Birds to See in Ethiopia in October
83 bird species on our list for Ethiopia are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are Pied Crow, Egyptian Goose, Barn Swallow, Yellow Wagtail and Cattle Egret. New this month: Chiffchaff, Blue-naped Mousebird, Kestrel and Spotted Flycatcher and 35 more.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctArriving
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 83 birds in October
83 birds
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 1.75% in Oct
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in Oct
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in Oct
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaWinter visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.70% in Oct
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in Oct
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.60% in Oct
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Oct
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorUncommon90–98 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.37% in Oct
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in Oct
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.36% in Oct
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.35% in Oct
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Oct
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Oct
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentUncommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Oct
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 0.29% in Oct
WheatearOenanthe oenantheWinter visitorUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.29% in Oct
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentUncommon32–39 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.29% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Oct
Thekla's LarkGalerida theklaeResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Oct
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.26% in Oct
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentUncommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Oct
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusWinter visitorUncommon48–56 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.21% in Oct
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Oct
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentUncommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Oct
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.18% in Oct
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaWinter visitorUncommon17–20 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.18% in Oct
Somali OstrichStruthio molybdophanesWinter visitorUncommon210–275 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.18% in Oct
BuzzardButeo buteoWinter visitorUncommon51–57 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.17% in Oct
Egyptian VultureNeophron percnopterusWinter visitorUncommon55–65 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.17% in Oct
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.17% in Oct
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Oct
Senegal Thick-kneeBurhinus senegalensisResidentUncommon38–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Oct
Blue-naped MousebirdUrocolius macrourusResidentCommon33–36 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.15% in Oct
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.14% in Oct
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusWinter visitorUncommon48–66 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.14% in Oct
WhitethroatCurruca communisPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.13% in Oct
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusWinter visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.13% in Oct
Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurusWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.12% in Oct
Little WeaverPloceus luteolusResidentUncommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Oct
Purple HeronArdea purpureaWinter visitorUncommon78–90 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.12% in Oct
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterPassage migrantCommon27–29 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.11% in Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Oct
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.11% in Oct
Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.10% in Oct
African Pygmy-falconPolihierax semitorquatusWinter visitorUncommon19–20 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.09% in Oct
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaWinter visitorUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.09% in Oct
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorUncommon33–42 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.09% in Oct
CuckooCuculus canorusPassage migrantUncommon32–34 cmRegularly Oct · 0.08% in Oct
Golden OrioleOriolus oriolusPassage migrantUncommon22–24 cmRegularly Sep–Oct · 0.08% in Oct
Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargusWinter visitorUncommon43–47 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.08% in Oct
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.07% in Oct
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.07% in Oct
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.07% in Oct
Tree PipitAnthus trivialisPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.07% in Oct
White-bellied BustardEupodotis senegalensisWinter visitorUncommon48–61 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.07% in Oct
House MartinDelichon urbicumWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.07% in Oct
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.07% in Oct
Little StintCalidris minutaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.06% in Oct
NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchosPassage migrantUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Dec · 0.06% in Oct
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaWinter visitorUncommon15–19 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.06% in Oct
WryneckJynx torquillaPassage migrantUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.06% in Oct
Blue Rock-thrushMonticola solitariusWinter visitorUncommon21–23 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.05% in Oct
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.05% in Oct
Purple GrenadierGranatina ianthinogasterWinter visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.05% in Oct
Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferrugineaWinter visitorUncommon58–70 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.05% in Oct
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaWinter visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.05% in Oct
Common CraneGrus grusWinter visitorUncommon100–130 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.05% in Oct
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
Red-and-yellow BarbetTrachyphonus erythrocephalusPassage migrantUncommon20–23 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.05% in Oct
WhinchatSaxicola rubetraPassage migrantUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.05% in Oct
Common SwiftApus apusPassage migrantUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.04% in Oct
Great Grey ShrikeLanius excubitorWinter visitorUncommon22–26 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.04% in Oct
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaWinter visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.04% in Oct
Little Ringed PloverThinornis dubiusWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.04% in Oct
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusPassage migrantUncommon112–150 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.04% in Oct
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.04% in Oct
Rufous-tailed Rock-thrushMonticola saxatilisWinter visitorUncommon16–19 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.03% in Oct
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaWinter visitorUncommon20–23 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.03% in Oct
European Turtle-doveStreptopelia turturPassage migrantRare26–28 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.03% in Oct
GarganeySpatula querquedulaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.03% in Oct
Red-billed ChoughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxPassage migrantUncommon39–43 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.03% in Oct
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentUncommon45–53 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.02% in Oct
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorUncommon27–29 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.02% 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