Bird checklists - taxonomy - distribution - maps - links
Welcome Guest
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 Howard and Moore 4th edition (incl. corrigenda vol.1-2). 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
Go back to Bird Checklists of the World
Go back to Bird Links to the World
Listen to random bird songs from Xeno-Canto for this region:
Recordings not starting automatically? Try enabling autoplay in your browser, or click the play button below.
Country or region: Western Sahara [map]
Number of species: 355
Number of globally threatened species: 19
Date last reviewed: 2016-07-01
Last modified: 2022-10-13
See also: https://www.africanbirdclub.org/countries/checklists/download
Number of globally threatened species: 19
Date last reviewed: 2016-07-01
Last modified: 2022-10-13
See also: https://www.africanbirdclub.org/countries/checklists/download
| ||
| Common Ostrich | Struthio camelus | |
| ||
| Ruddy Duck | Oxyura jamaicensis | Rare/Accidental |
| Brent Goose | Branta bernicla | Rare/Accidental |
| Greylag Goose | Anser anser | Rare/Accidental |
| Greater White-fronted Goose | Anser albifrons | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Scoter | Melanitta nigra | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Shelduck | Tadorna tadorna | Rare/Accidental |
| Ruddy Shelduck | Tadorna ferruginea | |
| Marbled Teal | Marmaronetta angustirostris | |
| Red-crested Pochard | Netta rufina | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Pochard | Aythya ferina | |
| Ferruginous Duck | Aythya nyroca | Rare/Accidental |
| Ring-necked Duck | Aythya collaris | Rare/Accidental |
| Tufted Duck | Aythya fuligula | Rare/Accidental |
| Greater Scaup | Aythya marila | Rare/Accidental |
| Lesser Scaup | Aythya affinis | Rare/Accidental |
| Garganey | Spatula querquedula | |
| Northern Shoveler | Spatula clypeata | |
| Gadwall | Mareca strepera | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Wigeon | Mareca penelope | |
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | |
| Northern Pintail | Anas acuta | |
| Common Teal | Anas crecca | |
| ||
| Common Quail | Coturnix coturnix | |
| Barbary Partridge | Alectoris barbara | |
| ||
| Greater Flamingo | Phoenicopterus roseus | |
| Lesser Flamingo | Phoeniconaias minor | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | |
| Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | |
| Black-necked Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | |
| ||
| Rock Dove | Columba livia | |
| Wood Pigeon | Columba palumbus | Rare/Accidental |
| European Turtle Dove | Streptopelia turtur | |
| Eurasian Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | |
| Laughing Dove | Streptopelia senegalensis | |
| Namaqua Dove | Oena capensis | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Pin-tailed Sandgrouse | Pterocles alchata | |
| Spotted Sandgrouse | Pterocles senegallus | |
| Black-bellied Sandgrouse | Pterocles orientalis | |
| Crowned Sandgrouse | Pterocles coronatus | |
| ||
| Red-billed Tropicbird | Phaethon aethereus | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Red-necked Nightjar | Caprimulgus ruficollis | |
| European Nightjar | Caprimulgus europaeus | |
| Egyptian Nightjar | Caprimulgus aegyptius | Rare/Accidental |
| Golden Nightjar | Caprimulgus eximius | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Little Swift | Apus affinis | |
| Plain Swift | Apus unicolor | Rare/Accidental |
| Pallid Swift | Apus pallidus | |
| Common Swift | Apus apus | |
| ||
| Great Spotted Cuckoo | Clamator glandarius | |
| Common Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | |
| ||
| Western Water Rail | Rallus aquaticus | |
| African Crake | Crex egregia | Rare/Accidental |
| Corncrake | Crex crex | |
| Spotted Crake | Porzana porzana | |
| Little Crake | Zapornia parva | |
| Baillon's Crake | Zapornia pusilla | |
| Allen's Gallinule | Porphyrio alleni | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | |
| Red-knobbed Coot | Fulica cristata | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Coot | Fulica atra | |
| ||
| Common Crane | Grus grus | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Arabian Bustard | Ardeotis arabs | Rare/Accidental |
| Houbara Bustard | Chlamydotis undulata | |
| ||
| Great Northern Diver | Gavia immer | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Wilson's Storm-petrel | Oceanites oceanicus | |
| White-faced Storm-petrel | Pelagodroma marina | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| European Storm-petrel | Hydrobates pelagicus | |
| Madeiran Storm-petrel | Hydrobates castro | Rare/Accidental |
| Leach's Storm-petrel | Hydrobates leucorhous | |
| ||
| Cape Verde Petrel | Pterodroma feae | Rare/Accidental |
| Madeira Petrel | Pterodroma madeira | Rare/Accidental |
| Sooty Shearwater | Ardenna grisea | |
| Great Shearwater | Ardenna gravis | |
| Scopoli's Shearwater | Calonectris diomedea | |
| Cory's Shearwater | Calonectris borealis | |
| Cape Verde Shearwater | Calonectris edwardsii | Rare/Accidental |
| Tropical Shearwater | Puffinus bailloni | |
| Manx Shearwater | Puffinus puffinus | |
| Yelkouan Shearwater | Puffinus yelkouan | Rare/Accidental |
| Audubon's Shearwater | Puffinus lherminieri | Rare/Accidental |
| Bulwer's Petrel | Bulweria bulwerii | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Yellow-billed Stork | Mycteria ibis | |
| Black Stork | Ciconia nigra | |
| European White Stork | Ciconia ciconia | |
| ||
| Great White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Eurasian Bittern | Botaurus stellaris | Rare/Accidental |
| Little Bittern | Ixobrychus minutus | |
| Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | |
| Squacco Heron | Ardeola ralloides | |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | |
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | |
| Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | Rare/Accidental |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | |
| Western Reef Egret | Egretta gularis | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Eurasian Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | |
| Northern Bald Ibis | Geronticus eremita | |
| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus | |
| ||
| Northern Gannet | Morus bassanus | |
| Masked Booby | Sula dactylatra | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Long-tailed Cormorant | Microcarbo africanus | Rare/Accidental |
| European Shag | Phalacrocorax aristotelis | |
| Great Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | |
| ||
| Eurasian Thick-knee | Burhinus oedicnemus | |
| ||
| Eurasian Oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus | |
| ||
| Pied Avocet | Recurvirostra avosetta | |
| Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus | |
| ||
| Grey Plover | Pluvialis squatarola | |
| Eurasian Golden Plover | Pluvialis apricaria | |
| Eurasian Dotterel | Eudromias morinellus | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula | |
| Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius | |
| Kentish Plover | Charadrius alexandrinus | |
| Northern Lapwing | Vanellus vanellus | |
| ||
| Upland Sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | Rare/Accidental |
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | |
| Slender-billed Curlew | Numenius tenuirostris | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Curlew | Numenius arquata | |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica | |
| Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa | |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | |
| Red Knot | Calidris canutus | |
| Ruff | Calidris pugnax | |
| Broad-billed Sandpiper | Calidris falcinellus | Rare/Accidental |
| Curlew Sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea | |
| Temminck's Stint | Calidris temminckii | |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | |
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | |
| Little Stint | Calidris minuta | |
| Long-billed Dowitcher | Limnodromus scolopaceus | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Snipe | Gallinago gallinago | |
| Jack Snipe | Lymnocryptes minimus | |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | |
| Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularius | Rare/Accidental |
| Green Sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | |
| Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus | |
| Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | |
| Common Redshank | Tringa totanus | |
| Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola | |
| Marsh Sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis | |
| Wilson's Phalarope | Steganopus tricolor | Rare/Accidental |
| Red-necked Phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus | Rare/Accidental |
| Grey Phalarope | Phalaropus fulicarius | |
| ||
| Cream-coloured Courser | Cursorius cursor | |
| Collared Pratincole | Glareola pratincola | |
| ||
| Atlantic Puffin | Fratercula arctica | Rare/Accidental |
| Razorbill | Alca torda | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Guillemot | Uria aalge | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Long-tailed Skua | Stercorarius longicaudus | Rare/Accidental |
| Arctic Skua | Stercorarius parasiticus | |
| Pomarine Skua | Stercorarius pomarinus | |
| Great Skua | Stercorarius skua | |
| ||
| Black-legged Kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | |
| Sabine's Gull | Xema sabini | |
| Slender-billed Gull | Chroicocephalus genei | |
| Bonaparte's Gull | Chroicocephalus philadelphia | Rare/Accidental |
| Black-headed Gull | Chroicocephalus ridibundus | |
| Gray-hooded Gull | Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus | Rare/Accidental |
| Little Gull | Hydrocoloeus minutus | |
| Laughing Gull | Leucophaeus atricilla | Rare/Accidental |
| Franklin's Gull | Leucophaeus pipixcan | Rare/Accidental |
| Mediterranean Gull | Ichthyaetus melanocephalus | |
| Audouin's Gull | Ichthyaetus audouinii | |
| Pallas's Gull | Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus | Rare/Accidental |
| Mew Gull | Larus canus | Rare/Accidental |
| Ring-billed Gull | Larus delawarensis | Rare/Accidental |
| Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus | Rare/Accidental |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | Larus fuscus | |
| Herring Gull | Larus argentatus | Rare/Accidental |
| Yellow-legged Gull | Larus michahellis | |
| Great Black-backed Gull | Larus marinus | Rare/Accidental |
| Sooty Tern | Onychoprion fuscatus | Rare/Accidental |
| Bridled Tern | Onychoprion anaethetus | |
| Little Tern | Sternula albifrons | |
| Gull-billed Tern | Gelochelidon nilotica | |
| Caspian Tern | Hydroprogne caspia | |
| Whiskered Tern | Chlidonias hybrida | |
| White-winged Tern | Chlidonias leucopterus | |
| Black Tern | Chlidonias niger | |
| Roseate Tern | Sterna dougallii | |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | |
| Arctic Tern | Sterna paradisaea | |
| Lesser Crested Tern | Thalasseus bengalensis | |
| Sandwich Tern | Thalasseus sandvicensis | |
| Royal Tern | Thalasseus maximus | |
| ||
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | |
| ||
| Black-winged Kite | Elanus caeruleus | |
| European Honey Buzzard | Pernis apivorus | |
| Bearded Vulture | Gypaetus barbatus | |
| Egyptian Vulture | Neophron percnopterus | |
| Short-toed Eagle | Circaetus gallicus | |
| Rüppell's Vulture | Gyps rueppelli | Rare/Accidental |
| Griffon Vulture | Gyps fulvus | |
| Lappet-faced Vulture | Torgos tracheliotos | Rare/Accidental |
| Tawny Eagle | Aquila rapax | |
| Steppe Eagle | Aquila nipalensis | Rare/Accidental |
| Spanish Imperial Eagle | Aquila adalberti | Rare/Accidental |
| Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | |
| Bonelli's Eagle | Aquila fasciata | |
| Booted Eagle | Hieraaetus pennatus | |
| Dark Chanting Goshawk | Melierax metabates | Rare/Accidental |
| Western Marsh Harrier | Circus aeruginosus | |
| Hen Harrier | Circus cyaneus | |
| Pallid Harrier | Circus macrourus | Rare/Accidental |
| Montagu's Harrier | Circus pygargus | |
| Eurasian Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus | |
| Red Kite | Milvus milvus | |
| Black Kite | Milvus migrans | |
| Eurasian Buzzard | Buteo buteo | |
| Long-legged Buzzard | Buteo rufinus | |
| ||
| Common Barn Owl | Tyto alba | |
| ||
| Little Owl | Athene noctua | |
| Eurasian Scops Owl | Otus scops | |
| Northern Long-eared Owl | Asio otus | Rare/Accidental |
| Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus | |
| Desert Eagle Owl | Bubo ascalaphus | |
| ||
| Common Hoopoe | Upupa epops | |
| ||
| Northern Wryneck | Jynx torquilla | |
| ||
| White-throated Bee-eater | Merops albicollis | Rare/Accidental |
| Blue-cheeked Bee-eater | Merops persicus | Rare/Accidental |
| European Bee-eater | Merops apiaster | |
| ||
| European Roller | Coracias garrulus | |
| ||
| Common Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | |
| ||
| Lesser Kestrel | Falco naumanni | |
| Common 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 |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | |
| ||
| Eurasian Golden Oriole | Oriolus oriolus | |
| ||
| Black-crowned Tchagra | Tchagra senegalus | |
| ||
| Great Grey Shrike | Lanius excubitor | |
| Woodchat Shrike | Lanius senator | |
| ||
| Eurasian Magpie | Pica pica | |
| Common Raven | Corvus corax | |
| Brown-necked Raven | Corvus ruficollis | |
| Pied Crow | Corvus albus | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | |
| Spanish Sparrow | Passer hispaniolensis | |
| Desert Sparrow | Passer simplex | |
| Sudan Golden Sparrow | Passer luteus | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Tree Pipit | Anthus trivialis | |
| Olive-backed Pipit | Anthus hodgsoni | Rare/Accidental |
| Red-throated Pipit | Anthus cervinus | |
| Meadow Pipit | Anthus pratensis | |
| Water Pipit | Anthus spinoletta | Rare/Accidental |
| Rock Pipit | Anthus petrosus | Rare/Accidental |
| Richard's Pipit | Anthus richardi | Rare/Accidental |
| Tawny Pipit | Anthus campestris | |
| Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla flava | |
| Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | |
| Citrine Wagtail | Motacilla citreola | Rare/Accidental |
| White Wagtail | Motacilla alba | |
| ||
| Common Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs | |
| Trumpeter Finch | Bucanetes githagineus | |
| European Greenfinch | Chloris chloris | |
| Common Linnet | Linaria cannabina | |
| European Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis | |
| European Serin | Serinus serinus | |
| Eurasian Siskin | Spinus spinus | |
| ||
| Striated Bunting | Fringillaria striolata | |
| Corn Bunting | Emberiza calandra | |
| Rock Bunting | Emberiza cia | Rare/Accidental |
| Ortolan Bunting | Emberiza hortulana | |
| Cirl Bunting | Emberiza cirlus | |
| ||
| Canary Islands Tit | Cyanistes teneriffae | |
| Great Tit | Parus major | |
| ||
| Greater Hoopoe Lark | Alaemon alaudipes | |
| Thick-billed Lark | Ramphocoris clotbey | |
| Bar-tailed Lark | Ammomanes cinctura | |
| Desert Lark | Ammomanes deserti | |
| Black-crowned Sparrow Lark | Eremopterix nigriceps | |
| Dunn's Lark | Eremalauda dunni | |
| Lesser Short-toed Lark | Alaudala rufescens | |
| Calandra Lark | Melanocorypha calandra | |
| Greater Short-toed Lark | Calandrella brachydactyla | |
| Temminck's Lark | Eremophila bilopha | |
| Eurasian Sky Lark | Alauda arvensis | |
| Thekla Lark | Galerida theklae | |
| Crested Lark | Galerida cristata | |
| ||
| Cricket Warbler | Spiloptila clamans | |
| Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis | |
| ||
| Savi's Warbler | Locustella luscinioides | |
| Grasshopper Warbler | Locustella naevia | |
| ||
| Olivaceous Warbler | Iduna pallida | |
| Isabelline Warbler | Iduna opaca | |
| Melodious Warbler | Hippolais polyglotta | |
| Icterine Warbler | Hippolais icterina | Rare/Accidental |
| Aquatic Warbler | Acrocephalus paludicola | |
| Moustached Warbler | Acrocephalus melanopogon | Rare/Accidental |
| Sedge Warbler | Acrocephalus schoenobaenus | |
| Common Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus | |
| Great Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus arundinaceus | |
| ||
| Northern House Martin | Delichon urbicum | |
| Red-rumped Swallow | Cecropis daurica | |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | |
| Eurasian Crag Martin | Ptyonoprogne rupestris | |
| Pale Crag Martin | Ptyonoprogne obsoleta | |
| Sand Martin | Riparia riparia | |
| ||
| Common Bulbul | Pycnonotus barbatus | |
| ||
| Western Bonelli's Warbler | Rhadina bonelli | |
| Wood Warbler | Rhadina sibilatrix | |
| Yellow-browed Warbler | Abrornis inornatus | Rare/Accidental |
| Willow Warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus | |
| Iberian Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus ibericus | |
| Common Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | |
| ||
| Streaked Scrub Warbler | Scotocerca inquieta | |
| Cetti's Warbler | Cettia cetti | |
| ||
| Eurasian Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | |
| Garden Warbler | Sylvia borin | |
| African Desert Warbler | Curruca deserti | |
| Western Orphean Warbler | Curruca hortensis | |
| Lesser Whitethroat | Curruca curruca | Rare/Accidental |
| Tristram's Warbler | Curruca deserticola | |
| Eastern Subalpine Warbler | Curruca cantillans | |
| Western Subalpine Warbler | Curruca inornata | |
| Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler | Curruca subalpina | |
| Sardinian Warbler | Curruca melanocephala | |
| Common Whitethroat | Curruca communis | |
| Spectacled Warbler | Curruca conspicillata | |
| Dartford Warbler | Curruca undata | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Fulvous Babbler | Argya fulva | |
| ||
| Eurasian Firecrest | Regulus ignicapilla | Rare/Accidental |
| ||
| Common Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | |
| ||
| Rufous Scrub Robin | Cercotrichas galactotes | |
| Spotted Flycatcher | Muscicapa striata | |
| European Robin | Erithacus rubecula | |
| Common Nightingale | Luscinia megarhynchos | |
| Bluethroat | Luscinia svecica | |
| Red-breasted Flycatcher | Ficedula parva | Rare/Accidental |
| Atlas Flycatcher | Ficedula speculigera | Rare/Accidental |
| European Pied Flycatcher | Ficedula hypoleuca | |
| Collared Flycatcher | Ficedula albicollis | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Redstart | Phoenicurus phoenicurus | |
| Moussier's Redstart | Phoenicurus moussieri | |
| Black Redstart | Phoenicurus ochruros | |
| Common Rock Thrush | Monticola saxatilis | |
| Blue Rock Thrush | Monticola solitarius | |
| Whinchat | Saxicola rubetra | |
| European Stonechat | Saxicola rubicola | |
| Northern Wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | |
| Isabelline Wheatear | Oenanthe isabellina | |
| Desert Wheatear | Oenanthe deserti | |
| Black-eared Wheatear | Oenanthe hispanica | |
| Red-rumped Wheatear | Oenanthe moesta | |
| Black Wheatear | Oenanthe leucura | |
| White-crowned Wheatear | Oenanthe leucopyga | |
| Mourning Wheatear | Oenanthe lugens | |
| ||
| Song Thrush | Turdus philomelos | |
| Redwing | Turdus iliacus | |
| Eurasian Blackbird | Turdus merula | |
| Fieldfare | Turdus pilaris | Rare/Accidental |
| Ring Ouzel | Turdus torquatus | Rare/Accidental |
References (partial list)
Avibase has been visited 360,335,429 times since 24 June 2003. © Denis Lepage | Privacy policy
