Birds of Saudi Arabia: Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak

Showing posts with label Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak. Show all posts

01 January 2017

Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak

Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus percivali was previously considered conspecific with Somali Golden-winged Grsobeak R louisae and Socotran Golden-winged Grosbeak R socotranus but morphological and plumage differences are thought sufficient to warrant specific status. Occurs in southwest Saudi Arabia, west & east Yemen and southwest Oman. Scarce breeding resident occurring where Euphorbias are common. This is the most difficult of all the endemics to see in Saudi Arabia where recent records have been near Taif and between Taif and Al Baha. These records have included adults and juveniles so although the breeding population is extremely low in Saudi Arabia birds are still breeding.

24 July 2016

Looking for Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak – Wadi Grosbeak

Phil Roberts and I went to Taif in the hope of seeing Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak. We went to a wadi where we had located birds in summer 2015 and hoped to get some better photographs than we managed the previous year. The area we went to was about 130 kilometres south of Taif where there are a few good looking valleys with fields and trees. We got to Bani Saad just after first light and spent most of the day checking suitable areas of habitat looking for the species. We managed to find a number of good looking valleys with fields and trees and one of these we were lucky enough to find a juvenile Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak. The bird was initially located by its odd contact calls and stayed in a dead tree. We managed to get a few photos before the bird flew off. More searching was conducted and we found a second bird some distance from the first perched on some overhead wires but no photos were obtained of this individual. Plenty of other species were seen in this valley including Arabian Woodpecker, Long-billed Pipits, Arabian Wheatears, Little Rock Thrushes, Little Swift and three Bruce’s Green Pigeons.

Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak

Arabian Serin

Arabian Wheatear

21 July 2015

Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak - Maysaan

Whilst birding in the Taif area for the weekend of 3-4 Junly 2015 Phil Roberts and I went to the Maysaan area about 130 kilometres south of Taif. There are a few good looking valleys with fields and trees in this area and around Bani Saad and this was good looking habitat for Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak. Although we had seen the species on our previous visit to Taif in January 2015 we did not get good views and no photographs were taken so we particularly wanted to see this species again. As a result we got to Bani Saad before it was properly light and spent most of the day checking suitable areas of habitat looking for the species. We managed to find a number of good looking valleys with fields and trees and one of these we were lucky enough to find three Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeaks. At least one was an adult and one a juvenile with the adult seen feeding the youngster on a few occasions. The birds were quite flighty and moved a number of times and never allowed close views but a few photographs were obtained that although small in the picture were sharp and usable. The birds were initially located by their odd contact calls and stayed high in the trees, occasionally out of sight completely. They moved up the valley often flying some distance between trees, following an adult that was searching for food for the juvenile. Plenty of other species were seen in this valley including Long-billed Pipits, Arabian Wheatears, Little Rock Thrushes, Little Swift, Red-breasted Wheatear and three Bruce’s Green Pigeons.