Eurasian Bittern – Jubail

Whilst birding in Jubail 20 October 2023, Phil found a Eurasian Bittern on the side of the track under a small bush near the reed beds. Unfortunately, the bird soon moved into cover and disappeared. This is the first time Phil, or I have seen the species in Saudi Arabia so was a very nice find. This is a species we have always thought we would find at this site. The only photo I managed is very poor but you can see it is a Eurasian Bittern.

The species was thought to be a vagrant in the Eastern Province, prior to 2000 with the only records being as follows:

One Hofuf Lakes, 21 May 1976, 

One Dhahran, 24 November 1978, 

One Jawb, on the northern edge of the Rub’ al-Khali, 25 September 1980

One Abqaiq, 11-17 December 1982

Three Abqaiq, 19-20 October 1983

One Abqaiq, 14-21 December 1984

 

I then recorded birds as follows:

One bird calling six time between 19:00 -20:00, Dhahran Hills, Eastern province, 24 March 2020

One bird calling once 00:00 – 01:00 Dhahran Hills, Eastern Province, 31 March 2020

In the autumn I change the location of where I was recording and had a minimum of three further birds as follows:

A minimum of three birds calling 21 times 17:50, Sabkhat Al Fasl, Eastern Province, 12 October 2020 

One bird calling 34 times 17:45, Sabkhat Al Fasl, Eastern Province, 13 October 2020

 

These additional records suggest the species may not be so rare in the Eastern Province as previously thought. 

 

The recently published Birds of Saudi Arabia has the status as a rare passage migrant and possible breeding migrant. They are rare but widespread on migration through Saudi Arabia, passing on a broad front, mainly in central and western regions of the Kingdom. Records as late as December suggest some might spend the winter in the Kingdom and it has been heard booming several times at Khafrah Marsh in March, suggesting possible breeding. In November 2009 there were 30 birds together near Zulfi and in 2016 there were some incredible records with 15 birds 5 November 25 kilometres east of Zulfi and then six birds about 40 kilometres north of first area 11 November 2016. These birds were seen resting under the shade of some short trees, scattered over a small area. During the same period 40 birds were seen sporadically in Sakaka, Al Jouf, 7-14 November 2016.

Eurasian Bittern – Jubail

After I recorded Eurasian Bittern in two different places the Eastern province in 2020, from Dhahran (spring) and Jubail (autumn), I recorded a further four birds at Jubail 14 October 2021. These additional records suggest the species may not be so rare in the Eastern Province as previously thought. Prior to these records the species was thought to be a vagrant in the Eastern Province, with the only eight records as follows: One Hofuf Lakes, 21 May 1976; One Dhahran, 24 November 1978; One Jawb, on the northern edge of the Rub’ al-Khali, 25 September 1980; One Abqaiq, 11-17 December 1982; Three Abqaiq, 19-20 October 1983; One Abqaiq, 14-21 December 1984; Khafrah Marsh, booming birds in March 1998 and again March 1999, but not heard or seen in other years despite the site being visited each month over a seven year period. The record from December suggests some might spend the winter in the Eastern Province. My recordings in the Eastern Province during passage migration seasons suggests the species is a scarce passage migrant rather than a vagrant.

Eurasian Bittern – Eastern Province

One Some very interesting news has been gathered in 2020 with the recording of Eurasian Bittern in two different places the Eastern province. In spring I recorded nocturnal migrant birds and recorded two separate Eurasian Bitterns as follows:

One bird calling six time between 19:00 -20:00, Dhahran Hills, Eastern province, 24 March 2020

One bird calling once 00:00 – 01:00 Dhahran Hills, Eastern Province, 31 March 2020

In the autumn I change the location of where I was recording and had a minimum of three further birds as follows:

A minimum of three birds calling 21 times 17:50, Sabkhat Al Fasl, Eastern Province, 12 October 2020 

One bird calling 34 times 17:45, Sabkhat Al Fasl, Eastern Province, 13 October 2020

 

Magnus Robb kindly provided the sonograms and commented “in my opinion they can only be from three individuals, given that the calling rate per individual is pretty slow in this species. In top sonogram the first and third calls are Grey Heron and the three other calls with all their energy near the bottom are, in my opinion, three different Bitterns. In the bottom sonogram there are two calls of different individuals. The first looks like it is the second Bittern (4th call in all) from the other sonagram. The second could be either of the two others, if indeed there are only three individuals”.

Prior to these records the species was thought to be a vagrant in the Eastern Province, with the only records being as follows:

One Hofuf Lakes, 21 May 1976, 

One Dhahran, 24 November 1978, 

One Jawb, on the northern edge of the Rub’ al-Khali, 25 September 1980

One Abqaiq, 11-17 December 1982

Three Abqaiq, 19-20 October 1983

One Abqaiq, 14-21 December 1984

 

These additional records suggest the species may not be so rare in the Eastern Province as previously thought. For some identification criteria and examples of Eurasian Bittern calls see this excellent Sound Approach page: Eurasian Bittern - Sound Approach

 

The recently published Birds of Saudi Arabia has the status as a rare passage migrant and possible breeding migrant. They are rare but widespread on migration through Saudi Arabia, passing on a broad front, mainly in central and western regions of the Kingdom. Records as late as December suggest some might spend the winter in the Kingdom and it has been heard booming several times at Khafrah Marsh in March, suggesting possible breeding.

In November 2009 there were 30 birds together near Zulfi and in 2016 there were some incredible records with 15 birds 5 November 25 kilometres east of Zulfi and then six birds about 40 kilometres north of first area 11 November 2016. These birds were seen resting under the shade of some short trees, scattered over a small area. During the same period 40 birds were seen sporadically in Sakaka, Al jouf, 7-14 November 2016. 

An influx of Eurasian Bitterns – Records by Mohammed Al Mohatresh and Mansur Al Fahad

Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris is a scarce migrant and winter visitor to Saudi Arabia. Birds of the Riyadh Region (Stagg 1994) – Status uncertain but probably a rare visitor often overlooked because of its secretive nature and fondness of dense reedbeds. First confirmed record was of a single bird seen on four occasions between 10 and 22 November 1987 with the next sighting again in winter on 10 November 1989: this was followed by a spring record on 13 April 1990 and an autumn sighting on 15 September 1990. One in a fodder field at Al Hayer 12 April 2013 was a very unusual record for central Saudi Arabia. In the Eastern Province Bundy regarded it as a Vagrant: Hofuf Lakes 21 May 1976, Dhahran 24 November 1978, Jawb on the northern edge of the Rub’ al-Khali 25 September 1980, Abqaiq 11-17 December 1982, three Abqaiq 19-20 October 1983 and one 14-21 December 1984. I know of no other records from the East of the Kingdom. As a result I was very surprised when I received an e-mail from Mansur Al Fahad saying numbers had been seen to the north of Riyadh in November this year including fifteen 30 kilometers east of Zulfi 8 November, six together 40 kilometers north of Zulfi 11 November and 40 at Sakaka near Al Jouf 6 – 12 Nov. A single has also ben seen in KAUST in early November a first record for the location. I thank Mansur for sending me details and for obtaining me permission to use Mohammed Mohatresh amazing photos of some of the birds. I also thank Mohammed for allowing me to use his photo shown below. Mansur said to me that birds are regularly seen in good numbers in this are of Saudi Arabia in the winter, a phenomenon that has not been published elsewhere as far as I am aware.  

Eurasian Bittern again at Tabuk – Bird records by Viv Wilson

Viv was out and about birding his local area of Tabuk again last weekend and saw and photographed a number of good birds. Probably the best of them was a Eurasian Bittern a species that is a scarce winter visitor and passage migrant to Saudi Arabia but is almost certainly under recorded due to its secretive nature. Viv has already seen and photographed the species in Saudi Arabia, having seen one at Tabuk Wetlands 25 October 2013. Most records have been from the northern parts of the country as well as the southwest, with a few from the Eastern Province. Rob Tovey a Saudi Arabian birder, who travels extensively in search of his birds and who has been to the majority of the countries good birding spots, has also seen the species on two occasions in the last few years suggesting they occur in small number each winter. I have failed to find any in my areas of the Eastern Province and I bird the best wetland in the region, so presumably they are not common in the Eastern Province at least where Bundy et al Birds of the Eastern Province 1989 records them as a vagrant.

Eurasian Bittern

Eurasian Bittern

Eurasian Hoopoe

Western Marsh Harrier

Common Kestrel

Red-Spotted Bluethroat

Viv also saw some more common birds of the North-west of the country with Black Kite, Common Kestrel, Western Marsh Harrier, Water Rail, Eurasian Hoopoe and Red-spotted bluethroat of the svecica subspecies from northern Eurasia.

Some bird records from Dhahran and Abqaiq from the 1980’s – Bird records by Cliff Peterson

Cliff Peterson a birder who birded extensively in Saudi Arabia in the 1980’s has sent me a number of photographs, taken on film but converted to digital images.  I have selected a number of unusual species most of which I have not seen, or not taken photos of in Saudi Arabia. I appreciate the time Cliff has taken to convert the photos to digital and send them to me

Eastern Greylag Goose - This pair was present in Dhahran's Lanhardt Lake (now replaced by the percolation pond) 9 November 1985 to 26 January 1986.  Initially four birds arrived 9 November 1985 but then two of the four birds disappeared.

Ruddy Shelduck - This species frequented the Abqaiq lagoons (now fenced off I understand) and was recorded in a all months between 29 October to 20 May during 1982-1985.  Thirty-seven were counted 12 January 1984.

Western White Stork - Nine birds were found at Dhahran's Lanhardt Lake 27 August 1984 and lingered for a few days.

Eurasian Bittern - This species appeared sporadically at Abqaiq Lagoons with a maximum of 4 present 20 October 1983.  All other records were in March.

European Scops Owl - This was a wild bird that someone pulled out of a shrub in Dhahran May 1983.  It was later released.  We never saw another.

Rose-ringed Parakeet - Commonly found in Dhahran Main Camp. I also saw this bird in Qatif and Abqaiq. I had flocks up to eight and they were conspicuous due to their color and call.  My thinking is that the population size was likely limited by nesting cavities.  I have one picture of a pair using a large conduit alongside a power pole as their cavity. This image is of the male.

Eurasian Golden Oriole - This male sang every morning from the acacia trees over our house in Dhahran. It was present 16 April until we departed on leave 16 June 1984. Until the time we departed, no female appeared. I've several other records from April-May and September to October every year we were in KSA.  This was the best shot I was able to get he was quite shy.

Eurasian Bittern at Tabuk Wetlands - Bird records by Viv Wilson

Viv Wilson saw a Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris at Tabuk Wetlands on 25 October. This is a scarce passage migrant and rare winter visitor to Saudi Arabia with very few records although Rob Tovey has seen two in the last couple of years including one near Riyadh in the unusual location of a pivot irrigation field and one in the southwest of the country where there have also been at least two previous records. It has been regarded as a reasonably common in suitable habitats in the southwest, but its secretive nature making it difficult to locate. Both records are from reed-fringed watercourses in Wadi Alahssahbah 8 March 1989 and 6 January 1992. In the Eastern Province it is regarded as a vagrant with records from Hofuf Lakes 21 May 1976, Dhahran 24 November 1978, Jawb on the northern edge of the Rub’ al-Khali 25 September 1980, Abqaiq 11-17 Devember 1982, three Abqaiq 19-20 October 1983 and one 14-21 December 1984. As can be seen it is not commonly seen and Viv’s sighting is a good one, particularly as he managed to get some good photographs of it which he has kindly allowed me to use. The copyright of these photos remain with Viv.