Diederick Cuckoo in Alheefah Park - Tanoumah

On arrival at Alheefah Park I head a Diederik Cuckoo calling and after some searching, we saw the bird in the top of a tall tree. Unfortunately, it flew almost immediately but landed again in a better-positioned tree for photography. This is normally a very difficult species to get good photos off, so the ones below were very pleasing. The bird stayed calling in the same location for ten to fifteen minutes before we left it in peace. The Diderick Cuckoo is a summer visitor to southwest Saudi Arabia where it parasitizes Rüppell's weaver. They were previously regarded as vagrants to the area, but recently birds have been seen near Tendaha dam 5 July 2010, Abha area 20 July 2010, As Sudah 5 July 2013, Wadi Jaw June 2015, Taif area July 2015, Al Mehfar Park area of Tanoumah June 2016, Quaraish June 2018 and An Namas June 2018. Now I know the call well I seem to see them every trip to the Asir Mountains in summer, so they are presumably an uncommon summer breeder.

Dideric Cuckoo – Tanoumah & An Namas

Whilst birding near An Namas on 26 May, I heard and eventually saw a Dideric Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius. The bird was very vocal but difficult to locate until I eventually saw it sitting high in a tree. I also heard but failed to see another bird near Quraish, close to Tanoumah on 25 May. The Diderick Cuckoo is a summer visitor to southwest Saudi Arabia where it parasitizes Rüppell's weaver. They were previously regarded as vagrants to the area, but recently birds have been seen near Tendaha dam 5 July 2010, Abha area 20 July 2010, As Sudah 5 July 2013, Wadi Jaw June 2015, Taif area July 2015 as well as these sightings so are probably a scarce summer visitor to the high mountains of southwest Saudi Arabia. 

Dideric Cuckoo trapped and ringed at Al Mehfar Park – Tanoumah

Whilst ringing at the Al Mehfar Park area of Tanoumah I heard two Dideric Cuckoos Chrysococcyx caprius calling nearby. The birds were very vocal we soon located it sitting high in a tree but it soon moved off. Luckily the bird was later caught in one of my mist nets where be below photos were taken by Chris Boland. The Diderick Cuckoo is a summer visitor to southwest Saudi Arabia where it parasitizes Rüppell's weaver. They were previously regarded as vagrants to the area, but recently birds have been seen near Tendaha dam 5 July 2010, Abha area 20 July 2010, As Sudah 5 July 2013, Wadi Jaw June 2015 and Taif area July 2015 so are probably a scarce summer visitor to the high mountains of southwest Saudi Arabia. I thank Chris Boland for allowing me to use his photos of the Cuckoo below on my website as I left my camera in the hotel and was too busy to go back and collect it.

Extreme northerly record of Dideric Cuckoo – Al Atta

Whilst birding in the Taif area for the weekend of 3-4 Junly 2015 Phil Roberts and I went to Al Atta where we heard a Dideric Cuckoo calling and saw the bird perched in a tree as well as flying around the valley. This is an extreme northerly record in Saudi Arabia with the previous most northerly record I know of being near Abha some 450 kilometres to the south. The species is currently regarded as a vagrant to Saudi Arabia although this is not the case as quite a few records have occurred in recent years including one Phil and I saw at the bottom of the Raydah Escarpment near Abha two weeks previously. This species is obviously a scarce breeding summer visitor extending its breeding range from Oman and Yemen into southwest Saudi Arabia. Male birds are normally located by the clear emphatic whistle that rises in pitch, “dee-dee-dee-diederik” such as this individual. They prefer semi-arid thorn scrub and acacia savanna and are found in the highlands of the Asir Mountains in Saudi Arabia from 1500 – 3000 metres above sea level.

Dideric Cuckoo

Dideric Cuckoo

Dideric Cuckoo a new Saudi Arabian species for me – Raydah Escarpment

Whilst birding with Phil in the farm area at the bottom of the Raydah Escarpment I heard a Dideric Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius calling nearby. Luckily I had the window open and knew the call so we stopped the car and started looking for the bird. As it was very vocal we soon located it sitting high in a tree but it soon moved to a more convenient lower bush allowing some good photos to be taken of it. The Diderick Cuckoo is a summer visitor to southwest Saudi Arabia where it parasitizes Rüppell's weaver. They were thought to be vagrants to the area but recently birds have been seen near Tendaha dam 5 July 2010, Abha area 20 July 2010, As Sudah 5 July 2013 and Wadi Jaw June 2015 so are probably a scarce summer visitor to the high mountains of southwest Saudi Arabia. This was a new species for me in Saudi Arabia and this combined with the fact I got some good photographs made for a rewarding sighting.