Birds to See in Zambia in December
68 bird species on our list for Zambia are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Fork-tailed Drongo, Barn Swallow, Cattle Egret, Helmeted Guineafowl and African Jacana. New this month: Whitethroat, Peregrine Falcon, Curlew and Greater Flamingo.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
From Zambia’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 68 birds in December
68 birds
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in Dec
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–May · 1.02% in Dec
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.86% in Dec
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Dec
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in Dec
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentCommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Dec
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.66% in Dec
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in Dec
Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurioSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.54% in Dec
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Dec
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaResidentUncommon19–21 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in Dec
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.48% in Dec
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in Dec
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.42% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Dec
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in Dec
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.36% in Dec
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaResidentUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Dec
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.26% in Dec
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaResidentUncommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Dec
HobbyFalco subbuteoSummer visitorUncommon28–35 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.23% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in Dec
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
OspreyPandion haliaetusSummer visitorUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in Dec
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.18% in Dec
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoSummer visitorUncommon51–57 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.15% in Dec
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.14% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Dec
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentUncommon44–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
Barn OwlTyto albaResidentUncommon33–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Little StintCalidris minutaSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.11% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Dec
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.10% in Dec
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.09% in Dec
Golden OrioleOriolus oriolusSummer visitorUncommon22–24 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.07% in Dec
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusSummer visitorUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.07% in Dec
Tree PipitAnthus trivialisSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.07% in Dec
WhitethroatCurruca communisPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.07% in Dec
Garden WarblerSylvia borinSummer visitorUncommon14–15 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.06% in Dec
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaSummer visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.05% in Dec
Crowned EagleStephanoaetus coronatusWinter visitorUncommon80–99 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.05% in Dec
European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorusSummer visitorUncommon52–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.05% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Dec
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.05% in Dec
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaPassage migrantRare33–42 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.05% in Dec
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Dec
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.04% in Dec
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantRare18–23 cmRegularly Jul–Dec · 0.04% in Dec
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.04% in Dec
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusWinter visitorUncommon112–150 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.04% in Dec
CuckooCuculus canorusSummer visitorRare32–34 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.03% in Dec
Marsh WarblerAcrocephalus palustrisSummer visitorUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.03% in Dec
Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargusPassage migrantRare43–47 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.03% in Dec
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentUncommon35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentUncommon45–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusResidentUncommon33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
NightjarCaprimulgus europaeusPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly Nov–Dec · 0.02% in Dec
White-bellied BustardEupodotis senegalensisPassage migrantUncommon48–61 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.02% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusPassage migrantRare34–58 cmRegularly Jul–Feb · 0.02% in Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataPassage migrantRare50–60 cmRegularly Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusPassage migrantRare120–145 cmRegularly Dec · 0.01% in Dec
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaWinter visitorUncommon42–45 cmRegularly Jun–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