Birds to See in Zambia in October
63 species listed for October · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
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.
New in October16
Leaving after last month
No departures — all species from last month remain.
Residents
(31)Recorded all year
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilisLC
Recorded all year
Helmeted Guineafowl
Numida meleagrisLC
Recorded all year
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
Recorded all year
African Jacana
Actophilornis africanusLC
Recorded all year
Cattle Egret
Ardea ibisLC
Recorded all year
Pied Crow
Corvus albusLC
Recorded all year
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Spur-winged Goose
Plectropterus gambensisLC
Recorded all year
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareolaLC
Recorded all year
Hoopoe
Upupa epopsLC
Recorded all year
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Recorded all year
Squacco Heron
Ardeola ralloidesLC
Recorded all year
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellusLC
Recorded all year
Southern Masked Weaver
Ploceus velatusLC
Recorded all year
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Recorded all year
Lesser Striped Swallow
Cecropis abyssinicaLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
African Marsh Harrier
Circus ranivorusLC
Recorded all year
Purple Heron
Ardea purpureaLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
Recorded all year
Black-crowned Night-heron
Nycticorax nycticoraxLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Magpie Shrike
Urolestes melanoleucusLC
Recorded all year
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicusLC
Recorded all year
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna bicolorLC
Recorded all year
Little Bittern
Ixobrychus minutusLC
Recorded all year
Summer visitors
(22)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
European Bee-eater
Merops apiasterLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Sep–May
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Regularly Jul–May
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Ruff
Calidris pugnaxLC
Regularly Jul–May
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly Sep–May
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusLC
Recorded all year
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Regularly Sep–May
Hobby
Falco subbuteoLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Red-backed Shrike
Lanius collurioLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
European Honey-buzzard
Pernis apivorusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Golden Oriole
Oriolus oriolusLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterusLC
Regularly Aug–May
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Winter visitors
(3)Present outside the breeding season
Passage migrants
(7)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferrugineaNT
Regularly Jul–Dec
White-bellied Bustard
Eupodotis senegalensisLC
Regularly May–Dec
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Regularly Jul–Feb
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Oct
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Regularly Oct
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Oct–Nov
Common Quail
Coturnix coturnixLC
Regularly 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