Afghanistan is home to a variety of avian species that complement its geologically-diverse terrain, which contains central highlands, steppes, southern deserts, and tropical dry forests. While the variety of bird life is astounding, only the Afghan Snowfinch is endemic to Afghanistan. However, the nation’s lack of security and human rights violations makes it a hard place to visit for bird enthusiasts.
The Golden Eagle is the national bird of Afghanistan, a title it also holds for Albania, Mexico, Scotland, and Germany.
List of Birds Found in Afghanistan
Native Birds
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
- Bar-headed Goose
- Common Goldeneye
- Common Merganser
- Common Pochard
- Common Shelduck
- Cotton Pygmy-goose
- Eurasian Wigeon
- Ferruginous Duck
- Gadwall
- Garganey
- Graylag Goose
- Greater Scaup
- Greater White-fronted Goose
- Green-winged Teal
- Lesser White-fronted Goose
- Mallard
- Marbled Teal
- Mute Swan
- Northern Pintail
- Northern Shoveler
- Red-breasted Goose
- Red-crested Pochard
- Ruddy Shelduck
- Smew
- Tufted Duck
- White-headed Duck
- Whooper Swan
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
- Black Francolin
- Cheer Pheasant
- Chukar
- Common Quail
- Gray Francolin
- Gray Partridge
- Himalayan Monal
- Himalayan Snowcock
- Koklass Pheasant
- Ring-necked Pheasant
- See-see Partridge
- Tibetan Snowcock
Flamingos
Grebes
- Eared Grebe
- Great Crested Grebe
- Little Grebe
- Red-necked Grebe
Pigeons and Doves
- Common Wood-pigeon
- Eurasian Collared-Dove
- European Turtle-dove
- Hill Pigeon
- Laughing Dove
- Oriental Turtle-dove
- Rock Pigeon
Snow Pigeon
Sandgrouse
- Black-bellied Sandgrouse
- Crowned Sandgrouse
- Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse
- Pin-tailed Sandgrouse
- Tibetan Sandgrouse
Bustards
- Great Bustard
- Little Bustard
- Macqueen’s Bustard
Cuckoos
- Asian Koel
- Common Cuckoo
- Lesser Cuckoo
Nightjars and Allies
- Egyptian Nightjar
- Eurasian Nightjar
- Indian Nightjar
- Sykes’s Nightjar
Swifts
- Alpine Swift
- Common Swift
- Little Swift
Rails, Gallinules and Coots
- Baillon’s Crake
- Corn Crake
- Eurasian Coot
- Eurasian Moorhen
- Gray-headed Swamphen
- Little Crake
- Spotted Crake
- Water Rail
Cranes
- Demoiselle Crane
- Common Crane
Thick-knees
Stilts and Avocets
- Black-winged Stilt
- Pied Avocet
Oystercatchers
Plovers and Lapwings
- Black-bellied Plover
- Caspian Plover
- Common Ringed Plover
- Greater Sand-plover
- Kentish Plover
- Lesser Sand-plover
- Little Ringed Plover
- Northern Lapwing
- Red-wattled Lapwing
- Sociable Lapwing
- White-tailed Lapwing
Painted-snipes
Jacanas
Sandpipers and Allies
- Bar-tailed Godwit
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Common Greenshank
- Common Redshank
- Common Sandpiper
- Common Snipe
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Dunlin
- Eurasian Curlew
- Eurasian Woodcock
- Green Sandpiper
- Jack Snipe
- Little Stint
- Red-necked Phalarope
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Ruff
- Sanderling
- Solitary Snipe
- Spotted Redshank
- Temminck’s Stint
- Terek Sandpiper
- Whimbrel
- Wood Sandpiper
Pratincoles and Coursers
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Slender-billed Gull
- Black-headed Gull
- Pallas’s Gull
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Little Tern
- Gull-billed Tern
- Caspian Tern
- White-winged Tern
- Common Tern
Storks
Cormorants and Shags
- Great Cormorant
- Pygmy Cormorant
Pelicans
- Dalmatian Pelican
- Great White Pelican
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Great Bittern
- Little Bittern
- Gray Heron
- Purple Heron
- Great Egret
- Black-crowned Night-heron
Ibises and Spoonbills
- Glossy Ibis
- Eurasian Spoonbill
Osprey
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Bearded Vulture
- Black Kite
- Black-winged Kite
- Booted Eagle
- Cinereous Vulture
- Common Buzzard
- Egyptian Vulture
- Eurasian Griffon
- Eurasian Marsh-harrier
- Eurasian Sparrowhawk
- Golden Eagle
- Greater Spotted Eagle
- Hen Harrier
- Himalayan Griffon
- Imperial Eagle
- Long-Legged Buzzard
- Montagu’s Harrier
- Northern Goshawk
- Oriental Honey-buzzard
- Pallas’s Fish-eagle
- Pallid Harrier
- Rough-legged Hawk
- Shikra
- Short-toed Snake-eagle
- Steppe Eagle
- White-tailed Eagle
Owls
- Collared Owlet
- Eurasian Eagle-owl
- Eurasian Scops-owl
- Indian Scops-owl
- Little Owl
- Long-eared Owl
- Short-eared Owl
- Tawny Owl
Hoopoes
Kingfishers
- Common Kingfisher
- Crested Kingfisher
- Pied Kingfisher
- White-throated Kingfisher
Bee-eaters
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
- European Bee-eater
Rollers
- European Roller
- Indian Roller
Woodpeckers
- Brown-fronted Woodpecker
- Eurasian Wryneck
- Himalayan Woodpecker
- Scaly-bellied Woodpecker
- Speckled Piculet
- White-winged Woodpecker
Falcons and Caracaras
- Eurasian Hobby
- Eurasian Kestrel
- Laggar Falcon
- Lesser Kestrel
- Merlin
- Peregrine Falcon
- Red-footed Falcon
- Saker Falcon
Old World Parrots
Cuckooshrikes
Old World Orioles
- Eurasian Golden Oriole
- Indian Golden Oriole
Drongos
Monarch Flycatchers
- Indian Paradise-flycatcher
Shrikes
- Bay-backed Shrike
- Great Gray Shrike
- Isabelline Shrike
- Lesser Gray Shrike
- Long-tailed Shrike
- Red-tailed Shrike
Crows, Jays, and Magpies
- Black-headed Jay
- Brown-necked Raven
- Carrion Crow
- Common Raven
- Eurasian Jackdaw
- Eurasian Magpie
- Eurasian Nutcracker
- Hooded Crow
- Kashmir Nutcracker
- Large-billed Crow
- Red-billed Chough
- Rook
- Yellow-billed Chough
Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice
- Azure Tit
- Black-crested Tit
- Cinereous Tit
- Coal Tit
- Great Tit
- Ground Tit
- Rufous-naped Tit
Penduline-tits
- Black-headed Penduline-tit
- Eurasian Penduline-tit
- White-crowned Penduline-tit
Larks
- Bar-tailed Lark
- Bimaculated Lark
- Calandra Lark
- Crested Lark
- Desert Lark
- Eurasian Skylark
- Greater Hoopoe-lark
- Greater Short-toed Lark
- Horned Lark
- Hume’s Lark
- Oriental Skylark
- Turkestan Short-toed Lark
Bearded Reedling
Cisticolas and Allies
- Delicate Prinia
- Himalayan Prinia
- Zitting Cisticola
Reed Warblers and Allies
- Blunt-winged Warbler
- Blyth’s Reed Warbler
- Booted Warbler
- Clamorous Reed Warbler
- Eurasian Reed Warbler
- Great Reed Warbler
- Large-billed Reed Warbler
- Moustached Warbler
- Paddyfield Warbler
- Sykes’s Warbler
- Upcher’s Warbler
Grassbirds and Allies
- Common Grasshopper-warbler
Swallows
- Asian House-martin
- Bank Swallow
- Barn Swallow
- Common House-martin
- Eurasian Crag-martin
- Gray-throated Martin
- Pale Sand Martin
- Red-rumped Swallow
- Rock Martin
- Streak-throated Swallow
- Wire-tailed Swallow
Bulbuls
- Black Bulbul
- Himalayan Bulbul
- Red-vented Bulbul
- White-eared Bulbul
Leaf Warblers
- Brooks’s Leaf Warbler
- Common Chiffchaff
- Green Warbler
- Greenish Warbler
- Hume’s Warbler
- Lemon-rumped Warbler
- Mountain Chiffchaff
- Pallas’s Leaf Warbler
- Plain Leaf Warbler
- Radde’s Warbler
- Sulphur-bellied Warbler
- Tytler’s Leaf Warbler
- Western Crowned Warbler
- Willow Warbler
Bush Warblers and Allies
- Cetti’s Warbler
- Scrub Warbler
Long-tailed Tits
Sylviid Warblers, Parrotbills, and Allies
- Asian Desert Warbler
- Eastern Orphean Warbler
- Greater Whitethroat
- Lesser Whitethroat
- Menetries’s Warbler
White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies
Laughingthrushes
- Afghan Babbler
- Streaked Laughingthrush
- Variegated Laughingthrush
Kinglets
Wallcreeper
Nuthatches
- Eastern Rock Nuthatch
- Eurasian Nuthatch
- Kashmir Nuthatch
- White-cheeked Nuthatch
Treecreepers
Wrens
Dippers
- Brown Dipper
- White-throated Dipper
Starlings
- Brahminy Starling
- Common Myna
- European Starling
- Rosy Starling
Thrushes and Allies
- Black-throated Thrush
- Chestnut Thrush
- Eurasian Blackbird
- Mistle Thrush
- Redwing
- Tickell’s Thrush
Old World Flycatchers
- Black Redstart
- Blue Rock-thrush
- Blue Whistling-thrush
- Blue-capped Redstart
- Blue-capped Rock-thrush
- Blue-fronted Redstart
- Bluethroat
- Common Nightingale
- Common Redstart
- Dark-sided Flycatcher
- Desert Wheatear
- Finsch’s Wheatear
- Himalayan Bluetail
- Himalayan Rubythroat
- Hooded Wheatear
- Hume’s Wheatear
- Indian Blue Robin
- Isabelline Wheatear
- Little Forktail
- Northern Wheatear
- Persian Wheatear
- Pied Bushchat
- Pied Wheatear
- Plumbeous Redstart
- Red-breasted Flycatcher
- Rufous-backed Redstart
- Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush
- Rufous-tailed Scrub-robin
- Rusty-Tailed Flycatcher
- Siberian Stonechat
- Spotted Flycatcher
- Spotted Forktail
- Taiga Flycatcher
- Ultramarine Flycatcher
- Variable Wheatear
- White-capped Redstart
- White-throated Robin
- White-winged Redstart
Hypocolius
Sunbirds and Spiderhunters
Accentors
- Alpine Accentor
- Altai Accentor
- Black-throated Accentor
- Brown Accentor
- Dunnock
- Rufous-breasted Accentor
Old World Sparrows
- Afghan Snowfinch
- Dead Sea Sparrow
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow
- House Sparrow
- Rock Sparrow
- Russet Sparrow
- Spanish Sparrow
- White-winged Snowfinch
- Yellow-throated Sparrow
Wagtails and Pipits
- Citrine Wagtail
- Gray Wagtail
- Long-billed Pipit
- Olive-backed Pipit
- Paddyfield Pipit
- Red-throated Pipit
- Richard’s Pipit
- Rosy Pipit
- Tawny Pipit
- Tree Pipit
- Upland Pipit
- Water Pipit
- Western Yellow Wagtail
- White Wagtail
- White-browed Wagtail
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
- Black-headed Mountain Finch
- Blyth’s Rosefinch
- Brambling
- Common Chaffinch
- Common Rosefinch
- Crimson-winged Finch
- Desert Finch
- Eurasian Bullfinch
- Eurasian Linnet
- European Goldfinch
- European Greenfinch
- Fire-fronted Serin
- Great Rosefinch
- Hawfinch
- Himalayan White-browed Rosefinch
- Mongolian Finch
- Pale Rosefinch
- Plain Mountain Finch
- Red-fronted Rosefinch
- Red-mantled Rosefinch
- Trumpeter Finch
- Twite
- White-winged Grosbeak
Old World Buntings
- Corn Bunting
- Gray-necked Bunting
- Little Bunting
- Ortolan Bunting
- Pine Bunting
- Red-headed Bunting
- Reed Bunting
- Rock Bunting
- Rustic Bunting
- Striolated Bunting
- White-capped Bunting
Non-native Birds
Accentors
Barn-owls
Cisticolas and Allies
Cormorants and Shags
- Indian Cormorant
- Little Cormorant
Cranes
Crows, Jays, and Magpies
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
- Baikal Teal
- Falcated Duck
- Red-breasted Merganser
- Velvet Scoter
Falcons and Caracaras
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
- Black-and-yellow Grosbeak
- Eurasian Siskin
- Red Crossbill
Flamingos
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Black Tern
- Brown-headed Gull
- Common Gull
- Little Gull
- River Tern
- Whiskered Tern
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Bonelli’s Eagle
- European Honey-buzzard
- Levant Sparrowhawk
- Tawny Eagle
- White-eyed Buzzard
- White-rumped Vulture
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Cattle Egret
- Cinnamon Bittern
- Little Egret
- Squacco Heron
Ibisbill
Larks
Laughingthrushes
Leaf Warblers
- Arctic Warbler
- Wood Warbler
Old World Buntings
- Black-headed Bunting
- Chestnut-eared Bunting
- Yellowhammer
Old World Flycatchers
- European Pied Flycatcher
- European Robin
- Indian Robin
- Oriental Magpie-robin
- Siberian Rubythroat
- Thrush Nightingale
- Whinchat
- White-browed Bushchat
Old World Parrots
- Alexandrine Parakeet
- Rose-ringed Parakeet
Old World Sparrows
- Pale Rockfinch
- Saxaul Sparrow
Owls
- Boreal Owl
- Pallid Scops-owl
Pigeons and Doves
- Speckled Pigeon
- Spotted Dove
- Stock Dove
Plovers and Lapwings
Pratincoles and Coursers
- Collared Pratincole
- Small Pratincole
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
Reed Warblers and Allies
- Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
Sandgrouse
Sandpipers and Allies
- Broad-billed Sandpiper
- Far Eastern Curlew
- Marsh Sandpiper
- Pin-tailed Snipe
Shrikes
- Brown Shrike
- Red-backed Shrike
- Woodchat Shrike
Starlings
Swifts
- White-throated Needletail
Sylviid Warblers, Parrotbills, and Allies
- Barred Warbler
- Garden Warbler
Thrushes and Allies
- Fieldfare
- Red-throated Thrush
Wagtails and Pipits
- American Pipit
- Meadow Pipit
Waxbills and Allies
- Red Avadavat
- Scaly-breasted Munia
There are several spots where tourists can experience the avian diversity of Afghanistan, like the Band-e-Amir National Park, home to the Afghan Snowfinch, or the Wakhan Corridor, where a lot of rare species reside. However, many of the world’s governments, including Australia, the U.K., and the U.S., discourage their citizens from visiting Afghanistan because of the political unrest in the region. If one were to travel there, it is imperative to have the proper paperwork handy at all times and strictly follow the guidelines set by local authorities.
