Bahrain
Bahrain is a small archipelago in the Persian Gulf, centred on low-lying Bahrain Island and surrounded by shallow coastal waters. The landscape is predominantly flat and arid, with desert and developed areas covering much of the country. Natural habitats are concentrated along the coast and include mudflats, tidal bays, saltmarshes and mangroves. Summers are extremely hot and humid, while winters are mild and provide the most comfortable conditions for outdoor activities.
Overview
Bahrain is primarily interesting for migrants and coastal birds, benefiting from its position between Eurasian breeding grounds and wintering areas farther south. Hawar Islands are particularly significant, supporting one of the world's largest colonies of Socotra Cormorant as well as other seabirds. Coastal mudflats and bays attract flamingos, herons, gulls, terns and large numbers of migratory shorebirds, while farms, gardens and remaining vegetated areas can concentrate passerines during migration. Bahrain's small size makes sites relatively easy to reach, although it has limited dedicated birding infrastructure. Autumn, winter and spring are considerably more productive and comfortable than the intensely hot summer.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis | 52.0% | 58.4% | 61.1% | 52.4% | 53.9% | 55.6% | 43.4% | 33.5% | 57.1% | 49.6% | 58.8% | 53.0% | 47.3% |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto | 51.9% | 58.6% | 55.1% | 51.8% | 53.6% | 57.4% | 44.8% | 30.8% | 63.6% | 45.5% | 55.4% | 54.6% | 51.8% |
| House Sparrow Passer domesticus | 51.7% | 60.2% | 56.0% | 56.2% | 56.8% | 60.4% | 44.6% | 32.2% | 46.4% | 42.3% | 53.2% | 58.7% | 52.6% |
| Common Myna Acridotheres tristis | 39.1% | 42.7% | 46.7% | 45.4% | 39.2% | 32.0% | 49.7% | 34.2% | 30.4% | 33.4% | 37.1% | 36.5% | 41.9% |
| Crested Lark Galerida cristata | 33.7% | 29.5% | 37.3% | 38.8% | 40.1% | 28.1% | 27.5% | 21.6% | 33.5% | 27.3% | 46.3% | 40.6% | 34.4% |
| Western Reef-Heron Egretta gularis | 33.4% | 45.5% | 31.0% | 27.6% | 31.0% | 39.1% | 29.3% | 39.8% | 35.2% | 22.8% | 32.7% | 34.2% | 33.0% |
| White-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis | 33.2% | 40.1% | 35.8% | 33.8% | 37.1% | 40.4% | 27.0% | 22.3% | 24.5% | 27.2% | 37.8% | 35.2% | 37.2% |
| Rock Pigeon Columba livia | 28.2% | 22.3% | 34.4% | 32.9% | 31.9% | 13.8% | 25.1% | 24.4% | 26.5% | 36.5% | 31.8% | 31.2% | 27.5% |
| Kentish Plover Anarhynchus alexandrinus | 25.4% | 14.4% | 11.7% | 17.1% | 31.3% | 21.7% | 26.0% | 30.8% | 42.2% | 32.0% | 31.4% | 25.0% | 20.8% |
| Gray Heron Ardea cinerea | 23.5% | 41.8% | 30.1% | 23.3% | 22.2% | 17.0% | 7.7% | 7.0% | 13.9% | 22.3% | 34.1% | 32.6% | 30.1% |