Burundi bird checklist

473 bird species in 83 families have been recorded in Burundi, according to eBird; about 288 of them are seen regularly, and the rest are rarities, vagrants and escaped or introduced birds. Download the full list as a PDF, or tick birds off on your phone, with counts and notes, even without signal.

Species data: eBird.org, updated 13 Oct 2026 · How these lists are made

The most common birds in Burundi right now

1Yellow-fronted Canary
2Angola Swallow
3Arrow-marked Babbler
4Common Bulbul
5Baglafecht Weaver
6Northern Gray-headed Sparrow
7Pied Crow
8Lesser Striped Swallow
9Speckled Mousebird
10Red-cheeked Cordonbleu

The top 20, and how they are ranked

Burundi bird checklist

473 species · loading the checklist tools…

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

White-faced Whistling-Duck
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
White-backed Duck
Knob-billed Duck
Egyptian Goose
Spur-winged Goose
Garganey
Blue-billed Teal
African Black Duck
Yellow-billed Duck
Red-billed Duck

Guineafowl

Helmeted Guineafowl

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Handsome Spurfowl
Scaly Spurfowl
Red-necked Spurfowl

Pigeons and Doves

Rock Pigeon
Speckled Pigeon
Rameron Pigeon
Lemon Dove
Dusky Turtle-Dove
Red-eyed Dove
Ring-necked Dove
Laughing Dove
Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
Blue-spotted Wood-Dove
Tambourine Dove
African Green-Pigeon

Bustards

Black-bellied Bustard

Turacos

Great Blue Turaco
Bare-faced Go-away-bird
Eastern Plantain-eater
Rwenzori Turaco
Purple-crested Turaco
Ross's Turaco
Black-billed Turaco

Cuckoos

Blue-headed Coucal
White-browed Coucal
Black Coucal
Blue Malkoha
Levaillant's Cuckoo
Pied Cuckoo
Dideric Cuckoo
Klaas's Cuckoo
African Emerald Cuckoo
Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo
Black Cuckoo
Red-chested Cuckoo
African Cuckoo
Common Cuckoo

Nightjars and Allies

Eurasian Nightjar
Montane Nightjar
Freckled Nightjar
Square-tailed Nightjar

Swifts

Alpine Swift
Mottled Swift
Common Swift
African Swift
Little Swift
White-rumped Swift
African Palm Swift

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

Corn Crake
Eurasian Moorhen
Red-knobbed Coot
African Swamphen
Black Crake

Cranes

Gray Crowned-Crane

Thick-knees

Spotted Thick-knee
Water Thick-knee

Stilts and Avocets

Black-winged Stilt

Plovers and Lapwings

Black-bellied Plover
Common Ringed Plover
Forbes's Plover
Three-banded Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Long-toed Lapwing
Spur-winged Lapwing
Senegal Lapwing
Wattled Lapwing
Brown-chested Lapwing
Caspian Plover
Kittlitz's Plover
White-fronted Plover

Painted-Snipes

Greater Painted-Snipe

Jacanas

Lesser Jacana
African Jacana

Sandpipers and Allies

Eurasian Whimbrel
Eurasian Curlew
Great Snipe
African Snipe
Common Snipe
Terek Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Redshank
Spotted Redshank
Common Greenshank
Ruff
Curlew Sandpiper
Temminck's Stint
Little Stint

Pratincoles and Coursers

Temminck's Courser
Gray Pratincole
Collared Pratincole
Black-winged Pratincole

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Slender-billed Gull
Gray-hooded Gull
Pallas's Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
African Skimmer
Gull-billed Tern
Whiskered Tern
White-winged Tern

Flamingos

Greater Flamingo
Lesser Flamingo

Grebes

Little Grebe

Storks

African Openbill
Saddle-billed Stork
Marabou Stork
Yellow-billed Stork

Anhingas

African Darter

Cormorants and Shags

Reed Cormorant
Great Cormorant

Ibises and Spoonbills

Glossy Ibis
African Sacred Ibis
Hadada Ibis
African Spoonbill

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Little Bittern
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black Heron
Little Egret
Little Heron
Rufous-bellied Heron
Squacco Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Great Egret
Yellow-billed Egret
Gray Heron
Purple Heron
Black-headed Heron
Goliath Heron

Hamerkop

Hamerkop

Pelicans

Great White Pelican
Pink-backed Pelican

Osprey

Osprey

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Black-winged Kite
African Harrier-Hawk
Palm-nut Vulture
European Honey-buzzard
White-backed Vulture
Bateleur
Western Banded Snake-Eagle
Black-chested Snake-Eagle
Crowned Eagle
Martial Eagle
Long-crested Eagle
Lesser Spotted Eagle
Wahlberg's Eagle
Ayres's Hawk-Eagle
Booted Eagle
Tawny Eagle
Cassin's Hawk-Eagle
Bat Hawk
Gabar Goshawk
Lizard Buzzard
African Goshawk
Little Sparrowhawk
Shikra
Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk
Black Goshawk
Western Marsh Harrier
African Marsh Harrier
Black Kite
African Fish-Eagle
Augur Buzzard
Mountain Buzzard
Common Buzzard

Barn-Owls

Western Barn Owl

Owls

Spotted Eagle-Owl
Pearl-spotted Owlet
Red-chested Owlet
African Wood-Owl
Marsh Owl

Mousebirds

Speckled Mousebird

Trogons

Narina Trogon
Bar-tailed Trogon

Hoopoes

Common Hoopoe

Woodhoopoes and Scimitarbills

White-headed Woodhoopoe
Common Scimitarbill

Hornbills

Southern Ground-Hornbill
Crowned Hornbill
Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill

Bee-eaters

White-fronted Bee-eater
Little Bee-eater
Blue-breasted Bee-eater
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
White-throated Bee-eater
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
European Bee-eater
Southern Carmine Bee-eater

Kingfishers

Malachite Kingfisher
African Pygmy Kingfisher
Gray-headed Kingfisher
Woodland Kingfisher
Striped Kingfisher
Giant Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher

Rollers

European Roller
Lilac-breasted Roller
Broad-billed Roller

African Barbets

Western Tinkerbird
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
Spot-flanked Barbet
Double-toothed Barbet

Honeyguides

Brown-backed Honeybird
Least Honeyguide
Scaly-throated Honeyguide
Greater Honeyguide

Woodpeckers

Red-throated Wryneck
Cardinal Woodpecker
Olive Woodpecker
Fine-banded Woodpecker
Golden-tailed Woodpecker

Falcons and Caracaras

Lesser Kestrel
Eurasian Kestrel
Gray Kestrel
Red-necked Falcon
Eurasian Hobby
African Hobby
Lanner Falcon
Peregrine Falcon

Old World Parrots

Red-headed Lovebird
Yellow-collared Lovebird

New World and African Parrots

Gray Parrot
Meyer's Parrot

African and Green Broadbills

African Broadbill

Cuckooshrikes

Gray Cuckooshrike
White-breasted Cuckooshrike
Black Cuckooshrike

Old World Orioles

Eurasian Golden Oriole
African Golden Oriole
African Black-headed Oriole
Black-tailed Oriole

Wattle-eyes and Batises

Brown-throated Wattle-eye
Black-throated Wattle-eye
Rwenzori Batis
Chinspot Batis
Western Black-headed Batis

Vangas, Helmetshrikes, and Allies

White-crested Helmetshrike

Bushshrikes and Allies

Northern Puffback
Black-backed Puffback
Black-crowned Tchagra
Brown-crowned Tchagra
Lühder's Bushshrike
Tropical Boubou
Black-headed Gonolek
Albertine Boubou
Doherty's Bushshrike
Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike
Lagden's Bushshrike
Gray-headed Bushshrike

Drongos

Fork-tailed Drongo

Monarch Flycatchers

African Crested Flycatcher
African Paradise-Flycatcher

Shrikes

Red-backed Shrike
Isabelline Shrike
Lesser Gray Shrike
Gray-backed Fiscal
Mackinnon's Shrike
Northern Fiscal

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

Pied Crow
White-necked Raven

Fairy Flycatchers

White-tailed Blue Flycatcher
White-tailed Crested Flycatcher

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

Rufous-bellied Tit
Stripe-breasted Tit

Larks

Fischer's Sparrow-Lark
Rufous-naped Lark

African Warblers

White-browed Crombec
Red-faced Crombec
Moustached Grass-Warbler

Cisticolas and Allies

Green-capped Eremomela
White-chinned Prinia
Rwenzori Apalis
Green-backed Camaroptera
Black-throated Apalis
Black-faced Apalis
Chestnut-throated Apalis
Gray Apalis
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Banded Prinia
Black-faced Rufous-Warbler
Gray-capped Warbler
Red-faced Cisticola
Trilling Cisticola
Chubb's Cisticola
Chirping Cisticola
Winding Cisticola
Croaking Cisticola
Siffling Cisticola
Zitting Cisticola

Reed Warblers and Allies

Grauer's Warbler
African Yellow-Warbler
Mountain Yellow-Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Common Reed Warbler
Lesser Swamp Warbler
Greater Swamp Warbler
Great Reed Warbler

Grassbirds and Allies

Cinnamon Bracken-Warbler
Grauer's Swamp Warbler
Highland Rush Warbler

Swallows

White-headed Sawwing
Black Sawwing
Gray-rumped Swallow
Banded Martin
Plain Martin
Bank Swallow
Red-throated Crag-Martin
Barn Swallow
Angola Swallow
Wire-tailed Swallow
Western House-Martin
African Red-rumped Swallow
Lesser Striped Swallow
Rufous-chested Swallow
Mosque Swallow

Bulbuls

Slender-billed Greenbul
Pale-throated Greenbul
Shelley's Greenbul
Kikuyu Mountain Greenbul
Yellow-whiskered Greenbul
Plain Greenbul
Yellow-streaked Greenbul
Common Bulbul

Leaf Warblers

Willow Warbler
Red-faced Woodland-Warbler

Bush Warblers and Allies

Neumann's Warbler

Sylviid Warblers and Allies

Garden Warbler
Rwenzori Hill Babbler

White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies

Green White-eye

Ground Babblers and Allies

Mountain Illadopsis

Laughingthrushes and Allies

Red-collared Mountain-Babbler
Arrow-marked Babbler
Hartlaub's Babbler
Black-lored Babbler

Starlings

Wattled Starling
Violet-backed Starling
Slender-billed Starling
Waller's Starling
Sharpe's Starling
Stuhlmann's Starling
Rüppell's Starling
Splendid Starling
Greater Blue-eared Starling

Thrushes and Allies

Abyssinian Ground-Thrush
Abyssinian Thrush
African Thrush

Old World Flycatchers

African Dusky Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher
Swamp Flycatcher
Pale Flycatcher
Ashy Flycatcher
Yellow-eyed Black-Flycatcher
White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher
Miombo Scrub-Robin
Brown-backed Scrub-Robin
White-browed Scrub-Robin
Archer's Robin-Chat
White-browed Robin-Chat
Collared Palm-Thrush
White-starred Robin
Red-throated Alethe
Gray-winged Robin-Chat
Equatorial Akalat
Semicollared Flycatcher
Collared Flycatcher
Miombo Rock-Thrush
Whinchat
African Stonechat
Sooty Chat
Arnot's Chat
Northern Wheatear
Familiar Chat

Dapple-throat and Allies

Gray-chested Babbler

Sunbirds and Spiderhunters

Western Violet-backed Sunbird
Collared Sunbird
Green-headed Sunbird
Blue-headed Sunbird
Olive Sunbird
Green-throated Sunbird
Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Purple-breasted Sunbird
Bronze Sunbird
Malachite Sunbird
Olive-bellied Sunbird
Western Miombo Sunbird
Stuhlmann's Sunbird
Northern Double-collared Sunbird
Regal Sunbird
Marico Sunbird
Red-chested Sunbird
Variable Sunbird
Copper Sunbird

Weavers and Allies

Red-headed Weaver
Baglafecht Weaver
Slender-billed Weaver
Black-necked Weaver
Spectacled Weaver
Black-billed Weaver
Strange Weaver
Holub's Golden-Weaver
Northern Brown-throated Weaver
Lesser Masked-Weaver
Vieillot's Black Weaver
Village Weaver
Black-headed Weaver
Compact Weaver
Red-billed Quelea
Southern Red Bishop
Black-winged Bishop
Yellow Bishop
Red-collared Widowbird
Fan-tailed Widowbird
Grosbeak Weaver

Waxbills and Allies

Bronze Mannikin
Magpie Mannikin
Black-and-white Mannikin
White-collared Oliveback
Yellow-bellied Waxbill
Dusky Crimsonwing
Abyssinian Crimsonwing
Red-faced Crimsonwing
Gray-headed Nigrita
Black-crowned Waxbill
Kandt's Waxbill
Orange-cheeked Waxbill
Fawn-breasted Waxbill
Common Waxbill
Crimson-rumped Waxbill
Southern Cordonbleu
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu
Red-headed Bluebill
Green-winged Pytilia
Dusky Twinspot
Red-billed Firefinch
African Firefinch

Whydahs and Indigobirds

Pin-tailed Whydah
Village Indigobird

Old World Sparrows

House Sparrow
Northern Gray-headed Sparrow

Wagtails and Pipits

Cape Wagtail
Mountain Wagtail
Gray Wagtail
Western Yellow Wagtail
African Pied Wagtail
African Pipit
Long-billed Pipit
Plain-backed Pipit
Tree Pipit
Yellow-throated Longclaw

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

Yellow-fronted Canary
Western Citril
Black-faced Canary
Black-throated Canary
Brimstone Canary
Streaky Seedeater
Thick-billed Seedeater
Yellow-crowned Canary

Old World Buntings

Golden-breasted Bunting
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Most common birds in Burundi

Ranked by how recently and how widely each was reported to eBird in the 30 days to 2026-10-13, and whether it is one of Burundi’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.

Yellow-fronted CanaryCrithagra mozambica
Angola SwallowHirundo angolensis
Arrow-marked BabblerTurdoides jardineii
Common BulbulPycnonotus barbatus
Baglafecht WeaverPloceus baglafecht
Northern Gray-headed SparrowPasser griseus
Pied CrowCorvus albus
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinica
Speckled MousebirdColius striatus
Red-cheeked CordonbleuUraeginthus bengalus
Bronze MannikinSpermestes cucullata
Tropical BoubouLaniarius major
African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicus
Variable SunbirdCinnyris venustus
Black-headed HeronArdea melanocephala
Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensis
Arnot's ChatMyrmecocichla arnotti
Red-billed FirefinchLagonosticta senegala
Scarlet-chested SunbirdChalcomitra senegalensis
African Pied WagtailMotacilla aguimp

Largest bird families in Burundi

Among its regular birds.

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites19
Weavers and Allies14
Waxbills and Allies14
Cisticolas and Allies14
Sunbirds and Spiderhunters12
Swallows11
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns11
Old World Flycatchers11

Reported in the last 30 days

22 species reported to eBird in Burundi in the 30 days to 2026-10-13, most recent first:

Yellow-fronted Canary, Angola Swallow, Arrow-marked Babbler, Baglafecht Weaver, Common Bulbul, Northern Gray-headed Sparrow, Lesser Striped Swallow, Pied Crow, Red-cheeked Cordonbleu, Speckled Mousebird, Tropical Boubou, Arnot's Chat, Bronze Mannikin, Variable Sunbird, Black-headed Heron, African Sacred Ibis, Eurasian Kestrel, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Laughing Dove, Western Citril, Red-billed Firefinch, African Pied Wagtail.