CBD First National Report - Saudi Arabia (English version)

Endemic Birds of ArabiaThere are eleven endemic and three near-endemic bird species in Arabia. Nine of theendemics occur in both southwestern Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Six of the 11 are Afrotropical; four are Palaearctic and one Indo-Malaysian.Philby’s rock partridge Alectoris philbyi Saudi Arabia & YemenArabian red-legged partridge Alectoris melanocephala SW Arabia & OmanArabian woodpecker Dendrocopus dorae Saudi Arabia & YemenSouth Arabian wheatear Oenanthe lugentoides Saudi Arabia & YemenArabian accentor Prunella fagani YemenYemen thrush Turdus menachensis Saudi Arabia & YemenYemen warbler Parisoma buryi Saudi Arabia & YemenArabian waxbill Estrilda rufibarba Tihama (Yemen)Yemen serin Serinus menachensis Saudi Arabia & YemenArabian serin Serinus rothschildi Saudi Arabia & YemenYemen linnet Carduelis yemensis Saudi Arabia & YemenNear-endemic speciesWhite-eyed gull Larus leucophthalmus Both sides of the Red SeaArabian golden sparrow Passer euchloris Both sides of the Red SeaGolden-winged grosbeak Rhynchostruthus socotranus SW Arabia, Socotra,SomaliaMost of the birds of Saudi Arabia have affinities with neighbouring zoogeographicregions, however it is suggested that at least five species originate in Arabia. These are:Arabian (Blanford’s) warbler Sylvia l. leucomelaena, Abyssinian sunbird Nectariniahabessinica, White-breasted white eye Zosterops abyssinica, Ruppell’s weaver Ploceusgalbula and Golden-winged grosbeak Rhynchostruthus socotranus.The birds of Saudi Arabia have not been fully studied. More records are likely to beadded to the breeding birds of the Kingdom. Additional species are expected to be addedto the list of Saudi birds. The Straits of Hormuz, between Oman and Iran, and Bab Al-Mandab, between Yemen and Eritrea, neither is an obstacle to the migratory birds. Someof those birds have already colonized, over-wintering and even started breeding in theKingdom. Agricultural expansion, extensive irrigation practices and the formation ofdrainage ponds are helping these bids to settle down.Reptiles and AmphibiansA total of 103 species of Reptiles and seven species of Amphibians have been recordedfrom Saudi Arabia. All recorded species are listed in the Annexe at the end of this report.The reptiles include 60 species of lizards belonging to 7 families, 34 species of snakesbelonging to eight families and nine species of turtles belonging to five families.The amphibians include seven species belonging to three families.27