | |
| Chinspot Batis | Batis molitor | |
| East Coast Batis | Batis soror | |
| Black-headed Batis | Batis minor | |
| Black-throated Wattle-eye | Platysteira peltata | |
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| Black-backed Puffback | Dryoscopus cubla | |
| Brown-crowned Tchagra | Tchagra australis | |
| Black-crowned Tchagra | Tchagra senegalus | |
| Fülleborn's Boubou | Laniarius fuelleborni | |
| Lühder's Bush-shrike | Laniarius luehderi | |
| Tropical Boubou | Laniarius aethiopicus | |
| East Coast Boubou | Laniarius sublacteus | |
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| Square-tailed Drongo | Dicrurus ludwigii | |
| Fork-tailed Drongo | Dicrurus adsimilis | |
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| Red-backed Shrike | Lanius collurio | |
| Turkestan Shrike | Lanius phoenicuroides | |
| Isabelline Shrike | Lanius isabellinus | |
| Lesser Grey Shrike | Lanius minor | |
| Northern Fiscal | Lanius humeralis | |
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| Pied Crow | Corvus albus | |
| House Crow | Corvus splendens | Introduced species |
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| Blue-mantled Paradise-flycatcher | Trochocercus cyanomelas | |
| African Paradise-flycatcher | Terpsiphone viridis | |
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| Plain-backed Sunbird | Anthreptes reichenowi | |
| Collared Sunbird | Hedydipna collaris | |
| Amani Sunbird | Hedydipna pallidigaster | Endangered |
| Olive Sunbird | Cyanomitra olivacea | |
| Mouse-coloured Sunbird | Cyanomitra verreauxii | |
| Amethyst Sunbird | Chalcomitra amethystina | |
| Scarlet-chested Sunbird | Chalcomitra senegalensis | |
| Hunter's Sunbird | Chalcomitra hunteri | |
| Purple-banded Sunbird | Cinnyris bifasciatus | |
| Pemba Sunbird | Cinnyris pembae | Endemic (country/region) |
| Variable Sunbird | Cinnyris venustus | |
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| Rufous-tailed Weaver | Histurgops ruficauda | |
| Grosbeak Weaver | Amblyospiza albifrons | |
| Red-headed Quelea | Quelea erythrops | |
| Red-billed Quelea | Quelea quelea | |
| Black-winged Bishop | Euplectes hordeaceus | |
| Southern Red Bishop | Euplectes orix | |
| Fan-tailed Widowbird | Euplectes axillaris | |
| Spectacled Weaver | Ploceus ocularis | |
| Black-necked Weaver | Ploceus nigricollis | |
| African Golden Weaver | Ploceus subaureus | |
| Holub's Weaver | Ploceus xanthops | |
| Golden Palm Weaver | Ploceus bojeri | |
| Village Weaver | Ploceus cucullatus | |
| Black-headed Weaver | Ploceus melanocephalus | |
| Dark-backed Weaver | Ploceus bicolor | |
| Red-headed Weaver | Anaplectes rubriceps | |
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| Red-billed Firefinch | Lagonosticta senegala | |
| Orange-winged Pytilia | Pytilia afra | |
| Green-winged Pytilia | Pytilia melba | |
| Purple Grenadier | Granatina ianthinogaster | |
| Blue-breasted Cordon-bleu | Uraeginthus angolensis | Introduced species |
| Blue-capped Cordon-bleu | Uraeginthus cyanocephalus | |
| Common Waxbill | Estrilda astrild | |
| Green-backed Twinspot | Mandingoa nitidula | |
| Zebra Waxbill | Amandava subflava | |
| Bronze Mannikin | Spermestes cucullata | |
| Black-and-white Mannikin | Spermestes bicolor | |
| Magpie Mannikin | Spermestes fringilloides | |
| Java Sparrow | Lonchura oryzivora | Introduced species Endangered |
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| Pin-tailed Whydah | Vidua macroura | |
| Village Indigobird | Vidua chalybeata | |
| Parasitic Weaver | Anomalospiza imberbis | |
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| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | Introduced species |
| Northern Grey-headed Sparrow | Passer griseus | |
| Southern Grey-headed Sparrow | Passer diffusus | |
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| African Pipit | Anthus cinnamomeus | |
| Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla flava | |
| African Wagtail | Motacilla aguimp | |
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| Yellow-fronted Canary | Crithagra mozambica | |
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| Western Nicator | Nicator chloris | |
| Eastern Nicator | Nicator gularis | |
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| Yellow-bellied Eremomela | Eremomela icteropygialis | |
| Green-capped Eremomela | Eremomela scotops | |
| Bar-throated Apalis | Apalis thoracica | |
| Yellow-breasted Apalis | Apalis flavida | |
| Grey-backed Camaroptera | Camaroptera brachyura | |
| Rattling Cisticola | Cisticola chiniana | |
| Winding Cisticola | Cisticola galactotes | |
| Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis | |
| Tawny-flanked Prinia | Prinia subflava | |
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| River Warbler | Locustella fluviatilis | |
| Little Rush Warbler | Bradypterus baboecala | |
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| Olivaceous Warbler | Iduna pallida | |
| Olive-tree Warbler | Hippolais olivetorum | |
| Common Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus | |
| Lesser Swamp Warbler | Acrocephalus gracilirostris | |
| Great Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus arundinaceus | |
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| Northern House Martin | Delichon urbicum | |
| Lesser Striped Swallow | Cecropis abyssinica | |
| Mosque Swallow | Cecropis senegalensis | |
| Red-rumped Swallow | Cecropis daurica | |
| Wire-tailed Swallow | Hirundo smithii | |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | |
| Ethiopian Swallow | Hirundo aethiopica | |
| Rock Martin | Ptyonoprogne fuligula | |
| Mascarene Martin | Phedina borbonica | |
| Sand Martin | Riparia riparia | |
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| Sombre Greenbul | Andropadus importunus | |
| Little Greenbul | Eurillas virens | |
| Common Bulbul | Pycnonotus barbatus | |
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| Willow Warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus | |
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| African Yellow White-eye | Zosterops senegalensis | Endemic (country/region) |
| Pemba White-eye | Zosterops vaughani | |
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| Brown Thrush Babbler | Illadopsis fulvescens | |
| Pale-breasted Thrush Babbler | Illadopsis rufipennis | |
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| Red-billed Oxpecker | Buphagus erythrorhynchus | |
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| Wattled Starling | Creatophora cinerea | |
| Rüppell's Glossy Starling | Lamprotornis purpuroptera | |
| Lesser Blue-eared Starling | Lamprotornis chloropterus | |
| Greater Blue-eared Starling | Lamprotornis chalybaeus | |
| Amethyst Starling | Cinnyricinclus leucogaster | |
| Black-bellied Starling | Notopholia corusca | |
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| Eastern Bearded Scrub Robin | Cercotrichas quadrivirgata | |
| Miombo Bearded Scrub Robin | Cercotrichas barbata | |
| Spotted Flycatcher | Muscicapa striata | |
| Ashy Flycatcher | Muscicapa caerulescens | |
| Pale Flycatcher | Bradornis pallidus | |
| African Grey Flycatcher | Bradornis microrhynchus | |
| White-browed Robin Chat | Cossypha heuglini | |
| Red-capped Robin Chat | Cossypha natalensis | |
| East Coast Akalat | Sheppardia gunningi | Near-threatened |
| Common Rock Thrush | Monticola saxatilis | |
| Northern Wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | |
| Capped Wheatear | Oenanthe pileata | |
| Pied Wheatear | Oenanthe pleschanka | |
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| Red-tailed Ant Thrush | Neocossyphus rufus | |
References (partial list)
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