Jordan sits at a key crossroads for bird migration, with deserts, wetlands and highlands creating distinct stopovers and breeding grounds. You can encounter species adapted to saline lakes, arid plains and oak-clad elevations, so even short trips can yield very different sightings.
There are 99 Birds of Jordan, ranging from the Barn Owl to the Yellow Wagtail; for each species we list Scientific name,Status,Main habitat — you’ll find below.
When is the best time to see migratory birds in Jordan?
Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) are the main migration windows, when ponds and coastal sites host large flocks; winter brings waterbirds and summer highlights local breeders. Check recent local reports for exact timing and site conditions.
How can I use the list to plan a birdwatching trip?
Use the three columns to narrow choices: Scientific name helps with field guides and apps, Status shows how likely you are to see a species, and Main habitat points you to the right site—match timing from the first paragraph to target species from the list below.
Birds of Jordan
| Common name | Scientific name | Status | Main habitat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | Resident | Freshwater ponds, marshes, irrigation pools |
| Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | Winter visitor/passage | Large lakes, reservoirs, freshwater wetlands |
| Great Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | Resident/regular migrant | Coastal reefs, large freshwater bodies, estuaries |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | Resident/regular migrant | Shallow wetlands, saltpans, irrigation channels |
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | Resident/regular migrant | Wetlands, river margins, agricultural reservoirs |
| Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | Passage/summer visitor | Tall reed beds, marsh fringes |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | Resident/regular migrant | Farmland, wetlands, pastureland |
| Squacco Heron | Ardeola ralloides | Passage/summer visitor | Reedbeds, marsh edges, floodplains |
| Little Bittern | Ixobrychus minutus | Passage/summer visitor | Reedbeds, marshes, river fringes |
| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus | Passage/winter visitor | Marshes, shallow lakes, saltpans |
| Eurasian Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | Passage/winter visitor | Shallow wetlands, mudflats, saltpans |
| Greater Flamingo | Phoenicopterus roseus | Passage/winter visitor | Saltpans, shallow coastal lagoons |
| Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus | Resident/regular migrant | Saltpans, shallow lakes, mudflats |
| Pied Avocet | Recurvirostra avosetta | Passage/winter visitor | Shallow saline lakes, saltpans, mudflats |
| Common Snipe | Gallinago gallinago | Winter visitor | Wet meadows, marshes, flooded fields |
| Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa | Passage/winter visitor | Flooded fields, wetlands, mudflats |
| Ruff | Calidris pugnax | Passage/winter visitor | Wet meadows, shallow wetlands, mudflats |
| Little Stint | Calidris minuta | Passage | Mudflats, shallow pools, wetlands |
| Eurasian Curlew | Numenius arquata | Winter visitor/passage | Coastal shores, mudflats, saltpans |
| Kentish Plover | Charadrius alexandrinus | Resident/regular migrant | Sandy shores, saltpans, shoreline pools |
| Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius | Passage/summer visitor | Fresh gravel bars, river edges, pools |
| Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | Passage/regular migrant | Riverbanks, lake shores, rocky coasts |
| Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus | Passage/winter visitor | Shallow wetlands, marshes, mudflats |
| Common Redshank | Tringa totanus | Passage | Marshes, mudflats, wet meadows |
| Marsh Sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis | Passage | Shallow wetlands, flooded fields, saltpans |
| Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola | Passage/summer visitor | Freshwater marshes, flooded fields |
| Temminck’s Stint | Calidris temminckii | Passage | Wet meadows, shallow marshes, mudflats |
| Black Kite | Milvus migrans | Passage/winter visitor | Open country, wetlands, farmland |
| Egyptian Vulture | Neophron percnopterus | Resident/regular migrant | Cliffs, open country, garbage dumps |
| Griffon Vulture | Gyps fulvus | Resident/regular migrant | Cliffs, wadis, mountainous terrain |
| Steppe Eagle | Aquila nipalensis | Passage/winter visitor | Open country, deserts, agricultural plains |
| Short-toed Snake Eagle | Circaetus gallicus | Passage/summer visitor | Open scrub, cultivated plains, semi-desert |
| Booted Eagle | Hieraaetus pennatus | Passage | Open woodland, hills, agricultural land |
| Common Buzzard | Buteo buteo | Passage/winter visitor | Hilly terrain, agricultural mosaics, woodlands |
| Long-legged Buzzard | Buteo rufinus | Resident | Semi-desert, rocky hills, open steppe |
| Eurasian Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus | Passage/winter visitor | Woodland edges, gardens, riparian strips |
| Levant Sparrowhawk | Accipiter brevipes | Passage | Wooded valleys, agricultural edges |
| Common Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | Resident | Open country, farmland, deserts, towns |
| Lesser Kestrel | Falco naumanni | Passage/summer visitor | Farmland, steppes, old buildings |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | Passage/resident | Cliffs, coastal promontories, urban areas |
| Common Crane | Grus grus | Passage/winter visitor | Wetlands, agricultural plains, open steppe |
| Demoiselle Crane | Anthropoides virgo | Passage | Open steppe, agricultural land, wetlands |
| Northern Lapwing | Vanellus vanellus | Winter visitor | Wet grasslands, flooded fields, marsh margins |
| Spur-winged Lapwing | Vanellus spinosus | Resident | Freshwater marshes, riverbanks, irrigated fields |
| Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon) | Columba livia | Introduced/resident | Urban areas, cliffs, agricultural buildings |
| Wood Pigeon | Columba palumbus | Passage/winter visitor | Wooded valleys, riparian strips, agricultural areas |
| European Turtle Dove | Streptopelia turtur | Passage/summer visitor | Farmland hedges, orchards, scrub |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | Introduced/resident | Urban gardens, farmland, villages |
| Laughing Dove | Spilopelia senegalensis | Resident | Dry scrub, urban gardens, orchards |
| Sand Partridge | Ammoperdix heyi | Resident | Rocky slopes, wadis, desert foothills |
| Chukar Partridge | Alectoris chukar | Resident | Rocky hills, terraces, mountainous terrain |
| Common Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | Resident/regular migrant | Rivers, irrigation canals, lakes |
| Pied Kingfisher | Ceryle rudis | Resident/regular migrant | Lakeshores, reservoirs, slow-moving rivers |
| Isabelline Shrike | Lanius isabellinus | Passage/winter visitor | Open semi-desert, scrub, agricultural edges |
| Woodchat Shrike | Lanius senator | Passage/summer visitor | Open woodland edges, farmland, orchards |
| Great Grey Shrike | Lanius excubitor | Winter visitor | Open country, steppes, scrubland |
| Masked Shrike | Lanius nubicus | Resident/regular migrant | Rocky slopes, scrub, gardens |
| Syrian Woodpecker | Dendrocopos syriacus | Resident | Orchards, wooded wadis, parks |
| Eurasian Hoopoe | Upupa epops | Resident/passage | Open woodland, orchards, gardens |
| European Bee-eater | Merops apiaster | Passage/summer visitor | River valleys, sandbanks, cultivated plains |
| European Roller | Coracias garrulus | Passage/regular migrant | Farmland, open scrub, river valleys |
| Tristram’s Starling | Onychognathus tristramii | Resident | Cliffs, rocky wadis, desert oases |
| Common Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Winter visitor | Farmland, urban areas, wetlands |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | Resident | Urban areas, villages, farmland |
| Spanish Sparrow | Passer hispaniolensis | Resident | Farmland, reedbeds, villages |
| Rock Sparrow | Petronia petronia | Resident | Rocky slopes, stone walls, cliffs |
| Crested Lark | Galerida cristata | Resident | Open fields, semi-desert, roadside verges |
| Greater Hoopoe-Lark | Alaemon alaudipes | Resident | Sandy deserts, gravel plains, dunes |
| Desert Lark | Ammomanes deserti | Resident | Rocky and sandy deserts, stony plains |
| White-spectacled Bulbul | Pycnonotus xanthopygos | Resident | Wadis, irrigated oases, gardens |
| Palestine Sunbird | Cinnyris oseus | Resident | Dry scrub, gardens, villages |
| European Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis | Resident/winter visitor | Farmland edges, gardens, scrub |
| Trumpeter Finch | Bucanetes githagineus | Resident | Desert plains, gravel wadis, rocky slopes |
| Common Linnet | Linaria cannabina | Passage/winter visitor | Scrub, farmland edges, semi-desert |
| White Wagtail | Motacilla alba | Passage/winter visitor | Riverbanks, mudflats, farmland |
| Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla flava | Passage/summer visitor | Wet grasslands, flooded fields, agricultural plains |
| Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | Passage/winter visitor | Fast-flowing streams, rivers, rocky wadis |
| Common Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | Passage/winter visitor | Riparian trees, gardens, shrubbery |
| Willow Warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus | Passage | Wooded valleys, riverine scrub, orchards |
| Eurasian Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | Passage/summer visitor | Woodland, gardens, riparian scrub |
| Sardinian Warbler | Sylvia melanocephala | Resident | Maquis scrub, gardens, coastal scrub |
| Eastern Olivaceous Warbler | Iduna pallida | Passage/summer visitor | Open scrub, dry riverbeds, cultivated plains |
| Graceful Prinia | Prinia gracilis | Resident | Reedbeds, scrubby river margins, irrigated fields |
| Barred Warbler | Curruca nisoria | Passage | Scrub, orchards, hedgerows |
| Desert Wheatear | Oenanthe deserti | Resident | Sandy deserts, gravel plains, rocky outcrops |
| Northern Wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | Passage | Open stony ground, cultivated fields, semi-desert |
| Isabelline Wheatear | Oenanthe isabellina | Passage/winter visitor | Open semi-desert, rocky plain, steppe |
| Blackstart | Oenanthe melanura | Resident | Rocky wadis, canyon cliffs, desert outcrops |
| White-crowned Wheatear | Oenanthe leucopyga | Resident | Rocky deserts, stony plateaus, wadis |
| Common Nightingale | Luscinia megarhynchos | Passage/summer visitor | Dense scrub, riparian thickets, gardens |
| Bluethroat | Luscinia svecica | Passage/winter visitor | Reedbeds, wet scrub, river margins |
| Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin | Cercotrichas galactotes | Passage/summer visitor | Scrubby riverbanks, thorny scrub, gardens |
| European Robin | Erithacus rubecula | Passage/winter visitor | Woodland edges, gardens, riparian scrub |
| Common Stonechat | Saxicola rubicola | Resident/regular migrant | Scrub, hedgerows, rocky slopes |
| Common Redstart | Phoenicurus phoenicurus | Passage/summer visitor | Woodland edges, orchards, riparian scrub |
| Black Redstart | Phoenicurus ochruros | Resident/winter visitor | Urban areas, rocky cliffs, mountainous terrain |
| Little Owl | Athene noctua | Resident | Rocky outcrops, abandoned buildings, orchards |
| Barn Owl | Tyto alba | Resident/regular migrant | Open country, farmland, cliffs, villages |
| Rüppell’s Warbler | Sylvia rueppelli | Passage/summer visitor | Dry scrub, rocky hillsides, thorny bushes |
Images and Descriptions
Little Grebe
Small diving waterbird with chestnut neck in breeding plumage; common at wetlands like Azraq and the Jordan Valley year-round, often seen diving for fish and nesting among reeds.
Great Crested Grebe
Distinctive crested profile and ornate ruff in winter; uncommon breeder but regular winter visitor on large water bodies such as the Dead Sea lagoons and Azraq wetlands.
Great Cormorant
Large dark waterbird often seen drying wings on rocks; common along the Gulf of Aqaba and larger inland lakes, present year-round with seasonal movements.
Little Egret
Slim white heron with black bill and black legs, yellow feet; widespread at Jordan’s wetlands and saltpans, often foraging in shallow water from spring through winter.
Grey Heron
Large grey heron with long neck and yellow bill; a familiar, often solitary fisher at the Jordan River, Azraq and marshes year-round, more numerous in winter.
Purple Heron
Shy, dark-streaked heron with chestnut neck and slender form; seen during migration and summer breeding attempts in dense marsh vegetation at Azraq and the Jordan Valley.
Cattle Egret
Compact white egret often foraging in fields with livestock; common and increasingly widespread in farmland and wetlands across Jordan, breeding in colonies during warm months.
Squacco Heron
Stout heron with buff-brown back and white wings in flight; a passage migrant and summer visitor at Azraq and the Jordan Valley, seen in dense wetland vegetation.
Little Bittern
Small, secretive bittern with streaked buff plumage and booming call; a scarce passage visitor to reedbeds in spring and autumn, occasionally summering in protected marshes.
Glossy Ibis
Dark, iridescent ibis with long curved bill; a regular passage migrant and winter visitor to Jordan’s wetlands, often feeding in flocks on mudflats and shallow water.
Eurasian Spoonbill
Large white wader with spoon-shaped bill; seen during migration and in winter at saltpans and lagoons, probing shallow water for small fish and invertebrates.
Greater Flamingo
Large pink wader with downturned bill and long legs; often forms spectacular flocks at Aqaba and inland saltpans during migration and winter.
Black-winged Stilt
Very long-legged wader with black-and-white plumage and thin bill; common breeder at Jordan’s wetlands and saltpans, conspicuous and noisy during breeding season.
Pied Avocet
Elegant black-and-white wader with upturned bill; occurs on passage and in winter at saline flats and lagoons, distinctive feeding action sweeping bill side-to-side.
Common Snipe
Cryptic brown, streaked wader with long bill and erratic flight; arrives in larger numbers in winter to marshy fields and wet pastures across Jordan.
Black-tailed Godwit
Large wader with long bill and striking breeding plumage; regular passage migrant and winter visitor to wetlands and saltpans, often in mixed wader flocks.
Ruff
Variable small wader with ornate breeding ruff in males; familiar passage migrant and winter visitor in flocks at Jordan’s wet habitats, especially Azraq and marshes.
Little Stint
Tiny, finch-sized wader with fine bill and pale legs; frequent passage migrant stopping at saltpans and lakes during spring and autumn migrations.
Eurasian Curlew
Large wader with long, downcurved bill and mottled plumage; seen on passage and in winter on mudflats and sandy coasts, less common inland.
Kentish Plover
Small pale plover with black breast band in breeding males; a familiar breeder and migrant on Jordan’s coastal and saline shores, often seen running on beaches and flats.
Little Ringed Plover
Small plover with dark mask and yellow eye-ring; stops during migration and breeds at river margins and gravel pools in low numbers.
Common Sandpiper
Small, bobbing wader with white underparts and distinctive teetering gait; common passage migrant and summer visitor along rivers and shorelines across Jordan.
Spotted Redshank
Long-legged wader turning dark in breeding plumage; occurs mostly on passage and in winter at saltpans and marshes, often in mixed flocks with other Tringa species.
Common Redshank
Medium wader with red legs and long bill; regular passage migrant at wetlands and shorelines, identifiable by loud piping call.
Marsh Sandpiper
Slender greyish wader with long legs and fine bill; a frequent passage migrant stopping at marshes and flooded areas in spring and autumn.
Wood Sandpiper
Small greenish wader with spotted back and yellow legs; common passage migrant and regular summer visitor to freshwater wetlands for breeding and feeding.
Temminck’s Stint
Tiny, quick-moving wader with dark legs and short bill; regular passage migrant found in small numbers at wetlands and temporary pools.
Black Kite
Medium raptor with forked tail and buoyant flight; common migratory flocks pass through Jordan in autumn and spring, often seen over wetlands and agricultural fields.
Egyptian Vulture
Small white vulture with yellow face and slender bill; an iconic but declining species in Jordan, seen on migration and at breeding cliffs in decreasing numbers.
Griffon Vulture
Large pale-backed vulture often seen circling above cliffs; resident in mountainous areas and a regular migrant over the Rift Valley and Jordan’s western escarpments.
Steppe Eagle
Powerful dark eagle seen on migration and wintering flocks; passes through Jordan in large numbers during autumn migration and winters in open lowlands and deserts.
Short-toed Snake Eagle
Large eagle with short bill and pale underside, specialist predator of snakes; a passage migrant and summer visitor in open habitats across Jordan.
Booted Eagle
Small eagle with variable plumage and agile flight; regular passage migrant through Jordan, often seen during spring and autumn migrations.
Common Buzzard
Stocky broad-winged raptor with variable plumage; transits Jordan in migration and occurs as a winter visitor, perching on fence posts and thermalling in hills.
Long-legged Buzzard
Large buzzard with pale underparts and long legs; common resident raptor in Jordan’s rocky and semi-desert landscapes, often seen perched conspicuously.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Small agile accipiter with short wings and long tail; a passage and winter visitor hunting small birds in hedges and riparian corridors.
Levant Sparrowhawk
Small, slim sparrowhawk species; regular passage migrant through Jordan during spring and autumn, often seen migrating along ridgelines.
Common Kestrel
Frequent hovering falcon with rusty back and black malar; widespread resident across Jordan, hunting rodents and insects from perches and hovering sites.
Lesser Kestrel
Small, gregarious falcon with grey-blue head in males; passage migrant and summer visitor, seen in flocks over open agricultural areas.
Peregrine Falcon
Powerful, fast falcon with barred underparts; occurs on migration and as an occasional resident breeder on cliffs and tall structures, including near Aqaba.
Common Crane
Large grey crane that migrates through Jordan in spring and autumn; flocks stage at wetlands and flooded fields, a highlight for migrating birdwatchers.
Demoiselle Crane
Smaller elegant crane with long legs and black neck ribbons; regular passage migrant through Jordan during spring and autumn, often seen in small flocks.
Northern Lapwing
Crested plover with iridescent back and dramatic flight display; mainly a winter visitor to marshy fields and lowland wetlands in Jordan.
Spur-winged Lapwing
Bold black-and-white plover with a spur on the wing; common resident at river margins, wetlands and reservoirs, often noisy and territorial.
Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon)
Wild ancestor of domestic pigeons; feral populations common in towns and villages, with wild-type birds on cliffs and rocky outcrops in remote areas.
Wood Pigeon
Large, chunky pigeon with white neck patch; passage migrant and winter visitor in riparian woodlands and orchards around the Jordan Valley and northern hills.
European Turtle Dove
Slender migrant dove with patterned neck and soft purring call; passage migrant and summer visitor, increasingly scarce but seen in suitable farmland and scrub.
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Pale dove with distinctive black neck crescent; widespread introduced resident in towns and agricultural landscapes across Jordan.
Laughing Dove
Small, ground-feeding dove with pinkish throat and soft cooing; common resident in arid scrub, villages and oasis habitats throughout Jordan.
Sand Partridge
Cryptic ground partridge with streaked grey-brown plumage; a secretive resident of Jordan’s dry stony hills and wadis, frequently flushed near water sources.
Chukar Partridge
Bold gamebird with black throat band and barred flanks; common resident in mountainous and rocky areas, often heard calling at dawn and dusk.
Common Kingfisher
Small, bright-blue-and-orange bird with rapid flight and plunge-diving; resident at permanent watercourses like the Jordan River and Azraq canals, most activity early and late.
Pied Kingfisher
Black-and-white hovering kingfisher often seen at lakes and reservoirs; a common and conspicuous fisher across Jordan’s larger water bodies.
Isabelline Shrike
Pale sandy shrike with hooked bill and masked face; a common passage and winter visitor in open arid landscapes, perching conspicuously on wires and bushes.
Woodchat Shrike
Stunning shrike with chestnut crown and black mask; passage migrant and summer visitor that breeds in limited areas, often seen perched on treetops and posts.
Great Grey Shrike
Large grey shrike with black mask and pale underside; a winter visitor to open semi-desert and steppe areas, hunting from exposed perches.
Masked Shrike
Distinctive shrike with black mask and white eyebrow; local resident and migrant in rocky valleys and gardens, often seen perching and impaling prey.
Syrian Woodpecker
Medium woodpecker with zebra back and red lower belly in males; common resident in orchards, wadis and mature trees across Jordan.
Eurasian Hoopoe
Striking crested bird with black-and-white wings and long decurved bill; a familiar resident and migrant, often seen probing soil for insects in gardens and fields.
European Bee-eater
Brightly colored, aerial insectivore with long central tail streamers; spectacular passage migrant and summer visitor that nests in sandy banks and hunts over plains.
European Roller
Blue and chestnut coraciid with rolling flight; a striking passage migrant through Jordan and seen in breeding season in some years, favoring open woodland and farmland.
Tristram’s Starling
Glossy black starling with orange wing patches and harsh calls; iconic resident of Petra, Wadi Rum and the Rift Valley cliffs, often near human habitations.
Common Starling
Gregarious, glossy black bird with speckled winter plumage; regular winter visitor forming flocks in fields, wetlands and towns across Jordan.
House Sparrow
Small, familiar sparrow common around human settlements; resident across Jordan in towns, villages and agricultural areas, often nesting in buildings and feeding on scraps.
Spanish Sparrow
Streaked brown sparrow similar to house sparrow, often in colonies around farmland and reedbeds; common resident in agricultural lowlands, especially near water.
Rock Sparrow
Stout sparrow with streaked brown upperparts and pale supercilium; resident of rocky and mountainous areas, often near cliffs and terraced farmland.
Crested Lark
Plain brown lark with noticeable crest and melodic song; widespread resident in agricultural fields, steppe and semi-desert, often perched on low bushes.
Greater Hoopoe-Lark
Large, pale lark with prominent crest and long bill; specializes in sandy desert habitats and can be seen in the eastern desert and Wadi Rum areas.
Desert Lark
Sturdy, streaked lark adapted to arid environments; common resident across Jordan’s deserts, feeding on seeds and insects around stones and shrubs.
White-spectacled Bulbul
Dark bulbul with white eye-ring and yellow vent; common resident in wadis, oases and gardens, vocal and often found near water and fig trees.
Palestine Sunbird
Tiny iridescent sunbird with curved bill; male has glossy blue-black throat, female plain; resident in gardens, orchards and dry scrub, a joy for close-up observation of nectar feeding.
European Goldfinch
Small finch with red face and black-and-white head pattern; common resident and winter visitor in hedgerows, gardens and seed-rich farmland.
Trumpeter Finch
Compact, stout-billed finch of arid areas with buff plumage and black face in males; common resident of Jordan’s deserts and semi-arid zones.
Common Linnet
Small brown finch with patchy red on males’ breast; a passage migrant and winter visitor, often in flocks in scrub and fallow fields.
White Wagtail
Black-and-white wagtail frequently seen running at water edges and fields; common on migration and in winter, especially along the Jordan River and wetlands.
Yellow Wagtail
Slim yellowish wagtail seen in flocks over wet meadows and flooded farmland; common passage migrant with breeding records in suitable wetlands.
Grey Wagtail
Slender wagtail with yellow underparts and long tail; a regular passage and winter visitor along rocky rivers and stream courses in Jordan.
Common Chiffchaff
Small olive-green warbler with simple ‘chiff-chaff’ song; common passage migrant and winter visitor in woodland edges, gardens and river valleys.
Willow Warbler
Delicate pale warbler with descending song; regular passage migrant stopping in riparian scrub and orchards during spring and autumn.
Eurasian Blackcap
Grey-backed warbler with black cap in males; common passage migrant and summer visitor, breeding in wetter upland and valley woodlands.
Sardinian Warbler
Dark-headed warbler with white throat and red eye-ring in adults; common resident in scrub, gardens and coastal bushy areas across Jordan.
Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
Pale, plain warbler with thin bill and nasal calls; common passage migrant and summer visitor in dry scrub and wadis, nesting in thorny vegetation.
Graceful Prinia
Small, long-tailed warbler with buff upperparts and distinctive tail-flick; common resident in reedbeds and wet scrub throughout Jordan’s lowlands.
Barred Warbler
Large, heavily barred warbler in males with strong beak; uncommon but regular passage migrant through scrubby valleys and orchard areas in migration seasons.
Desert Wheatear
Pale wheatear of desert regions with black facial mask in males; resident throughout Jordan’s desert lowlands, often perched on small bushes or rocks.
Northern Wheatear
Active pipit-like flycatcher with pale plumage and upright posture; common passage migrant and occasional breeder in higher, cooler sites.
Isabelline Wheatear
Pale sandy wheatear with subtle facial markings; a regular passage migrant and winter visitor across Jordan’s arid plains and steppe areas.
Blackstart
Small black and white wheatear with tail flicks; resident of rocky desert gorges and cliffs, especially in southern Jordan and near Aqaba.
White-crowned Wheatear
Bold wheatear with a white crown and striking black face and belly in males; common resident across rocky desert habitats and stony wadis.
Common Nightingale
Famous singer with rich, varied song; a passage migrant and summer visitor breeding in dense scrub and riverine thickets, most obvious at dawn and dusk.
Bluethroat
Small, colorful songbird with bright blue throat and orange flash; a striking passage migrant and winter visitor at reed-fringed wetlands and damp fields.
Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin
Active, warm-brown robin-like bird with rufous tail; common passage migrant and summer visitor, nesting in scrubby wadis and riverine bush.
European Robin
Familiar round-backed robin with orange breast; occurs on passage and in winter in sheltered gardens, woodlands and riparian zones around Jordan.
Common Stonechat
Small, stocky chat with dark head and upright posture; resident in scrub and rocky slopes, also reinforced by migrants in winter.
Common Redstart
Delicate redstart with orange tail and pale belly; regular passage migrant and occasional breeder in woodland edges and oasis groves.
Black Redstart
Dark-backed redstart with black face in males; resident and winter visitor in towns, cliff faces and mountain villages throughout Jordan.
Little Owl
Compact owl with large yellow eyes and flat face; common resident in rocky countryside and villages, active at dusk and night near human habitations.
Barn Owl
Ghostly pale owl with heart-shaped face; widespread resident hunting rodents at night across farmland, desert edges and villages in Jordan.
Rüppell’s Warbler
Distinctive grey-backed warbler with black mask in males; a passage migrant and summer visitor in dry scrub and rocky valleys, often singing conspicuously.
