Birds to See in Malaysia in October
56 bird species on our list for Malaysia are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Little Egret, Barn Swallow, Great White Egret and Purple Heron. New this month: Red-necked Phalarope, Garganey, Sand Martin and Pied Wagtail and 2 more.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctArriving
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 56 birds in October
56 birds
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 1.08% in Oct
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.03% in Oct
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.87% in Oct
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in Oct
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentCommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in Oct
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.63% in Oct
Blue-eared BarbetPsilopogon cyanotisResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in Oct
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaWinter visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.50% in Oct
Scaly-breasted MuniaLonchura punctulataResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.43% in Oct
Chestnut MuniaLonchura atricapillaResidentUncommon10–11 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Oct
Oriental Honey-buzzardPernis ptilorhynchusResidentUncommon52–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Oct
Rufous-tailed TailorbirdOrthotomus sericeusResidentCommon10–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Oct
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Oct
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.25% in Oct
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Oct
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisWinter visitorUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.22% in Oct
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorUncommon27–29 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.22% in Oct
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Oct
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.20% in Oct
Red JunglefowlGallus gallusResidentUncommon42–75 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in Oct
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusWinter visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.14% in Oct
Black EagleIctinaetus malaiensisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Oct
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.14% in Oct
Little TernSternula albifronsResidentUncommon21–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Oct
Little Ringed PloverThinornis dubiusWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.12% in Oct
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorUncommon33–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Oct
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Oct
Crested MynaAcridotheres cristatellusResidentUncommon24–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Oct
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.09% in Oct
MoorhenGallinula chloropusWinter visitorUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Oct
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaWinter visitorUncommon18–23 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.09% in Oct
Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinusWinter visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.06% in Oct
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.06% in Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.06% in Oct
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaWinter visitorUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.06% in Oct
Common TernSterna hirundoWinter visitorUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorUncommon54–58 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.05% in Oct
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantRare18–19 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.04% in Oct
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in Oct
Blue Rock-thrushMonticola solitariusResidentRare21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Oct
White-tailed RobinMyiomela leucuraResidentUncommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Oct
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorUncommon25–27 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.03% in Oct
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorRare20–32 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.03% in Oct
Orange-headed ThrushGeokichla citrinaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Oct
GarganeySpatula querquedulaWinter visitorRare37–41 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.02% in Oct
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaWinter visitorRare12–14 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.01% in Oct
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in Oct
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiWinter visitorRare13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.01% in Oct
Little StintCalidris minutaWinter visitorRare13–15 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.01% in Oct
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriPassage migrantRare38–42 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.01% in Oct
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaPassage migrantRare17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.01% in Oct
KestrelFalco tinnunculusWinter visitorRare32–39 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.01% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboPassage migrantRare80–100 cmRegularly Oct · 0.00% 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