Birds to See in Rwanda in December
49 bird species on our list for Rwanda are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Pied Crow, Common Sandpiper, Grey Heron, Cattle Egret and Spur-winged Goose. New this month: Western Marsh-harrier, Sedge Warbler, Rock Dove and Nightjar and 1 more.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
From Rwanda’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 49 birds in December
49 birds
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 1.22% in Dec
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.63% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.57% in Dec
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Dec
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentCommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Dec
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaResidentCommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in Dec
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.47% in Dec
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.46% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.43% in Dec
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Dec
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Dec
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.27% in Dec
Blue-naped MousebirdUrocolius macrourusResidentUncommon33–36 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Dec
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentUncommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Dec
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaSummer visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.22% in Dec
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentUncommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Dec
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Dec
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Dec
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaSummer visitorUncommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.15% in Dec
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusSummer visitorUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.14% in Dec
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentUncommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.14% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Dec
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentUncommon44–52 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.12% in Dec
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.11% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoSummer visitorUncommon51–57 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.10% in Dec
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusWinter visitorUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.10% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaSummer visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 0.10% in Dec
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusPassage migrantUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.07% in Dec
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorSummer visitorUncommon45–53 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.07% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusPassage migrantUncommon48–56 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.05% in Dec
Garden WarblerSylvia borinSummer visitorRare14–15 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.04% in Dec
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.04% in Dec
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusPassage migrantRare42–51 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.03% in Dec
European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorusPassage migrantUncommon52–60 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.03% in Dec
HoopoeUpupa epopsSummer visitorRare25–32 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.03% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaPassage migrantRare31–34 cmRegularly Jul–Feb · 0.03% in Dec
WhinchatSaxicola rubetraSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.03% in Dec
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.02% in Dec
Crowned EagleStephanoaetus coronatusWinter visitorUncommon80–99 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.02% in Dec
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Dec · 0.01% in Dec
NightjarCaprimulgus europaeusPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly Dec · 0.01% in Dec
OspreyPandion haliaetusPassage migrantUncommon54–58 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 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