Birds in Botswana

72 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024

Our list for Botswana has 72 bird species recorded regularly there: 33 residents, 20 summer visitors, 2 winter visitors, 15 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors.

The list comes from 457,000 birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Birds to see in Botswana in September

50 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

All 50 birds in September

Arriving in September: Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, Barn Owl, Yellow Wagtail, Ringed Plover, Marsh Warbler, Curlew Sandpiper, Booted Eagle.

Through the year

Species recorded regularly in Botswana each month: most in December (66), fewest in June (38). Choose a month to see its birds.

5066
Show as a table
Willow Warbler
Willow WarblerSmallest · 11cm
to
Common Ostrich
Common OstrichLargest · 275cm
From the Willow Warbler (11 cm) to the Common Ostrich (275 cm)39 families

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All 72 birds on the list

Showing 1–23 of 72 species

ResidentRecorded all yearSummer visitorArrives to breed; scarce or absent in winterWinter visitorPresent outside the breeding seasonPassage migrantSeen mainly in spring and autumn migrationScarceRecorded in some years but not every yearCommonAmong the most-recorded birds in its best monthUncommonRecorded regularly, but on a minority of outingsRareFew records, even in its best month
Fork-tailed Drongo

Fork-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus adsimilisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
African Jacana

African Jacana

Actophilornis africanusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Egyptian Goose

Egyptian Goose

Alopochen aegyptiacaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Helmeted Guineafowl

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagrisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Ardea albaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Ardea ibisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Spur-winged Goose

Spur-winged Goose

Plectropterus gambensisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Ardea cinereaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Squacco Heron

Squacco Heron

Ardeola ralloidesLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Magpie Shrike

Magpie Shrike

Urolestes melanoleucusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rusticaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Sep–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-backed Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurioLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Nov–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Egret

Little Egret

Egretta garzettaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Hoopoe

Hoopoe

Upupa epopsLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Cape Starling

Cape Starling

Lamprotornis nitensLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareolaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Aug–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis

Plegadis falcinellusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Bee-eater

European Bee-eater

Merops apiasterLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lesser Striped Swallow

Lesser Striped Swallow

Cecropis abyssinicaLC

Winter visitorCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucosLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Southern Masked Weaver

Southern Masked Weaver

Ploceus velatusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Ostrich

Common Ostrich

Struthio camelusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Pied Crow

Pied Crow

Corvus albusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Frequently Asked Questions

Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made

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