20 December 2015

Plain Nightjar at Abha - Bird records by Mansur Al Fahad

The second species Mansur Al Fahad photographed and sent to me was Plain Nightjar that he saw near Abha in July 2015. The Plain Nightjar is a scarce breeding summer visitor to the southwest where it occurs in Saudi Arabia from the Yemen boarder northwards to Taif. Where ideal conditions occur in can be locally common with several birds seen close together. They occur from 500 – 2500 metres and favour dry rocky hillsides and hilltops that have only scatter acacia trees. Phil and I saw at least two Plain Nightjars near Taif in July 2015, in a wadi with bare ground but a lot of vegetation along the side, with other birds seen between Najran and Al Baha during the same year. I would like to thank Mansur for very kindly allowing me to use his photos on my website the copyright of which remains with Mansur.