May 10, 2025

Saudi Arabia april 2025



 Here a blog about my trip to Saudi Arabia in April 2025. I went with Gregory Askew, Ibrahim Al Shwamin and a small group of interested birders. It was a nine day trip concentrating on the south western part of the country (the Asir mountains) where most endemic birds are found. In Jazan we did some lowland and coastal birding with a one-day trip to the Farasan islands. 

We found all the endemics of the Arabian peninsula that can be seen in Saudi Arabia, including the only endemic for the country, Asir Magpie (may be no more than 200 breeding pairs). Besides that we saw a lot of afro-tropical species, that are unique for the Western Palearctic. We also saw many migrating birds with tens of Barred Warblers, Red-backed, Isabelline and Turkestan Shrikes. White-throated bee-eaters with groups of ten or more flying over, migrating Blue-cheecked and European Bee-eaters, redstarts, Thrush Nightingale, eastern Nightingale (se below) and much more...

Below an overview of the trip with some pictures and sound recordings. The sound recordings are best with headphones!!

We began at Riyadh though to find Arabian Lark...

Arabian Lark around Riyadh

🎀Arabian Lark 

🎀Arabian Lark

eastern Common nightingale africana/golzii photo by Arthur Geilvoet


After the first day around Riyadh we took a flight to the south west and began at Abha and worked our way down to the coast in Jazan...
Around Abha we had our first day with typical Asir species, such as Yemen Thrush, Little Rock Thrush, Philby's Patridge, Arabian Tchagra, Gambaga Flycatcher, Arabian Serin, Yemen LinnetArabian Waxbill and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting. But the best bird here was undoubtedly Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak. It took some effort, but after about five hours we succeeded.

male Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak


 

female Cinnamon-breasted Bunting


On our first night session we had this Arabian Scops Owl. Further quiet with a singing Montane Nightjar...


Arabian Scops Owl
 

The next days we worked our way through the mountains further south, finding a lot of fine birds, among others the first Hamerkop 


African Paradise Flycatcher


Asir Magpie, the sole endemic of Saudi Arabia

Gambaga Flycatcher, an afro-tropical breeder of the Asir Mountains

🎀 Gambaga Flycatcher song

🎀 Gambaga flycatcher call


The night sessions were good for the owls, although the Arabian Eagle Owl took some effort. The nightjars in the mountains were not very cooperative. As mentioned, we heard only one Mountain Nightjar and saw and heard some Plain Nightjars, but no sound recording or photo's of them...


distant views of Arabian Eagle Owl


not so distant views of Desert Owl

🎀 Desert Owl

Further a wide variety of Asir specialities

Arabian Sunbird

🎀 Arabian Sunbird

Arabian Wheatear

🎀 Arabian Wheatear

Buff-breasted Wheatear

Isabelline Shrike

Common Kestrel

African Grey Hornbill


Cucumiau

Little Rock Thrush

Shikra

Rufous-capped Lark

Purple-backed Starling

Tristram's Starling



White-browed Coucal

Abyssianian White-eyes

Yemen Thrush

🎀 Yemen Thrush song

🎀 Yemen Thrush call


Yemen Warbler

Great Spotted Cuckoo 

Laughing Dove




🎀 African Stonechat felix


🎀 African Pipit call

🎀  Long-billed Pipit song

🎀 Yemen Linnet


In the lowlands in the Jazan province things went well. We saw the Arabian Golden Sparrows rather quick. Harlequin Quail and Common Buttonquail were not very difficult to flush.
Even Greater Painted Snipe and Black-headed Heron showed, albeit at a distance.
Below some pictures and sound recordings...


Arabian Golden Sparrow, photo by Arthur Geilvoet

Mangrove Reed Warbler avicennae


Black-winged Stilt

Clamorous Reed Warbler


Crab-plover

🎀 Crab-plover

'Arabian' Helmeted Guineafowl


Nile Valley Sunbird


Nubian Nightjar

Crested Honeybuzzard

Pink-backed Pelican

🎀 Harlequin Quail




We visited the Farasan Islands (2 Red-billed Tropicbirds on the way) and took a boat trip there to get closer to all the rock islands. Loads of birds there. The Sooty Falcons were back with a total of 14 birds. Further there the local Egyptian Vultures, Ospreys, Gracefull Prinias, White-eyed Gulls, Sooty Gulls, Bridled terns, Greater and Lesser Crested Terns, Brown Noddies and Brown Boobies. One of the targets in the mangroves was Goliath Heron...On the way back we saw a European Nightjar land on the boat and had both Arctic and Pomarine Skua!

Goliath Heron

Arabian terns


Brown Booby

Bridled Tern

Greater Crested Terns

White-eyed Gull, a Red Sea endemic



Sooty Falcon

African Collared Dove

Lesser Crested Terns

Striated/Little Heron

Coastal birding around Jazan was good. We saw two Saunder's Terns, a few Little Terns, a variety of waders with among others Tibetan Sand Plovers, Greater Sand Plovers, Crab-plovers, Terek Sandpipers and Broad-billed Sandpipers. In the mangroves the white-eyes (a cryptic 'form' of Abyssinian?) were difficult to find, but we saw two on the last morning. The Abdim's Storks were still on their nest, so they were easy.