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Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World
Western Sahara
This checklist includes all bird species found in Western Sahara , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to .
The taxonomic order and nomenclature follows Clements 5th edition (incl. 2005 revisions). If you prefer to view the list based on a different authority, click on one of the list available below. Globally threatened species (status in red) were identified by Birdlife International in Birdlife Data Zone (species).
Bird Checklists of the World is part of Avibase and Bird links to the World, which are designed and maintained by Denis Lepage, and hosted by Birds Canada, which is a co-partner of Birdlife International.
© Denis Lepage 2023
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Country or region: Western Sahara [map]
Number of species: 353
Date last reviewed: 2016-07-01
Last modified: 2023-10-22
See also: https://www.africanbirdclub.org/countries/checklists/download
Date last reviewed: 2016-07-01
Last modified: 2023-10-22
See also: https://www.africanbirdclub.org/countries/checklists/download
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| Ostrich | Struthio camelus | |
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| Common Loon | Gavia immer | Rare/Accidental |
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| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | |
| Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | |
| Eared Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | |
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| Fea's Petrel | Pterodroma feae | Rare/Accidental |
| Madeira Petrel | Pterodroma madeira | Rare/Accidental |
| Bulwer's Petrel | Bulweria bulwerii | Rare/Accidental |
| Cory's Shearwater | Calonectris diomedea | |
| Cape Verde Shearwater | Calonectris edwardsii | Rare/Accidental |
| Greater Shearwater | Puffinus gravis | |
| Sooty Shearwater | Puffinus griseus | |
| Manx Shearwater | Puffinus puffinus | |
| Balearic Shearwater | Puffinus mauretanicus | |
| Little Shearwater | Puffinus assimilis | Rare/Accidental |
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| Wilson's Storm-Petrel | Oceanites oceanicus | |
| White-faced Storm-Petrel | Pelagodroma marina | Rare/Accidental |
| European Storm-Petrel | Hydrobates pelagicus | |
| Band-rumped Storm-Petrel | Oceanodroma castro | Rare/Accidental |
| Leach's Storm-Petrel | Oceanodroma leucorhoa | |
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| Red-billed Tropicbird | Phaethon aethereus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Great White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Northern Gannet | Morus bassanus | |
| Masked Booby | Sula dactylatra | Rare/Accidental |
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| Great Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | |
| European Shag | Phalacrocorax aristotelis | |
| Long-tailed Cormorant | Phalacrocorax africanus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Gray Heron | Ardea cinerea | |
| Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | Rare/Accidental |
| Western Reef-Heron | Egretta gularis | Rare/Accidental |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | |
| Squacco Heron | Ardeola ralloides | |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | |
| Little Bittern | Ixobrychus minutus | |
| Great Bittern | Botaurus stellaris | Rare/Accidental |
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| Yellow-billed Stork | Mycteria ibis | |
| Black Stork | Ciconia nigra | |
| White Stork | Ciconia ciconia | |
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| Waldrapp | Geronticus eremita | |
| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus | |
| Eurasian Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | |
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| Greater Flamingo | Phoenicopterus roseus | |
| Lesser Flamingo | Phoenicopterus minor | Rare/Accidental |
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| Greater White-fronted Goose | Anser albifrons | Rare/Accidental |
| Greylag Goose | Anser anser | Rare/Accidental |
| Brant | Branta bernicla | Rare/Accidental |
| Ruddy Shelduck | Tadorna ferruginea | |
| Common Shelduck | Tadorna tadorna | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Wigeon | Anas penelope | |
| Gadwall | Anas strepera | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Teal | Anas crecca | |
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | |
| Northern Pintail | Anas acuta | |
| Garganey | Anas querquedula | |
| Northern Shoveler | Anas clypeata | |
| Marbled Teal | Marmaronetta angustirostris | |
| Red-crested Pochard | Netta rufina | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Pochard | Aythya ferina | |
| Ring-necked Duck | Aythya collaris | Rare/Accidental |
| Ferruginous Pochard | Aythya nyroca | Rare/Accidental |
| Tufted Duck | Aythya fuligula | Rare/Accidental |
| Greater Scaup | Aythya marila | Rare/Accidental |
| Lesser Scaup | Aythya affinis | Rare/Accidental |
| Black Scoter | Melanitta nigra | |
| Ruddy Duck | Oxyura jamaicensis | Rare/Accidental |
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| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | |
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| European Honey-buzzard | Pernis apivorus | |
| Black-shouldered Kite | Elanus caeruleus | |
| Red Kite | Milvus milvus | |
| Black Kite | Milvus migrans | |
| Lammergeier | Gypaetus barbatus | |
| Egyptian Vulture | Neophron percnopterus | |
| Rueppell's Griffon | Gyps rueppellii | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Griffon | Gyps fulvus | |
| Lappet-faced Vulture | Torgos tracheliotus | Rare/Accidental |
| Short-toed Eagle | Circaetus gallicus | |
| Western Marsh-Harrier | Circus aeruginosus | |
| Northern Harrier | Circus cyaneus | |
| Pallid Harrier | Circus macrourus | Rare/Accidental |
| Montagu's Harrier | Circus pygargus | |
| Dark Chanting-Goshawk | Melierax metabates | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus | |
| Eurasian Buzzard | Buteo buteo | |
| Long-legged Buzzard | Buteo rufinus | |
| Tawny Eagle | Aquila rapax | |
| Steppe Eagle | Aquila nipalensis | Rare/Accidental |
| Spanish Eagle | Aquila adalberti | Rare/Accidental |
| Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | |
| Bonelli's Eagle | Aquila fasciatus | |
| Booted Eagle | Aquila pennatus | |
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| Lesser Kestrel | Falco naumanni | |
| Eurasian Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | |
| Red-footed Falcon | Falco vespertinus | Rare/Accidental |
| Eleonora's Falcon | Falco eleonorae | |
| Lanner Falcon | Falco biarmicus | |
| Saker Falcon | Falco cherrug | Rare/Accidental |
| Barbary Falcon | Falco pelegrinoides | |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | |
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| Barbary Partridge | Alectoris barbara | |
| Common Quail | Coturnix coturnix | |
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| Common Crane | Grus grus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Water Rail | Rallus aquaticus | |
| African Crake | Crecopsis egregia | Rare/Accidental |
| Corn Crake | Crex crex | |
| Little Crake | Porzana parva | |
| Baillon's Crake | Porzana pusilla | |
| Spotted Crake | Porzana porzana | |
| Allen's Gallinule | Porphyrio alleni | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | |
| Red-knobbed Coot | Fulica cristata | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Coot | Fulica atra | |
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| Arabian Bustard | Ardeotis arabs | Rare/Accidental |
| Houbara Bustard | Chlamydotis undulata | |
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| Eurasian Oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus | |
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| Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus | |
| Pied Avocet | Recurvirostra avosetta | |
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| Eurasian Thick-knee | Burhinus oedicnemus | |
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| Cream-colored Courser | Cursorius cursor | |
| Collared Pratincole | Glareola pratincola | |
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| Northern Lapwing | Vanellus vanellus | |
| European Golden-Plover | Pluvialis apricaria | |
| Black-bellied Plover | Pluvialis squatarola | |
| Common Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula | |
| Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius | |
| Snowy Plover | Charadrius alexandrinus | |
| Eurasian Dotterel | Charadrius morinellus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Jack Snipe | Lymnocryptes minimus | |
| Common Snipe | Gallinago gallinago | |
| Long-billed Dowitcher | Limnodromus scolopaceus | Rare/Accidental |
| Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa | |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica | |
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | |
| Slender-billed Curlew | Numenius tenuirostris | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Curlew | Numenius arquata | |
| Upland Sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | Rare/Accidental |
| Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus | |
| Common Redshank | Tringa totanus | |
| Marsh Sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis | |
| Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | |
| Green Sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | |
| Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola | |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | |
| Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularia | Rare/Accidental |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | |
| Red Knot | Calidris canutus | |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | |
| Little Stint | Calidris minuta | |
| Temminck's Stint | Calidris temminckii | |
| Curlew Sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea | |
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | |
| Broad-billed Sandpiper | Limicola falcinellus | Rare/Accidental |
| Ruff | Philomachus pugnax | |
| Wilson's Phalarope | Phalaropus tricolor | Rare/Accidental |
| Red-necked Phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus | Rare/Accidental |
| Red Phalarope | Phalaropus fulicarius | |
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| Great Skua | Stercorarius skua | |
| Pomarine Jaeger | Stercorarius pomarinus | |
| Parasitic Jaeger | Stercorarius parasiticus | |
| Long-tailed Jaeger | Stercorarius longicaudus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Mew Gull | Larus canus | Rare/Accidental |
| Audouin's Gull | Larus audouinii | |
| Ring-billed Gull | Larus delawarensis | Rare/Accidental |
| Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus | Rare/Accidental |
| Great Black-backed Gull | Larus marinus | Rare/Accidental |
| Herring Gull | Larus argentatus | Rare/Accidental |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | Larus fuscus | |
| Yellow-legged Gull | Larus michahellis | |
| Great Black-headed Gull | Larus ichthyaetus | Rare/Accidental |
| Gray-headed Gull | Larus cirrocephalus | Rare/Accidental |
| Black-headed Gull | Larus ridibundus | |
| Slender-billed Gull | Larus genei | |
| Bonaparte's Gull | Larus philadelphia | Rare/Accidental |
| Mediterranean Gull | Larus melanocephalus | |
| Laughing Gull | Larus atricilla | Rare/Accidental |
| Franklin's Gull | Larus pipixcan | Rare/Accidental |
| Little Gull | Larus minutus | |
| Sabine's Gull | Xema sabini | |
| Black-legged Kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | |
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| Gull-billed Tern | Sterna nilotica | |
| Caspian Tern | Sterna caspia | |
| Lesser Crested Tern | Sterna bengalensis | |
| Sandwich Tern | Sterna sandvicensis | |
| Royal Tern | Sterna maxima | |
| Roseate Tern | Sterna dougallii | |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | |
| Arctic Tern | Sterna paradisaea | |
| Little Tern | Sterna albifrons | |
| Bridled Tern | Sterna anaethetus | |
| Sooty Tern | Sterna fuscata | Rare/Accidental |
| Whiskered Tern | Chlidonias hybridus | |
| White-winged Tern | Chlidonias leucopterus | |
| Black Tern | Chlidonias niger | |
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| Common Murre | Uria aalge | Rare/Accidental |
| Razorbill | Alca torda | Rare/Accidental |
| Atlantic Puffin | Fratercula arctica | Rare/Accidental |
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| Pin-tailed Sandgrouse | Pterocles alchata | |
| Spotted Sandgrouse | Pterocles senegallus | |
| Black-bellied Sandgrouse | Pterocles orientalis | |
| Crowned Sandgrouse | Pterocles coronatus | |
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| Rock Pigeon | Columba livia | |
| Common Wood-Pigeon | Columba palumbus | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Turtle-Dove | Streptopelia turtur | |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | |
| Laughing Dove | Streptopelia senegalensis | |
| Namaqua Dove | Oena capensis | Rare/Accidental |
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| Great Spotted Cuckoo | Clamator glandarius | |
| Common Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | |
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| Barn Owl | Tyto alba | |
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| European Scops-Owl | Otus scops | |
| Pharaoh Eagle-Owl | Bubo ascalaphus | |
| Little Owl | Athene noctua | |
| Long-eared Owl | Asio otus | Rare/Accidental |
| Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus | |
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| Red-necked Nightjar | Caprimulgus ruficollis | |
| Eurasian Nightjar | Caprimulgus europaeus | |
| Egyptian Nightjar | Caprimulgus aegyptius | Rare/Accidental |
| Golden Nightjar | Caprimulgus eximius | Rare/Accidental |
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| Common Swift | Apus apus | |
| Plain Swift | Apus unicolor | Rare/Accidental |
| Pallid Swift | Apus pallidus | |
| Little Swift | Apus affinis | |
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| Common Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | |
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| White-throated Bee-eater | Merops albicollis | Rare/Accidental |
| Blue-cheeked Bee-eater | Merops persicus | Rare/Accidental |
| European Bee-eater | Merops apiaster | |
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| European Roller | Coracias garrulus | |
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| Hoopoe | Upupa epops | |
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| Eurasian Wryneck | Jynx torquilla | |
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| Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark | Eremopterix nigriceps | |
| Bar-tailed Lark | Ammomanes cincturus | |
| Desert Lark | Ammomanes deserti | |
| Greater Hoopoe-Lark | Alaemon alaudipes | |
| Thick-billed Lark | Ramphocoris clotbey | |
| Calandra Lark | Melanocorypha calandra | |
| Greater Short-toed Lark | Calandrella brachydactyla | |
| Lesser Short-toed Lark | Calandrella rufescens | |
| Dunn's Lark | Eremalauda dunni | |
| Crested Lark | Galerida cristata | |
| Thekla Lark | Galerida theklae | |
| Eurasian Skylark | Alauda arvensis | |
| Temminck's Lark | Eremophila bilopha | |
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| Bank Swallow | Riparia riparia | |
| Plain Martin | Riparia paludicola | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Crag-Martin | Ptyonoprogne rupestris | |
| Rock Martin | Ptyonoprogne fuligula | |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | |
| Red-rumped Swallow | Cecropis daurica | |
| Common House-Martin | Delichon urbica | |
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| White Wagtail | Motacilla alba | |
| Citrine Wagtail | Motacilla citreola | Rare/Accidental |
| Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla flava | |
| Gray Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | |
| Richard's Pipit | Anthus richardi | Rare/Accidental |
| Tawny Pipit | Anthus campestris | |
| Tree Pipit | Anthus trivialis | |
| Olive-backed Pipit | Anthus hodgsoni | Rare/Accidental |
| Meadow Pipit | Anthus pratensis | |
| Red-throated Pipit | Anthus cervinus | |
| Rock Pipit | Anthus petrosus | Rare/Accidental |
| Water Pipit | Anthus spinoletta | Rare/Accidental |
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| Common Bulbul | Pycnonotus barbatus | |
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| Firecrest | Regulus ignicapillus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush | Monticola saxatilis | |
| Blue Rock-Thrush | Monticola solitarius | |
| Ring Ouzel | Turdus torquatus | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Blackbird | Turdus merula | |
| Fieldfare | Turdus pilaris | Rare/Accidental |
| Redwing | Turdus iliacus | |
| Song Thrush | Turdus philomelos | |
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| Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis | |
| Streaked Scrub-Warbler | Scotocerca inquieta | |
| Cricket Longtail | Spiloptila clamans | |
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| Cetti's Warbler | Cettia cetti | |
| Grasshopper Warbler | Locustella naevia | |
| Savi's Warbler | Locustella luscinioides | |
| Moustached Warbler | Acrocephalus melanopogon | Rare/Accidental |
| Aquatic Warbler | Acrocephalus paludicola | |
| Sedge Warbler | Acrocephalus schoenobaenus | |
| Eurasian Reed-Warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus | |
| Great Reed-Warbler | Acrocephalus arundinaceus | |
| Eastern Olivaceous Warbler | Hippolais pallida | |
| Western Olivaceous Warbler | Hippolais opaca | |
| Melodious Warbler | Hippolais polyglotta | |
| Icterine Warbler | Hippolais icterina | Rare/Accidental |
| Willow Warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus | |
| Common Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | |
| Iberian Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus ibericus | |
| Western Bonelli's Warbler | Phylloscopus bonelli | |
| Wood Warbler | Phylloscopus sibilatrix | |
| Yellow-browed Warbler | Phylloscopus inornatus | Rare/Accidental |
| Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | |
| Garden Warbler | Sylvia borin | |
| Greater Whitethroat | Sylvia communis | |
| Lesser Whitethroat | Sylvia curruca | Rare/Accidental |
| African Desert Warbler | Sylvia deserti | |
| Western Orphean Warbler | Sylvia hortensis | |
| Subalpine Warbler | Sylvia cantillans | |
| Sardinian Warbler | Sylvia melanocephala | |
| Spectacled Warbler | Sylvia conspicillata | |
| Tristram's Warbler | Sylvia deserticola | |
| Dartford Warbler | Sylvia undata | Rare/Accidental |
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| Spotted Flycatcher | Muscicapa striata | |
| European Pied Flycatcher | Ficedula hypoleuca | |
| Atlas Flycatcher | Ficedula speculigera | Rare/Accidental |
| Collared Flycatcher | Ficedula albicollis | Rare/Accidental |
| Red-breasted Flycatcher | Ficedula parva | Rare/Accidental |
| European Robin | Erithacus rubecula | |
| Common Nightingale | Luscinia megarhynchos | |
| Bluethroat | Luscinia svecica | |
| Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin | Cercotrichas galactotes | |
| Black Redstart | Phoenicurus ochruros | |
| Common Redstart | Phoenicurus phoenicurus | |
| Moussier's Redstart | Phoenicurus moussieri | |
| Whinchat | Saxicola rubetra | |
| European Stonechat | Saxicola rubicola | |
| White-tailed Wheatear | Oenanthe leucopyga | |
| Black Wheatear | Oenanthe leucura | |
| Northern Wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | |
| Mourning Wheatear | Oenanthe lugens | |
| Red-rumped Wheatear | Oenanthe moesta | |
| Black-eared Wheatear | Oenanthe hispanica | |
| Desert Wheatear | Oenanthe deserti | |
| Isabelline Wheatear | Oenanthe isabellina | |
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| Fulvous Chatterer | Turdoides fulvus | |
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| Great Tit | Parus major | |
| African Blue Tit | Cyanistes teneriffae | |
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| Eurasian Golden Oriole | Oriolus oriolus | |
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| Southern Gray Shrike | Lanius meridionalis | |
| Woodchat Shrike | Lanius senator | |
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| Black-crowned Tchagra | Tchagra senegala | |
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| Eurasian Magpie | Pica pica | |
| Pied Crow | Corvus albus | Rare/Accidental |
| Brown-necked Raven | Corvus ruficollis | |
| Common Raven | Corvus corax | |
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| European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | |
| ||
| Cirl Bunting | Emberiza cirlus | |
| Rock Bunting | Emberiza cia | Rare/Accidental |
| Ortolan Bunting | Emberiza hortulana | |
| House Bunting | Emberiza striolata | |
| Corn Bunting | Emberiza calandra | |
| ||
| Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs | |
| European Greenfinch | Carduelis chloris | |
| Eurasian Siskin | Carduelis spinus | |
| European Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis | |
| Eurasian Linnet | Carduelis cannabina | |
| European Serin | Serinus serinus | |
| Trumpeter Finch | Bucanetes githaginea | |
| ||
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | |
| Spanish Sparrow | Passer hispaniolensis | |
| Desert Sparrow | Passer simplex | |
| Sudan Golden-Sparrow | Passer luteus | Rare/Accidental |
References (partial list)
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