Ornithology in Africa is a fascinating and challenging field, spanning an area of almost one million square miles, and containing an astonishing range of habitats, from deserts to forests, grasslands and wetlands. It is also home to an abundance of elusive, cryptic and difficult to find birds, many of which are protected or rare.
This website aims to provide information on the many aspects of African ornithology for anyone with an interest in this fascinating region, and who wants to get involved in conserving birds and their habitats. It will also help you find the information you need, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced birder.
There are a number of important ornithological journals and websites on this website that contain original research articles on Africa’s diverse range of species and their habitats, many of which are freely available online. You can read them at your leisure and on your computer, tablet or mobile phone – click the link to each journal in the sidebar of this article for more information.
* Ostrich: The leading ornithological journal in Africa is co-published by NISC (Pty) Ltd and Taylor & Francis Online in association with BirdLife South Africa, and contains peer-reviewed, original scientific papers on all aspects of ornithology conducted in this continent and its associated islands and marine habitats. It is published twice a year and open access issues of back issues are freely available from its website, and can be ordered through the publisher’s office.
** Scopus: The journal of East Africa Natural History Society publishes twice a year and is open access, attracting contributions on all aspects of eastern African ornithology. It also provides a forum for discussion of all issues relating to the study of birds in this region, with particular emphasis on conservation. It is an essential reference work, and the full text of all volumes five or more years old is free to download from its website.
*** Malimbus: The biannual journal of the West African Ornithology Society is another excellent resource for bird information in this region, with many articles freely available to download from its website. It also features a range of reviews and news about West African ornithology.
It is a subscription journal and you can purchase a full set of issues through the publisher’s office, but you can also buy individual articles from Amazon. It also has a comprehensive index of its back issues, compiled by Robert J Dowsett.
The FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology is a South African biological research and conservation institute that works to promote, undertake and support ornithological studies in Africa. It is based at the University of Cape Town, and has an extensive programme of research and conservation activities.
The FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology has published over 100 peer-reviewed, original articles describing and investigating a range of African bird species. It has a broad portfolio of avian conservation projects, and is the host organisation for numerous ornithological training courses. It also runs an African ornithological field course in the United Kingdom and a summer school in Nigeria.
