List of birds of Zambia

This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition.

These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.

Order: Galliformes   Family: Numididae Guineafowl are a group of African, seed-eating, ground-nesting birds that resemble partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage.

Order: Phoenicopteriformes   Family: Phoenicopteridae Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.

Order: Otidiformes   Family: Otididae Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World.

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Rostratulidae Painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly coloured.

They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.

Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head.

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked, wading birds with long, stout bills.

Order: Suliformes   Family: Anhingidae Anhingas or darters are often called "snake-birds" because of their long thin neck, which gives a snake-like appearance when they swim with their bodies submerged.

Order: Coliiformes   Family: Coliidae The mousebirds are slender greyish or brown birds with soft, hairlike body feathers and very long thin tails.

Found in tropical woodlands worldwide, they feed on insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits.

Order: Bucerotiformes   Family: Upupidae Hoopoes have black, white and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head.

Order: Bucerotiformes   Family: Bucorvidae Hornbills are a group of birds whose bill is shaped like a cow's horn, but without a twist, sometimes with a casque on the upper mandible.

Order: Bucerotiformes   Family: Bucerotidae Hornbills are a group of birds whose bill is shaped like a cow's horn, but without a twist, sometimes with a casque on the upper mandible.

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Coraciidae Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters.

They are named for the greater honeyguide which leads traditional honey-hunters to bees' nests and, after the hunters have harvested the honey, feeds on the remaining contents of the hive.

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails and long tongues used for capturing insects.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Calyptomenidae The broadbills are small, brightly coloured birds, which feed on fruit and also take insects in flycatcher fashion, snapping their broad bills.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pittidae Pittas are medium-sized by passerine standards and are stocky, with fairly long, strong legs, short tails and stout bills.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Platysteiridae The wattle-eyes, or puffback flycatchers, are small stout passerine birds of the African tropics.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vangidae The helmetshrikes are similar in build to the shrikes, but tend to be colourful species with distinctive crests or other head ornaments, such as wattles, from which they get their name.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Malaconotidae Bushshrikes are similar in habits to shrikes, hunting insects and other small prey from a perch on a bush.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Macrosphenidae African warblers are small to medium-sized insectivores which are found in a wide variety of habitats south of the Sahara.

They are generally very small birds of drab brown or grey appearance found in open country such as grassland or scrub.

Some are colourful with yellow, red or orange vents, cheeks, throats or supercilia, but most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Zosteropidae The white-eyes are small and mostly undistinguished, their plumage above being generally some dull colour like greenish-olive, but some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast or lower parts, and several have buff flanks.

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Buphagidae As both the English and scientific names of these birds imply, they feed on ectoparasites, primarily ticks, found on large mammals.

African fish-eagle , the national bird of Zambia
The common ostrich ( Struthio camelus ) is the largest living species of bird.
The 'helmets' (actually casques ) of these helmeted guineafowl ( Numida meleagris ) are clearly visible.
The oddly shaped beaks of flamingos are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they consume and, uniquely, are used upside-down.
The dusky turtle-dove ( Streptopelia lugens ) lives in Zambia.
The kori bustard ( Ardeotis kori ) spends most of its time on the ground but is the heaviest bird capable of flying.
The Eurasian nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus ) winters in Zambia.
Grey crowned-cranes ( Balearica regulorum ) have large crests on their heads.
The wattled lapwing ( Vanellus senegallus ) occurs in Zambia.
The greater painted-snipe ( Rostratula benghalensis ) is not related to the true snipes and varies in many ways.
The collared pratincole ( Glareola pratincola ) is unusual among pratincoles as it hunts insects in the air.
The black-headed gull ( Chroicocephalus ridibundus ) spends northern winters in Zambia.
The shoebill derives its name from its massive shoe-shaped bill.
The shape of the hammerkop 's head with a curved bill and crest at the back is reminiscent of a hammer, hence its name.
The little egret ( Egretta garzetta ) catches prey by wading.
The secretarybird ( Sagittarius serpentarius ) is easily distinguished from other raptors by its long crane-like legs.
The osprey is a medium large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution.
The African grass-owl ( Tyto capensis ) is mainly nocturnal .
The speckled mousebird ( Colius striatus ) is the largest species of mousebird .
The southern yellow-billed hornbill ( Tockus leucomelas ) is a common, widespread resident of dry thorn fields and broad-leafed woodlands .
Although the woodland kingfisher ( Halcyon senegalensis ) is a " kingfisher ", it prefers drier habitats in more traditional woodland and can be far from water.
The European bee-eater ( Merops apiaster ), like other bee-eaters , is a richly coloured, slender bird.
The lilac-breasted roller ( Coracias caudata ) perches conspicuously at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot its prey .
The golden-tailed woodpecker ( Campethera abingoni ) lives throughout central and southern Africa .
The black-and-white shrike-flycatcher ( Bias musicus ) is found in dry forest habitats.
The fork-tailed drongo ( Dicrurus adsimilis ) has short legs and sits very upright when perched prominently.
The northern fiscal ( Lanius humeralis ) impales its prey on acacia thorns to eat later.
The white-tailed blue flycatcher ( Elminia albicauda ) is found around central and southern Africa .
The zitting cisticola ( Cisticola juncidis ) is best distinguished by its zit-zit-zit song.
The marsh warbler ( Acrocephalus palustris ) mimics the songs of other birds.
The barn swallow ( Hirundo rustica ) lives near humans and is tolerated because it eats insects.
The common bulbul ( Pycnonotus barbatus ) has readily taken to living alongside humans.
The African thrush ( Turdus pelios ) is common in well-wooded areas.
The white-eyed slaty flycatcher ( Melaenornis fischeri ) is commonly seen in gardens .
Sunbirds , such as this collared sunbird ( Hedydipna collaris ), are often brightly coloured.
The white-browed sparrow-weaver ( Plocepasser mahali ) is characterised by a broad, white eyebrow stripe.
The common waxbill ( Estrilda astrild ) is native to sub-Saharan Africa but has been introduced in other parts of the world.
The grey-headed sparrow ( Passer griseus ) occurs in a wide range of open habitats.
The white wagtail ( Motacilla alba ) lives near habitation and water.
The streaky seedeater ( Crithagra striolatus ) is found in Zambia .