Top 20 Most Common Bird in Morocco

Spanning coastal regions, mountains, and desert, Morocco's diverse environments host a variety of avian species. The 20 most common birds present a fascinating tapestry of plumage, song, and survival skills. These birds display unique adaptations to habitats, from the piercing gaze of raptors to the delicate nests of smaller species. Each has its special place in Morocco's rich ecological tapestry.

Most Common Bird

House Sparrow

1. House Sparrow

Just as its name implies, the little house Sparrow socializes with humans more than any other bird species. Able to adapt and thrive in almost any habitat, excluding the extremes such as deserts and mountain peaks, this species was once restricted only to North Africa and Eurasia but now is found across the globe. Unfortunately, this opportunistic eater is not completely harmless—it can cause considerable damage to crops.
Rock Pigeon

2. Rock Pigeon

The rock Pigeon is a wild ancestor of all domestic and feral pigeons, inhabiting coasts, cliffs, and caves. Pairs nest in rock crevices, often mating for life. They are known for their ability to fly very long distances to return to their homes, navigating using the sun's position and the earth's magnetic fields. Thanks to this ability, pigeons were used as messengers, particularly during World Wars I and II.
Spotless Starling

3. Spotless Starling

The adult spotless starling is very similar to the common starling, but marginally larger (21–23 cm length; 70–100 g weight), and has darker, oily-looking black plumage, slightly purple- or green-glossed in bright light, which is entirely spotless in spring and summer, and only with very small pale spots in winter plumage, formed by the pale tips of the feathers. It also differs in having conspicuously longer throat feathers (twice the length of those on common starlings), forming a shaggy "beard" which is particularly obvious when the bird is singing. Its legs are bright pink. In summer, the bill is yellow with a bluish base in males and a pinkish base in females; in winter, it is duller, often blackish. Young birds are dull brown, darker than young common starlings, and have a black bill and brown legs. Confusion with the common starling is particularly easy during the winter, when common starlings are abundant throughout the spotless starling's range, but also in summer where their breeding ranges overlap in northeastern Spain and the far south of France. It can also be confused with the common blackbird (Turdus merula), which differs most obviously in its longer tail and lack of plumage gloss. Like the common starling, it walks rather than hops, and has a strong direct flight, looking triangular-winged and short-tailed. It is a noisy bird and a good mimic; its calls are similar to the common starling's, but louder.
Eurasian Collared-dove

4. Eurasian Collared-dove

This plump, pretty dove with a square-tipped tail is known for bobbing its head and flicking its tail while walking. Though nice to look at, many people are not pleased at the sight of a eurasian Collared-dove walking along. In North America they are considered an invasive species, and one that carries a disease-creating parasite that can spread to native dove populations through birdbaths, feeders, or even through hawks preying on them.
Cattle Egret

5. Cattle Egret

Cattle Egrets are short, thick-necked egrets. Their name refers to their preference to follow along with livestock as they forage in fields. Cattle Egrets were native only to Africa until the late 1800s when they somehow made their way throughout the Americas. They can often be found along airport runways waiting for planes to take off and blow insects out of the grass and weeds. They also follow behind farm equipment and do the same thing.
Eurasian Blackbird

6. Eurasian Blackbird

Unafraid of humans, the dark-winged eurasian Blackbird has gained a great deal of cultural significance, mentioned in popular nursery rhymes and songs across the world. Elegant and with an appealing song, they can be aggressive when they are in their breeding period.
Common Kestrel

7. Common Kestrel

The common Kestrel is a small falcon found throughout much of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It feeds on small mammals, birds, and insects and is known for its ability to hover in the air to spot prey. It can be found in a variety of habitats. Some populations have declined due to habitat loss.
Barn Swallow

8. Barn Swallow

A familiar sight in rural and semi-open areas, the small barn Swallow can often be spotted by its distinctly graceful flight as it travels low over fields. Seemingly unbothered by having human neighbors, they nest unafraid in barns, garages, beneath bridges or wharves. Interestingly enough, they have come to prefer these locations so much that you are unlikely to spot a nest in a place that is not a human-made structure.
European Serin

9. European Serin

A small songbird with a stubby bill, the european Serin is often seen in parks, forest edges, and agricultural fields. It is a talkative bird that often sings from manmade perches like fence posts and electrical wires. While the songbird does feed on invertebrates, it prefers seeds and may visit backyard feeders.
Sardinian Warbler

10. Sardinian Warbler

The Sardinian warbler (Curruca melanocephala) is a common and widespread typical warbler from the Mediterranean region. Like most Curruca species, it has distinct male and female plumages. The adult male has a grey back, whitish underparts, black head, white throat and red eyes. Plumages are somewhat variable even in the same locality, with the intensity of a reddish hue on upper- and/or underside varies from absent to (in some subspecies) pronounced. The female is mainly brown above and buff below, with a grey head. The Sardinian warbler's song is fast and rattling, and is very characteristic of the Mediterranean areas where this bird breeds.
European Greenfinch

11. European Greenfinch

The european Greenfinch is a sociable bird and often forms flocks, particularly in the winter. The population of this species has been in decline due to loss of habitat and changes in land use. Identify this bird by its bright yellow head and breast on males, and green-brown head on females, and its sociable behavior in open woodlands, gardens, parks, and hedgerows.
House Bunting

12. House Bunting

The house bunting (Emberiza sahari) is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It is a resident breeder of dry country from northwestern Africa from Morocco south to Mali and east to Chad. In Morocco, the species has expanded from the Atlas Mountains northwards since the 1960s, and has recently reached Tangier and Tétouan on the southern shore of the Strait of Gibraltar. The house bunting breeds around human habitation, laying two to four eggs in a nest in a hole in a wall or building. Its natural food consists seeds, or when feeding young, insects. It is 14 cm long, similar in size to the striolated bunting and smaller than the rock bunting. The breeding male has a sandy orange-brown body and a grey head slightly dark-streaked but without the white supercilium that the striolated bunting has. The female's head has a brown tint to the grey, and more diffused streaking. The house bunting has recently been split from the closely related striolated bunting, of which it used to be treated as a subspecies, Emberiza striolata sahari. The striolated bunting has stronger facial striping and a paler belly than the house bunting. The incubation period of the clutch of three eggs is 12–14 days. The song, given from a perch, is similar to but weaker than that of the common chaffinch. In Morocco, the species is traditionally regarded as sacred, and has become very tame, freely entering and feeding inside houses, shops and mosques.
Common Chaffinch

13. Common Chaffinch

The common Chaffinch has a varied diet, mainly feeding on seeds and berries, but also eating insects, allowing it to thrive in different habitats. The Common Chaffinch is also known for its melodic song, with the males being particularly vocal during the breeding season. Their songs can often be heard in the spring and early summer.
Little Egret

14. Little Egret

The small size of the little Egret makes the bird easily recognizable among larger species that share the same range. The egret is seen almost anywhere there are small fish including marshes, estuaries, and rivers. The bird often searches for food by itself but prefers to build nests in communities, occasionally with other bird species.
White Wagtail

15. White Wagtail

The white Wagtail is the national bird of Latvia and is featured in traditional folk songs and placed on some postage stamps. These birds can be found in most habitat types besides deserts. As their name suggests, they exhibit a characteristic tail-wagging behavior as they search along the ground and nearby waterways for insects to eat.
Common Bulbul

16. Common Bulbul

The bill is fairly short and thin, with a slightly downcurving upper mandible. The bill, legs, and feet are black and the eye is dark brown with a dark eye-ring, which is not readily visible. It is about 18 cm in length, with a long tail. It has a dark brown head and upperparts. Sexes are similar in plumage.
Pallid Swift

17. Pallid Swift

The pallid Swift is a graceful bird known for its long, narrow wings and pale, sandy-brown plumage. It inhabits cliffs and canyons, often near water, and feeds on insects while in flight. During the breeding season, the Pallid Swift forms large colonies and engages in spectacular aerial displays. The species is widespread across much of Europe and Africa. With its distinctive appearance and aerial hunting tactics, the swift is a captivating bird to watch and admire.
Yellow-legged Gull

18. Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull is a large seagull that can be found along coastal regions of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It has a distinctive yellow coloration on its legs and beak, giving it its name. It is an opportunistic feeder, and known to be very territorial. Some populations of Yellow-legged Gulls are migratory, traveling long distances to breed during the summer months.
Crested Lark

19. Crested Lark

A fairly small lark, the crested lark is roughly the same size as a Eurasian skylark, but shorter overall and bulkier around the head and body, and very similar in appearance, with a height of 17 cm (6.7 in) and a wingspan of 29 to 38 cm (11 to 15 in), weighing between 37 and 55 g (1.3 and 1.9 oz). It is a small, brown bird which has a short tail with light brown outer feathers. Male and females have no real differences, but young crested larks have more spots on their back than their older counterparts. Its plumage is downy but sparse and appears whitish. The distinct crest from which the crested lark gets its name is conspicuous at all times but is more pronounced during territorial or courtship displays and when singing. In flight it shows reddish underwings. It shares many characteristics with the Thekla lark, with the main distinctions between the two being the beak, the Thekla's heavier black-brown streaks and its grey underwing, present in European specimens.
Lesser Black-backed Gull

20. Lesser Black-backed Gull

The lesser Black-backed Gull is a smaller bird with a wide range of habitats. While it prefers sand flats and beaches, it can be found near almost any body of water. It often joins other flocks of gulls, making it difficult to distinguish from other birds. It has a varied diet but prefers eating shellfish and other crustaceans.
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