List of birds of Morocco explained

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Morocco. The avifauna of Morocco include a total of 562 species. Three of them have been introduced by humans.

This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families and species) and nomenclature (English and scientific names) are those of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2022 edition.[1]

The following tags have been used to highlight several categories of occurrence.


Ostriches

Order: StruthioniformesFamily: Struthionidae

The ostriches are a flightless birds native to Africa. They are the largest living species of bird and are distinctive in appearance, with a long neck and legs and the ability to run at high speeds. This species was extirpated from Morocco some time before 1990;[2] a re-introduction programme for the North African ostrich is in progress.[3]

Ducks, geese, and waterfowl

Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae

Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl such as swans and geese.

Guineafowl

Order: GalliformesFamily: Numididae

Guineafowl are a group of African birds that resemble partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage.

Pheasant, grouse, and allies

Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae

Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, francolins and pheasants. In general, they are plump (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings.

Flamingos

Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae

Flamingos are gregarious wading birds, usually 3to tall, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.

Grebes

Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds.

Pigeons and doves

Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.

Sandgrouse

Order: PterocliformesFamily: Pteroclidae

Sandgrouse have small, pigeon-like, heads and necks, but sturdy compact bodies.

Bustards

Order: OtidiformesFamily: Otididae

Bustards are large terrestrial birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. The Arabian bustard has been extirpated from Morocco since about 1985 and the houbara bustard is close to being extirpated.[2]

Cuckoos

Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae

The cuckoos are birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.

Nightjars and allies

Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs, and very short bills.

Swifts

Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying.

Rails, gallinules, and coots

Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae

Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules.

Cranes

Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae

Cranes are large, long-legged, and long-necked birds. The demoiselle crane has been extirpated since 1985.[2]

Thick-knees

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae

The thick-knees are a group of waders found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats.

Stilts and avocets

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae

Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts.

Oystercatchers

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae

The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs.

Plovers and lapwings

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae

The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings.

Painted-snipes

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Rostratulidae

Painted-snipes are short-legged, long-billed birds similar in shape to the true snipes, but more brightly coloured.

Sandpipers and allies

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae

Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized waders including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

Buttonquail

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Turnicidae

The buttonquails are small, drab, running birds which resemble the true quails. This species is close to being extirpated in Morocco.[2]

Pratincoles and coursers

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae

Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings, and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings, and long, pointed bills which curve downwards.

Skuas and jaegers

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae

The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings.

Auks, murres, and puffins

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Alcidae

Alcidae live on the open sea, only deliberately coming ashore to nest.

Gulls, terns, and skimmers

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds.

Loons

Order: GaviiformesFamily: Gaviidae

Loons are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

Tropicbirds

Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.

Albatrosses

Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Diomedeidae

The albatrosses are among the largest of flying birds, and the great albatrosses from the genus Diomedea have the largest wingspans of any extant birds.

Southern storm-petrels

Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae

The storm-petrels are the smallest seabirds, relatives of the petrels, feeding on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like. Until 2018, this family's species were included with the other storm-petrels in family Hydrobatidae.

Northern storm-petrels

Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae

Though the members of this family are similar in many respects to the southern storm-petrels, including their general appearance and habits, there are enough genetic differences to warrant their placement in a separate family.

Shearwaters and petrels

Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae

The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterised by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary.

Storks

Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. Their nests can be large and may be reused for many years. Many species are migratory.

Frigatebirds

Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. They are large, black-and-white, or completely black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. The males have colored inflatable throat pouches. They do not swim or walk and cannot take off from a flat surface. Having the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird, they are essentially aerial, able to stay aloft for more than a week.

Boobies and gannets

Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae

The sulids comprise the gannets and boobies. Both groups are seabirds that plunge-dive for fish.

Anhingas

Order: SuliformesFamily: Anhingidae

Anhingas or darters are water birds with a distinctive long slender neck and bill.

Cormorants and shags

Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae

Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium to large fish-eating waterbirds.

Pelicans

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak.

Hammerkop

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Scopidae

The hammerkop is a medium-sized bird with a long shaggy crest. The shape of its head with a curved bill and crest at the back is reminiscent of a hammer, hence its name. Its plumage is drab-brown all over.

Herons, egrets, and bitterns

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.

Ibises and spoonbills

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which includes the ibises and spoonbills.

Osprey

Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae

The family Pandionidae contains only one species, the osprey, a medium large bird of prey with a worldwide distribution.

Hawks, eagles, and kites

Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae

The Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures. The bearded vulture, dark chanting-goshawk, and tawny eagle are all close to being extirpated in Morocco.[2]

Barn-owls

Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long strong legs with powerful talons.

Owls

Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae

The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey.

Hoopoes

Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Upupidae

Hoopoes have black, white, and orangey-pink colouring with a large erectile crest on their head.

Kingfishers

Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.

Bee-eaters

Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Meropidae

The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers.

Rollers

Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae

Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters.

Woodpeckers

Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues.

Falcons and caracaras

Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey. They differ from hawks, eagles, and kites in that they kill with their beaks instead of their talons.

Old World parrots

Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittaculidae

Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak shape.

New World and African parrots

Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittacidae

Parrots are small to large birds with a characteristic curved beak. Their upper mandibles have slight mobility in the joint with the skull and they have a generally erect stance. All parrots are zygodactyl, having the four toes on each foot placed two at the front and two to the back.

Vireos

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Vireonidae

The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds. They are typically greenish in color and resemble wood warblers apart from their heavier bills.

Old World orioles

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Oriolidae

The Old World orioles are colourful passerine birds, not related to the New World orioles.

Bushshrikes and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Malaconotidae

Bushshrikes are similar in habits to shrikes, hunting insects and other small prey from a perch on a bush.

Shrikes

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae

Shrikes are passerine birds known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions on thorns.

Crows, jays, and magpies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae

The family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, jays, choughs, and magpies. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence.

Tits, chickadees, and titmice

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Paridae

The Paridae are mainly small stocky woodland species with short stout bills.

Penduline-tits

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Remizidae

The penduline-tits are a group of small passerine birds related to the true tits.

Larks

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Alaudidae

Larks are small terrestrial birds, mostly fairly dull in appearance.

Bearded reedling

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Panuridae

The bearded reedling is a small bird found in reed beds across temperate Asia with smaller populations throughout Europe. It is the only member of its family.

Cisticolas and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cisticolidae

The Cisticolidae are warblers found mainly in warmer regions of the Old World.

Reed warblers and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acrocephalidae

The members of this family are usually rather large for "warblers". Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds, or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but it also ranges far into the Pacific, with some species in Africa.

Grassbirds and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Locustellidae

Locustellidae are a family of small insectivorous songbirds found mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region. They are smallish birds with tails that are usually long and pointed, and tend to be drab brownish or buffy all over.

Swallows

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae

The family Hirundinidae is a group of passerines adapted to aerial feeding.

Bulbuls

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pycnonotidae

Bulbuls are medium-sized songbirds. Most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage.

Leaf warblers

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Phylloscopidae

Leaf warblers are a family of small insectivorous birds found mostly in Eurasia and ranging into Wallacea and Africa. The species are of various sizes, often green-plumaged above and yellow below, or more subdued with greyish-green to greyish-brown colors.

Bush warblers and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Scotocercidae

The members of this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia.

Long-tailed tits

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Aegithalidae

Long-tailed tits are a group of small passerine birds with medium to long tails.

Sylviid warblers, parrotbills, and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sylviidae

The family Sylviidae is a group of small insectivorous passerine birds. They mainly occur as breeding species, as the common name implies, in Europe, Asia, and, to a lesser extent, Africa. Most are of generally undistinguished appearance, but many have distinctive songs.

Laughingthrushes and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Leiothrichidae

The members of this family are diverse in size and colouration, though those of genus Turdoides tend to be brown or greyish. The family is found in Africa, India, and southeast Asia.

Kinglets

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Regulidae

The kinglets and "crests" are a small family of birds which resemble some warblers. The adults have colored crowns, giving rise to their name.

Wallcreeper

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Tichodromidae

The wallcreeper is a small bird, with crimson, grey, and black plumage, related to the nuthatches.

Nuthatches

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds.

Treecreepers

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown above and white below.

Wrens

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Troglodytidae

The wrens have short wings and thin down-turned bills.

Dippers

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cinclidae

Dippers are a group of perching birds which specialise in feeding in running water.

Starlings

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds.

Thrushes and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae

The thrushes are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly but not exclusively in the Old World. They are plump, soft plumaged, small to medium-sized insectivores or sometimes omnivores, often feeding on the ground. Many have attractive songs.

Old World flycatchers

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large group of small passerine birds native to the Old World. They are mainly small arboreal insectivores. The appearance of these birds is highly varied, but they mostly have weak songs and harsh calls.

Waxbills and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Estrildidae

The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They are gregarious and often colonial seed eaters with short thick but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colours and patterns.

Accentors

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Prunellidae

The accentors are in the only bird family which is completely endemic to the Palearctic.

Old World sparrows

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae

In general, sparrows tend to be small, plump, brown or grey birds with short tails and short powerful beaks. Sparrows are seed eaters, but they also consume small insects.

Wagtails and pipits

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae

The Motacillidae is a family of small passerine birds with medium to long tails. They are slender ground-feeding insectivores of open country.

Finches, euphonias, and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Fringillidae

Finches are seed-eating passerine birds that are small to moderately large and have a strong beak, usually conical and in some species very large. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well.

Snow buntings and longspurs

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Calcariidae

The Calcariidae are a group of passerine birds that had been traditionally grouped with the New World sparrows, but differ in a number of respects and are usually found in open grassy areas.

Old World buntings

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Emberizidae

Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with distinctively shaped bills. Many emberizid species have distinctive head patterns.

See also

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  2. Book: Birds of the Western Palearctic: Concise Edition . Snow, D. W. . Perrins, C. M. . amp. Oxford University Press . 1998 . 0-19-854099-X.
  3. Web site: The National Environment Observatory of Morocco . 2001 . Report on the state of the environment in Morocco: A synthesis . Kingdom of Morocco, Secretariat of State of Environment . 23 July 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070928151043/http://easd.org.za/store/Docs/Morocco_SOE_2001_synthesis.pdf . 28 September 2007 . dead.
  4. Web site: "Moroccan Guineafowl". birdfinding.info.
  5. Web site: Oriental Turtle-Dove . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  6. Web site: Red-eyed Dove . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  7. BirdLife International. . 2018 . Ardeotis arabs . 2018 . e.T22691924A129917069 . 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22691924A129917069.en . 7 April 2021.
  8. Web site: Diederik Cuckoo . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  9. Web site: African Palm Swift . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  10. Web site: African Swamphen . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  11. Web site: Black-headed Lapwing . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  12. Web site: African Openbill . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  13. Elliott . A. . E. F. J. . Garcia . P. F. D. . Boesman . 2021 . Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer), version 1.1. In Birds of the World . Birds of the World . Ithaca, NY, USA. . 10.2173/bow.marsto1.01.1.
  14. Web site: Hamerkop . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  15. Web site: Black-headed Heron . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  16. Web site: Goliath Heron . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  17. Web site: African Sacred Ibis . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  18. Web site: African Harrier-Hawk . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  19. Web site: Wahlberg's Eagle . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  20. Web site: Shikra . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  21. Web site: Gray-headed Kingfisher . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  22. Web site: Rufous-crowned Roller . iNaturalist . 10 June 2024.
  23. Web site: Liste des oiseaux du Maroc. Mise à jour mai 2017 (rév. 4.0) . List of birds of Morocco. Updated May 2017 (rev. 4.0) . fr . Bergier . Patrick . Thévenot . Michel . Rihane . Abdeslam . El Agbani . Mohamed-Aziz . Qninba . Abdeljebbar . 8 May 2017.
  24. Web site: Lepage . Denis . Hooded Crow . Avibase . 5 January 2024.
  25. Web site: Go-South. 2021-11-17. Go-South. fr-FR.

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