Birds of Fujairah and the UAE East Coast

A review of the recently republished book, A Photographic Guide to Birds of the Middle East, has been posted on the site, Reviewing Books and Movies.

An article on ‘Birds in the UAE’ has also been put on the site, Experiencing the Emirates.

The book, Birds of the Middle East, recognizes the crucial importance of Fujairah and the east coast as possessing major sites for watching the rich and varied bird population in this region.

The main bird watching areas in any country will include coastal wetlands, freshwater wetlands, deserts, woodlands, mountains, agricultural areas, towns and cities and the seashore. Fujairah possesses many of these different areas and often in close proximity to one another. This gives a clue into why some have called Fujairah the ‘bird watching capital of the UAE’.

Birds of the Middle East gives prominence to the areas of Khor Kalba (just south of Fujairah and near the Omani border), the Masafi Wadi, the Fujairah National Dairy Farm (Dibba), the Fujairah Corniche (especially near the Gurfa Breakwater on the boundary of Fujairah and Kalba, Sharjah) and many mountain spots.

As I have encouraged in the posting on ‘Birds in the UAE’, check out the web site Birding the United Arab Emirates, look at the wonderful photos and the ‘This Month So Far’ with the list of birds sighted in Fujairah’s popular bird watching areas.

Geoff Pound

Image: The Indian Roller bird is regularly seen around Fujairah. Last month a group of Bird Watchers to the Fujairah National Dairy Farm in Dibba spotted 15 Indian Rollers in one outing.