Yemen
Yemen occupies the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula and has some of Arabia's most dramatic landscapes. The western Yemeni Highlands rise abruptly from the hot Red Sea coastal plain to peaks above 3,600 metres, receiving enough seasonal rainfall to support terraced agriculture and relatively lush vegetation. Eastward, the mountains descend through dry valleys and plateaus toward the Rub' al Khali desert. Yemen also includes the remote Socotra Archipelago, whose long isolation has produced extraordinary plant diversity and landscapes dominated by endemic dragon's blood and bottle trees.
Overview
Yemen is exceptionally important for Arabian endemic birds. The highlands support specialties such as Yemen Linnet, Yemen Thrush, Yemen Warbler, Arabian Waxbill, Arabian Serin and Arabian Woodpecker, alongside Arabian and Philby's Partridges. The Socotra Archipelago adds its own endemic avifauna, including Socotra Starling, Socotra Sunbird, Socotra Sparrow, Socotra Warbler and Socotra Bunting, making it one of the region's most distinctive birding areas. Red Sea and Arabian Sea coasts also support important seabird and shorebird populations. Despite its exceptional potential, mainland Yemen is currently extremely difficult and dangerous for tourism because of ongoing conflict, instability and severe travel restrictions. Socotra has received some tourism, but access and security arrangements can be complicated and should be assessed using current official advice.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis | 27.1% | 28.8% | 33.6% | 45.1% | 45.7% | 15.8% | 29.2% | 17.7% | 5.0% | 20.3% | 35.9% | 27.9% | 19.7% |
| Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus | 24.6% | 30.4% | 63.3% | 42.5% | 27.4% | 9.1% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.6% | 32.4% | 36.3% | 27.8% |
| House Crow Corvus splendens | 21.2% | 17.7% | 10.8% | 14.6% | 10.4% | 42.5% | 0.0% | 12.5% | 41.9% | 49.5% | 18.3% | 15.4% | 20.7% |
| Gray Heron Ardea cinerea | 19.8% | 21.9% | 23.1% | 31.6% | 19.0% | 33.1% | 30.0% | 12.5% | 0.0% | 1.6% | 25.0% | 26.3% | 13.2% |
| Sooty Gull Ichthyaetus hemprichii | 19.2% | 29.9% | 32.4% | 30.0% | 21.6% | 15.5% | 29.2% | 0.0% | 12.5% | 1.6% | 19.0% | 20.3% | 18.9% |
| Rock Pigeon Columba livia | 19.1% | 13.5% | 5.3% | 25.7% | 28.7% | 12.9% | 0.0% | 27.1% | 17.5% | 46.9% | 26.1% | 7.8% | 18.2% |
| Somali Starling Onychognathus blythii | 17.3% | 18.1% | 41.2% | 31.2% | 18.8% | 5.4% | 25.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 23.8% | 25.1% | 18.8% |
| Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis | 16.3% | 27.2% | 15.1% | 16.7% | 39.4% | 5.5% | 4.2% | 15.6% | 0.0% | 3.1% | 33.1% | 18.8% | 16.8% |
| House Sparrow Passer domesticus | 16.0% | 11.1% | 4.8% | 22.0% | 28.1% | 14.8% | 4.2% | 29.2% | 15.0% | 27.1% | 20.0% | 4.5% | 10.6% |
| Great Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii | 15.5% | 21.4% | 17.1% | 22.8% | 20.4% | 6.9% | 0.0% | 9.4% | 19.9% | 26.6% | 16.9% | 15.8% | 9.1% |