by Peter Hellyer / Part 2 (Dubai) by Colin Richardson. The United Arab Emirates has been acknowledged as one of the top four destinations in the whole of the Middle East for bird-watching tours.

(July - November and April - May) probably in excess of 250,000 waders are present on intertidal areas of the country's Gulf coast. Taking into account the likely turnover of shorebirds on this Eurasian/West Asian - Arabian Gulf - African flyway, the mudflats of the southern Gulf probably support several million individuals over the course of a year. Provides information onthe type of birds to be found in the various habitats within the UAR. Includes many photos of key species.

more detailed maps, with information on the location and wildlife to be found there. 

Emirates where a visit to one of the three major wetlands on the Gulf coast should produce an existing abundance of palearctic shorebirds.

See also Charlie's reports from his visits on March 1, 2005 and May 10, 2005.

& Jens Eriksen. The success of Sir Bani Yas as a nature reserve is further underlined by the number of wild bird species that made it a temporary or permanent home. Details of sightings of around 170 species are now kept in the files of the Emirates Bird Records Committee. See also this site.

and Jens Eriksen. The Most Southern Tip of the UAE's Indian Ocean coastline ends in an extensive mangrove marsh. The mud at low tide reveals myriads of pretty crabs, while in the shady canopy of the trees a unique small bird makes its home. The white-collared kingfisher is a breeding resident here - and only here. Many other birds like reef herons and booted warblers also nest here. Khor Kalba is a magical place, a place of exquisite beauty, a place worthy of protection.

many years been recorded wintering in shallow lagoons and creeks along the UAE's Arabian Gulf coast, with numbers of up to 800 being seen in Khor Dubai, and lesser numbers of a hundred or more at Ramtha, in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and the western island of Sir Bani Yas.

Steenkiste. (Follow the Trip Report link.) The weather was excellent but because of the high temperatures in the area, the number of birds was not so high as reported in other trip reports for periods between e.g. December and late February. The roads are of very good quality, even those through the desert. Traffic in Dubai is intense and be sure to drive carefully at the many roundabouts. 

See also Henk's February 1996 report.

Hellkvist and Elisabeth Djerf. The roads are extremely good if there are any. There are only two choices, very good roads or no roads at all. You don't need a 4-wheel drive unless you want to go off-road into
the desert. The country is small and the distances you need to drive is never more than 200 km (one way). See also Joakim's April, 1996 trip report.

Every birding trip to a new country starts in the hotel grounds at day-break and this was no exception.

report from the United Arab Emirates in December 1996 and January 1997. Petter Haldén, Fredrik Malmaeus, Mikael Malmaeus and Mats Waern watched birds for two weeks in sites like Khor Dubai, Khor al Beidah, Al Wathba, Khor Kalba and Ramtha tip. We saw about 173 different species, for example Black-crowned sparrow-larks, Great knots and Crab plovers. 

Since we hadn't been birding in the UAE before, we tried to see most of the local specialties. The following notes are therefore written from a first-time visitor's viewpoint, i.e. they contain only Middle East specialties and species otherwise rare in Central Europe. A full species list is given at the end. 

Roberson. This is a summary of a five-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, including a very brief visit to adjacent Oman, from 6-10 March 2001. The United Arab Emirates is a popular vacation itinerary for European birders with its desert specialties and impressive migration of Asian breeders. 

2003 to 8th March 2003. Observers: Didier Vieuxtemps, Thomas de Thier, Jacques Leclercq, Marc Ameels. 

John Girdley's BirdTours website by following the Middle East/UAR link from the main page.

Factoids taken from Where to watch birds in Asia  - by Nigel Wheatley

single day and longer birding tours of the Emirates, e-mail: hellyer@emirates.net.ae

United Arab Emirates' bird-life. Courtesy of Emirates News, P.O.Box 791, Abu Dhabi, UAE

96-page guide to birdwatching in the United Arab Emirates is published this month which will prove essential reading for all resident and visiting birders. The majority of the guide is given over to a step-by-step description of a total over 50 of the UAE's main birdwatching sites, each with a simple map of the site and how to find it, along with details of what birds to expect there, and when.