Birds to See in Botswana in December
66 bird species on our list for Botswana are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Fork-tailed Drongo, Egyptian Goose, Spur-winged Goose, African Jacana and Barn Swallow. New this month: Common Quail, Montagu's Harrier, Whitethroat and Green Sandpiper and 2 more.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
From Botswana’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 66 birds in December
66 birds
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in Dec
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 1.13% in Dec
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentCommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in Dec
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.02% in Dec
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.96% in Dec
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in Dec
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in Dec
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in Dec
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorCommon19–21 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.76% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.73% in Dec
Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurioSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.71% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Dec
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in Dec
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.53% in Dec
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorCommon20–32 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.51% in Dec
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentCommon35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Dec
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentCommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in Dec
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.45% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorCommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in Dec
Cape StarlingLamprotornis nitensResidentCommon25–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Dec
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentCommon210–275 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoSummer visitorUncommon51–57 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.30% in Dec
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Dec
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Dec
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.27% in Dec
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Dec
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.24% in Dec
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorUncommon20–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Dec
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.20% in Dec
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaWinter visitorCommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in Dec
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentUncommon44–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaSummer visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.12% in Dec
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusResidentUncommon112–150 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Little StintCalidris minutaSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.09% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Dec
HobbyFalco subbuteoSummer visitorUncommon28–35 cmRegularly Oct–Jan · 0.08% in Dec
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentUncommon54–58 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.08% in Dec
Barn OwlTyto albaSummer visitorUncommon33–39 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.08% in Dec
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.07% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaWinter visitorRare42–45 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.04% in Dec
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusPassage migrantRare42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.04% in Dec
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusResidentUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.04% in Dec
Cape SparrowPasser melanurusResidentUncommon14–16 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.04% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentUncommon120–145 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.04% in Dec
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.03% in Dec
Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargusPassage migrantRare43–47 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.03% in Dec
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusSummer visitorUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.03% in Dec
Golden OrioleOriolus oriolusPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.03% in Dec
CuckooCuculus canorusPassage migrantRare32–34 cmRegularly Nov–Dec · 0.02% in Dec
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusPassage migrantRare21–24 cmRegularly Dec · 0.02% in Dec
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.01% in Dec
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentUncommon45–53 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.01% in Dec
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixPassage migrantRare16–18 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.01% in Dec
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Sep–Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Garden WarblerSylvia borinPassage migrantRare14–15 cmRegularly Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusPassage migrantRare34–58 cmRegularly Dec–May · 0.01% in Dec
Tree PipitAnthus trivialisScarceRare14–16 cmRegularly Nov–Dec · 0.01% in Dec
WhitethroatCurruca communisPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Dec · 0.01% in Dec
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