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the status and distribution of birds in Oman can be found in the Oman Bird List: Edition 7 (Eriksen & Victor
2013). Birdwatchers are specifically directed to the Oman Bird Recorder’s website (www.birdsoman.com),
which provides information on the latest bird sightings and various links to more information, as well as a
comprehensive gallery of bird photographs and contact details for the Recorder. The Oman Bird Records
Committee (OBRC) through its Recorder maintains the Oman Bird List and database, collating all observations
submitted and assessing claims of vagrants. The definition of a vagrant varies between countries: in Oman
the OBRC uses a minimum of 10 records as the ‘cut-off’ point above which a species ceases to be considered
a vagrant, but as a rare visitor instead.
Around the world, birds are trapped and transported across borders for the cagebird trade, many
subsequently either escaping or being released. In this respect the Middle East is no exception, and in recent
decades several escaped species have established naturalised (self-sustaining) breeding populations in the
wild in the region, notably parakeets, mynas and weavers. All such species deemed naturalised in Oman at
the present day, of which there are a growing number, are included in this book. A selection of others from
a long list of those not yet naturalised (some perhaps unlikely to become so), but which may nonetheless be
observed free-flying, are also included here. Many are large and long-lived. Regrettably, the establishment
of exotic species has sometimes had an adverse impact on the region’s indigenous avifauna.
The Birds of the Middle East covered the following countries: Bahrain, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan,
Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Palestinian territories (West Bank and Gaza), the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen, including the Socotra archipelago. We have retained substantially
the same distribution maps from that publication in this guide, since it is helpful to see the bigger, regional
picture, and one can see at a glance which species occurs where and when (if resident or migrant, and if
the latter whether it breeds or not, and so on). To the best of our knowledge, only species accepted onto a
checklist by the relevant national body in any country are included in the maps or status text.Verreaux’s Eagle, Dhofar Mountains (Hanne & Jens Eriksen)