Birds to See in Malawi in March
25 bird species on our list for Malawi are recorded regularly in March
Of these, the most often recorded are Pied Crow, Fork-tailed Drongo, European Bee-eater, House Sparrow and Southern Masked Weaver. New this month: Great Cormorant, Rock Dove and Cuckoo.
On the move in March
GBIF · MarArriving
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 25 birds in March
25 birds
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 2.25% in Mar
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.19% in Mar
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.11% in Mar
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Mar
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.86% in Mar
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.81% in Mar
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.73% in Mar
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.68% in Mar
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Mar
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.46% in Mar
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in Mar
Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurioSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.40% in Mar
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Mar
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Mar
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Mar
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Mar
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorCommon80–100 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.23% in Mar
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusPassage migrantUncommon43–50 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.23% in Mar
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Mar
Rock DoveColumba liviaPassage migrantUncommon31–34 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.23% in Mar
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Mar
HobbyFalco subbuteoSummer visitorUncommon28–35 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.18% in Mar
CuckooCuculus canorusPassage migrantUncommon32–34 cmRegularly Jan–Mar · 0.15% in Mar
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaResidentUncommon15–19 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.13% in Mar
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaPassage migrantUncommon33–42 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.08% in Mar
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Willow Warbler 11–13 cm
- Southern Masked Weaver 13–15 cm
- Spotted Flycatcher 14–16 cm
- House Sparrow 14–17 cm
- Red-backed Shrike 16–18 cm
- Lesser Striped Swallow 15–19 cm
- Barn Swallow 17–19 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Fork-tailed Drongo 23–26 cm
- African Jacana 23–31 cm
- European Bee-eater 27–29 cm
- Hoopoe 25–32 cm
- Hobby 28–35 cm
- Rock Dove 31–34 cm
- Cuckoo 32–34 cm
- Gull-billed Tern 33–42 cm
- Lanner Falcon 43–50 cm
- Pied Crow 46–52 cm
- Cattle Egret 46–56 cm
- Helmeted Guineafowl 53–63 cm
- Little Egret 55–65 cm
- Egyptian Goose 63–73 cm
- Great Cormorant 80–100 cm
- Great White Egret 80–104 cm
- Grey Heron 90–98 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