Native Birds Of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia occupies more than 80% of the Arabian Peninsula and has an estimated area of 830,000 square miles. The country occupies an arid and semi-arid area which receives very little rainfall annually. Flora and fauna of the country consist of shrubs and other vegetation and animals which are adapted to such areas.

Native Birds Of Saudi Arabia

Osprey

The osprey is a relatively large bird weighing up to 4.6 lbs and measuring an average length of 25 inches in length. The wings are long and can reach a length of 71 inches. The upper body is brown while the entire underparts including the breast are white. The head is white with dark coloration covering the eyes. The male is slightly narrower in its stature and has a shorter wingspan. The diet of Osprey consists of fish around ten inches long, as they use their sharp eyesight to locate fish underwater.

Great crested grebe

The great crested grebe is one of the largest members of the grebe family measuring around twenty inches with an average wingspan of thirty inches. They are excellent swimmers and feed on fish under water. The legs of the grebe are placed far back making it difficult for the bird to walk, and thus they spent most of their time in the water.

Arabian Woodpecker

The Arabian woodpecker is a grayish brown bird that grows to a length of 7 inches. The head is brown, and the males have a red crown patch. The under parts are whitish while the belly is reddish. The diet of this woodpecker consists of insects which it is extracted from holes in tree trunks. Spawning takes place between the months of March and May. They make their habitats by excavating holes in dead tree trunks. The species is listed as vulnerable with a global population of fewer than ten thousand birds.

Other birds of Saudi Arabia

Other bird species that can be found in Saudi Arabia include the desert lark, sinai rosefinch, and Arabian gold sparrow.