List of birds of Gauteng

Typical Gauteng Highveld in winter
Location of Gauteng in South Africa

An alphabetic list of common names of birds occurring in Gauteng, South Africa. Gauteng includes both the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria, and numerous satellite municipalities spreading over a total of some 18 000 square km and an enormous diversity of habitat, and ranging in elevation from 1300 to 1900 metres. Gauteng lies at the junction of three major biomes – grassland to the south, arid savanna to the north-west, and moist savanna to the north-east and east – this location largely accounts for its great diversity of species.

The growing occupation of the area by man since the discovery of gold in the late 1800s has led to inevitable habitat loss and degradation, with the consequent displacement and decline of many species. The establishing of parks and suburban gardens, on the other hand, has created a multitude of niches and this, together with progressively milder highveld winters, has attracted a wealth of bushveld species from north of the Magaliesberg, and from other warmer areas. Tall office blocks and high-rise apartments have provided nesting opportunities for cliff-dwellers, while the collective, man-made forest is regarded as the world's largest.[1] Some arrivals in Johannesburg gardens within recent times have been the hadeda ibis, green wood hoopoe, Cape starling, red-winged starling, grey go-away-bird, African grey hornbill, pin-tailed whydah, African green pigeon and southern boubou.

Southern Africa's bird list numbers more than 900, with some 350 being found in Gauteng. Of the Southern Africa birds, 134 are endemic or near-endemic, while the centre of endemism is in the far west in the Karoo and Namib Desert. More species breed in Southern Africa than in Canada and the continental United States combined.

See also

References

  1. Main, Lynley (31 August 2011). "Celebrate Joburg's trees". City Parks news. Joburg.org.za. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
Abdim's stork 
Acacia pied barbet 
African black duck 
African black swift 
African crake 
African cuckoo 
African darter 
African finfoot 
African firefinch 
African fish eagle 
African grass owl 
African hoopoe 
African marsh harrier 
African reed warbler 
African palm swift 
African paradise flycatcher 
African pied starling 
African pygmy kingfisher 
African rail 
African scops owl 
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