African Wildcat – Abha area

Whilst out spotlighting in the Abha area recently I came across an African (Arabian) Wildcat where it was seen hunting high up in an area of large boulders. The subspecies of African Wildcat that occurs in Arabia is Felis lybica tristramidistributed from Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan to northern Saudi Arabia. They occur in the northwest of Saudi Arabia, but as far as we are aware has not been previously recorded from the Abha region. They are known to have a broad habitat tolerance from deserts, semi deserts, savannahs, scrub grassland to open forests in hilly and rocky terrain as well as in mixed forests. In some areas of its range it is restricted to mountains and dry watercourses. They have a more upright posture in the sitting position and a different walking form from domestic cat with a background colour ranging from reddish to sandy yellow and is typically marked with faint stripes and spots. Hairs have black tips giving a speckled appearance, their legs are banded with black bars and they have a reddish or rusty-brown tint to the backs of the ears. The long, thin tail ends with two or three black rings and a black tip and there is a line of darker fur down the spine from the shoulder to the base of the tail. The African species distinguishes itself from the European Wildcat by its lighter build, less distinct markings and thin tapering tail. 

Philby’s Partridge – Abha area

Whilst birding recently in the Abha area I came across a good number of Philby’s Partridge Alectoris philbyi.This is a scarce resident of the south-west highlands and is related to the Chukar & Red-legged Partridge and is native to south-western Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It can be easily identified from other partridges by the black cheeks and throat and a narrow white stripe from the bill to behind the eye separating the black from the greyish-blue head. Both sexes look alike, although males may be slightly larger in size and have a tarsal knob. The best sites for locating the species are the terrace fields near Tanoumah, the dry scrub covered hillsides on Jebal Souda plateau and the area around Al Baha. They prefer juniper dominated habitats where rocky knolls & clearings occur and occurs from 1500 – 3000 metre elevations. Numbers have declined significantly in the Jebal Soudah area, probably due to increased human activity in the area and even at locations where birds are seen they are very timid and do not allow close approach. Luckily I got close to a number of birds from the car and managed to take my best photos yet of the species some of which are show below.

Rock Hyrax – Abha area

Whilst birding the Abha area recently I came across five Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis jayacari sunning themselves on rock boulders, but they appeared very shy and soon disappeared.This animal is diurnal and they live in groups where they occupy a wide range of habitats, from arid deserts to rainforest, occurring from sea level to 4,300 m but are dependent on the presence of suitable refuges in rocky outcrops and mountain cliffs. It requires numerous cavities and crevices that are large enough to shelter in, but small enough to discourage predators. These cavities often face away from prevailing winds, have good visibility of the surrounding habitat, and are close to sunlit areas for basking and suitable foraging areas as it needs easy access to basking spots when it is cold, as well as deep crevices to escape excessive heat. When it emerges from its burrow it often spends one or two hours basking in the sun to warm up before going foraging for food. Their diet comprises a variety of grasses and shrubs, with a predilection for new shoots, buds, fruits and berries. They have a poor ability to regulate their body temperature and a low metabolic rate for their body size. Body temperature is maintained mainly by gregarious huddling, long periods of inactivity, and basking. They are all small to medium-sized herbivores (1.5-5 kg), with short legs, a rudimentary tail, and round ears. Rock hyrax are native to Saudi Arabia the Arabian Peninsula and throughout Africa. In Saudi Arabia it is generally recorded from the west of the country in the mountains. Due to its wide geographical range and high numbers where it is found the species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. The subspecies found in Saudi Arabia is Procavia capensis jayacariand are distinguished from Procavia capensis capensis of Africa by their relatively pale dorsal spot, which is black in most African subspecies. 

Arabian Partridge – Abha area

Whilst birding recently in the Abha area I came across a pair of Arabian Partridge Alectoris melanocephala. Thisis a common resident of the south-west highlands, especially steep wooded hillsides of the western escarpment of Jebal Souda, the Raydah Protected Area, Tanoumah and the Al Baha area. They prefer juniper dominated habitats where rocky knolls & clearings occur.  It has also been recorded at terraced fields on the Souda Plateau and feeds mainly on plant material, seeds and insects. They are also common in the Tihama region at Jebal Aswad and Jebal Gaha and can be found from 250 – 2800 metres elevation. They are much larger than other Alectoris species with the sexes being similar, although females are slightly smaller. They have a black crown extending down the nape; a broad white band begins in front of the eye and extends to the back of the head. The chin and upper throat are also white and are separated from the white above the eye by a narrow black band that starts at the bill, extends to the cheek and forms a "V" on the neck. The sides of the neck are pastel brown and the rest of the plumage is bluish grey with pronounced barring on the sides. 

Yemen Rock Agama - Tanoumah

Whilst birdwatching the Tanoumah area of the Asir Mountains, 120 kms north of Abha, I came across a Yemen Rock Agama Acanthocercus yemensis. The Yemen Rock Agama occurs in northern Yemen and adjacent Saudi Arabia, but the limits of its distribution in Saudi Arabia are currently not well known, although I have seen it as far north as Bani Saad. It occurs from around 2,000 to 3,000 metres above sea level mainly in rocky habitats. They occur both on the ground and climbing rocky surfaces, including stone-walls and human habitations where they are sometimes common. 

Indigofera spinose - Abha

Whilst birding the Abha area I came across some Indigofera spinose in dry wadi bottoms with scattered acacia tress in the mountains. Indigofera spinoseis a dwarf shrub that is widely distributed in arid areas and tolerates heavy defoliation and drought. The normally occur in semi-desert grassland, where they are often common as well as drier Acacia deciduous bushland with 150–600 mm of rainfall. They are an intricate shrub growing up to 50 centimetres tall with the young stems densely covered with stiff appressed white hairs and the older stems glabrescent and often corky at the base.

Arabian Wheatear – Abha area

Whilst birding recently in the Abha area I came across a few Arabian Wheatear Oenanthe lugentoides where birds were most often perched on areas of boulders with slightly more males recorded than females.This is a rather scarce resident of the south-west highlands, but is also found in Oman, Palestine and Yemen, mainly in rocky, bushy sites. It is widespread on the Jebal Souda plateau, Wadi Tale’a and Tanoumah. They also occur in the Tihama mainly around jebals such as Jebal Aswad and Jebal Gaha and have been recorded as far north as Taif where they are common around Wadi Thee Gazelle. 

Desert Rose – Abha

Whilst birding the Abha area I came across a Desert Rose Adenium obesumin a crack in some boulders. Adenium obesum is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, that is native to the Sahel regions, south of the Sahara (from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan), and tropical and subtropical eastern and southern Africa and Arabia. It is an evergreen or drought-deciduous succulent shrub (which can also lose its leaves during cold spells. It can grow to 1–3 metres in height, with pachycaul stems and a stout, swollen basal caudex. The leaves are spirally arranged, clustered toward the tips of the shoots, simple entire, leathery in texture, 5–15 cm long and 1–8 cm broad. The flowers are tubular, 2–5 cm long, with the outer portion 4–6 cm diameter with five petals. The flowers tend to red and pink, often with a whitish blush outward of the throat.

Arabian Serin – Abha area

Whilst birding recently in the Abha area I came across a few endemic Arabian Serin Serinus rothschildi.This is a rather scarce resident of the south-west highlands occurring in scrubland and acacia sites, where they have been seen regularly on Raydah escarpment at Raydah Farm and at the farm at the bottom of the escarpment by the village. Birds have also been seen at Tanoumah as well as in the Raghadan Forest area of Al Baha and further north to Taif, where good numbers can be seen at certain times. They also occur in the lower elevation Tihama around Jebal Gaha where a few have been seen. In 1980’s it was recorded more frequently than now, suggesting a possible decline in numbers. 

Kleinia odora - Abha

Whilst birding the Abha area I came across some Kleinia odora. This plant is found in Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen and Saudi Arabia and is distinguished by having succulent stems or leaves. It is common in low dry hills along coastal plains where it forms large clumps bearing dense clusters of cream or whitish flowers on the tips of the pencil-like stems. Kleinia odorais a succulent herb that grows up to one metre tall. The stems of the plant are terete, jointed, and are marked with dark lines that run from the bases of the leaves. The leaves are fleshy and 10–35 millimetres in length and the flowers are a pale yellow.