Top 40 Birds of Jerusalem

House SparrowSmall brown and grey bird; males have a dark bib, grey crown, and chestnut nape.Highly social, energetic, often seen feeding on seeds or human crumbs in flocks.

Common MynaMedium-sized brown bird with dark head, bright yellow beak, eye patch, and legs.Extremely bold, territorial, and vocal; frequently walks on ground in urban parks.

Rose-ringed ParakeetVibrant lime-green parrot with long tail feathers and a hooked red beak.Flies in fast, noisy small flocks; nests in tree hollows across Jerusalem's parks.

Palestine SunbirdTiny bird with curved bill; males are iridescent metallic blue/black, females dull grey-brown.Hover-feeds on nectar from flowering bushes and olive trees; energetic and vocal.

White-spectacled BulbulGrey-brown body, black head, white eye-ring, and bright yellow under-tail patch.Very vocal with musical calls; feeds on fruits, berries, and insects in gardens.

Graceful PriniaTiny, streaked brown warbler with a long, thin tail cocked upright.Constantly twitches its tail; flits through low shrubs and bushes making buzzy calls.

Laughing DoveSmall slender dove with pinkish-brown tone, reddish back, and checkered neck patch.Forages quietly on open ground; utters a characteristic laughing or cooing soft call.

Eurasian Collared DoveBuff-grey dove with long squared tail and a distinct black half-collar on the nape.Perches on utility wires and trees; makes rhythmic three-note cooing calls.

Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon)Highly variable, typically grey with iridescent neck feathers and two dark wing bars.Gathers in large urban flocks in plazas and buildings; scavenges food scraps.

Hooded CrowLarge bird with ash-grey body contrasting sharply with black head, wings, and tail.Highly intelligent and adaptable; scavenges in urban areas, mobbing raptors.

Eurasian JayPinkish-brown bird with black crown, white mustache, and striking blue wing patch.Loud screeching call; alert forest bird that frequently visits wooded city parks.

Great TitYellow front with central black stripe, blue-grey back, and black head with white cheeks.Acrobatic insect-eater; hops dynamically through foliage and nests in hollows.

Eurasian BlackbirdMale is glossy black with yellow beak and eye-ring; female is dark brownish.Forages on ground turning over leaf litter; sings rich melodic songs from treetops.

Common BlackcapGreyish body; male sports a neat black cap, female sports a reddish-brown cap.Skulks in dense foliage; common winter visitor and passage migrant with pleasant song.

European RobinSmall brownish songbird with a prominent bright orange-red breast and face.Territorial winter visitor; perches low on branches and hops near gardens.

Common ChiffchaffTiny olive-brown leaf warbler with dark legs and a faint pale eyebrow line.Active insectivore constantly flicking tail while gleaning leaves in winter.

White WagtailSlender grey, black, and white bird with long tail and clear black bib.Walks rapidly on ground while constantly pumping its tail up and down; winter visitor.

Common KestrelSmall raptor; male has grey head/tail and chestnut speckled back; female brown.Hovers motionless in air while hunting small rodents in open fields and city spots.

Eurasian Kestrel / Lesser KestrelSmall falcon similar to Common Kestrel; male has unspotted red-brown mantle and grey wing-patch.Migratory falcon that nests in colonies in old stone walls in historic Jerusalem.

Western Barn OwlPale owl with iconic white heart-shaped face and buff-gold upperparts.Nocturnal hunter silently gliding over valleys and parks targeting rodents.

Little OwlCompact small owl, mottled brown and white with piercing yellow eyes.Often perches on stone ruins, fence posts, or rocks during dawn and dusk.

Alpine SwiftLarge swift with long swept-back wings, brown upperparts, and clean white belly/throat.Spends almost all time airborne; swoops at high speeds catching insects high above city.

Common SwiftSooty dark-brown aerial bird with scythe-like wings and small pale throat patch.Nests in Jerusalem's old stone walls in spring; shrieks in high-speed breeding groups.

Barn SwallowSteel-blue upperparts, rufous forehead/throat, pale belly, and deeply forked tail streamers.Graceful low-level acrobatic flight over fields; nests in eaves and structures.

Eurasian HoopoeCinnamon-colored body, striking black and white striped wings, and distinctive tall crest.Probes ground with long bill for grubs; undulating flight pattern.

European GreenfinchStocky finch with thick bill; males bright olive-green with yellow wing panels.Perches on tree tops and seed feeders; utters a wheezy, nasal buzz call.

European GoldfinchStriking bird with red face mask, black-and-white head, and bold yellow wing bars.Forms small fluttering flocks feeding on thistles and seed heads in open fields.

Common LinnetSmall finch; breeding male has crimson forehead and breast with brownish back.Gregarious, feeding on seeds low in bushes and weed patches; musical tweeting flight calls.

Syrian WoodpeckerBlack and white checkered pattern, bright red lower belly, male has red nape patch.Drums audibly on tree trunks searching for insects; flight is dipping/undulating.

European Bee-eaterRichly colored with chestnut crown, bright yellow throat, blue-green belly, long bill.Passage migrant; catches bees and dragonflies mid-air with liquid 'proop-proop' calls.

Common Chukar PartridgePlump gamebird with barred flanks, black necklace line, red legs, and red bill.Walks along rocky hillsides in family groups (coveys); runs rather than flies when flushed.

Sardinian WarblerMale has jet-black head cap, red eye-ring, white throat, and dark grey back.Resident warbler active in Mediterranean scrub (maquis); chatters sharply from foliage.

Eurasian Collared Kingfisher / White-throated KingfisherElectric turquoise-blue back and tail, deep chocolate head/chest, broad white throat, thick red bill.Perches on wires/branches away from water; hunts lizards and large insects as well as fish.

Common NightingalePlain brown bird with rich rufous tail and pale greyish underparts.Shy bird hiding in thick vegetation; renowned for powerful, complex, resonant songs.

European SerinTiny streaky finch; male has vibrant yellow forehead, breast, and rump.Flies in erratic butterfly-like display flights while singing a high jangling song.

Tristram's StarlingAll-black glossy starling with prominent bright orange primary wing feathers.Native to Judean desert valleys and edge of Jerusalem; very vocal with whistle-like calls.

European StonechatMale has dark head, white collar patch, and orange breast patch.Perches prominently on top of bushes and fence posts; flicks wings rapidly.

Corn BuntingChunky streaked grey-brown bird with heavy bill and dull plumaged body.Sings repetitive jangling song from exposed perches in open grassy areas.

Black RedstartDark soot-grey bird with bright orange-red lower tail feathers.Shivers its red tail constantly; perches on roofs, walls, and rocky outcrops.

Common CraneTall slate-grey bird with long neck, black and white neck pattern, and red crown patch.Passes over Jerusalem during autumn and spring migrations in huge bugling V-formations.