Total Avian Species: 151 Total Endemics and Near-Endemics: 17 Highlights: Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris mitratus Harlequin Quail Coturnix delegorguei arabica Philby’s Partridge Alectoris philbyi Arabian Partridge Alectoris melanocephala Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor Dusky Turtle-Dove Streptopelia lugens African Collared-Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata Bruce’s Green-Pigeon Treron waalia Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinii White-browed Coucal Centropus […]
Could a million freshwater turtles help clean up some of Australia’s polluted rivers? A team of scientists believes, they could!
For well over a century, freshwater fish from Europe – the carp (originally from China), have been released, either deliberately or accidentally from fish farms, into Australian waterways. The fish, now widely regarded as pests, are thriving. Their habitat includes rivers flowing through the Murray-Darling Basin of New South Wales. Those vast waterways support, through […]
I Am A Parrot
We are pretty. We are intelligent. We are born to be free. For the wild we are meant. You think we are entertaining. You like when we “talk” We are parrots. Our language is “squawk”. You think we are accessories to be caged. We are as smart as humans and need to feel engaged. When […]
Help Needed in Saudi: The Saudi Birding Community’s Effort to Track Down a Tagged Egyptian Vulture
The weekend before last, Yoav Perlman forwarded the following email from Ron Efrat, a researcher in the wider region studying Egyptian Vultures, to Jem Babbington and me and asked if we might use our contacts here in Saudi to track down the missing vulture. I opened the link in Google Maps and realized that the […]
Possible Breeding Basra Reed Warbler in Al Ha’ir, Riyadh Province, KSA
On a visit to Riyadh in May 2019, I headed to Al Ha’ir in the hopes of gathering further evidence Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis was indeed breeding there. This would be significant, if confirmed, as this species is currently listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, its decline understood to […]
Results of the Best Photo of the Month August 2020
We are delighted to announce the results of our latest photo competition. David DesRochers wins First Prize for his outstanding image ‘Fiery Throated & Rivoli’s Hummingbird’. Noushka Wildlife wins Second and Third Prizes with her breathtaking images “Tiny!’ and ‘Kingfisher in Action!’. Please give kudos to the photographers by leaving a comment and sharing their […]
VOTE for the Best Photo of the Month August 2020
Welcome to the “Best Photo of the Month” competition showcasing and celebrating the biodiversity of Planet Earth. Voting is easy and lots of fun. First click an image and the slideshow will start automatically. Then select the three images you like best of all and click the VOTE button at the bottom of the page. […]
Stalking the Sublime: Target Acquired in Asir Province!
Why do we bird? The standing theory is that our passion is a sublimation of primal predatory instincts. To be sure, birders employ their senses and a similar set of skills as hunters in pursuit of their quarry, particularly those of us who’ve become “target birders”, focusing our efforts on tracking down and documenting a […]