Birds to See in Zambia in October
63 bird species on our list for Zambia are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are Fork-tailed Drongo, Helmeted Guineafowl, Egyptian Goose, European Bee-eater and African Jacana. New this month: Red-backed Shrike, Spotted Flycatcher, Common Swift and Hobby and 12 more.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctArriving
At their peak
Leaving soon
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 63 birds in October
63 birds
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Oct
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in Oct
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.78% in Oct
European Bee-eaterMerops apiasterSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.75% in Oct
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.73% in Oct
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in Oct
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in Oct
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in Oct
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in Oct
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.60% in Oct
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.50% in Oct
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentCommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in Oct
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaResidentUncommon19–21 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in Oct
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Oct
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Oct
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.38% in Oct
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Oct
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Oct
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Oct
GreenshankTringa nebulariaResidentUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Oct
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaResidentUncommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Oct
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Oct
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.18% in Oct
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.17% in Oct
BuzzardButeo buteoSummer visitorUncommon51–57 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.17% in Oct
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusResidentUncommon44–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Oct
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Oct
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.14% in Oct
Little StintCalidris minutaSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.14% in Oct
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Oct
OspreyPandion haliaetusSummer visitorUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Oct
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Oct
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.10% in Oct
Barn OwlTyto albaResidentUncommon33–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Oct
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.09% in Oct
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Oct
HobbyFalco subbuteoSummer visitorUncommon28–35 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.07% in Oct
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.06% in Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurioSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.05% in Oct
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentUncommon35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Oct
Garden WarblerSylvia borinSummer visitorUncommon14–15 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.04% in Oct
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.04% in Oct
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Oct
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantRare18–23 cmRegularly Jul–Dec · 0.03% in Oct
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusWinter visitorUncommon112–150 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.03% in Oct
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentUncommon45–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Oct
Crowned EagleStephanoaetus coronatusWinter visitorUncommon80–99 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.03% in Oct
European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorusSummer visitorUncommon52–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.03% in Oct
Golden OrioleOriolus oriolusSummer visitorUncommon22–24 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.03% in Oct
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusResidentUncommon33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Oct
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaSummer visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.02% in Oct
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaWinter visitorUncommon42–45 cmRegularly Jun–Dec · 0.02% in Oct
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in Oct
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.01% in Oct
White-bellied BustardEupodotis senegalensisPassage migrantUncommon48–61 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.01% in Oct
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusPassage migrantRare34–58 cmRegularly Jul–Feb · 0.01% in Oct
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaPassage migrantRare40–44 cmRegularly Oct · 0.01% in Oct
Tree PipitAnthus trivialisSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.01% in Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantRare21–24 cmRegularly Oct · 0.01% in Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Oct–Nov · 0.01% in Oct
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixPassage migrantRare16–18 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