Eritrea bird checklist

452 bird species in 87 families have been recorded in Eritrea, according to eBird; about 295 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

Common birds in Eritrea

The top 20, and how they are ranked

Eritrea bird checklist

452 species · loading the checklist tools…

Ostriches

Common Ostrich

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

White-faced Whistling-Duck
Egyptian Goose
Garganey
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
Red-billed Duck
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Common Pochard
Ferruginous Duck
Tufted Duck
Maccoa Duck

Guineafowl

Helmeted Guineafowl

New World Quail

Stone Partridge

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Orange River Francolin
Common Quail
Erckel's Spurfowl
Clapperton's Spurfowl
Yellow-necked Spurfowl

Pigeons and Doves

Rock Pigeon
Speckled Pigeon
White-collared Pigeon
Rameron Pigeon
European Turtle-Dove
Dusky Turtle-Dove
African Collared-Dove
Mourning Collared-Dove
Red-eyed Dove
Ring-necked Dove
Vinaceous Dove
Laughing Dove
Black-billed Wood-Dove
Blue-spotted Wood-Dove
Namaqua Dove
Bruce's Green-Pigeon

Sandgrouse

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
Spotted Sandgrouse
Yellow-throated Sandgrouse
Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse
Four-banded Sandgrouse

Bustards

Arabian Bustard
White-bellied Bustard

Turacos

Eastern Plantain-eater
White-cheeked Turaco

Cuckoos

Blue-headed Coucal
White-browed Coucal
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Pied Cuckoo
Dideric Cuckoo
Klaas's Cuckoo
Common Cuckoo

Nightjars and Allies

Sombre Nightjar
Montane Nightjar
Plain Nightjar

Swifts

Alpine Swift
Mottled Swift
Common Swift
Nyanza Swift
Little Swift
White-rumped Swift
African Palm Swift

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

Rouget's Rail
Spotted Crake
Eurasian Moorhen
Red-knobbed Coot
Little Crake

Cranes

Common Crane

Thick-knees

Spotted Thick-knee
Eurasian Thick-knee
Senegal Thick-knee

Stilts and Avocets

Black-winged Stilt
Pied Avocet

Oystercatchers

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Plovers and Lapwings

Black-bellied Plover
Common Ringed Plover
Three-banded Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Spur-winged Lapwing
Black-headed Lapwing
Black-winged Lapwing
Wattled Lapwing
White-tailed Lapwing
Tibetan Sand-Plover
Greater Sand-Plover
Kittlitz's Plover
Kentish Plover

Sandpipers and Allies

Eurasian Whimbrel
Eurasian Curlew
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
African Snipe
Common Snipe
Terek Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Redshank
Spotted Redshank
Common Greenshank
Ruddy Turnstone
Ruff
Curlew Sandpiper
Temminck's Stint
Sanderling
Dunlin
Little Stint

Crab-Plover

Crab-Plover

Pratincoles and Coursers

Temminck's Courser
Somali Courser
Collared Pratincole

Skuas and Jaegers

Parasitic Jaeger

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Slender-billed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Sooty Gull
White-eyed Gull
Caspian Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Brown Noddy
Bridled Tern
Saunders's Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
White-winged Tern
Common Tern
White-cheeked Tern
Lesser Crested Tern
Great Crested Tern

Flamingos

Greater Flamingo

Grebes

Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe

Tropicbirds

Red-billed Tropicbird

Shearwaters and Petrels

Persian Shearwater

Storks

African Openbill
Black Stork
Abdim's Stork
African Woolly-necked Stork
White Stork
Marabou Stork
Yellow-billed Stork

Boobies and Gannets

Brown Booby
Masked Booby

Anhingas

African Darter

Cormorants and Shags

Reed Cormorant
Great Cormorant

Ibises and Spoonbills

Glossy Ibis
African Sacred Ibis
Wattled Ibis
Eurasian Spoonbill
African Spoonbill

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Little Bittern
Black-crowned Night Heron
Little Egret
Western Reef-Heron
Little Heron
Squacco Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Great Egret
Yellow-billed Egret
Gray Heron
Purple Heron
Black-headed Heron
Goliath Heron

Hamerkop

Hamerkop

Pelicans

Great White Pelican
Pink-backed Pelican

Secretarybird

Secretarybird

Osprey

Osprey

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Black-winged Kite
African Harrier-Hawk
Bearded Vulture
Egyptian Vulture
European Honey-buzzard
Lappet-faced Vulture
Hooded Vulture
White-backed Vulture
Rüppell's Griffon
Eurasian Griffon
Short-toed Snake-Eagle
Brown Snake-Eagle
Martial Eagle
Long-crested Eagle
Lesser Spotted Eagle
Wahlberg's Eagle
Booted Eagle
Steppe Eagle
Tawny Eagle
Verreaux's Eagle
Bonelli's Eagle
African Hawk-Eagle
Gabar Goshawk
Dark Chanting-Goshawk
African Goshawk
Shikra
Black Goshawk
Western Marsh Harrier
Pallid Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Black Kite
African Fish-Eagle
Augur Buzzard
Common Buzzard
Long-legged Buzzard

Barn-Owls

Western Barn Owl

Owls

African Scops-Owl
Grayish Eagle-Owl
Cape Eagle-Owl
Verreaux's Eagle-Owl
Pearl-spotted Owlet
Little Owl

Mousebirds

Speckled Mousebird
Blue-naped Mousebird

Trogons

Narina Trogon

Hoopoes

Common Hoopoe

Woodhoopoes and Scimitarbills

Black-billed Woodhoopoe
Black Scimitarbill

Hornbills

Hemprich's Hornbill
African Gray Hornbill
Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Northern Red-billed Hornbill

Bee-eaters

Little Bee-eater
Ethiopian Bee-eater
White-throated Bee-eater
African Green Bee-eater
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
European Bee-eater

Kingfishers

Malachite Kingfisher
Gray-headed Kingfisher
Striped Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher

Rollers

European Roller
Abyssinian Roller
Purple Roller
Broad-billed Roller

African Barbets

Yellow-breasted Barbet
Northern Red-fronted Tinkerbird
Banded Barbet
Black-billed Barbet

Honeyguides

Lesser Honeyguide
Greater Honeyguide

Woodpeckers

Eurasian Wryneck
Abyssinian Woodpecker
Cardinal Woodpecker
Brown-backed Woodpecker
Nubian Woodpecker

Falcons and Caracaras

Lesser Kestrel
Eurasian Kestrel
Fox Kestrel
Gray Kestrel
Sooty Falcon
Eurasian Hobby
Lanner Falcon
Peregrine Falcon

Old World Parrots

Rose-ringed Parakeet
Black-winged Lovebird

New World and African Parrots

Meyer's Parrot

Old World Orioles

Eurasian Golden Oriole
Ethiopian Black-headed Oriole

Wattle-eyes and Batises

Gray-headed Batis
Western Black-headed Batis

Vangas, Helmetshrikes, and Allies

White-crested Helmetshrike

Bushshrikes and Allies

Brubru
Northern Puffback
Black-crowned Tchagra
Ethiopian Boubou
Black-headed Gonolek
Rosy-patched Bushshrike

Drongos

Fork-tailed Drongo

Monarch Flycatchers

African Paradise-Flycatcher

Shrikes

Red-backed Shrike
Red-tailed Shrike
Isabelline Shrike
Great Gray Shrike
Lesser Gray Shrike
Northern Fiscal
Masked Shrike
Woodchat Shrike

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

House Crow
Cape Crow
Pied Crow
Somali Crow
Fan-tailed Raven
Thick-billed Raven

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

White-winged Black-Tit
White-backed Black-Tit

Penduline-Tits

Sennar Penduline-Tit

Larks

Greater Hoopoe-Lark
Desert Lark
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark
Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark
Thekla's Lark
Crested Lark
Blanford's Lark
Greater Short-toed Lark
Bimaculated Lark

African Warblers

Northern Crombec

Cisticolas and Allies

Yellow-bellied Eremomela
Green-backed Eremomela
Green-backed Camaroptera
Cricket Longtail
Buff-bellied Warbler
Graceful Prinia
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Red-fronted Prinia
Singing Cisticola
Red-pate Cisticola
Ethiopian Cisticola
Zitting Cisticola

Reed Warblers and Allies

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Marsh Warbler
Common Reed Warbler
Clamorous Reed Warbler

Grassbirds and Allies

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Swallows

Black Sawwing
Banded Martin
Bank Swallow
Pale Crag-Martin
Barn Swallow
Ethiopian Swallow
Wire-tailed Swallow
Western House-Martin
African Red-rumped Swallow
Lesser Striped Swallow

Bulbuls

Common Bulbul

Leaf Warblers

Eastern Bonelli's Warbler
Willow Warbler
Common Chiffchaff
Brown Woodland-Warbler

Sylviid Warblers and Allies

Eurasian Blackcap
Garden Warbler
Barred Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat
Arabian Warbler
Eastern Orphean Warbler
Asian Desert Warbler
Menetries's Warbler
Greater Whitethroat

White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies

Abyssinian White-eye
Ethiopian White-eye

Laughingthrushes and Allies

Fulvous Chatterer
White-rumped Babbler
Cretzschmar's Babbler

Oxpeckers

Red-billed Oxpecker
Yellow-billed Oxpecker

Starlings

Wattled Starling
Violet-backed Starling
Slender-billed Starling
Red-winged Starling
White-billed Starling
Somali Starling
Rüppell's Starling
Chestnut-bellied Starling
Lesser Blue-eared Starling
Greater Blue-eared Starling

Thrushes and Allies

Ethiopian Thrush
Song Thrush
Abyssinian Thrush
African Thrush

Old World Flycatchers

Spotted Flycatcher
Pale Flycatcher
Northern Black-Flycatcher
Abyssinian Slaty-Flycatcher
Black Scrub-Robin
Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin
Rüppell's Robin-Chat
White-throated Robin
Bluethroat
Semicollared Flycatcher
Common Redstart
Black Redstart
Little Rock-Thrush
Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush
Blue Rock-Thrush
Whinchat
Siberian Stonechat
Mocking Cliff-Chat
Rüppell's Chat
Northern Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
Desert Wheatear
Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
Pied Wheatear
White-fronted Black-Chat
Blackstart
Familiar Chat
Brown-tailed Chat
Abyssinian Wheatear

Sunbirds and Spiderhunters

Nile Valley Sunbird
Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Tacazze Sunbird
Beautiful Sunbird
Marico Sunbird
Abyssinian Sunbird
Variable Sunbird

Weavers and Allies

White-billed Buffalo-Weaver
Speckle-fronted Weaver
Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver
Baglafecht Weaver
Little Weaver
Rüppell's Weaver
Village Weaver
Black-headed Weaver
Chestnut Weaver
Red-billed Quelea
Northern Red Bishop
Yellow-mantled Widowbird

Waxbills and Allies

African Silverbill
Yellow-bellied Waxbill
Black-rumped Waxbill
Crimson-rumped Waxbill
Quailfinch
Cut-throat
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu
Green-winged Pytilia
Red-billed Firefinch
African Firefinch

Whydahs and Indigobirds

Pin-tailed Whydah
Sahel Paradise-Whydah
Village Indigobird

Old World Sparrows

House Sparrow
Northern Gray-headed Sparrow
Swainson's Sparrow
Sudan Golden Sparrow
Sahel Bush Sparrow
Pale Rockfinch

Wagtails and Pipits

Mountain Wagtail
Gray Wagtail
Western Yellow Wagtail
African Pied Wagtail
White Wagtail
African Pipit
Long-billed Pipit
Tawny Pipit
Plain-backed Pipit
Tree Pipit
Red-throated Pipit

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

White-rumped Seedeater
Yellow-fronted Canary
African Citril
Yellow-rumped Serin
Streaky Seedeater
Brown-rumped Seedeater
Yellow-crowned Canary

Old World Buntings

Cinereous Bunting
Ortolan Bunting
Golden-breasted Bunting
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting
Striolated Bunting

Most common birds in Eritrea

Eritrea’s regular birds, ranked by how widespread they are. Recent sightings for Eritrea aren’t in our data yet.

Rock PigeonColumba livia
White StorkCiconia ciconia
Western Cattle-EgretArdea ibis
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
Black KiteMilvus migrans
Little SwiftApus affinis
European Bee-eaterMerops apiaster
House SparrowPasser domesticus
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferruginea
Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
RuffCalidris pugnax
Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca

Largest bird families in Eritrea

Among its regular birds.

Sandpipers and Allies18
Old World Flycatchers16
Pigeons and Doves15
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites15
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers14
Plovers and Lapwings13
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl10
Weavers and Allies9

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