Rare Birds in Zambia
Our list for Zambia has 24 rare birds recorded regularly there: 2 summer visitors, 1 winter visitor, 16 passage migrants and 5 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Zambia in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 24, most common first
CuckooCuculus canorusSummer visitorRare32–34 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaPassage migrantRare33–42 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellarisPassage migrantRare69–81 cmRegularly Mar
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantRare18–23 cmRegularly Jul–Dec
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusSummer visitorRare21–24 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusScarceRare52–64 cm
Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargusPassage migrantRare43–47 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
ShoebillBalaeniceps rexWinter visitorRare110–140 cmRegularly Jun–Aug
Cape StarlingLamprotornis nitensPassage migrantRare25–28 cmRegularly Jul–Aug
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusPassage migrantRare42–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusPassage migrantRare34–58 cmRegularly Jul–Feb
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaPassage migrantRare20–23 cmRegularly May–Jul
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaScarceRare27–30 cm
SanderlingCalidris albaPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Oct–Nov
NightjarCaprimulgus europaeusPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly Nov–Dec
CorncrakeCrex crexPassage migrantRare22–30 cmRegularly Jan–Feb
CurlewNumenius arquataPassage migrantRare50–60 cmRegularly Dec
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusPassage migrantRare120–145 cmRegularly Dec
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaPassage migrantRare40–44 cmRegularly Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantRare21–24 cmRegularly Oct
WhinchatSaxicola rubetraScarceRare12–14 cm
Common OstrichStruthio camelusScarceRare210–275 cm
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixPassage migrantRare16–18 cmRegularly Oct
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Whinchat 12–14 cm
- Common Quail 16–18 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Curlew Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Alpine Swift 20–23 cm
- Green Sandpiper 21–24 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Nightjar 24–28 cm
- Corncrake 22–30 cm
- Cape Starling 25–28 cm
- Grey Plover 27–30 cm
- Cuckoo 32–34 cm
- Gull-billed Tern 33–42 cm
- Bar-tailed Godwit 37–41 cm
- Black-tailed Godwit 40–44 cm
- Montagu's Harrier 43–47 cm
- Peregrine Falcon 34–58 cm
- Booted Eagle 42–51 cm
- Curlew 50–60 cm
- Lesser Black-backed Gull 52–64 cm
- Eurasian Bittern 69–81 cm
- Shoebill 110–140 cm
- Greater Flamingo 120–145 cm
- Common Ostrich 210–275 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
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