Lesotho bird checklist

262 bird species in 69 families have been recorded in Lesotho, according to eBird; about 256 of them are seen regularly, and the rest are rarities, vagrants and escaped or introduced birds. Download the full list as a PDF, or tick birds off on your phone, with counts and notes, even without signal.

Species data: eBird.org, updated 13 Oct 2026 · How these lists are made

The most common birds in Lesotho right now

1White-necked Raven
2Cape Griffon
3Mountain Chat
4Greater Striped Swallow
5Three-banded Plover
6Cape Robin-Chat
7Red-capped Lark
8Cape Bunting
9Karoo Scrub-Robin
10Yellow-tufted Pipit

The top 20, and how they are ranked

Lesotho bird checklist

262 species · loading the checklist tools…

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

White-faced Whistling-Duck
White-backed Duck
Egyptian Goose
South African Shelduck
Spur-winged Goose
Muscovy Duck
Cape Shoveler
African Black Duck
Yellow-billed Duck
Cape Teal
Red-billed Duck
Southern Pochard
Maccoa Duck

Guineafowl

Helmeted Guineafowl

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Red-winged Francolin
Gray-winged Francolin
Common Quail
Swainson's Spurfowl

Pigeons and Doves

Rock Pigeon
Speckled Pigeon
Rameron Pigeon
Red-eyed Dove
Ring-necked Dove
Laughing Dove
Namaqua Dove

Bustards

Blue Bustard
White-quilled Bustard

Cuckoos

Pied Cuckoo
Dideric Cuckoo
Red-chested Cuckoo

Nightjars and Allies

Freckled Nightjar

Swifts

Alpine Swift
Common Swift
African Swift
Little Swift
Horus Swift
White-rumped Swift

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

Corn Crake
Eurasian Moorhen
Red-knobbed Coot

Cranes

Gray Crowned-Crane

Thick-knees

Spotted Thick-knee

Stilts and Avocets

Black-winged Stilt
Pied Avocet

Plovers and Lapwings

Three-banded Plover
Blacksmith Lapwing
Crowned Lapwing
Kittlitz's Plover

Sandpipers and Allies

African Snipe
Common Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Greenshank
Curlew Sandpiper

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Whiskered Tern
White-winged Tern

Grebes

Little Grebe

Storks

Black Stork
White Stork

Anhingas

African Darter

Cormorants and Shags

Reed Cormorant
Great Cormorant

Ibises and Spoonbills

Glossy Ibis
African Sacred Ibis
Southern Bald Ibis
Hadada Ibis
African Spoonbill

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Black-crowned Night Heron
Little Egret
Squacco Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Great Egret
Yellow-billed Egret
Gray Heron
Purple Heron
Black-headed Heron
Goliath Heron

Hamerkop

Hamerkop

Secretarybird

Secretarybird

Osprey

Osprey

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Black-winged Kite
African Harrier-Hawk
Bearded Vulture
Cape Griffon
Long-crested Eagle
Booted Eagle
Verreaux's Eagle
Pale Chanting-Goshawk
African Goshawk
Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk
Black Goshawk
African Marsh Harrier
Black Harrier
Black Kite
African Fish-Eagle
Jackal Buzzard
Common Buzzard

Barn-Owls

African Grass-Owl
Western Barn Owl

Owls

Spotted Eagle-Owl
Cape Eagle-Owl
Verreaux's Eagle-Owl
Marsh Owl

Mousebirds

Speckled Mousebird
Red-faced Mousebird

Hoopoes

Common Hoopoe

Woodhoopoes and Scimitarbills

Green Woodhoopoe

Bee-eaters

White-fronted Bee-eater
European Bee-eater

Kingfishers

Malachite Kingfisher
Giant Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher

Rollers

European Roller

African Barbets

Crested Barbet
Pied Barbet
Black-collared Barbet

Honeyguides

Brown-backed Honeybird
Lesser Honeyguide
Greater Honeyguide

Woodpeckers

Red-throated Wryneck
Cardinal Woodpecker
Ground Woodpecker

Falcons and Caracaras

Lesser Kestrel
Rock Kestrel
Greater Kestrel
Red-footed Falcon
Amur Falcon
Lanner Falcon
Peregrine Falcon

Old World Orioles

African Black-headed Oriole

Wattle-eyes and Batises

Cape Batis
Chinspot Batis

Bushshrikes and Allies

Southern Boubou
Bokmakierie

Drongos

Fork-tailed Drongo

Monarch Flycatchers

African Paradise-Flycatcher

Shrikes

Red-backed Shrike
Lesser Gray Shrike
Southern Fiscal

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

Cape Crow
Pied Crow
White-necked Raven

Rockjumpers

Drakensberg Rockjumper

Fairy Flycatchers

Fairy Flycatcher

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

Gray Tit

Larks

Eastern Long-billed Lark
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark
Rufous-naped Lark
Pink-billed Lark
Large-billed Lark
Red-capped Lark

African Warblers

Long-billed Crombec
Cape Grassbird

Cisticolas and Allies

Yellow-bellied Eremomela
Namaqua Warbler
Green-backed Camaroptera
Karoo Prinia
Drakensberg Prinia
Rock-loving Cisticola
Gray-backed Cisticola
Wailing Cisticola
Levaillant's Cisticola
Piping Cisticola
Zitting Cisticola
Cloud Cisticola
Wing-snapping Cisticola

Reed Warblers and Allies

African Yellow-Warbler

Grassbirds and Allies

Barratt's Warbler

Swallows

Banded Martin
Plain Martin
Bank Swallow
Southern Crag-Martin
Pearl-breasted Swallow
Barn Swallow
White-throated Swallow
Western House-Martin
Greater Striped Swallow
Lesser Striped Swallow
Rufous-chested Swallow
South African Swallow

Bulbuls

Common Bulbul
Black-fronted Bulbul

Leaf Warblers

Willow Warbler

Sylviid Warblers and Allies

Bush Blackcap
Layard's Warbler

White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies

Orange River White-eye
Cape White-eye

Starlings

European Starling
Wattled Starling
Common Myna
Pale-winged Starling
Red-winged Starling
African Pied Starling
Cape Starling

Thrushes and Allies

Kurrichane Thrush
Olive Thrush
Karoo Thrush

Old World Flycatchers

African Dusky Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher
Fiscal Flycatcher
Karoo Scrub-Robin
Cape Robin-Chat
Sentinel Rock-Thrush
Cape Rock-Thrush
African Stonechat
Buff-streaked Chat
Sickle-winged Chat
Karoo Chat
Mocking Cliff-Chat
Southern Anteater-Chat
Mountain Chat
Capped Wheatear
Familiar Chat

Sugarbirds

Gurney's Sugarbird

Sunbirds and Spiderhunters

Amethyst Sunbird
Malachite Sunbird
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
White-bellied Sunbird

Weavers and Allies

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Cape Weaver
Southern Masked-Weaver
Village Weaver
Red-billed Quelea
Southern Red Bishop
Yellow-crowned Bishop
Yellow Bishop
Red-collared Widowbird
Long-tailed Widowbird

Waxbills and Allies

Swee Waxbill
Common Waxbill
Quailfinch
Red-headed Finch
Zebra Waxbill

Whydahs and Indigobirds

Pin-tailed Whydah
Parasitic Weaver

Old World Sparrows

House Sparrow
Great Rufous Sparrow
Cape Sparrow
Southern Gray-headed Sparrow
Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow

Wagtails and Pipits

Cape Wagtail
Mountain Wagtail
African Pied Wagtail
African Pipit
Mountain Pipit
Nicholson's Pipit
Plain-backed Pipit
Buffy Pipit
Yellow-tufted Pipit
Yellow-breasted Pipit
Orange-throated Longclaw

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

Black-throated Canary
Brimstone Canary
Yellow Canary
White-throated Canary
Streaky-headed Seedeater
Drakensberg Siskin
Cape Canary
Black-headed Canary

Old World Buntings

Golden-breasted Bunting
Cape Bunting
Lark-like Bunting
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Most common birds in Lesotho

Ranked by how recently and how widely each was reported to eBird in the 30 days to 2026-10-13, and whether it is one of Lesotho’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.

White-necked RavenCorvus albicollis
Cape GriffonGyps coprotheres
Mountain ChatMyrmecocichla monticola
Greater Striped SwallowCecropis cucullata
Three-banded PloverThinornis tricollaris
Cape Robin-ChatDessonornis caffer
Red-capped LarkCalandrella cinerea
Cape BuntingEmberiza capensis
Karoo Scrub-RobinTychaedon coryphoeus
Yellow-tufted PipitAnthus crenatus
Southern Bald IbisGeronticus calvus
Speckled PigeonColumba guinea
Karoo PriniaPrinia maculosa
Ground WoodpeckerGeocolaptes olivaceus
African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicus
Cape SparrowPasser melanurus
Yellow CanaryCrithagra flaviventris
Gray-winged FrancolinScleroptila afra
Gray TitMelaniparus afer
Mountain PipitAnthus hoeschi

Largest bird families in Lesotho

Among its regular birds.

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites16
Old World Flycatchers15
Cisticolas and Allies12
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl12
Swallows11
Wagtails and Pipits11
Weavers and Allies10
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns10

Reported in the last 30 days

62 species reported to eBird in Lesotho in the 30 days to 2026-10-13. The 40 most recently reported:

Mountain Chat, Karoo Scrub-Robin, Cape Bunting, Cape Griffon, Yellow-tufted Pipit, White-necked Raven, Cape Robin-Chat, Southern Crag-Martin, Greater Striped Swallow, Ground Woodpecker, Karoo Prinia, Gray Tit, Southern Bald Ibis, Gray-winged Francolin, Three-banded Plover, Mountain Pipit, Layard's Warbler, Red-capped Lark, Yellow Canary, Cape Sparrow, Speckled Pigeon, Drakensberg Siskin, Rock Kestrel, Fairy Flycatcher, Sickle-winged Chat, Sentinel Rock-Thrush, Large-billed Lark, African Paradise-Flycatcher, African Sacred Ibis, Swee Waxbill, White-throated Swallow, Olive Thrush, Streaky-headed Seedeater, Black-fronted Bulbul, Cape Wagtail, Cape White-eye, Jackal Buzzard, Malachite Sunbird, Red-winged Starling, Ring-necked Dove, …