Recent significant UAE bird sightings
All reports of rare birds are subject to assessment by the EBRC and should not be considered formal records.
White-eyed Gull
Kalba Corniche, 4 Nov 2022
© John Shemilt
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Jebel Dhanna, 1 Jan 2023
© Khalifa Al Dhaheri
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2023
1 Apr
One Streak-throated Swallow Al Maha Forest--southern desert lakes. 17th UAE record. Not recorded since Dec 2021.
26 Mar
The same (or new?) Asian Brown Flycatcher in the off-limit and private Jebel Dhanna--housing area.
23 Mar
Two early Cinereous Bunting (Yellow-bellied) at Khor Khalid--Al Majaz Park
22 Mar
A sec-cal Mediterranean Gull at Rugheilat Beach. 14th UAE record.
The proposed Eastern Yellow Wagtail still presen at Ajman Water Treatment Plant.
17 Mar 2023
The Temminck's Lark now in the Al Marmoom DCR--Al Qudra Lake and surroundings.
15 Mar 2023
The Ashy Drongo still in Dubai Creek Park.
9 Mar
The Eastern Cattle Egret now at Mushrif Palace Gardens helipad.
The adult male Little Crake still at Al Marmoom DCR.
7 Mar
The Eastern Cattle Egret now at Khor al-Maqta'a Park.
The Pied Kingfisher still at Al Rafa'a bridge and beach
6 Mar
One adult male Little Crake at Al Marmoom DCR. 30th UAE record.
1 Mar
One (returning?) Eastern Cattle Egret at Abu Dhabi Officers' Club. 14th UAE record.
One Brahminy Starling Ajban Farms, possible vagrant.
19 Feb
The Wire-tailed Swallow still at Al Wathba Wetland Reserve.
18 Feb
The proposed Eastern Yellow Wagtail still at Ajman Water Treatment Plant.
17 Feb
Two Asian Koel still in Al Murajeeb Ladies Park.
12 Feb
The proposed male Asian Koel in Abu Dhabi Formal Park. Might it be the same bird Oct/Nov moulting to male plumage?
Sociable Lapwings still being seen in the Hamraniyah Fields--northern area.
11 Feb
Two Moustached Warblers Al Marmoom DCR. 21st UAE record.
One female Red-crested Pochard Al Falah overflow. 36th UAE record.
9 Feb
Two (male and female) Asian Koel in Al Murajeeb Ladies Park. 33rd UAE record.
8 Feb
One proposed Eastern Yellow Wagtail at Ajman Water Treatment Plant. 1st UAE record!
6 Feb
A female Hen Harrier at Al Adlah--roundabout.
4 Feb 2023
One Ashy Drongo in Dubai Creek Park. 11th UAE record.
1 Feb 2023
1 Pied Kingfisher at Al Rafa'a bridge and beach
22 Jan 2023
One Eurasian Woodcock in Mushrif Palace Gardens. 23rd UAE record.
One Pale Martin in Al Maha Forest--Pivot Fields (no access).
One European Robin in Heritage Park.
The Pied Kingfisher still at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club (restricted access).
21 Jan 2023
One Bay-backed Shrike in Abu Dhabi Formal Park.
Two Buff-bellied Pipit at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club (restricted access).
20 Jan 2023
One Little Swift photographed at Akoya Lake.
3 Jan 2023
One Brahminy Starling on Sir Bani Yas. The 17th UAE record of a presumed vagrant bird.
1 Jan 2023
One Asian Brown Flycatcher in the off-limit and private Jebel Dhanna--housing area. 1st UAE record!
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2022
27 Dec 2022
One Pied Kingfisher at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club (restricted access).
20 Dec 2022
A proposed male Asian Koel in Abu Dhabi Formal Park.
27 Nov 2022
A Wire-tailed Swallow at Al Maha Forest--southern desert lakes. 24th UAE record.
The White-eyed Gull still present along Kalba Corniche.
26 Nov 2022
A Pheasant-tailed Jacana in Al Marmoom DCR, 11 km away from Flamingo Lakes. Same bird as 12 Nov?
20 Nov 2022
The female-coloured Asian Koel still in Abu Dhabi Formal Park.
15 Nov 2022
The Brambling still at Al Saad Farms--Remah.
14 Nov 2022
One Brambling at Al Saad Farms--Remah.
12 Nov 2022
One Pheasant-tailed Jacana at Al Marmoom DCR--Flamingo Lakes. 7th UAE record.
One Amur Falcon at Al Maha Forest--Pivot Fields
One Forest Wagtail at Abu Dhabi--The Club.
Around 50 Sociable Lapwings reported from various sites these days. See eBird for details.
11 Nov 2022
Two Temminck's Lark now reported from Al Marmoom DCR--south cycle track area. Most likely escaped or released birds.
10 Nov 2022
The White-eyed Gull now present in Khor Kalba Harbour.
8 Nov 2022
The White-eyed Gull still showing well along Kalba Corniche.
5 Nov 2022
The Temminck's Lark still reported from Al Marmoom DCR--south cycle track area.
4 Nov 2022
A White-eyed Gull along Kalba Corniche. 4th UAE record, not reported since 9 Nov 2002.
The Temminck's Lark still reported from Al Marmoom DCR--south cycle track area.
29 Oct 2022
A Spur-winged Lapwing in Al Marmoom DCR. Possibly returning bird. 13th UAE record.
A Temminck's Lark from Al Marmoom DCR--south cycle track area. It is possible it is a released bird.
23 Oct 2022
An Icterine Warbler in Heritage Park. 18th UAE record.
The Asian Koel and a Blyth's Reed Warbler still in Abu Dhabi Formal Park.
22 Oct 2022
The Black-winged Pratincole still at Al Maha Forest--Pivot Fields (restricted access).
20 Oct 2022
One Asian Koel in Abu Dhabi Formal Park. 31st UAE record.
5 Oriental Turtle Dove still at Wamm Farm.
18 Oct 2022
A record number of 6 Oriental Turtle Dove at Wamm Farm. Previous high count was 4 on Abu Dhabi island 21 Sep 1992.
11 Oct 2022
One Caspian Plover Wamm Farms.
9 Oct 2022
One Black-winged Pratincole at Al Maha Forest--Pivot Fields (restricted access). 30th UAE record, not recorded since Aug 2019.
8 Oct 2022
The Green Warbler still in Abu Dhabi Formal Park.
Also 1 Blyth's Reed Warbler present.
2 Oct 2022
A Green Warbler in Abu Dhabi Formal Park. 25th UAE record.
1 Oct 2022
An Oriental Turtle Dove at Wamm Farm.
10 Sep 2022
A Large-billed Leaf Warbler in Abu Dhabi Formal Park. 2nd UAE record.
Also 6 Blyth's Reed Warbler present.
25 June 2022
A Masked Booby Khor Kalba Pelagic. 46th UAE record.
105 Wilson's Storm Petrel also recorded.
5 Jun 2022
A Brown Booby off Sharm breakwaters and beach. Presumed same as two days earlier.
3 Jun 2022
A Brown Booby off Al Aqah--Le Meridien and beach camping. 18th UAE record.
Fledgling Black Drongo out of the nest, with both parents, in Dubai.
21 May 2022
A Masked Booby Offshore Fujairah. 45th UAE record.
The River Warbler still in Abu Dhabi Formal Park.
20 May 2022
An Icterine Warbler in Al Mamzar Park. 17th UAE record.
A new River Warbler at Emirates Palace. 14th UAE record.
18 May 2022
The Common Chaffinch and River Warbler still in Abu Dhabi Formal Park.
14 May 2022
A River Warbler in Abu Dhabi Formal Park. 13th UAE record and not recorded since May 2013.
12 May 2022
First record of Black Drongo nesting in the UAE (undisclosed area).
6 May 2022
A male Common Chaffinch in Abu Dhabi Formal Park. 7th UAE record.
An unseasonally late Semicollared Flycatcher also present.
26 Apr 2022
Two Sooty Shearwater off Faqiat Beach (Dibba Family Picnic Area). 34th UAE record.
19 Apr 2022
One Black Tern off Dibba Rock. 17th UAE record. One immature Sooty Tern, also off Dibba Rock. 25th UAE record.
Also one Sooty Shearwater off Dibba Rock. Not recorded since May 2019.
17 Apr 2022
One Griffon Vulture at Private estate near Green Mubazzarah. 17th UAE Record.
16 Apr 2022
One Red Knot Al Jazirah Khor. 13th UAE record.
15 Apr 2022
One Masked Booby off Khor Kalba--Kingfisher Retreat. 44th UAE record.
12 Apr 2022
Three Griffon Vulture at Al Marmoom DCR--Al Qudra Lake and surroundings. 16th UAE Record.
26 Mar 2022
The White-throated Kingfisher still present in Sila'a--Public Park.
22 Mar 2022
Two Cinereous Bunting (Yellow-bellied), one at Abu Dhabi--The Founder's Memorial and one Baynona Park.
20 Mar 2022
Two Barn Swallow (Tytler's) at Al Maha Forest--Pivot Fields (no access). One adult Wire-tailed Swallow same place (24th UAE record)
The Long-tailed Shrike still at Al Zorah Nursery.
18 Mar 2022
One Dusky Thrush at Emirates Palace. 5th UAE record.
15 Mar 2022
The Buff-bellied Pipit still at Al Hamriyah E-11 overpass.
14 Mar 2022
Immature Black-legged Kittiwake Al-Zora shoreline. 8th UAE record.
25 Feb 2022
One Long-tailed Shrike at Al Zorah Nursery, possibly returning bird from 2021. 10th UAE record.
19 Feb 2022
The female Eversmann's Redstart still on Jebel Hafit.
15 Feb 2022
Two Black Drongo in Mushrif National Park. Same as in Quranic Garden?? A visit to both places on the same day needed.
The Radde's Accentor still in Wadi Shees Park.
14 Feb 2022
Two Black Drongo still in Quranic Garden.
10 Feb 2022
The Bay-backed Shrike still present in Ajman BBQ Park (Ghabat Al Regayeb).
5 Feb 2022
A Wire-tailed Swallow at Khudhairah farms. 23rd UAE record.
The White-throated Kingfisher still in Sila'a--Public Park.
30 Jan 2022
Two Black Drongo in Quranic Garden.
19 Jan 2022
A new count of TWO Wire-tailed Swallows at Al Maha Forest--Pivot Fields (no access).
14 Jan 2022
Five Sociable Lapwing at Al Rawdha.
12 Jan 2022
A Hen Harrier at Al Maha Forest--Pivot Fields (no access). Not seen in the UAE since Nov 2020.
9 Jan 2022
A Long-eared Owl on Lulu Island. 17th UAE record.
8 Jan 2022
Three Spanish Sparrow in Sila'a--Harbour Marsh. 14th UAE record since summer 2007, not recorded since March 2013 (Lulu Island)
A Forest Wagtail at Sila'a WTP (14th record away from Abu Dhabi island), and the White-throated Kingfisher still in Sila'a--Public Park.
The Wire-tailed Swallow still at Al Maha Forest--southern desert lakes.
5 Jan 2022
A male Eversmann's Redstart in a private garden in Al Ain.
3 Jan 2022
A record count of 16 Little Swift at Al Ain Water Treatment Plant. 42nd UAE record.
2 Jan 2022
The Yellow-browed Warbler still in Abu Dhabi Formal Park.
1 Jan 2022
One Long-eared Owl Al Wathba Wetland Reserve. 16th UAE record, not recorded since 2013.