Learn Southern African bird calls by ear

BirdCall is an audio-first bird-call identification trainer for Southern Africa, built by a qualified FGASA guide. Play a bird call, name the species from four options, then see the photo and its English and Afrikaans names. In the bush you hear a bird long before you see it. This is the focused way to learn birding by ear, whether for the garden, the next safari, or a guiding qualification.

Eight Southern African biomes

Quiz yourself across curated biome lists: Safari Essentials (the most common calls to start with), plus Foundation, Fynbos, Savanna, Albany Thicket, Arid, Karoo, Forest and Montane Grassland. Every bird call is free. No sign-up needed.

Six ways to train

Untimed Practice uses spaced repetition and difficulty progression so common calls come first and harder species unlock as you master the easy ones. Weak-bird drills target the calls you keep missing, Visual ID tests you on sight, and a Time Challenge adds pressure: 10 calls, 15 seconds each, name each one fast (it also mirrors the FGASA Slide & Sound assessment, if that's your goal). Big Day Shuffle is an endless shuffle through every call in a pack, no scoring, nothing timed. Sit Back & Listen is hands-off: each call plays on its own, then the bird's name is announced, and it moves on by itself, built for and tested with screen readers.

Start free at birdcall.co.za. Every call free, forever; the full photo gallery with a once-off Premium upgrade.