Kingdom : Bee-eater, Birds

Larger than European Bee-eater and distinctly green or turquoise-green with a chestnut throat, long central tail-streamers and rusty red underwings framed dark on trailing edge. Juvenile duller and lacks long tail projections. From young European Bee-eater (more uniform greenish upperparts than in adult) by entirely green plumage including crown and underparts, long tail-streamers, and rusty […]

Kingdom : Bee-eater, Birds

Easily distinguished by combination of chestnut crown, bright yellow throat contrasting with turquoise-blue underparts and, in adult, by chestnut back and upperwing-coverts. In flight, shows paler, grey underwings. Juvenile has more greenish upperparts, but still shows chestnut crown and yellow throat; central tail-feathers very short or lacking. Migrates in flocks, often passing high overhead, revealed […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Similar in size to Common Whitethroat. In general, it is grey brown but male has a distinguished black crown. First year birds and females have a warm brown crown. These features prevent confusion with any other warbler.

Kingdom : Birds, Bunting

Medium sized bunting with yellow eye-ring, pink bill, boldly streaked mantle and blackish brown tertials with clear-cut light chestnut brown edges. Male has olive greyish head and breast band which frames a pale yellowish throat. Female is duller, less olive, more brown tinged and more streaked. Throat pale yellow-buff. Compare with similar Cretzschmar’s Bunting.

Kingdom : Birds, Crake

A small-headed, round-bodied crake, much shorter and a little smaller than Water Rail, and slightly bigger than Little Crake. Otherwise similar to Little, but heavily white-spotted plumage. Short, red-based, yellow bill; flanks and vent strongly barred black and white, but has buff undertail-coverts (barred in Little), latter visible, when walking with tail cocked. Juvenile lacks […]

Kingdom : Birds, Dove

Small, fast-flying dove with shorter tail and more pointed wings than Collared; easily told from it also by dark underwings, well defined whitish belly patch, rufous, black-spotted upperparts with blue-grey, well defined outerwing-panel and contrasting pattern of uppertail being darker with more clear-cut white corners, particularly when tail spread upon landing: black and white-streaked patch […]

Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons

A small, white meadow-dwelling heron, usually seen in flocks, and frequently associates with cattle. It differs from Little Egret by stockier build, shorter pale bill, neck and legs, extended “jowl” under bill and faster flight. Also in breeding season orange-buff wash on crown, back and breast, and reddish bill. Usually seen feeding in flocks or […]

Kingdom : Birds, Flycatcher

A brownish grey, long-winged flycatcher, with streaked forehead and breast, thin pale edges to greater coverts and tertials, and blackish bill. Males make short wavering flights for insects from exposed branches. Perches upright, often flicking wings.

Kingdom : Birds, Duck

Small, Teal sized dabbling duck. Male has unmistakable broad, white stripe above eye to hindneck, black mottled breast contrasting with grey sides and white belly. In flight, striking blue-grey forewing contrasts with dark head, breast and upperparts. Female similr to female Teal, but longer bill and more contrasting dark and light head-stripes widening in front […]

Kingdom : Birds, Gull

Distinctive, medium-sized gull with dark sooty brown hood and ‘bib’, dark grey-brown upperparts and wings, dark flanks and underwings (white trailing edge) and narrow white half-collar. Long, thick, straight bill distinctly bi-coloured at all ages (in adult yellow-green with black band near red tip; in young pale blue-grey with black tip). Narrow white crescent above […]

Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons

Slightly smaller and much darker than Grey Heron, with angular snake-like neck. Adult dark grey with black belly, chestnut on neck edged with black streak, black crown and line across cheeks. Bill a dull yellow. Juvenile has sandy brown upper-parts and hindneck with diffuse dark streaking on neck and blackish crown. In flight has a […]

Kingdom : Birds, Hoopoe

Distinctive pinkish buff with bold black and white bars on wings and tail, long black-tipped crest, usually depressed (though raised upon landing), long decurved bill and distinctive flight with flaps of broad wings. Spends much time on the ground where hard to detect; often first noticed when it flies.

Kingdom : Birds, Kestrel

Very similar to Kestrel and not always separable. Slightly smaller and slimmer, with slightly narrower wings, slightly shorter, more wedge-shaped tail and quicker wing-beats. Male is unmarked rufous above but greater coverts often blue-grey (hard to see). Whole head ash-grey without moustache or pale area on cheeks. From below, white underwing contrasts with dark wing-tip […]

Kingdom : Birds, Martin

Smaller than Barn Swallow with black and white appearance; easily recognised by bluish black upperparts with striking white rump and all white underparts; short, forked black tail with white undertail-coverts and rather dark underwings. Juvenile duller with brownish wash on head and breast sides. Flight more fluttering than Barn Swallow with long glides often high […]

Kingdom : Birds, Martin

Small, dull brown and white martin distinguished by white underparts sharply broken by brown breast band and slightly long and deeply forked tail. Juvenile has scaly buff upperparts. It has a fluttering flight action.

Kingdom : Birds, Nightingale

Very similar to Thrush Nightingale but more russet-brown upper-parts, paler, rusty red tail, and often more conspicuous whiter eye-ring; underparts more ‘clean’, lacking mottled impression on breast and flanks. The central Asian race hafizi, which migrates through the eastern part of the region, shows pale fringes to the tertials and greater coverts, paler underparts and […]

Kingdom : Birds, Nightingale

Easily confused with Thrush Nightingale. But this species is paler and closer to grey brown colour with pale streaks on chest. Tail colour is rusty brown and eye ring is pale. Found in areas rich in trees and bushes, particulary lin town/city gardens and also in semi desert areas with plenty of shade cover.

Kingdom : Birds, Nightjar

The most patterned nightjar in the region and also the most widely encountered. The distinguishing features are the dark-streaked grey crown contrasting with rich brown cheeks and throat, and grey upperparts with broad bands of dark brown and buff on the scapulars and rows of buff bands on the coverts. Male has white spots in […]

Kingdom : Birds, Oriole

It is a shy, thrush-sized bird. Male’s bright yellow plumage with black wings is diagnostic. Female and immature male are greenish above with olive-brown wings and tail, rump often yellowish green, underparts yellowish white, indistinctly streaked darker. Appears short tailed in flight. Flight pattern undulating, followed by soft wing beats.

Kingdom : Birds, Owl

Small ‘eared’ owl; very similar to and difficult to distinguish from Pallid Scops Owl. Rather large-headed with small ear-tufts (head often just looks angular); brown-grey or rufous-brown with paler face and dark surround to yellow eyes. Plumage above streaked, barred and vermiculated black-brown; sides of crown, ears and shoulder distinctly white- or buff-spotted; underparts streaked, […]

Kingdom : Birds, Pipit

Resembles Meadow but slightly larger and stockier and with slightly shorter tail; best told from Meadow by voice. Compared with Meadow, generally warmer grey-brown above (less grey-green), warmer yellow-buff on breast but belly whiter; breast often bolder striped but flanks usually finely streaked (often boldly in Meadow); dark malar and creamy submoustachial streak generally boldest […]

Kingdom : Birds, Pratincole

Distinctive, highly aerial wader, resembling terns in graceful fast flight, long pointed wings, deeply forked tail and short bill. Usually in loose flocks chasing winged insects. On ground, plover-like with quick tripping actions on rather short legs, often with upright stance, head held high. Adult has creamy buff throat bordered black; tail and wing-tips are […]

Kingdom : Birds, Quail

Common, but highly secretive; more often heard than seen, and very hard to flush. In flight size of Starling; rather pointed narrow wings, fast shallow wing-beats, plain wings and striped back; creeps on ground and is a rather compact, very short-tailed gamebird, with noticeably pale buffish white under-body, streaked flanks, and dark- and yellow-striped upperparts. […]

Kingdom : Birds, Redstart

Typical redstart which bobs body and shivers tail (like Black Redstart). Male’s black cheeks and throat, contrasting sharply with rusty red underparts, grey crown with pronounced white forehead characteristic; upperparts grey-brown. Male samamisicus (breeds Turkey eastwards) has white wing-panel and, often, darker upperparts; (note that all races of male Black are more or less black-breasted); […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Similar to Marsh Warbler but plumage is warmer brown with a rusty tinge to the rump. Has similar long wing-projection but with less obviously pale edges and has darker legs.

Kingdom : Birds, Robin

Skulking behaviour similar to Nightingale but slightly smaller and slimmer, and showing rather long, fan-shaped, often cocked, tail. Upperparts grey-brown, contrasting with rufous rump and tail, the latter showing prominent black subterminal-band and white tips (broadening at sides), obvious above and below. Head distinctive with white supercilium contrasting with blackish eye-stripe. Juvenile has faintly mottled […]

Kingdom : Birds, Robin

Size and movements recall Nightingale: strikingly coloured male identified by black sides of face and head framing pure white centre of throat, rusty red underparts, blue-grey upperparts, black tail and whitish supercilium. Grey-brown female has dark brown tail, ochreous-buff sides of body, whitish throat bordered grey-buff at sides of head and breast, Generally shy and […]

Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows

Unstreaked grey-brown with a broad white streak where secondaries meet the tertials. It has a long primary projection, short dark tail with a white tip( seen in flight), strong pale bill, translucent looking brownish orange legs, sandy white underparts, 2 whitish wing-bars and a prominent dark eye in a pale face. In flight the long […]

Kingdom : Birds, Roller

Its turquoise-blue body and most wing-coverts contrasting with blackish flight-feathers, bright chestnut back and deep blue leading forewing above make this species unmistakable. The juvenile is duller and browner with lightly streaked neck and breast. In flight, has fast vigorous wing-beats, at times not unlike those of Lapwing. Medium–long tail narrow and square-cut. Often sits […]

Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

Slightly smaller than Dunlin, from which told in all plumages by longer bill which is broad-based with downward droop near tip, shorter yellowish grey legs and double supercilium, especially noticeable in breeding plumage. In breeding plumage rather dark upperparts with white ‘V’ on mantle and white line on scapulars and white underparts with noticeable dark-spotted […]

Kingdom : Birds, Shrike

Striking rufous-brown crown and nape in adult with large white shoulder patch on black upperparts.. Female is duller with more white/buff at base of bill and lower back and rump only slightly greyer than mantle. Juvenile and first winter birds resemble Red-backed Shrike counterparts, but upper parts of Woodchat Shrike are pale grey brown with […]

Kingdom : Birds, Swallow

Size, shape and bluish black upperparts much resembling Barn Swallow but easily distinguished by rufous collar and broad pale rufous rump; underparts, including underwing-coverts, buffish white, faintly streaked (hardly visible in flight); conspicuous black undertail-coverts striking when perched or in flight; lacks breast band and white in tail. Juvenile duller and browner with upperparts fringed […]

Kingdom : Birds, Martin

Smaller than Whiskered with clearly shorter, thinner bill and more buoyant flight. Adult in summer identified by solid black body and underwing-coverts contrasting with greyish white flight-feathers below, white tail and upperwing. In winter, underparts white, upperparts pale grey; rump and tail white; a few show some black marks on underwing- coverts, making identification easier. […]

Kingdom : Birds, Thrush

Rather small thrush, with short tail and prominent bill. Male easily told by blue-grey upper parts and bib with white patch on back and dull red underparts and tail. In winter feathers of entire plumage edged dark and white producung a scalloped effect. Female and 1st winter similar to winter male but browner, resembling female […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

A large warbler. Adults have concentric barring on underparts, and a yellowish iris. A long tail with white corners when spread upon landing. Tips of greater coverts and tertials are whitish. Some dark barring on undertail coverts. Usually keeps hidden in bushes. Movements are rather heavy.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

A medium sized warbler. Buffish and streaked, with a buffish white supercilium. It has a pale crown, pale ear-coverts, with buffy streaked upper parts with a warm coloured rump.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Similar to Eastern Olivaceous Warbler but is larger, with a proportionally longer, much darker sooty brown tail. Upper parts are greyer in fresh plumage, with darker wings and pale pale edges to tertials and secondaries, forming an obvious wing panel. Head is rounder from Eastern Olivaceous Warbler but with similar markings, although the paler supercilium […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Medium sized warbler. Rather yellow in plumage, with olive upperparts, darker, pale-edged flight feathers and tertials, with yellow-white underparts and supercilium. Legs and bill variable, usually pale brown or orange. It has a longer primary projection than Chiffchaff. Differs from Chiffchaff with brighter, more yellow and green appearance, longer, broader supercilium, contrasting yellow throat and […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Behaviour and build much as Pied. Male of black-throated form can be confused with male Finsch’s; white-throated male only confusable with some ‘vittata’ forms of Pied. Black of throat/ear-coverts not joined with black of wings and shoulder; mantle whitish (summer) or buffish grey (autumn). Tail pattern as Pied. See Pied for separation between 1st autumn […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Relatively short-tailed wheatear with white rump and sides of tail; blackish terminal tail-band of even width. Male told by combination of ash-grey crown and back, white supercilium, thin black eye-stripe and black ear-coverts and wings. See Isabelline for separation from female/1st winter Northern Wheatear. Female Northern Wheatear is greyer brown than similar Black-eared/Pied; 1st autumn […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Slender, relatively long-tailed wheatear, often perching on bushes. told from Mourning by absence of white panel in open wing. Autumn male has black back and ‘bib’ fringed buffish, dark crown with buff-white supercilium, and buff underparts. Female sometimes like female Black-eared (of eastern race melanoleuca) but upperparts usually duller, cooler brown-grey; some show large dark […]

Kingdom : Birds, Coursers and Whimbrels

Smaller, and slightly darker than Curlew, with faster wing-beats. Bill usually shorter and more decurved near the tip (though overlaps with young Curlew in length), dark crown with pale central stripe and dark eye-stripe give head more contrast than in other curlews; flight-pattern similar to larger Curlew and slightly smaller Bar-tailed Godwit (note bill-shape of […]

Kingdom : Birds, Chat

Small, short-tailed chat with less upright stance, slightly smaller head and longer primary projection than Stonechat. Told from Stonechat by combination of streaked brownish rump and white sides to base of tail; male also has bold, clear-cut white supercilium and white stripe between blackish sides of head and orangey throat; female duller with paler throat […]

Kingdom : Birds, Whitethroat

A middle-sized warbler resembles Lesser Whitethroat, but differs in having chestnut fringes to coverts and secondaries. Tail is slightly longer, legs are orange and eye ring is white. Females and 1st winter birds birds lack the grey wash present in males, with dark iris (not orange). Similar to Lesser Whitethroat but can always be identified […]