Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris is a scarce migrant and winter visitor to Saudi
Arabia. Birds of the Riyadh Region (Stagg 1994) – Status uncertain but probably
a rare visitor often overlooked because of its secretive nature and fondness of
dense reedbeds. First confirmed record was of a single bird seen on four
occasions between 10 and 22 November 1987 with the next sighting again in
winter on 10 November 1989: this was followed by a spring record on 13 April
1990 and an autumn sighting on 15 September 1990. One in a fodder field at Al
Hayer 12 April 2013 was a very unusual record for central Saudi Arabia. In the Eastern
Province Bundy regarded it as a Vagrant: Hofuf Lakes 21 May 1976, Dhahran 24
November 1978, Jawb on the northern edge of the Rub’ al-Khali 25 September
1980, Abqaiq 11-17 December 1982, three Abqaiq 19-20 October 1983 and one 14-21
December 1984. I know of no other records from the East of the Kingdom. As a
result I was very surprised when I received an e-mail from Mansur Al Fahad
saying numbers had been seen to the north of Riyadh in November this year
including fifteen 30 kilometers east of Zulfi 8 November, six together 40
kilometers north of Zulfi 11 November and 40 at Sakaka near Al Jouf 6 – 12 Nov.
A single has also ben seen in KAUST in early November a first record for the
location. I thank Mansur for sending me details and for obtaining me permission
to use Mohammed Mohatresh amazing photos of some of the birds. I also thank
Mohammed for allowing me to use his photo shown below. Mansur said to me that
birds are regularly seen in good numbers in this are of Saudi Arabia in the
winter, a phenomenon that has not been published elsewhere as far as I am
aware.
