16 November 2024

Pallid Swifts increasing – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

The number of Pallid Swift are still increasing in Dhahran, where now well over fifty birds are present in the early morning before moving off elsewhere as the day heats up. Pallid Swift is a migratory species that breed in southern Europe and northern Africa through Arabia to southern Iran and winter 3,000 km south and southwest in western Africa, from Senegal to South Sudan. In Saudi Arabia it is an uncommon breeding migrant that is common during certain periods. They are a northern breeding species in Saudi Arabia where birds occur north of Al Bahah and vacates its breeding areas mostly in June, but its subsequent movements, including its wintering destinations, are unknown. They feed by catching small flying insects, including ants, termites, flies, mosquitos and beetles and drink by dipping into water in flight.