Afghanistan bird checklist

312 bird species in 62 families have been recorded in Afghanistan, according to eBird; about 284 of them are seen regularly, and the rest are rarities, vagrants and escaped or introduced birds. Download the full list as a PDF, or tick birds off on your phone, with counts and notes, even without signal.

Species data: eBird.org, updated 13 Oct 2026 · How these lists are made

The most common birds in Afghanistan right now

1Eurasian Magpie
2Eurasian Sparrowhawk
3Tree Pipit
4Eastern Rock Nuthatch
5Red-tailed Shrike
6Black Kite
7Lesser Whitethroat
8White Wagtail
9Indian Paradise-Flycatcher
10Eurasian Crag-Martin

The top 20, and how they are ranked

Afghanistan bird checklist

312 species · loading the checklist tools…

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Graylag Goose
Ruddy Shelduck
Common Shelduck
Cotton Pygmy-Goose
Garganey
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Common Pochard
Ferruginous Duck
Tufted Duck
Common Merganser

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Himalayan Monal
Koklass Pheasant
Ring-necked Pheasant
Indian Peafowl
Black Francolin
Himalayan Snowcock
See-see Partridge
Common Quail
Chukar

Pigeons and Doves

Rock Pigeon
Snow Pigeon
Yellow-eyed Pigeon
Common Wood-Pigeon
European Turtle-Dove
Oriental Turtle-Dove
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Laughing Dove

Sandgrouse

Pin-tailed Sandgrouse
Black-bellied Sandgrouse
Crowned Sandgrouse

Cuckoos

Common Cuckoo

Nightjars and Allies

Eurasian Nightjar

Swifts

Alpine Swift
Common Swift
Little Swift

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

Water Rail
Eurasian Moorhen
Eurasian Coot

Cranes

Demoiselle Crane
Common Crane

Thick-knees

Eurasian Thick-knee

Stilts and Avocets

Black-winged Stilt

Plovers and Lapwings

Little Ringed Plover
Northern Lapwing
Red-wattled Lapwing
White-tailed Lapwing
Caspian Plover
Greater Sand-Plover
Kentish Plover

Painted-Snipes

Greater Painted-Snipe

Sandpipers and Allies

Eurasian Whimbrel
Eurasian Curlew
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
Eurasian Woodcock
Common Snipe
Red-necked Phalarope
Common Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Redshank
Common Greenshank
Ruff
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Curlew Sandpiper
Temminck's Stint
Dunlin
Little Stint

Pratincoles and Coursers

Collared Pratincole

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Slender-billed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Pallas's Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Little Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Whiskered Tern
Common Tern

Grebes

Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Eared Grebe

Storks

Black Stork
White Stork

Cormorants and Shags

Great Cormorant

Ibises and Spoonbills

Glossy Ibis
Eurasian Spoonbill

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Little Bittern
Black-crowned Night Heron
Little Egret
Squacco Heron
Great Egret
Gray Heron
Purple Heron

Pelicans

Great White Pelican
Dalmatian Pelican

Osprey

Osprey

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Black-winged Kite
Bearded Vulture
Egyptian Vulture
European Honey-buzzard
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Cinereous Vulture
Himalayan Griffon
White-rumped Vulture
Eurasian Griffon
Short-toed Snake-Eagle
Greater Spotted Eagle
Booted Eagle
Steppe Eagle
Imperial Eagle
Golden Eagle
Shikra
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Western Marsh Harrier
Hen Harrier
Pallid Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Black Kite
Rough-legged Hawk
Common Buzzard
Long-legged Buzzard

Owls

Eurasian Scops-Owl
Pallid Scops-Owl
Eurasian Eagle-Owl
Little Owl
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl

Hoopoes

Common Hoopoe

Bee-eaters

Asian Green Bee-eater
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
European Bee-eater

Kingfishers

Common Kingfisher
White-throated Kingfisher

Rollers

European Roller

Woodpeckers

Eurasian Wryneck
White-winged Woodpecker

Falcons and Caracaras

Lesser Kestrel
Eurasian Kestrel
Merlin
Eurasian Hobby
Saker Falcon
Peregrine Falcon

Old World Parrots

Alexandrine Parakeet
Rose-ringed Parakeet

Cuckooshrikes

Long-tailed Minivet

Old World Orioles

Eurasian Golden Oriole
Indian Golden Oriole

Drongos

Black Drongo

Monarch Flycatchers

Indian Paradise-Flycatcher

Shrikes

Red-backed Shrike
Red-tailed Shrike
Isabelline Shrike
Brown Shrike
Bay-backed Shrike
Long-tailed Shrike
Great Gray Shrike
Lesser Gray Shrike

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

Eurasian Magpie
Red-billed Chough
Yellow-billed Chough
Daurian Jackdaw
House Crow
Rook
Carrion Crow
Hooded Crow
Large-billed Crow
Brown-necked Raven
Common Raven

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

Coal Tit
Asian Tit

Larks

Greater Hoopoe-Lark
Desert Lark
Eurasian Skylark
Oriental Skylark
Crested Lark
Horned Lark
Greater Short-toed Lark
Hume's Lark
Bimaculated Lark
Calandra Lark
Turkestan Short-toed Lark

Cisticolas and Allies

Delicate Prinia
Plain Prinia

Reed Warblers and Allies

Booted Warbler
Sykes's Warbler
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
Upcher's Warbler
Moustached Warbler
Paddyfield Warbler
Blunt-winged Warbler
Blyth's Reed Warbler
Common Reed Warbler
Great Reed Warbler
Clamorous Reed Warbler

Grassbirds and Allies

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Swallows

Gray-throated Martin
Bank Swallow
Pale Martin
Eurasian Crag-Martin
Pale Crag-Martin
Barn Swallow
Wire-tailed Swallow
Western House-Martin
European Red-rumped Swallow
Streak-throated Swallow

Bulbuls

Red-vented Bulbul
White-eared Bulbul
Himalayan Bulbul

Leaf Warblers

Yellow-browed Warbler
Hume's Warbler
Sulphur-bellied Warbler
Plain Leaf Warbler
Willow Warbler
Mountain Chiffchaff
Common Chiffchaff
Green Warbler
Greenish Warbler

Bush Warblers and Allies

Scrub Warbler
Cetti's Warbler

Sylviid Warblers and Allies

Garden Warbler
Barred Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat
Eastern Orphean Warbler
Asian Desert Warbler
Greater Whitethroat

Laughingthrushes and Allies

Streaked Laughingthrush
Afghan Babbler
Common Babbler

Wallcreeper

Wallcreeper

Nuthatches

Eastern Rock Nuthatch

Treecreepers

Bar-tailed Treecreeper

Wrens

Eurasian Wren

Dippers

White-throated Dipper
Brown Dipper

Starlings

European Starling
Rosy Starling
Brahminy Starling
Common Myna

Thrushes and Allies

Mistle Thrush
Eurasian Blackbird
Black-throated Thrush

Old World Flycatchers

Spotted Flycatcher
Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin
Thrush Nightingale
Common Nightingale
Bluethroat
Blue Whistling-Thrush
Himalayan Rubythroat
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Rufous-backed Redstart
White-capped Redstart
Common Redstart
Black Redstart
Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush
Blue Rock-Thrush
Siberian Stonechat
Pied Bushchat
Northern Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
Desert Wheatear
Pied Wheatear
Variable Wheatear
Hume's Wheatear
Finsch's Wheatear
Persian Wheatear

Accentors

Brown Accentor
Black-throated Accentor

Old World Sparrows

House Sparrow
Spanish Sparrow
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Yellow-throated Sparrow
Rock Sparrow
White-winged Snowfinch
Afghan Snowfinch

Wagtails and Pipits

Gray Wagtail
Western Yellow Wagtail
Citrine Wagtail
White Wagtail
Tawny Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Tree Pipit
Water Pipit

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

Common Chaffinch
Brambling
Hawfinch
Common Rosefinch
Blyth's Rosefinch
Pale Rosefinch
Great Rosefinch
Crimson-winged Finch
Trumpeter Finch
Mongolian Finch
Plain Mountain Finch
Desert Finch
European Greenfinch
Twite
Eurasian Linnet
Gray-crowned Goldfinch
Fire-fronted Serin

Old World Buntings

Red-headed Bunting
Corn Bunting
Rock Bunting
White-capped Bunting
Yellowhammer
Pine Bunting
Gray-necked Bunting
Ortolan Bunting
Reed Bunting

Most common birds in Afghanistan

Ranked by how recently and how widely each was reported to eBird in the 30 days to 2026-10-13, and whether it is one of Afghanistan’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.

Eurasian MagpiePica pica
Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
Eastern Rock NuthatchSitta tephronota
Red-tailed ShrikeLanius phoenicuroides
Black KiteMilvus migrans
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca curruca
White WagtailMotacilla alba
Indian Paradise-FlycatcherTerpsiphone paradisi
Eurasian Crag-MartinPtyonoprogne rupestris
Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
House SparrowPasser domesticus
Rock PigeonColumba livia
Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
Green-winged TealAnas crecca
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis

Largest bird families in Afghanistan

Among its regular birds.

Old World Flycatchers24
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites22
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies15
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl14
Sandpipers and Allies13
Crows, Jays, and Magpies11
Reed Warblers and Allies11
Larks10

Reported in the last 30 days

12 species reported to eBird in Afghanistan in the 30 days to 2026-10-13, most recent first:

Eurasian Magpie, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Eastern Rock Nuthatch, Tree Pipit, Red-tailed Shrike, Indian Paradise-Flycatcher, Black Kite, Lesser Whitethroat, White Wagtail, Eurasian Crag-Martin, Black Redstart, Greater Short-toed Lark.