The Pied Kingfisher at Dhahran Waste Water Lake, found at the start of the year, is still present on the lake in its favourite spot of some dead twigs under a large green tree on the water’s edge. It has now been present for more than two months and may stay for a few more weeks before departing back to its breeding area. It is possible to get quite close to the bird on foot if you keep hidden behind the tree, but as soon as the bird notices you it flies off.
I found a Pied Kingfisher at Dhahran Waste Water Lake on 1 January 2024 and the bird was still present on my last visit at end of January. It has a favourite spot of some dead twigs where it is regularly seen but it has now taken to perching in various other areas including the reeds on the far side of the lake. This makes it slightly more difficult to see although it does fly up and down the lake and hover over the water occasionally. This is an unusual record for Dhahran where I have only seen it twice before this bird, but it appears to be a good year for the species with others seen in Jubail (seven), Nariyah (two), Riyadh and Yanbu in 2024. This bird is attracting a number of photographers and others interested in birds to the lake which will hopefully, in turn, turn up more interesting species.
Late January I went to Aqua Park to see if the Pied Kingfishers were still present. As soon as I arrived, I heard them calling and saw five birds together in flight over the water. One landed reasonably close and allowed a couple of photos before flying off onto the far side of the estuary. Also on the water were several hundred Slender-billed Gulls, a Squacco Heron, two Western Great Egret. And tens of Western Reef Herons. A male Common Kingfisher was seen along with several Graceful Prinia. And at least two Masked Shrike were in the trees, often dropping to the ground to catch food. Otherwise, it was relatively quiet.
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| Masked Shrike |
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| Pied Kingfisher |
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| Pied Kingfisher |
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| Western Reef Heron |
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| Graceful Prinia |
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| Great Egret |
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| Great Egret |
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| Great Egret |
Dhahran Waste Water Lake has had some good birds on and around it recently. A recent visit produced the same Pied Kingfisher as seen the week before, initially seen in flight flying up the lake but eventually seen well on its favoured perch of the dead tree. A very noisy Red-wattled Lapwing was busy chasing off the wintering Western Marsh Harrier and the Indian Roller was still about although not photographable this time. Herons included two Great Egrets, ten Grey Herons, three Western Cattle Egrets and two Little Egrets. A couple of Daurian Shrike were in the scrubby area as were plenty of singing Graceful Prinia, a White Wagtail and a single Common Chiffchaff. A few Pallid Swift were overhead as were several Rose-ringed Parakeets. The only wader seen was a single Common Sandpiper. The three Tufted Duck are still present for their second month.
Little Egret 
Great Egret 
Graceful Prinia 
Tufted Duck 
Pied Kingfisher 
White Wagtail 
White Wagtail
In December 2023 two Pied Kingfishers were recorded at Aqua Park, Jubail in an area where there were four the previous year. I went to the location in early January 2024 and located five birds together. They were very active but the light was in the wrong direction for flight photos. I managed to see four of the birds land in a large tree on my side of the water and got the light in a reasonable position to get some decent photos. This winter has been a very good year for this species with bird seen in Dhahran, two locations in Jubail, Al Uqair and Nayriah with more than one bird at several sites. As is normal with our birds all five were females. Along with the five Pied Kingfishers there were also two Common Kingfishers, a male with an all-black bill and a female with a orange red colour to the lower mandible.
The day after I saw two Pied Kingfishers together in Jubail I found another bird on my local patch of the Dhahran Waste Water Lake, perched on some dead branches above the water. Pied Kingfisher a vagrant to Dhahran where they have been seen on the percolation pond and the small pond on the golf course. Records occurred from 22 October 2009 when a solitary bird was present for at least five days and a single bird on the golf course pond 13 – 18 February 2015. This is only the third time I have seen them in Dhahran and the first time at the Waste Water Lake. It has a status in Saudi Arabia as an uncommon winter visitor that feeds mainly on small fish as well as a range of other animals, including amphibians, crustaceans and insects. Its normal method of fishing is to watch from an exposed perch above the water but also regularly hovers over the water before diving in to catch its prey.
On 22 December I saw two Pied Kingfishers together feeding over a large man made concrete sided stream. The birds I photographed is a female as it only has a single breast band whereas males have two bands, although the second lower band is very thin compared to the much thicker upper band. The nominate subspecies C. r. rudis that occurs from central and southern Turkey and Israel to Syria, Iraq and southwest Iran as well as northern Egypt, Nile Valley and sub-Saharan Africa is the subspecies present in Jubail. These are told by their distinctive medium-size and black and white plumage lacking any black spots on the flanks and side of the throat which is shown by the two other nearby subspecies that are also blacker in plumage tones. Pied Kingfishers generally use small and large lakes, large rivers, estuaries, coastal lagoons, mangroves and sandy and rocky coasts and require waterside perches such as trees, reeds, fences and posts. They eat predominantly fish and regularly hover particularly so in windy conditions. Birds fly low over the water with steady wing beats and then rise 2–10 metres in the air, with body held nearly vertical, bill held down and wings beating rapidly; they then dive down into the water and if successful swallow prey on the wing without beating on branch or something similar. Most records from the Eastern Province have been females although occasional males are also recorded.
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| Daurian Shrike |
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| Eurasian Stonechat |
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| Pied Kingfisher |
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| Common Moorhen |
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| Grey-headed Swamphen |
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| Squacco Heron |