Saudi Arabia bird checklist
494 bird species in 80 families have been recorded in Saudi Arabia, according to eBird; about 348 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 Saudi Arabia right now
1House Sparrow
2Rock Pigeon
3Laughing Dove
4Black-winged Stilt
5Gray Heron
6Common Tern
7Eurasian Moorhen
8Eurasian Blackcap
9Common Myna
10Little Egret
Saudi Arabia bird checklist
494 species · loading the checklist tools…
Ostriches
- Common Ostrich
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
- White-faced Whistling-Duck
- Fulvous Whistling-Duck
- Lesser Whistling-Duck
- Graylag Goose
- Swan Goose
- Greater White-fronted Goose
- Lesser White-fronted Goose
- Black Swan
- Ruddy Shelduck
- Common Shelduck
- Muscovy Duck
- Cotton Pygmy-Goose
- Garganey
- Northern Shoveler
- Gadwall
- Eurasian Wigeon
- Mallard
- Northern Pintail
- Green-winged Teal
- Red-crested Pochard
- Common Pochard
- Ferruginous Duck
- Tufted Duck
- Long-tailed Duck
- Red-breasted Merganser
- White-headed Duck
Guineafowl
- Helmeted Guineafowl
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
- Gray Francolin
- See-see Partridge
- Sand Partridge
- Common Quail
- Harlequin Quail
- Arabian Partridge
- Chukar
- Philby's Partridge
Pigeons and Doves
- Rock Pigeon
- Common Wood-Pigeon
- Rameron Pigeon
- European Turtle-Dove
- Dusky Turtle-Dove
- Eurasian Collared-Dove
- African Collared-Dove
- Red-eyed Dove
- Laughing Dove
- Namaqua Dove
- Diamond Dove
- Bruce's Green-Pigeon
Sandgrouse
- Pin-tailed Sandgrouse
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
- Spotted Sandgrouse
- Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse
Bustards
- Arabian Bustard
- Asian Houbara
- Little Bustard
Cuckoos
- White-browed Coucal
- Great Spotted Cuckoo
- Pied Cuckoo
- Dideric Cuckoo
- Klaas's Cuckoo
- Common Cuckoo
Nightjars and Allies
- Eurasian Nightjar
- Egyptian Nightjar
- Nubian Nightjar
- Montane Nightjar
- Plain Nightjar
Swifts
- Alpine Swift
- Common Swift
- Pallid Swift
- Little Swift
- African Palm Swift
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
- Water Rail
- Corn Crake
- Spotted Crake
- Eurasian Moorhen
- Eurasian Coot
- Red-knobbed Coot
- African Swamphen
- Gray-headed Swamphen
- Little Crake
- Baillon's Crake
Cranes
- Demoiselle Crane
- Common Crane
Thick-knees
- Spotted Thick-knee
- Eurasian Thick-knee
Stilts and Avocets
- Black-winged Stilt
- Pied Avocet
Oystercatchers
- Eurasian Oystercatcher
Plovers and Lapwings
- Black-bellied Plover
- European Golden-Plover
- Pacific Golden-Plover
- Eurasian Dotterel
- Common Ringed Plover
- Little Ringed Plover
- Northern Lapwing
- Spur-winged Lapwing
- Red-wattled Lapwing
- Sociable Lapwing
- White-tailed Lapwing
- Caspian Plover
- Tibetan Sand-Plover
- Greater Sand-Plover
- Kentish Plover
Painted-Snipes
- Greater Painted-Snipe
Jacanas
- Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Sandpipers and Allies
- Eurasian Whimbrel
- Eurasian Curlew
- Bar-tailed Godwit
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Jack Snipe
- Eurasian Woodcock
- Great Snipe
- Pin-tailed Snipe
- Common Snipe
- Red Phalarope
- Red-necked Phalarope
- Terek Sandpiper
- Common Sandpiper
- Green Sandpiper
- Marsh Sandpiper
- Wood Sandpiper
- Common Redshank
- Spotted Redshank
- Common Greenshank
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Great Knot
- Red Knot
- Ruff
- Broad-billed Sandpiper
- Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Temminck's Stint
- Sanderling
- Dunlin
- Little Stint
- Pectoral Sandpiper
Buttonquail
- Small Buttonquail
Crab-Plover
- Crab-Plover
Pratincoles and Coursers
- Cream-colored Courser
- Collared Pratincole
- Black-winged Pratincole
Skuas and Jaegers
- Parasitic Jaeger
- Pomarine Jaeger
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Slender-billed Gull
- Black-headed Gull
- Pallas's Gull
- Sooty Gull
- White-eyed Gull
- Common Gull
- Caspian Gull
- Yellow-legged Gull
- Armenian Gull
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Brown Noddy
- Bridled Tern
- Little Tern
- Saunders's Tern
- Gull-billed Tern
- Caspian Tern
- Whiskered Tern
- Black Tern
- White-winged Tern
- Arctic Tern
- Common Tern
- White-cheeked Tern
- Sandwich Tern
- Lesser Crested Tern
- Great Crested Tern
Flamingos
- Greater Flamingo
- Lesser Flamingo
Grebes
- Little Grebe
- Red-necked Grebe
- Great Crested Grebe
- Eared Grebe
Tropicbirds
- Red-billed Tropicbird
Shearwaters and Petrels
- Persian Shearwater
Storks
- African Openbill
- Black Stork
- Abdim's Stork
- White Stork
Frigatebirds
- Lesser Frigatebird
Boobies and Gannets
- Red-footed Booby
- Brown Booby
- Masked Booby
Cormorants and Shags
- Great Cormorant
- Socotra Cormorant
Ibises and Spoonbills
- Glossy Ibis
- African Sacred Ibis
- Eurasian Spoonbill
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Eurasian Bittern
- Little Bittern
- Yellow Bittern
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Black Heron
- Little Egret
- Western Reef-Heron
- Little Heron
- Squacco Heron
- Western Cattle-Egret
- Great Egret
- Yellow-billed Egret
- Medium Egret
- Gray Heron
- Purple Heron
- Black-headed Heron
- Goliath Heron
Hamerkop
- Hamerkop
Pelicans
- Great White Pelican
- Pink-backed Pelican
Osprey
- Osprey
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Black-winged Kite
- Bearded Vulture
- Egyptian Vulture
- European Honey-buzzard
- Oriental Honey-buzzard
- Cinereous Vulture
- Lappet-faced Vulture
- Rüppell's Griffon
- Eurasian Griffon
- Bateleur
- Short-toed Snake-Eagle
- Lesser Spotted Eagle
- Greater Spotted Eagle
- Booted Eagle
- Steppe Eagle
- Imperial Eagle
- Golden Eagle
- Verreaux's Eagle
- Bonelli's Eagle
- Gabar Goshawk
- Dark Chanting-Goshawk
- Shikra
- Levant Sparrowhawk
- Eurasian Sparrowhawk
- Eurasian Goshawk
- Western Marsh Harrier
- Hen Harrier
- Pallid Harrier
- Montagu's Harrier
- Black Kite
- White-tailed Eagle
- Common Buzzard
- Long-legged Buzzard
Barn-Owls
- Western Barn Owl
Owls
- Arabian Scops-Owl
- Eurasian Scops-Owl
- Pallid Scops-Owl
- Arabian Eagle-Owl
- Pharaoh Eagle-Owl
- Little Owl
- Desert Owl
- Long-eared Owl
- Short-eared Owl
Hoopoes
- Common Hoopoe
Hornbills
- African Gray Hornbill
Bee-eaters
- White-throated Bee-eater
- Arabian Green Bee-eater
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
- European Bee-eater
Kingfishers
- Common Kingfisher
- White-throated Kingfisher
- Gray-headed Kingfisher
- Collared Kingfisher
- Pied Kingfisher
Rollers
- European Roller
- Abyssinian Roller
- Indian Roller
Woodpeckers
- Eurasian Wryneck
- Arabian Woodpecker
Falcons and Caracaras
- Lesser Kestrel
- Eurasian Kestrel
- Red-footed Falcon
- Amur Falcon
- Eleonora's Falcon
- Sooty Falcon
- Merlin
- Eurasian Hobby
- Lanner Falcon
- Saker Falcon
- Peregrine Falcon
Cockatoos
- Cockatiel
Old World Parrots
- Alexandrine Parakeet
- Rose-ringed Parakeet
- Budgerigar
- Yellow-collared Lovebird
New World and African Parrots
- Senegal Parrot
Old World Orioles
- Eurasian Golden Oriole
Bushshrikes and Allies
- Black-crowned Tchagra
Drongos
- Black Drongo
- Ashy Drongo
Monarch Flycatchers
- African Paradise-Flycatcher
Shrikes
- Red-backed Shrike
- Red-tailed Shrike
- Isabelline Shrike
- Great Gray Shrike
- Lesser Gray Shrike
- Masked Shrike
- Woodchat Shrike
Crows, Jays, and Magpies
- Asir Magpie
- Eurasian Magpie
- House Crow
- Hooded Crow
- Brown-necked Raven
- Fan-tailed Raven
- Common Raven
Penduline-Tits
- Eurasian Penduline-Tit
Larks
- Greater Hoopoe-Lark
- Thick-billed Lark
- Bar-tailed Lark
- Desert Lark
- Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark
- Singing Bushlark
- Eurasian Skylark
- Oriental Skylark
- Crested Lark
- Temminck's Lark
- Rufous-capped Lark
- Greater Short-toed Lark
- Bimaculated Lark
- Calandra Lark
- Arabian Lark
- Mediterranean Short-toed Lark
- Turkestan Short-toed Lark
Cisticolas and Allies
- Graceful Prinia
- Delicate Prinia
- Zitting Cisticola
Reed Warblers and Allies
- Booted Warbler
- Sykes's Warbler
- Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
- Upcher's Warbler
- Olive-tree Warbler
- Melodious Warbler
- Icterine Warbler
- Moustached Warbler
- Sedge Warbler
- Paddyfield Warbler
- Blyth's Reed Warbler
- Marsh Warbler
- Common Reed Warbler
- Basra Reed Warbler
- Great Reed Warbler
- Clamorous Reed Warbler
Grassbirds and Allies
- River Warbler
- Savi's Warbler
- Common Grasshopper Warbler
Swallows
- Bank Swallow
- Pale Martin
- Eurasian Crag-Martin
- Pale Crag-Martin
- Barn Swallow
- White-throated Swallow
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Western House-Martin
- European Red-rumped Swallow
- Streak-throated Swallow
Bulbuls
- Red-vented Bulbul
- White-eared Bulbul
- White-spectacled Bulbul
Leaf Warblers
- Wood Warbler
- Eastern Bonelli's Warbler
- Yellow-browed Warbler
- Willow Warbler
- Mountain Chiffchaff
- Common Chiffchaff
- Brown Woodland-Warbler
- Green Warbler
Bush Warblers and Allies
- Scrub Warbler
Sylviid Warblers and Allies
- Eurasian Blackcap
- Garden Warbler
- Barred Warbler
- Lesser Whitethroat
- Yemen Warbler
- Arabian Warbler
- Eastern Orphean Warbler
- Asian Desert Warbler
- Menetries's Warbler
- Rüppell's Warbler
- Cyprus Warbler
- Sardinian Warbler
- Eastern Subalpine Warbler
- Greater Whitethroat
White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies
- Abyssinian White-eye
Laughingthrushes and Allies
- Arabian Babbler
Starlings
- European Starling
- Wattled Starling
- Rosy Starling
- Common Myna
- Bank Myna
- Violet-backed Starling
- Tristram's Starling
Thrushes and Allies
- Mistle Thrush
- Song Thrush
- Yemen Thrush
- Eurasian Blackbird
- Ring Ouzel
- Black-throated Thrush
Old World Flycatchers
- Spotted Flycatcher
- Gambaga Flycatcher
- Black Scrub-Robin
- Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin
- European Robin
- White-throated Robin
- Thrush Nightingale
- Common Nightingale
- Bluethroat
- Red-breasted Flycatcher
- Semicollared Flycatcher
- European Pied Flycatcher
- Collared Flycatcher
- Rufous-backed Redstart
- Common Redstart
- Black Redstart
- Little Rock-Thrush
- Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush
- Blue Rock-Thrush
- Whinchat
- European Stonechat
- Siberian Stonechat
- African Stonechat
- Pied Bushchat
- Northern Wheatear
- Buff-breasted Wheatear
- Isabelline Wheatear
- Hooded Wheatear
- Desert Wheatear
- Cyprus Wheatear
- Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
- Pied Wheatear
- Red-rumped Wheatear
- Blackstart
- White-crowned Wheatear
- Arabian Wheatear
- Finsch's Wheatear
- Mourning Wheatear
- Kurdish Wheatear
- Persian Wheatear
Hypocolius
- Hypocolius
Sunbirds and Spiderhunters
- Nile Valley Sunbird
- Palestine Sunbird
- Arabian Sunbird
- Purple Sunbird
Weavers and Allies
- Rüppell's Weaver
- Streaked Weaver
Waxbills and Allies
- African Silverbill
- Indian Silverbill
- Scaly-breasted Munia
- Tricolored Munia
- Arabian Waxbill
- Red Avadavat
Whydahs and Indigobirds
- Pin-tailed Whydah
Old World Sparrows
- House Sparrow
- Spanish Sparrow
- Arabian Golden Sparrow
- Yellow-throated Sparrow
- Pale Rockfinch
Wagtails and Pipits
- Gray Wagtail
- Western Yellow Wagtail
- Citrine Wagtail
- White Wagtail
- Richard's Pipit
- African Pipit
- Long-billed Pipit
- Tawny Pipit
- Meadow Pipit
- Tree Pipit
- Olive-backed Pipit
- Red-throated Pipit
- Water Pipit
- Siberian Pipit
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
- Common Chaffinch
- Brambling
- Common Rosefinch
- Sinai Rosefinch
- Trumpeter Finch
- Desert Finch
- Arabian Grosbeak
- European Greenfinch
- Arabian Serin
- Yemen Serin
- Eurasian Linnet
- Yemen Linnet
- European Goldfinch
- Syrian Serin
- Eurasian Siskin
Old World Buntings
- Black-headed Bunting
- Red-headed Bunting
- Corn Bunting
- Rock Bunting
- Cinereous Bunting
- Ortolan Bunting
- Cretzschmar's Bunting
- Cinnamon-breasted Bunting
- Striolated Bunting
- Little Bunting
Most common birds in Saudi Arabia
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 Saudi Arabia’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Rock PigeonColumba livia
- Laughing DoveSpilopelia senegalensis
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Gray HeronArdea cinerea
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Eurasian MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Eurasian BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Common MynaAcridotheres tristis
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Black-crowned Night HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Eurasian Collared-DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
- Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Crested LarkGalerida cristata
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eaterMerops persicus
Largest bird families in Saudi Arabia
Among its regular birds.
- Old World Flycatchers30
- Sandpipers and Allies24
- Hawks, Eagles, and Kites23
- Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers22
- Larks15
- Plovers and Lapwings14
- Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl13
- Wagtails and Pipits12
Reported in the last 30 days
290 species reported to eBird in Saudi Arabia in the 30 days to 2026-10-13. The 40 most recently reported:
Laughing Dove, African Silverbill, Arabian Babbler, House Sparrow, Graceful Prinia, European Red-rumped Swallow, Eurasian Blackcap, Palestine Sunbird, Tristram's Starling, White-eared Bulbul, Rock Pigeon, Common Myna, House Crow, Indian Silverbill, Gray Heron, Rüppell's Weaver, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Black-winged Stilt, Blackstart, Pale Crag-Martin, Eurasian Moorhen, Black Scrub-Robin, Willow Warbler, Common Hoopoe, Common Greenshank, Crested Lark, Masked Shrike, Common Tern, Squacco Heron, Little Egret, Lesser Whitethroat, Black-crowned Night Heron, Arabian Green Bee-eater, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Common Sandpiper, Gull-billed Tern, White-winged Tern, Green Sandpiper, Common Ringed Plover, …
Get to know some of them
Black-crowned Night Heron
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Barn Swallow
Common Greenshank
Crested Lark
Common Ringed Plover
Squacco Heron
Common Sandpiper
Eurasian Spoonbill
Little Grebe
Indian Silverbill
Caspian Tern
Wood Sandpiper