Birds to See in Malawi in September
30 bird species on our list for Malawi are recorded regularly in September
Of these, the most often recorded are Pied Crow, Fork-tailed Drongo, Great White Egret, Hoopoe and Grey Heron. New this month: European Bee-eater, Barn Swallow, Wood Sandpiper and Greenshank and 5 more.
On the move in September
GBIF · SepFrom 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 30 birds in September
30 birds
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 1.34% in Sep
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.08% in Sep
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Sep
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.59% in Sep
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in Sep
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in Sep
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in Sep
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in Sep
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.52% in Sep
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in Sep
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.43% in Sep
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in Sep
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.37% in Sep
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentCommon75–115 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.34% in Sep
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorCommon80–100 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.31% in Sep
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaResidentUncommon15–19 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.31% in Sep
GreenshankTringa nebulariaPassage migrantUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Sep–Dec · 0.30% in Sep
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentCommon40–49 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.29% in Sep
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Sep–Jan · 0.28% in Sep
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusWinter visitorCommon48–66 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.25% in Sep
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxPassage migrantUncommon58–65 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.13% in Sep
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.13% in Sep
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.11% in Sep
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixSummer visitorUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Sep–Jan · 0.11% in Sep
Little StintCalidris minutaPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Nov · 0.10% in Sep
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusPassage migrantUncommon44–52 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.10% in Sep
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusPassage migrantUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Sep–Jan · 0.10% in Sep
OspreyPandion haliaetusPassage migrantUncommon54–58 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.09% in Sep
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorPassage migrantUncommon45–53 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.05% in Sep
Barn OwlTyto albaPassage migrantUncommon33–39 cmRegularly Sep–Feb · 0.04% in Sep
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Southern Masked Weaver 13–15 cm
- Little Stint 13–15 cm
- House Sparrow 14–17 cm
- Lesser Striped Swallow 15–19 cm
- Common Quail 16–18 cm
- Barn Swallow 17–19 cm
- Common Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Wood Sandpiper 19–21 cm
- Green Sandpiper 21–24 cm
- Fork-tailed Drongo 23–26 cm
- African Jacana 23–31 cm
- European Bee-eater 27–29 cm
- Hoopoe 25–32 cm
- Greenshank 30–35 cm
- Barn Owl 33–39 cm
- Squacco Heron 40–49 cm
- African Marsh Harrier 44–52 cm
- Pied Crow 46–52 cm
- Fulvous Whistling-Duck 45–53 cm
- Cattle Egret 46–56 cm
- Osprey 54–58 cm
- Glossy Ibis 48–66 cm
- Helmeted Guineafowl 53–63 cm
- Little Egret 55–65 cm
- Black-crowned Night-heron 58–65 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