Whilst birding the large Pivot Irrigation fields of Haradh on 14 October Phil Roberts and I came across large numbers of Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus. This was a surprise as the species is seldom recorded in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The largest recorded flocks in Kingdom have been 61 at Todhia farm, 27 […]
Tag: saudi arabia
Birding the Talea’a Valley – Abha
The Talea’a Valley near Abha is in the Asir mountains in southwest Saudi Arabia and is a large upland wadi with stony ground and acacia trees growing in the bottom. It has had some good birds seen in it in recent years including Arabian Magpie, although this species has not been seen there for many […]
Summer breeding warblers – Jubail
The middle of summer is the slowest time for birdwatching in Saudi Arabia but it is always worth going out and seeing what you can see and different things or unusual occurrences can occur at any time of year. Jubail ha many reed bed areas that hold a number of breeding warblers with the commonest […]
Egyptian Nightjars still around in good numbers – Jubail
The Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius is an uncommon bird in Arabia although since 2006 additional birds have been located in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia near Jubail in August with the highest count being ten birds together on 22 August 2008. Birds have been seen every year in August near Jubail since 2006 with […]
Anderson’s Rock Agama – Abha area
Whilst birding recently in the Abha area I came across a few Anderson’s Rock Agama Acanthocercus adramitanus. The species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula, where it is found in west and south Arabia, from Taif (Saudi Arabia) in the north to Dhofar (Oman) in the east. Its range includes Oman, Yemen, and southwestern Saudi […]
Bosk’s fringe-toed lizard – Abha area
Whilst birding recently in the Abha area I came across two Bosk’s fringe-toed lizard Acanthodactylus boskianus both were near to vegetation of low-lying shrubs. This is the most widespread species of its genus as well as the largest Acanthodactylus species throughout its range, measuring 16-23 centimetres in total length, which includes all of Saharan North […]
African Wildcat – Abha area
Whilst out spotlighting in the Abha area recently I came across an African (Arabian) Wildcat where it was seen hunting high up in an area of large boulders. The subspecies of African Wildcat that occurs in Arabia isFelis lybica tristrami distributed from Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan to northern Saudi Arabia. They occur in the northwest […]
Philby’s Partridge – Abha area
Whilst birding recently in the Abha area I came across a good number of Philby’s PartridgeAlectoris philbyi.This is a scarce resident of the south-west highlands and is related to the Chukar & Red-legged Partridge and is native to south-western Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It can be easily identified from other partridges by the black cheeks […]