Birds to See in Botswana in October
59 bird species on our list for Botswana are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are Fork-tailed Drongo, African Jacana, Egyptian Goose, Great White Egret and Squacco Heron. New this month: European Bee-eater, Spotted Flycatcher, Buzzard and Common Swift and 8 more.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctArriving
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 59 birds in October
59 birds
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.47% in Oct
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.27% in Oct
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Oct
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.93% in Oct
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in Oct
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in Oct
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentCommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in Oct
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.78% in Oct
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentCommon35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Oct
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.73% in Oct
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in Oct
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.66% in Oct
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.63% in Oct
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentCommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Oct
Cape StarlingLamprotornis nitensResidentCommon25–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in Oct
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorCommon19–21 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.44% in Oct
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.41% in Oct
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Oct
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorCommon20–32 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.38% in Oct
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorCommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in Oct
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaWinter visitorCommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Oct
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Oct
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentCommon210–275 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Oct
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Oct
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.26% in Oct
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentUncommon44–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Oct
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.23% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Oct
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Oct
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Oct
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Oct
Little StintCalidris minutaSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.10% in Oct
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.10% in Oct
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Oct
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusResidentUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.08% in Oct
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentUncommon54–58 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.08% in Oct
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Sep–Dec · 0.06% in Oct
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.06% in Oct
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.06% in Oct
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusResidentUncommon112–150 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
Barn OwlTyto albaSummer visitorUncommon33–39 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.05% in Oct
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorUncommon20–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Oct
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaWinter visitorRare42–45 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.04% in Oct
Cape SparrowPasser melanurusResidentUncommon14–16 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.04% in Oct
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentUncommon120–145 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Oct
BuzzardButeo buteoSummer visitorUncommon51–57 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.03% in Oct
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.03% in Oct
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.03% in Oct
Golden OrioleOriolus oriolusPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.02% in Oct
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Oct
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.02% in Oct
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaSummer visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.01% in Oct
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaPassage migrantRare27–30 cmRegularly Oct–Nov · 0.01% in Oct
HobbyFalco subbuteoSummer visitorUncommon28–35 cmRegularly Oct–Jan · 0.01% in Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Oct · 0.01% in Oct
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixPassage migrantRare16–18 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.01% in Oct
Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargusPassage migrantRare43–47 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.01% in Oct
NightjarCaprimulgus europaeusPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly Oct · 0.01% in Oct
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