Birds of Saudi Arabia: Sinai Rosefinch

Showing posts with label Sinai Rosefinch. Show all posts

21 May 2016

Sinai Rosefinch near Tabuk – Bird records by Viv Wilson

Viv Wilson a birder from Tabuk in the north west of Saudi Arabia sent me a few of his photographs of Sinai Rosefinch and has given me permission to use them on my website. This species has its entire Saudi Arabian range restricted to the north-west of the country. The birds seen in north-west Saudi Arabia are nominate synoicus who’s range is Sinai, north-west Arabia, Israel, and Jordan. They are small with the upper-part ground colour and sides of body rather dark drab-grey, with the pink and red of adult males being extensive, reaching the tips of both the upper and under tail-coverts. The birds are almost always associated with rocky jebals and cliffs and are often heard calling loudly to each other. They are not easy to photograph so Viv has done well with this pictures.

08 February 2015

More birds from Tabuk – Bird records by Viv Wilson

Viv has sent me a few batches of bird photographs seen in the Tabuk area in recent weeks. He has photographed a number of species that are rare or not recorded in the Eastern Province where I do my birding including Sinai Rosefinch. This species is restricted to the northwest corner of Saudi Arabia from around Al Ula towards the Jordon boarder. They are really beautiful birds to see and have very loud calls, but I have never managed to get good photographs of them as they were always on the move. Wintering Black Kites are not seen in the Eastern Province either but many hundreds winter in the Tabuk area. Although Desert Larks are relatively common in the right habitat of jebals and escarpments in the Eastern Province I do not often see them as my birding is not in these areas very often. I thank Viv for sending me his images and allowing me to use them on my website.

Sinai Rosefinch

Black Kite

Desert Lark

Lesser Kestrel

Steppe Eagle

Western Marsh Harrier

03 March 2014

Sand Partridge, Sinai Rosefinch & Trumpeter Finch near Tabuk – Bird records by Viv Wilson

Viv was out birding in the desert recently north of the 8784 road to the west of Tabuk and managed to find a couple of the desert specialities whilst there. Sinai Rosefinch has a restricted range in Saudi Arabia and can only be found in the northwest of the Kingdom, where it is a breeding resident of the Northern Hejaz south to Wadi Sawawin. The Sand Partridge has a larger range but is mainly found down the western side where it is a common breeding resident of the Northern Hejaz, Central Arabia and the desert fringes of Asir and Hejaz. Locally common on the Tuwaiq Escarpment where groups of up to 70 have been seen together at waterholes it does not occur more far east of Riyadh and has not been seen in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Trumpeter Finch is another desert speciality but this species is found in the Eastern province but is scarce. As these species are either not found or are scarce in the Eastern Province I have not seen any and would like to visit Tabuk one day when time permits. Viv kindly allowed me to use his photos on my website which are reproduced below.

Sand Partridge - female

Sinai Rosefinch

Trumpeter Finch

26 June 2013

Egyptian Vulture & Sinai Rosefinch (Bajda) – Bird records by Viv Wilson

Viv Wilson was out in the desert again last weekend at Bajda near Tabuk and found a number of good birds including Egyptian Vulture and Sinai Rosefinch. All the photographs below were kindly supplied by Viv Wilson and the copyright remains with him. I have not seen either of these species in Saudi Arabia as they are scarce or absent from the region I birdwatch. The Egyptian Vulture is a widespread breeding resident, migrant and winter visitor to Saudi Arabia. It is uncommon in the Eastern Province and does not occur in the large deserts of the Empty Quarter and Great Nafud. Its population and range are both declining in Saudi Arabia with the mainland population probably only about 10% of what it was 50 years ago.

Egyptian Vulture

The Sinai Rosefinch has a disjointed distribution with the nominate subspecies found in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. It can be locally common in its breeding range but is generally uncommon although widespread, with about 5000 pairs in total in Saudi Arabia. It is associated with Sandstone geology where it frequents gorges and cliff faces, although it can be found on the plains in small groups after the breeding season.

Sinai Rosefinch

07 May 2013

Sinai Rosefinch & Montagu’s Harrier (Bajda) – Records by Viv Wilson

Viv Wilson a birder from Tabuk in the north west of Saudi Arabia sent me a few of his excellent photographs again last week. They contained many photographs for the wetland are he birds most of the time but also a few from the desert area he regularly goes to near Bajda. Viv regularly sees Sinai Rosefinch in this area, a bird with its entire Saudi Arabian range restricted to the north-west of the country. He managed to get a few good photos of the birds and mentioned the males are now in good red plumage. The birds seen in north-west Saudi Arabia are nominate synoicus who’s range is Sinai, north-west Arabia, Israel, and Jordan. They are small with the upper-part ground colour and sides of body rather dark drab-grey, with the pink and red of adult males being extensive, reaching the tips of both the upper and under tail-coverts.

Sinai Rosefinch - male

Sinai Rosefinch - female

Whilst out there he also photographed a Montagu’s Harrier, a species I only saw for the first time in Saudi Arabia this spring and one I will be looking out for more carefully in amongst the few Pallid Harriers we have passing though each year. Viv managed to get a few very good photos of the bird, which if the two I saw were anything to go by is not an easy feat.

Montagu's Harrier

11 December 2012

Sinai Rosefinch and Long-legged Buzzard (Tabuk) – Bird records by Viv Wilson

Viv Wilson sent me some very interesting photos from Tabuk that he took at the weekend. One bird is a Sinai Rosefinch, a bird I have yet to see in Saudi Arabia, and one that has not been recorded in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The Sinai Rosefinch Carpodacus roseus is a breeding resident in the north-west of Saudi Arabia mainly in the Northern Hejaz south to Wadi Sawawin. The location co-ordinates for the Sinai Rosefinch are 28 deg 33 min 12.14 N and 35 deg 44 min 52.95 E. The other bird was a Long-legged Buzzard a bird I have only seen twice in the Eastern Province although they breed in the area. Viv also saw Eurasian Hoopoe, Siberian Stonechat and black Kite and kindly gave me permission to use his excellent photos which are reproduced below.