Either Mangrove is a potentially very important
natural mangrove lagoon west of Sabya in the southwest of the Kingdom on the
Red Sea coast. It holds one of the only known populations of ‘Mangrove
White-eye’ a little known white-eye that may be part of the Abyssinian
White-eye complex or possibly an unknown species? It is also a site where I
found Collared Kingfisher last year, so I went back looking for the two species
in June 2016. On arrival I saw a pair of Collared Kingfishers sitting in the
mangrove trees and occasionally calling as they often do. The birds were not
frightened by my presence and flew close by to catch crabs and small fish on a
number of occasions. Other birds on the water included Pink-backed Pelicans, with
two fishing and four resting on a lagoon creek. A few Striated Herons were also
fishing along the coast but little else apart from Indian Reef Herons. The
mangroves held calling Mangrove Reed Warblers, Clamorous Reed Warblers and
African Collared Doves but little else of note.
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| Collared Kingfisher |
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| Collared Kingfisher |
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| Collared Kingfisher |
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| Pink-backed Pelican |
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| Pink-backed Pelican |