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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 2022. 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: 357
Date last reviewed: 2016-07-01
Last modified: 2022-10-13
See also: https://www.africanbirdclub.org/countries/checklists/download
Date last reviewed: 2016-07-01
Last modified: 2022-10-13
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 Teal | Marmaronetta angustirostris | |
| Red-crested Pochard | Netta rufina | Rare/Accidental |
| Common Pochard | Aythya ferina | |
| Ring-necked Duck | Aythya collaris | Rare/Accidental |
| Ferruginous Duck | Aythya nyroca | Rare/Accidental |
| 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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| Greater Flamingo | Phoenicopterus roseus | |
| Lesser Flamingo | Phoeniconaias minor | Rare/Accidental |
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| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | |
| Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | |
| Eared Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | |
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| Rock Pigeon | Columba livia | |
| Common Wood-Pigeon | Columba palumbus | Rare/Accidental |
| European Turtle-Dove | Streptopelia turtur | |
| 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 |
| Houbara Bustard | Chlamydotis undulata | |
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| Great Spotted Cuckoo | Clamator glandarius | |
| Common Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | |
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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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| Water Rail | Rallus aquaticus | |
| Corn Crake | Crex crex | |
| African Crake | Crex 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 | |
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| Black-bellied Plover | Pluvialis squatarola | |
| European Golden-Plover | Pluvialis apricaria | |
| Northern Lapwing | Vanellus vanellus | |
| Kentish Plover | Charadrius alexandrinus | |
| Common Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula | |
| Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius | |
| Eurasian Dotterel | Charadrius morinellus | Rare/Accidental |
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| 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 |
| Jack Snipe | Lymnocryptes minimus | |
| Common Snipe | Gallinago gallinago | |
| Wilson's Phalarope | Phalaropus tricolor | Rare/Accidental |
| Red-necked Phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus | Rare/Accidental |
| Red Phalarope | Phalaropus fulicarius | |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | |
| Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularius | Rare/Accidental |
| Green Sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | |
| Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus | |
| Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | |
| Marsh Sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis | |
| Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola | |
| Common Redshank | Tringa totanus | |
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| Cream-colored Courser | Cursorius cursor | |
| Collared Pratincole | Glareola pratincola | |
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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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| Common Murre | Uria aalge | Rare/Accidental |
| Razorbill | Alca torda | Rare/Accidental |
| Atlantic Puffin | Fratercula arctica | Rare/Accidental |
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| Black-legged Kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | |
| Sabine's Gull | Xema sabini | |
| Slender-billed Gull | Chroicocephalus genei | |
| Bonaparte's Gull | Chroicocephalus philadelphia | Rare/Accidental |
| Gray-hooded Gull | Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus | Rare/Accidental |
| Black-headed Gull | Chroicocephalus ridibundus | |
| Little Gull | Hydrocoloeus minutus | |
| Laughing Gull | Leucophaeus atricilla | Rare/Accidental |
| Franklin's Gull | Leucophaeus pipixcan | Rare/Accidental |
| Mediterranean Gull | Ichthyaetus melanocephalus | |
| Pallas's Gull | Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus | Rare/Accidental |
| Audouin's Gull | Ichthyaetus audouinii | |
| Common Gull | Larus canus | Rare/Accidental |
| Ring-billed Gull | Larus delawarensis | Rare/Accidental |
| Herring Gull | Larus argentatus | Rare/Accidental |
| Yellow-legged Gull | Larus michahellis | |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | Larus fuscus | |
| Great Black-backed Gull | Larus marinus | Rare/Accidental |
| Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus | 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 | |
| Black Tern | Chlidonias niger | |
| White-winged Tern | Chlidonias leucopterus | |
| Whiskered Tern | Chlidonias hybrida | |
| Roseate Tern | Sterna dougallii | |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | |
| Arctic Tern | Sterna paradisaea | |
| Sandwich Tern | Thalasseus sandvicensis | |
| Lesser Crested Tern | Thalasseus bengalensis | |
| West African Crested Tern | Thalasseus albididorsalis | |
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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 | |
| Band-rumped Storm-Petrel | Hydrobates castro | Rare/Accidental |
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| Zino's Petrel | Pterodroma madeira | Rare/Accidental |
| Fea's Petrel | Pterodroma feae | Rare/Accidental |
| Bulwer's Petrel | Bulweria bulwerii | Rare/Accidental |
| Cory's Shearwater | Calonectris diomedea | |
| Cape Verde Shearwater | Calonectris edwardsii | Rare/Accidental |
| Great Shearwater | Ardenna gravis | |
| Sooty Shearwater | Ardenna grisea | |
| Manx Shearwater | Puffinus puffinus | |
| Balearic Shearwater | Puffinus mauretanicus | |
| 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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| Masked Booby | Sula dactylatra | Rare/Accidental |
| Northern Gannet | Morus bassanus | |
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| Long-tailed Cormorant | Microcarbo africanus | Rare/Accidental |
| Great Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | |
| European Shag | Gulosus aristotelis | |
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| Great White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus | Rare/Accidental |
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| Great Bittern | Botaurus stellaris | Rare/Accidental |
| Little Bittern | Ixobrychus minutus | |
| Gray Heron | Ardea cinerea | |
| Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | Rare/Accidental |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | |
| Western Reef-Heron | Egretta gularis | Rare/Accidental |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | |
| Squacco Heron | Ardeola ralloides | |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | |
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| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus | |
| Northern Bald Ibis | Geronticus eremita | |
| Eurasian Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | |
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| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | |
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| Black-winged Kite | Elanus caeruleus | |
| Bearded Vulture | Gypaetus barbatus | |
| Egyptian Vulture | Neophron percnopterus | |
| European Honey-buzzard | Pernis apivorus | |
| Lappet-faced Vulture | Torgos tracheliotos | Rare/Accidental |
| Rüppell's Griffon | Gyps rueppelli | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian Griffon | Gyps fulvus | |
| Short-toed Snake-Eagle | Circaetus gallicus | |
| Booted Eagle | Hieraaetus pennatus | |
| Tawny Eagle | Aquila rapax | |
| Steppe Eagle | Aquila nipalensis | Rare/Accidental |
| Spanish Eagle | Aquila adalberti | Rare/Accidental |
| Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | |
| Bonelli's Eagle | Aquila fasciata | |
| Dark Chanting-Goshawk | Melierax metabates | Rare/Accidental |
| Eurasian 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 | |
| Common Buzzard | Buteo buteo | |
| Long-legged Buzzard | Buteo rufinus | |
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| 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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| Eurasian Hoopoe | Upupa epops | |
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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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| Eurasian Wryneck | Jynx torquilla | |
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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 |
| 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 | |
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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 | |
| 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 | |
| Eurasian Skylark | Alauda arvensis | |
| Thekla's Lark | Galerida theklae | |
| Crested Lark | Galerida cristata | |
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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 | |
| 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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| Plain Martin | Riparia paludicola | Rare/Accidental |
| Bank Swallow | Riparia riparia | |
| Eurasian Crag-Martin | Ptyonoprogne rupestris | |
| Rock Martin | Ptyonoprogne fuligula | |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | |
| Red-rumped Swallow | Cecropis daurica | |
| Common House-Martin | Delichon urbicum | |
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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 |
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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 |
| 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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| Common Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs | |
| Trumpeter Finch | Bucanetes githagineus | |
| European Greenfinch | Chloris chloris | |
| Eurasian Linnet | Linaria cannabina | |
| European Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis | |
| European Serin | Serinus serinus | |
| Eurasian Siskin | Spinus spinus | |
| ||
| 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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