Birds of Saudi Arabia: Breeding Birds

While birding the Jubail area in early May we came across obvious signs of breeding of a few species. Little Terns were sitting on eggs in one area of partially dried up sabkha and Black-winged Stilts were nesting in good numbers in similar habitat. One nest seen without an adult on had one egg and another had four eggs. Little Ringed Plovers were seen in many areas with well-grown young also seen and Kentish Plovers were seen performing their distraction display to move us away from a very young chick only a few days old. Signs of Black-crowned Night Heron breeding with adults and juveniles seen for the third week running and the Spur-winged Lapwing is in the same area where I think it may have a mate sitting on eggs. Some of these birds are unusual breeders such as Black-crowned Night Heron and Spur-winged Plover and others common. This is the first time we have seen Little Tern sitting on eggs but they are seen every year with young juveniles in the same area.