Democratic Republic of CONGO - A bird checklist
Tommy Pedersen 2005, revised January 2010
[]WILSON'S STORM-PETREL Oceanites oceanicus oceanicus/exasperatus - Occurs as a rare to uncommon non-breeding visitor to the coast.
[]LITTLE GREBE Tachybaptus ruficollis capensis - Fairly common in all D.R.C.
[]GREAT CRESTED GREBE Podiceps cristatus infuscatus - Rare in small lakes from the Lake Kivu area to s Lake Edward. Also recorded in the Katanga province north of Kamina.
[]CAPE GANNET Sula capensis - Two observations; a ringed South African bird recovered at the Congo River mouth on July 26th 1966, and appx. 40 immatures passing out at sea in November 1973.
[]GREAT CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo lucidus - Common from Lake Tanganyika to Lake Albert. Might occur in the Katanga province. This race is called White-breasted Cormorant.
[]LONG-TAILED CORMORANT Phalacrocorax africanus africanus - Locally common in all D.R.C. Several thousand recorded Lake Upemba in the Katanga province.
[]AFRICAN DARTER Anhinga rufa rufa - Found locally in all D.R.C., not particularly common.
[]GREAT WHITE PELICAN Pelecanus onocrotalus - Common non-breeding resident at Lake Edward. Occurs also in western D.R.C., possibly also in the Katanga province.
[]PINK-BACKED PELICAN Pelecanus rufescens - Fairly common in all D.R.C. Breeds at Lake Edward.
[]GREAT BITTERN Botaurus stellaris stellaris - Very rare winter visitor; one female near Mbandaka October 27th 1957, one Ikolota, Tshuapa district December 23rd 1951. Also recorded northeastern D.R.C.
Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris capensis - Status unclear, might occur in the southern Katanga province, along the border with Zambia.
[]LITTLE BITTERN Ixobrychus minutus minutus - Status unclear, uncommon winter visitor to all of D.R.C. from October - March. 8 skins collected in the Kivu provinces from Kamituga and Butembo.
()Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus payesii - Fairly common resident in all D.R.C.
[]DWARF BITTERN Ixobrychus sturmii - Uncommon resident in all D.R.C., probably absent from the central rainforest. Eleven skins collected from the Equateur province.
[]WHITE-CRESTED TIGER HERON Tigriornis leucolophus - Not well known. Found from Mbandaka and nw Ubangi district east to the Ituri Forest and nw Lake Tanganyika.
[]BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON Nycticorax nycticorax nycticorax - Fairly common resident and winter visitor. Found at the coast, Kasai provinces and in eastern D.R.C.
[]WHITE-BACKED NIGHT HERON Gorsachius leuconotus - Uncommon, from the coast to the nw Equateur province, the Ituri Forest and the Kivu area. Possibly also in Kasai and Katanga.
[]SQUACCO HERON Ardeola ralloides - Locally common resident and non-breeding visitor to all D.R.C.
[]MADAGASCAR POND HERON Ardeola idae - Rare to uncommon visitor to the Kivu and Katanga provinces, mainly from May to November. One record from January.
[]RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON Ardeola rufiventris - Regular in the Katanga province, otherwise rare; one observation from s Lake Edward.
[]CATTLE EGRET Bubulcus ibis ibis - Locally common to very common resident and migrant to all D.R.C. An abundant species in Kinshasa.
[]STRIATED HERON Butorides striata atricapilla - Locally common in all D.R.C.
[]BLACK EGRET Egretta ardesiaca - Regular in the Katanga province and at the coast. Rare in the Kivu area, with six known observations. Might be regular as far north as the Ruzizi Delta.
[]LITTLE EGRET Egretta garzetta garzetta - Common in the east, from the Katanga province north to Lake Edward and the Sudan border. No breeding records.
[]INTERMEDIATE EGRET Egretta intermedia brachyrhyncha - Fairly common, from the Katanga province where it nests, north to Lake Edward and the Sudan border.
[]GREAT WHITE EGRET Egretta alba melanorhyncha - Fairly common all D.R.C., breeding recorded near Kungu, Ubangi and on the Sangasi River (130'S - 17E).
[]PURPLE HERON Ardea purpurea purpurea - Fairly common resident and non-breeding visitor to all D.R.C. Breeding recorded in the Equateur province.
[]GREY HERON Ardea cinerea cinerea - Locally common resident and non-breeding visitor to all D.R.C.
[]BLACK-HEADED HERON Ardea melanocephala - Locally common resident to all D.R.C.
[]GOLIATH HERON Ardea goliath - Locally common all D.R.C.
[]HAMERKOP Scopus umbretta umbretta - Locally common all D.R.C.
[]YELLOW-BILLED STORK Mycteria ibis - Locally common all D.R.C.
[]AFRICAN OPENBILL STORK Anastomus lamelligerus lamelligerus - Fairly common all D.R.C., seasonally abundant from Lake Kivu to Lake Edward. In Equateur seen from August - June.
[]BLACK STORK Ciconia nigra - Vagrant. Known from a female collected at Garamba N.P. on December 30th 1949.
[]ABDIM'S STORK Ciconia abdimii - Common visitor to all D.R.C., from October to December and from February to April. Some observations in May, July and August.
[]WOOLLY-NECKED STORK Ciconia episcopus microscelis - Fairly common but local. Occurs in all D.R.C.
[]EUROPEAN WHITE STORK Ciconia ciconia ciconia - Regular winter visitor to the east, northeast and west D.R.C. Immatures present from May to August in Tshuapa and Equateur.
[]SADDLE-BILLED STORK Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis - Locally common in all D.R.C. outside the forest.
[]MARABOU STORK Leptoptilos crumeniferus - Common in most of D.R.C., less so in the forest. Only one record from the Tshuapa district.
[]SHOEBILL Balaeniceps rex - Nests in the Upemba N.P., also found along the Lufira River in Katanga. Very uncommon visitor to se and s Lake Edward with appx. 10 records (presumably from Uganda).
[]SACRED IBIS Threskiornis aethiopicus aethiopicus - Locally common all D.R.C. outside the forest.
[]GLOSSY IBIS Plegadis falcinellus - Locally common non-breeding resident and winter visitor, from n Lake Tanganyika in the Ruzizi Delta to s Lake Edward.
[]HADADA IBIS Bostrychia hagedash nilotica - Very common outside the rainforest in the east and northeastern D.R.C.; from Lake Kivu to Lake Albert, the Lendu plateau and Garamba N.P.
()Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash brevirostris - Common, also inside the rainforest. Found from the coast to the nw Equateur province, Katanga province and the Ituri Forest.
[]OLIVE IBIS Bostrychia olivacea cupreipennis - Uncommon to very uncommon, from the s Kivu province to the Ituri Forest. One skin collected in Bolobo south of Mbandaka.
[]SPOT-BREASTED IBIS Bostrychia rara - Locally fairly common, from the Mbandaka area to Uele and the Ituri Forest, south to the Kasai province. Breeding confirmed in the Equateur province.
[]EURASIAN SPOONBILL Platalea leucorodia leucorodia / archeri - One record from s Lake Edward in April. Also said to be a rare visitor to the extreme northeast D.R.C.
[]AFRICAN SPOONBILL Platalea alba - Locally common in east D.R.C., from Lake Tanganyika to the Sudan border. Might also occur in the Katanga province and nw Equateur province.
[]GREATER FLAMINGO Phoenicopterus roseus - Very rare with two known obs.; Lulimbi research station, se Lake Edward in 1974 & 1991.
[]LESSER FLAMINGO Phoenicopterus minor - Rare s and se Lake Edward with thousands present in 1974 at Lulimbi with 80 nests found.
[]FULVOUS WHISTLING DUCK Dendrocygna bicolor - Breeds in the Katanga province in Upemba N.P., regular visitor to eastern D.R.C., rare elsewhere. Not seen inside the forest.
Exceptional coastal record; a flock of 40 birds in late april 1959 (2 skins at Tervuren) at Mateba Island, Bas-Congo.
[]WHITE-FACED WHISTLING DUCK Dendrocygna viduata - Fairly common resident from the Katanga province to the Kivu province, straggler elsewhere. Uncommon Gbadolite. No records Tshuapa.
[]WHITE-BACKED DUCK Thalassornis leuconotus leuconotus - Occurs from s Bandundu province to the Katanga province. Breeding recorded in Kasai in 1952. Rare in small lakes around Lake Kivu.
Out of range juveniles were observed in the Mongala district, n Equateur province in 1957 and 1958 (Demey et al. 2000).
[]EGYPTIAN GOOSE Alopochen aegyptiacus - Locally common all D.R.C. outside the rainforest.
[]SPUR-WINGED GOOSE Plectropterus gambensis gambensis - Local and uncommon all D.R.C. outside the rainforest.
[]KNOB-BILLED DUCK Sarkidiornis melanotos melanotos - Fairly common all D.R.C. Non-breeding groups observed from November to March.
[]HARTLAUB'S DUCK Pteronetta hartlaubii - Locally fairly common all D.R.C., ecxept in the Katanga province. Found inside rainforest as well as in gallery forest.
[]AFRICAN PYGMY GOOSE Nettapus auritus - Local resident in all D.R.C., more common in the Katanga and Equateur provinces. Very uncommon in the Kivu province.
[]AFRICAN BLACK DUCK Anas sparsa leucostigma - Uncommon resident from Lake Upemba in Katanga province through the Kivu highlands to nw Lake Albert. Occurence at Gbadolite needs confirmation.
[]YELLOW-BILLED DUCK Anas undulata undulata - Fairly common in the Katanga province, maybe also in Kasai. Very uncommon in eastern D.R.C. north to Lake Albert.
[]GADWALL Anas strepera strepera - Vagrant, one obs. known; one female collected at Boguela in the Mongala district, n Equateur on January 6th 1957.
[]EURASIAN WIGEON Anas penelope - Very rare winter visitor, three undated obs. known from s Lake Edward, near Buta in the northeast and from Garamba N.P.
[]CAPE TEAL Anas capensis - One old observation from the extreme s Katanga province; shot by Mouritz (Ibis 1914:35) . Possibly a mis-identification and in the future might be excluded from this list.
[]COMMON TEAL Anas crecca crecca - Rare winter visitor, three obs. known; Buta February 4th 1935, n Lake Edward December 11th 1935 and Garamba N.P. December 26th 1951.
[]NORTHERN PINTAIL Anas acuta acuta - Uncommon winter visitor, from Lake Edward to the Sudan border. One obs. in January 1946 in the Tshuapa district, and December 1958 in n Equateur province.
[]RED-BILLED DUCK Anas erythrorhyncha - Locally common, from the Katanga province north through the Kivu province to Lake Albert. Should also occur in Kasai.
[]HOTTENTOT TEAL Anas hottentota - Fairly common from the Katanga province north to Lake Edward, possibly north to Garamba N.P.
[]GARGANEY Anas querquedula - Regular winter visitor, locally not uncommon Lake Edward. Could occur anywhere from the Katanga province to the Sudan border.
[]NORTHERN SHOVELER Anas clypeata - Very rare winter visitor, from Lake Edward to the Sudan border. First seen at Vitshumbi, Lake Edward on January 13th 1936.
[]CAPE SHOVELER Anas smithii - Vagrant, one observation known; one individual captured near Kapolowe in the Katanga province, date unknown.
[]SOUTHERN POCHARD Netta erythrophthalma brunnea - Local and quite uncommon, from the Katanga province to Lake Albert, non-breeding dispersion to Kasai and Uele.
[]TUFTED DUCK Aythya fuligula - Vagrant, two records known; one undated at Buta in the Uele district, and once Mongala, n Equateur in February 1958.
[]MACCOA DUCK Oxyura maccoa - Local and very uncommon in the Lake Kivu area, mainly in the Masisi mountains.
[]OSPREY Pandion haliaetus haliaetus - Uncommon to locally fairly common resident and migrant to nearly all D.R.C., breeding not confirmed. No records in the Equateur province.
[]AFRICAN CUCKOO HAWK Aviceda cuculoides cuculoides - Not uncommon, from nw Equateur province east to Uele and the Lendu plateau, north to the Sudan border.
()African Cuckoo Hawk Aviceda cuculoides batesi - Not uncommon, from the coast to Mbandaka and Lake May-Ndombe.
()African Cuckoo Hawk Aviceda cuculoides verreauxi - Not uncommon, from s Bandundu province to the Katanga province, the Ituri Forest and the Kivu province.
[]EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD Pernis apivorus apivorus - Sparce visitor from Aug. - April to the Kivu and Katanga provinces, north to the Sudan border and the Equateur province.
[]BAT HAWK Macheiramphus alcinus andersoni - Local and uncommon in most of D.R.C., less uncommon in the central rainforest, Katanga and Kivu provinces. Observed Garamba N.P.
[]BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE Elanus caeruleus caeruleus - Common in most of D.R.C., less common in Katanga and the central rainforest. Frequent nw D.R.C. but no records from Tshuapa.
[]BLACK KITE Milvus migrans migrans - Regular winter visitor, from Lake Albert to Uele and the Sudan border. One observation Lake Tanganyika, one obs. s Lake Edward.
()Yellow-billed Kite Milvus migrans tenebrosus - Locally very common all D.R.C.
[]AFRICAN FISH EAGLE Haliaeetus vocifer - Locally common all D.R.C. near water, most common from Lake Tanganyika to Uele and the Sudan border. Rare in the Gbadolite area.
[]PALM-NUT VULTURE Gypohierax angolensis - Common in all of D.R.C.
[]HOODED VULTURE Necrosyrtes monachus - Common in the Katanga province, through e Kivu province to s Lake Albert and the Sudan border.
[]WHITE-BACKED VULTURE Gyps africanus - Common in e D.R.C., from Lake Kivu to the Sudan border. Status in Katanga unclear, might be common. One observation in Kasai.
[]RUEPPELL'S GRIFFON VULTURE Gyps rueppellii rueppellii - Very uncommon. Six obs. known from se & sw Lake Edward, first recorded in Sept. 1981. One obs. Garamba N.P.
[]LAPPET-FACED VULTURE Torgos tracheliotus tracheliotus - Fairly common but very local, from n Lake Kivu to n Lake Edward. Might also occur in the Katanga province.
[]WHITE-HEADED VULTURE Trigonoceps occipitalis - Fairly common from the Katanga and Kivu provinces to Lake Albert and the Sudan border.
[]BEAUDOUIN’S SNAKE EAGLE Circaetus beaudouini - Only one record known; one bird collected at Faradje, near Garamba N.P. on November 23rd 1941 and stored at Tervuren.
Said to be a visitor to Garamba N.P. from January - March and June - July, with juveniles found in February, but these observations needs confirmation as no description is given.
In nearby Uganda this species occurs occasionally in the Ruwenzori N.P. and Kabalega Falls N.P.
[]BLACK-CHESTED SNAKE EAGLE Circaetus pectoralis - Fairly common from the coast to s Kasai and the Katanga province north to Lake Albert. Also in Garamba N.P. (apparently out of range).
[]BROWN SNAKE EAGLE Circaetus cinereus - Uncommon to locally common from the coast to Katanga, e Kivu to Uele and the Sudan border.
[]WESTERN BANDED SNAKE EAGLE Circaetus cinerascens - Uncommon from the coast to s Bandundu and Katanga provinces. Also from s Lake Kivu to the Sudan border with one record from Uele.
[]BATELEUR Terathopius ecaudatus - Fairly common from the coast to Kasai and Katanga, north through e Kivu to Lake Albert, Uele and along the Sudan border.
[]CONGO SERPENT EAGLE Dryotriorchis spectabilis batesi - Fairly common in the Mayombe forest, then from the Mbandaka area to n Kasai, the Kivu province and Uele.
[]AFRICAN HARRIER HAWK Polyboroides typus typus - Common in less forested areas, from Katanga through Kivu to nw Lake Albert and the Sudan border.
()African Harrier Hawk Polyboroides typus pectoralis - Common in the forested areas, from the coast to w Kivu province, Uele and northwards.
[]WESTERN MARSH HARRIER Circus aeruginosus aeruginosus - Common winter visitor to Katanga and east D.R.C. north to the Sudan border. Uncommon nw D.R.C. One obs. west-central D.R.C.
[]AFRICAN MARSH HARRIER Circus ranivorus - Locally common from n Lake Tanganyika to Lake Albert. Also a disjunct population in s Bandundu and c Kasai provinces.
[]PALLID HARRIER Circus macrourus - Regular and not uncommon winter visitor from s Lake Kivu to Uele and along the Sudan border. One record in the s Bandundu province.
[]MONTAGU'S HARRIER Circus pygargus - Fairly common winter visitor from s Lake Kivu to Uele and the Sudan border.
[]DARK CHANTING GOSHAWK Melierax metabates metabates - Locally common, from n Lake Albert (Ishwa Plain) to the Sudan border.
()Dark Chanting Goshawk Melierax metabates mechowi - Locally not uncommon from se Bandundu province to the Katanga province. To be looked for further west.
[]GABAR GOSHAWK Melierax gabar - Fairly common in s Bandundu and Kasai provinces, one breeding record Ubangi. Uncommon from Katanga to the Semliki Valley. Recorded twice Garamba N.P.
[]BLACK SPARROWHAWK Accipiter melanoleucus melanoleucus - Common all D.R.C.
[]OVAMBO SPARROWHAWK Accipiter ovampensis - Very uncommon, from the Katanga province to Lake Albert, Uele and the Garamba N.P. Possibly in the s Bandundu province.
[]RUFOUS-CHESTED SPARROWHAWK Accipiter rufiventris rufiventris - Fairly common, from Lake Tanganyika to Lake Kivu and the Ruwenzori Mtn. A disjunct population in c Katanga.
[]LITTLE SPARROWHAWK Accipiter minullus - Fairly common from the coast through s Bandundu to Katanga, north to the Semliki Valley. Possibly also along the Sudan border.
[]RED-THIGHED SPARROWHAWK Accipiter erythropus zenkeri - Not uncommon in most of D.R.C. except the coast, s Bandundu, s Kasai and Katanga.
[]CHESTNUT-FLANKED SPARROWHAWK Accipiter castanilius castanilius - Common from the coast east to nw Lake Tanganyika and Uele. Uncommon Ubangi. One record s Katanga.
[]AFRICAN GOSHAWK Accipiter tachiro sparsimfasciatus - Common, from the Katanga province north through the Kivu highlands to Garamba N.P.
[]RED-CHESTED GOSHAWK Accipiter tousseneliitoussenelii - Common, in forested areas from the coast east to appx. Mbandaka and Lake May-Ndombe.
()Red-chested Goshawk Accipiter tousseneliicanescens - Common, east of A.t.toussenelii, found in more forested areas. Absent from the Kivu highlands.
[]SHIKRA Accipiter badius sphenurus - Locally common, from the Semliki Valley to Lake Albert and the Sudan border. Six specimens known from Ubangi and Mongala.
()Shikra Accipiter badius polyzonoides - Common, from the Katanga province to s Kivu province. Should also occur from the coast through s Bandundu to Katanga.
[]LEVANT SPARROWHAWK Accipiter brevipes - Vagrant. One specimen collected at Gangala-na-Bodio, near Garamba N.P. in March 1955.
[]LONG-TAILED HAWK Urotriorchis macrourus - Uncommon, from the Mayombe forest to the Kivu lowlands and northwards. One observation in the s Bandundu province.
[]GRASSHOPPER BUZZARD Butastur rufipennis - Common visitor from October to March along the border of CAR and Sudan, east to Lake Albert. Said to be common around Gbadolite.
[]LIZARD BUZZARD Kaupifalco monogrammicus monogrammicus - Common in northern D.R.C., although less common in the Kivu highlands.
()Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammicus meridionalis - Common in southern D.R.C.
[]COMMON BUZZARD Buteo buteo vulpinus - Common winter visitor to east D.R.C., from Kisangani eastwards. One record in the Katanga province, and two in the Equateur province.
[]MOUNTAIN BUZZARD Buteo oreophilus oreophilus - Locally common resident in e D.R.C., from the Itombwe Mts. to the Ruwenzori Mtn. Possibly also found around northwest Lake Albert.