Hawks, Eagles & Kites of South Africa
51 hawks, eagles and kites recorded in South Africa on the eBird network and profiled in the Birbs encyclopedia — the full list, with photos, sounds and ID notes, plus what's near you now.
51 hawks, eagles and kites have been recorded in South Africa on eBird, the global citizen-science database run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and carry a full profile in the Birbs encyclopedia. Every bird below is a member of this group — the family Accipitridae. Start with the well-known species, browse the complete list, then check which are being reported near you right now.
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Hawks, Eagles & Kites of South Africa to know first
African Cuckoo-HawkAviceda cuculoides
African Harrier-HawkPolyboroides typus
African Hawk-EagleAquila spilogaster
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorus
Ayres’s Hawk-EagleHieraaetus ayresii
Bat HawkMacheiramphus alcinus
BateleurTerathopius ecaudatus
Bearded VultureGypaetus barbatus
Black HarrierCircus maurus
Black KiteMilvus migrans
Black-chested Snake EagleCircaetus pectoralis
Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatus
Brown Snake EagleCircaetus cinereus
Cape VultureGyps coprotheres
Common BuzzardButeo buteo
Crested Honey BuzzardPernis ptilorhynchus
Crowned EagleStephanoaetus coronatus
The full list — 51 hawks, eagles and kites of South Africa in our library
- African Cuckoo-Hawk
- African Fish Eagle
- African Goshawk
- African Harrier-Hawk
- African Hawk-Eagle
- African Marsh Harrier
- Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle
- Bat Hawk
- Bateleur
- Bearded Vulture
- Black Harrier
- Black Kite
- Black Sparrowhawk
- Black-chested Snake Eagle
- Black-winged Kite
- Booted Eagle
- Brown Snake Eagle
- Cape Vulture
- Common Buzzard
- Crested Honey Buzzard
- Crowned Eagle
- Dark Chanting Goshawk
- Egyptian Vulture
- European Honey Buzzard
- Forest Buzzard
- Gabar Goshawk
- Hooded Vulture
- Jackal Buzzard
- Lappet-faced Vulture
- Lesser Spotted Eagle
- Little Sparrowhawk
- Lizard Buzzard
- Long-crested Eagle
- Martial Eagle
- Montagu’s Harrier
- Ovambo Sparrowhawk
- Pale Chanting Goshawk
- Pallid Harrier
- Palm-nut Vulture
- Red-necked Buzzard
- Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk
- Rüppell’s Vulture
- Shikra
- Southern Banded Snake Eagle
- Steppe Eagle
- Tawny Eagle
- Verreaux’s Eagle
- Wahlberg’s Eagle
- Western Marsh Harrier
- White-backed Vulture
- White-headed Vulture
Keep exploring
- Birds of South Africa
- Old World Flycatchers & Chats of South Africa (42 species)
- Sandpipers & Allies of South Africa (37 species)
- Petrels & Shearwaters of South Africa (35 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of South Africa (33 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of South Africa (33 species)
- Cisticolas & Allies of South Africa (32 species)
- Larks of South Africa (27 species)
- Weavers of South Africa (25 species)
- Wagtails & Pipits of South Africa (24 species)
- Waxbills & Munias of South Africa (23 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of South Africa (21 species)
- Plovers of South Africa (20 species)
- Swallows & Martins of South Africa (19 species)
- Cuckoos of South Africa (18 species)
Hawks, Eagles & Kites in other regions
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of India (62 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Tanzania (60 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Indonesia (59 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Kenya (59 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Colombia (51 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Thailand (49 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Brazil (47 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Peru (47 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Ecuador (46 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of the United States (42 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Argentina (41 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Costa Rica (39 species)
Species and counts come from the eBird network; "recorded" means reported by birders to eBird. Family grouping follows the IOC World Bird List. Tap any bird for its full profile.
Frequently asked questions
How many hawks, eagles and kites are found in South Africa?
51 hawks, eagles and kites that we profile appear on South Africa's eBird-reported checklist. The full A–Z list is on this page; the real total can shift as eBird records are added.
Are all of these hawks, eagles and kites really found there?
Yes — each one is on South Africa's eBird checklist (reported by birders to the Cornell Lab's eBird), and each of these hawks, eagles and kites belongs to the family group named on this page. We don't rank them by abundance, because that varies by season and locale.
Where can I see hawks, eagles and kites in South Africa right now?
Use Birds Near You for live, location-based reports, or turn on rare-bird alerts to hear when a notable one shows up close to you.