Birds to See in Iran in December
173 species listed for December · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
173 bird species on our list for Iran are recorded regularly in December. Of these, the most often recorded are Pied Wagtail, House Sparrow, Magpie, Hooded Crow and Rock Dove. New this month: Hoopoe, Sand Martin, Osprey and Egyptian Vulture and 9 more.
Residents
(61)Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Recorded all year
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Greater Flamingo
Phoenicopterus roseusLC
Recorded all year
Kentish Plover
Charadrius alexandrinusLC
Recorded all year
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
Recorded all year
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Recorded all year
Cattle Egret
Ardea ibisLC
Recorded all year
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetosLC
Recorded all year
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Recorded all year
Chukar
Alectoris chukarLC
Recorded all year
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
Recorded all year
Little Owl
Athene noctuaLC
Recorded all year
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
Recorded all year
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Recorded all year
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Psittacula krameriLC
Recorded all year
Red-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
Great Grey Shrike
Lanius excubitorLC
Recorded all year
Black-necked Grebe
Podiceps nigricollisLC
Recorded all year
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon niloticaLC
Recorded all year
Moustached Warbler
Acrocephalus melanopogonLC
Recorded all year
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
Recorded all year
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
Recorded all year
Desert Finch
Rhodospiza obsoletaLC
Recorded all year
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
Recorded all year
Little Tern
Sternula albifronsLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
Long-eared Owl
Asio otusLC
Recorded all year
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufinaLC
Recorded all year
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Recorded all year
Blue Rock-thrush
Monticola solitariusLC
Recorded all year
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
Recorded all year
Summer visitors
(26)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Recorded all year
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Recorded all year
Black-crowned Night-heron
Nycticorax nycticoraxLC
Recorded all year
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
Recorded all year
Hoopoe
Upupa epopsLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
Squacco Heron
Ardeola ralloidesLC
Recorded all year
Egyptian Vulture
Neophron percnopterusEN
Regularly Dec–Oct
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterusLC
Recorded all year
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareolaLC
Recorded all year
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
Recorded all year
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
Recorded all year
Montagu's Harrier
Circus pygargusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestrisLC
Recorded all year
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvusLC
Recorded all year
Little Ringed Plover
Thinornis dubiusLC
Recorded all year
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Garganey
Spatula querquedulaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Woodlark
Lullula arboreaLC
Regularly Apr–Feb
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
Recorded all year
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Alpine Chough
Pyrrhocorax graculusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Winter visitors
(74)Present outside the breeding season
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Regularly Jun–Apr
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Regularly Oct–Aug
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Water Pipit
Anthus spinolettaLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Regularly Jul–May
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Regularly Aug–May
White-tailed Sea-eagle
Haliaeetus albicillaLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Recorded all year
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Recorded all year
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Recorded all year
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna ferrugineaLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Regularly Jul–May
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Bluethroat
Luscinia svecicaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Recorded all year
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Pernis ptilorhynchusLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Nov–Mar
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly Nov–Feb
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Pallid Swift
Apus pallidusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Regularly Jul–May
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Recorded all year
Temminck's Stint
Calidris temminckiiLC
Regularly Aug–May
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Regularly Jul–May
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
Regularly Oct–Aug
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Regularly Jul–May
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Short-toed Lark
Calandrella brachydactylaLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Jul–May
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Regularly Aug–May
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
Regularly Nov–Feb
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferrugineaNT
Regularly Jul–May
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Regularly Dec–Mar
Cinereous Vulture
Aegypius monachusNT
Regularly Jun–Apr
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
Regularly Oct–Feb
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Wheatear
Oenanthe monachaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Yellow-browed Warbler
Phylloscopus inornatusLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Eurasian Bittern
Botaurus stellarisLC
Regularly Oct–May
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Regularly Dec–Feb
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
Regularly Jul–May
Spotted Owlet
Athene bramaLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Bonelli's Eagle
Aquila fasciataLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Passage migrants
(12)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianusLC
Regularly Dec–Jan
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dryobates minorLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Common Crane
Grus grusLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Pacific Golden-Plover
Pluvialis fulvaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Bearded Tit
Panurus biarmicusLC
Regularly Jun–Jan
Northern Goshawk
Astur gentilisLC
Regularly Sep–Feb
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
Regularly Dec
Spotted Crake
Porzana porzanaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
Regularly Dec
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made