Birds to See in Botswana in May
44 bird species on our list for Botswana are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Fork-tailed Drongo, Egyptian Goose, African Jacana, Helmeted Guineafowl and Grey Heron. New this month: Cape Sparrow, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Osprey and Peregrine Falcon.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
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 44 birds in May
44 birds
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 2.06% in May
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in May
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.19% in May
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.08% in May
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentCommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in May
Cape StarlingLamprotornis nitensResidentCommon25–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in May
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentCommon35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in May
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.71% in May
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentCommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in May
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in May
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in May
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in May
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentCommon210–275 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in May
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaWinter visitorCommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in May
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentUncommon44–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in May
Cape SparrowPasser melanurusResidentUncommon14–16 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.17% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in May
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in May
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusResidentUncommon112–150 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in May
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in May
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorCommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Barn OwlTyto albaSummer visitorUncommon33–39 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.06% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.06% in May
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorUncommon20–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentUncommon54–58 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.04% in May
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorCommon20–32 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in May
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorCommon19–21 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in May
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in May
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentUncommon120–145 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in May
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaWinter visitorRare42–45 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.02% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.02% in May
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.02% in May
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusPassage migrantRare34–58 cmRegularly Dec–May · 0.02% in May
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixPassage migrantRare16–18 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.01% in May
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentUncommon45–53 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.01% in May
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