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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, version 2025. 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 2026
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Country or region: Western Sahara [map]
Number of species: 359
Number of globally threatened species: 24
Number of extinct species: 1
Date last reviewed: 2016-07-01
Last modified: 2025-10-12
See also: https://www.africanbirdclub.org/countries/checklists/download
Number of globally threatened species: 24
Number of extinct species: 1
Date last reviewed: 2016-07-01
Last modified: 2025-10-12
See also: https://www.africanbirdclub.org/countries/checklists/download
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| Common Ostrich | Struthio camelus | |
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| Graylag Goose | Anser anser | Rare/Accidental |
| Greater White-fronted Goose | Anser albifrons | Rare/Accidental |
| Brant | Branta bernicla | Rare/Accidental |
| Ruddy Shelduck | Tadorna ferruginea | |
| Common Shelduck | Tadorna tadorna | 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 | |
| Green-winged Teal | Anas crecca | |
| Marbled Duck | Marmaronetta angustirostris | Near-threatened |
| Red-crested Pochard | Netta rufina | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Pochard | Aythya ferina | Vulnerable |
| Ring-necked Duck | Aythya collaris | Rare/Accidental |
| Ferruginous Duck | Aythya nyroca | Rare/Accidental Near-threatened |
| Tufted Duck | Aythya fuligula | Rare/Accidental |
| Greater Scaup | Aythya marila | Rare/Accidental |
| Lesser Scaup | Aythya affinis | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Scoter | Melanitta nigra | Rare/Accidental |
| Ruddy Duck | Oxyura jamaicensis | Rare/Accidental |
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| Common Quail | Coturnix coturnix | |
| Barbary Partridge | Alectoris barbara | |
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| Rock Pigeon | Columba livia | |
| Common Wood-Pigeon | Columba palumbus | Rare/Accidental |
| European Turtle-Dove | Streptopelia turtur | Vulnerable |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | |
| Laughing Dove | Spilopelia senegalensis | |
| Namaqua Dove | Oena capensis | 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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| Arabian Bustard | Ardeotis arabs | Rare/Accidental Near-threatened |
| African Houbara | Chlamydotis undulata | Vulnerable |
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| Great Spotted Cuckoo | Clamator glandarius | |
| Common Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | |
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| Red-necked Nightjar | Caprimulgus ruficollis | Near-threatened |
| 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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| Water Rail | Rallus aquaticus | |
| Corn Crake | Crex crex | |
| African Crake | Crecopsis egregia | Rare/Accidental |
| Spotted Crake | Porzana porzana | |
| Eurasian Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | |
| Eurasian Coot | Fulica atra | |
| Red-knobbed Coot | Fulica cristata | Rare/Accidental |
| Allen's Gallinule | Porphyrio alleni | Rare/Accidental |
| Little Crake | Zapornia parva | |
| Baillon's Crake | Zapornia pusilla | |
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| Common Crane | Grus grus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Eurasian Thick-knee | Burhinus oedicnemus | |
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| Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus | |
| Pied Avocet | Recurvirostra avosetta | |
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| Eurasian Oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus | Near-threatened |
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| Black-bellied Plover | Pluvialis squatarola | Vulnerable |
| European Golden-Plover | Pluvialis apricaria | |
| Eurasian Dotterel | Eudromias morinellus | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula | |
| Little Ringed Plover | Thinornis dubius | |
| Northern Lapwing | Vanellus vanellus | Near-threatened |
| Kentish Plover | Anarhynchus alexandrinus | |
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| Upland Sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | Rare/Accidental |
| Hudsonian Whimbrel | Numenius hudsonicus | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | |
| Slender-billed Curlew | Numenius tenuirostris | Rare/Accidental Extinct |
| Eurasian Curlew | Numenius arquata | Near-threatened |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica | Near-threatened |
| Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa | Near-threatened |
| Long-billed Dowitcher | Limnodromus scolopaceus | Rare/Accidental Near-threatened |
| Jack Snipe | Lymnocryptes minimus | |
| Common Snipe | Gallinago gallinago | |
| Wilson's Phalarope | Phalaropus tricolor | Rare/Accidental |
| Red Phalarope | Phalaropus fulicarius | |
| Red-necked Phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | |
| Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularius | Rare/Accidental |
| Green Sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | |
| Marsh Sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis | |
| Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola | |
| Common Redshank | Tringa totanus | |
| Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus | |
| Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | Near-threatened |
| Red Knot | Calidris canutus | Near-threatened |
| Ruff | Calidris pugnax | |
| Broad-billed Sandpiper | Calidris falcinellus | Rare/Accidental Vulnerable |
| Curlew Sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea | Vulnerable |
| Temminck's Stint | Calidris temminckii | |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | |
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | Near-threatened |
| Little Stint | Calidris minuta | |
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| Cream-colored Courser | Cursorius cursor | |
| Collared Pratincole | Glareola pratincola | |
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| Long-tailed Jaeger | Stercorarius longicaudus | Rare/Accidental |
| Parasitic Jaeger | Stercorarius parasiticus | |
| Pomarine Jaeger | Stercorarius pomarinus | |
| Great Skua | Stercorarius skua | |
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| Atlantic Puffin | Fratercula arctica | Rare/Accidental Vulnerable |
| Razorbill | Alca torda | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Murre | Uria aalge | Rare/Accidental |
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| Little Gull | Hydrocoloeus minutus | |
| Black-legged Kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | Vulnerable |
| 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 |
| Laughing Gull | Leucophaeus atricilla | Rare/Accidental |
| Franklin's Gull | Leucophaeus pipixcan | Rare/Accidental |
| Pallas's Gull | Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus | Rare/Accidental |
| Audouin's Gull | Ichthyaetus audouinii | Vulnerable |
| Mediterranean Gull | Ichthyaetus melanocephalus | |
| Common Gull | Larus canus | Rare/Accidental |
| Ring-billed Gull | Larus delawarensis | Rare/Accidental |
| Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus | Rare/Accidental |
| European Herring Gull | Larus argentatus | Rare/Accidental |
| Yellow-legged Gull | Larus michahellis | |
| Great Black-backed Gull | Larus marinus | Rare/Accidental |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | Larus fuscus | |
| 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 | |
| Black Tern | Chlidonias niger | |
| White-winged Tern | Chlidonias leucopterus | |
| Arctic Tern | Sterna paradisaea | |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | |
| Roseate Tern | Sterna dougallii | |
| Sandwich Tern | Thalasseus sandvicensis | |
| Lesser Crested Tern | Thalasseus bengalensis | |
| West African Crested Tern | Thalasseus albididorsalis | |
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| Greater Flamingo | Phoenicopterus roseus | |
| Lesser Flamingo | Phoeniconaias minor | Rare/Accidental Near-threatened |
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| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | |
| Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | |
| Eared Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | |
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| Red-billed Tropicbird | Phaethon aethereus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Common Loon | Gavia immer | Rare/Accidental |
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| Wilson's Storm-Petrel | Oceanites oceanicus | |
| White-faced Storm-Petrel | Pelagodroma marina | Rare/Accidental |
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| European Storm-Petrel | Hydrobates pelagicus | |
| Leach's Storm-Petrel | Hydrobates leucorhous | Vulnerable |
| Band-rumped Storm-Petrel | Hydrobates castro | Rare/Accidental |
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| Zino's Petrel | Pterodroma madeira | Rare/Accidental Endangered |
| Desertas Petrel | Pterodroma deserta | Rare/Accidental Vulnerable |
| Bulwer's Petrel | Bulweria bulwerii | Rare/Accidental |
| Cory's Shearwater | Calonectris borealis | |
| Scopoli's Shearwater | Calonectris diomedea | |
| Cape Verde Shearwater | Calonectris edwardsii | Rare/Accidental Near-threatened |
| Great Shearwater | Ardenna gravis | |
| Sooty Shearwater | Ardenna grisea | Near-threatened |
| Manx Shearwater | Puffinus puffinus | |
| Balearic Shearwater | Puffinus mauretanicus | Critically endangered |
| Barolo Shearwater | Puffinus baroli | Rare/Accidental |
| Persian Shearwater | Puffinus persicus | |
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| Black Stork | Ciconia nigra | |
| White Stork | Ciconia ciconia | |
| Yellow-billed Stork | Mycteria ibis | |
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| Northern Gannet | Morus bassanus | |
| Masked Booby | Sula dactylatra | Rare/Accidental |
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| Reed Cormorant | Microcarbo africanus | Rare/Accidental |
| Great Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | |
| European Shag | Gulosus aristotelis | |
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| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus | |
| Northern Bald Ibis | Geronticus eremita | Endangered |
| Eurasian Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | |
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| Eurasian Bittern | Botaurus stellaris | Rare/Accidental |
| Little Bittern | Botaurus minutus | |
| Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | |
| Western Reef-Heron | Egretta gularis | Rare/Accidental |
| Squacco Heron | Ardeola ralloides | |
| Western Cattle-Egret | Ardea ibis | |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | Rare/Accidental |
| Gray Heron | Ardea cinerea | |
| Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | |
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| Great White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | |
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| Black-winged Kite | Elanus caeruleus | |
| Bearded Vulture | Gypaetus barbatus | Near-threatened |
| Egyptian Vulture | Neophron percnopterus | Endangered |
| European Honey-buzzard | Pernis apivorus | |
| Lappet-faced Vulture | Torgos tracheliotos | Rare/Accidental Endangered |
| Hooded Vulture | Necrosyrtes monachus | Rare/Accidental Critically endangered |
| Rüppell's Griffon | Gyps rueppelli | Rare/Accidental Critically endangered |
| Eurasian Griffon | Gyps fulvus | |
| Short-toed Snake-Eagle | Circaetus gallicus | |
| Booted Eagle | Hieraaetus pennatus | |
| Steppe Eagle | Aquila nipalensis | Rare/Accidental Endangered |
| Spanish Eagle | Aquila adalberti | Rare/Accidental Vulnerable |
| Tawny Eagle | Aquila rapax | Vulnerable |
| Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | |
| Bonelli's Eagle | Aquila fasciata | |
| Dark Chanting-Goshawk | Melierax metabates | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus | |
| Western Marsh Harrier | Circus aeruginosus | |
| Hen Harrier | Circus cyaneus | |
| Pallid Harrier | Circus macrourus | Rare/Accidental Near-threatened |
| Montagu's Harrier | Circus pygargus | |
| Red Kite | Milvus milvus | |
| Black Kite | Milvus migrans | |
| Common Buzzard | Buteo buteo | |
| Long-legged Buzzard | Buteo rufinus | |
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| Western Barn Owl | Tyto alba | |
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| Eurasian 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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| Common Hoopoe | Upupa epops | |
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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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| Common Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | |
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| European Roller | Coracias garrulus | |
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| Eurasian Wryneck | Jynx torquilla | |
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| Lesser Kestrel | Falco naumanni | |
| Eurasian Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | |
| Red-footed Falcon | Falco vespertinus | Rare/Accidental Vulnerable |
| Eleonora's Falcon | Falco eleonorae | |
| Lanner Falcon | Falco biarmicus | |
| Saker Falcon | Falco cherrug | Rare/Accidental Endangered |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | |
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| Eurasian Golden Oriole | Oriolus oriolus | |
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| Black-crowned Tchagra | Tchagra senegalus | |
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| Great Gray Shrike | Lanius excubitor | |
| Woodchat Shrike | Lanius senator | Near-threatened |
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| Maghreb Magpie | Pica mauritanica | |
| Eurasian Magpie | Pica pica | |
| Pied Crow | Corvus albus | Rare/Accidental |
| Brown-necked Raven | Corvus ruficollis | |
| Common Raven | Corvus corax | |
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| African Blue Tit | Cyanistes teneriffae | |
| Great Tit | Parus major | |
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| 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 | |
| Eurasian Skylark | Alauda arvensis | |
| Thekla's Lark | Galerida theklae | |
| Crested Lark | Galerida cristata | |
| Temminck's Lark | Eremophila bilopha | |
| Greater Short-toed Lark | Calandrella brachydactyla | |
| Calandra Lark | Melanocorypha calandra | |
| Dunn's Lark | Eremalauda dunni | |
| Mediterranean Short-toed Lark | Alaudala rufescens | |
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| Cricket Longtail | Spiloptila clamans | |
| Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis | |
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| Eastern Olivaceous Warbler | Iduna pallida | |
| Western Olivaceous Warbler | Iduna opaca | |
| Melodious Warbler | Hippolais polyglotta | |
| Icterine Warbler | Hippolais icterina | Rare/Accidental |
| Aquatic Warbler | Acrocephalus paludicola | Vulnerable |
| Moustached Warbler | Acrocephalus melanopogon | Rare/Accidental |
| Sedge Warbler | Acrocephalus schoenobaenus | |
| Common Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus | |
| Great Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus arundinaceus | |
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| Savi's Warbler | Locustella luscinioides | |
| Common Grasshopper Warbler | Locustella naevia | |
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| Bank Swallow | Riparia riparia | |
| Eurasian Crag-Martin | Ptyonoprogne rupestris | |
| Pale Crag-Martin | Ptyonoprogne obsoleta | |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | |
| Western House-Martin | Delichon urbicum | |
| European Red-rumped Swallow | Cecropis rufula | |
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| Common Bulbul | Pycnonotus barbatus | |
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| Wood Warbler | Phylloscopus sibilatrix | |
| Western Bonelli's Warbler | Phylloscopus bonelli | |
| Yellow-browed Warbler | Phylloscopus inornatus | Rare/Accidental |
| Willow Warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus | |
| Common Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | |
| Iberian Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus ibericus | |
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| Scrub Warbler | Scotocerca inquieta | |
| Cetti's Warbler | Cettia cetti | |
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| Eurasian Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | |
| Garden Warbler | Sylvia borin | |
| Lesser Whitethroat | Curruca curruca | Rare/Accidental |
| Western Orphean Warbler | Curruca hortensis | |
| African Desert Warbler | Curruca deserti | |
| Tristram's Warbler | Curruca deserticola | |
| Sardinian Warbler | Curruca melanocephala | |
| Moltoni's Warbler | Curruca subalpina | |
| Western Subalpine Warbler | Curruca iberiae | |
| Eastern Subalpine Warbler | Curruca cantillans | |
| Greater Whitethroat | Curruca communis | |
| Spectacled Warbler | Curruca conspicillata | |
| Dartford Warbler | Curruca undata | Rare/Accidental Near-threatened |
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| Fulvous Chatterer | Argya fulva | |
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| Common Firecrest | Regulus ignicapilla | Rare/Accidental |
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| European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | |
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| Song Thrush | Turdus philomelos | |
| Redwing | Turdus iliacus | |
| Eurasian Blackbird | Turdus merula | |
| Fieldfare | Turdus pilaris | Rare/Accidental |
| Ring Ouzel | Turdus torquatus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Spotted Flycatcher | Muscicapa striata | |
| Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin | Cercotrichas galactotes | |
| European Robin | Erithacus rubecula | |
| Common Nightingale | Luscinia megarhynchos | |
| Bluethroat | Luscinia svecica | |
| Red-breasted Flycatcher | Ficedula parva | Rare/Accidental |
| European Pied Flycatcher | Ficedula hypoleuca | |
| Atlas Flycatcher | Ficedula speculigera | Rare/Accidental |
| Collared Flycatcher | Ficedula albicollis | Rare/Accidental |
| Moussier's Redstart | Phoenicurus moussieri | |
| Common Redstart | Phoenicurus phoenicurus | |
| Black Redstart | Phoenicurus ochruros | |
| Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush | Monticola saxatilis | |
| Blue Rock-Thrush | Monticola solitarius | |
| Whinchat | Saxicola rubetra | |
| European Stonechat | Saxicola rubicola | |
| Northern Wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | |
| Atlas Wheatear | Oenanthe seebohmi | |
| Isabelline Wheatear | Oenanthe isabellina | |
| Desert Wheatear | Oenanthe deserti | |
| Western Black-eared Wheatear | Oenanthe hispanica | |
| Red-rumped Wheatear | Oenanthe moesta | |
| Black Wheatear | Oenanthe leucura | |
| White-crowned Wheatear | Oenanthe leucopyga | |
| Mourning Wheatear | Oenanthe lugens | |
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| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | |
| Spanish Sparrow | Passer hispaniolensis | |
| Desert Sparrow | Passer simplex | |
| Sudan Golden Sparrow | Passer luteus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Gray Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | |
| Western Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla flava | |
| Citrine Wagtail | Motacilla citreola | Rare/Accidental |
| White Wagtail | Motacilla alba | |
| Richard's Pipit | Anthus richardi | Rare/Accidental |
| Blyth's Pipit | Anthus godlewskii | Rare/Accidental |
| Tawny Pipit | Anthus campestris | |
| Meadow Pipit | Anthus pratensis | |
| Tree Pipit | Anthus trivialis | |
| Olive-backed Pipit | Anthus hodgsoni | Rare/Accidental |
| Red-throated Pipit | Anthus cervinus | |
| Water Pipit | Anthus spinoletta | Rare/Accidental |
| Rock Pipit | Anthus petrosus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Trumpeter Finch | Bucanetes githagineus | |
| European Greenfinch | Chloris chloris | |
| Eurasian Linnet | Linaria cannabina | |
| European Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis | |
| European Serin | Serinus serinus | |
| Eurasian Siskin | Spinus spinus | |
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| Corn Bunting | Emberiza calandra | |
| Rock Bunting | Emberiza cia | Rare/Accidental |
| Cirl Bunting | Emberiza cirlus | |
| Ortolan Bunting | Emberiza hortulana | |
| House Bunting | Emberiza sahari | |
References (partial list)
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