Birds to See in Eswatini in October
27 bird species on our list for Eswatini are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are Cape Starling, Lesser Striped Swallow, Fork-tailed Drongo, Cattle Egret and Helmeted Guineafowl. New this month: Barn Swallow, European Bee-eater, Willow Warbler and Magpie Shrike and 7 more.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctArriving
At their peak
Leaving soon
From Eswatini’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 27 birds in October
27 birds
Cape StarlingLamprotornis nitensResidentCommon25–28 cmRecorded all year · 1.22% in Oct
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaSummer visitorCommon15–19 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 1.22% in Oct
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Oct
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRegularly May–Mar · 1.08% in Oct
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 1.08% in Oct
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in Oct
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusResidentCommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.88% in Oct
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in Oct
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in Oct
African JacanaActophilornis africanusSummer visitorCommon23–31 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.71% in Oct
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in Oct
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusPassage migrantCommon35–50 cmRegularly Jul–Feb · 0.54% in Oct
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.51% in Oct
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.44% in Oct
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.37% in Oct
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosPassage migrantUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Jan · 0.30% in Oct
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisPassage migrantCommon75–115 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.30% in Oct
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaPassage migrantUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Aug–Dec · 0.27% in Oct
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusPassage migrantUncommon48–66 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.24% in Oct
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisPassage migrantUncommon23–29 cmRegularly Jul–Dec · 0.20% in Oct
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.20% in Oct
Great White EgretArdea albaPassage migrantUncommon80–104 cmRegularly Oct–Nov · 0.17% in Oct
MoorhenGallinula chloropusPassage migrantUncommon30–38 cmRegularly Jul–Nov · 0.17% in Oct
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesPassage migrantUncommon40–49 cmRegularly Oct · 0.17% in Oct
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusPassage migrantUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Oct · 0.14% in Oct
RuffCalidris pugnaxScarceUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Oct · 0.14% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboPassage migrantUncommon80–100 cmRegularly Jul–Nov · 0.10% in Oct
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Willow Warbler 11–13 cm
- Common Reed-warbler 13–14 cm
- Southern Masked Weaver 13–15 cm
- House Sparrow 14–17 cm
- Lesser Striped Swallow 15–19 cm
- Barn Swallow 17–19 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Wood Sandpiper 19–21 cm
- Fork-tailed Drongo 23–26 cm
- Little Grebe 23–29 cm
- Ruff 20–32 cm
- Cape Starling 25–28 cm
- African Jacana 23–31 cm
- European Bee-eater 27–29 cm
- Hoopoe 25–32 cm
- Moorhen 30–38 cm
- Magpie Shrike 35–50 cm
- Squacco Heron 40–49 cm
- Pied Crow 46–52 cm
- Cattle Egret 46–56 cm
- Glossy Ibis 48–66 cm
- Helmeted Guineafowl 53–63 cm
- Egyptian Goose 63–73 cm
- Great Cormorant 80–100 cm
- Great White Egret 80–104 cm
- Grey Heron 90–98 cm
- Spur-winged Goose 75–115 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
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