Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Not in other Gulf regions. Habitat & distribution: Presumably widespread in urban areas. Uses: Planted as an ornamental tree, for erosion control and a source of firewood and charcoal.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Perennial herb or shrublet. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. First record: SW Qatar, March 2007 (John Norton and S. Aspinall). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: In moderately firm sand mixed with gravel, and similar habitats. A species also of stable sand dunes in some other parts of the Gulf. […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or short-lived perennial herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Local. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: Kuwait. habitat & distribution: A garden weed.

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Ladybirds

Insect follows Coccinellidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 1.7-2.2 mm, and wings are between yellowish to reddish brown with a middle vertical black stripe. It is a predator to several kinds of insects including Aphids and Scale Insects.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in C and W Qatar. Previously recorded from Salwa and Jebel Dukhan, on saline, Sandy areas. Uses: The deep red root is used by bedouin women as a cosmetic (rouge).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant on shallow sandy deposits in all habitat types except saline areas. Perhaps more abundant in S and SW Qatar. Uses: ‘Women formerly used the powdery red dust, that rubs off the thick […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Mar–Jul. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Being a favoured grazing species is rarely seen in quantity. Frequent in the western part of Ras Laffan Industrial City (John Norton 2004) where protected from grazing; very scattered in western Qatar in 2007. Batanouny […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in cultivated fields. Uses: An important crop and fodder plant. Rizk & El-Ghazaly describe the medicinal properties of this species.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from Jebel Al Wakra.

Kingdom : Bee-eater, Birds

Easily distinguished by combination of chestnut crown, bright yellow throat contrasting with turquoise-blue underparts and, in adult, by chestnut back and upperwing-coverts. In flight, shows paler, grey underwings. Juvenile has more greenish upperparts, but still shows chestnut crown and yellow throat; central tail-feathers very short or lacking. Migrates in flocks, often passing high overhead, revealed […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Cultivated areas, C and N Qatar. A weed of garden origin. Uses: ‘Leaves eaten in Iran in stews but bitter in taste’ (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: The habitat of this species is similar to other species of Cenchrus. Notes: Tentatively listed for Qatar by Cope on the basis of the photograph included in Batanouny (Plate 111), mis-labelled as C. pennisetiformis.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from C and W Qatar, including Dukhan. Uses: Good fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant on sand sheets, drifting sand and small dunes, especially in S Qatar. Uses: Batanouny remarks that it is grazed, but not preferred by animals. The species has potential to be used as a […]

Kingdom : Birds, Bunting

Heavy bodied, stout billed bunting without white in tail. Male diagnostic with black head, yellow underparts and unstreaked chestnut upperparts. Black of head subdued by pale fringes in Autumn. Females and 1st year birds lack black, bright yellow and chestnut colouring.

Kingdom : Birds, Bunting

Medium sized bunting with blue-grey bill, narrow yellow eye-ring and white in outer tail feathers. Male has yellowish green crown, sides of face and throat, with otherwise greyish plumage, including unstreaked grey rump. In autumn upper breast is streaked darker. Female is olive grey-brown, streaked like autumn male. Throat has buffish or yellowish tinge, streaked […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from a stony area with accumulated fine soil at Umm Slal Mohammed. Notes: Batanouny ascribed his plant to var. psilostachys Hal?csy (not formally recognised by Cope).

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in roadside plantations. Rarely found naturalised. Uses: A list of medicinal uses is given by Rizk & El-Ghazaly. Ghazanfar reports that the leaves, fruit and seeds are used to treat blisters, bruises, chest pains, dandruff, fractures and mouth […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or short-lived perennial. Flowering. Dec–Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from Al Khor by Batanouny.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy saline depressions. Uses: Jongbloed et al. note its use to treat abdominal and rheumatic pains.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 4 mm, and has yellowish brown colour.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in irrigated, cultivated areas. Noted as a ‘serious weed’ in some regions by Cornes & Cornes.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Reported from a farm near Al Khor by El Amin. Notes: A typographical error in El Amin’s book inadvertently put this species into the genus Senecio, but the record in any case is doubtful as this species is […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in damp areas, including the edges of cultivated fields. Uses: Grazed, and used for fodder.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–Jun. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of lawns and gardens in Doha. Uses: The plant has numerous medicinal uses, including the treatment of bruises, clots, fever, snake bite and infections (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Grass. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Cope (2007). Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: The typical habitats include seashores; but also found in irrigated lawns and gardens. Notes: Cope maps a record for this species over Doha. He notes that much of the material originally […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant in shallow sandy areas, including runnels; mainly in C and S Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Miller & Cope (1996). Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A plant of rocky places over Arabia generally.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Parasitic herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Mainly in coastal areas, including coastal sands along beaches, where occasionally forming small clumps. Host plants include Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, Cornulaca spp, Limonium axillare, and Tetraena qatarensis. Uses: ‘Said to be poisonous’ (El Amin). Rizk & […]

Kingdom : Dragonflies, Insects, Skimmers or Perchers

Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons

A graceful, all-white egret, which in adult plumage has a black bill and black legs with yellow feet. Immature birds have brownish green legs and pinkish base to lower mandible. May be confused with white phase of Western Reef Heron. (see that species) Larger than Cattle Egret, also lacks buffish wash to plumage and bill […]

Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons

A small, white meadow-dwelling heron, usually seen in flocks, and frequently associates with cattle. It differs from Little Egret by stockier build, shorter pale bill, neck and legs, extended “jowl” under bill and faster flight. Also in breeding season orange-buff wash on crown, back and breast, and reddish bill. Usually seen feeding in flocks or […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent or abundant in farms and gardens. Uses: Used as fodder (El Amin). Eaten raw by bedouin as a salad herb (Mandaville).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. May–Jul. Status: Introduced.Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: May occur as an escape from cultivation. Uses: This is a very common and widely grown fodder crop throughout the Arabian peninsula. Ghazanfar states the leaves are used to treat bruises, fractures and to stop nose-bleeds. Seeds are […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to abundant or locally dominant in moderately compact sand or silt, especially in rocky areas and often around inhabited areas and farmland. Uses: Described by Mandaville as ‘useful fodder grass’.

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Mar–Nov. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Subsp. indica is widely planted in the Gulf and presumably in Qatar; it is native to parts of Saudi Arabia and Oman. Uses: The wood has various construction uses and can used as firewood and for producing charcoal. The […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native.Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant in sandy habitats, especially after winter rains. Depressions in the Dukhan area in 2007 turned green with this species. May be less common in E Qatar. Uses: Grazed by sheep and goats (El Amin). […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to locally frequent in shallow sand in wadis and runnels; often within rocky areas. Uses: Eaten by all animals (El Amin). Notes: Recorded as C. aucheri (Boiss.) Stapf by Batanouny, but later apparently redetermined as C. plumulosus […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Nov. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait. Habitat & distribution: Locally abudant at Al Khor; also at Umm Tais (Renee Richer).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Silty depressions. Uses: Chamomile tea is brewed from Flower heads, ‘known to both bedouin and villagers’ (Mandaville) and is used for general stomach problems such as colic, cramps and stomach aches (Ghazanfar).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or locally frequent in small sandy or silty depressions; C and S Qatar. Uses: ‘The plant is sometimes eaten raw by bedouin, who may also use it in the preparation of iqt (dried sour milk cakes)’ […]

Kingdom : Birds, Grebe

The Black-necked Grebe is slightly larger than the Little Grebe.It has a small bill, steeply sloping forehead,and large red eye. Mostly dark chocolate brown and golden in summer. In winter plumage the white throat and cheeks contrast with the grey neck and grey and black body. Often seen in small flocks on open water.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded from Al Karaanah. Uses: The plant has purgative properties (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant in sandy runnels in SW Qatar. Uses: Grazed by camels (Mandaville) and used for fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Parasitic herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated areas on many different hosts including crops such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum); also on trees such as Prosopis and Ziziphus, and also on Chenopodium, Fagonia and Trigonella spp.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual parasitic herb. Flowering. Jan–Dec. Status: Introduced. Local. Needs confirmation for Qatar. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Batanouny mentions that this species is a fairly common parasite of cultivated alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), as well as Ziziphus nummularia. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly list a large number […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in irrigated places, including gardens. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly list various medicinal uses including treatment of rashes, abdominal cramps and genital diseases.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Apr–Jul. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy areas, particularly in depressions and runnels; though single plants may cover a large area. Uses: El Amin reports that the ripe fruit were used to prepare gunpowder. The plant is well known […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional as a weed of disturbed areas and silty depressions.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy depressions in S Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Dec. Status: Introduced. Local. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: A garden weed. Uses: Leaves are used for constipation and stomach cramps (Ghazanfar).

Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons

White, dark and intermediate phases occur.White phase similar to Little Egret but less elegant with thicker bill. Bill pale brown to yellowish usually with reddish flush in breeding season. Legs brownish green. Dark phase is slate-grey with white chin and throat and occasionally a few white flight feathers. Juvenile in white-phase often has grey feathers, […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy habitats in S Qatar. Previously also recorded from Al Wakra and Wadi Al Banat.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in stony habitats and compacted, often saline soils. Uses: In Bahrain, the leaves are used as an antibiotic and laxative; infusion of leaves or the seeds is applied to the eyes in […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Biennial or perennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in sandy habitats. Uses: ‘The leaves are used to treat fevers and to stop excessive bleeding after childbirth’ (Ghazanfar). Rizk & El-Ghazaly also state that they are put on the heads […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in silty depressions. Uses: The plant is poisonous and used as an insecticide (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant in saline habitats, including sabkha edge, saltmarsh and the edges of permanent wetland areas. Sometimes dominates large areas of saline flats. Uses: El Amin states this species to be good fodder.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to locally abundant in silty or sandy depressions and runnels; mainly N and C Qatar. Large tussocks of this lemon-scented species dominate silt pans in parts of Ras Laffan Industrial City where there is no […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of lawns (Batanouny) and waste ground (Abdel Bari).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Silty depressions, N and C Qatar (El Amin). Uses: El Amin mentions that it is used by locals to clean and perfume their teeth.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Jan–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in C and N Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Cultivated areas.

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Jewel beetles

Beetle follows Buprestidae family, and Coleoptera order. The beetle is big-sized (between 29-31 mm), has a glossy green colour with glossy yellow spots. It feeds on wild tree flower’s nectar from Aril to June. Larva has a flattened head and lives as diggers inside wild trees.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent on rocky ground and shallow, compacted sand; especially SW Qatar. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly report that in Bahrain the leaves are used as purgative and hypoglycaemic.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated lands in N Qatar. Uses: ‘Good fodder’ (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrublet. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded in SW Qatar, west of Al Karaanah and Wadi Al Ireig. Recently seen in MeSara Abdul Majideer area (Mohammed Al Safran).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in silty, loamy and gravelly soils; mainly in depressions in C Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy habitats. Previously recorded from Al Karaanah, Al Wakra and Wadi Al Banat and recently from Al Khorh and other parts of W Qatar. Uses: El Amin reported that it is […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivation, irrigated soils and waste ground.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Apr–Jun. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in C Qatar. Notes: Abutilon hirtum (Lam.) Sweet is listed as a synonym by Jongbloed, though usually regarded as a separate species.

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Oct–Jan, Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to abundant or dominant in sandy areas, disturbed habitats and cultivated areas. Originally planted in and around towns and villages but now naturalised and has spread into desert areas. Several authors note that it […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Jun. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Often abundantt in small silty depressions. Scattered plants may occur anywhere in sandy or silty habitats. Uses: Various authors report its use in traditional medicine, including use as a diuretic.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass, Herb

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. habitat & distribution: Batanouny recorded this taxon from Umm Slal Mohammed growing in small depressions on calcareous ridges. It may also occur as a weed species in cultivated areas, as it does elsewhere in the Gulf. Uses: Mandaville remarks that […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: A prostrate shrublet. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent on silty or sandy depressions with compacted soil. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly report that the plant is used for removing tumours and pain.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional as a weed of crops. Uses: The leaves are used as a vegetable to make the Arabic dish mulakhiyah. A number of medicinal uses are listed by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in shallow sandy deposits, sandy depressions and cultivated areas. Uses: Those listed by Ghazanfar include treatment of colic, constipation, swollen and inflamed eyes, using the leaves.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Jul. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in shallow sandy deposits.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in silty depressions; mainly N Qatar. Uses: Noted as palatable to livestock by Batanouny and El Amin.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb or small shrub. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain. Habitat & distribution: Occasional at Ras Laffan and Mesaieed (John Norton), but absent from the west coast. Also listed by Abdel Bari as ‘widespread’. Appears to prefer compact or disturbed gravelly or silty soils, particularly in depressions and wadis. Uses: […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb, Yellow and Purple

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Not confirmed for Qatar. Not in other Gulf areas. Notes: Miller & Cope note that it is recorded from Qatar by Batanouny (1981) and the UAE by Western. However, they remark that no verified material has been seen and the occurence of the species in Arabia needs confirmation. […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in gravel plains, gravelly depressions and other areas with compact soil. Notes: No confirmed recent records. It is possible that this species has been recorded in error in the past for S. sokotrana. Uses: Used for […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Oct–Nov. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in coastal areas. Uses: Grazed by sheep and camels and is valuable salt grazing (El Amin). Cornes & Cornes note that ‘Atriplex species are a good source of fodder, with high protein content’. Notes: Two […]

Kingdom : Birds, Oriole

It is a shy, thrush-sized bird. Male’s bright yellow plumage with black wings is diagnostic. Female and immature male are greenish above with olive-brown wings and tail, rump often yellowish green, underparts yellowish white, indistinctly streaked darker. Appears short tailed in flight. Flight pattern undulating, followed by soft wing beats.

Kingdom : Birds, Pelican

Huge bird with a large wingspan. Beak shape makes it easy to differentiate from other birds. Adult is white with contrasting solid black flight feathers. Flight consists of slow wingbeats followed by a glide.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded in N Qatar. Uses: Rizk & Ghazaly report that it used in the treatment of skin diseases.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native.Rare. First published record: Abulfatih et al. (2001) (included in a list of species recorded). Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A plant of rocky areas.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: An occasional weed of gardens and other cultivated places.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 5-7 mm, and has yellow colour.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-5 mm, and has yellow colour.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub or small tree. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A characteristic species of deep, often drifting sand. Recorded only by El Amin, but, confusingly, he refers to this species as Haloxylon salicornicum. He recorded it east of Salwa at Mah Sobia hill (the […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant in salt marshes along coasts at Al Khor, Ras Eshairiq, Umm Bab and Dukhan. Also locally dominant on coastal sabkha at Ras Abrouq. Uses: Dry stems are used as firewood.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Depressions and runnels.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE.Habitat & distribution: Batanouny recorded as ‘fairly common’ in depressions, but it is not mentioned by El Amin; Mandaville states that it appears to be very rare in Saudi Arabia.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Shrublet. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Mainly on harder, calcareous substrates in W Qatar. Frequent in the Dukhan area (John Norton).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: First published record: Obeid (1975). Not in other Gulf Floras. Notes: A North African species not recorded by other botanists in Arabia. Obeid’s record could relate to a casual occurrence of an introduced plant, or be in error for another species.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from ‘C Qatar, Wakra hills’ (presumably Jebel Al Wakra, E Qatar). Habitat is given as light soils on depressions. Uses: The seeds yield an oil similar to linseed oil (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed in gardens and other cultivated areas. Uses: Eaten in salads. The whole plant is considered an aphrodisiac and considered a cure for a wide range of medical conditions, including inflammations, ulcers, […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional on sandy or silty soils; often in disturbed areas around habitation. Occurs along parts of the NE coast and in sandy habitats in the south (Mohammed Al Safran). notes: Subspp. L m. mucronata and […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Dominant in moderately saline sandy and silty areas, including sabkha edge and other coastal habitats. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. May–Jun. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Locally dominant in sandy depressions, wadis and larger runnels, often prefering the slightly elevated ground at the edges of such features. Uses: Grazed by livestock and used for fodder and firewood. The gum is of […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrublet or small shrub. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional, particularly on more compacted soils on gravelly and rocky areas, and also in disturbed areas near to habitation. Uses: Grazed by sheep and goats (El Amin), but Mandaville remarks that some bedouin consider […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Likely to be found planted or naturalised under shade of trees along roadsides or in plantations. Mandaville comments that in eastern Saudi Arabia it is self- propogating in the larger oases. Uses: Eaten by man and used […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from sandy soils in cultivated areas.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from C and S Qatar, including Umm Bab.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Sep. Status: Native. Rare. An Arabian endemic. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Shallow, fine textured soil and pebbly habitats (Batanouny). Uses: Mandaville states that it is a main camel grazing species in parts of the Rub’ Al Khali.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in irrigated places. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin). Notes: Cope lists subspp. sterilis and ludoviciana (Durieu) M. Gillet & Magne for Qatar; the latter is often treated as a separate species.

Kingdom : Flora, Tree

Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to locally frequent where planted in gardens and roadsides. Rarely naturalised. Uses: Planted along roadsides as a shade tree. The fruits are edible.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded by El Amin from saline, sandy soils in S Qatar.

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Feb–Jul. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in cultivated land and other irrigated areas, including gardens.

Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows

Small, finely built finch. Male yellowish green with black forehead and chin, broad yellow wing-bar, sides of tail and rump, particularly obvious in flight. Female olive-brown above, white below with a tinge of yellowish green which, together with yellow in wings, tail and rump identity it. Lacks black on head of male. Back and flanks […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated lands in C Qatar by Batanouny, but presumably also occurs in natural areas with sandy and silty soils.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivation.

Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows

Plumage is olive grey brown. The long bill with strong base is black in breeding male, but rose brown in female and juvenile male. Male has a yellow spot on lower throat, surrounded by olive-grey breast band and lower cheeks, with whitish upper throat. Lesser coverts are chestnut, median coverts form broad white wing bar. […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant and often dominant after winter rains on compact, shallow sandy soils in rocky areas and also in shallow sandy depressions and runnels. Uses: Batanouny remarks that it is grazed when young, but […]

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. May–Nov. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny in a regularly irrigated lawn of Hotel in Doha. The species may also potentially occur in other wet habitats.

Kingdom : Birds, Stork

Unmistakable in adult plumage with slightly drooping orange-yellow bill, bare red face and orange-red legs. Plumage resembles White Stork but tail is black (visible in flight) and mantle and tips of wing-coverts tinged pink. Subadults are sandy buff with some pink on underwing-coverts, a much duller bill and legs, and greyish to pale orange facial […]

Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Swallowtail butterflies

Insect follows Papilionidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Wing is yellow and black with two lower red spots. Wing is about 80-100 mm long. Larvas attack plants of Rutaceae, causing great economic harm to them.

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Oct. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in coastal saline habitats. Uses: Jong et al. note that the plant is suitable for saline irririgation and a promising landscape plant, and is also used to treat asthma.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Perennial herb or small shrub. Flowering. Dec–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in cultivated depressions, field margins and disturbed areas in C Qatar. Uses: Chrozophora species have been traditionally used in Arabia to produce dyes. Further details are given by Mandaville.

Kingdom : Birds, Tern

Size of Sandwich Tern but resembles Swift Tern more closely in plumage. Has long slim orange-yellow bill, pale ash-grey upperparts with rump and tail paler grey. Slightly crested nape black as may be forehead for short period in summer, but forehead otherwise white. In winter, bill paler orange-yellow and solid black is confined to nape. […]

Kingdom : Birds, Tern

Easily identified from other terns (except Saunders’s) by small size, narrow wings with very fast beats both when hovering and in direct flight. Adult in summer pale grey above (extending onto centre of rump in some) with narrow grey-black leading (two) primaries and yellow bill tipped black; white forehead usually extends as white point to […]

Kingdom : Birds, Tern

Very difficult to separate from Little Tern in non-breeding plumage, particularly in Arabian Gulf, where intermediates between the two apparently occur. In breeding plumage there is a triangular white spot on the forehead. This is larger in Little Tern. In flight outer primaries tend to show more black than in Little Tern. Rump is more […]

Kingdom : Birds, Tern

Large slender tern, size between Sandwich and Caspian; adult best identified from Lesser Crested by longer, thicker, more drooping waxy yellow bill tinged greenish (slimmer, orange-yellow in Lesser Crested) and by much darker ashy grey upperparts; rump and tail paler grey than back. In summer, black crested cap always broken by white forehead-band (never black […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Sep–Oct. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from saltmarsh at Al Khor and Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah. Uses: Cornes & Cornes report that the plant is intensively grazed by camels in sabkha areas and also by gazelles; Mandaville (citing an […]

Kingdom : Flora, Shrub

Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Oct–Nov. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in coastal areas and in S Qatar on deeper saline sand. Uses: Reported by Rizk & El-Ghazaly to have some degree of antimicrobial activity when ingested. Leaves are used to treat jaundice in Qatar (Ghazanfar).

Kingdom : Flora, Grass

Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant on sand sheets, sandy depressions and other sandy habitats. Especially common in S and SW Qatar, where it is a major component of the natural perennial vegetation. It probably avoids saline sand. Uses: Described […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Farms and cultivated areas. Uses: A widely cultivated vegetable. Has been used in the treatment of various medical conditions including arthritis, chest-colds, dysentery, fever, mastitis, rheumatism, scurvy and skin ailments (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in sandy areas; especially W Qatar.

Kingdom : Birds, Wagtail

Male unmistakable; N Russian race, citreola, has bright yellow head and underparts, black neck-band and grey upperparts; S central Asian calcarata has black mantle while W central Asian, werae, has no (or reduced) black neck-band and less rich yellow underparts; 2 broad pure white wing-bars characteristic at all ages. Female told from Yellow also by […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wagtail

In all plumages has characteristic yellow vent and undertail-coverts, greyish back, no obvious covert-bars but bold white translucent bar at base of flight-feathers (visible in flight), very long tail and extremely undulating flight. Male in summer has black throat bordered by white stripe below; female has less black or even whitish throat; immature has white […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wagtail

In male, head colour differs, depending on race, of which eight have been recorded in the region. Racial variation is given below: flava: blue-grey crown and ear-coverts; long white supercilium; chin and sometimes sides of throat white. thunbergi: dark grey crown, with no sharp demarcation to upperparts but contrasting with very dark grey ear-coverts, usually […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

It is mostly confusable with Yellow-browed Warbler (and may be undistinguishable) but is generally greyer, with less yellow green appearance. A more greyish olive colour, with a more buffish white supercilium. It has 2 pale wing bars, the upper one short and sometimes invisible, the lower one distinct. Underparts dusky white, tinged buffish on ear […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

The only obvious yellow and olive-green warbler in the region. It has a peaked crown, yellow-orange bill and very long wings with pale wing panel. Conspicuous yellowish eye ring and lores making eye prominent. Legs blue-grey.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Large warbler, with long wings and short tail. Vivid green upperparts, with long broad yellow supercilium, ear coverts, throat and upper breast. Contrasting white underparts. Yellow-fringed secondaries form pale panel contrasting with blackish, whitish fringed tertials. Black alula visible, with yellow lower bill and pale legs. Rather active high up in trees.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Very similar to Hume’s Leaf Warbler. Brighter green upperparts, whiter underparts, very long, pronounced, yellow-white supercilium and 2 distinct yellow-white wing bars are main differences. The base of bill is also paler.

Kingdom : Birds, Starling

Tale is short, bill is thick and black, crown in male is yellow with clear streaks on body. Female lacks yellow crown, bill is paler, and streaks on body are pale brown and under coverts brownish. Prefers to live in a habitat rich with reeds and wetland.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Only a single plant was found during a survey of western Qatar in 2007 (John Norton and S. Aspinall). Batanouny recorded it as ‘fairly common especially in sandy habitats in S Qatar’.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded at Al Sheehaniyah and Doha.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Reported as rare in N Qatar by Rizk & El-Ghazaly. El Amin listed C. trilocularis in the Arabic index to his book, but it was omitted from the species accounts. Uses: Cultivated as a vegetable. A number of medicinal uses […]

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: An occasional weed of cultivation. Uses: The leaves and sap have numerous medicinal properties.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

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

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from Doha as a weed amongst cultivated plants.

Kingdom : Flora, Herb

Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in silty roads in N and C Qatar, often under Acacia and Ziziphus. Uses: ‘Said to be eaten with stews’ (El Amin).