State of Qatar
Qatar is a country in West Asia home to around 2.75 million people but only around 320,000 of them are Qatari citizens the rest are expatriates and migrant workers. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula that protrudes 160 kilometres (100 mi) into the Persian Gulf, on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares its sole land border with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. The Gulf of Bahrain, an inlet of the Persian Gulf, separates Qatar from nearby Bahrain. The capital is Doha, where over 80% of the country’s inhabitants live, and the land area is mostly made up of flat, low-lying desert. It is a high-income economy, backed by the world’s third-largest natural gas reserves and oil reserves. Qatar is one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas and the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide per capita.
Most of the country consists of a low, barren plain, covered with sand or stones. To the southeast lies the Khor al Adaid (meaning Inland Sea), an area of rolling sand dunes surrounding an inlet of the Persian Gulf. The highest point is Qurayn Abu al Bawl at just 338 feet in the Jebel Dukhan to the west, a range of low limestone outcroppings running north to south from Zikrit through Umm Bab to the southern border. The Jebel Dukhan area also contains Qatar’s main onshore oil deposits, while the natural gas fields lie offshore, to the northwest of the peninsula.
Al Thakira – ©Alex Sergeev CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Oil and, especially, natural gas have fuelled Qatar’s meteoric development from poor, sleepy pearl fishing backwater to a modern affluent society with international investment interests and political ambitions. Per native capita, it is the richest country in the world. As host for the FIFA 2022 World Cup, the country invested heavily in its infrastructure development, including a world class Metro rail system and the construction of seven new stadiums. The road network has also been substantially upgraded. Qatar’s border with Saudi Arabia as well as links and all travel between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have now re-opened (2024).Qatar has a dry, subtropical desert climate with low annual rainfall and intensely hot, humid summers. The winters are cool and pleasant. The daytime temperatures range between 20 °C and 45 °C although 50 is not unknown, falling below 10 °C in winter from November to February. It is the only country in the world with no natural standing fresh water. More than 90 per cent of the country’s land surface is saline, being inhospitable to all but the most halophytic of plants.
Birding Qatar
Despite this harsh, salty, hot and arid environment, Qatar can provide excellent birding from August through to May. Geographically, the peninsula of Qatar juts some 150 km northwards into the Arabian Gulf. The right wind conditions in spring, autumn and even winter can bring thousands of migrants flooding into the country.
As for birds, claims of the historic occurrence of exotic species such as Arabic Ostrich are now considered erroneous, though there is no doubt that the now extirpated Macqueen’s Bustard was once a regular winter visitor.
Urban areas now host the typical array of invasive, introduced and opportunistic Arabian-Asian species, including White-eared and Red-vented Bulbuls, the ubiquitous Common Myna, House Sparrow (of the eastern indicus group), Indian Silverbill, Laughing & Eurasian Collared Doves, Alexandrine & Ring-necked Parakeets and the occasional House Crow (which thankfully has yet to gain a strong foothold in the country).
Irkaya Farm – ©Aamir Md. Naeem via Wikimedia
In rural areas, characterised by seemingly unending miles of stone desert with scattered sprawling pivot farms, commonly found species include Spanish Sparrow, Namaqua Dove, Corn Bunting, Crested Larks and Grey Francolin. Of particular interest to the visiting birdwatcher will be resident and passage species such as Arabian Grey Shrike, Greater Hoopoe and Desert Larks, Lilith Owl, Indian Reef and Striated Herons, Indian Reed Warbler, Ferruginous Duck, Graceful Prinia, Green-backed (African) Swamphen, four forms of Stonechat, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin – plus of course some key target birds such as the Arabian endemic Socotra Cormorant, Menetries’s Warbler, Red-tailed Wheatear, Crab Plover, Cream-coloured Courser, Saunder’s and White-cheeked Terns, Black-crowned Sparrow-lark and the notoriously unpredictable (Grey) Hypocolius.
The peak periods to visit Qatar for birding are September-November and February to April, though birding can be good any time between August and May.
All sites mentioned below are publicly accessible, though as with anywhere in the Middle East you should use common sense and respect local customs, and avoid birdwatching and photography near sensitive buildings/areas.
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Al Thakhira
InformationSatellite ViewAl Dakhira (Al Thakira) is located c.60km from Doha to the northeast and provides access to Qatar’s mangrove forests which can also be explored on organised kayak tours. Purple Island (Jazirat al Ghanem), is an accessible location which has a newly constructed wooden causeway that bridges across the mangroves. Flamingo, Little and Western Great Egret, Purple and Grey Heron are commonly seen in the many inlets and pools. It is best to avoid weekends as it can be busy, even early in the morning. Across the bay, further views of the mangroves can be obtained at Forest End. This is almost the only place in Qatar where trees grow naturally. -
Fuwairit Beach and sandbar
InformationSatellite ViewIn winter, large numbers of terns and many gulls gather on the low tide sand bar. Pallas’s and Steppe Gulls predominate, along with Lesser Crested Terns. The nearby lagoon provides shelter for herons, roosting waders and terns. In spring and autumn, migrants can be found in the village, mangroves and salt marsh scrub surrounding the lagoon. Socotra Cormorant can be seen all year round in small numbers. -
Irkaya Farm
WebpageSatellite ViewIrkaya Farm is located off the Abu Samra Road about 50 kilometers west of Doha in the south central plain of Qatar. Irkaya sits like a glowing emerald in the middle of the desert. It is home to many resident species and lies on the flight path of migratory birds and insects passing through Qatar. It can even be seen from space on satellite maps. The fields consist of sandy and loamy topsoil on a flat, sandy plain with water-worn pebbles. The rest of the terrain is low, rocky limestone upland with scattered boulders and sparse vegetation. All native species of plant at Irkaya benefit from the absence of grazing animals -
Karaana Lagoon
InformationSatellite ViewLocated 60km southwest of Doha, Al Karaana was formerly a waste water collection area, with ten separate lagoons that absorbed 6,000 cubic metres of industrial wastewater per day since 2006. Unsurprisingly, the area accumulated contaminated sediments and solids at the bottom of the lagoons of up to 3.5m in some areas. The old lagoons were drained and the contaminated sludge treated. Three artificial lagoons have been designed (two are in service currently) which will store about 2.4 million cubic metres of treated water coming from Al Karaana treatment plant. The area has been planted with reeds and rushes and now contain a thriving habitat including birds, fish, frogs and other animals. The area is now a good location to observe herons, egrets and waterfowl, as well as osprey, marsh harrier in good numbers. -
Khor Al-Adaid (The Inland Sea)
InformationSatellite ViewCurrently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Khor Al-Adaid (aka Khor Al Udeid) is lauded by travel agencies as a top tourist attraction. It is one of only two locations in the world where dunes reach the shoreline. If dune bashing is your thing, then maybe it is worth a visit; but do not go there expecting to see lots of wildlife, especially birds. Apart from a few distant Greater Flamingos and the odd pair of nesting Western Ospreys, the area offers little of real interest to the visiting birder. Do not be misled by articles describing thousands of birds; these are written by those who have never picked up a pair of binoculars, let alone bird-watched in the area! -
Umm Bab
InformationSatellite ViewThis picnic area on the west coast is a somewhat disappointing sight to behold, being heavily littered and soiled with the detritus of human beach goers. But in the palms and trees can be found migrants, in both spring and autumn. In fact, this whole stretch of coastline is worth exploring when birds are on the move north or south. The star bird is Hypocolius, which occurs in small flocks, albeit unpredictably on its journeys to and from Saudi, Bahrain and Iran. Occasionally, groups overwinter, though this phenomenon is becoming increasingly rare. Socotra Cormorant can often be seen offshore in small numbers.
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Number of bird species: 353
(As at July2024)National Bird: Falcon (No specific species)
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Avibase
PDF ChecklistThis checklist includes all bird species found in Qatar , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them. -
Qatar Birds
ChecklistThis website is published by the Qatar Birds Records Committee (QBRC). QBRC maintains a list of all wild birds that have recorded in the State of Qatar. -
Wikipedia
Annotated ListThis is a list of the bird species recorded in Qatar. -
eBird
PDF ChecklistThis checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
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Birds of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East
| (A Photographic Guide) by Frédéric Jiguet & Aurélien Audevard | Princeton University Press | 2017 | Paperback | 447 pages, 2200 colour photos, colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780691172439 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Birds of Qatar
| By Frances Gillespie | Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing | 2014 | Paperback | 32 pages, colour photos, colour illustrations | ISBN: 9789992195895 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Common Birds of Qatar
| By Hanne Eriksen, Jens Eriksen & Frances Gillespie | Frances Gillespie | 2011 | Paperback | 248 pages, 400 col photos, dist maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9789948157472 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
The Birds of the Middle East
| By AbdulRahman Al-Sirhan, Jens Eriksen & Richard Porter | Helm | 2022 | Paperback | 224 pages, 400 colour photos | ISBN: 9781472986757 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
The Birds of the Middle East
| By Richard Porter, Simon Aspinall, A Birch, John Gale, Mike Langman, Brian E Small | Helm | 2024 | Edition 3 | Paperback | 400 pages, 180 colour plates, 636 colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9781399401968 Buy this book from NHBS.com
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Friends of the Environment Centre
WebsiteFEC is striving in collaboration with the Government, NGOs and the Private Sector to achieve better bird conservation goals through field surveys, and offering effective environmental educational and awareness programmes focusing on students, families and local communities . -
Qatar Bird Records Committee (QBRC)
WebsiteThe recognised authority for the recording of wild birds in Qatar, QBRC reviews submissions from visiting and resident birders and maintains the Qatar List. The three-man committee comprises Jamie Buchanan (National Recorder), Simon Tull and Neil Morris (Secretary) -
Qatar Natural History Group - Bird Club
Facebook PageDetails of the Qatar Natural History Group
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*Nature Reserves
WebpageSatellite ViewAnnotated list of reserves -
NR Al Rafa Reserve
WebpageSatellite ViewThe 53-square-kilometre verdant reserve is located near Al Rayyan and Al Wajba areas. It is considered highland as it lies at a higher altitude than the surrounding land. It is populated with wild plants that sets it apart from other reserves. It s considered a major attraction for residents of Qatar due the beautiful natural scenery. -
NR Al Sheehaniya Reserve
WebpageSatellite ViewLocated 45 kilometers from Doha in Al Shahaniya area in the heart of Qatar and spanning 12 square kilometers, Al Shahaniya protected area is one of the first nature reserves established by the State -
NR Al Thakhira Reserve
WebpageSatellite ViewLocated in northeast Qatar, 64 kilometers from Doha, the reserve’s marine section includes the small island of Um Far and natural mangroves, while the... -
NR Irkaya Farm
WebpageSatellite ViewIrkaya Farm is located off the Abu Samra Road about 50 kilometers west of Doha in the south central plain of Qatar. Irkaya sits like a glowing emerald in the middle of the desert. It is home to many resident species and lies on the flight path of migratory birds and insects passing through Qatar.
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eBird
SightingseBirding This Month
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Qatar Passport
GuidingDedicated birdwatchers have identified well over 250 species, with as many as 25 of them now year-round residents! Mangrove plantations on the coast north of Al Khor are popular haunts of local ornithologists. Gulls, cormorants and waders can be spotted along the shorelines; ducks, geese, mallard, stilt and teal can be found around effluent ponds and in the reeds.
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2017 [03 March] - Stig Jensen & Jon Lehmberg
PDF ReportAs we found out, Qatar is only relatively unexplored since there’s a small birding community, apparently mainly consisting of expats, here. Even for Danes such as us, Qatar is a very small and flat country, and since it’s easy to get there, to get around, to find accommodation (though mainly/exclusively in and around Doha) and places to eat, we wonder why so fewbirders visit. The most likely explanation is that there are no birds here which are impossible or indeed difficult to find anywhere else. It’s a shame really, because the country is definitely worth a visit, and we certainly didn’t regret spending a few days. -
2018 [07 July] - Valentin Moser
PDF ReportI did a stopover on the 6th of July in/around Doha. The highlights were Greater/Lesser Sand Plover, White-eared Bulbul and Lesser Crested Tern, as well as an insight in a complex country. In this report I give some advice how to plan the stopover, birding sites and some general information.
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Qatar Biodiversity
PDF ArticleThe government has placed increased emphasis on the conservation of biologicalresources. The marine and terrestrial eco-systems of Qatar includes several importantspecies of flora and fauna of bio-diversity value, a few of which are believed to bethreatened and endangered…