Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti is a common resident in rocky deserts and
outcrops of all areas except the juniper summits of the Hejaz and Asir and
probably the sand seas of the Empty Quarter and Nafud Desert. The best place to
see the species close to Dhahran where I live is the Shedgum Escarpment so I
went to look there after birding Nada Dairy Farm in Hofuf. The escarpment is
accessed just off the main road near the Shedgum cement factory and the birds
are best seen in the rocky areas at the bottom of the main limestone
escarpment. The subspecies here is azizi
the palest form of all the subspecies and matches almost perfectly with the
limestone rocks and scree of the escarpment. They prefer arid hills, stony or
rocky slopes with sparse vegetation and can often be located by the constant
calling. Numbers are not large at Shedgum Escarpment and some looking is
normally required, but I have managed to see the species on every visit.
