Melville Koppies Bird Gall

Birds recorded at Melville Koppies 2006-2026

Koppies Birds List

Observed 2006 to 2026 on Melville Koppies West, Central and East

Common name	Scientific Name	Status
White-breasted Cormorant	Phalacrocorax lucidus	Occasional; flying over
Reed Cormorant	Phalacrocorax africanus	Occasional; flying over
African Darter	Anhinga rufa	Occasional; flying over
African Sacred Ibis	Threskiornis aethiopicus	Frequent; flying over
Hadeda Ibis	Bostrychia hagedash	Abundant
Glossy Ibis	Plegadis falcinellus	Occasional; flying over
Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea	Occasional; flying over
Black-headed Heron	Ardea melanocephala	Frequent; flying over
Purple Heron	Ardea Purpurea	Rare; flying over
Great Egret	Ardea alba	Rare; flying over
Little Egret	Egretta garzetta	Rare; flying over
Yellow-billed Egret	Egretta intermedia	Rare; flying over
Western Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis	Frequent; flying over
Squacco Heron	Ardeola ralloides	Rare; flying over
Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	Rare; flying over
White Stork	Ciconia ciconia	Occasional; flying over; Summer
Abdim’s Stork	Ciconia abdimii	Occasional; flying over; Summer
Hamerkop	Scopus umbretta	Rare
Spur-winged Goose	Plectropterus gambensis	Rare; flying over
Egyptian Goose	Alopochen aegyptiaca	Common; flying over
Yellow-billed Duck	Anas undulata	Occasional; flying over
African Black Duck	Anus sparsa	Occasional
Verreaux’s Eagle	Aquila verreauxii	Occasional; flying over
African Fish Eagle	Icthyophagia vocifer	Rare; flying over
Black-winged Kite	Elanus caeruleus	Occasional
Yellow-billed Kite	Milvus aegypticus	Occasional; flying over; Summer
European Honey Buzzard	Pernis apivorus	Rare
Common Buzzard	Buteo buteo	Occasional; flying over; Summer
Jackal Buzzard	Buteo rufofuscus	Very rare
Black Sparrowhawk	Accipiter melaneoleucus	Common
Ovambo Sparrowhawk	Accipiter ovampensis	Occasional
Little Sparrowhawk	Accipiter minullus	Occasional
African Harrier Hawk	Polyboroides typus	Occasional
Peregrine Falcon	Falco peregrinus	Occasional
Lanner Falcon	Falco biarmicus	Rare
Rock Kestrel	Falco rupicolus	Rare
Helmeted Guineafowl	Numida meleagris	Abundant
Natal Spurfowl	Pternistis natalensis	Rare
Swainson’s Spurfowl	Francolinus swainsonii	Frequent
Orange River Francolin	Scleroptila gutturalis	Rare
Common Buttonquail	Turnix sylvaticus	Rare
Common Quail	Coturnix coturnix	Vagrant
Secretarybird	Sagittarius serpentarius	Vagrant
Spotted Thick-knee	Burhinus capensis	Common
Crowned Lapwing	Vanellus coronatus	Abundant
Blacksmith Lapwing	Vanellus armatus	Occasional; flying over
African Wattled Lapwing	Vanellus senegallus	Common
Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos	Vagrant
Grey-headed Gull	Larus cirrocephalus	Occasional; flying over
Speckled Pigeon	Columba guinea	Common
African Olive Pigeon	Columba arquatrix	Common
Red-eyed Dove	Streptopelia semitorquata	Common
Ring-necked (Cape Turtle) Dove	Streptopelia capicola	Common
Laughing Dove	Spilopelia senegalensis	Abundant
Namaqua Dove	Oena capensis	Rare
Rose-ringed Parakeet	Psittacula kremeri	Common
Grey Go-away-Bird	Crinifer concolor	Abundant
Common Cuckoo	Cuculus canorus	Rare; Summer
African Cuckoo	Cuculus gularis	Vagrant; Summer
Red-chested Cuckoo	Cuculus solitarius	Common; Summer
Black Cuckoo	Cuculus clamosus	Occasional; Summer
Diederik Cuckoo	Chrysococcyx caprius	Abundant; Summer
Klaas’s Cuckoo	Chrysococcyx klaas	Occasional; Summer
Burchell’s Coucal	Centropus burchellii	Occasional
Western Barn Owl	Tylo alba	Occasional
Spotted Eagle Owl	Bubo africanus	Frequent
Fiery-necked Nightjar	Caprimulgus pectoralis	Rare
European Nightjar	Caprimulgus europaeus	Rare; Summer
Common Swift	Apus apus	Rare flying over; Summer
African Black Swift	Apus barbatus	Rare flying over; Summer
White Rumped Swift	Apus caffer	Common flying over; Summer
Horus Swift	Apus horus	Rare flying over; Summer
Little Swift	Apus affinis	Common flying over; Summer
African Palm Swift	Cypsiurus parvus	Abundant flying over
Speckled Mousebird	Colius stratus	Abundant
White-backed Mousebird	Colius colius	Vagrant
Red-faced Mousebird	Urocolius indicus	Abundant
Giant Kingfisher	Megaceryle maxima	Rare
Malachite Kingfisher	Corythornis cristatus	Occasional
Brown-hooded Kingfisher	Halcyon albiventris	Occasional
European Bee-eater	Merops apiaster	Common; Summer
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater	Merops hirundineus	Rare
European Roller	Coriacas garrulus	Vagrant; Summer
Lilac-breasted Roller	Coriacas caudatus	Vagrant
African Grey Hornbill	Lophoceros nasutus	Rare
Southern Red-billed Hornbill	Tockus rufirostris	Rare
Green Woodhoopoe	Phoeniculus purpureus	Common
Common Scimitarbill	Rhinopomastus cyanomelas	Vagrant
African Hoopoe	Upupa africana	Common
Black-collared Barbet	Lybius torquatus	Common
Crested Barbet	Trachyphonus vaillantii	Common
Acacia Pied Barbet	Tricholaema leucomelas	Rare
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird	Pogoniulus chrysoconus	Vagrant
Greater Honeyguide	Indicator indicator	Occasional
Lesser Honeyguide	Indicator minor	Frequent
Brown-backed Honeybird	Prodotiscus regulus	Frequent
Golden-tailed Woodpecker	Campethera abingoni	Occasional
Cardinal Woodpecker	Dendropicus fuscescens	Frequent
Red-throated Wryneck	Jynx ruficollis	Occasional
African Pipit	Anthus cinnamomeus	Rare
Nicholson’s Pipit	Anthus nicholsoni	Occasional
Plain backed Pipit	Anthus leucophrys	Rare
Buffy Pipit	Anthus vaalensis	Vagrant
Striped Pipit	Anthus lineiventris	Occasional
Cape Longclaw	Macronyx capensis	Occasional
Cape Wagtail	Motacilla capensis	Frequent
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	Occasional; Summer
White-throated Swallow	Hirundo albigularis	Common; Summer
Greater Striped Swallow	Cecropis cucullata	Common; Summer
Lesser Striped Swallow	Cecropis abyssinica	Occasional; Summer
South African Cliff Swallow	Petrochelidon spilodera	Vagrant
Large Rock Martin	Ptyonoprogne fuligula	Abundant
Western House Martin	Delichon urbicum	Occasional; Summer
Brown-throated Martin	Riparia paludicola	Rare
Fork-tailed Drongo	Dicrurus adsimilis	Vagrant
Black Cuckooshrike	Campephaga flava	Occasional
Black-headed Oriole	Oriolus larvatus	Occasional
Pied Crow	Corvus albus	Common
Dark-capped Bulbul	Pycnonotus tricolor	Abundant
Karoo Thrush	Turdus smithi	Abundant
Cape Rock Thrush	Monticola rupestris	Rare
Mocking Cliff Chat	Thamnoleae cinnamomeiventris	Vagrant
Familiar Chat	Oenanthe familiaris	Rare
Capped Wheatear	Oenanthe pileata	Rare
African Stone Chat	Saxicola torquata	Occasional
Cape Robin Chat	Dessonornis caffer	Abundant
Long-billed Crombec	Sylvietta rufescens	Rare
Garden Warbler	Sylvia borin	Rare; Summer
Chestnut-vented Warbler	Curruca subcoerulea	Occasional; Winter
Willow Warbler	Phylloscopus trochilis	Frequent; Summer
Common Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus scirpaceus	Occasional; Summer
Marsh Warbler	Acrocephalus palustris	Rare; Summer
Zitting Cisticola	Cisticola juncidis	Frequent
Desert Cisticola	Cisticola aridulus	Frequent
Neddicky	Cisticola fulvicapilla	Common
Wailing Cisticola	Cisticola lais	Occasional
Rattling Cisticola	Cisticola chiniana	Vagrant
Levaillant’s Cisticola	Cisticola tinniens	Occasional
Black-chested Prinia	Prinia flavicans	Frequent
Tawny-flanked Prinia	Prinia subflava	Abundant
Grey-backed Camaroptera	Camaroptera brevicaudata	Occasional
Bar-throated Apalis	Apalis thoracica	Frequent
Cape White-eye	Zosterops pallidus	Abundant
Fiscal Flycatcher	Sigelus silens	Common
Southern Black Flycatcher	Melaenormis pammeliana	Vagrant
Spotted Flycatcher	Muscicapa striata	Occasional; Summer
African Paradise Flycatcher	Tersiphone viridis	Common; Summer
Fairy Flycatcher	Stenostria scita	Frequent; Winter
Chinspot Batis	Batis molitor	Rare
White-crested Helmetshrike	Prionops plumatus	Rare
Brubru	Nilaus afer	Rare
Black-backed Puffback	Dryoscopus cubia	Frequent
Lesser Grey Shrike	Lanius minor	Vagrant; Summer
Southern Fiscal	Lanius collaris	Abundant
Red-backed Shrike	Lanius collurio	Rare; Summer
Crimson-breasted Shrike	Laniarius atrococcineus	Rare
Southern Boubou	Laniarius ferrugineus	Common
Brown-crowned Tchagra	Tchagra australis	Vagrant
Black-crowned Tchagra	Tchagra senegala	Rare
Bokmakierie	Telophorus zeylonus	Occasional
Orange-breasted Bushshrike	Chlorophoneus sulpureopectus	Occasional
Grey-headed Bushshrike	Malaconotus blanchoti	Rare
Cape Starling	Lamprotornis nitens	Abundant
Pied Starling	Lamprotornis bicolor	Occasional
Violet-backed Starling	Cinnyricinclus leucogaster	Rare; Summer
Red-winged Starling	Onychognathus morio	Occasional
Common Myna	Acrodotheres tristis	Common
Malachite Sunbird	Nectarina famosa	Vagrant
White-bellied Sunbird	Cinnyris talatala	Common
Amethyst Sunbird	Chalcomitra amethystina	Common
Cape Sparrow	Passer melanurus	Abundant
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Frequent
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow	Passer diffusus	Frequent
Thick-billed Weaver	Amblyospiza albifrons	Common
Village Weaver	Ploceus cucullatus	Rare
Cape Weaver	Ploceus capensis	Rare
Southern Masked Weaver	Ploceus velatus	Abundant
Red-billed Quelea	Quelea quelea	Occasional
Southern Red Bishop	Euplectes orix	Frequent
Red-collared Widowbird	Euplectes ardens	Rare
Long-tailed Widowbird	Euplectes progne	Vagrant
Pin-tailed Whydah	Vidua macroura	Occasional
Purple Indigobird	Vidua purpurascens	Vagrant
Bronze Mannikin	Spermestes cucullata	Common
Blue Waxbill	Uraeginthus angolensis	Rare
Violet-eared Waxbill	Granatina granatinus	Vagrant
Common Waxbill	Estrilda astrild	Occasional
Quailfinch	Ortygospiza atricollis	Occasional
Jameson’s Firefinch	Lagonosticta rhodopareia	Vagrant
Green-winged Pytilia	Pytilia melba	Vagrant
Streaky-headed Seedeater	Crithagra gularis	Common
Yellow-fronted Canary	Crithagra mozambica	Common
Black-throated Canary	Crithagra atrogularis	Common
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting	Emberiza tahapisi	Common

Total: 194

Bird Abundance Categories

A PDF version of this list is available here

Category	Description	Reporting Rate
Abundant	A species that is very numerous and almost always seen.	Over 50%
Common	A species that is easily found and seen regularly.	20-50%
Frequent (or Fairly Common)	A species seen often but not every visit.	10-20%
Occasional (or Uncommon)	A species seen only sometimes, often requiring specific searching, or flying over.	2-10%
Rare	A species that is rarely seen.	Under 2%
Vagrant	A species that has wandered far outside its normal range. It is unusual and unexpected.	Under 0.5%

Melville Koppies Nature Reserve

Johannesburg, South Africa

Friends of Melville Koppies Phone: 066 571 9539 Send us an email: here

Melville Koppies: Birds