Whilst
birding the Amaq Mangroves I came across a Goliath Heron along the edge of an
inland lagoon. This was only my second record of the species for Saudi Arabia
and gave excellent views until it flew off after half an hour or so. In Saudi
Arabia the Goliath Heron is an uncommon winter visitor as well as breeder to
the southern Red Sea and especially offshore islands with the only inland
record a bird present for several days in October at a Tabuk sewage farm. The
Goliath Heron occurs from Africa south of Sahara as well as southwest Saudi
Arabia and southwest Yemen, Iraq and southern Iran. They are also recorded from
scattered sites in Indian Subcontinent from Pakistan to Bangladesh and south to
Sri Lanka. The normally occur near water, fresh or salt and are
frequently found in shallow water along lakeshores, also marshes, rivers,
estuaries, reefs and mangrove creeks where they are almost completely confined
to in Saudi Arabia. Their diet is mainly large fish, frogs, lizards, snakes,
rodents, crabs, prawns and floating carrion. They are solitary and are normally
seen alone or in pairs.
