Two different sub-species of Purple Swamphens – Sabkaht Al Fasl

Whilst birding at Sabkhat Al Fasl I found a slightly different looking Purple Swamphen to the normal type we get. The Purple Swamphen that occurs in Saudi Arabia is of one of the grey headed eastern / Asian subspecies from the Porphyrio porphyrio poliocephalus group which are either Porphyrio porphyrio caspius or Porphyrio porphyrio seistanicus. P. p. poliocephalus is found from India and Sri Lanka to south China and north Thailand. It has cerulean blue scapulars, face throat and breast. P. p. caspius is from the Caspian Sea area, and is like P.p. poliocephalus, but is larger whereas P. p. seistanicus occurs from Iraq to Pakistan, and is like P.p. poliocephalus, but larger although smaller than P.p caspius. A number of birds have been identified as P. p. seistanicus in Kuwait, UAE and Qatar. The typical grey-headed type birds were present as always but there was also a blue-headed type. This is the second time I have seen this type which looks like a different sub-species to those we normally get. Trying to work out what sub-species birds belong to is very difficult unless birds are trapped and measured.

I also found a juvenile Purple Swamphen that indicates breeding has again been successful for the species at Sabkhat Al Fasl. Bird numbers are increasing at the site and birds have started to spread to other nearby marshes such as Khafrah Marsh. There is slightly less disturbance now which has helped with the birds breeding successfully as they are easily disturbed and frightened.

The Arabian Gazelle – Farasan Islands

The Arabian Gazelle Gazella arabica (Lichtenstein, 1827), until recently, was thought to be synonymous with its ecologically and behaviourally very similar sister species the Mountain Gazelle Gazella gazella (Pallas, 1766) which occurs in the Levant. Historically, G. arabica occurred continuously through the Arabian Peninsula, from the Arava Valley in southern Israel, along the Hejaz and Asir Mountains in western Saudi Arabia through Yemen and Oman, and into the UAE. In Saudi Arabia, since the middle of the 20th century, G. arabica numbers have decreased dramatically throughout their range. Small relict populations of G. arabica occur in Al Khunfah and Harrat al Harrah Protected Areas in the north of Saudi Arabia and on the Tihama coastal plain. On the Farasan Islands a strong population of about 1000 individuals survives, the largest natural population in Saudi Arabia. The Arabian Gazelle is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. On the mainland the species’ survival depends on a few remnant populations in the western Mountains and coastal plains and on two reintroduced populations. The number of free-ranging gazelles on the Farasan Islands has remained approximately constant since the first counts in 1988, with an overall density of 0.64 km^-2 and an estimated population of 1,039 on Farasan Kebir in 2009. The populations on two other islands, As Saqid and Zifaf, have not fared as well, possibly because of uncontrolled hunting pressure, competition with domestic stock or poor habitat conditions overall. The population on Qummah Island is extinct. Threats to this subspecies include uncontrolled hunting and uncoordinated development, although they are not major issue at present on the Farasan Islands. Continued protection of this apparently stable population of Arabian Gazelle in Saudi Arabia is imperative to ensure the survival of the species. The coat colour of G. arabica is very variable, but is always some shade of buff. The face-markings and flank stripe are generally well expressed, and the face-markings always show a broad, smudgy black nose spot making the animals fairly easy to identify.

We went looking for the Arabian Gazelles whilst on the Farasan Islands where they can be found by the Saudi Wildlife Authority office. You have to register here to be allowed to drive over the rough ground to look for the animals. Here the animals can be seen running over the rough ground or resting under the acacia bushes out of the heat. The best time to see them is early morning 06:00 hrs or in the afternoon after 16:00 hrs. We saw seven Arabian Gazelles including a fine male and a female and calf. The Gazelles can also be seen in the northern region at N16.991785, E 41.900282 by driving out of town on a paved road. Do not go past the beach and mangroves unless you have a 4x4 car or you could easily get stuck. The gazelles are normally seen on the coast where they are most active in the early morning or before sunset as the rest of the day they go deep inside the mangroves and disappear.

The riddle of the mystery gazelle (Arabian Gazelle or Mountain Gazelle?) – Farasan Islands

Evidence for the existence of an enigmatic species of Arabian Gazelle Gazella arabica was known only on the basis of museum specimens that was supposedly collected on the Farasan Islands and arrived from Arabia in Berlin in 1825. The museum specimen appears to document a species that disappeared soon after it was discovered and The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) included G. arabica as an extinct species on its Red List until 2008. Its status was then revised to “data deficient” owing to the lack of genetic data. Various people placed the Arabian Gazelle with the Mountain Gazelle Gazella gazelle a species that ranks among the most critically endangered mammals on the Arabian Peninsula. Past conservation efforts have been plagued by confusion about the phylogenetic relationship among various ‘phenotypically discernable’ populations, and even the question of species boundaries was far from being certain. As a result recent (2010) mtDNA sequences of 126 individuals collected from the wild throughout the Arabian Peninsula and from captive stocks were analysed. Analyses revealed two reciprocally monophyletic genetic lineages within the presumed species Gazella gazella: one ‘northern clade’ on the Golan Heights (Israel/Syrian border) and one genetically diverse larger clade from the rest of the Arabian Peninsula including the Farasan Islands as well as the Arava Valley (Negev, Israel). Applying the Strict Phylogenetic Species Concept allows assigning species status to these two major clades. The name favoured for the Arabian clade was G. arabica, given that molecular analyses would show that the lectotype of G. arabica is included in this group. If the Golan population is assigned species status G. gazella, it raises taxonomic questions as to which species name can be assigned to the populations from the Arabian Peninsula. The two oldest names are Antilope Arabica (Lichtenstein, 1827) and A. cora (Smith, 1827), but there are nomenclatural difficulties with both these names. If molecular evidence from the type material of Gazella Arabica does not confirm a distinct species and the specimens group instead with the Peninsula clade of gazelles, then this would be the appropriate name for all Mountain gazelles of the Arabian Peninsula. This is in fact exactly what happened when trying to clarify the position of Arabian Gazelle and remedy its status; researchers recently examined the DNA of the almost 200-year-old type specimen, as part of a collaborative project between German, UK and Saudi Arabian scientists. The results surprised everyone. “It turned out that the skin and the skull come from different animals” and the specimen was in fact a “composite” made up of parts representing two different lineages of the Mountain gazelle G. gazella found in the Eastern Mediterranean region and on the Arabian Peninsula, respectively. But that’s not all. The new data indicate that the Arabian form, hitherto classified as a subspecies of G. gazella and recently recognized as a species in its own right, is in fact G. arabica, alive and kicking.

Western Great Egret – Sabkhat Al Fasl

Whilst birding at Sabkhat Al Fasl I found a Western Great Egret Ardea alba. The bird was feeding in a small wet area along the side of the reed beds and was very confiding for a bird of this species. This often leads me to wonder if the bird was injured in some way as hunters frequent this area and herons are one of their favourite quarries. The bird may have had a damaged left wing although it could fly as when a maintenance van passed too close it took off, flew around and landed back where it had originally been. The bird was happily feeding on the numerous small fish that live in these shallow pools and allowed me to take a number of good photographs of it, that are the best photographs I have taken of the species in Saudi Arabia. Trying to get the light right on a white bird against a dark background is difficult and this was no exception with this bird. The Western Great Egret is an uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor to the Eastern Province, although flocks of more than 50 birds are sometimes seen at Sabkhat Al Fasl with smaller numbers in Tarut Bay. In the rest of Saudi Arabia it is scarce inland although recorded regularly in the Riyadh area and Malaki Dam near Jizan in the south-west and is uncommon on the Red Sea coast.

Helmeted Guineafowl - Another endemic Arabian species?

Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris occurs in south-west Arabia including south-west Saudi Arabia and are regarded as being of the nominate meleagris form from north-east Africa & south-west Arabia. They differ from both sabyi & galeata by the thick pale bristles at the base of the upper mandible, only sparsely bristled nape, more pronounced red and yellow casque, blue sides of the head and wattles and finely speckled outer webs of the secondaries. The Handbook of Birds of the World states N. m. meleagris (Linnaeus, 1758) - East Chad east to Ethiopia, and south to North Zaire, Uganda and North Kenya; generally this race is assumed to have been introduced to extreme south-west Saudi Arabia and Western Yemen, but possibly also race somaliensis, or the population there represents an undescribed race given that birds are apparently smaller and darker, and were first noted as long ago as late 18th century. Dutch Birding-vogelnamen Arnoud B van den Berg, 15 August 2013 have them as an unnamed taxa Arabian Helmeted Guineafowl so maybe this could become another SW Arabian endemic species?

 The species has a very restricted range in south-west Saudi Arabia with birds only seen in the Malaki Dam Lake and Wadi Juwwah areas near Jizan. The birds are declining in numbers and it is possible they may be extinct within the next 30 years according the Mike Jennings Arabian Breeding Bird Atlas (2010).

Arabian Scops Owl Otus pamelae – A new Arabian Endemic

Keonig (2008) split Arabian Scops Owl Otus (senegalensis) pamelae as a distinct species from African Scops Owl O. s. senegalensis but recent work (Pons et al 2013) has shown African Scops Owl Otus senegalensis pamelae, represents a very distinct lineage and is well differentiated phylogenetically, morphologically and vocally from O. s. senegalensis. As a result it has been recommend to elevate it to species status, as Arabian Scops Owl Otus pamelae. The reasons for this are this southern Arabian taxon is highly divergent from African senegalensis (uncorrected-p mitochondrial genetic distance = 4%). The song of pamelae is very different from that of Eurasian Scops Owl O. scops and Pallid Scops Owl O. brucei but more similar to that of African Scops Owl O. senegalensis. It nevertheless differs from the latter’s song in being higher pitched, sounding ‘scratchier’ and having more prolonged notes; the song sounds two-parted, due to the much quieter first note (G.M. Kirwan & R. F. Porter pers. obs., Keonig et al. 2008). In terms of biometrics, results clearly suggest that pamelae is longer winged and longer legged than mainland African populations of senegalensis. In comparison with populations of O. senegalensis in continental Africa, Arabian pamelae is distinguished in being paler overall, with less distinct streaking over the underparts and a less obvious whitish line on the scapulars (Keonig et al. 2008). Arabian Scops Owls possess several diagnostic genetic and phenotypic characters and it is therefore consider the most appropriate taxonomic treatment is to recognize Arabian Scops Owl as a species Otus pamelae, and not as a subspecies of O. senegalensis as it was originally described based solely on morphological data. This change means that Arabian Scops Owl becomes a new Arabian endemic, found in South-west Saudi Arabia, South-west Yemen and north-east to southern Oman and African Scops Owl Otus senegalensis is now no longer found in Arabia but instead occurs in parts of Ethiopia, Eritrea & Somalia.

Note: Birds seen and heard in Daallo Forest, Somaliland, sound very similar to the scops owls of South-west Arabia which are now considered to be a separate species (see above). Their call is noticeably different from that of African Scops Owl O. senegalensis, which is what they were previously considered to be. The identity of the Daallo birds may not be resolved until their DNA can be tested; they could be Arabian Scops Owls but it is also possible that they may prove to be a distinct taxon (Birdquest 2012).

Jean-Marc Pons, Guy M. Kirwan, Richard F. Porter & Jerome Fuchs (2013). A reappraisal of the systematic affinities of Socotran, Arabian and East African scops owls (Otus, Strigidae) using a combination of molecular, biometric and acoustic data. Ibis (2013), doi: 10.1111/ibi.12041

Keonig, C., Weick, F. & Becking, J.-H. 2008. Owls: A Guide to the Owls of the World, 2nd edn. London: Christopher Helm.

Redmond, N. 2012. Birdquest Tour Report: Djibouti & Somaliland 9-27 September 2012.

Eastern Black Redstart – Al Khafah

Phil and I went to some extensive palm groves in a little village called Al Khafah near Nairyah looking for Hypocolius a species I am yet to see in Saudi Arabia. We had no luck with the Hypocolius but found a nice Eastern Black Redstart in the palm plantation. The bird was calling continuously with another calling nearby and although quite difficult to see I managed a single photograph of the bird where it can be seen in is an Eastern Black Redstart a species that is not commonly seen by us. This was in fact Phil’s first record for the Eastern Province and I have only seen then twice in Dhahran. Phil did, however, find another one in Dhahran the next day. The species is regarded as an uncommon migrant and winter visitor most areas of Saudi Arabia that is a common winter visitor to the western mountains of Hejaz and Asir. Most records are of the eastern race Eastern Black Redstart P. o. phoenicuroides although Western Black Redstart also occurs in very small numbers.

Eastern Black Redstart

 Other birds seen included a female Desert Wheatear, two Siberian Stonechats and a very late Quail flushed from the rank grass growing under some palms. A Eurasian Sparrowhawk flushed all the roosting doves from the plantation at one stage but very little else was seen.

Desert Wheatear - female

A few interesting winter visitors - Dhahran Hills

There have been a few interesting birds around the camp in the last week with probably the best being a male Eastern Black Redstart seen along the edge of the golf course. The Red-tailed Wheatear is still present in the same place and may be set to stay the winter. The first Song Thrush of the winter was seen from my office window 8 December with a Lesser Whitethroat in the same area feeding on fallen dates. Song Thrush can be common or scarce in the camp depending on the year, with 2010-2011 being a good winter and the last two years being poor. Western Cattle Egret numbers have now reached over 70 birds and all are roosting in a very small reed-bed on the settling pond and the main percolation pond is still dry and all the reeds removed.  The settling pond has a few Common moorhens and two Eurasian Coots as well as a number of waders including three Common Snipe, one Green Sandpiper and seven Ruff. The spray fields are wet at the moment and are holing a small flock of up to ten Eurasian Skylarks, a similar number of meadow Pipits, three Tawny Pipits, 75+ Water Pipits and 50+ White Wagtails. A Siberian Stonechat was in the fields with other birds seen including a female Desert Wheatear on the scrubby desert area and two Eurasian Sparrowhawks flying about over the general area.

Water Pipit

Water Pipit

White Wagtail

Siberian Stonechat

Plenty of Eurasian Skylarks – Qaryat Al Ulya

Phil and I went on our annual trip ‘up north’ to check out the pivot irrigation fields and stony plains of the Dibdibah. This trip is normally extremely hard work with very few species seen but some good birds can often make the journey worthwhile. This time we saw 21 species of birds only, but a massive improvement on the nine species we saw last time. The largest number of birds seen were Eurasian Skylarks with flocks of over 100 birds in two different spray fields and plenty of other smaller groups in other fields. Other birds in the fields were Tawny Pipits, Crested Larks a few White Wagtails, two Water Pipits and good numbers of Common Kestrels with at least 15 different birds.

Eurasian Skylark

Eurasian Skylark

Eurasian Skylark

Tawny Pipit

Two Eastern Imperial Eagles including an adult were seen resting in the cops of one spray field but never allowed close approach. Doves were thin on the ground but Laughing, Eurasian Collared and Namaqua Doves were seen in small numbers. A grey shrike was flushed off a fence but flew off and was not identified. The Dibdibah was very quiet with only three Greater Hoopoe Larks seen and very little else. There was quite a good new growth of green plants on the Dibdibah germinating due to the large amount of rain we had a couple of weeks ago and looks promising for some good birds in the spring. Eastern Morning Wheatear, Desert Wheatear and Desert Lark were seen at Jebal Nayriyah but no sign of the Pharaoh Eagle Owl of a couple of years ago.

Eastern Imperial Eagle - adult

Spanish Sparrows at Sabkhat Al Fasl – Bird records by Andre Marais

Spanish Sparrow is an uncommon bird at Sabkhat Al Fasl. I have seen birds there twice in previous winters but it is always good to see.  Andre Marais found a small flock near the golf course and took a few photos of them that he kindly sent to me and allowed me to publish. Birds are not common in the Eastern Province although large groups have been seen near Haradh. In Saudi Arabia as a whole they are much more common in the north and west with regular sightings in the Riyadh area. They breed in Saudi Arabia but larger numbers are seen in the winter so presumably they are a winter visitor as well.