طيور الجزر السعودية في شمال الخليج العربي : دراسة في جغرافية الحيوان

Abstract EN

This study deals with birds in Saudi Arabian islands in the northern Arabian Gulf to illustrate the importance of these islands to biodiversity and to the survival and reproduction of globally important species of birds.

The islands were the focal points of different species of animals and fundamentally support the biodiversity of the Arabian Gulf for different species of birds throughout the year especially those that find in the islands a suitable habitat for nesting and breeding.

These birds include endangered species such as the Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax mgrogularis.

the Lesser-Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis, and the Houbara chlamydotis macqueenii.

The research was based on an analytical descriptive approach to describe the natural environment of the islands, their geographical distribution, the classification of birds and the presentation of the most important negative human influences.

The results showed that around 100 Saudi islands in the northern Arabian Gulf contained roughly 212 species that live and transit at different times and seasons of the year.

However the majority of these birds were passage migrant birds and they were estimated to be around 203 species.

According to the Red List of Endangered Species (IUCN), the islands contain 3.4% of birds that are threatened with extinction and the remaining species are under threat.

Birds in the islands face a range of threats of extinction and reduction of numbers, most notably : overhunting -especially in the annual migration season, economic and military activities, and tourist activities.