Birds in Zambia

83 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024

Our list for Zambia has 83 bird species recorded regularly there: 31 residents, 25 summer visitors, 4 winter visitors, 18 passage migrants and 5 scarce visitors.

The list comes from 609,000 birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Birds to see in Zambia in September

47 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

All 47 birds in September

Arriving in September: European Bee-eater, Barn Swallow, Willow Warbler, House Martin, Ringed Plover, White-bellied Bustard, Green Sandpiper.

Through the year

Species recorded regularly in Zambia each month: most in December (68), fewest in June (37). Choose a month to see its birds.

4768
Show as a table
Willow Warbler
Willow WarblerSmallest · 11cm
to
Secretarybird
SecretarybirdLargest · 150cm
From the Willow Warbler (11 cm) to the Secretarybird (150 cm)41 families

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All 83 birds on the list

Showing 24–46 of 83 species

House Sparrow

House Sparrow

Passer domesticusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Greenshank

Greenshank

Tringa nebulariaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carboLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ruff

Ruff

Calidris pugnaxLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Swift

Common Swift

Apus apusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Moorhen

Moorhen

Gallinula chloropusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Hobby

Hobby

Falco subbuteoLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Buzzard

Buzzard

Buteo buteoLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Barn Owl

Barn Owl

Tyto albaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Purple Heron

Purple Heron

Ardea purpureaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
African Marsh Harrier

African Marsh Harrier

Circus ranivorusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black-crowned Night-heron

Black-crowned Night-heron

Nycticorax nycticoraxLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
House Martin

House Martin

Delichon urbicumLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
White-winged Tern

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sand Martin

Sand Martin

Riparia ripariaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Stint

Little Stint

Calidris minutaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Marsh Warbler

Marsh Warbler

Acrocephalus palustrisLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticulaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Avocet

Avocet

Recurvirostra avosettaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jun–Dec

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
White-bellied Bustard

White-bellied Bustard

Eupodotis senegalensisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Dec

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rock Dove

Rock Dove

Columba liviaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Frequently Asked Questions

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

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