Birds to See in Zambia in May
44 bird species on our list for Zambia are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Fork-tailed Drongo, Pied Crow, Egyptian Goose, Cattle Egret and Helmeted Guineafowl. New this month: White-bellied Bustard, Secretarybird, Crowned Eagle and Alpine Swift.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayArriving
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 44 birds in May
44 birds
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.48% in May
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.87% in May
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in May
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in May
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in May
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentCommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in May
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in May
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in May
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in May
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaResidentUncommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in May
Barn OwlTyto albaResidentUncommon33–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in May
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentUncommon44–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in May
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in May
GreenshankTringa nebulariaResidentUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in May
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.09% in May
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.08% in May
OspreyPandion haliaetusSummer visitorUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaResidentUncommon19–21 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentUncommon35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusResidentUncommon33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in May
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.05% in May
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in May
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentUncommon45–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in May
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in May
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusWinter visitorUncommon112–150 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.04% in May
Crowned EagleStephanoaetus coronatusWinter visitorUncommon80–99 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.03% in May
Little StintCalidris minutaSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.03% in May
White-bellied BustardEupodotis senegalensisPassage migrantUncommon48–61 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.02% in May
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.02% in May
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaPassage migrantRare20–23 cmRegularly May–Jul · 0.02% in May
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.02% in May
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.01% in May
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