Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction/ restriction fragment length polymorphism (RT-PCR/RFLP) techniques were used for the preliminary characterization of Jordanian field strains of Infectious Bursal Disease Viruses (IBDVs). Bursal samples from 18 field outbreaks in commercial and backyard chicken flocks with typical signs of IBD and high mortality (20%-60%) rate were examined, however the internal positive control could be amplified from only 6 samples. Four of these 6 samples were positive by RT-PCR that amplified the 743-bp region of the VP2 gene of IBDV. Following digestion with BstNI, MboI, and Ssp < /em>I restriction enzymes, three different RT-PCR/RFLP profiles were detected. Strain number 10 has RFLP profiles consistent with those of the Middle Eastern vvIBDV and can be designated to molecular group 6. Strains numbered 5 and 12 can be classified into molecular group 3. These viruses have RFLP profiles similar to the USA classic strain (2512) which is widely in use as a vaccine strain and is also Ssp < /em>I positive. The RFLP profile generated for strain number 2 was not consistent with the available profiles for the molecular groupings and using the described assays, this virus was not able to be classified. The detection of strain number 2 may requires further nucleotide and amino acid sequence analysis to completely characterize this strain. The identification of an IBDV strain number 10 with an RELP profile consistent with those most frequently  observed for vvIBDV strains  is of major concern and demands further research attention  to determine its prevalence within Jordan