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 47–69 of 83 species

Common Reed-warbler

Common Reed-warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Mar–Jan

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

Lanner Falcon

Falco biarmicusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Magpie Shrike

Urolestes melanoleucusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Honey-buzzard

European Honey-buzzard

Pernis apivorusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

Tree Pipit

Anthus trivialisLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Whitethroat

Curruca communisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Dec–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Fulvous Whistling-Duck

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

Dendrocygna bicolorLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

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Little Bittern

Little Bittern

Ixobrychus minutusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Garden Warbler

Sylvia borinLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flavaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Secretarybird

Sagittarius serpentariusEN

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Dec

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

Crowned Eagle

Stephanoaetus coronatusNT

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Feb–Dec

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

Cuckoo

Cuculus canorusLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Nov–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Gelochelidon niloticaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Nov–Feb

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

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellarisLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Mar

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

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferrugineaNT

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jul–Dec

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

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropusLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Sep–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Larus fuscusLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Montagu's Harrier

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Nov–Feb

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

Shoebill

Balaeniceps rexVU

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Jun–Aug

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

Cape Starling

Lamprotornis nitensLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jul–Aug

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

Booted Eagle

Hieraaetus pennatusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Nov–Mar

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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