Rostratula benghalensis (Linnaeus, 1758).

Length 25 cm. This bird is unusual in that the female is more brightly colored than the male. The female has a chestnut neck and an upper breast separated from the brownish upper parts by a band of white from breast to back, there is a distinctive white patch around the eye. The male is more generally greyish. The bill is shorter than that of the Common Snipe and is turned down at the tip. The Painted Snipe is found in swamps, muddy margins of pools, rice fields, and freshwater lakes with grassy islets. It is omnivorous and solitary and feeds on insects, earthworms, and snails as well as a variety of grasses, seeds, rice, and millet. It is crepuscular in habit; feeding at dusk and possibly also at night. The nest is a simple scrape on the ground, and the four eggs are incubated for 15-20 days by the male, who then cares for the chicks while the female looks for another mate. It is a resident breeder that is found in the Nile Delta.

Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeus, 1758).

Length 50-60 cm. A very distinctive raptor with a white head and nape and a black stripe through each eye and onto the neck; the back is chocolate brown; underparts are pale with a darker breast band, the wings are relatively long and narrow. The Osprey lives on the shores of the Red Sea, also along the Nile and on large lakes. It exclusively eats fish; it hovers to spot its prey, then dives its feet first to grasp the fish. Occasionally, the Osprey catches a fish that is too big for it to manage, in which case it is pulled under the water and drowned. The large nest is usually built on the ground near the trees and water, but sometimes this bird nests on mangroves, or even on electricity pylons; the nest is made of dead branches and twigs. Sexual maturity is at three years; three eggs are laid and are incubated for 35-43 days. This impressive bird is a fairly common resident breeder, winter visitor, and passage migrant in Egypt.

Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758).

Length 33 cm. A medium-sized waterbird with blackish plumage, narrow white flank stripe, white under-tail coverts, green legs, and a distinctive red frontal shield and a yellow-tipped red bill. The juvenile is brown with white under-tail coverts, dull green bill, and brown frontal shield. The Moorhen is an aquatic species that is rarely found far from fresh water. It favors wetlands with still or slow-moving water with floating plants and reed beds. It is omnivorous, feeding on freshwater plants, seeds, small invertebrates, and small fish. Active during both day and night; it swims, climbs, and perches well. This bird is monogamous; it nests in reed beds and even on floating water plants and makes a cup-shaped nest of twigs lined with leaves. The 5-7 eggs are incubated for 17-22 days by both parents. In Egypt, the moorhen is a common breeding resident found in the marshes and canals in the Nile Valley and Delta, the Suez Canal, and El-Fayium.

Circus aeruginosus (Linnaeus, 1758).

Length 55 cm. The largest harrier of the region; the male is generally brown above with grey wings and tail; underparts are streaked; plumage becomes progressively paler with age. The female is larger than the male; overall dark brown with yellowish-cream crown, throat, and forewing. The Marsh Harrier spends the winter in extensive reed beds of fresh or brackish water, marshes, swamps, and lagoons. It feeds on small or medium-sized birds and mammals, especially rodents. It attempts to surprise its prey by diving on it, on the ground or in water. This bird is a common passage migrant and winter visitor to Egypt, where it is found in the Nile Valley and Delta and in mangroves along the Red Sea.

Calidris minuta (Leisler, 1812).

Length 13 cm. The smallest wader in the region, this tiny bird is brown above with paler underparts and with a black bill and legs. The Little Stint spends the winter on coastal and estuary shores and on mudflats and salt marsh. Its food consists of insects and small aquatic invertebrates, which it detects by sight and catches with rapid pecking movements. It is a gregarious species and can sometimes be found in flocks of several thousand birds. It has been known to defend its feeding territory. A common winter visitor to Egypt where it is found along the Red Sea Coast and on Lake Manzala.

Merops orientalis Latham, 1802.

Length 25 cm. This is one of the most characteristic birds of Egypt; it is predominantly green with a long tail, black eye stripe, and a black breast band. The Little Green Bee-eater is usually found in dry farmland with scattered trees and occasionally in small groups at the desert edge. It feeds on large flying insects such as bees, wasps, and dragonflies, which it catches in the air. It nests in a burrow that is dug in a sloping bank by both parents. The female lays up to six eggs. In Egypt, this is a fairly common breeding resident and is widespread across Sahelian Africa.

Sylvia curruca (Linnaeus, 1758).

Length 13.5 cm. This is a slim, medium-sized warbler with grey upper parts, dusky head, and white-edged dusky tail. There is a distinct dark patch on the ear coverts; the throat is white. The Lesser Whitethroat is found in gardens, parks with tall bushes, scrub, and plantations although during migration it may be seen in a variety of habitats, mostly in trees. It feeds chiefly on invertebrates, also berries and forages in bushes and trees taking insects from leaves, twigs, and bark. This is one of the commonest migrants in Egypt and is also an uncommon winter visitor in Upper Egypt between Qena and Aswan. It may be seen in the Eastern and Western Deserts, Sinai, the Nile Valley and the Delta.

Falco naumanni Fleischer, 1818.

Length 32 cm. Similar to the Common Kestrel but the chestnut mantle is plain, not spotted; the head and upper wing coverts are grey; there is no black tear mark on the cheek, and the claws are white, not black. The Lesser Kestrel lives in open semi-desert with low cliffs and hills. Its main prey is a variety of flying and terrestrial insects, chiefly crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, and large beetles. This is a globally vulnerable species and is an uncommon or rare migrant in Sinai and the Eastern Desert.

Vanellus vanellus (Linnaeus, 1758).

Length 30 cm. This is an easily identified, medium-sized wading bird. The coloration of the back is dark green; the underside is white and the breast is black; the cheeks are white while the front of the face is black as is the distinctive, long, erect crest. The Lapwing is found, often in large flocks, in a variety of open habitats with short vegetation or bare ground including wetlands, arable fields, and meadows where it feeds on small invertebrates. It is diurnal but may be active on bright moonlit nights. In Egypt, this is a common migrant and winter visitor to the Nile Delta and El-Fayium.

Torgos tracheliotos (Forster, 1791).

Length 100-115 cm. This is a very large vulture with a wingspan of nearly three meters. The adult is brown with a naked pink head and a heavy, dark horn-colored bill. The color of the head and the exposure of the lappets are partly dependent on the mood and temperature. A distinct whitish bar at the base of the forewing is visible in flight. The juvenile has a greyish head. The Lappet-faced Vulture lives in steppe and semi-desert areas with isolated acacia trees on which to nest. It is mainly a scavenger, feeding on carrion, skin, and bone fragments. It is credited with killing small mammals but may pirate them from other raptors. Like other vultures, it soars very high in search of dead animals and can sense the presence of carrion from far away; it often travels long distances on foraging trips. The huge nest platform can take up the whole top of a tree and is built of sticks lined with grass. The female lays a single egg and the young fledge in 125-135 days. This species is globally vulnerable and has disappeared from much of its former range. It is a rare resident breeder in the southern part of the Eastern Desert, but may occasionally wander north as far as Sinai.