Benin is home to around 600 species of birds. It is a nation covered with marshes surrounded by lakes and lagoons connected to the ocean, with plenty of waterbirds like ducks, gulls, geese, and terns visiting. However, these habitats are at risk of climate change, so the species living in them require protection to avoid losing them.
List of Birds Found in Benin
Native Birds
African and New World Parrots
African Barbets
- Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird
Bee-eaters
- European Bee-eater
- Little Bee-eater
- Red-throated Bee-eater
- White-throated Bee-eater
Bulbuls
Bushshrikes and Allies
Crows, Jays, and Magpies
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
- Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
- White-faced Whistling Duck
Falcons and Caracaras
- Lanner Falcon
- Red-necked Falcon
Grebes
Guineafowl
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
Hammerkop
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- African Fish-eagle
- Black Kite
- Black-winged Kite
- Brown Snake-eagle
- Eurasian Marsh-harrier
- Hooded Vulture
- Long-crested Eagle
- Shikra
- Tawny Eagle
- Wahlberg’s Eagle
- White-backed Vulture
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Black-headed Heron
- Cattle Egret
- Gray Heron
- Great Egret
- Purple Heron
- Squacco Heron
- Western Reef-heron
Honeyguides
Hoopoes
Hornbills
- African Gray Hornbill
- African Pied Hornbill
- Northern Red-billed Hornbill
Ibises and Spoonbills
- African Sacred Ibis
- Hadada Ibis
Indigobirds
Jacanas
Kingfishers
- African Pygmy Kingfisher
- Blue-breasted Kingfisher
- Gray-headed Kingfisher
- Pied Kingfisher
- Woodland Kingfisher
Monarch Flycatchers
- Black-headed Paradise-flycatcher
Osprey
Owls
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
- Double-spurred Francolin
- White-throated Francolin
Pigeons and Doves
- Laughing Dove
- Red-eyed Dove
- Speckled Pigeon
Plovers and Lapwings
Rollers
- Abyssinian Roller
- Rufous-crowned Roller
Sandgrouse
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
Sandpipers and Allies
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Common Greenshank
- Common Sandpiper
- Little Stint
Secretarybird
Shrikes
- Northern Fiscal
- Yellow-billed Shrike
Starlings
- Chestnut-winged Starling
- Long-tailed Glossy Starling
- Violet-backed Starling
Storks
Sunbirds and Spiderhunters
- Collared Sunbird
- Olive Sunbird
Swifts
Thick-knees
Thrushes and Allies
Turacos
Wagtails and Pipits
- African Pied Wagtail
- Western Yellow Wagtail
Waxbills and Allies
- Black-rumped Waxbill
- Red-winged Pytilia
Wattle-eyes and Batises
Weavers and Allies
- Village Weaver
- Yellow-mantled Widowbird
Non-native Birds
- Great Cormorant
- Egyptian Goose
- African Spoonbill
- Ruddy Turnstone
There are several places to go birdwatching in Benin, especially in the rainy season, as most birds are active. Some popular sites include Pendjari National Park, W National Park, and Lake Nokoué.
