Guide to Birds of UAE
December 01, 2012 By: Amruta Kshemkalyani

Hi Tribe,

I have been collecting data about this topic for a very long time including taking photos of these beautiful birds found in such a small desert country.

It is definitely a great co-incidence to publish Birds In UAE before UAE’s National Day! It’s my personal tribute to the natural beauty of UAE; my second home.

There are more scientific and statistical data available on the internet for Birds in UAE, if anybody is interested. (Also see at the end of the article my note about where to find more information about birds in UAE.)

I have classified all these birds into 3 main categories

1. Native Birds, endangered birds come under the same category.

2. Migratory birds and

3. Newly introduced species.

Migratory Birds

While talking about migratory birds, we all need to keep in mind the very central location of UAE on the world map. When winter begins in the Northern Hemisphere, many migratory birds from Europe and North Asia take their stop in UAE while migrating to Africa and southern parts. Why they choose UAE? The answer to that is, while they pass the region, it’s winter in UAE so the weather is pleasant for them. UAE is blessed with numerous marshes and mangroves; to name a few Ras Al Khor, Eastern Mangrove in Abu Dhabi, Khor Al Kalba, etc. You can read here a complete guide to UAE’s Khors, Lagoons, Marshes, and wetlands.

So a very convenient location of this tip of the Arabian peninsula, plus abundantly available food supply for these birds here which include fish and biodiverse species in mangroves are the reasons why this region is popular among migratory birds. We get to see migratory birds mainly in marshes, mangroves, seashores, and sometimes in parks.

Slender-billed Gull

Lesser Crested Tern

Mallard

Common Sandpiper

Grey Heron

Native Birds

There are some of UAE’s native birds, who are thriving in this very hot and humid condition for ages. We get to see these birds all over the country near the coast and also in the desert.

Kalbanese Kingfisher:
The Kalba Collared Kingfisher also called the Kalbaensis, the UAE’s only kingfisher is found in Khor Kalba. It is a blue-green and white bird that is considered one of the rarest in the world and has lived in isolation from other kingfisher species found in South and East Asia. It often picks up crabs from the ground.

Grey Francolin or Grey Partridge:

Grey Francolin or Grey Partridge

Endangered Houbara/MacQueen Bustard

This used to be a very popular bird in Arabia where it used to be hunted with the help of trained Falcons till the 1990s. The trend has stopped now because this species has become extinct in UAE.
It is a light sandy brown and white bird with a large body, long legs, and a slender neck. There is a bib-like tuft of feathers over the breast. When performing the spectacular breeding dance in front of a female, male fluffs the feathers in such a way to make feather basket around his face.

In 1995 late HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan set up Emirates Center for Wildlife propagation in Morrocco to protect and conserve Houbara Bustard in North Africa. In 2006 International Fund for Houbara Conservation is set up in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. Under this conservation program, the centers are established for captive breeding of the birds in UAE, Morocco, Kazakhstan, and China. In 2011 alone IFHC bred 20,475 Asian and North African Houbara in its centers. Out of which in UAE, there were 2,727 Asian houbara chicks born in captivity with an encouraging 53 percent survival rate.
At the same time, the number of Houbara released into the wild was a record 13,400, reaching the milestone figure of 50,000 since the Houbara release program began in 1998 with just two birds released in North Africa. Some 1,350 of them were released in 10 different locations across the UAE.

You can see Houbara Bustard in Arabian Wildlife Center in Sharjah, where they breed this UAE’s national bird.

Newly Introduced Resident Birds

Some birds came from somewhere else and settled here permanently. These comparatively newly settled birds in this region are multiplying quickly as they live in newly created landscaped habitat in UAE, where they get enough food and water supply even in summer. I have seen many birds drinking water from water sprinklers used for landscaping and the same landscape (trees, flora, fauna, and dates) provide them food in summer. These birds are found in all sorts of residential areas and parks in UAE.

Little Green Bee-Eater

Indian roller

Greater Flamingo

House Sparrow

Alexandrine or Large Indian Parakeet

Laughing /Palm Dove

Eurasian Collared/Ring Dove

Red-wattled Lapwing

Common Myna

Also interesting, there is a recent discovery in the Hajar mountains, the eastern region of UAE of a bird named, Arabian Eagle-owl, read here.

UAE’s best places for Bird watching (Bird habitats)

1. Sea Shore, Creeks & Wetlands

Click to read a list of Khors, Marshes & Mangroves in UAE
Dubai Creek
Ras Al Khaimah Corniche
Abu Dhabi Corniche
Buhaira Corniche Sharjah
Beaches in Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Khorfakan
Eastern Mangrove National Park, Abu Dhabi

2. Bird Sanctuaries across UAE

Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, Dubai
Wasit Wetland Bird Sanctuary, Sharjah
Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, Abu Dhabi

3. Desert & Dunes

Almost 75-80% of land in the UAE is covered by desert and dunes.

4. Mountains & Wadies

Hajar Mountain Range, Hatta
Ladies in Fujairah
Mountain roads joining Masafi, Fujairah, Khorfakan

5. Man-made Environments

Public Parks like Creek Park, Safa Park. Al Barsha pond park etc
Sewage Treatment Plants like International City
Golf courses, Hotel Premises
Al Qudra Lakes
Landscaped Residential Communities like The Greens, The Gardens

Next time when you go outdoors, you might see some of these beautiful birds in the UAE, just look in your surroundings carefully. Enjoy bird watching and Happy National Day to all UAE people!

Want birds to visit your garden in UAE?

If you are a bird lover and want some birds to come and visit you in your garden, then read here some tips about sustainable gardening to attract birds. By using these tips, you can create your own private birdwatching spot. Here is my experience (& some more bird photos) of watching my flying neighbors from the window.

You can also create a DIY bird feeder by upcycling milk carton to attract birds in your garden, watch here our video tutorial,

If you would like to know more about Nature and sustainable lifestyle, join our tribe here.

Note: To find more about birds in UAE checkout below links
http://www.uaebirding.com/
http://www.arkive.org/uae/en/birds
I would also recommend a very informative and beautiful book published by Dubai Municipality “Birds of Dubai A Pictorial Guide”

Disclaimer for Photos:
Photos in this post are the author’s property, to use these photos you can contact the author and link the photos back to this website.

Join Our Tribe!