Birds to See in Malaysia in December
63 bird species on our list for Malaysia are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Little Egret, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Barn Swallow, Great White Egret and Purple Heron. New this month: Black-headed Gull, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper and House Sparrow and 1 more.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
Leaving soon
From Malaysia’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 63 birds in December
63 birds
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.33% in Dec
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Dec
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 1.01% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 1.00% in Dec
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentCommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Dec
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.69% in Dec
Scaly-breasted MuniaLonchura punctulataResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Dec
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaWinter visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.44% in Dec
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.38% in Dec
Chestnut MuniaLonchura atricapillaResidentUncommon10–11 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Dec
Red JunglefowlGallus gallusResidentUncommon42–75 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Dec
Oriental Honey-buzzardPernis ptilorhynchusResidentUncommon52–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Dec
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.28% in Dec
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisWinter visitorUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.28% in Dec
Blue-eared BarbetPsilopogon cyanotisResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Dec
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Dec
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorUncommon27–29 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.26% in Dec
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.25% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusWinter visitorUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Dec
Rufous-tailed TailorbirdOrthotomus sericeusResidentCommon10–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
Little Ringed PloverThinornis dubiusWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.18% in Dec
Little TernSternula albifronsResidentUncommon21–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.16% in Dec
Crested MynaAcridotheres cristatellusResidentUncommon24–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Dec
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusWinter visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.14% in Dec
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.12% in Dec
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaWinter visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.12% in Dec
Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinusWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.12% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorUncommon33–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Dec
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Dec
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorUncommon54–58 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.09% in Dec
Orange-headed ThrushGeokichla citrinaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Dec
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaWinter visitorUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.08% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.07% in Dec
Common TernSterna hirundoWinter visitorUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.07% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatusWinter visitorUncommon10–11 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.05% in Dec
White-tailed RobinMyiomela leucuraResidentUncommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorUncommon25–27 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.04% in Dec
Black EagleIctinaetus malaiensisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaWinter visitorRare12–14 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.03% in Dec
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiWinter visitorRare13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.03% in Dec
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaPassage migrantUncommon40–47 cmRegularly Nov–Jan · 0.03% in Dec
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusWinter visitorRare38–44 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.02% in Dec
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaPassage migrantRare17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.02% in Dec
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.02% in Dec
Blue Rock-thrushMonticola solitariusResidentRare21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
GarganeySpatula querquedulaWinter visitorRare37–41 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.02% in Dec
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusWinter visitorRare42–51 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.02% in Dec
Little StintCalidris minutaWinter visitorRare13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorRare20–32 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusPassage migrantRare21–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
KestrelFalco tinnunculusWinter visitorRare32–39 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorRare44–51 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.01% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Dec–May · 0.01% in Dec
Northern PintailAnas acutaPassage migrantRare59–76 cmRegularly Nov–Jan · 0.01% in Dec
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriPassage migrantRare38–42 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.00% in Dec
Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataPassage migrantRare17–22 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.00% 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