Birds to See in Qatar in December
80 bird species on our list for Qatar are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Eurasian Collared Dove, House Sparrow, Rock Dove, Pied Wagtail and Western Marsh-harrier. New this month: Common Quail, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon and European Turtle-dove.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
From Qatar’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 80 birds in December
80 birds
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 5.06% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 4.42% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 3.86% in Dec
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaWinter visitorCommon17–18 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 2.86% in Dec
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusWinter visitorCommon48–56 cmRegularly Sep–May · 1.48% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorCommon80–100 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 1.45% in Dec
Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinusResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.38% in Dec
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosResidentCommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 1.17% in Dec
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentCommon38–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Dec
Great Grey ShrikeLanius excubitorResidentCommon22–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.11% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.11% in Dec
KestrelFalco tinnunculusWinter visitorCommon31–39 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 1.03% in Dec
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Aug–May · 1.02% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.00% in Dec
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.92% in Dec
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusWinter visitorCommon38–44 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.89% in Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorCommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.89% in Dec
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaWinter visitorCommon19–21 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.83% in Dec
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in Dec
BluethroatLuscinia svecicaWinter visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.78% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaWinter visitorCommon55–65 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.77% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Dec
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaWinter visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.75% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorCommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.72% in Dec
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.71% in Dec
Pallid SwiftApus pallidusWinter visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.71% in Dec
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.69% in Dec
Little StintCalidris minutaWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.68% in Dec
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusWinter visitorCommon120–145 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.66% in Dec
Water PipitAnthus spinolettaWinter visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.63% in Dec
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.62% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaWinter visitorCommon80–104 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.54% in Dec
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorCommon27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.52% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosWinter visitorCommon50–65 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.52% in Dec
Cattle EgretArdea ibisWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.51% in Dec
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.51% in Dec
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollisWinter visitorUncommon28–34 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.49% in Dec
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.49% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.45% in Dec
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.43% in Dec
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisPassage migrantUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.43% in Dec
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusWinter visitorCommon40–46 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.43% in Dec
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorCommon33–42 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.42% in Dec
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.42% in Dec
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaPassage migrantCommon11–13 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.35% in Dec
Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaWinter visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.34% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.32% in Dec
Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargusWinter visitorUncommon43–47 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.32% in Dec
PochardAythya ferinaWinter visitorUncommon42–49 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.32% in Dec
Corn BuntingEmberiza calandraWinter visitorCommon16–19 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.28% in Dec
OspreyPandion haliaetusResidentCommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Dec
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaPassage migrantCommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.25% in Dec
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataPassage migrantUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.25% in Dec
RuffCalidris pugnaxWinter visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.25% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.25% in Dec
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.25% in Dec
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisWinter visitorUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.22% in Dec
GadwallMareca streperaPassage migrantUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Dec–Jan · 0.22% in Dec
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusWinter visitorUncommon40–45 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.20% in Dec
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosWinter visitorUncommon20–23 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.20% in Dec
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopePassage migrantUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Dec · 0.18% in Dec
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaPassage migrantUncommon17–20 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.17% in Dec
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusWinter visitorUncommon28–31 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.17% in Dec
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
Greylag GooseAnser anserPassage migrantUncommon75–90 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.15% in Dec
Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactylaWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.15% in Dec
Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochrurosPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.14% in Dec
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixWinter visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.14% in Dec
Little Ringed PloverThinornis dubiusWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.14% in Dec
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataPassage migrantUncommon66–84 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.14% in Dec
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantCommon18–23 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.12% in Dec
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaPassage migrantCommon12–14 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.12% in Dec
Common TernSterna hirundoWinter visitorUncommon31–35 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.11% in Dec
European Turtle-doveStreptopelia turturPassage migrantUncommon26–28 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.11% in Dec
GarganeySpatula querquedulaPassage migrantUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Aug–Dec · 0.11% in Dec
Little OwlAthene noctuaResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaPassage migrantUncommon63–73 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.08% in Dec
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusPassage migrantUncommon28–38 cmRegularly Oct–Dec · 0.08% in Dec
Spotted RedshankTringa erythropusWinter visitorUncommon29–31 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.08% in Dec
Purple HeronArdea purpureaPassage migrantCommon78–90 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.06% in 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