South Sudan is home to over 800 species of birds. The country has several habitats, including grasslands, plateaus, savannas, and wetlands, which provide excellent support for many avifauna.
Some notable species in South Sudan include the African Fish Eagle, the Gray Crowned Crane, and the Marabou Stork.
List of Common Birds Found in South Sudan
Native Birds
- Abyssinian Ground Hornbill
- African Fish Eagle
- African Gray Hornbill
- African Harrier-hawk
- African Jacana
- African Openbill
- African Pied Wagtail
- African Pygmy Kingfisher
- African Sacred Ibis
- African Spoonbill
- African Wattled Lapwing
- Black-headed Heron
- Black-headed Lapwing
- Black Stork
- Black-winged Stilt
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
- Blue-naped Mousebird
- Broad-billed Roller
- Brown-backed Woodpecker
- Brown Parrot
- Brown Snake Eagle
- Buff-crested Bustard
- Cattle Egret
- Collared Pratincole
- Comb Duck
- Common Kestrel
- Common Ostrich
- Copper Sunbird
- Crested Francolin
- Crowned Hornbill
- Denham’s Bustard
- Dusky Turtle Dove
- Eastern Chanting Goshawk
- Egyptian Goose
- European Roller
- Fan-tailed Widowbird
- Fulvous Whistling Duck
- Gabar Goshawk
- Giant Kingfisher
- Glossy Ibis
- Goliath Heron
- Gray Crowned Crane
- Gray-headed Kingfisher
- Gray Heron
- Gray Kestrel
- Greater Painted-Snipe
- Great White Pelican
- Green Wood Hoopoe
- Hadada Ibis
- Hamerkop
- Hildebrandt’s Starling
- Hottentot Teal
- Jackson’s Hornbill
- Kordofan Giraffe
- Kori Bustard
- Lesser Striped Swallow
- Lilac-breasted Roller
- Little Egret
- Lizard Buzzard
- Long-crested Eagle
- Magpie Starling
- Malachite Kingfisher
- Marabou Stork
- Moustached Grass Warbler
- Northern Brown-throated Weaver
- Northern Carmine Bee-eater
- Northern Red Bishop
- Northern Wheatear
- Nubian Woodpecker
- Orange-breasted Waxbill
- Osprey
- Pale Flycatcher
- Pink-backed Pelican
- Pin-tailed Whydah
- Purple Heron
- Purple Swamphen
- Red-billed Firefinch
- Red-eyed Dove
- Red-necked Falcon
- Red-throated Bee-eater
- Red-throated Wryneck
- Rüppell’s Long-tailed Starling
- Rüppell’s Parrot
- Rüppell’s Warbler
- Saddle-billed Stork
- Scarlet-chested Sunbird
- Secretary Bird
- Senegal Thick-knee
- Shelley’s Francolin
- Shikra
- Shining-blue Kingfisher
- Shoebill
- Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
- Slender-tailed Nightjar
- Southern Ground Hornbill
- Southern Red Bishop
- Speckle-fronted Weaver
- Spotted Morning Thrush
- Spur-winged Lapwing
- Sudan Golden Sparrow
- Sudan Rook
- Swamp Boubou
- Tawny Eagle
- Temminck’s Courser
- Temminck’s Horned Lark
- Variable Sunbird
- Vinaceous Dove
- Violet-backed Starling
- Violet Turaco
- Von der Decken’s Hornbill
- Wahlberg’s Eagle
- Western Banded Snake Eagle
- White-bellied Bustard
- White-bellied Canary
- White-bellied Go-away-bird
- White-billed Buffalo Weaver
- White-browed Sparrow Weaver
- White-crested Helmetshrike
- White-faced Scops Owl
- White-headed Buffalo Weaver
- White-headed Lapwing
- White-rumped Seedeater
- Yellow-billed Stork
- Yellow-fronted Canary
Non-native Birds
- Forest Weaver
- House Sparrow
- Hunter’s Sunbird
- Oriole Finch
- Rock Pigeon
- Rüppell’s Weaver
- Striolated Bunting
- Tawny Pipit
While most of South Sudan is yet to be explored, some of the established birding sites in South Sudan include Boma National Park, Nimule National Park, and Bandingilo National Park. The peak birding season in South Sudan typically coincides with the dry season, running from December to March. However, as the region is still prone to political instability, one should be wary before planning a trip.
