Birds to See in Ethiopia in January
86 bird species on our list for Ethiopia are recorded regularly in January
Of these, the most often recorded are Pied Crow, Egyptian Goose, Yellow Wagtail, Fork-tailed Drongo and Common Sandpiper. New this month: Red-backed Shrike, Osprey, Spotted Redshank and Kentish Plover and 2 more.
On the move in January
GBIF · JanArriving
At their peak
From Ethiopia’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 86 birds in January
86 birds
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 1.23% in Jan
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 1.00% in Jan
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaWinter visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.73% in Jan
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in Jan
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.60% in Jan
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in Jan
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaWinter visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.56% in Jan
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in Jan
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Jan
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Jan
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorUncommon90–98 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.42% in Jan
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Jan
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Jan
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.33% in Jan
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Jan
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.30% in Jan
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentUncommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Jan
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 0.28% in Jan
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.28% in Jan
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentUncommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Jan
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentUncommon32–39 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.25% in Jan
Little StintCalidris minutaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.25% in Jan
Blue-naped MousebirdUrocolius macrourusResidentCommon33–36 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.25% in Jan
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentUncommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Jan
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusWinter visitorUncommon48–66 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.21% in Jan
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorUncommon33–42 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.21% in Jan
Little WeaverPloceus luteolusResidentUncommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Jan
Senegal Thick-kneeBurhinus senegalensisResidentUncommon38–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Jan
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.20% in Jan
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.20% in Jan
Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurusWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.19% in Jan
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentUncommon120–145 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.19% in Jan
WheatearOenanthe oenantheWinter visitorUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.18% in Jan
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusWinter visitorUncommon48–56 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.18% in Jan
Purple HeronArdea purpureaWinter visitorUncommon78–90 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.17% in Jan
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusWinter visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.17% in Jan
Somali OstrichStruthio molybdophanesWinter visitorUncommon210–275 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.17% in Jan
Common CraneGrus grusWinter visitorUncommon100–130 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.16% in Jan
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaWinter visitorUncommon17–18 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.16% in Jan
GarganeySpatula querquedulaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.15% in Jan
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusWinter visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.15% in Jan
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.15% in Jan
Thekla's LarkGalerida theklaeResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Jan
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaWinter visitorUncommon15–19 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.14% in Jan
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Jan
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Jan
African Pygmy-falconPolihierax semitorquatusWinter visitorUncommon19–20 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.14% in Jan
White-bellied BustardEupodotis senegalensisWinter visitorUncommon48–61 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.14% in Jan
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.13% in Jan
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaWinter visitorUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.12% in Jan
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaWinter visitorUncommon17–20 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.12% in Jan
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusPassage migrantUncommon38–44 cmRegularly Nov–Jan · 0.12% in Jan
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.12% in Jan
Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.12% in Jan
Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargusWinter visitorUncommon43–47 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.11% in Jan
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaWinter visitorUncommon42–45 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.11% in Jan
House MartinDelichon urbicumWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.11% in Jan
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.11% in Jan
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.10% in Jan
Purple GrenadierGranatina ianthinogasterWinter visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.10% in Jan
Egyptian VultureNeophron percnopterusWinter visitorUncommon55–65 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.09% in Jan
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorUncommon25–27 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.09% in Jan
Great Grey ShrikeLanius excubitorWinter visitorUncommon22–26 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.08% in Jan
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentUncommon45–53 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.08% in Jan
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusWinter visitorUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.08% in Jan
Tree PipitAnthus trivialisPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.08% in Jan
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaWinter visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.07% in Jan
Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferrugineaWinter visitorUncommon58–70 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.07% in Jan
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.07% in Jan
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.06% in Jan
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Jan
Little Ringed PloverThinornis dubiusWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.05% in Jan
Rufous-tailed Rock-thrushMonticola saxatilisWinter visitorUncommon16–19 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.05% in Jan
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaWinter visitorUncommon20–23 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.05% in Jan
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorUncommon27–29 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.05% in Jan
Spotted RedshankTringa erythropusPassage migrantRare29–31 cmRegularly Nov–Jan · 0.04% in Jan
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Dec–Jan · 0.04% in Jan
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusWinter visitorUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.04% in Jan
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.04% in Jan
Blue Rock-thrushMonticola solitariusWinter visitorUncommon21–23 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.03% in Jan
Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurioPassage migrantUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Jan–Feb · 0.03% in Jan
BuzzardButeo buteoWinter visitorUncommon51–57 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.02% in Jan
OspreyPandion haliaetusPassage migrantRare54–58 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.02% in Jan
Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinusPassage migrantRare15–17 cmRegularly Jan · 0.02% in Jan
BluethroatLuscinia svecicaPassage migrantRare13–14 cmRegularly Jan · 0.01% in Jan
European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorusPassage migrantRare52–60 cmRegularly Jan · 0.01% 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