Famous Birds in Salalah – Feathered Beauties

Here are a few birds we had the pleasure of spotting in this region. Black necked grebe, squacco heron, western reef heron, cotton teal, little stint, citrine wagtail, isabelline wheater, greater flamingo, ferruginous duck, black winged stilt, Kentish plover, curlew sandpiper and many more varieties.

Salalah is best known for its stunning beaches and equally gorgeous surroundings. If you have booked yourself into a Salalah beach resort hit the beach at dawn. You won't be disappointed as you will be well rewarded with sights of Red billed tropic bird, Pacific golden plover and Caspian tern. There are many varieties of gulls such as Caspian Gull, sooty gull and Siberian gull together with loads of ring necked parakeets and the African rock martin. Furthermore, between a fresh water lagoon, the sea and the Al Baleed Archaeological Park is a stretch of beach occupied by Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara; and should you choose this location the rewards are plenty for the lagoon area is graced by many aquatic bird species.

Sahnawt is a working farm; the place is popular amongst a huge variety of birds and it does not take long for one to spot these species; the crested lark, singing bush lark and black headed wagtail. The place is literally crowded with all manner of bird species and you will be rewarded with sights of black kite, white stork, great spotted eagle, white winged black tern, bonellies eagle, European roller, blue checked bee eater, clamourous reed warbler, citrine wagtail and many African silver bill. A treat indeed, do make sure you hit the farm at first light.

The Ayn Hamran region is favoured by birders as the place offers almost immediate glimpses of some of Dhofar's most popular bird species. We found that our visit between 9 am and 11 am was well rewarded with sightings; map out a route preferably uphill past a farm a beautiful little spring and finally into a gorgeous rustic wadi. A wadi by the way is a dry valley or ravine that is only replenished during the rainy season. Wadi's in Salalah are beautiful and popular playgrounds for birds. We spotted over three varieties of eagles; short toed eagle, bonellies eagle and the Imperial eagle. Others include grey headed kingfisher, Bruce's green pigeon, desert lesser white throat, Arabian warbler, Upchers warbler, African paradise flycatcher and many more.

Here you can sit on the beach and look out for cattle egret, masked booby, swift tern, lesser crested tern, sandwich tern, slender billed gull, sooty gull and desert wheater. Get ready for a treat as the area is favoured by the very rare Pied Cuckoo.