The Middle East

The Middle-east is not a continent in the recognised sense of the term but more or less an area which seems not to be fully part of Europe, Asia or Africa, much of it, historically was known as ‘Asia Minor’. Moreover, no-one seems to agree on which nations make up the grouping. Some think Turkey and Cyprus are part of the Middle East whilst others place these countries in Europe. Some include Egypt, although it is clearly part of Africa. Fatbirder merely follows popular culture and political opinion  and includes all the countries sometimes referred to as the middle east, some of the links connect to pages that are located within other continents – such as Egypt and Armenia.

The governments of some middle-eastern countries are at the forefront of good conservation and have put much effort in to preserving bird life in the wild. Sadly, however, a web search is likely to come across many references to Falconry which has many devotees among the richest people the Middle East. This practice drives a trade in illegally taken birds rather than those bred in captivity and, in some places, is also responsible for the endangerment of other bird species such as bustards etc. Nevertheless, there is hope as more as more countries recognise the need to conserve wildlife and their wild places for the sake of humanity, if not truly for the sake of nature itself.

One must tread very lightly too for fear of treading on political sensitivities. The middle east has had wars and insurgencies have been rife, ever since the end of WW2. The State of Israel remains at the centre of many of these conflicts as some fight to protect its very existence and others seek to change its borders or abolish it altogether. Internecine strife has been tearing Syria apart for many years while the Lebanon has been through similar problems. The Yemen has been described as a rogue state and post-war Iraq houses divided and rival communities. Human rights are compromised in many places and personal freedoms subject to narrow confines.

Tuwaiq Escarpmenr, Saudi Arabia – Dunwich, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Leaving all politics aside one can decry all these conflicts as disasters for conservation which have included the almost total destruction of marshland in Iraq only now beginning to slowly re-build. Regardless of the delicate state of politics and the delicate local environments, the middle east is also a major migration route for millions of birds flying north or south from or to Africa or Europe and Asia proper. In a few places such as around the north of the Red Sea bird tourism is a regular industry. If there was political stability and consistent conservation this continental crossroads would surely attract many more green tourist visitors.

Birding the Middle East

Information about the birds of the area can be found on individual nation’s pages.