Two Red-necked Phalaropes at Sabkhat Al Fasl – Bird records by Phil Roberts

Phil went to Sabkhat Al Fasl a few days ago and found two Red-necked Phalaropes. Red-necked Phalarope is an uncommon bird in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, although Sabkhat Al Fasl is the best place in the Province to see them. Bundy’s ‘Birds of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia’ published in October 1989 states that they are regular in varying numbers on marshy pools in spring but very scarce and irregular in autumn. Records are regular in Kuwait to the north but from the Eastern Province are limited with one record from March, scare in April and regular in May with the peak inland count being 150 birds at Abqaiq in May 1976. As shown they were regular in years gone by but have become increasingly scarce, although in the last three years birds have been seen each year. Three years ago there were three sightings in May, June and September and last year three birds were seen on the same small pool and last year in June a bird was seen on the main flooded sabkha, with two more in the same area in August. These are the first sightings this year that I know of. Phil kindly sent me a photograph of the birds and has allowed me to use them on my website. The birds look like a male and female with the female being the brighter plumaged bird in this species as the male spends most of the time sitting on the nest so has duller plumage.

Red-knobbed Coot a first for Saudi Arabia – Bird record by Phil Roberts

Phil Roberts found a Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata at Sabkhat Al Fasl on 22 May 2015. The bird was located along the side of the main track going to the power station in one of the bays. This is a new species for Saudi Arabia although not one that was completely unexpected. Records have occurred elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula with a single record of a long staying vagrant in the United Arab Emirates where an adult was seen at Al Warsan Lakes (Wimpey Pits) from 14 June 2002 until 10 June 2004 at least. Most records have come from Oman were again it is a vagrant, but here seven records have occurred and birds bred at West Khawr in the summer of 2012. Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar currently have no records of the species. Red-knobbed Coot differs from Common Coot F. atra in breeding season by overall slightly darker appearance with no white tips to the secondaries and a rounded projection of the loral feathering between the bill and shield and red knobs at top of frontal shield. They occur from southern and eastern Spain and northern Morocco; Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya and Uganda south through Rwanda, Burundi, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania, west to Angola and south to South Africa as well as Madagascar. Phil sent me a photograph of the bird he managed to take and has kindly allowed me to use on my website that is shown below.

Roughtail Rock Agama & Schmidt's Fringed-toed Lizard near Tabuk – Records by Viv Wilson

The Roughtail Rock Agama Laudakia stellio is also known as a Hardim or Star Lizard and is a species of agamid lizard found in Greece, Central Macedonia, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Jordan and Israel. Like many agamas it can change colour to express its moods. The name ‘stellion’ comes from Latin stellio, stēlio which referred to any spotted lizard, from stella star. It has a flat triangular head and a flat short body with long legs. It hibernates during winter. Its diet consists of mainly insects and plants. They are a rock-dwelling species of lizards inhabiting dry areas and even though it is very cautious and hides as soon as it perceives danger, during the mating season the males defend their territory by putting themselves in prominent positions, displaying their intentions by a characteristic nodding movement of the head. It is a large (up to 30 centimetres), robust lizard with a flattened, spiny body, a wide, triangular head, long legs and a long tail. The neck is particularly spiny, and rows of spines run across the body, flanks and tail and is capable of quite rapid colour changes, typically becoming lighter when warm and darker when cold. Dominant male starred agamas are particularly brightly coloured, often showing reddish-brown, turquoise and tan markings. They are generally light or dark brown to grey or charcoal-coloured, with a series of yellowish, diamond-shaped markings along the back. The throat may be flecked with dark spots, and the tail often has conspicuous bars. However, it is quite variable in appearance across its range, with individuals from some areas having pale yellow or red heads and unspotted throats. They have sharp claws that help it to climb on rocks, walls, buildings and trees.

Rough tail Rock Agama

Schmidt's Fringed-toed Lizard

Schmidt's Fringed-toed Lizard Acanthodactylus schmidti is one of the most abundant species in the genus Acanthodactylus found in Saudi Arabia and occupies sandy plains, dunes and sabkhas (salt flats), particularly in areas of scrubby vegetation. It was named after Karl Patterson Schmidt, with a type locality of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and it can be distinguished by the exceptionally long fourth toe found on each of its rear feet. As its name suggests it has 'fringes' of elongated scales along the sides of each toe, which are thought to provide better traction on loose sand. It has a light brown or coffee coloured back that is richly speckled with oval-shaped, pale or white spots and can grow to 18 centimetres in length. They have a cylindrical body with smooth, rectangular scales on the belly which are arranged in well-defined rows and scales on the head which are larger than those on the rest of the body. Little is known about the biology of the species but it is thought that its main prey is ants and when prey is located they instantly go rigid, suddenly quiver thier tail and strike. It is a diurnal species which digs burrows in the sand among the roots of vegetation and is found throughout the Arabian Peninsula including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, south-east Iraq and south-west Iran.

Birds of the Tabuk area – Bird records by Viv Wilson

Viv Wilson a birder from Tabuk who goes out almost every weekend and photographs birds has sent me a number of photos recently of what he has been seeing. Most birds are common passage migrants at this time of year and have included good numbers of Barn Swallows and European Bee-eaters. European Bee-eaters have passed through the country in much higher numbers than usual this year, possibly indicating a good breeding season last summer. They have also been seen throughout the Kingdom from the southwest to the northeast. Viv also photographed a Graceful Prinia a species that is a common breeding resident and an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler an uncommon summer breeder. Viv has kindly given me permission to use his photos on my website some of which are shown below.

Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

European Bee-eater

European Bee-eater

Graceful Prinia

European Hoopoe Tabuk area – Bird records by Viv Wilson

Viv Wilson a birder from Tabuk has sent me a number of photos recently of Eurasian Hoopoe and has kindly allowed me to use them on my website. The species is a widespread common migrant and scarce resident breeder. Passage birds pass from February to mid-Aril and September to October. Birds of the Riyadh Region (Stagg 1994) states it is a common passage migrant and localised breeding resident, passing from early February to late March with stragglers continuing into April. The return passage commences in early August and continues to late October with a peak in September. Since 1987 an increasing number of birds have become resident the year round in farmland areas and the same is true for the Eastern Province. Good numbers are even seen in the Empty Quarter where I saw ten on 4 October 2012 near Shaybah. Breeding birds are most often seen in the southwest in the Asir and Hejaz but birds also breed in Dhahran in the Eastern Province.

Bridled Tern ringing recovery from Saudi Arabia

Palak Thakor from Surat in Gujarat State, India found a ringed Bridled Tern that was totally dehydrated and was not able to fly. It was seen in the late evening of 7 September 2011 and brought to Palak on 8 September 2011. It was fed with small fishes and by evening it was ready to fly so was taken to Hazira beach area and released. This information was passed onto me by Dr. Raju Kasambe of the Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India as he knew I ringed with NCWCD rings. I contacted Abdullah H Alsuhaibany, who together with Peter Symens ringed terns in the Arabian Gulf in the 1990’s and he mentioned he ringed more than 50,000 terns between 1991 and 1996 (mostly Lesser Crested, a few Bridled & White-checked and very few Swift) with NCWCD rings. Most of the ringing was on Karan Island, with very few birds ringed on Kurayen, Jana and Jurayed. The exact data for this bird had been lost as the database/server on which the information was kept has been damaged and is unrepairable. Abdullah did say that he was involved with Peter Symens in all tern ringing in the Arabian Gulf offshore islands, every year between 1991 – 1996, and they ringed about 200 Bridled chicks (with very few adults) and the ring number mentioned suggests it was ringed in summer 1993 or 1994.    

Bridled Tern
Ring Number: E001886 NCWCD, RIYADH.
Ringing date: Summer 1993 or 1994
Ringing Place: Gulf Coral Islands probably Karan Island (Co-ords: 27°44’N, 49°50’E)
Age: Pullus
Ringer: Abdullah H Alsuhaibany & Peter Symens
Finding date: 7-Sep-2011
Finding Place: Gabheni, Surat, Gujarat, India (Co-ords: 21.0850615N, 72.8269848E)
Finding Condition: Bird found exhausted, rehabilitated and released
Duration: 17 years & 2 months or 18 years and two months
Distance: 2430 Kilometres
Direction: 106 deg (ESE)
Finder: Palak Thakor

Bridled Tern ringing recovery route

Bridled Tern

Bridled Tern

Falconry in the Saudi Arabian desert – Records by Phil Roberts

On Phil’s latest camping trip to the desert he went with a number of locals who had a falcon with them and was told that it was a Saker. The falcon was flown to give it exercise and Phil took a couple of photos of it whilst it was in action. Phil mentioned that as the bird was flying straight towards him taking the photos was slightly easier than normal. Falconry was once the pastime of the rich in Saudi Arabia but now many local people own falcons with the hunting season from October to March ad most falcons being either Saker or Peregrine both of which command a high price when bought or sold.

Abnormally plumaged Dove – Bird records by Ragu Shanbhogue

Ragu went birding near to Buraydah recently and found an odd looking Dove. The bird appears to be an abnormally plumaged Laughing Dove, although the trouble is knowing what abnormality has caused the colour change is dificult to prove. In leucistic birds, affected plumage lacks melanin pigment due to the cells responsible for melanin production being absent. This results in a white feathers, unless the normal plumage colour also comprises carotenoids (e.g. yellows), which remain unaffected by the condition. Although leucism is inherited, the extent and positioning of the white colouration can vary between adults and their young, and can also skip generations if leucistic genes are recessive. The reduction of pigment in leucistic birds causes feathers to weaken and be more prone to wear. In some situations this can hinder flight, which, in addition to leucistic birds usually being more conspicuous, can heighten risk of predation. There is also evidence that leucistic birds might, on occasion, not be recognised or accepted by a potential mate. Leucism is being used as an umbrella term to encompass a number of plumage irregularities that can be difficult to distinguish from each other. One of these is called ‘progressive greying’, which also results in white feathers. While leucism is heritable, progressive greying is not – but without knowing the history of a bird, these two conditions are difficult to tell apart. ‘Dilution’ is another condition where plumage colour often appears ‘washed out’ (i.e. ‘diluted’). In dilution, melanin cells are present (unlike in leucistic birds) but produce less pigment than normal. White feathers can also be caused by chromatophore (pigment cell) defects, rather than an absence of melanin-producing cells. The information on plumage aberrations is taken from the BTO website.

Various sub-species of Desert Larks in Saudi Arabia

Geographical variation in Desert Lark Alauda deserti is complex, and numerous races have been named mainly on the basis of plumage coloration. The colour of the birds appears to be directly related to the colour of the local soil and rocks with birds from sandy habitats are mostly buff-coloured, those of stony or rocky ground various shades of grey, rufous, or brown with blackish races living in black lava deserts. Confusingly, pale and dark birds occasionally live side by side in some areas and bleaching and abrasion have marked effect on colouration and produce further complications often making sub-specific identification difficult. The races occurring in Saudi Arabia include nominate A. d. deserti that occurs locally in the Nile valley between northern Sudan and central Egypt and has also been recorded from the Red Sea coasts of Egypt, southern Sinai, Jordan, and Tabuk and Ha'il in northern Saudi Arabia with birds being dark grey-brown or brownish-grey above, like whitakeri, but much smaller and with an almost wholly dark tail. A. d. samharensis occurs along the Red Sea coasts of Sudan, Eritrea and the Arabian Peninsula south to the Yemen border and is much darker, dark grey-brown above, sandy buff below when compared to isabellinus with those named samharensis Shelley, 1902, and hijazensis Bates, 1935 appearing inseparable. A. d. isabellinus  occurs from northern Egypt, east to south and east Israel, southern Jordan, north-west Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq and is small and pale, generally light sandy to pale buff-brown with greyish or pale olive-grey tinge above, buff or creamy buff below, tail rufous with triangular black area at tip. Birds presumably of this subspecies occur throughout northern Saudi Arabia gradually becoming plaler towards the east becoming pale cream similar to azizi. A. d. azizi occurs in northeast Saudi Arabia around the Hufuf and Shedgum areas and is the palest race with pale creamy plumage. A. d. saturata occurs in black lava deserts of southern Arabia from the northern Hijaz to Aden and is very like samharensis, but the bill is longer and stouter. Birds from Saudi Arabia are smaller in size than those occurring in Africa. I have taken photographs of a number of different looking Desert Larks from various parts of Saudi Arabia some of which are shown below. Sub-specific identification can be difficult but I have tried to put names to them. It is clear there is some difference between colouration, bill size and tail colour of many of the birds in Saudi Arabia but how much of this is clinal is unknown.

Desert Lark samharensis (pale-hijazensis) - Taif

Desert Lark deserti - Tabuk

Desert Lark isabellinus - Thumamah

Desert Lark isabellinus - Jebal Nayriyyah

Desert Lark azizi - Shedgum

Regional Endemic Arabian Wheatear near Taif – Bird records by Phil Roberts

Phil Roberts was birding near Taif recently in the west of the Kingdom and saw and photographed both male and female Arabian Wheatear Oenanthe lugentoides and kindly sent me a photograph of each that he has allowed me to use it on my website. The Arabian Wheatear is a rather scarce resident of the southwest highlands, but is also found in Oman, Palestine and Yemen, mainly in rocky, bushy sites. It is widespread on the Jebal Souda plateau, Wadi Tale’a, Pipeline Road, near Farshah, Gara’a and Tanumah. It was not recorded on the Raydah escarpment in 2010 but has been seen there regularly since.  In 1987 it was recorded more frequently so the species may have declined slightly, with disturbance not thought likely to be the reason as it is often associated with gardens and regularly breeds near human sites. They also occur in the Tihama mainly around jebals such as Jebal Aswad and Jebal Gaha. They nest in holes in terrace walls and feed largely on insects and are common in the upper reaches of the Raghadan Forest and the upper parts of the Golden Tulip valley.

Arabian Wheatear - male

Arabian Wheatear - female

Regional Endemic Yemen Linnet near Taif – Bird records by Phil Roberts

Phil Roberts was birding near Taif recently in the west of the Kingdom and saw and photographed Yemen Linnet. This is close to the northernmost extent of the species range where they are restricted to the Hejaz and Asir mountains. Yemen Linnet Carduelis yemenensis is a common resident of the southwest highlands, where their habitat preference is for subtropical to tropical dry shrubland. They often frequent weedy terraced fields that have been harvested, where it can be seen in flocks of up to 200 birds and can be seen to 3100 metres on the top of Jebal Soudah. It is also recorded on the Raydah escarpment along the Raydah Pipeline Road, Al Jarrah and Al Azah. In 1987 it was also common and widespread so there appears to have been no change in its status during the last thirty years. Flocks have been seen in the Baha area in the Golden Tulip valley where they frequent cultivated areas and allotments. The species is also a common breeding resident, but rather local, occurring in cultivated areas and juniper of the Hejaz and Asir mountains.

Tagged Steppe Eagle near Abha – Bird record by Ahmed Niazi & Khalifa Al Dhaheri

I received an e-mail recently from Khalifa Al Dhaheri saying he had found on social media a sighting of an immature Steppe Eagle seen and photographed in Abha two years ago with 200 other wintering Steppe Eagles by Ahmed Niazi. Interestingly, in the picture there was a tag that carried a code usually placed on birds by environmental organizations with the aim of trying to track their migration routes and thus help protect them. When Khalifa saw the photo he sent the data to the research centre in Russia and received the information below. Khalifa also kindly obtained permission from Ahmed for me to use Ahmed's photograph of the bird that is shown below and I am very greatful to him for his help and sharing the information with me and thus my readers. If any photogrpahers are in regions where Steppe Eagles winter it is worth looking out for wing-tagged birds and trying to get details including photogrpahs of them. The more data we have from tagged and ringed birds in Saudi Arabia the better we can help protect them.

Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis

Wing Tag: White P8

Ringing date: 8-Jul-2012

Ringing Place: Volgagrad Region, Russia

Age: Pullus

Ringer:

Finding date: 10-Feb-2013

Finding Place: Southwest Abha, between Abha and Marabah, Asir, Saudi Arabia (Co-ords: 18.060602N, 42.490365E)

Finding Condition: Bird found alive and photographed.

Duration: 218 days

Distance: 3495 km

Direction: 188 deg (S)
Finder: Ahmed Niazi