Birds of Southern Africa ─ The Region's Most Comprehensively Illustrated Guide

Birds of Southern Africa continues to be the best and most authoritative guide to the bird species of this remarkable region. This fully revised edition covers all birds found in South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and southern Mozambique. The 213 dazzling color plates depict more than 950 species and are accompanied by more than 950 color maps and detailed facing text.

This edition includes new identification information on behavior and habitat, updated taxonomy, additional artwork, improved raptor and wader plates with flight images for each species, up-to-date distribution maps reflecting resident and migrant species, and calendar bars indicating occurrence throughout the year and breeding months.

• Fully updated and revised


• 213 color plates featuring more than 950 species


• 950+ color maps and over 380 new improved illustrations


• Up-to-date distribution maps show the relative abundance of a species in the region and indicate resident or migrant status


• New identification information on behavior and habitat


• Taxonomy includes relevant species lumps and splits


• Raptor and wader plates with flight images for each species


• Calendar bars indicate occurrence throughout the year and breeding months.

Ian Sinclair has traveled widely to view the world's birds and is the author of many books on bird identification. Phil Hockey is director of the University of Cape Town's Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology. Warwick Tarboton is a well-known bird expert, writer, and photographer, and the author of several books. Peter Ryan is associate professor at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, and president of BirdLife South Africa. He has also authored several books.