Phil Roberts and I found a juvenile White-crowned Wheatears Oenanthe leucopyga at Haradh on 13 January 2017. The bird was
seen along a roadside with scattered rocks as well as fences to keep people
away from the pivot irrigation fields. This species had not been recorded in
this area previously according to Mike Jennings, but is one of the most common
wheatears in the Kingdom having been seen in more areas than any other.
White-crowned Wheatear is an uncommon resident in areas where it is found,
normally associated with granite and sandstone jebals and other rocky areas
although it status in the southern part of the Kingdom is unclear. Birds of the
Riyadh Region (1984) said they were locally common breeding resident with some
movement within the region post-breeding and during the winter months. Jennings
Birds of Saudi Arabia (1981) said they were a locally common breeding resident
in dry rocky areas. Occurs Hejaz north from Taif, Northern Hejaz, Asir south of
Soudah and Najran, Tuwaiq escarpment and locally in the Gulf. Also Jauf, Hail
and Dawadimi. In my area of the Eastern Province they are only commonly seen in
the Shedgum Escarpment so the bird at Haradh was a good but unexpected find.
