The second species Mansur Al Fahad
photographed and sent to me was Plain Nightjar that he saw near Abha in July
2015. The Plain Nightjar is a scarce breeding summer visitor to the southwest
where it occurs in Saudi Arabia from the Yemen boarder northwards to Taif.
Where ideal conditions occur in can be locally common with several birds seen
close together. They occur from 500 – 2500 metres and favour dry rocky
hillsides and hilltops that have only scatter acacia trees. Phil and I saw at
least two Plain Nightjars near Taif in July 2015, in a wadi with bare ground
but a lot of vegetation along the side, with other birds seen between Najran
and Al Baha during the same year. I would like to thank Mansur for very kindly
allowing me to use his photos on my website the copyright of which remains with
Mansur.
