The marshlands in the south and middle of Iraq are located along the migration route of immigrant birds. These marshes, characterized by warm weather and nutrition availability, provide an important habitat for these birds. The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) (Aves: Phoenicopteridae) migrates between Eurasia and Africa. The flamingo population annually reaches the marshes of Iraq in winter. Due to morphological similarities between the Greater Flamingo P. roseus and another flamingo species, misidentification can occur. To identify the flamingo species and detect its migration route, the genetic barcode was used. The mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit1 (COI) gene was amplified using universal primers. The amplification product was sequenced and analyzed as a DNA barcode. The sequence was checked on the Blast website of NCBI with the recorded the flamingo species from the surrounding area. Clustal Omega was utilized for sequence alignment. The study results confirmed that the population reaching the Iraqi marshes matches that of the European P. roseus population. The COI sequence of 675bp was deposited in the NCBI with the accession number of OM669759. The flamingo bird, which annually visits the Iraqi marshes, has been confirmed as P. roseus. The mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit1 (COI) gene was proven as an efficient tool to discriminate among bird species. In addition, the Iraqi marshes are an important site for sustaining the migratory route of the greater flamingo and other aquatic birds.