Saudi Arabia Tour 1-9 May 2024 by Birdsofkuwait.com

Participants: six participants, one leader, and one guide ‘AbdulRahman Alsirhan’

Written by: A Alsirhan

Introduction:

We were fortunate to see all the possible endemic species. The Arabian Lark was not targeted as it doesn’t occur in Asir and Jazan area and couldn’t be included due to time constraints. The tour began in Jeddah and concluded in Jazan. Given the lengthy drive time on this route, I plan to change the route for future tours to start either from Al Bahah to Jazan or the reverse, from Jazan to Al Bahah.

Day 1: 1 May

The group arrived at 5 am, so we started birding right away. Our first stop was at a coastal area near the Central Fish Market in Jeddah. Here, we spotted our first White-eyed Gull along with forty Sooty Gulls, one Great Crested Tern, one Yellow-billed Kite, and a Barn Swallow. The second stop was the South Corniche, where we encountered our first Tibetan Sand Plover, Greater Sand Plover, two Saunders’s Terns, two Little Terns, three White-cheeked Terns, two Spur-winged Lapwings, one Greater Hoopoe Lark, one Crested Lark, fifteen Sooty Gulls, five Slender-billed Gulls, one Caspian Tern, one Greater Flamingo, and other common waders.

We then drove to Al Taif, spotting our first Arabian Wheatear and Grey-headed Kingfisher along the way.

At Wadi Thee Ghazal, we were delighted to see four endemics: Arabian Sunbird, Arabian Serin, Arabian Waxbill, and Arabian Scops Owl. We also observed a Montane Nightjar, Graceful Prinia, Pale Crag Martin, Arabian Wheatear, Palestine Sunbird, Rüppell’s Weaver, African Silverbill, two Eurasian Blackcaps , and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting.

We stayed at a hotel in Al Taif for the night.

Day 2: 2 May

Early in the morning, we revisited Wadi Thee Ghazal and added two endemics to our list: the Yemen Linnet and Arabian Warbler. We also observed three Abyssinian White-eyes, four Little Swifts, one Scrub Warbler, and three White-spectacled Bulbuls.

Our next destination was Al Baha. Along the way, we made several stops and found one Namaqua Dove, one Black Scrub Robin, a Rufous-tailed Robin, ten Fan-tailed Ravens, four Buff-breasted Wheatears, one Red-rumped Swallow, and a Griffon Vulture flying overhead.

We stopped to bird at Jebel Ibrahim, where we encountered three Philby’s Partridges, two Dusky Turtle Doves, one Black-crowned Tchagra (Arabian), four Fan-tailed Ravens, two Long-billed Pipits, our first Yemen Thrush, two Arabian Serins, five Arabian Babblers, our first Gambaga Flycatcher, and our first Little Rock Thrush, which would become a common sight at most sites.

Day 3: 3 May

We arrived early in the morning at Khairah Park. This is the most reliable to see the Arabian Grosbeak. We had one Arabian Grosbeak briefly, one Arabian Partridge, one Arabian Woodpecker, one Black-crowened Tchagra (Arabian), six Tristram’s Starlings, Yemen Thrush, Arabian Waxbill, fifteen Yemen Linnets.

Our next destination was Al Namas, where we checked in our hotel and went straight to Al Mehfar Tourist Park, but before we got there we stopped at Al Balace, where we had seen our first Violet-backed Starling along with Arabian Sunbird and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Yemen Thrush and Rüppell’s Weaver.

At Al Mehfar Park, we soon spotted Brown Woodland Warbler and then very good views of two Arabian Woodpeckers perched on one tree, then we were lucky to find two Philby’s Partridges perched on top of a hill before it gets dark, of which we had good views on scope. We also found one Gambaga Flycatcher, one Arabian Warbler, one Long-legged Buzzard and five Tristram’s Starlings.

After it got dark we saw an Arabian Eagle Owl perched on a cliff that flew overhead.

Day 4: 4 May

We sarted early in the morning at Al Heefah National Park, a park at 2000m ASL. As we stopped the car, we soon found one Streaked scrub warbler, of which we had good views, then a Yemen Warbler showed then joined by another, we had excellent views and some took good photographs. As we followed up the Yemen Warbler, we then had African Olive Pigeon, Diederik cuckoo, Arabian Warbler, three Abyssinian Whote-eye, Violet-backed Starling, two Arabian Wheatears, two Palestine Sunbirds, Long-billed Pipit, Yemen Linnet, two Gambaga Flycatchers, Little Rock Thrush.

As we drove towards Wadi Al Ghathal, we stopped for two Asir Magpies, which showed well, as well as Graceful Prinia, and Long-billed Pipit.

We then stopped when we saw another Asir Magpie, while watching the bird we also one Arabian Woodpecker, and a Diederik cuckoo, Alpine Swift, , Graceful Prinia, and two Violet-backed Starling.

At we were leaving towards the main road, two Buff-breasted Wheatears show up, as we stopped the car, a Grey-headed Kingfisher perched on electricity wire near a mosque, we took photographs, as we were leaving the area another two Buff-breasted Wheatears showed up. Then a Saudi man invited us to see his own 400 years old house, a mosque and a small fort, then a Shikra came close flying overhead while we were on top of the fort. Then we had a Masked Shrike, a Gambaga Flycatcher, and four Arabian Babblers.

At Dahna watfall, we had a Hamerkop, two Alpine Swifts, two White-spectacled Bulbul, and fifteen Tristram’s Starlings, two Eurasian Hoopoes.

Our next site was Wadi Dahna, at which we encountered four Grey-headed Kingfishers, one African Paradise Flycatcher, two Philby’s Partridges, two Asir Magpies, four Eurasian Blackcaps, one Arabian Warbler, six Arabian Babblers, five Gambaga Flycatcher, three Long-billed Pipits, nine Yemen Linnets, one Arabian Serin, thirty two migrating European Bee-eaters, and one Cinnamon-breasted Buntings.

Back to Al Mehfar Tourist Park, where we had one Griffon Vulture, one Brown Woodland Warbler, three Yemen Warblers, six Violet-backed Starlings, one Yemen Thrush, one Palestine Sunbird and one Little Rock Thrush.

We then reached our hotel in Al Namas for the night.

Day 5: 5 May

We drove to Abha, encountering six Yemen Serins, two Yemen Linnets, one Arabian Wheatear, 14 Common Swifts, one Red-backed Shrike, and three Red-rumped Swallows along the way.

Before arriving at Abha, we stopped at Wadi Reema, for Rufous-capped Larks we were successful in spotting seven Rufous-capped Larks, two Buff-breasted Wheatears, three Crested Larks, three Arabian Waxbills, two Long-billed Pipits, and two Rüppell’s Weavers.

At Soudah Waterfall, we observed an African Paradise Flycatcher, an African Stonechat, seven Yemen Linnets, a Little Swift, and a Pale Crag Martin. We then entered Raidah Protected Area and found two Arabian Partridges and two more Yemen Linnets.

Finally, we drove directly to Al Habalah, where we found two Yemen Serins, five Griffon Vultures, one Lesser Grey Shrike, and one Dusky Turtle Dove.

Day 6: 6 May

We revisited the Raidah Protected Area, to try to find again the Arabian Partridge, of which we saw eight of them, two Dusky Turtle Doves, African Paradise Flycatcher, two Yemen Linnets, Little Rock Thrush and Palestine Sunbird.

We then decided to go to Jazan, along the road we stopped when saw eight Arabian Green Bee-eaters perching on electrical wire, then as we drove to the bushes we encountered three Pied Cuckoos, one African collared Dove, three Black Scrub Robins, three Nile Valley Sunbirds, five Laughing Doves, four Sand Martins and twenty Rüppell’s Weavers.

At Either Mangroves, we spotted five African Collared Doves, seven Tibetan Sand Plovers, a Whimbrel, a Terek Sandpiper, a Temminck’s Stint, twenty-four Sooty Gulls, one Caspian Gull, one Great Crested Tern, a Pink-backed Pelican, three Glossy Ibises, Common Mynas, and ten Black-crowned Sparrow-Larks.

We then went to a place where the Arabian Golden Sparrow has been seen before, but only found four Blackstarts, more Black-crowned Sparrow-Larks, and Rüppell’s Weavers.

We explored another nearby area and found five White-throated Bee-eaters, six Arabian Green Bee-eaters, African Silverbills, two Black Scrub Robins, two Laughing Doves, a Namaqua Dove, four Abyssinian Rollers, and one Blackstart.

At Al Sad Lake, arriving an hour before sunset, we saw new birds including Northern Pintail, Little Grebe, White-browed Coucal, African Palm Swift, Black-winged Stilt, Common Moorhen, Spur-winged Lapwing, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Little Egret, sixty-two Western Cattle Egrets, Squacco Heron, Grey Heron, Eurasian Openbill, and Osprey.

After dark, we searched for nightjars and successfully saw four Nubian Nightjars and five Plain Nightjars.

Day 7: 7 May

We went to Hafaya village in search of the Arabian Golden Sparrow and found three flocks totaling 75 birds. Additionally, we spotted a flock of five Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, two Black-winged Kites, Arabian Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, one Western Yellow Wagtail (thunbergi), an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, African Collared Doves, Nile Valley Sunbirds, Rüppell’s Weavers, and numerous African Silverbills.

At Jazan Heritage Village, we observed twenty-three Crab-Plovers, one Abdim’s Stork, one Mangrove Reed Warbler, and six Greater Sand Plovers.

At Sunbah Farms, we heard at least a few five Harlequin Quails and saw five Common Swifts, ten African Palm Swifts, one Collared Pratincole, twenty-seven White-winged Terns, an Arabian Grey Shrike, a White-throated Bee-eater, ten Singing Bushlarks, and two Zitting Cisticolas.

Day 8: 8 May

On our last day, we visited Farasan Island, taking a ferry boat that took an hour to get there. Once we arrived, we rented a small boat to explore the nearby islands. We were fortunate to spot three Sooty Falcons flying overhead, 390 Brown Boobies, sixty White-eyed Gulls, seventy Bridled Terns, one Striated Heron, eighty White-cheeked Terns, thirteen Brown Noddies, five Pink-backed Pelicans, four Ospreys, and twenty Sooty Gulls.

Day 9: 9 May

We took an early morning drive to King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

Trip bird list: following IOC taxonomy (145 species)

Northern Pintail Anas acuta

Harlequin Quail Coturnix delegorguei

Arabian Partridge Alectoris melanocephala

Philby’s Partridge Alectoris philbyi

Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

Rock Dove Columba livia

African Olive Pigeon Columba arquatrix

Dusky Turtle Dove Streptopelia lugens

African Collared Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea

Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis

Namaqua Dove Oena capensis

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus

White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus

Pied Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus

Dideric Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius

Nubian Nightjar Caprimulgus nubicus

Montane Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus

Plain Nightjar Caprimulgus inornatus

Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba

Common Swift Apus apus

Little Swift Apus affinis

African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus

Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola

Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus

Tibetan Sand Plover Anarhynchus atrifrons

Greater Sand Plover Anarhynchus leschenaultii

Kentish Plover Anarhynchus alexandrinus

Eurasian Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus

Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata

Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica

Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus

Common Redshank Tringa totanus

Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii

Dunlin Calidris alpina

Crab-Plover Dromas ardeola

Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola

Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei

Sooty Gull Ichthyaetus hemprichii

White-eyed Gull Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus

Brown Noddy Anous stolidus

Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus

Little Tern Sternula albifrons

Saunders’s Tern Sternula saundersi

Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica

Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia

White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus

White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa

Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii

Abdim’s Stork Ciconia abdimii

Brown Booby Sula leucogaster

Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens

Hamerkop Scopus umbretta

Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis

Striated Heron Butorides striata

Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides

Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea

Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia

Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus

Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus

Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

Shikra Accipiter badius

Yellow-billed Kite Milvus aegyptius

Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus

Arabian Scops Owl Otus pamelae

Arabian Eagle Owl Bubo milesi

Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

Grey-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala

White-throated Bee-eater Merops albicollis

Arabian Green Bee-eater Merops cyanophrys

European Bee-eater Merops apiaster

Abyssinian Roller Coracias abyssinicus

Arabian Woodpecker Dendrocoptes dorae

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

Sooty Falcon Falco concolor

Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus

African Paradise-Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio

Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor

Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor

Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus

Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator

Asir Magpie Pica asirensis

Fan-tailed Raven Corvus rhipidurus

Greater Hoopoe-Lark Alaemon alaudipes

Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix nigriceps

Singing Bushlark Mirafra javanica

Rufous-capped Lark Calandrella eremica

Crested Lark Galerida cristata

Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis

Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Iduna pallida

Common Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Sand Martin Riparia riparia

Pale Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne obsoleta

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica

White-spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos

Brown Woodland Warbler Phylloscopus umbrovirens

Streaked Scrub Warbler Scotocerca inquieta

Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla

Yemen Warbler Curruca buryi

Arabian Warbler Curruca leucomelaena

Abyssinian White-eye Zosterops abyssinicus

Arabian Babbler Argya squamiceps

Common Myna Acridotheres tristis

Violet-backed Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster

Tristram’s Starling Onychognathus tristramii

Yemen Thrush Turdus menachensis

Gambaga Flycatcher Muscicapa gambagae

Black Scrub Robin Cercotrichas podobe

Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas galactotes

Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Little Rock Thrush Monticola rufocinereus

African Stonechat Saxicola torquatus

Buff-breasted Wheatear Oenanthe bottae

Blackstart Oenanthe melanura

Arabian Wheatear Oenanthe lugentoides

Nile Valley Sunbird Hedydipna metallica

Palestine Sunbird Cinnyris osea

Arabian Sunbird Cinnyris hellmayri felix

Rüppell’s Weaver Ploceus galbula

African Silverbill Euodice cantans

Arabian Waxbill Estrilda rufibarba

House Sparrow Passer domesticus

Arabian Golden Sparrow Passer euchlorus

Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava thunbergi

Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis

Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus percivali

Yemen Serin Crithagra menachensis

Arabian Serin Crithagra rothschildi

Yemen Linnet Linaria yemenensis

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting Emberiza tahapisi

House Crow Corvus splendens