01 April 2016

Plenty of Harriers in Tabuk – Bird records by Viv Wilson

Viv Wilson was birding in the Tabuk area on 25 March 2016 and saw quite a few Harriers. The best one was a male Hen Harrier that is possibly the same bird as he saw on 20 November 2015. The Hen Harrier is a scarce passage migrant and winter visitor to Saudi Arabia with more birds seen in the northwest than anywhere else in the Kingdom. In the Riyadh & Central Arabia as well as the Eastern Province it is a vagrant. Other harriers he saw included Pallid Harrier that could be a late wintering bird or a passage migrant at this time of year and a Western Marsh Harrier a common winter visitor to wetland areas throughout the Kingdom. I thank Viv for sending me details and for allowing me to use his photos on my website some of which are reproduced below.
Pallid Harrier
Pallid Harrier
Hen Harrier
Hen Harrier

Hen Harrier
Hen Harrier
Tabuk Wetland
Tabuk Wetland