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Birds of South Africa
Learn to identify the birds of South Africa yourself. The Motmot list has 882 species—photo quizzes and a Country Challenge take you from distinctive beginners to harder lookalikes.
Best on the iPhone and Android apps.
A one-off quiz is a short session on this country’s list. A Country Challenge is structured practice with levels, so you keep meeting new birds instead of repeating only the easy ones.
National League is where you compete against other birders from South Africa: one daily quiz that starts easy and finishes harder, with a daily winner and a weekly champion.
More country quizzes · National League · Survival · Open Motmot
How people play in South Africa
Quizzes played
1359
197 players have taken a Motmot quiz on the South Africa list.
National League
This week’s standings for birders competing in South Africa.
| # | Player | Score | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamerkop | 5461 | 1 |
| 2 | Dapplethroat | 2896 | 1 |
| 3 | Juffs | 2669 | 1 |
Play today’s National League quiz · Full National League standings
Country Challenge
| # | Player | Level |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChirpSam |
Enthusiast Birder Step 1 / 6
|
| Marna | ||
| 3 | Myles Veysey |
Casual Birder Step 6 / 7
|
| 4 | Guest |
Casual Birder Step 5 / 7
|
| 5 | Guest |
Casual Birder Step 4 / 7
|
High scores
| # | Player | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TonyF beginner · 100 | 40617 |
| 2 | Reno beginner · 100 | 37311 |
| 3 | Tristan beginner · 100 | 17335 |
| 4 | Avel beginner · 50 | 16174 |
| 5 | Tiffany Venter beginner · 50 | 15272 |
Most missed birds
From quizzes on the South Africa list.
| Species | Misses |
|---|---|
| Cape Sparrow Passer melanurus | 26 11% |
| Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild | 26 11% |
| White-browed Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser mahali | 25 11% |
| Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus | 22 9% |
| Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola | 20 9% |
Confusing pairs
From quizzes on the South Africa list.
How can I help?
Motmot is a small project. Honest feedback, spotting the wrong bird, writing comparison descriptions for lookalike species, and telling other birders all help. You can also donate, or get in touch if you have ideas for how to fund Motmot or want to discuss a partnership.
During a quiz, tap Flag if the photo, video or sound is not the species shown—or is otherwise unusable. That skips the clip in your game and reports it so we can take it out of the set.
A large part of the picture library is still waiting for review. If you know a country’s birds, open Review photos below and approve or reject images a few at a time.
Comparison pages still rely on AI text until someone who knows the birds writes a better one. Open a lookalike pair from Species, then use Write a better description.
Review photos
Quizzes are only as good as the pictures, and many still have not been checked. Help by approving good photos and rejecting the wrong bird—start with any country, or the birds you know best.
Write comparisons
Species pages link to lookalikes that people mix up. If you know those birds, you can replace the AI text with a description that actually helps others tell them apart. You need to be signed in.
Spread the word
Motmot grows when birders tell other birders. Mention it in a club newsletter, a WhatsApp group, or after a field trip. Clubs can also start a Flock and play the same quiz.
Leave a store review
If you use the iPhone or Android app, a rating is one of the simplest ways to help. It tells other birders the quiz is worth trying.
Support Motmot
Motmot is free, open source, and built in spare time. There is no funding behind it right now. A donation via Buy Me a Coffee helps cover hosting and AI credits so the quiz can stay free.
Donating is one way. If you have another idea for how to fund Motmot—a partnership, a grant, a club, a company—write to info@motmot.club. I would like to talk.
