Birds to See in Botswana in January
55 bird species on our list for Botswana are recorded regularly in January
Of these, the most often recorded are Fork-tailed Drongo, Egyptian Goose, Spur-winged Goose, Barn Swallow and African Jacana. New this month: Marsh Warbler.
On the move in January
GBIF · JanAt 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 55 birds in January
55 birds
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.23% in Jan
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.98% in Jan
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentCommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.94% in Jan
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.85% in Jan
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in Jan
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Jan
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in Jan
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.70% in Jan
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Jan
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in Jan
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in Jan
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentCommon35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in Jan
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.59% in Jan
Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurioSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.59% in Jan
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorCommon19–21 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.58% in Jan
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.50% in Jan
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Jan
Cape StarlingLamprotornis nitensResidentCommon25–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.41% in Jan
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.41% in Jan
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in Jan
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorCommon20–32 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.36% in Jan
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentCommon210–275 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Jan
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.31% in Jan
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentCommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Jan
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorCommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Jan
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Jan
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Jan
BuzzardButeo buteoSummer visitorUncommon51–57 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.22% in Jan
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in Jan
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentUncommon44–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Jan
Barn OwlTyto albaSummer visitorUncommon33–39 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.16% in Jan
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorUncommon20–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Jan
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.15% in Jan
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.15% in Jan
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Jan
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaWinter visitorCommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Jan
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Jan
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaSummer visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.10% in Jan
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.09% in Jan
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Jan
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusResidentUncommon112–150 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Jan
Little StintCalidris minutaSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.08% in Jan
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentUncommon45–53 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.08% in Jan
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Jan
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusSummer visitorUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.08% in Jan
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentUncommon120–145 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Jan
Cape SparrowPasser melanurusResidentUncommon14–16 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.06% in Jan
Marsh WarblerAcrocephalus palustrisPassage migrantUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Feb · 0.06% in Jan
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.06% in Jan
HobbyFalco subbuteoSummer visitorUncommon28–35 cmRegularly Oct–Jan · 0.06% in Jan
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentUncommon54–58 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.06% in Jan
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Jan
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusResidentUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.05% in Jan
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.05% in Jan
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.02% in Jan
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