Birds to See in Namibia in December
78 bird species on our list for Namibia are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Fork-tailed Drongo, Southern Masked Weaver, Cape Starling, Helmeted Guineafowl and Egyptian Goose. New this month: Garden Warbler and Nightjar.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecAt their peak
From Namibia’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 78 birds in December
78 birds
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.43% in Dec
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.20% in Dec
Cape StarlingLamprotornis nitensResidentCommon25–28 cmRecorded all year · 1.20% in Dec
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Dec
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.86% in Dec
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentCommon210–275 cmRecorded all year · 0.66% in Dec
Pale-winged StarlingOnychognathus nabouroupResidentCommon25–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.66% in Dec
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.65% in Dec
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Dec
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.59% in Dec
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in Dec
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorCommon20–32 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.50% in Dec
Cape SparrowPasser melanurusResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in Dec
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorCommon19–21 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.48% in Dec
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.47% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaResidentUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Dec
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentCommon120–145 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in Dec
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.43% in Dec
Little StintCalidris minutaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.42% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Dec
Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurioSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.36% in Dec
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.35% in Dec
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Dec
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.31% in Dec
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.29% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentUncommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Dec
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Dec
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Dec
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaResidentUncommon42–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Dec
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaResidentUncommon18–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Dec
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentUncommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoSummer visitorUncommon51–57 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.20% in Dec
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.19% in Dec
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.19% in Dec
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Dec
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in Dec
Damara TernSternula balaenarumSummer visitorUncommon22–24 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.17% in Dec
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisResidentUncommon36–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.15% in Dec
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentUncommon35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollisResidentUncommon28–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
HobbyFalco subbuteoSummer visitorUncommon28–35 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.12% in Dec
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusResidentUncommon112–150 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Barn OwlTyto albaResidentUncommon33–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusSummer visitorUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.10% in Dec
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.09% in Dec
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.09% in Dec
European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorusPassage migrantUncommon52–60 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.08% in Dec
OspreyPandion haliaetusPassage migrantUncommon54–58 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.08% in Dec
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusSummer visitorUncommon44–52 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.07% in Dec
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaWinter visitorUncommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Dec
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorPassage migrantUncommon45–53 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.05% in Dec
African Pygmy-falconPolihierax semitorquatusResidentUncommon19–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Dec
Black TernChlidonias nigerSummer visitorUncommon22–26 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.04% in Dec
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaSummer visitorRare15–17 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.04% in Dec
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusPassage migrantUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.03% in Dec
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaPassage migrantRare12–14 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.03% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosSummer visitorRare50–65 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.03% in Dec
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusPassage migrantUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.02% in Dec
Golden OrioleOriolus oriolusSummer visitorRare22–24 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.02% in Dec
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusSummer visitorUncommon41–46 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Garden WarblerSylvia borinPassage migrantRare14–15 cmRegularly Dec–Jan · 0.01% in Dec
NightjarCaprimulgus europaeusPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly Dec · 0.01% in Dec
African PenguinSpheniscus demersusPassage migrantRare60–70 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.01% 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