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.[1]

Moussier's redstart is the national bird of Morocco.

This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (English and scientific names) are those of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2019 edition.[2]

The following tags have been used to highlight several categories of occurrence.

  • (A) Accidental - a species that only rarely occurs in Morocco; records of these species require formal acceptance by the Commission d’Homologation Marocaine (Moroccan Rare Birds Committee)
  • (I) Introduced - a species introduced to Morocco as a consequence, direct or indirect, of human actions, and has become established
  • (Ex) Extirpated - a species that no longer occurs in Morocco although populations exist elsewhere


Ostriches

Order: Struthioniformes   Family: 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;[3] a re-introduction programme for the North African ostrich is in progress.[4]

Ducks, geese, and waterfowl

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl such as swans and geese.

Guineafowl

Order: Galliformes   Family: Numididae

Guineafowl are a group of African birds that resemble partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage.

Pheasant, grouse, and allies

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, francolins and pheasants. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.

Flamingos

Order: Phoenicopteriformes   Family: Phoenicopteridae

Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m) tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.

Grebes

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds.

Pigeons and doves

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.

Sandgrouse

Order: Pterocliformes   Family: Pteroclidae

Sandgrouse have small, pigeon-like, heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies.

Bustards

Order: Otidiformes   Family: 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.[3]

Cuckoos

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

The cuckoos are birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.

Nightjars and allies

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs, and very short bills.

Swifts

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying.

Rails, gallinules, and coots
A red-knobbed coot in Ifrane

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules.

Cranes

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large, long-legged, and long-necked birds. The demoiselle crane has been extirpated since 1985.[3]

Thick-knees

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: 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.

  • Eurasian thick-knee, Burhinus oedicnemus

Stilts and avocets

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts.

Oystercatchers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae

The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.

Plovers and lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: 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.

Painted-snipes

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Rostratulidae

Painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly coloured.

Sandpipers and allies

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: 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.

Buttonquail

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Turnicidae

The buttonquails are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails. This species is close to being extirpated in Morocco.[3]

Pratincoles and coursers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: 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.

Skuas and jaegers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings.

Auks, murres, and puffins

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Alcidae

Alcidae live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest.

Gulls, terns, and skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: 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.

Loons

Order: Gaviiformes   Family: Gaviidae

Loons are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

Albatrosses

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: 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.

Southern storm-petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: 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.

Northern storm-petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: 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.

Shearwaters and petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: 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.

Storks

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: 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.

Boobies and gannets

Order: Suliformes   Family: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.

Anhingas

Order: Suliformes   Family: Anhingidae

Anhingas or darters are water birds with a distinctive long slender neck and bill.

Cormorants and shags

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large fish-eating waterbirds.

Pelicans

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak.

Herons, egrets, and bitterns

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: 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.

Ibises and spoonbills

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills.

Osprey

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey, a medium large bird of prey with a worldwide distribution.

Hawks, eagles, and kites
A long-legged buzzard in the Tagdelt desert
A Eurasian griffon in the Atlas Mountains

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: 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.[3]

Barn-owls
A barn owl in El Jadida

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces.

Owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey.

Hoopoes

Order: Bucerotiformes   Family: Upupidae

Hoopoes have black, white, and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head.

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.

Bee-eaters

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: 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.

Rollers

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Coraciidae

Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters.

Woodpeckers

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues.

Falcons and caracaras

Order: Falconiformes   Family: 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.

Old World parrots

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittaculidae

Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak shape.

Old World orioles

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Oriolidae

The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds, not related to the New World orioles.

Bushshrikes

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Malaconotidae

Bushshrikes are similar in habits to shrikes, hunting insects and other small prey from a perch on a bush.

Shrikes

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions on thorns.

Crows, jays, and magpies
A Maghreb magpie in Agadir
A brown-necked raven in Merzouga

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

Tits, chickadees, and titmice

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paridae

The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills.

Penduline-tits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Remizidae

The penduline-tits are a group of small passerine birds related to the true tits.

  • Eurasian penduline-tit, Remiz pendulinus

Larks
A Temminck's lark at Dakhla

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small terrestrial birds, mostly fairly dull in appearance.

Bearded reedling

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

Cisticolas and allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cisticolidae

The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer regions of the Old World.

Reed warblers and allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

Grassbirds and allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

Swallows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

The family Hirundinidae is a group of passerines adapted to aerial feeding.

Bulbuls

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Pycnonotidae

Bulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage.

Leaf warblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

Bush warblers and allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Scotocercidae

The members of this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia.

Long-tailed tits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Aegithalidae

Long-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails.

Sylviid warblers, parrotbills, and allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

Laughingthrushes and allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

Kinglets

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

Wallcreeper

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tichodromidae

The wallcreeper is a small bird, with crimson, grey, and black plumage, related to the nuthatches.

Nuthatches

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds.

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below.

Wrens

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae

The wrens have short wings and thin down-turned bills.

Dippers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cinclidae

Dippers are a group of perching birds which specialise in feeding in running water.

Starlings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds.

Thrushes and allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

Old World flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

Accentors

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Prunellidae

The accentors are in the only bird family which is completely endemic to the Palearctic.

Old World sparrows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

Wagtails and pipits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

The Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They are slender ground-feeding insectivores of open country.

Finches, euphonias, and allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

Snow buntings and longspurs

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

Old World buntings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: 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.

References
  1. "Morocco Bird Checklist". iGoTerra. March 3, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  2. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ Retrieved August 15, 2019
  3. Snow, D. W. & Perrins, C. M. (1998). Birds of the Western Palearctic: Concise Edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-854099-X.
  4. The National Environment Observatory of Morocco (2001). "Report on the state of the environment in Morocco: A synthesis" (PDF). Kingdom of Morocco, Secretariat of State of Environment. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 23 July 2007.

See also
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