Birds to See in Malawi in December
35 bird species on our list for Malawi are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Pied Crow, House Sparrow, Barn Swallow, Helmeted Guineafowl and Fork-tailed Drongo. New this month: African Marsh Harrier, Barn Owl and Peregrine Falcon.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
From Malawi’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 35 birds in December
35 birds
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 1.63% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in Dec
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.82% in Dec
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in Dec
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Dec
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.53% in Dec
Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurioSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.46% in Dec
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.46% in Dec
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.46% in Dec
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.43% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoSummer visitorUncommon51–57 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.41% in Dec
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Dec
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.36% in Dec
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.34% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Dec
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentCommon75–115 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.34% in Dec
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Dec
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Dec
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.24% in Dec
Crowned EagleStephanoaetus coronatusPassage migrantUncommon80–99 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.22% in Dec
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Dec
HobbyFalco subbuteoSummer visitorUncommon28–35 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.19% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisPassage migrantUncommon23–29 cmRegularly Nov–Dec · 0.19% in Dec
Barn OwlTyto albaPassage migrantUncommon33–39 cmRegularly Sep–Feb · 0.17% in Dec
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusPassage migrantUncommon43–50 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.17% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusPassage migrantUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Dec · 0.17% in Dec
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixSummer visitorUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Sep–Jan · 0.14% in Dec
Garden WarblerSylvia borinSummer visitorUncommon14–15 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.14% in Dec
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentCommon40–49 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.14% in Dec
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Sep–Jan · 0.14% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaPassage migrantUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Sep–Dec · 0.12% in Dec
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaResidentUncommon15–19 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.12% in Dec
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusPassage migrantUncommon44–52 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.10% in Dec
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