Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 10-15 mm, and has black colour. It is a desert insect, appears during day light and is very fast.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 10-15 mm, and has black colour. It is a desert insect, appears during day light and is very fast.

Kingdom : Assassin bugs, Bugs, Insects

Insect follows Reduviidae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is 9 mm, and is silverin colour. It exists on herbal plants.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 15-20 mm, and has black colour. It is a desert insect.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

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

Kingdom : Bee-eater, Birds

Larger than European Bee-eater and distinctly green or turquoise-green with a chestnut throat, long central tail-streamers and rusty red underwings framed dark on trailing edge. Juvenile duller and lacks long tail projections. From young European Bee-eater (more uniform greenish upperparts than in adult) by entirely green plumage including crown and underparts, long tail-streamers, and rusty […]

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 : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 8 mm, and has black colour.

Kingdom : Birds, Thrush

Entirely black with yellow bill, though 1st year males show brown flight feathers and yellow and dark bill.Female dark brown with all dark bill and slightly paler throat and breast with dark mottling (when seen from close). Juvenile similar to female but shows more mottling to underparts. Superficially resembles Starling but has longer tail and […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Similar in size to Common Whitethroat. In general, it is grey brown but male has a distinguished black crown. First year birds and females have a warm brown crown. These features prevent confusion with any other warbler.

Kingdom : Brush-footed butterflies or Four-footed butterflies, Insects, Moths and Butterflies

Insect follows Nymphalidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Half wing is velvet black from the base, and the other is blue with orange spots on the wing. Wing is 40 mm long. Larvas attack big number of plant families.

Kingdom : Birds, Robin

Size and shape resembles Robin but slimmer, longer legged and generally more skulking. Pale, broad supercilium distinctive, and diagnostic rust-red tail-base obvious in flight or when perched with cocked tail. Striking features in breeding male are blue chin and throat framed below by black and rusty; depending on race the throat spot is red, white […]

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 2.5 mm, and has brown colour.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 3.5-5 mm, and has black colour.

Kingdom : Birds, Bulbul

Generally sooty in colour with black head and fine pale scalloping on upperparts and breast when seen close; slightly crested and with red undertail-coverts. In flight, reveals off-white rump and white tip to blackish tail. Can be gregarious.

Kingdom : Birds, Bulbul

Size of a small thrush. Easily told by black head and throat with large white cheek-patch; the race that occurs in the region, leucotis, often shows only slight crest. Undertail-coverts yellow and noticeable white tips to tail-feathers. Juvenile has browner head than adult.

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

Bulky grey-brown bunting with fairly large head, large conical bill and no white in tail. Underparts heavily streaked, some have irregular black spot on breast, often with pale submoustachial stripe and variable ill-defined malar streak. Heavy fluttering flight, legs often dangling, lacks white on trailing edge of wings of Skylark with which it can be […]

Kingdom : Birds, Bunting

Resembles a bright version of Ortolan Bunting. Male has bright blue-grey head and breast band framing rusty orange throat, rufous rump, a rufous-buff vent and undertail coverts. Belly orange-chestnut, blackish brown tertials with clear-cut rufous-chestnut notched fringe. Female duller, often with traces of ash-grey on head, some grey on streaked breast. Compare with Ortolan Bunting.

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 : Birds, Bunting

Medium sized bunting with yellow eye-ring, pink bill, boldly streaked mantle and blackish brown tertials with clear-cut light chestnut brown edges. Male has olive greyish head and breast band which frames a pale yellowish throat. Female is duller, less olive, more brown tinged and more streaked. Throat pale yellow-buff. Compare with similar Cretzschmar’s Bunting.

Kingdom : Birds, Bunting

Medium -small bunting with longish bill and much rufous in plumage. Male unmistakable with black head broken by bold white supercilium and nape spot, bright red nape merging on sides of neck with rusty breast band. Flanks with extensive rusty streaks, rump rusty red. Female has less blackish head with paler median crown-streak and ear […]

Kingdom : Birds, Bunting

Small rufous coloured bunting with orange-yellow lower mandible, and rufous edged outer tail feathers, and thin streaks on upperparts and wing coverts. Male has a dark ash-grey and white striped head, throat and upper breast with steel-grey and black speckles. Upperparts, wing coverts, lower breast and belly are bright rufous. Female duller with much more […]

Kingdom : Birds, Bunting

Male has unstreaked yellowish green crown, but otherwise plumage is grey. Throat white but in females whitish grey. Feet and bill in both sexes yellowish brown and eye dark brown in colour. Recorded in Qatar as passage migrant.

Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons

Similar to Steppe Buzzard but tail longer and narrower with rounded corners. Head and neck narrower, protruding in cuckoo-like manner. Wing beats moe flexible.Soars on flatish, and glides on slightly lowered wings. Male has greyish head and upperparts, female browner. Below, colour varies between birds from blackish brown to almost white. Most are barred with […]

Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons

Size of Black Kite with long wings and tail, kinked wing position when gliding and flexible wing-beats; soars on highly raised wings. Wide plumage variation: creamy white, rufous-brown and blackish forms on account of colour on body and underwing-coverts. The blackish form can show coarse dark bars on flight- and tail-feathers. Many Long-legged (except dark […]

Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons

The main race that occurs in the region is the highly migratory Steppe Buzzard, B. b. vulpinus, which is slightly smaller with narrower, more pointed wings and longer tail compared with Western European birds of the race B. b. buteo, which are rare.Three types occur: fox-red, grey-brown and blackish (scarce); intermediates are frequent. Fox-red and […]

Kingdom : Beetles, Ground beetles, Insects

Beetle follows Carabidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 20-28 mm, has a black colour, with big thorax, and produces malodor from a gland on abdomen side. It is a predator and fast insect.

Kingdom : Beetles, Ground beetles, Insects

Beetle follows Carabidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 20-28 mm, black, and with big thorax. It is a predator and fast moving insect.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-6 mm, and has blackish brown colour.

Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows

A medium-sized finch. Male is easily identified by blue-grey head, chestnut back, pinkish breast and 2 white wing-bars. Female is more nondescript but can be told by white wing-bars, white outer tail feathers and brownish to olive brown upperparts. Undulating flight with wings closed every few beats. Feeds mainly on ground where it moves rather […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

It is a middle-sized warbler, uniform dark olive greenish-grey in colour, with a round head and pot-bellied appearance.Yellow in plumage is limited to bend of wing, slight infusion on breast and sometimes under-tail coverts. Supercilium is short, off-white,tinged yellow or buff. A broken eye-ring often seen with dark ear coverts. Legs are black and bill […]

Kingdom : Bugs, Cicadas, Insects

Insect follows Cicadidae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is between 20-24 mm, and is grey and brown in colour. Larvas feed on tree roots, causing great harm to trees. Adults are distinguished with a unique squeaking noise during daylight when mating.

Kingdom : Beetles, Click beetles, Insects

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

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

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

Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Whites, Yellows, or Sulphurs

Insect follows Pieridae family, and Lepidoptera order. Wing is yellowish orange and ends are black. Wing is about 45-62 mm long. Larvas attack various plants of Leguminosae, causing great harm to fodder plants including clover and Lucerne.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 8 mm, and has brown colour.

Kingdom : Hawk moths, Sphinx moths, and Hornworms, Insects, Moths and Butterflies

Insect follows Sphingidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Wing is grey; abdomen is black, rose and white lines. Wing is about 80-105 mm long. Larvas attack bindweed leaves and some plants of Convolvulaceae, Araceae , and Leguminosae.

Kingdom : Birds, Coursers and Whimbrels

Adapted to desert habitat, well camouflaged; runs quickly with plover-like behaviour and sudden stops, prefers running away rather than flying. Mainly sandy buff with distinctive black and white head markings joining in ‘V’ on nape, bill short and down-curved. When standing has an erect posture with long pale legs. Flight rapid with long, slightly rounded […]

Kingdom : Birds, Crane

Big and majestic when walking slowly on ground. Huge in flight; shape resembles White Stork (though slightly bigger and shorter-billed), but grey plumage contrasting with black flight-feathers, black head and upper neck, and white stripe from eye down along neck, are obvious features. Red band above eye visible only at closer range. Looks ‘bushy’ at […]

Kingdom : Birds, Crow

A slim crow with a scrawny appearance. It has a domed crown, a long deep bill and a long tail.The grey nape, neck and breast clearly demarcated from black face and remaining black plumage. Gregarious.

Kingdom : Birds, Cuckoo

Usually seen in flight when long tail, pointed wings and shallow wing-beats can cause resemblance to a Kestrel, but head held slightly raised and wings not lifted above level of body. Grey above with barring on underparts; grey underwing has pale line through centre. Female similar but with brown wash on band across breast. Also […]

Kingdom : Birds, Cuckoo

A large cuckoo with slight crest, very long tail and rather fast, shallow wing-beats. Unmistakable with grey upperparts, white-spotted coverts and white underparts. Juvenile is dark brown above with blackish head, white-spotted coverts and showing distinctive chestnut primaries (above and below) in flight.

Kingdom : Birds, Cuckoo

Size of Common Cuckoo and easily told by distinctive black and white plumage, long graduated tail and crest; conspicuous white wing-patch in flight (unlike any other cuckoo). A rarer black form occurs (which also shows white in wing). Juvenile is sooty above with dirty white underparts and small crest.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 5.5-7 mm, and has glossy black colour. Body is arched and lives in deserts.

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Scarab beetles

Insect follows Scarabaeidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 35-40 mm, and has glossy black colour. It is considered a pest of palm trees, as larvas dig long tutas in palm leaves and clusters, so they fall.

Kingdom : Hawk moths, Sphinx moths, and Hornworms, Insects, Moths and Butterflies

Insect follows Sphingidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Frontal wing color is brown, with yellow waves. Back wing is yellow with brown waves. Wing is about 90-130 mm long. Female lays eggs individually on lower surface of Solanales especially sesame and potato. Moreover, it attacks other plants.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 3.5 mm, and has black colour.

Kingdom : Birds, Dove

Medium-small, sandy brown dove with narrow black half-collar on hindneck (absent in juvenile). Told from Turtle by unspotted sandy brown forewing (rufous, spotted blackish in Turtle), black neck-collar, whitish underwing (dark in Turtle), plainer uppertail (bolder patterned in Turtle), absence of well defined whitish belly-patch (present Turtle) and by less rapid flight with less jerky […]

Kingdom : Birds, Dove

Small, fast-flying dove with shorter tail and more pointed wings than Collared; easily told from it also by dark underwings, well defined whitish belly patch, rufous, black-spotted upperparts with blue-grey, well defined outerwing-panel and contrasting pattern of uppertail being darker with more clear-cut white corners, particularly when tail spread upon landing: black and white-streaked patch […]

Kingdom : Birds, Dove

Small, dark red-brown dove, recalling Collared in proportions but plumage closer to Turtle; smaller than both. Black-spotted patch on fore-neck and upper breast, unspotted red-brown upperparts with large, dull blue-grey area in outer-coverts distinguish it. Uppertail less contrasting than in Turtle. Juvenile lacks patch on fore-neck and is less richly coloured. Flight closer to Collared’s […]

Kingdom : Birds, Dove

Unmistakable at all ages. Very small blue-grey or grey-brown dove with long black central tail-feathers, recalling large Budgerigar in shape. In flight, black primaries show large red-brown patch. Male has black face and upper breast, which are brownish grey in female. Juvenile barred black and buff on crown, throat, wing-coverts and back. Very rapid flight […]

Kingdom : Birds, Dove

Medium-sized, compact, pale blue-grey pigeon, with two broad black bands across secondaries above and whitish or greyish rump. Underwing white with dark band at rear, black band on outer tail.The ancestor of the Feral Pigeon, some of which are very similar to Rock, others are blackish, whitish or reddish buff, but black bands on wing, […]

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Scarab beetles

Insect follows Scarabaeidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 25-35 mm, and has black colour. Body is wide oval. Adult females fly to organic fertilizer piles, make different-sized balls sometimes bigger even than a beetle, and then roll it to suitable place and store underground.

Kingdom : Birds, Eagle

Two phases. Size of Buzzard, but outline and wing-position close to Black Kite; tail square-cut. More ample deep-fingered wings than Buzzard. Pale phase identified by creamy white underparts with contrasting blackish flight-feathers, kite-like band on innerwing above, pale scapulars and upper-tail-coverts and diagnostic small white spot at base of neck, seen on front-view. Dark phase […]

Kingdom : Birds, Eagle

In adult, plumage is blackish-brown with contrasting yellow-white hindneck, pale uppertail with broad black band, white ‘shoulder-braces’ (hard to see), pale ventral region, darkish primaries above, parallel-edged wings held flattish and, often, closed narrow tail when soaring. Juvenile has dark-streaked breast forming pectoral band which contrasts with unstreaked yellow-buff rear-body, and distinct pale wedge on […]

Kingdom : Birds, Eagle

A difficult species. Adult dark brown below, flight-feathers similarly dark or a shade paler; leading underwing-coverts sometimes blackish brown on upper surface, mid to dark brown coverts sometimes contrast with darker mantle; no conspicuous pale primary-patch above. Juvenile is blackish brown below with paler flight-feathers; blackish brown upperwing has 1–3 white covert-bars, often creating pale […]

Kingdom : Birds, Eagle

Large long-winged Eagle with very pale underparts, square-cut tail with three evenly spaced dark bands and a broad head. Whitish underparts variably spotted and barred, some nearly all whitish, others with contrasting dark head and upper breast. Staring bright yellow eyes and broad head, flattened on top give it a rather owl-like appearance. Flies with […]

Kingdom : Birds, Eagle

Dark brown adult has variably coloured underwing-coverts, either similar to body or paler; underwing uniform, or with paler or darker flight-feathers with well spaced broad dark bars and clear-cut band on trailing edge (pattern sometimes diffuse); large dark carpal-patch typical, except in darkest birds. From above, coverts often palest part of wing; usually large, dark-barred, […]

Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Snout moths

Insect follows Pyralidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Wing is white, with brown spots. Wing is about 17-23 mm long. Larvas attack eggplants. Early hitting causes shoot tips of plant and plant decay. But in advanced stages, larvas dig tutus in eggplants that become unmerchantable.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 12-16 mm, and has black colour.

Kingdom : Beetles, Checkered beetles, Insects

Insect follows Cleridae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 19 mm, black with a wide white line in the middle, and thorax is reddish brown. Larvas are predator to Tuta Absoluta lavas inside trees.

Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons

Male has a dark crown, mantle and leading edge to wing with white underwing-coverts. Female white below except for warm buff thighs and streaked breast, boldly barred flanks and lightly spotted underwing-coverts; dark crown and short moustache contrast with white cheeks. Crown is dark grey.

Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons

Resembles Peregrine in outline and flight but slightly narrower based wings (male) give impression of longer tail. Adult separated from Peregrine by rufous nape and rear eyebrow, narrower moustache and larger pale cheek-patch, almost reaching eye; more creamy, less barred underparts,and often with dark ‘comma’ on greater primary coverts; upperparts paler blue-grey, more often with […]

Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons

Size of Peregrine but resembles Saker in plumage and shape; long wings with ample hand, slightly blunt-ended when soaring; tail relatively long. Adult separated from most Sakers by barred, greyish upperparts, including distinctly barred uppertail, more contrasting head-pattern of black upper-forehead band, clear-cut narrow black eye-stripe, always conspicuous moustache and with crown unstreaked creamy buff, […]

Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons

Large, stocky falcon with relatively short tail and broad-based, sharply tapering wings which, when soaring, are more pointed than in other large falcons (except Barbary). Adult separated from Lanner and Saker by black crown and bold moustache, contrasting strongly with white throat and small cheek-patch, darker upperparts, barred underparts, but gleaming white upperbreast, and plain […]

Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons

Largest falcon of the region with wing-span of female Buzzard. Like Lanner in outline, but larger, and heavier-chested. Separated from Lanner by combination of whitish crown (sometimes confined to nape), unbarred Kestrel-like contrast above, less distinctly barred uppertail, poorly developed moustache and less contrasting head pattern (diffuse dark eye-stripe, no dark forehead-band); whitish supercilium often […]

Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons

Size and shape similar to Hobby . Long-winged, but tail slightly shorter; elongated central tail feathers (sometimes seen in Hobby) but closed tail-tip pointed. Adult has slaty blue-grey upperparts with darker primaries and outer uppertail, blue-grey underparts (underwings appear paler). Female darker, less contrasting above. Young Sooty told from similar Hobby by greyer upperparts with […]

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 14-17 mm, and has black colour. Body is wide.

Kingdom : Grasshoppers, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Insects

Insect follows Acrididae family, and Orthoptera order. It is light brown with black spots, size is about 20-25 mm. Adults and nymphs feed on herbal plants. Back legs are strong and long, help them move through jumping. Adults lay eggs in groups in soil.

Kingdom : Crickets, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Insects

Insect follows Gryllidae family, and Orthoptera order. It is glossy black with two yellow spots. Size is about 30-35 mm. Adults and nymphs feed on herbal plants. Male makes sounds through rubbing outer wings with each other all night to attract female and warn other males.

Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows

Small, rather inconspicuous, ground dwelling finch with a large head, stout bill and rather short tail. Male distinctive with grey head pinkish wash on forehead, underparts and rump, and wings. Bill an orange-red. Non-breeding female and juvenile sandy grey-buff with slightly paler rump, blackish grey wings and tail with paler feather edgings and pale yellowish […]

Kingdom : Birds, Flycatcher

A small Flycatcher, with clear white spots on sides of tail base. Adult male has reddish orange throat, and sometimes upper breast. Sides of head and neck are lead-grey. Females and 2nd year males have buffish white throat, otherwise upper plumage is grey-brown and whitish below. It moves around foliage like Willow Warbler, raising tail.

Kingdom : Birds, Flycatcher

A black and white coloured flycatcher. Male has a white half-collar onto sides of black neck, a large white spot at base of primaries, white on sides of tail, and white tipped median coverts. White on wing and forehead also present. Females more grey in colour.

Kingdom : Birds, Flycatcher

A brownish grey, long-winged flycatcher, with streaked forehead and breast, thin pale edges to greater coverts and tertials, and blackish bill. Males make short wavering flights for insects from exposed branches. Perches upright, often flicking wings.

Kingdom : Birds, Francolin

A rather drab, stub-tailed greyish brown gamebird with fine mottling and barring on upper and underparts with chestnut forehead and cheeks; has pale throat-patch bordered below by black ‘U’. In flight, shows chestnut tail. Hard to flush, but if pressed rises with explosive whirr of wings. Normally runs off very swiftly.

Kingdom : Insects, Mantis

Insect follows Mantidae family, and Mantodea order. It is green and size is about 100 mm. The insect is a predator to other insects.

Kingdom : Green lacewings, Insects, Net-Winged Insects

Insect follows Chrysopidae family, and Neuroptera order. It is green, size is about 12-20 mm. Adults feed on flower nectars, whereas nymphs are predators to Aphids.

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Leaf beetles

Insect follows Chrysomelidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-6 mm, red grey and has fluff. It attacks Acacia tree seeds, and may cause harm to seed stocks. In some countries, it attacks Tamarind trees.

Kingdom : Diggers, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Insects

Insect follows Gryllotalpidae family, and Orthoptera order. It is brown, size is about 30-35 mm. Adults dig tunnels under soil, attack stems of plants, vegetables and trees; causing the death of young plants. It causes economic harms for crops especially when they are buds.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-6 mm, and has black colour.

Kingdom : Birds, Harrier

Smaller, slimmer and slightly narrower-winged than Marsh, with similar flight, but male more buoyant. Male has clear-cut white uppertail-coverts, uniform pale blue-grey upperparts, head and upper breast, rest of under surface white but wing-tip black (both surfaces). 2nd autumn male can show black wedge on wing-rip like male Pallid (as result of primary-moult). Female and […]

Kingdom : Birds, Harrier

Slender build, narrower, longer more pointed wings, longer narrower tail and more buoyant flight helps separation from Hen Harrier. In adult, rear-body slimmer than in Pallid. Male has dark grey back and innerwing, silvery grey outerwing but extensive black wing-tips; one black band on secondaries above and two below; red-brown streaks below dark grey upperbreast. […]

Kingdom : Birds, Harrier

Flight and proportions almost identical to Montagu’s. Male pale grey above without clear-cut white rump; whitish head and undersurface with black wedge on wing-tip. Female separated from similar Montagu’s by pale, dark-streaked collar (like female Hen Harrier; virtually absent in Montagu’s), less spacing between dark bands on secondaries below, with pale bands becoming darker towards […]

Kingdom : Birds, Harrier

Larger, heavier and more broad-winged than other harriers; wavering low glides on raised wings when hunting; otherwise wings with bend at carpals. Male tri-coloured on upperwing (silver-grey, brown and black); uppertail silver-grey; under surface white but wing-tip black and rear-body red-brown, latter separating it from high-flying male Hen Harrier. Female dark brown, tail rusty-brown, crown, […]

Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons

Has long, scythe-like, pointed wings (recalling a large swift) and relatively short tail. In adult, combination of dark slate-grey upperparts, uniform tail, contrast between prominent moustache and white cheeks/throat, densely streaked underparts with red thighs and undertail-coverts, and shape and length of wings and tail separate it from Merlin and Kestrel. Juvenile browner above with […]

Kingdom : Birds, Hoopoe

Distinctive pinkish buff with bold black and white bars on wings and tail, long black-tipped crest, usually depressed (though raised upon landing), long decurved bill and distinctive flight with flaps of broad wings. Spends much time on the ground where hard to detect; often first noticed when it flies.

Kingdom : Birds, Lark

Large, slender lark, easily identified by its long decurved bill, rather long pale legs, long tail and, in flight, bold black and white bands through wings. Upperparts unstreaked sandy grey-buff, underparts whitish, often spotted black on breast; whitish supercilium, dark eye and malar-stripe. Juvenile spotted on mantle but almost without breast-spots; bill less decurved. Speedy […]

Kingdom : Flies, House flies or Stable flies, Insects

Insect follows Muscidae family, and Diptera order. They are of the most widespread insects around the world and exist in all areas of planet earth, and may transfer dangerous infections. Size is between 5-8 mm, thorax is grey with four dark vertical lines on back. Hair covers whole body, and it has a pair of […]

Kingdom : Birds, Hypocolius

In shape resembles a slim Grey Shrike but with longer tail. Soft blue-grey plumage with black eye-mask joining over nape and black-tipped tail; primaries black (but barely showing so at rest) with pure white tips, prominent in flight. Female and immature rather featureless creamy brown (but with well demarcated creamy throat), lacking black on head […]

Kingdom : Birds, Ibis

Unmistakable with black and white plumage, long black scapulars drooping over rear end and long, decurved bill. Juvenile has mottled head and neck. In flight, shows diagnostic black line on rear edge of wings. Rather heavy in flight with longish neck outstretched and legs protruding beyond tail.

Kingdom : Birds, Ibis

Blackish with long decurved bill. Close views however show plumage to be a deep purple-chestnut, glossed green on wings. In winter bill is brownish with fine pale streaks on head and neck. Juvenile plumage much duller. Fast wing-beats in flight often followed by long glides, frequently in long-line formation.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 10 mm, and has black colour with short yellow hair. Body is long.

Kingdom : Grasshoppers, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Insects

Insect follows Acrididae family, and Orthoptera order. It is light brown with black, size is about 20 mm. Adults and nymphs feed on herbal plants. Back legs are strong and long, help them move through jumping. Adults lay eggs in groups in soil.

Kingdom : Birds, Kestrel

Long, narrow, fairly pointed wings, long rounded or tapering tail, shallow loose wing-beats, persistent hovering and rufous upperparts, contrasting with darker flight-feathers, characteristic. Compared to Lesser, male has black spots on back and wing-coverts (absent in male Lesser), lacks blue-grey greater upper-wing-coverts, has different head-pattern and underwing. Female has dark bars on red-brown upperparts; some […]

Kingdom : Birds, Kestrel

Very similar to Kestrel and not always separable. Slightly smaller and slimmer, with slightly narrower wings, slightly shorter, more wedge-shaped tail and quicker wing-beats. Male is unmarked rufous above but greater coverts often blue-grey (hard to see). Whole head ash-grey without moustache or pale area on cheeks. From below, white underwing contrasts with dark wing-tip […]

Kingdom : Birds, Kite

Smaller than the Black Kite, but adult birds have white lines on the outer primary feathers which are noticeable in flight. Crown colour is brown while in Black Kite is greyish. Eyes are black and attractive. Habitat is similar to that of Black Kite which is mostly woodland, near water sources, and can be located […]

Kingdom : Birds, Kite

Size of a large Kestrel, but appears larger in flight. Easily identified by combination of black primaries on white under surface and large black patch on forewing, in otherwise pale grey upper surface with a whitish tail. Juvenile darker and dirtier above with thin white line on greater coverts. Well protruding, broad head, shortish tail […]

Kingdom : Birds, Kite

A buzzard sized bird with a characteristically shallow fork to the tail. Uniformly dark brown with a pale patch sometimes visible on the underwings in immature birds. Juvenile has dark eye-mask, pale feather tips on mantle and shoulders, boldly dark spotted breast but pale belly with no contrast to undertail. Dark band present near tip […]

Kingdom : Birds, Cuckoo

Unmistakable cuckoo-like bird with relatively thick bill, short wings and rather long tail. Male black with bluish gloss and bright yellow bill. Female has drab brawn upperparts, thinly streaked and spotted white; whitish throat heavily streaked dark brown, rest of underparts densely barred with dark brown and buff; dark tail with many thin whitish bars. […]

Kingdom : Birds, Lark

Resembles Desert Lark in general appearance but smaller, with more upright stance, rounder head and with orange-yellow bill shorter and finer, also told from Desert by clear-cut black band to tip of reddish brown tail, best seen when tail spread in flight (in Desert, dark brown tail gradually merges into paler brown base) and by […]

Kingdom : Birds, Lark

A large heavy-billed lark with a short tail and longish wings. Has a contrasting head pattern with large yellowish bill, black patches on lower throat, and a white superciium. In flight has dull grey-brown underwing with no white trailing edge; has white-tipped tail while outer feathers are buff-brown.

Kingdom : Birds, Lark

Rather stocky, pot-bellied, short-tailed lark; long spiky crest always visible; bill fairly long, slightly curved. Upperparts buffish grey or rusty, rather uniform, diffusely streaked darker on hindneck/upper mantle; breast more heavily streaked. Flight with flapping wing-beats on broad wings showing rusty buff underwings and blackish brown short tail with cinnamon sides. Juvenile heavily pale-spotted above. […]

Kingdom : Birds, Lark

Dumpy, short-tailed lark with broad, rounded wings and floppy, slow, undulating flight. Colour variable, grey-brown with much variation; generally, they are unstreaked above except for vague mottling on mantle in some; underparts buffish or greyish white, unmarked in some, but diffusely streaked breast in others; rufous tinge to rump, flight-feathers and underwings in many. Longish, […]

Kingdom : Birds, Lark

Small pale lark with well streaked upperparts, buffish white generally unstreaked underparts with variable black patch at sides of throat (adult); relatively stout pale bill, long tertials almost covering wing-tip (unless worn) and boldly patterned median coverts; also prominent buffish white supercilium, pale lores, dark eye-streak and small pale area on cheeks are further features. […]

Kingdom : Birds, Lark

Resembles Greater Short-toed Lark though slightly smaller, with shorter, more stubby bill, more distinctly streaked breast, no black patches at sides of throat, shorter tertials with wing-tip clearly exposed beyond (beware of Short-toed with worn tertials) and typical flight-call different. Upperparts generally sandy grey, pale buff or rufous-brown, crown usually not tinged rufous; supercilium generally […]

Kingdom : Flies, Fruit flies, Insects

Insect follows Tephritidae family, and Diptera order. Larvas grow in fruits of vast group of pumpkin and wild crops such as cucumber, watermelon and marrow. Fly lays eggs under fruits’ crust, breeds after 1-2 days. Larva feed inside fruit for 5-6 days, then returned to soil or under host plant. Adults appeart after 2-4 weeks. […]

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Longhorn beetles

Insect follows Cermbycidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 5-8 mm, yellowish brown, and nocturnal. It was found in Doha Ziziphus. Larvas dig inside tree branches. Adults have unique long antennas.

Kingdom : Grasshoppers, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Insects

Insect follows Acrididae family, and Orthoptera order. It is light brown with black, size is about 25 mm. Adults and nymphs feed on herbal plants. Back legs are strong and long, help them move through jumping. Adults lay eggs in groups in soil.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 2-2.5 mm, and has black colour.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 11.5-14.5 mm, and has black colour. Body is long.

Kingdom : Birds, Martin

Smaller than Barn Swallow with black and white appearance; easily recognised by bluish black upperparts with striking white rump and all white underparts; short, forked black tail with white undertail-coverts and rather dark underwings. Juvenile duller with brownish wash on head and breast sides. Flight more fluttering than Barn Swallow with long glides often high […]

Kingdom : Birds, Martin

Broad-winged, almost square-tailed, largely brown martin. Dark brown upperparts lacking greyish tinge to rump; cheeks fairly dark usually contrasting with pale throat and underparts; fine spots on chin and throat can be hard to see; underparts buffish grey becoming darker towards tail-coverts without contrast; white spots in spread tail distinctive; underwing-coverts distinctly darker than flight-feathers […]

Kingdom : Birds, Martin

A small pale grey martin. Upperparts, especially back and rump, appear slightly greyer than wings; underparts almost white including chin, merging into pale mouse-grey undertail-coverts; less contrasting head pattern though ear-coverts sometimes darker than crown; white spots in spread tail distinctly visible when flying overhead or from above. Underwing pale grey with brownish-grey coverts. Flight […]

Kingdom : Birds, Martin

Small, dull brown and white martin distinguished by white underparts sharply broken by brown breast band and slightly long and deeply forked tail. Juvenile has scaly buff upperparts. It has a fluttering flight action.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 12-15 mm, and has brown colour. Usually, larvas are used in petfoods (reptilia, fish and birds), and is useful because body contains high vitamins levels.

Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons

Smallest falcon in the region; has short pointed wings and relatively long tail, speedy flight with fast wing-beats, interspersed with short quick glides. Male told by blue-grey upperparts with blackish primaries, broad black tail-band and ill-defined head pattern. Female and juvenile are brownish above, creamy below with dark streaks, diffuse moustache, barred primaries above and […]

Kingdom : Grasshoppers, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Insects

Insect follows Acrididae family, and Orthoptera order. It is light brown with black, size is about 25 mm. Adults and nymphs feed on herbal plants. Back legs are strong and long, help them move through jumping. Adults lay eggs in groups in soil.

Kingdom : Birds, Starling

Plumage is deep brown, with a yellow bill and small yellow bare patch below the eye. In flight it shows a conspicuous large white patch across primary bases, on outer underwing-coverts and on tail corners. Walks on ground with an upright, strutting motion. A noisy bird.

Kingdom : Antlion lacewings, Insects, Net-Winged Insects

Insect follows Myrmeleontidae family, and Neuroptera order. It is dark brown and sides are yellow. Size is about 20-30 mm. Nymphs are small, without wings, make traps in sand to catch insects especially ants. Adults have clear membranes wings and body is thin and long.

Kingdom : Birds, Nightingale

Very similar to Thrush Nightingale but more russet-brown upper-parts, paler, rusty red tail, and often more conspicuous whiter eye-ring; underparts more ‘clean’, lacking mottled impression on breast and flanks. The central Asian race hafizi, which migrates through the eastern part of the region, shows pale fringes to the tertials and greater coverts, paler underparts and […]

Kingdom : Birds, Nightingale

Easily confused with Thrush Nightingale. But this species is paler and closer to grey brown colour with pale streaks on chest. Tail colour is rusty brown and eye ring is pale. Found in areas rich in trees and bushes, particulary lin town/city gardens and also in semi desert areas with plenty of shade cover.

Kingdom : Birds, Nightingale

Dark olivaceous grey-brown, resembling small thrush, with rusty red tail and pale underparts, whitish throat and eye-ring, Very similar to Nightingale but darker brown upperparts, duller rusty red tail and darker brownish grey breast and flanks indistinctly mottled when seen well at close range; best distinguished by rather far-carrying song. Very skulking.

Kingdom : Birds, Nightjar

The palest of the nightjars. Pale sandy grey base-colour, broad rows of inconspicuous buff tips to wing-coverts and white patch on side of neck (often very hard to see); in flight, very pale underwing, and above, dark flight-feathers which contrast with pale upperwing-coverts. Both sexes lack white patch in wing, but male shows pale creamy […]

Kingdom : Birds, Nightjar

The most patterned nightjar in the region and also the most widely encountered. The distinguishing features are the dark-streaked grey crown contrasting with rich brown cheeks and throat, and grey upperparts with broad bands of dark brown and buff on the scapulars and rows of buff bands on the coverts. Male has white spots in […]

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Scavenger Scarab beetles

Insect follows Hybosoridae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 7-9 mm, and has glossy black colour. Adult feeds on both invertebrates and vertebrate’s carcasses in early decay stages.

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, Eagle

Easily told by long, narrow wings, distinctly angled when gliding, white under-surface with black carpals and band through centre of underwing, white crown and dark eye-mask. Variable dusky band across fore-neck (usually boldest in female). Juvenile has whitish scales and white line on greater coverts above. Flies with very steady shallow wing-beats, glides on smoothly […]

Kingdom : Birds, Thrush

Resembles Blackbird but instantly told by white breast-crescent and pale fringes to wing feathers which give “frosty-winged” appearance in flight.Female dark brown with obscure buffish breast-crescent, pale fringes to wing feathers and to feathers of underparts, giving scaly appearance. Fairly shy but will sit prominently in open.

Kingdom : Birds, Owl

Medium-sized, strikingly pale owl, both when perched and in flight with white underparts (suffused ochreous on breast), heart-shaped face with black eyes and ochreous-buff upperparts. No other owl looks similar but note that when seen in car head-lights at night, most owls can look pale.

Kingdom : Birds, Owl

Small ‘eared’ owl; very similar to and difficult to distinguish from Pallid Scops Owl. Rather large-headed with small ear-tufts (head often just looks angular); brown-grey or rufous-brown with paler face and dark surround to yellow eyes. Plumage above streaked, barred and vermiculated black-brown; sides of crown, ears and shoulder distinctly white- or buff-spotted; underparts streaked, […]

Kingdom : Birds, Owl

Small owl with round, flat-crowned head and long legs; often sits in the open in daytime on buildings or telegraph-poles. Distinctly white-spotted crown and nape and white-blotched upperparts and wings; boldly streaked underparts; eyes yellow, framed white. Flight deeply undulating (alternating rapid flapping with closing of wings) unlike straighter flight of the scops owls. If […]

Kingdom : Birds, Owl

Unmistakable when perched and seen well, with long ear-tufts (though sometimes invisible when relaxed); facial disc noticeably warm buff with striking white divide and orange eyes. Flight has jerky, fairly stiff wing-beats with glides on level (sometimes slightly raised) wings. The wings are long and slightly curved with a dark carpal-patch above with orange base […]

Kingdom : Birds, Owl

Appearance very close to European Scops, but paler sandy grey above without white spots on crown or hindneck, greyer below with black streaks more sharply demarcated, being the only distinctive plumage feature (European Scops has black streaks more broken by vermiculations and paler blotches below, submerged by darker groundcolour); iris yellow. Juvenile has underparts completely […]

Kingdom : Birds, Owl

Largest of the owls. A winter visitor which can remain behind to breed. It is distinguished by the ear tufts and large orange eyes. Like other owls it is nocturnal but can be spotted also during the day hours. Feeds on small birds, rodents, insects, scorpions and has been observed feeding on large hares.

Kingdom : Birds, Owl

Resembles Long-eared, but occurs in open ground (Long-eared mostly seen among trees). Flies with slow, elegant and high wing-beats on long, slender wings raised during glides in shallow ‘V’ (shorter wings with shallower, faster wing-beats in Long-eared); often sits on ground and very short ear-tufts not always visible. Further differs from Long-eared in paler greyish […]

Kingdom : Brush-footed butterflies or Four-footed butterflies, Insects, Moths and Butterflies

Insect follows Nymphalidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Half wing is velvet black from the base, and the upper part is black with white spots on the wing. Wing is 40-50 mm long. Larvas attack big number of plant families, reaches about 300 plants.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 10 mm, and has grey colour.

Kingdom : Gossamer-winged butterflies, Insects, Moths and Butterflies

Insect follows Lycaenidae family, and Lepidoptera order. It is blue and brown, wing is 24-32 mm long. Larvas feed on flowers, seeds, and cores of many Leguminous plants.

Kingdom : Birds, Peafowl

Weighs from 3.5-5kg. Introduced into Qatar. Male has distinctive long beautiful neck and long greenish glossy feathers with round spots, when displaying its blue, green and beautiful feathers in a dramatic way for attracting females. Peafowl is usually shy but very tame.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

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

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

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

Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Whites, Yellows, or Sulphurs

Insect follows Pieridae family, and Lepidoptera order. Wing is white and black from ends. Wing is about 45-60 mm long. Larvas attack plants of Capparaceae, causing great economic harm to cabbages.

Kingdom : Birds, Pipit

Similar to Tree Pipit in general appearance but has finer, less stocky build and slightly longer tail. See Tree for further differences. Flies with short, irregular undulations. Flicks tail nervously on ground.

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 : Birds, Pipit

Large robust pipit. Separated from sandier, smaller, adult Tawny by longer tail, legs and bill, very upright stance, prominently dark-streaked grey-brown upperparts, streaked breast and characteristic call. More undulating flight and longer tail give more wagtail-like flight than Tawny. Frequently hovers just before landing. On ground wags tail less frequently than Tawny.

Kingdom : Birds, Pipit

Medium-large pipit with relatively long tail, legs and bill and fairly upright stance which, together with adult’s poorly streaked sandy upperparts, nearly unstreaked breast, plain sandy wings with conspicuous dark-centred median coverts and bold whitish supercilium separate it from other pipits. Undulating flight slightly reminiscent of Yellow Wagtail. Runs quickly on the ground, stops suddenly […]

Kingdom : Birds, Pipit

Resembles Meadow but slightly larger and stockier and with slightly shorter tail; best told from Meadow by voice. Compared with Meadow, generally warmer grey-brown above (less grey-green), warmer yellow-buff on breast but belly whiter; breast often bolder striped but flanks usually finely streaked (often boldly in Meadow); dark malar and creamy submoustachial streak generally boldest […]

Kingdom : Birds, Pipit

Resembles slightly larger, more robust, lighter streaked version of Meadow but legs blackish brown (exceptions occur); compared with Meadow crown and mantle greyer, more indistinctly streaked and underparts whiter; in breeding season breast variably tinged rosy-pink and practically unstreaked; creamy white supercilium generally more pronounced. In winter, browner above though still greyer than Meadow; whiter […]

Kingdom : Brush-footed butterflies or Four-footed butterflies, Insects, Moths and Butterflies

Insect follows Nymphalidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Butterfly body is black with white spots, wings are yellowish black. Wing is 70-80 mm long. It flies from dawn till dusk. Female lays one oviparous on lower surface of leaves, then on the upper surface making several holes in leaves. Butterfly attacks several plant families including; Asclepiadoideae […]

Kingdom : Aphids, Bugs, Insects

Insect follows Aphididae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is between 3-4 mm, and has green (sometimes rose) colour. It feeds on perennial herbs, potato buds, lettuce inside glass houses, tomato and cabbage. It feeds on buds and the lower surfaces of leaves.

Kingdom : Birds, Pratincole

Structure and behaviour as Collared (which see); difficult to distinguish between the two. Adult slightly darker above than Collared, with no contrast between flight-feathers and coverts, lacks white trailing edge to secondaries, and underwing-coverts are jet black (but reddish brown in Collared can be hard to see, often appearing dark), tail fork shallower; when perched […]

Kingdom : Birds, Pratincole

Distinctive, highly aerial wader, resembling terns in graceful fast flight, long pointed wings, deeply forked tail and short bill. Usually in loose flocks chasing winged insects. On ground, plover-like with quick tripping actions on rather short legs, often with upright stance, head held high. Adult has creamy buff throat bordered black; tail and wing-tips are […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Small, plain, pale grey and buff warbler with long graduated tail, which is frequently raised. Streaked on crown, mantle and back. Round head, pale face and prominent eye. Tail dark above, pale below with black and white tips. Underparts off-white and streaked. Bill fine, black in breeding male, brown in female. Active and tame, raely […]

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 8-10 mm, and has black colour.

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 7 mm, and has grey colour.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

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

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

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

Kingdom : Grasshoppers, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Insects

Insect follows Acrididae family, and Orthoptera order. It is light brown with green, size is about 20-25 mm. Adults and nymphs feed on herbal plants. Back legs are strong and long, help them move through jumping. Adults lay eggs in groups in soil.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 8-10 mm, and has black colour. Body is long.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

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

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 7 mm, and has black colour. Body is long.

Kingdom : Birds, Quail

Common, but highly secretive; more often heard than seen, and very hard to flush. In flight size of Starling; rather pointed narrow wings, fast shallow wing-beats, plain wings and striped back; creeps on ground and is a rather compact, very short-tailed gamebird, with noticeably pale buffish white under-body, streaked flanks, and dark- and yellow-striped upperparts. […]

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 13-15 mm, and has black colour.

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 : 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 : Birds, Warbler

Similar to Marsh Warbler but plumage is warmer brown with a rusty tinge to the rump. Has similar long wing-projection but with less obviously pale edges and has darker legs.

Kingdom : Beetles, Insects, Scarab beetles

Insect follows Scarabaeidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 35-40 mm, and has glossy black colour. Adult females have frontal head antenna. It causes harm to palm trees, especially for palm clusters and leaves.

Kingdom : Birds, Robin

Similar in size and shape to Rufous Scrub Robin but with longer tail. Appearance unmistakable: entirely sooty black plumage with browner wings and prominent white tips to undertail-coverts and outer tail-feathers (obviously visible from below, when tail is swept upwards over back and fanned). Skulking or close to cover, often on ground but sings from […]

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, Robin

Skulking behaviour similar to Nightingale but slightly smaller and slimmer, and showing rather long, fan-shaped, often cocked, tail. Upperparts grey-brown, contrasting with rufous rump and tail, the latter showing prominent black subterminal-band and white tips (broadening at sides), obvious above and below. Head distinctive with white supercilium contrasting with blackish eye-stripe. Juvenile has faintly mottled […]

Kingdom : Birds, Robin

Size and movements recall Nightingale: strikingly coloured male identified by black sides of face and head framing pure white centre of throat, rusty red underparts, blue-grey upperparts, black tail and whitish supercilium. Grey-brown female has dark brown tail, ochreous-buff sides of body, whitish throat bordered grey-buff at sides of head and breast, Generally shy and […]

Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows

Unstreaked grey-brown with a broad white streak where secondaries meet the tertials. It has a long primary projection, short dark tail with a white tip( seen in flight), strong pale bill, translucent looking brownish orange legs, sandy white underparts, 2 whitish wing-bars and a prominent dark eye in a pale face. In flight the long […]

Kingdom : Birds, Roller

Its turquoise-blue body and most wing-coverts contrasting with blackish flight-feathers, bright chestnut back and deep blue leading forewing above make this species unmistakable. The juvenile is duller and browner with lightly streaked neck and breast. In flight, has fast vigorous wing-beats, at times not unlike those of Lapwing. Medium–long tail narrow and square-cut. Often sits […]

Kingdom : Birds, Roller

Identified at all ages in flight by large, translucent pale turquoise-blue primary-patch (both surfaces) and pale turquoise-blue tail-feathers (except centrals) with clear-cut dark blue band at tip and base (seen when tail spread). Wing-tip clearly blunter than in European Roller. When perched, lightly white-streaked neck, throat and breast are vinous-cinnamon (turquoise-blue in European Roller) 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 : Birds, Grouse

Elegant and dark especially in flight with diagnostic all-dark underwing continuous with dark chestnut belly, merging into paler breast and buffish yellow head in male. Female shows black-spotted breast above the black bar; male has golden wings with some dark barring, female narrowly vermiculated blackish upperparts, and yellowish buff head; both sexes show elongated tail […]

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

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

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 : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 5 mm, and has black colour.

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 resembles Southern Grey Shrike, but smaller with stubbier bill, longer wings with long primary projection and shorter, less graduated tail. The white wing panel is confined to primaries. Adult forehead is extensively black, and without the white supercilium(it exists in some Southern Grey Shrikes), the bluish grey upper parts lack white on shoulders (sometimes […]

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

Upright, grey with black and white markings. Perches boldly on top of bush shrubs or other prominent perch. It resembles Lesser Grey Shrike but is distinguished in all cases by larger size, the longer bill and the relatively short wings (with very short primary projection). Wing bar often longer, tail also longer and more graduated. […]

Kingdom : Birds, Shrike

Compared with the Southern Grey Shrike, its colour is more pale particularly the bill and the area between the bill and the eyes, and also the crown. It is difficult to tell them apart from other shrikes. Usually it swoops on its prey, like big insects and rodents, and spikes them on thorns to feed […]

Kingdom : Birds, Shrike

Comes to Qatar as winter visitor. Darker in colour compared to other Shrikes, with long black line extending from end of the black bill to behind the eye. Tail is long and reddish and wings in flight have distinctive white spot. Legs are slim and black. Chest and underparts white. Has the ability to dash […]

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 : Birds, Finches and Sparrows

Small brown and whitish finch-type with large conical silver-grey bill, prominent eye and pointed black tail. Juvenile has pale edgings to wing feathers. Fairly tame and often in small groups, sitting close when perched, with tail waving and flicking. Light flight with small undulations.

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 : Beetles, Insects, Weevils (snout beetles)

Insect follows Curculionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-7 mm, and has grey colour. Adults feed on leaves especially peas and clover, whereas larvas feed on roots and root knots.

Kingdom : Birds, Lark

Medium-sized with earth-grey upperparts streaked dark, and warm brown edges to tertials and coverts in fresh plumage; underparts buffish white heavily streaked/spotted on breast; can show a small crest (much smaller than in Crested and not spiky); rather indistinct head marks. Juvenile has upperparts spotted dark with scaly ochre markings. In flight, shows distinct whitish […]

Kingdom : Birds, Snipe

Medium-sized, dark brown wader with distinctly yellow-striped head and upperparts, dark-striped breast, barred flanks and very long bill, with which it probes in mud with vibrating movements. Often squats in low, swampy vegetation, and usually not seen until flushed at 10–15 m distance (at only about 1 m in Jack Snipe); rises explosively, immediately uttering […]

Kingdom : Birds, Snipe

Smallest snipe in region. Very hard to see on ground being superbly camouflaged and extremely difficult to flush; often rises silently at about 1 m distance, in low, slightly jerking flight, which is less powerful than Common Snipe’s and reminiscent of a small crake; settles almost immediately; short bill, blackish brown upperparts with two broad […]

Kingdom : Broad-headed bugs, Bugs, Insects

Insect follows Alydidae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is between 8-11 mm, and has bright brown colour. It feeds on cultivated and wild plant juices.

Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows

A common wide-spread sparrow. Male has a grey crown, chestnut brown sides to head, pale greyish cheeks, large black bib on chest and grey rump. Mantle and wing coverts are rufous-chestnut brown with a broad white wing bar on median coverts. Female and juvenile lack contrasting head and throat pattern, being buffish brown above, boldly […]

Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows

Resembles House Sparrow, but male has typically rufous brown crown and larger bib, extending to bold black streaks on breast and flanks. Back is boldly streaked black, marging at sides with black of breast. Cheeks are whitish, and the belly is white. It is not easy to distinguish female and juvenile from House Sparrow counterparts. […]

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 : Birds, Lark

Small stocky lark with stout, deep-based, pale blue-grey bill with curved culmen. Male unmistakable with bold black and white head pattern, black underparts and underwing-coverts. Female has unstreaked pale sandy grey upperparts, faintly streaked crown, pale face and hindneck, pale buff underparts, faintly streaked across upper breast; blackish underwing-coverts always separate it from other small […]

Kingdom : Birds, Hawk

Female much larger than male, approaching male Goshawk, but wing-beats faster and lighter; rear-body thinner; wing-tips blunter; tail thinner, longer and more square-cut and head protrudes less. Series of quick wing-beats interspersed with short descending glides (stronger, straighter glides in Goshawk). Adult dark ash-grey above, barred rufous or brown below (rufous most in male); dark […]

Kingdom : Birds, Hawk

Similar to Eursian Sparrowhawk in plumage, but longer, narrower, less curved wings have more pointed tip, giving falcon-like appearance when gliding (separating also from blunt-winged Sparrowhawk). Male dull blue-grey above with blackish wing-tip and plain central tail-feathers; female browner, less contrasting and closed uppertail has dark band near tip. From below, male has white underwing […]

Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Tuft moths

Insect follows Nolidae family, and Lepidoptera order. It is white and green; wing is 17-23 mm long. This butterfly is a dangerous pest for okra plant. Female lays oviparous on okra; larvas penetrate, feed on it and become unmerchantable.

Kingdom : Birds, Starling

A starling with blackish plumage with prominent white spots. The short tail and short pointed triangular shaped wings are characteristic in fast, straight flight. Walks quickly when on the ground. Juvenile is drab brown all over, with a blackish straight bill and dark loral streak.

Kingdom : Birds, Starling

It resembles the Common Starling in shape and behaviour, but yellow bill is shorter with curved culmen. Adult’s black and pink plumage can’t be mistaken. Has a long pointed crest which is raised when singing. Juvenile has a yellowish bill, pale lores, pale grey-brown upperparts with whitish grey rump and dirty white underparts.

Kingdom : Birds, Stonechat

Looks similar to the Siberian Stonechat. Recorded in Qatar as a passage migrant and winter visitor. Female paler in colour than male which looks more whitish, with dark breast and throat.

Kingdom : Birds, Chat

Small, short-tailed, rounded head perching semi upright; flicks tail quite often. Jet black male unmistakable with white belly, rump and narrow shoulder patch; white patterns above easily seen in low jerky flight. Female has unstreaked sooty earth-brown upperparts and breast, creamy belly and rufous-orange rump; some are rusty brown on breast and have slight supercilium.

Kingdom : Birds, Stonechat

It is similar in appearance to the European Stonechat. The male neck is more whitish and underparts less grayish compared to the European species. Generally, unstreaked orange to white rump, black tail is paler. Longer primary projection much whiter in sides of tail base.

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, Stork

Easily told both on ground and in flight by combination of large size, white plumage with black flight-feathers, straight red bill and long red legs. In flight , the neck is extended and legs protrude behind the end of the tail. Told from adult Yellow-billed Stork (vagrant to region) by straight red bill and all-white […]

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, Owlet moths

Insect follows Noctuidae family, and Lepidoptera order. It is grey-brown; wing is 36-50 mm long. Larvas feed on gramineous plant leaves in fields and farms.

Kingdom : Birds, Swallow

Easily distinguished by combination of bluish black upperparts (small white patches visible in tail when spread), long tail-streamers, chestnut forehead and throat, solid dark breast band and buffish white underparts including underwing-coverts. Juvenile lacks tail-streamers, has brownish breast band and wings and paler rusty forehead. Flight is strong and elegant with much banking and turning, […]

Kingdom : Birds, Swallow

Size, shape and bluish black upperparts much resembling Barn Swallow but easily distinguished by rufous collar and broad pale rufous rump; underparts, including underwing-coverts, buffish white, faintly streaked (hardly visible in flight); conspicuous black undertail-coverts striking when perched or in flight; lacks breast band and white in tail. Juvenile duller and browner with upperparts fringed […]

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 : Birds, Swift

Shape and behaviour much like Common and Pallid Swift, but much larger with remarkably slower and deeper wing-beats; brown upperparts and white underparts broken by brown breast band, vent and undertail-coverts.

Kingdom : Birds, Swift

Almost uniform sooty in fresh plumage, but brownish and more contrasting in worn plumage, though much depending on light conditions. Round whitish throat-patch variable, sometimes almost invisible; lacks contrast above but underparts show clearly paler inner flight-feathers than body and wing-coverts; deep tail-fork. Easily confused with Pallid, but note especially overall colour-tone, throat-patch, head pattern, […]

Kingdom : Birds, Swift

Slightly bulkier than Common Swift with broader, less tapering outerwing and sometimes blunter wing-tips; tail-fork variable but slightly shallower with less pointed tips; head looks broad and flat with larger, more triangular, whitish throat-patch; forehead and lores paler, contrasting with dark eye-patch. Overall colour brownish; with good views rather distinct scaling is visible in underparts […]

Kingdom : Empusid, Insects, Mantis

Insect follows Empusidae family, and Mantodea order. It is green and white spotted. Size is about 60 mm. It is a predator to other insects. Adults can move head and thorax one side, but movement is slow.

Kingdom : Birds, Thrush

A little smaller than blackbird. Male has a clear black bib, and prominent whitish underparts. Female has white throat streaked blackish, but lower border of black breast clear-cut, with upperparts browner. It is a shy bird with fast straight flight.

Kingdom : Birds, Thrush

Little bigger than Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, with longer tail and bill. Males are easily identified by dark blue plumage (which may seem black from a distance) which in winter can show fine buffish fringe to feathers. Female resembles female Blackbird but has longer bill, shorter tail, and dull buff spotting and barring on underparts. Some […]

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 : Birds, Thrush

Rather small thrush, with short tail and prominent bill. Male easily told by blue-grey upper parts and bib with white patch on back and dull red underparts and tail. In winter feathers of entire plumage edged dark and white producung a scalloped effect. Female and 1st winter similar to winter male but browner, resembling female […]

Kingdom : Birds, Thrush

A little thrush that has black spots (not lines) on whitish underparts, is brown above with pale yellowish brown underwing- coverts. Flight is fast and straight.

Kingdom : Beetles, Ground beetles, Insects

Beetle follows Carabidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 18-22 mm, metallic green, and is a predator to smaller invertebrates.

Kingdom : Birds, Tit

A small bird, with a long tail and finely pointed bill, chestnut mantle and wing covets, blackish wings and tail feathers fringed white. Underparts are ochre to buff-white. Adult has black mask contrasting with pale grey crown and nape and white throat. Female is duller with smaller mask.

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

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

Kingdom : Birds, Vulture

A small vulture, the size of an Eagle. Adult has white wedge shaped tail, white underparts with black flight feathers, small pointed head and thin bill. Colour pattern similar to pale phase Booted Eagle or White Stork but shape quite different. Juvenile is mid brown below, ruff blackish, dark brown above with creamy bars on […]

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

Easily told from other wagtails by grey, black and white plumage, with grey back contrasting with black nape (male) or crown (female), white face and ear-coverts contrasting sharply with black throat and breast. Juvenile, and especially winter birds, have whitish underparts broken by black breast band. NE Iranian race, personata, has black of head and […]

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

A small sandy grey -brown warbler, with relatively long tail and legs. Rufous-brown tertials rump and closed upper tail. The tail, when spread is dark brown, with much white on sides with a rufous centre.The fine bill is mostly yellow, with yellowish iris and legs. Sometimes there is a pale area around the eye. Spends […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

A large warbler. Adults have concentric barring on underparts, and a yellowish iris. A long tail with white corners when spread upon landing. Tips of greater coverts and tertials are whitish. Some dark barring on undertail coverts. Usually keeps hidden in bushes. Movements are rather heavy.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Similar to Great Reed Warbler, but slightly smaller and slimmer with longer bill. A long more rounded tail, short wings with only 4 – 5 primary tips showing beyond tertials. Colder grey-brown plumage than Great Reed with less pronounced supercilium. Legs steely grey or or slate brown. Pale brown in Great Reed. Song is important […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Small, dark skulking warbler with rounded tail when seen flushed and flying to cover, in short jerky flight. Upperparts olive-brown, heavily streaked, with faint supercilium. Underparts dirty white with streaking on rear flanks, undertail, and sometimes on darker breast.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Size and shape of a European Reed Warbler, having a flat crown and long bill. However, Olivaceous Warbler is more grayish with a square-ended or little slightly rounded tail and shorter under tail coverts. It can mostly be mistaken with the Greater and greyer Upcher’s Warbler.Upper parts olive brown, tinged greyish on head and mantle. […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

A largish warbler with a long with grey crown contrasting poorly with black ish ear coverts. Adult male has yellowish or dark coloured muddy iris. Females brownish, similar to Lesser Whitethroat.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

A uniform grey-brown warbler, with a square-ended tail, and a short, relatively heavy bill, rounded head, greyish sides to neck and lacking any white in tail or wings. Most of the other warbler species have thinner, longer bills. Keeps well hidden in vegetation.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

A very large warbler, which may be confused with Clamorous Reed Warbler. It looks like European Reed Warbler but is much bigger with a more prominent supercilium and heavier bill. Compared to Clamorous Reed Warbler, it has a longer primary projection ( 7 – 8 tips showing) A proportionally shorter tail and a shorter,slightly stouter […]

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

The smallest of the Acrocephalus warblers. Pale brown above, with slight olive tinge with a warmer coloured rump, Creamy buff below with buffier flanks. Shortish white supercilium and pale eye ring. A rounded tail ( like all Acrocephalus warblers) long undertail coverts and sloping forehead. Best told by pale fringed dark tertials, long primary projection, […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

A small short tailed warbler. Male has black forehead and ear coverts, with grey crown and brown grey mantle, wings with sandy feather-fringes and black alula. Females and juveniles are a pale sandy brown. In fresh plumage showwhite moustachial stripe, contrasting with pinkish-white throat and breast. Eye ring varies from salmon pink to red. Bill […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Similar to Marsh and European Reed but slightly smaller. Short bill, more prominent supercilium, shorter wings, longer constantly flicking tail are the main differences to the other warblers. Warm wash to flanks and undertail. Bill brown with flesh coloured lower mandible. Bill can appear dark tipped.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

The smallest warbler lacking any obvious markings. Similar to Chiffchaff, with upperparts pale brownish-grey, tinged olive. Indistinct pale to cream supercilium, narrow white eye-ring, dusky lores and and eye-stripe, and buff flecked ear-coverts. Underparts off-white, washed creamy on flanks. Legs and bill dark brown. Very active, constantly flicking wings, or seen in whirring and jerky […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

A large warbler. Warm brown in clour, with diffuse lines or spots on breast, long undertail coverts, sometimes pale tipped, Often seen on ground, with bobbing or raised tail, walking with jerky movements. A secretive bird.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

A medium sized warbler. Buffish and streaked, with a buffish white supercilium. It has a pale crown, pale ear-coverts, with buffy streaked upper parts with a warm coloured rump.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Similar to Booted Warbler, but subtly different, having longer bill with pale lower mandible. Tail longer, with grey pinkish legs, and pale underparts. Frequents damp scrub habitat and grazed mangroves and trees.

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Similar to Eastern Olivaceous Warbler but is larger, with a proportionally longer, much darker sooty brown tail. Upper parts are greyer in fresh plumage, with darker wings and pale pale edges to tertials and secondaries, forming an obvious wing panel. Head is rounder from Eastern Olivaceous Warbler but with similar markings, although the paler supercilium […]

Kingdom : Birds, Warbler

Medium sized warbler. Rather yellow in plumage, with olive upperparts, darker, pale-edged flight feathers and tertials, with yellow-white underparts and supercilium. Legs and bill variable, usually pale brown or orange. It has a longer primary projection than Chiffchaff. Differs from Chiffchaff with brighter, more yellow and green appearance, longer, broader supercilium, contrasting yellow throat and […]

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 : Birds, Wheatear

Easily told in flight from other similar-sized wheatears by almost wholly black tail (no large white patches at sides); otherwise male recalls black-throated form of Black-eared but black throat narrowly joined with narrower black wing area (shoulders not black as in male Black-eared); rump tinged buff. Sandy brown or grey-buff female often lacks black throat; […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Behaviour and build much as Pied. Male of black-throated form can be confused with male Finsch’s; white-throated male only confusable with some ‘vittata’ forms of Pied. Black of throat/ear-coverts not joined with black of wings and shoulder; mantle whitish (summer) or buffish grey (autumn). Tail pattern as Pied. See Pied for separation between 1st autumn […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

When perched resembles stocky version of male Pied or male Eastern Pied (capistrata race). Readily identified from both in flight by prominent whitish panel in open wing; compared with Pied the black ‘bib’ is smaller, underparts white (tinged buff in Pied) and undertail-coverts rufous-buff; also primary coverts narrowly tipped white and black band near tip […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Heavier and stockier than Pied and Black-eared; male told from former by narrow buff-white stripe down mantle and back to join white rump; told from latter by larger black ‘bib’ broadly connected with black wings (beware of Black-eared with head sunk between shoulders); told from both also by terminal tail-band of even width (no black […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Large, slender, long-tailed and long-winged wheatear with long bill and buoyant, almost butterfly-like flight, recalling Spotted Flycatcher when catching prey, sometimes in long sallies. Distinctive male with black extending to centre of breast and, except for black central tail-feathers, nearly all-white tail with just black corners, provides easy identification. Autumn and juvenile male has whitish […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Closely resembles the picata race of Eastern Pied, but is larger, with ‘bull-headed’ appearance and more upright stance. Black parts more glossy; black throat has slight side-extension and is thus less ‘bib-shaped than Eastern Pied; also white on back extends farther up between wings, where border to black mantle is rounded (square-cut in Eastern Pied); […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Resembles large female Northern Wheatear but, generally, more robust in build, with longer legs and bill, slightly shorter tail and more upright stance; best separated by isolated black alula in paler, more uniform sandy wings, contrasting less with upperparts (has broader pale feather-edges to wings than Northern Wheatear; note that some first autumn Northern can […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Male has a grey crown with a distinctive white supercilium. Ear coverts, throat and shoulder are black. Mantle is grey , underparts whitish with a rusty orange vent.. Female lacks black throat as in male. Tips of tail feathers are black with two white lines, and are a red broad colour extending towards birds’ body. […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Relatively short-tailed wheatear with white rump and sides of tail; blackish terminal tail-band of even width. Male told by combination of ash-grey crown and back, white supercilium, thin black eye-stripe and black ear-coverts and wings. See Isabelline for separation from female/1st winter Northern Wheatear. Female Northern Wheatear is greyer brown than similar Black-eared/Pied; 1st autumn […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Slender, relatively long-tailed wheatear, often perching on bushes. told from Mourning by absence of white panel in open wing. Autumn male has black back and ‘bib’ fringed buffish, dark crown with buff-white supercilium, and buff underparts. Female sometimes like female Black-eared (of eastern race melanoleuca) but upperparts usually duller, cooler brown-grey; some show large dark […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Slender, medium-sized wheatear. Male of race xanthoprymna (E Turkey, NW Iran) has black throat, sides of head and neck merging with blackish brown leading wing-coverts, rufous rump but white sides to tail; black band at tip of tail narrow (larger male Red-rumped almost black-tailed); little white in wings. Female usually lacks black throat but rump […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Three races occur; much individual variation among females. picaia: (breeds Iran) resembles Hume’s but black crown, upperparts and ‘bib’ almost without gloss; rest of underparts white, undertail-coverts sometimes buff in autumn. Female above usually brown where male black, ‘bib’ often rufous-brown but throat sometimes black; rest of underparts creamy buff to white. See Hume’s for […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Large, glossy black wheatear with black underparts down to legs, and, in many adults, white crown; immature and some adults have black crown, resembling smaller Eastern Pied (opistholeuca race) but size, longer bill and white sides of tail with black corners diagnostic (no black terminal-band). Some black-crowned birds show a few white feather-tips, these birds […]

Kingdom : Birds, Chat

Small, short-tailed chat with less upright stance, slightly smaller head and longer primary projection than Stonechat. Told from Stonechat by combination of streaked brownish rump and white sides to base of tail; male also has bold, clear-cut white supercilium and white stripe between blackish sides of head and orangey throat; female duller with paler throat […]

Kingdom : Hawk moths, Sphinx moths, and Hornworms, Insects, Moths and Butterflies

Insect follows Sphingidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Frontal wing colour is dark brown, with black stripes. Back wing is black with a rose stripe. Wing is about 65-90 mm long. Larvas attack grapes, Herbs, sallow apples and tomatoes.

Kingdom : Birds, Whitethroat

A middle-sized warbler resembles Lesser Whitethroat, but differs in having chestnut fringes to coverts and secondaries. Tail is slightly longer, legs are orange and eye ring is white. Females and 1st winter birds birds lack the grey wash present in males, with dark iris (not orange). Similar to Lesser Whitethroat but can always be identified […]

Kingdom : Birds, Whitethroat

Slightly smaller than Lesser Whitethroat with smaller bill, and paler washed out plumage. Upperparts grey-buff or sandy brown with pale edgings to wing feathers. Buffish grey crown and darkish ear-coverts. (paler than Lesser or Hume’s) Underparts clean sandy white with white throat. More active than other whitethroats, frequently flicking tail.

Kingdom : Birds, Whitethroat

Slightly larger than Lesser Whitethroat. Has a rather large head, with stouter bill and darker plumage. Dark grey crown merges into dull grey-brown back and near black ear-covverts, creating greater contrast with white throat.

Kingdom : Birds, Whitethroat

A small to medium sized warbler. Genearally grey-brown above with browner wings, medium -grey crown and darker ear coverts, which often vary in prominence. Has a white throat with a contrasting dusky-washed breast. Differs from Common Whitethroat in abcense of rusty fringes to wing feathers. It has dark ear-coverts and dark legs. Ist year birds […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wryneck

Its skulking behaviour and nightjar-like plumage often make it difficult to study in detail. Reminiscent of large long-tailed warbler or greyish female Red-backed Shrike when dropping into cover in low foliage, or slipping away in low, shallowly undulating flight. Often forages on ground close to cover. Distinctive features when seen well are pointed head/bill and […]

Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects

Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 8-10 mm, and has black colour.