The Red-spotted Bluethroat is an
uncommon wintering species in Saudi Arabia with birds wintering at Sabkhat Al
Fasl each year, where it is locally common. The first birds return to Sabkhat
Al Fasl around the same time and appear to be females with ringing data
suggesting they first return in mid-October. A week or so later males are also
seen with females and numbers then build up throughout the winter with birds
staying around until the end of March to early April. Ringing this year has
shown the same pattern with both male and female birds trapped on 28 October
2016. We have retrap data showing that some birds use the same small area of
Sabkhat Al Fasl each winter returning to exactly the same spot. It is not
possible to tell it they are Red-spotted or White-spotted unless they are adult
males. We have caught many Red-spotted Bluethroats but only two White-spotted,
with White-spotted being a scarce passage migrant and winter visitor. Elsewhere
in Saudi Arabia birds have been seen from August to May.
