List of birds of Morocco


This is a list of the bird species recorded in Morocco. The avifauna of Morocco include a total of 483 confirmed species as of March 2020 according to iGoTerra. Of them, 133 are rare or accidental, four have been introduced by humans, and five have been extirpated from Morocco. Non-native species which have not become established, or whose natural arrival is uncertain, are not included here.
This list's taxonomic treatment and nomenclature are those of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2019 edition.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories of occurrence.

Ostriches

Order: StruthioniformesFamily: Struthionidae
The ostriches are a flightless birds native to Africa. They are the largest living species of bird and are distinctive in appearance, with a long neck and legs and the ability to run at high speeds. This species was extirpated from Morocco some time before 1990; a re-introduction programme for the North African ostrich is in progress.
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl such as swans and geese.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Numididae
Guineafowl are a group of African birds that resemble partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage.
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, francolins and pheasants. In general, they are plump and have broad, relatively short wings.
Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae
Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.
Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds.
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Order: PterocliformesFamily: Pteroclidae
Sandgrouse have small, pigeon-like, heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies.
Order: OtidiformesFamily: Otididae
Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. The Arabian bustard has been extirpated from Morocco since about 1985 and the houbara bustard is close to being extirpated.
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The cuckoos are birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs, and very short bills.
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules.
Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Cranes are large, long-legged, and long-necked birds. The demoiselle crane has been extirpated since 1985.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
The thick-knees are a group of waders found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Rostratulidae
Painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly coloured.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized waders including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Turnicidae
The buttonquails are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails. This species is close to being extirpated in Morocco.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings, and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings, and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Alcidae
Alcidae live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds.
Order: GaviiformesFamily: Gaviidae
Loons are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Diomedeidae
The albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses from the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae
The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.
Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Anhingidae
Anhingas or darters are water birds with a distinctive long slender neck and bill.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large fish-eating waterbirds.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey, a medium large bird of prey with a worldwide distribution.
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae
The Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. The bearded vulture, dark chanting-goshawk, and tawny eagle are all close to being extirpated in Morocco.
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae
Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces.
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey.
Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Upupidae
Hoopoes have black, white, and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Meropidae
The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers.
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae
Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters.
Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae
Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues.
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittaculidae
Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak shape.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Oriolidae
The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds, not related to the New World orioles.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Malaconotidae
Bushshrikes are similar in habits to shrikes, hunting insects and other small prey from a perch on a bush.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae
Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions on thorns.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae
The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, and magpies. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Paridae
The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Remizidae
The penduline-tits are a group of small passerine birds related to the true tits.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Alaudidae
Larks are small terrestrial birds, mostly fairly dull in appearance.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Panuridae
The bearded reedling is a small bird found in reed beds across temperate Asia with smaller populations throughout Europe. It is the only member of its family.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cisticolidae
The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer regions of the Old World.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acrocephalidae
The members of this family are usually rather large for "warblers". Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Locustellidae
Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae
The family Hirundinidae is a group of passerines adapted to aerial feeding.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pycnonotidae
Bulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Phylloscopidae
Leaf warblers are a family of small insectivorous birds found mostly in Eurasia and ranging into Wallacea and Africa. The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow below, or more subdued with greyish-green to greyish-brown colors.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Scotocercidae
The members of this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Aegithalidae
Long-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sylviidae
The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. They mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia, and, to a lesser extent, Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Leiothrichidae
The members of this family are diverse in size and colouration, though those of genus Turdoides tend to be brown or greyish. The family is found in Africa, India, and southeast Asia.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Regulidae
The kinglets and "crests" are a small family of birds which resemble some warblers. The adults have colored crowns, giving rise to their name.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tichodromidae
The wallcreeper is a small bird, with crimson, grey, and black plumage, related to the nuthatches.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sittidae
Nuthatches are small woodland birds.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Certhiidae
Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Troglodytidae
The wrens have short wings and thin down-turned bills.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cinclidae
Dippers are a group of perching birds which specialise in feeding in running water.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly but not exclusively in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae
Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Prunellidae
The accentors are in the only bird family which is completely endemic to the Palearctic.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae
In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae
The Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They are slender ground-feeding insectivores of open country.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Fringillidae
Finches are seed-eating passerine birds that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Calcariidae
The Calcariidae are a group of passerine birds that had been traditionally grouped with the New World sparrows, but differ in a number of respects and are usually found in open grassy areas.
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Emberizidae
Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns.