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18 August 2020

Breeding Egyptian Nightjars – Jubail

Whilst birding the Jubail area in the summer we saw a number of juvenile Egyptian Nightjars. The plumage was very fresh with neat white fringed coverts forming neat lines across the wing. Birds appeared pale compared to the darker adults (see bottom four photos below). We found two adults and a juvenile together that remained in the same area for at least a week suggesting breeding. In total eleven birds were seen in early July, the highest number for the month so far. Breeding has long been suspected at this location and the fact that this year birds were proved to have bred in Qatif in KSA and the young and adult remained together suggests these birds are local rather than from elsewhere in the nearby region.
Egyptian Nightjar

Egyptian Nightjar

Egyptian Nightjar

Egyptian Nightjar

Egyptian Nightjar

Egyptian Nightjar

Egyptian Nightjar