8
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In preparing this field guide we have received help and encouragement from many people. We would
particularly like to thank the following who made invaluable contributions and provided records, some over
many years, (and sincere apologies to anyone inadvertently omitted): Zahran Al-Abdulasalam, Mundher Al-
Abri, Waheed Al-Fazari, Simon Aspinall, John Atkins, Malal Al-Kindi, Anders Blomdahl, Ian Brown, John
Bryan, Oscar Campbell, Peter Castell, Bill Clark, Elaine and Peter Cowan, Matt Cummins, Ralph Daly, David
Diskin, Tobias Epple, Wouter Faveyts, Rob Felix, Dick Forsman, David Foster, Hilary Fry, Michael Gallagher,
Con Greaves, Andrew Grieve, Chris Griffiths, Franziska Güpner, Dominic Harmer, Ian Harrison, Derek Harvey,
Erik Hirschfeld, Mike Jennings, Rolf Jensen, Andrew Lassey, Cecile Lazaro, Donnie Mackenzie, Ray Midgley,
Krister Mild, Christoph Moning, Dimitri Mouton, Killian Mullarney, Ray O’Reilley, Tommy Pedersen, Knud
Pedersen, Colin Richardson, Gigi Sahlstrand, Dave Sargeant, Karen and Graham Searle, Michael Searle,
Andrew Spalton, Karen Stanley-Price, Lars Svensson, Neil Tovey, Robert Tovey, Simon Tull, Magnus Ullman,
Mattias Ullman, Reg Victor, Frank Walker, Ian Wallace and Effie Warr, plus hundreds of other dedicated
birders who submitted their records to the Oman Bird Recorder over the years.
We would also like to thank those observers who provided comments on identification, regional
status, and habitats in Birds of the Middle East (and Birds of the United Arab Emirates) which have been
extensively used in our field guide. For these, special thanks go to Per Alström, Mike Blair, Oscar Campbell,
Philippe Dubois, Dick Forsman, Steve James, Lars Jonsson, Mike Jennings, Nick Moran, Dick Newell, Tommy
Pedersen, Roger Riddington, Abdulrahman Al-Sirhan, Andy Stoddart and Lars Svensson. Thanks are also
due to the Natural History Museum (Tring) where we have examined skins over many years, and to the
three artists, John Gale, Mike Langman and Brian Small for their ornithological advice and consummate
professionalism in the production of the plates. In the quest for information and travels in the Middle East,
over many years, BirdLife International, The Darwin Initiative, the Ornithological Society of the Middle East
and the Wetland Trust have always given their support.
The preparation of the maps and status sections was greatly assisted by advice from Roger Brownsword,
Gary Brown (Kuwait), Jamie Buchan (Qatar), Mike Jennings (Arabia), Howard King (Bahrain), Mike Pope
(Kuwait) and David Stanton (Yemen).
Finally we would like to thank Jim Martin, Nigel Redman and Alice Ward at Bloomsbury Publishing for
their unstinting support and advice; Julie Dando at Fluke Art for the preparation of the layouts; and Richard’s
co-authors of the first edition of the Middle East field guide, Per Schiermacker-Hansen and the late Steen
Christensen and, in particular, Richard’s co-author of the second edition (and the Emirates guide), the late
Simon Aspinall.All that now remains is to wish everyone safe travels and good birding.
Jens Eriksen and Richard Porter