17 April 2024

Red-wattled Lapwing – Dhahran Waste Water Lake

The Dhahran Waste Water Lake and the Percolation Pond both had Red-wattled Lapwing with the first location having a pair and the second asingle different bird. We has also seen on the day before at Khafra Marsh near Jubail. This was only the fifth time I have seen the species in Dhahran camp. The species is scarce in Saudi Arabia with records from Riyadh, the Empty Quarter and the Eastern Province. They are resident breeders at wetlands in United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, and is gradually colonizing westwards. It was first recording breeding in Saudi Arabia at Sabkhat Al Fasl, a couple of years ago and has bred at Khafra Marsh, Jubail for the last two years. In the Eastern province it is regarded as a scarce passage migrant, rare breeder and scarce winter visitor although records are becoming more common.