Iraq bird checklist
339 bird species in 64 families have been recorded in Iraq, according to eBird; about 296 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 · How these lists are made
The most common birds in Iraq right now
1House Sparrow
2Crested Lark
3Little Egret
4Armenian Gull
5Northern Wheatear
6White Wagtail
7Western Marsh Harrier
8Pygmy Cormorant
9Laughing Dove
10Northern Shoveler
Iraq bird checklist
339 species · loading the checklist tools…
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
- Graylag Goose
- Greater White-fronted Goose
- Lesser White-fronted Goose
- Ruddy Shelduck
- Common Shelduck
- Garganey
- Northern Shoveler
- Gadwall
- Eurasian Wigeon
- Mallard
- Northern Pintail
- Green-winged Teal
- Marbled Duck
- Red-crested Pochard
- Common Pochard
- Ferruginous Duck
- Tufted Duck
- Common Goldeneye
- Smew
- White-headed Duck
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
- Black Francolin
- Caspian Snowcock
- See-see Partridge
- Common Quail
- Chukar
Pigeons and Doves
- Rock Pigeon
- Stock Dove
- Common Wood-Pigeon
- European Turtle-Dove
- Eurasian Collared-Dove
- Laughing Dove
- Namaqua Dove
Sandgrouse
- Pin-tailed Sandgrouse
- Black-bellied Sandgrouse
Bustards
- Great Bustard
- Little Bustard
Cuckoos
- Great Spotted Cuckoo
- Common Cuckoo
Nightjars and Allies
- Eurasian Nightjar
- Egyptian Nightjar
Swifts
- Alpine Swift
- Common Swift
- Pallid Swift
- Little Swift
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
- Water Rail
- Spotted Crake
- Eurasian Moorhen
- Eurasian Coot
- Gray-headed Swamphen
- Little Crake
- Baillon's Crake
Cranes
- Demoiselle Crane
- Common Crane
Thick-knees
- Eurasian Thick-knee
Stilts and Avocets
- Black-winged Stilt
- Pied Avocet
Oystercatchers
- Eurasian Oystercatcher
Plovers and Lapwings
- Black-bellied Plover
- Common Ringed Plover
- Little Ringed Plover
- Northern Lapwing
- Spur-winged Lapwing
- Red-wattled Lapwing
- Sociable Lapwing
- White-tailed Lapwing
- Caspian Plover
- Greater Sand-Plover
- Kentish Plover
Sandpipers and Allies
- Eurasian Whimbrel
- Eurasian Curlew
- Bar-tailed Godwit
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Jack Snipe
- Eurasian Woodcock
- Common Snipe
- Red-necked Phalarope
- 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
Pratincoles and Coursers
- Cream-colored Courser
- Collared Pratincole
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Slender-billed Gull
- Black-headed Gull
- Pallas's Gull
- Caspian Gull
- Yellow-legged Gull
- Armenian Gull
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Little Tern
- Gull-billed Tern
- Caspian Tern
- Whiskered Tern
- White-winged Tern
- Common Tern
Flamingos
- Greater Flamingo
Grebes
- Little Grebe
- Great Crested Grebe
- Eared Grebe
Storks
- Black Stork
- White Stork
Cormorants and Shags
- Pygmy Cormorant
- Great Cormorant
- Double-crested Cormorant
Ibises and Spoonbills
- Glossy Ibis
- Eurasian Spoonbill
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Eurasian Bittern
- Little Bittern
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Little Egret
- Western Reef-Heron
- Squacco Heron
- Western Cattle-Egret
- Great Egret
- Gray Heron
- Purple Heron
Pelicans
- Great White Pelican
Osprey
- Osprey
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Black-winged Kite
- Bearded Vulture
- Egyptian Vulture
- European Honey-buzzard
- Cinereous Vulture
- Eurasian Griffon
- Short-toed Snake-Eagle
- Lesser Spotted Eagle
- Greater Spotted Eagle
- Booted Eagle
- Steppe Eagle
- Imperial Eagle
- Golden Eagle
- Bonelli's Eagle
- Shikra
- Levant Sparrowhawk
- Eurasian Sparrowhawk
- Western Marsh Harrier
- Hen Harrier
- Pallid Harrier
- Montagu's Harrier
- Black Kite
- Common Buzzard
- Long-legged Buzzard
Barn-Owls
- Western Barn Owl
Owls
- Eurasian Scops-Owl
- Pallid Scops-Owl
- Pharaoh Eagle-Owl
- Eurasian Eagle-Owl
- Little Owl
- Tawny Owl
- Long-eared Owl
- Short-eared Owl
Hoopoes
- Common Hoopoe
Bee-eaters
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
- European Bee-eater
Kingfishers
- Common Kingfisher
- White-throated Kingfisher
- Pied Kingfisher
Rollers
- European Roller
- Indian Roller
Woodpeckers
- Eurasian Wryneck
- Middle Spotted Woodpecker
- Syrian Woodpecker
- Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
- Eurasian Green Woodpecker
Falcons and Caracaras
- Lesser Kestrel
- Eurasian Kestrel
- Red-footed Falcon
- Merlin
- Eurasian Hobby
- Lanner Falcon
- Saker Falcon
- Peregrine Falcon
Old World Parrots
- Rose-ringed Parakeet
- Budgerigar
Old World Orioles
- Eurasian Golden Oriole
Shrikes
- Red-backed Shrike
- Red-tailed Shrike
- Isabelline Shrike
- Great Gray Shrike
- Lesser Gray Shrike
- Masked Shrike
- Woodchat Shrike
Crows, Jays, and Magpies
- Eurasian Jay
- Eurasian Magpie
- Red-billed Chough
- Yellow-billed Chough
- Eurasian Jackdaw
- Rook
- Hooded Crow
- Brown-necked Raven
- Common Raven
Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice
- Sombre Tit
- Eurasian Blue Tit
- Great Tit
Penduline-Tits
- Eurasian Penduline-Tit
Larks
- Greater Hoopoe-Lark
- Bar-tailed Lark
- Desert Lark
- Wood Lark
- Eurasian Skylark
- Crested Lark
- Horned Lark
- Temminck's Lark
- Greater Short-toed Lark
- Bimaculated Lark
- Calandra Lark
- Turkestan Short-toed Lark
Cisticolas and Allies
- Delicate Prinia
- Zitting Cisticola
Reed Warblers and Allies
- Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
- Upcher's Warbler
- Olive-tree Warbler
- Icterine Warbler
- Moustached Warbler
- Sedge Warbler
- Marsh Warbler
- Common Reed Warbler
- Basra Reed Warbler
- Great Reed Warbler
- Clamorous Reed Warbler
Swallows
- Bank Swallow
- Eurasian Crag-Martin
- Pale Crag-Martin
- Barn Swallow
- Western House-Martin
- European Red-rumped Swallow
Bulbuls
- White-eared Bulbul
Leaf Warblers
- Eastern Bonelli's Warbler
- Plain Leaf Warbler
- Willow Warbler
- Mountain Chiffchaff
- Common Chiffchaff
Bush Warblers and Allies
- Scrub Warbler
- Cetti's Warbler
Long-tailed Tits
- Long-tailed Tit
Sylviid Warblers and Allies
- Eurasian Blackcap
- Garden Warbler
- Barred Warbler
- Lesser Whitethroat
- Eastern Orphean Warbler
- Asian Desert Warbler
- Menetries's Warbler
- Greater Whitethroat
Laughingthrushes and Allies
- Iraq Babbler
- Afghan Babbler
Kinglets
- Goldcrest
Wallcreeper
- Wallcreeper
Nuthatches
- Western Rock Nuthatch
- Eastern Rock Nuthatch
- Eurasian Nuthatch
Wrens
- Eurasian Wren
Dippers
- White-throated Dipper
Starlings
- European Starling
- Rosy Starling
- Common Myna
Thrushes and Allies
- Mistle Thrush
- Song Thrush
- Redwing
- Eurasian Blackbird
- Fieldfare
- Black-throated Thrush
Old World Flycatchers
- Spotted Flycatcher
- Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin
- European Robin
- White-throated Robin
- Thrush Nightingale
- Common Nightingale
- Bluethroat
- Red-breasted Flycatcher
- Semicollared Flycatcher
- Common Redstart
- Black Redstart
- Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush
- Blue Rock-Thrush
- Whinchat
- European Stonechat
- Siberian Stonechat
- Northern Wheatear
- Isabelline Wheatear
- Desert Wheatear
- Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
- Pied Wheatear
- Hume's Wheatear
- Finsch's Wheatear
- Mourning Wheatear
- Kurdish Wheatear
- Persian Wheatear
Hypocolius
- Hypocolius
Accentors
- Alpine Accentor
- Radde's Accentor
- Dunnock
Old World Sparrows
- House Sparrow
- Spanish Sparrow
- Dead Sea Sparrow
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow
- Yellow-throated Sparrow
- Rock Sparrow
- Pale Rockfinch
- White-winged Snowfinch
Wagtails and Pipits
- Gray Wagtail
- Western Yellow Wagtail
- Citrine Wagtail
- White Wagtail
- Tawny Pipit
- Meadow Pipit
- Tree Pipit
- Red-throated Pipit
- Water Pipit
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
- Common Chaffinch
- Brambling
- Hawfinch
- Common Rosefinch
- Crimson-winged Finch
- Trumpeter Finch
- Desert Finch
- European Greenfinch
- Eurasian Linnet
- European Goldfinch
- European Serin
- Fire-fronted Serin
- Eurasian Siskin
Old World Buntings
- Black-headed Bunting
- Corn Bunting
- Rock Bunting
- Yellowhammer
- Gray-necked Bunting
- Cinereous Bunting
- Ortolan Bunting
- Reed Bunting
Most common birds in Iraq
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 Iraq’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Crested LarkGalerida cristata
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Armenian GullLarus armenicus
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Pygmy CormorantMicrocarbo pygmaeus
- Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensis
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyroca
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Gray HeronArdea cinerea
- Common Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
Largest bird families in Iraq
Among its regular birds.
- Old World Flycatchers25
- Hawks, Eagles, and Kites22
- Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl20
- Sandpipers and Allies18
- Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers13
- Larks12
- Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns10
- Finches, Euphonias, and Allies10
Reported in the last 30 days
115 species reported to eBird in Iraq in the 30 days to 2026-10-13. The 40 most recently reported:
Crested Lark, Red-wattled Lapwing, Northern Wheatear, Common Buzzard, Western Marsh Harrier, Black-winged Kite, Armenian Gull, House Sparrow, Little Egret, Laughing Dove, White Wagtail, Pygmy Cormorant, Eurasian Magpie, Gray-headed Swamphen, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Pied Kingfisher, Common Reed Warbler, Ferruginous Duck, Northern Shoveler, Glossy Ibis, Gray Heron, Great Cormorant, Marbled Duck, Green Sandpiper, Mallard, Gray Wagtail, Hooded Crow, Little Grebe, European Stonechat, Spur-winged Lapwing, Western Cattle-Egret, Cetti's Warbler, Siberian Stonechat, Common Chiffchaff, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Moorhen, Common Redshank, Common Redstart, Common Snipe, Rock Pigeon, …
Get to know some of them
Common Buzzard
Great Cormorant
Glossy Ibis
Eurasian Magpie
Mallard
Gray Heron
Little Grebe
Green Sandpiper
Western Cattle-Egret
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Hooded Crow
Red-wattled Lapwing
Gray Wagtail
Rock Pigeon
Gray-headed Swamphen
Eurasian Moorhen