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The birds of Masirah Island – Oman’s top birding spot

Written by Nancy Papathanasopoulou
Glossy ibis can be found in the wetlands around
Masirah Island. Copyright Colin Murray.

Images courtesy of Colin Murray
Masirah Island, Oman: birds crossing The island of Masirah in the Sultanate of Oman is known to play host to a large number of bird species. Due to this extraordinary wealth, it has been included in the list of the Important Bird Areas of Oman, together with the neighbouring Barr al-Hikman wetlands with which it forms a unique and unified set of wetlands. A total of 328 bird species have been recorded and reported in the past on Masirah, including some uncommon and vagrant species for the area. This is, indeed, the highest number of bird species recorded anywhere in Oman.

Greater flamingos on Masirah Island.
Photo credit Colin Murray.

Migratory and vagrant species
Although the resident birdlife of Masirah is mainly made up of species from the Arabian Peninsula, it is also a haven for some migratory and vagrant species. Located at the crossroads of some important bird migration routes, Masirah can attract birds from India and Pakistan to the east, Africa to the west, and wintering birds from as far north as Siberia. The island is, undoubtedly, a 'magnet' for travelling birds that have crossed deserts, open seas and sometimes more than one continent.

Mudflats, coastline and wetlands
The inter-tidal and sub-littoral mudflats, the shallow coasts and the few and precious freshwater wetlands (wadis) provide valuable habitats for migratory and passing birds as well as for certain nesting species.

Shorebirds

Lesser sand plover are found on the shores
of Masirah Island. Credit Colin Murray.

Among the noteworthy species of shorebirds to be found on the island are the:-

Crab Plover (Dromas ardeola)
Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus)
Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)
Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa laponica).

All the aforementioned species are recorded in large concentrations during wintering, as are several species of gulls and terns, particularly the Sooty Gull (Larus hemprichii), the Swift Tern (Sterna bergii) and the Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia). In fact, all 18 species of terns found in Arabia have been observed here, Masirah being the only place in the whole region where this is the case. In addition, several species of raptors, including the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and the Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) can be found during the winter months in significant numbers.

Sooty gull on Masirah Island. Credit Colin
Murray.

Wintering birds

Large numbers of wintering birds can be seen here from November to February. Spring migration (from mid April to mid May) and autumn migration (from mid September to mid November) are the periods when several rarer migrants may occur. Among those are the Pin-tailed Snipe (Gallinago stenura), the Rufus Turtle Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis) and the Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus).

An exceptional resident: The Crab plover

The Crab Plover (Dromas ardeola) is considered to be one of the most extraordinary waders because of what it eats, the nest it builds and its largely nocturnal habits. At 33-36 cm in length and with a wingspan of 75-78 cm, it is a beautiful bird that birdwatchers always are delighted to spot. It has a very large bill and a heavy head, which seem to be out of proportion to the rest of its body. Its plumage is black and white and on the ground, it somewhat resembles that of the Avocet (Recurvirostra avoceta, also found in Masirah, usually during spring migration), but its huge bill is unmistakable; it is easily distinguished in flight by its fully black back and flight-feathers. At rest, it carries its head low (like a gull), but when on alert or in flight, it extends it up or forward on a stretched neck. The juvenile has a grey rear crown and plumage of a duller contrast, lacking the striking pattern of the adult. At all ages, the bill is black, paler at base. The legs are dark-coloured, strong and sturdy.

The Crab Plover is an essentially maritime wader, occurring on coastal isles, coral reefs and mud or sandbanks. It nests in dense colonies, in sandy ground close to the sea, usually on islands or coastal dunes. The nest is in a chamber at the end of a tunnel, measuring 120-188 cm long, excavated by the birds themselves.

This bird feeds in loose groups, almost exclusively on crabs, mostly in the inter-tidal zone, chiefly on mudflats exposed at low tide and sometimes in shallow water. It is generally observed in flocks of rarely less than 20-30 individuals, but sometimes also solitary. The feeding flocks are restless and noisy, feeding at dusk and often continuing into darkness. The birds can break open crab shells easily with their powerful bill. If small, prey is swallowed whole, if large, it's cut into pieces. Chicks are fed mainly on crabs brought back whole to the nest burrows. Some of them come to the entrance of the burrow to be fed, especially at night. Masirah boasts the only breeding grounds for Crab Plovers in Oman.

In Masirah, Crab Plovers can be found mainly on the west coast, on its Sur Masirah Mudflats or in Marsis at low tide. Very few breeding colonies of this bird are known so far, but in Oman, it is regularly found in a few locations such as Khawr Jirama, Ad Duqm, Barr al Hikman and, of course, Masirah.