birds in Oman

The Sultanate has three distinct climatic zones and this helps create suitable environments for a large variety of birds. Over 450 species of birds (out of 10,000 known worldwide) have been identified in the Sultanate of Oman, a country with limited rainfall: some are passage migrants, some are resident and some are breeding visitors.

There are just over 85 resident birds living in Oman all year round, while the majority are "migratory" birds which visit the country only at certain times of the year.In Muscat Indian Rollers, Little Green Beeeaters, Yellow-vented Bulbuls, Graceful Prinias and the Purple Sunbirds can be seen at any time of the year.Muscat is also one of the best places in the world to study the Steppe Eagle and one may see up to 100 at any one time.Musandam, with its mountainous peaks rising to 2,000 metres is the home of the Chukar, a member of the Partridge family.The eastern and central regions of Oman are the places to see shorebirds: Herons, waders, Sandpipers and Plovers migrate here from their breeding grounds along the shores of the Arctic Ocean in northern Europe and Siberia migrate here. And the Barr Al Hikman is famous for its flocks of Greater Flamingo.

The Batinah plain stretching between the mountains of the Western Hajar and the Gulf of Oman from Muscat to the UAE border holds farmland which is attractive to birds flying high during migrations. There are several important bird sites in this region: the offshore Sawadi islands have breeding Sooty Falcons in summer, and the Daymaniyat Islands in the Gulf of Oman have breeding Ospreys in winter and thousands of Bridled Terns and other tern species in summer. It is strictly forbidden to visit the Daymaniyat Islands from May to October.The bird life of the southern region is quite different and here 30 species of birds are exclusively

found: Ruppel's Weaver, Didric Cuckoo, African Scops Owl to name but a few

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