The Complete List of Birds of Morocco

Morocco’s mix of Atlantic coast, Mediterranean shoreline, high mountains and desert fringes makes it one of North Africa’s richest birding destinations. Habitats change quickly here, so a short drive can take you from coastal wetlands to mountain forests and semi‑arid plains where different species concentrate.

There are 60 Birds of Morocco, ranging from Azure-winged Magpie to Yellow-legged Gull. For each entry the list shows Scientific name, Size (length cm), and Where found (regions)—details you’ll find below.

When is the best time to see the most species in Morocco?

Spring (March–May) is generally the best window: many migrants pass through or arrive to breed, and resident species are active and visible; autumn migration (September–October) also brings high diversity. Coastal wetlands and riverine areas concentrate birds outside the breeding season, so check seasonal reports for peak weeks.

How should I use the Scientific name, Size (length cm), and Where found (regions) columns?

Use the Scientific name to avoid confusion between similar common names, Size (length cm) to help distinguish look‑alikes in the field, and Where found (regions) to plan which habitats or provinces to visit; combine those columns with seasonality and a local guide for practical trip planning.

Birds of Morocco

Images and Descriptions

Common Kingfisher

A compact, electric-blue fisherman seen along rivers and lagoons. Mostly resident with local movements, it’s shy but unmistakable by rapid flight and flash of orange. Look for it perched low over water, diving for small fish.

Greater Flamingo

Tall, pink-billed waders that gather in large flocks on coastal lagoons and saltpans. Regular winter visitor and local breeder at some sites; noted for long legs, S-shaped neck and communal feeding in shallow saline waters.

Great Cormorant

Large dark waterbird often seen perched with wings spread. Regular along the Atlantic coast and in estuaries, resident and winter visitor. Diver that fishes offshore and inshore; common on rocky shores and tidal flats.

Little Egret

Slender white heron with black bill and yellow feet. Resident and winter visitor in wetlands and coastal lagoons; often active and approachable, stalking small fish and invertebrates in shallow water.

Grey Heron

Large, long-legged grey heron common in marshes and river valleys. Resident with seasonal movements; solitary hunter seen standing motionless before striking fish, frogs or small mammals in shallow water.

Cattle Egret

Compact white heron often with buff plumes in breeding season, following livestock or tractors. Widespread resident and dispersive migrant, especially in agricultural lowlands where it feeds on insects disturbed by grazing animals.

Black-crowned Night Heron

Chunky, nocturnal heron seen at dusk or night. Regular winter visitor and breeder in some marshes; short-necked silhouette, slow deliberate movements and a habit of roosting in trees by day.

Eurasian Spoonbill

Distinctive white wader with a spatulate bill used to sweep for small aquatic prey. Regular migrant and local breeder at saline flats and estuaries; forms loose colonies and forages in shallow, brackish water.

Common Shelduck

Bold, colorful duck with chestnut flank band and upright stance. Regular winter visitor and passage migrant along the Atlantic coast; often in mixed flocks on tidal flats and saltworks.

Ruddy Shelduck

Orange-brown waterfowl often seen on inland lakes or desert oases. A scarce but regular visitor and occasional breeder in southern Morocco; distinctive pale head and loud honking calls.

Mallard

Familiar large duck, resident and winter visitor widely found on freshwater bodies and parks. Drakes show a green head; adaptable omnivores often seen dabbling in shallow water or loafing on shores.

Northern Shoveler

Long-billed, spoon-shaped billed duck common on shallow wetlands. Winter visitor and passage migrant concentrated on mudflats and saline lagoons where it filters small invertebrates and plant matter.

Northern Pintail

Elegant dabbling duck with long tail streamers in males. Regular winter visitor and passage migrant; favors open shallow wetlands and salt pans, often in loose flocks with other ducks.

Eurasian Teal

Small dabbling duck, common as a winter visitor and migrant. Males have a green cheek stripe; found on shallow freshwater and brackish pools where they feed on seeds and small invertebrates.

Eurasian Wigeon

Stocky dabbling duck with distinctive male head. Regular winter visitor in flocks on sheltered coastal waters and inland wetlands; grazes on aquatic plants and grasses in shallow water.

Common Pochard

Diving duck with rounded head; migratory and winter visitor to inland lakes and coastal lagoons. Male shows reddish head and black breast; dives for aquatic vegetation and invertebrates.

Ferruginous Duck

Compact diving duck, scarce but regular in Morocco’s wetlands. Local breeder and winter visitor in reed-fringed lakes; dark chestnut plumage and bright eyes make it distinctive.

Little Grebe

Tiny, restless diving bird that hugs the waterline. Resident and partial migrant in mountain and lowland waters; noted for rapid dives and building floating nests among reeds.

Great Crested Grebe

Elegant diving bird with ornate crests in breeding season. Regular winter visitor and breeder on larger lakes; performs courtship displays and feeds on fish taken by diving.

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Black-and-white shorebird with a bright orange bill used to pry shellfish. Regular winter visitor and passage migrant along the Atlantic seaboard; noisy and territorial on breeding grounds.

Pied Avocet

Elegant black-and-white wader with upturned bill used to sweep for invertebrates. Regular winter visitor and breeder at saline flats; forms striking flocks and walks with a distinctive, jerky gait.

Black-winged Stilt

Long-legged, slim wading bird with black wings and white body. Regular breeder and migrant on shallow wetlands; easily recognised by long pink legs and high-pitched calls.

Kentish Plover

Small, pale plover common on beaches and saltpans. Resident and passage migrant, often seen singly or in small groups, feeding on invertebrates in the surf zone and exposed mud.

Sanderling

Tiny, pale migrant that runs along the surf edge probing for crustaceans. Winter visitor and passage migrant in large flocks; shows rapid “bobbing” movement as waves recede.

Dunlin

Small, slightly down-curved billed wader common in winter on mudflats. Passage migrant and winter visitor in flocks; breeding plumage shows a black belly patch in spring.

Little Stint

Tiny, restless wader that frequents shallow wetlands during migration. Passage migrant and winter visitor; pickily feeds on tiny invertebrates in algae-stained mud and shallow pools.

Common Sandpiper

Small, bobbing shorebird common on freshwater and coastal edges. Passage migrant and summer visitor in some areas; distinctive wing pattern in flight and constant tail-bobbing when foraging.

Greenshank

Tall, greenish-legged wader found on shallow mudflats and marsh edges. Passage migrant and winter visitor; uses probing bill to take fish, crustaceans and insect larvae.

Common Redshank

Medium wader with loud alarm calls, breeding in northern wetlands and regular winter visitor in Morocco on coastal marshes and estuaries; feeds on invertebrates in shallow mud.

Eurasian Curlew

Large curved-billed wader common on tidal flats during migration and winter. Passage migrant and winter visitor; uses long bill to probe deep for worms and molluscs, often seen calling in flight.

Whimbrel

Medium-sized migratory curlew with a distinct head stripe and slightly curved bill. Passage migrant and winter visitor along shores; typically found in small flocks probing mud for invertebrates.

Curlew Sandpiper

Small, red-toned sandpiper in breeding plumage during migration. Regular passage migrant and winter visitor on Moroccan coasts; forages in flocks on exposed mud and shallow pools.

Common Tern

Slender, graceful tern seen fishing over shallow waters. Passage migrant and summer visitor; nests on beaches and sandbanks elsewhere, and is regularly seen offshore around Moroccan coasts.

Sandwich Tern

Large tern with a shaggy crest and distinctive plunge-diving for fish. Passage migrant and winter visitor along the Atlantic; gathers in small coastal flocks and breeds on offshore islets.

Little Tern

Tiny tern nesting on sandy shores and tidal flats. Passage migrant and scarce breeder locally; agile in flight, it plunges shallowly for small fish close to shore.

Yellow-legged Gull

Large, common gull of the Atlantic coast and inland lakes. Resident and widespread; opportunistic feeder seen scavenging in towns, coastal cliffs and saltpans.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Dark-backed gull slimmer than yellow-legged; a regular winter visitor and passage migrant. Found at coasts and inland wetlands in autumn and winter, often in mixed gull flocks.

Slender-billed Gull

Elegant small gull with a slender bill and pale plumage. Passage migrant and local breeder at saline lagoons and saltpans; feeds on small fish and invertebrates in shallow water.

Rock Dove

The wild ancestor of feral pigeons, now common in cities and cliff faces. Resident; variable plumage in towns, often seen on buildings and coastal cliffs across Morocco.

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Pale, long-tailed dove with a black neck collar. Resident and expanding, frequent in gardens, orchards and small towns where it forages on seeds and grains.

European Turtle Dove

Delicate migratory dove that winters in Africa and breeds in North Africa/Europe. Passage migrant and summer visitor; numbers declining but still seen in suitable scrubby farmland and hedgerows.

Laughing Dove

Small, cinnamon-toned dove common in southern and coastal lowlands. Resident and often seen in gardens and around villages; soft cooing calls and ground-feeding habits.

Common Quail

Small, secretive gamebird that passes through and breeds locally in summer. Migratory and declining in numbers; heard more often than seen, favors tall grass and cereal fields.

Barbary Partridge

A robust gamebird native to North Africa, resident in mountains and cliffs. Often seen in coveys on rough slopes and farmlands; bold and terrestrial with a distinctive call.

Houbara Bustard

Large desert bird of open sands and semi-desert; shy and ground-dwelling. Scarce resident and subject to conservation concern; males display with dramatic inflation and strutting in breeding season.

Common Kestrel

Small falcon often seen hovering above open country. Resident and common; hunts small mammals and large insects, perching on posts and telephone wires to scan fields.

Lesser Kestrel

Smaller, colonial falcon that breeds in buildings and ruins. Summer visitor and breeder in agricultural lowlands; flocks form during migration and it feeds largely on insects.

Peregrine Falcon

Powerful, fast raptor breeding on cliffs and coastal crags. Resident and passage migrant; famed for high-speed stoops when hunting pigeons and seabirds.

Barbary Falcon

Smaller, desert-adapted falcon similar to peregrine. Resident in arid and rocky regions and along coastal cliffs; agile hunter of birds, often occurring where cliffs meet open country.

Golden Eagle

Large, majestic eagle of high mountains and plateaus. Resident but sparse; apex predator of rocky habitats, often seen soaring on thermals above remote valleys and ridgelines.

Bonelli’s Eagle

Powerful, agile eagle breeding on cliffs and steep terrain. Resident and locally distributed; favors rugged landscapes and hunts medium-sized birds and mammals.

Griffon Vulture

Large, social vulture nesting on cliffs and scavenging over mountains. Resident and locally common in protected areas; often seen in soaring groups searching for carrion.

Egyptian Vulture

Small white vulture with yellow face and habit of using tools. Passage migrant and scarce breeder; found in arid and open landscapes where it scavenges small carcasses and remains.

Crested Lark

Ground-dwelling lark with a distinctive crest and scratchy song. Resident and common in open habitats; often seen perched on fenceposts, singing from exposed perches.

Thekla Lark

A streaky, ground-dwelling lark favouring rocky and scrubby terrain. Resident and fairly common in upland dry country; sings from low perches and often runs on the ground.

Skylark

Familiar song-flier of open country, rising into the sky on a fluttering song display. Passage migrant and local breeder; sings persistently in flight before parachuting back to the ground.

Common Raven

Large, intelligent corvid common in wild and upland areas. Resident and widespread; vocal with deep croaks, often seen in pairs or family groups near cliffs and remote landscapes.

Azure-winged Magpie

Slim, long-tailed corvid with pale blue wings and sociable habits. Resident and conspicuous in olive groves and riparian woodlands, moving in noisy flocks and feeding on fruit, insects and human scraps.

Spotless Starling

Glossy dark starling, resident across much of Morocco. Found in towns and agricultural areas, often feeding in flocks on fruit, insects and scraps. Noisy and gregarious, especially around roosts.

House Sparrow

Small, familiar bird of human settlements. Resident and common in towns and villages where it nests in buildings and feeds on seeds and scraps; males have a grey crown and black bib.

Other Birds by Country