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 (10 of which are also Indian), 7 Indian and 30 which are peculiar to Syria.Hastings, 2004, p. 762.
Orders containing the largest numbers of species are: Passeriformes (songbirds) with 192 species, Charadriiformes (waders, plovers, gulls) with 88 species, Falconiformes (diurnal birds of prey) with 44 species and Anseriformes (swans, geese, ducks) with 33 species. The largest families are: Sylviidae (warblers) with 43 species, Turdidae (thrushes, chats) and Anatidae (swans, geese, ducks), both with 33 species and Accipitridae (eagles, vultures, hawks) with 32 species. The most populous genera are: Sylvia (warblers) with 15 species, Emberiza (buntings) with 14 and Larus (gulls) with 13, while Oenanthe (wheatears), Sterna (terns) and Falco (falcons) 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 Common ostrich, Struthio camelus extirpated Arabian ostrich, Struthio camelus syriacus extinct
Buzzards, eagles, harriers, hawks, kites and vultures
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Accipitridae Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) () Cinereous vulture/Eurasian black vulture (Aegypius monachus) Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) extirpated Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) Lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) Short-toed eagle (Circaetus gallicus) Western marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) Pallid harrier (Circus macrourus) Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) () Levant sparrowhawk (Tachyspiza brevipes) Eurasian goshawk (Astur gentilis) Common buzzard (Buteo buteo) Steppe buzzard (Buteo buteo vulpinus) Long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus) European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus) () Oriental honey buzzard/crested honey buzzard (Pernis ptilorhyncus) () Greater spotted eagle (Clanga clanga)A Day in Wadi Qelt By Sami Backleh This week in Palestine Lesser spotted eagle (Clanga pomarina) Steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis) Eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca)BirdLife Species Factsheet, Eastern Imperial Eagle Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) Booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata) Black kite (Milvus migrans) Red kite (Milvus milvus)
Cranes Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Common crane (Grus grus)
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.
Spotted crake (Porzana porzana) Little crake (Zapornia parva) Corn crake (Crex crex) Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) Eurasian coot (Fulica atra)
Bustards Order: GruiformesFamily: Otidae
Little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) MacQueen's bustard, (Chlamydotis macqueenii)BirdLife International in partnership with Palestine Wildlife Society (PWLS); Globally threatened species in Palestinian Authority TerritoriesR. W. Sheppard (1933) Notes on The Birds of Jerusalem.Birds of Gaza Strip and their threats
Cormorants Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) Pygmy cormorant (Microcarbo pygmaeus)
Pelicans Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae Great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) Pink-backed pelican (Pelecanus rufescens)
Falcons Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni)Palestine Wildlife Society , Palestine Wildlife Society; Birds PWLS Jerusalem Sooty falcon (Falco concolor) Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae) Lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus) Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) * Barbary falcon (Falco peregrinus pelegrinoides) Red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus) Saker falcon (Falco cherrug) Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)PWLS, Jerusalem Mountains Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo) Merlin (Falco columbarius)
Osprey Order: FalconiformesFamily: Pandionidae Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
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 (although they vary in size) and have broad, relatively short wings. There are 156 species worldwide.
Chukar (Alectoris chukar) Sand partridge (Ammoperdix heyi) Quail (Coturnix coturnix) ()
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.
Eurasian bittern (Botaurus stellaris) Little bittern (Botaurus minutus) Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) Squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides) Western cattle egret (Ardea ibis) Little egret (Egretta garzetta) Great egret (Ardea alba) Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) Purple heron (Ardea purpurea)
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.
Glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)
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.
Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) () Occasional rare wander Bean goose (Anser fabalis) () Occasional rare wander Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) Ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea). Marbled teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris). Eurasian wigeon (Mareca penelope) Gadwall (Mareca strepera) Garganey (Spatula querquedula) Eurasian teal (Anas crecca) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Northern pintail (Anas acuta) Northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata) Ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula) Red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) White-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala)
Storks
Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
White stork (Ciconia ciconia) (); very common Black stork (Ciconia nigra)
Tropicbirds Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Phaethontidae Red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus)
Flamingoes Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae
Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)
Kingfishers Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs and stubby tails.
Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) Smyrna kingfisher/white-breasted kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnesis)
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.
Arabian green bee-eater (Merops cyanophrys) Blue-cheeked bee-eater (Merops persicus)PWLS Wadi Gaza European bee-eater (Merops apiaster)
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.
European roller (Coracias garrulus) ()
Hoopoe Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Upupidae
Hoopoes have black, white and pink plumage and a large erectile crest on the head. There are two species worldwide.
Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
Woodpeckers Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae
Syrian woodpecker (Dendrocopos syriacus); common resident.<ref=Safadi2>Al- Safadi, M.M. (2004). On the breeding biology of the Syrian woodpecker, Dendrocopos syriacus syriacus in the Gaza Strip. Zoology in the Middle East. 32: 5-10.</ref> Eurasian wryneck (Jynx torquilla)
Thrushes Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
Common blackbird (Turdus merula); common winter visitor (WV) and locally common resident Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris); occasional WV Mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus); occasional WV Redwing (Turdus iliacus) Song thrush (Turdus philomelos); very common WV
Old World flycatchers
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae Arabian wheatear (Oenanthe fins chi); common WV and resident in the south Eastern black-eared wheatear (Oenanthe melanoleuca); very common Northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe); common migrant Desert wheatear (Oenanthe deserti); uncommon resident Eastern pied wheatear (Oenanthe pleschanka); once recorded from Rafah Hooded wheatear (Oenanthe monacha); rare resident Isabelline wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina); common migrant and locally common resident Tristram's wheatear (Oenanthe moesta); rare resident Mourning wheatear/pied wheatear (Oenanthe lugens); locally common resident White rumped wheatear (Oenanthe leucopyga); uncommon resident near Dead Sea African stonechat (Saxicola torquata); common WV Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra); uncommon migrant Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros); common WV Common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus); common migrant Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica); fairly common WV Red-spotted bluethroat (Luscinia svecica svecica); fairly common WV White-spotted bluethroat (Luscinia svecica volgae); WV less common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos); migrant (Tristram states that it breeds in Palestine) Thrush nightingale/sprosser (Luscinia luscinia); migrant () European robin (Erithacus rubecula); common WV Blue thrush (Monticola solitarius); common WV and locally common resident Rock thrush (Monticola saxatilis); uncommon migrant, common in some years Spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) Collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) European pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) Red-breasted flycatcher (Ficedula parva) Semi-collared flycatcher (Ficedula semitorquata)
Sylviid warblers, parrotbills, and allies
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sylviidae Barred warbler (Curruca nisoria); rare migrant Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla); common WV, a few remain to breed Asian desert warbler (Curruca nana); only recorded from south end of Dead Sea Garden warbler (Sylvia borin); common migrant that Tristram states breeds in Palestine