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New guide to Birds of the UAE

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Abu Dhabi - The ‘Birds of the United Arab Emirates’ was launched by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) today at the 22nd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair being held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Published: Thu 29 Mar 2012, 6:37 PM

Updated: Tue 30 May 2023, 2:56 PM

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  • (WAM)

By publishing this guide, EAD aims to make information about birds and bird watching accessible to the general public.

The United Arab Emirates in general and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in particular are blessed with rich bird life. The vast stretches of the coastal mudflats, numerous islands, inland wetlands and even impoverished desert provide a variety of feeding, nesting and resting opportunities for numerous resident and migratory birds.

The 256-page illustrated guide, which was written by Simon Aspinall, Salim Javed and Hanne & Jens Eriksen, includes an introduction to bird watching including information about the equipment used and code of conduct. It also provides bird watchers with information on where to watch birds in the UAE, how to watch birds and how to identify them. In the guide, all species considered common in the UAE were included, as well as many species that are either fairly common, quite easy to identify or of special importance to the country. Throughout the guide, maps showing distribution and seasonal occurrence have been provided for each species.

In his foreword for the guide, Mohammed Al Bowardi, Managing Director of EAD, said ‘This new guide carries information that is essential to bird conservation and important to be in the public domain.’

Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, EAD’s Secretary General, said ‘As the UAE continues to grow and develop, we must all ensure that our biodiversity and natural resources are protected. Our bird conservation programme, which involves closely studying the ecology, movement and migration patterns of birds, also enables us to understand the health of the environment and how it should be managed to ensure long-term sustainability.’

She added ‘Through our birds conservation programme, we are focusing on ensuring that these birds have access to suitable and safe habitats. Discovery of a new breeding colony of flamingos in Bul Syayeef in 2009 and successful breeding of flamingos at Al Wathba Wetland Reserve in 2011 after a gap of 10 years is a clear manifestation of such efforts’.

‘Through the collection of such information, it has become increasingly evident that the protection of key bird habitats is crucial in ensuring the preservation of our environment. This new guide will help such important information reach the general public,’ Al Mubarak added.

‘So far, 442 bird species have been recorded from the UAE, of which more than 100 species regularly breed in the country. This is an impressive number considering that a large proportion of the country is arid sandy or stony desert. The UAE is also particularly important for many regionally and internationally important breeding colonies of seabirds and through this simple and well-illustrated book we aim to bring 240 common and important species of birds closer to,’ said Dr. Salim Javed, Manager, Biodiversity Assessment & Monitoring, Marine and Terrestrial Biodiversity Sector, EAD.



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