03 May 2014

Pallid Scops Owl & Western Barn Owl near Zulfi – Bird records by Mansur Al Fahad

Mansur has just sent me an e-mail with a couple of his excellent photos attached. He mentioned he has seen two owls in Zulfi  through to the end of March. Mansur looked for the Western Barn owl for four nights but only saw it once in its usual place and thinks the reason is the restoration work in nearby old buildings where perhaps it was nesting. Mansur also mentioned that during the search for the Western Barn Owl he also saw a Pallid Scops Owl that was active after sunset. Mansur thinks there is a high probability that the species is a winter visitor to the area around Zulfi as one was seen in a similar environment of Tamarix trees in Onaizah (Qassem Area) about 80 kilometers west of zulfi in early December. I would like to thank Mansur for allowing me to use his photos on my website and also for keeping me informed on what is happening in the Zulfi area of Saudi Arabia as well as other regions.
Pallid Scops Owl
Pallid Scops Owl
Western Barn Owl