Whilst birding the Jubail area on19 November Phil Roberts and I came across a Red-breasted Flycatcher along the edge of the main reed beds. This was only the second one either of us had seen so was a very nice surprise. Red-breasted Flycatcher is a rare passage migrant and winter visitor to Saudi Arabia with the last record a single in Al Andalus Park 1, Zulfi 19 – 22 October. Records are scattered around the Kingdom with a number from the northwest, particularly Yanbu mainly in November. A number of records have occurred in the Riyadh area from October to January, but mainly in November. Birds from the Eastern Province have occurred from September to March with most in October and November and the best areas Dhahran and Abqaiq. This record from Jubail fits nicely the pattern of occurrence of late autumn early winter.
