Whilst
birding at Sabkhat Al Fasl recently I have been seeing a number of Purple
Herons. This species is not common in winter at the site but has been common
this winter. In the Eastern Province the Purple Heron is a locally common passage
migrant and winter visitor seen from August through April with the majority in
the coastal zone and close to the littoral. Occurrences away from the coast
occur only regularly during August to October suggesting a southerly passage
over the desert. It is scarce away from the coastal zone after November and
there is no evidence of overland passage in spring. Birds of the Riyadh Region
(Stagg 1994) mentions the species is a passage migrant and winter visitor but
has been recorded in all months of the year. Some birds transit through the
region, others remain forming a winter population that peaks in late
November/early December and remains relatively static thereafter until the
spring movement commences in March. Elsewhere in Saudi Arabia it is a common
migrant and winter visitor to all coasts and coastal wetlands and occurs inland
in areas such as Riyadh and Tabuk.
