Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Ladybirds

Insect follows Coccinellidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-5 mm, wings are red with 11 black spots, thorax and head are black with white spots. Adults and larvas are predators to Aphids, and have important role in biological control programs of Aphids.

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Ladybirds

Insect follows Coccinellidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 6.5-10 mm, wings are red with 7 black spots, thorax and head are black with white spots. Adults and larvas are predators to Aphids, and have important role in biological control programs of Aphids.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occurs in the NW of Al Khor town (Mohammed Al Safran) and seen by MAS at two locations in W Qatar. Batanouny recorded it at Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah and Umm Bab. Usually in saline […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from a sand dune near Umm Bab. Uses: ‘The fruits are edible and freshen the mouth with their tart taste’ (Cornes & Cornes). Twigs said to be pounded and added to milk […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Introduced.Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: An escape from cultivation; the wild form occurs in saltmarshes but has not been recorded from Qatar. Uses: Cultivated as a vegetable. The plant has diuretic, aphrodisiac and various other medicinal properties (Rizk & El-Ghazaly). Notes: Beta vulgaris […]

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Present distribution in Qatar not known but widespread in the Gulf. Uses: Ornamental planting.

Kingdom : Dragonflies, Insects, Skimmers or Perchers

Insect follows Libellulidae family, and Odonata order. It is bright red and wings are membranous. Size is about 32-40 mm. Adults have strong wings, help them fly fast and chase prey. Adults are predators to flying insects especially flies and mosquitoes. Nymphs live in water, and are predators to mosquito’s larvas and micro-organisms living in […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Jan–May. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: In the Gulf generally it is widely planted in shelterbelts, but also escapes into areas around gardens and farms. Uses: It is well known that the oil is extracted for medicinal uses, particularly as a laxative, and that the […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or perennial herb, or small shrub. Flowering. May–Aug. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Miller & Cope (1996). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Gravel desert on the north coast (Miller & Cope). Notes: Only subsp. noeana occurs in Qatar; subsp. brachystyla (Chamberlain & Lamond) is found elsewhere in Arabia. The plant […]

Kingdom : Beetles, Click beetles, Insects

Insect follows Elateridae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 13 mm, and has rusty red colour.

Kingdom : Birds, Crake

Skulking land rail, larger than Quail, but similar to crakes in shape and general character. Rarely seen out of cover unless flushed. Flight, which is seldom seen, can suggest a young gamebird, but note chestnut wing-coverts and often dangling legs. Otherwise only noticeable by characteristic breeding call.

Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Tiger moths

Insect follows Arctiidae family, and Hemiptera order. It has white with black and red spots, and wing is 30-42 mm. Butterfly flies during daylight. Larva feed on Al Ramram plant (Heliotropium bacciferum). It breeds more than once in a year.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Very rare on Sandy areas (Batanouny). Mainly a coastal species in the Gulf.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional; generally on harder substrates in shallow sand or sandy runnels, especially in S and C Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in cultivated farms, gardens and other irrigated land. Uses: Good fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Bugs, Firebug, Insects

Insect follows Pyrrhocoridae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is between 11-13 mm, and is red and black in colour. It feeds by sucking on plants.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Sep. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional, in gardens and cultivated areas. Uses: Flowering branches are used as an antirheumatic and diuretic; the aerial part is used in the treatment of liver and urinary diseases, and stomach ulcers (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Cope (2007). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: A plant of rocky areas. The map in Cope shows a locality marked on the west coast.

Kingdom : Birds, Godwit

Resembles Black-tailed (which see) especially on ground in non-breeding plumage, bur note more compact, less erect appearance with shorter legs and neck, and slightly upturned bill. In flight, easily separated in all plumages by lack of distinct wing and tail markings typical of Black-tailed. Male in breeding plumage has deep rusty red head and entire […]

Kingdom : Bugs, Insects, Milkweed bugs or Seed bugs

Insect follows Lygaeidae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is between 11-13 mm, and is red and black in colour. It feeds by sucking on plants.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy habitats in C and S Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Climbing, parasitic shrub. Flowering. Sep–Oct. Status: Native. Local. First record: Al-Madheed (2004). Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Occasional, growing on Acacia and Lycium shawii; especially in C & N Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced.Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of disturbed and enriched habitats, including cultivated areas, sewage ponds and gardens. Uses: Batanouny noted that the fruit is edible. Mandaville states that although sometimes listed as a poisonous plant, he has seen the ripe […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual (occasionally perennial) herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded on a silt pan NE of Zikreet in 2007 (John Norton).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in sandy depressions. Abundant in the Dukhan to Umm Bab area after rains in 2007 (John Norton).

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrublet. Flowering. Jan–Jun. Status: Native. Common. First published record: Mandaville (1990, p.181). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy habitats. It appears to be relatively frequent in western coastal areas (John Norton, Sara Abdul Majid) and is also common across a large part of the UAE (Jongbloed et […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Sandy and gravelly soils in C Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded as common in irrigation channels and other damp areas in cultivated lands, but seen only once by the present authors. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrublet. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abdel Bari found this species near Doha central market, suggesting that it has been introduced by human activity. Uses: Ghazanfar states the roots are used for an analgesic and as an anti-inflammatory; leaves are […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated fields in C Qatar. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin). Cultivated as forage in many parts of the world (Mandaville).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Reported by Batanouny as common; S and W Qatar. El Amin also states that it occurs at Al Wakra, Al Karaanah and Mekainis.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded in sandy soils and silty depressions in cultivated areas. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly mention that an infusion of the plant is used as a cooling agent against sunstroke and that the root is astringent and […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Locally abundant in salt marsh and sabkha edge, or occasionally on saline sand; mainly N Qatar and the E coast.

Kingdom : Birds, Kingfisher

Small kingfisher with brilliant blue and green upperparts, reddish underparts, but buffish white throat and neck patch and long, dark bill, though female has red on most of lower mandible. In flight, which is swift, direct and low over water, luminous back and tail obvious. Fairly shy, often inconspicuous when perched, sitting on branch over […]

Kingdom : Birds, Kingfisher

Large, unmistakable brightly coloured kingfisher with enormous red bill, dark brown head and belly, large white ‘bib’, brilliant turquoise-blue upperparts and black forewing. In its fast straight flight shows conspicuous white primary-patches. Rather noisy; often perches on wires (but can sit well hidden) looking for prey on ground, which is often taken in shrike-like manner.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from sandy soils and gravelly depressions, but he does not mention a location.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded near Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah on a ‘mud plain’.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin on disturbed soils; C Qatar.

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Longhorn beetles

Insect follows Cermbycidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 30-45 mm, and is reddish brown. Larvas are white, dig inside palm trees, and have long antennas. Adults appear at night.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in irrigated lawns and gardens. Uses: Good fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivated fields and gardens.

Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

A small, elegant wader which swims high on water, often spinning to whirl up food items, which will be taken with needle-thin, black bill. Unmistakable in breeding plumage with striking head and neck pattern. In winter plumage upperparts are ash-grey with white lines and fringes, black mask through eye and black on hind-crown conspicuous. Juvenile […]

Kingdom : Birds, Pipit

Adult plumage has variable amount of reddish or pinkish buff on face, throat and upper breast. Plumage varies during summer and first winter regarding throat and breast colour, streaked rumps, flanks and stripes. Found in grassland, cultivated lands and marshes near water. Categorized in Qatar as passage migrant and winter visitor.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 2-3 mm, and has rusty red colour.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–Sep. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in cultivated areas, including gardens. Uses: A salad herb, widely cultivated and available in many of Qatar’s markets as well as grocery stores and supermarkets. Is also highly palatable to animals. Jongbloed et al. […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: An escape from cultivation in farm areas. Uses: Widely grown as a salad vegetable. A wide variety of medicinal benefits and uses are described.

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Weevils

Insect follows Dryophthoridae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 20-50 mm, and has rusty red colour. Larvas dig Tutas inside palm trees, causing tree death. It is one of the most dangerous insect pests for palm trees. Adults weakly feed on palm trees, and female lays about 200 eggs during life.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 2-3 mm, and has rusty red colour. It is a pest spread all over the world on stored products especially food grains. Moreover, it attacks flour, pasta, biscuits and beans.

Kingdom : Birds, Redstart

Males of ‘European’ winter visitors are of the blackish grey race with white wing panel; Near Eastern semirufus is black above and on throat to lower breast, sharply defined from deep red below; NE Iranian phoenicuroides is less black above and black below extends only to mid-breast; male ochruros (Turkey to N Iran) variable; some […]

Kingdom : Birds, Redstart

Typical redstart which bobs body and shivers tail (like Black Redstart). Male’s black cheeks and throat, contrasting sharply with rusty red underparts, grey crown with pronounced white forehead characteristic; upperparts grey-brown. Male samamisicus (breeds Turkey eastwards) has white wing-panel and, often, darker upperparts; (note that all races of male Black are more or less black-breasted); […]

Kingdom : Birds, Redstart

Size of Common Redstart. Brightly coloured male told from other redstarts by broad longitudinal white patch on wing-coverts (including primary-coverts), rusty red mantle and most of underparts, including throat; crown to hindneck whitish grey, black sides of head extends to shoulder. In winter both adult and 1st winter male (which has also white in wing) […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Locally dominant as reedbed fringing waste water lagoons and other permanent wetlands, especially at Abu Nakhla and Abu Hamour lagoons; also at Ras Laffan, Mesaieed and Dukhan. Uses: El Amin notes that it is used […]

Kingdom : Birds, Robin

Unmistakable brown chat with diagnostic orange-red face and breast; plump body, large dark eyes and short wings. Juvenile, which lacks red breast, is brown, distinctly spotted buff above and below, (attains adult plumage by end of summer). Usually hops close to ground in shadow (but often sings from high perch). Upright stance, rather tame and […]

Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows

Finch with a fairly stout bill, stocky body and round head. Adult male easily told by red head, breast and rump contrasting with brown upperparts, Females, 1st year males and juveniles are dull olive-brown, lightly streaked above and more heavily streaked below, with 2 whitish or buffish wing-bars. Uniform head shows conspicuous dark eye. Often […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivated land.

Kingdom : Flora, Sedge

Growth form: Sedge. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A species of marshy places, often in slightly saline habitats. Recorded by Batanouny at Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah in SW Qatar. Uses: Fodder for camels (El Amin).

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Scarab beetles

Insect follows Scarabaeidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 7-9 mm, and has reddish brown colour. Adult females are active in spring and summer, and though nocturnal beetles, they are attracted to light. Adult females feed on leaves, buds, and flowers of several plants, but larvas feed on plant roots.

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Leaf beetles

Insect follows Chrysomelidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-6 mm, and is dark red with grey. Larvas feed on green or dry seeds of plants. In Africa, it is used in biological control to get rid of harmful grasses.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in stony and rocky areas and compact silty soils in depressions and by roads; mainly in NE Qatar. Uses: Buds are cooked and pickled and used as flavouring in cooking (El Amin). The leaves of the […]

Kingdom : Birds, Duck

Medium sized, rather heavily built and short necked dabbling duck. Differs from all other ducks with huge spatulate bill. Swims with front end low and bill often dabbling in water. Shape and proportions unique. Male has unmistakable dark bill and glossy green head which contrast markedly with white breast and shoulder. Flanks and belly strikingly […]

Kingdom : Birds, Shrike

Plump-bodied, long tailed and large headed shrike. Adult has a short square-ended tail, wide black forehead band which reaching fore-crown , grey rump, whitish upper tail coverts, white tail sides, and large white mirror at base of primaries base appearing as conspicuous band in flight. Female is duller than male. Juvenile has rufous tail and […]

Kingdom : Birds, Shrike

A pale shrike, little longer than the Red-backed Shrike. In the strain breeding in Iran (i.e. phoenicuroides), male has blackish mask on face and a white mirror on primaries’ base. In isabellinus male, face mask is less delineated, and there is hardly a white mirror in wings. All strains contain yellowish white lower parts, and […]

Kingdom : Birds, Shrike

It is smaller and slimmer than the Woodchat Shrike, has a finer bill and longer tail. Adult is unmistakablewith black upper parts and mask (female duller, browish-grey) with white face. Flanks are washed orange with a distinctive white shoulder patch. Pale wing patch is noticeable in flight. Juvenile similar to juvenile Woodchat Shrike but has […]

Kingdom : Birds, Shrike

Male is unmistakable, with reddish brown mantle and wings coverts contrasting to the grey top of head and rump, black facial mask and black tail with white sides to base. Females are warm brown above, tail darker brown, whitish underparts with dense crescent barring on breast and flank. Compare to similar Daurian Shrike. Juvenile has […]

Kingdom : Birds, Shrike

Striking rufous-brown crown and nape in adult with large white shoulder patch on black upperparts.. Female is duller with more white/buff at base of bill and lower back and rump only slightly greyer than mantle. Juvenile and first winter birds resemble Red-backed Shrike counterparts, but upper parts of Woodchat Shrike are pale grey brown with […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy runnels, wadis and other sandy areas; also as a weed in irrigated gardens. Uses: Probably a useful grazing species.

Kingdom : Birds, Stork

A glossy black stork with white lower underparts. Adult has red bill and legs, whereas browner, less glossy juvenile has greyish green bill and legs.

Kingdom : Birds, Hen

Almost twice the size of Moorhen; huge red bill and frontal shield; red legs prominent. Plumage mostly uniform bluish with greyish head and neck. Swims with body stooped forward like Moorhen; white undertail-coverts often striking. In flight, shape like huge Moorhen with blue wings and long red legs. Juvenile drabber with greyish underparts, dull red […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in saline areas in S Qatar according to Batanouny. Notes: Needs confirmation as not listed for Qatar by Miller & Cope.

Kingdom : Birds, Tern

The largest tern identified by heavy red bill (can be seen at long distance), almost gull-like flight with slow steady wing-beats and by call; wings and back pale grey, under surface white with distinctive dark primaries below. Juvenile has more orangy bill, more extensive black cap to below eye (unlike adult), weak dark scales on […]

Kingdom : Birds, Tern

Adult birds in spring are easy to identify from their red bill with black tip, black cap and red legs, which remain red throughout the year. The tail does not extend beyond the wing tips of standing birds. Immature birds are difficult to distinguish from immature White-cheeked terns. The Common Tern has a whitish rump, […]

Kingdom : Birds, Thrush

Similar to Black-throated Thrush, but with brown reddish throat and tail tips rusty, red colour. Prefers to live in a habitat where lots of trees and bushes prevail, particularly in gardens, parks and cultivated areas. Reported in Qatar as a vagrant bird.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Sandy habitats; N Qatar.