Whilst birding the Jubail area the last few weekends we have come across up to thirteen Great Black-headed Gulls sitting on a flooded area of sabkha. Most birds were adults in full summer plumage with up to three being second calendar year birds. Jubail has turned out to be a good site to see the species in the last few years with birds seen each winter. The Great Black-headed Gull is an uncommon winter visitor to the Arabian Gulf and southern Red Sea coastal areas that is also rarely seen inland including at wetland sites like Dhahran and Al Asfar Lake. The first birds are normally not seen until December or January, with March probably the best time to see the species.
