São Tomé and Príncipe bird checklist
156 bird species in 51 families have been recorded in São Tomé and Príncipe, according to eBird; about 141 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 · How these lists are made
The most common birds in São Tomé and Príncipe right now
1Western Cattle-Egret
2Little Swift
3Black Kite
4Common Waxbill
5Barn Swallow
6Western Reef-Heron
7Rock Pigeon
8Gray Parrot
9Lemon Dove
10Malachite Kingfisher
São Tomé and Príncipe bird checklist
156 species · loading the checklist tools…
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
- Swan Goose
- Muscovy Duck
- African Pygmy-Goose
- Mallard
Guineafowl
- Helmeted Guineafowl
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
- Harlequin Quail
- Red-necked Spurfowl
Pigeons and Doves
- Rock Pigeon
- Maroon Pigeon
- Sao Tome Pigeon
- Lemon Dove
- Laughing Dove
- Sao Tome Green-Pigeon
- African Green-Pigeon
Cuckoos
- Great Spotted Cuckoo
- Pied Cuckoo
- Dideric Cuckoo
- African Emerald Cuckoo
Swifts
- Sao Tome Spinetail
- Common Swift
- Pallid Swift
- Little Swift
- African Palm Swift
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
- African Crake
- Lesser Moorhen
- Eurasian Moorhen
- Allen's Gallinule
Thick-knees
- Eurasian Thick-knee
Plovers and Lapwings
- Black-bellied Plover
- European Golden-Plover
- Common Ringed Plover
- Spur-winged Lapwing
- Greater Sand-Plover
- White-fronted Plover
Sandpipers and Allies
- Eurasian Whimbrel
- Bar-tailed Godwit
- Common Sandpiper
- Wood Sandpiper
- Common Greenshank
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Ruff
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Sanderling
- Little Stint
Skuas and Jaegers
- Long-tailed Jaeger
- Parasitic Jaeger
- Pomarine Jaeger
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Sabine's Gull
- Franklin's Gull
- African Skimmer
- Brown Noddy
- Black Noddy
- Sooty Tern
- Bridled Tern
- Black Tern
- Arctic Tern
- Common Tern
- Sandwich Tern
- West African Crested Tern
Tropicbirds
- White-tailed Tropicbird
- Red-billed Tropicbird
Southern Storm-Petrels
- Black-bellied Storm-Petrel
Northern Storm-Petrels
- European Storm-Petrel
- Cape Verde Storm-Petrel
Shearwaters and Petrels
- Cory's Shearwater
- Scopoli's Shearwater
- Sooty Shearwater
Storks
- White Stork
- Yellow-billed Stork
Frigatebirds
- Ascension Frigatebird
Boobies and Gannets
- Red-footed Booby
- Brown Booby
- Masked Booby
Cormorants and Shags
- Reed Cormorant
Ibises and Spoonbills
- Sao Tome Ibis
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Little Bittern
- Little Egret
- Western Reef-Heron
- Little Heron
- Squacco Heron
- Western Cattle-Egret
- Great Egret
- Yellow-billed Egret
- Gray Heron
- Purple Heron
- Black-headed Heron
Osprey
- Osprey
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Bat Hawk
- Black Kite
Barn-Owls
- Western Barn Owl
Owls
- Principe Scops-Owl
- Sao Tome Scops-Owl
Kingfishers
- Malachite Kingfisher
- Blue-breasted Kingfisher
- Pied Kingfisher
Rollers
- European Roller
- Broad-billed Roller
Falcons and Caracaras
- Red-footed Falcon
- Lanner Falcon
- Peregrine Falcon
Old World Parrots
- Red-headed Lovebird
New World and African Parrots
- Gray Parrot
Old World Orioles
- Eurasian Golden Oriole
- Sao Tome Oriole
Drongos
- Velvet-mantled Drongo
Monarch Flycatchers
- Sao Tome Paradise-Flycatcher
Shrikes
- Newton's Fiscal
Cisticolas and Allies
- Sao Tome Prinia
Reed Warblers and Allies
- Sedge Warbler
- Great Reed Warbler
Swallows
- Gray-rumped Swallow
- Bank Swallow
- Barn Swallow
- Western House-Martin
Leaf Warblers
- Willow Warbler
Sylviid Warblers and Allies
- Garden Warbler
- Dohrn's Thrush-Babbler
White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies
- Principe White-eye
- Sao Tome White-eye
- Black-capped Speirops
- Principe Speirops
Starlings
- Chestnut-winged Starling
- Splendid Starling
- Principe Starling
Thrushes and Allies
- Principe Thrush
- Sao Tome Thrush
Old World Flycatchers
- Spotted Flycatcher
- Common Nightingale
- Collared Flycatcher
- Whinchat
Sunbirds and Spiderhunters
- Principe Sunbird
- Newton's Sunbird
- Sao Tome Sunbird
- Olive Sunbird
Weavers and Allies
- Principe Golden-Weaver
- Southern Masked-Weaver
- Village Weaver
- Giant Weaver
- Sao Tome Weaver
- Red-headed Quelea
- Black-winged Bishop
- Golden-backed Bishop
- White-winged Widowbird
Waxbills and Allies
- Bronze Mannikin
- Chestnut-breasted Nigrita
- Common Waxbill
- Southern Cordonbleu
Whydahs and Indigobirds
- Pin-tailed Whydah
Old World Sparrows
- House Sparrow
Wagtails and Pipits
- Sao Tome Short-tail
- Western Yellow Wagtail
- White Wagtail
- Plain-backed Pipit
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
- Yellow-fronted Canary
- Principe Seedeater
- Sao Tome Grosbeak
Most common birds in São Tomé and Príncipe
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 São Tomé and Príncipe’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.
- Western Cattle-EgretArdea ibis
- Little SwiftApus affinis
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Common WaxbillEstrilda astrild
- Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
- Western Reef-HeronEgretta gularis
- Rock PigeonColumba livia
- Gray ParrotPsittacus erithacus
- Lemon DoveAplopelia larvata
- Malachite KingfisherCorythornis cristatus
- Principe Golden-WeaverPloceus princeps
- African Palm SwiftCypsiurus parvus
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Bronze MannikinSpermestes cucullata
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Velvet-mantled DrongoDicrurus modestus
- Splendid StarlingLamprotornis splendidus
- Yellow-fronted CanaryCrithagra mozambica
- Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensis
- Black-capped SpeiropsZosterops lugubris
Largest bird families in São Tomé and Príncipe
Among its regular birds.
- Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns11
- Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers11
- Sandpipers and Allies10
- Weavers and Allies9
- Pigeons and Doves7
- Swifts5
- Waxbills and Allies4
- White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies4
Reported in the last 30 days
84 species reported to eBird in São Tomé and Príncipe in the 30 days to 2026-10-13. The 40 most recently reported:
Lemon Dove, Western Cattle-Egret, Gray Parrot, Little Swift, Principe Golden-Weaver, Black Kite, Common Waxbill, Malachite Kingfisher, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Giant Weaver, Western Reef-Heron, Barn Swallow, Black-capped Speirops, Sao Tome Prinia, Southern Cordonbleu, Southern Masked-Weaver, Newton's Sunbird, African Palm Swift, Bronze Mannikin, Splendid Starling, Rock Pigeon, Yellow-fronted Canary, Sao Tome White-eye, House Sparrow, Sao Tome Paradise-Flycatcher, Common Greenshank, Laughing Dove, Reed Cormorant, Maroon Pigeon, Sao Tome Spinetail, Sao Tome Thrush, Sao Tome Weaver, Sao Tome Green-Pigeon, Eurasian Whimbrel, White-tailed Tropicbird, Sao Tome Pigeon, Village Weaver, Olive Sunbird, Dohrn's Thrush-Babbler, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, …
Get to know some of them
African Palm Swift
House Sparrow
Bronze Mannikin
Common Greenshank
Laughing Dove
Reed Cormorant
Common Sandpiper
Village Weaver
White-tailed Tropicbird
Sanderling
Eurasian Moorhen
Sooty Tern
Common Tern
Bridled Tern
Arctic Tern
Brown Noddy
Black Tern
Sooty Shearwater
Black-bellied Plover