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Hm...favorite bird? Tough one, there are just too many but lemme try:

Woodland Kingfisher, just love their call!!

And then there's of course Natal Spurfowl, African Barred Owlet, Swamp Nightjar, Pacific Golden Plover, Shikra, Malagasy Pond-Heron, Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross, African Paradise-Flycatcher, Pale Batis, Barred Wren-Warbler, Spotted Ground-Thrush, Red-capped Robin-Chat, Chorister Robin-Chat, Kalahari Scrub-Robin, Village Indigobird, Comb Duck, Green-backed Honeybird, African Openbill, Large-billed Lark, White-chested Alethe, Magpie Mannikin, Brimstone Canary, Denham's Bustard, Greater Painted-snipe, Zitting Cisticola, Robert's Warbler, Yellow-crowned Bishop, Green Barbet, Green Tinkerbird, Green Malkoha, Lemon Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, African Green-Pigeon, Grey Crowned Crane, Common Greenshank, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Water Thick-knee, Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Black-backed Puffback, Stripe-cheeked Greenbul, Karoo Eremomela, Green-backed Camaroptera, Stierling's Wren-Warbler, Copper Sunbird, Streaky-headed Seedeater, Moustached Grass-Warbler, Madagascar Bee-eater, Olive Sunbird, Grey-winged Francolin, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Common Ringed Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Long-tailed Jaeger, Magpie Shrike, White-browed Robin-Chat, Mountain Wheatear, Meves's Starling, Long-tailed Widowbird, Mountain Wagtail, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Rock Pratincole, White-crested Helmet-Shrike, Southern Hyliota, Red-winged Francolin, Red-billed Spurfowl, Red-necked Spurfowl, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, and Green Wood-Hoopoe too.

Or the sound of Burchell's Coucal in the distance, on a hot summer's day... that's Africa for me! But let's not forget Southern Carmine Bee-eater, African Emerald Cuckoo, Ross's Turaco, Allen's Gallinule, African Snipe, Common Whimbrel, Common Redshank, Senegal Lapwing, Collared Pratincole, Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk, Ayres's Hawk-Eagle, African Hobby, Little Grebe, Sooty Albatross, Grey Petrel, Anchieta's Tchagra, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Crimson-breasted Shrike, African Red-eyed Bulbul, Tiny Greenbul, African Reed-Warbler, Wing-snapping Cisticola, Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark, Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Brown Scrub-Robin, Cape Glossy Starling, Miombo Blue-eared Starling, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Southern Brown-throated Weaver, Southern Red Bishop, Red-collared Widowbird, Pearl-spotted Owlet, White-crowned Lapwing, African Wattled Lapwing, African Cuckoo Hawk, Verreaux's Eagle, Southern Bald Ibis, Common Fiscal, White-headed Saw-wing, Terrestrial Brownbul, Green-capped Eremomela, Hartlaub's Babbler, Southern Pied Babbler, Common Whitethroat, Cape Long-billed Lark, African Dusky Flycatcher, White-starred Robin, White-throated Robin-Chat, Green-backed Woodpecker, Whyte's Barbet, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, African Olive-Pigeon, Black Kite, Violet-backed Starling (Plums, Freda!!! ), African Harrier-Hawk, African Penguin, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Eastern Nicator, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, Yellow-throated Woodland-Warbler, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, African Yellow White-eye, Variable Sunbird, Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Yellow-throated Petronia, Yellow-fronted Canary, Southern Ground-Hornbill, African Palm-Swift, Southern White-crowned Shrike, Carp's Tit, Miombo Tit, Eurasian Reed-Warbler, Dark-backed Weaver, Rock Dove, Speckled Pigeon, Rock Kestrel.

And of course the majestic one: African Fish-Eagle, another sound you just gotta love! But also African Darter, Drakensberg Rock-jumper, Orange Ground-Thrush, East Coast Akalat, Karoo Scrub-Robin, Bronzy Sunbird, Orange-winged Pytilia, Cape Longclaw, Common Cuckoo, Burchell's Coucal, Common Swift, African Purple Swamphen, Eurasian Curlew, Greater Sheathbill, Spotted Thick-knee, Greater Sand Plover, Spur-winged Lapwing, Black-winged Lapwing, Crowned Lapwing, Brown Noddy, Western Marsh-Harrier, African Crowned Eagle, Eurasian Hobby, Great Egret, Eurasian Bittern, African Sacred Ibis, African Pitta, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Barn Swallow, Sombre Greenbul, Sedge Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Karoo Prinia, Miombo Rock-Thrush, Cape Robin-Chat, Common Redstart, African Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Common Starling, African Quailfinch, Green-winged Pytilia, Dusky Indigobird, Long-tailed Paradise-Whydah, African Pipit, Hartlaub's Spurfowl, Cape Spurfowl, Common Peacock, Hottentot Buttonquail, African Hoopoe, Ruff, Pomarine Jaeger, European Honey-Buzzard, Rüppell's Vulture, Great White Pelican, Black-and-white Flycatcher, Eastern Saw-wing, Little Rush-Warbler, Lesser Swamp-Warbler, Cape Clapper Lark, Yellow Bishop, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, African Firefinch, Purple Indigobird, African Rock Pipit, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, African Pygmy-goose, Brown-backed Honeybird, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Common Scimitarbill, African Pygmy-Kingfisher, Southern Black Korhaan, Common Black-headed Gull, Black-chested Snake-Eagle, Black Heron, Light-mantled Albatross, Retz's Helmet-Shrike, Cape Crow, Black Saw-wing, Dark-capped Bulbul, Blackcap, Rufous-winged Cisticola, Black-eared Sparrowlark, Southern Black Flycatcher, and Bearded Scrub-Robin.

Or the Amethyst Sunbird, Southern Masked-Weaver, Black-winged Bishop, Black-faced Waxbill, Black-eared Seedeater, Common Ostrich, Northern Pintail, African Grey Hornbill, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Knysna Turaco, African Grass-Owl, Verreaux's Eagle-Owl, Red Phalarope, Atlantic Petrel, White-chinned Petrel, Common House-Martin, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Cape Grassbird, Grey-backed Sparrowlark, Pale Flycatcher, Mocking Cliff-Chat, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Rosy-throated Longclaw, Common Chaffinch, Pallid Honeyguide, Acacia Pied Barbet, Levaillant's Cuckoo, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Pied Avocet, Blacksmith Lapwing, Parasitic Jaeger, Red-footed Falcon, Amur Falcon, Grey Tit, White-browed Scrub-Robin, Village Weaver, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Lesser Seedcracker, Purple-crested Turaco, African Wood-Owl, Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Ashy Flycatcher, Plain-backed Sunbird, Western Violet-backed Sunbird, Swainson's Spurfowl, Grey Go-away-bird, Square-tailed Nightjar, Northern Black Korhaan, Long-toed Lapwing, Southern Royal Albatross, Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler, White-winged Widowbird, Protea Seedeater, Southern White-faced Scops-Owl, Southern Fulmar.
Ja, like I said, just too many! But I wanted a 4000th post worth remembering!

*edit: repaired funny characters

Are there any you don't LIKE.

All owls, all kingfishers and the African Fish Eagle.

The Fish Eagle is for me the most awesome of birds. The call of the Fish Eagle always gives me goose flesh. It is just so haunting.

MM, I agree it is so Africa.

My favorite bird is the Scops Owl

Hi there,

My favorite bird is the Scops Owl - it is so tiny and cute - yet has such a loud call - kind of incongruous

My second favorite bird the Fish Eagle - the call is so magical and evocative of Africa

My third favorite bird is the Northern Cardinal (found in Michigan in the USA) - nice and bright and red with a crest - a garden bird - always looks cheerful - even in the snow and when the trees have no leaves

Have a nice day
Tanja

It has to be the Kingy's in particular the Half Collared. Although the Woodland has the nicest call. I see most of them in Transkei in December and the rest at Kruger throughout the year. Have a seasonal breeder visitor in Rivonia ( banks of the braamfonteinspruit) Normally comes in the latter part of the year and leaves by March. Still looking for Pygmy though.

Yes, Kingfishers are lovely birds - you even find a few in the States - I saw a Belted Kingfisher - but unfortunately did not get a photo of one.

As far as southern African Kingfishers go - I used to like the Malachite Kingfisher - but I think I prefer the Pied Kingfisher now.

Id have to go with the Yellow-billed Hornbill.
But my fav call in that of the Fiery-necked Nightjar! Ihave it as an sms alert on my cell!!

Ground Hornbills. They remind me of the crows in the Disney cartoon Dumbo and they always look as if they are up to no-good.

The Vulture!

My favorite bird is the water dikkop, simply because I love the sound of it. There is nothing like waking up in the middle of the night and hearing it calling in the distance.

My favourite bird is the Wandering Albatross.
Not sure if it falls within any of our National parks, but then it should as it desperately needs our protection. They are frequently caught on long line hooks and along with nearly all other Albatross species are now endangered and we risk loosing them altogether if the current trends continue. To see one of these magnificent flyers out on the Southern Ocean is an almost life changing experience. They are truly the master flyers.

Double banded sand grouse (Dubbelbandsandpatrys).
Bird call - scops owl.