List of birds of Palestine


This is a list of the bird species recorded in Palestine.
The avifauna of the Palestine region is unusually rich for so small an area. Henry B. Tristram, who identified much of the avifauna of Palestine in an 1885 study which denoted the geographical scope as covering an area of, identified 348 species. Of those, 271 are Palearctic, 40 are Ethiopian, 7 Indian and 30 which are peculiar to Syria.
Orders containing the largest numbers of species are: Passeriformes with 192 species, Charadriiformes with 88 species, Falconiformes with 44 species and Anseriformes with 33 species. The largest families are: Sylviidae with 43 species, Turdidae and Anatidae, both with 33 species and Accipitridae with 32 species. The most populous genera are: Sylvia with 15 species, Emberiza with 14 and Larus with 13, while Oenanthe, Sterna and Falco each comprise 11 species.
The types of avifauna are not equally diffused over the whole area. The Palearctic species are found largely near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and the highlands east and west of Jordan. The Ethiopian and Indian types are almost exclusively confined to the Dead Sea basin. There are 30 species of migratory soaring birds that pass through Palestine annually.

Ostriches

Order: StruthioniformesFamily: Struthionidae

Buzzards, eagles, harriers, hawks, kites and vultures

Order: FalconiformesFamily: Accipitridae

Cranes

Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae

Rails, crakes, 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. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and appear to be weak fliers. There are 143 species worldwide.

Bustards

Order: GruiformesFamily: Otidae

Cormorants

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae

Pelicans

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae

Falcons

Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae

Osprey

Order: FalconiformesFamily: Pandionidae

Quails and partridges

Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family of terrestrial birds which consists of quails, partridges, snowcocks, francolins, spurfowls, tragopans, monals, pheasants, peafowls and jungle fowls. In general, they are plump and have broad, relatively short wings. There are 156 species worldwide.

Bittern, herons and egrets

Order: CiconiiformesFamily: 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. Unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills, members of this family fly with their necks retracted.

Ibises and spoonbills

Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which comprises the ibises and spoonbills. Its members have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary flight feathers. They are strong fliers and, despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.

Ducks, geese and swans

Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating. There are 131 species worldwide.

Storks

Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae

Tropicbirds

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Phaethontidae

Flamingoes

Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae

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, southern Asia, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long down-turned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar. There are 26 species worldwide.

Typical rollers

Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae
Rollers resemble crows in size and build, but are more closely related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups with blues and browns predominating. The two inner front toes are connected, but the outer toe is not. There are 12 species worldwide.

Hoopoe

Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Upupidae
Hoopoes have black, white and pink plumage and a large erectile crest on the head. There are two species worldwide.

Woodpeckers

Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae

Thrushes

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae

Old World flycatchers

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae

Sylviid warblers, parrotbills, and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sylviidae

Grassbirds and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Locustellidae

Reed warblers and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acrocephalidae

Bush warblers and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cettiidae

Leaf warblers

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Phylloscopidae

Cisticolas and allies

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cisticolidae

Streaked scrub warbler

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Scotocercidae

Crows and allies

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

Starlings

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds. Their flight is strong and direct and they are very gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country. They eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen.

Larks

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Alaudidae
Larks are small terrestrial birds with often extravagant songs and display flights. Most larks are fairly dull in appearance. Their food is insects and seeds.

Swallows and martins

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae
The family Hirundinidae is adapted to aerial feeding. They have a slender streamlined body, long pointed wings and a short bill with a wide gape. The feet are adapted to perching rather than walking, and the front toes are partially joined at the base. There are 75 species worldwide.

Shrikes

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae
Shrikes are passerine birds known for the habit of some species of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns. A typical shrike's beak is hooked, like a bird of prey.

Finches

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Fringillidae
Finches are passerine birds known for their stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and which often have colourful plumage. Some finches, particularly, the goldfinch, are known for their pleasant to cacophonous song, which changes in pitch and in tone, from trills into twitters.

Bulbuls

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pycnonotidae
Bulbuls are renowned for their melodious tunes, hence its name in Arabic:, meaning nightingale.

Avocets and stilts

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. There are nine species worldwide

Thick-knees

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
The thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats. There are nine species worldwide.

Oystercatchers

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae

Plovers and lapwings

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae

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.

Gulls

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds, the gulls, terns and kittiwakes. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. A distinct subfamily, terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years.

Skuas

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. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants. There are seven species worldwide.

Sandpipers and allies

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, 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.

Pigeons and doves

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

Cuckoos

Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs. Many Old World cuckoo species are brood parasites.

Sandgrouse

Order: PterocliformesFamily: Pteroclidae

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. There are 16 species worldwide.

Typical owls

Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
The typical owls are small to large solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk. There are 195 species worldwide.

Nightjars

Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized ground-nesting nocturnal birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves. There are 86 species worldwide.

Swifts

Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang. There are 98 species worldwide.

Accentors and dunnocks

Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Prunellidae

Wagtails and pipits