Bahrain has long been an important maritime trade centre linking
Europe and the Middle East with the Indian subcontinent. Pearling
has come and gone, oil reserves are dwindling. As a result Bahrain
has had to diversify and is now a banking and industrial centre.
More recently it has allocated increasing resources to develop
its tourist industry and considerable efforts are being made to
attract visitors from around the world. Greater awareness of the
many opportunities available for tourists to experience Bahrain’s
natural heritage can only lend weight to this effort.
Bahrain is an archipelago situated in the shallow waters of the
Gulf of Salwa in the northern Arabian Gulf. Named Dilmun in earlier
times, it is often associated with the legend of the Garden of
Eden and sometimes referred to as ‘The Pearl of the Gulf’. Its
northern and western shores appear oasis-like in this desolate
and arid region, their fertility relying upon subterranean aquifers
which draw freshwater from the huge underground aquifers of Saudi
Arabia. Whilst the lush northern region harbours a wealth of wildlife,
interest lies mainly in Bahrain’s muddy eastern shores, host to
thousands of migrating shorebirds, its scrub desert areas which
support a number of specially adapted species of plant and animal,
its offshore islands which are home to a number of rare and endangered
species, and its shallow saline coastal waters which support a
rich marinelife including dugong, green turtle and sea snakes.
Coastal Areas
The east coast has extensive but diminishing mudflats which were
recently discovered to be of international importance as a wintering
ground for wading birds. The autumn migration, which begins in
late July and continues through to early October, produces large
numbers and a wide variety of waders, with over 40 species recorded.
Of particular ornithological interest are Broad-billed Sandpiper,
Curlew Sandpiper, Little and Temnicks Stints, Greater and Lesser
Sandplover and Bar-tailed Godwit. Most of the productive mudflats
are easily accessible and can be surveyed from a car. A four-wheel-drive
vehicle is rarely necesssary in these areas. Good views of a wide
variety of shorebirds may be had at various parts of Tubli Bay
and the coast alongside the causeway which joins Muharraq island
with the ASRY drydock. The shallows between the BAPCO refinery
and The Bahrain Yacht Club are often productive.
Further south along the east coast the numbers of waders decrease
but a regular flock of up to 60 Greater Flamingos may be seen
all year between the Yacht Club and Jau village to the south.
During the summer months, White-cheeked Terns numbering 2-3000
breeding pairs nest in a colony on the south-west coast, well
inside the restricted area. Lesser numbers also nest on some of
the offshore islets. A small number of Saunders Little Terns breed
on an east coast islet. This species is threatened by habitat
destruction and its numbers are decreasing.
Â
Plantation and Cultivated Areas
The northern cultivated areas are very productive for migrating
passerines. Gardens and plantations are easily reached by exploring
the myriad small roads and tracks which criss-cross these areas.
Most of the gardens and plantations are on private land but a
polite enquiry will nearly always result in permission from the
hospitable Bahraini people to look around. On the road from Awali
to Zellaq there are mesquite plantations near the racecourse at
Sakhir. During the spring these can hold hundreds of migrating
passerines which can be easily viewed from the car. The racecourse
itself has a lake to which duck are often attracted since it is
one of the few remaining freshwater areas on the island. Some
species of Marsh Tern may also be seen dancing over the surface
of the water. Rufous Bushchat, White-cheeked Bulbul, Graceful
Warbler, Ring-necked Parakeet, and Olivaceous Warbler breed in
the green areas. Migrant passerines of interest include various
wheatears, White-throated Robin, Redstart, Red-backed, Isabelline,
Lesser Gray, Woodchat and, less commonly, Masked Shrike. A Bahrain
speciality in winter is the regular roost of up to 500 Grey Hypocolius
which frequent the palms and mesquites in the Maqabah area. These
birds arrive in mid-October and leave in mid-February.
Reedbeds and Ditches
Unfortunately, very few of these productive habitats still exist.
Many of the freshwater ditches have now been filled in and built
upon so that the colourful sight of a wintering kingfisher is
not as common as it once was. Those remaining are a haven for
several species of dragonflies and marsh frogs and often provide
good views of Indian grey mongoose. Terrapins have become increasingly
rare. The reedbeds at Janibiya provide views of various crakes,
water rails, waders, Common, Jack and occasionally Painted Snipe.
Great Reed Warblers and Penduline Tits are regular but uncommon.
Little Bittern and Squacco Heron are frequently seen and the former
breed at other reedbeds on the island such as UBF stream. Janibiya
reedbeds have recently been walled off but are still accessible
to the keen watcher by a rather more tortuous route. Hopefully
this will provide more protection to this productive area, unless
there are plans to develop it.
Mangroves
The stands of dwarf mangrove at Sanad at the southern end of Tubli
Bay are now protected but are still subject to illegal rubbish
dumping and landfill. This rich tidal habitat, a nursery ground
for many species of fish and crustaceans, was the first recorded
breeding site for the Black-winged Stilt in Bahrain and numbers
seem to be increasing. Good numbers of herons roost here during
the winter months and species include Grey Heron, Little Egret
and Black-crowned Night Heron. At high tide during passage times
this is a location to observe waders including Greater and Lesser
Sandplover, Curlew Sandpiper and Kentish Plover in large numbers,
as well as many other species as singles. At appropriate times
of year Saunder’s Little Terns and various Marsh Terns patrol
the tidal channels. Despite its protected status this rich area
is currently under threat of destruction.
The Desert
Bahrain’s scrub desert hosts a relatively impoverished flora and
fauna. The most common plant here is the bean caper (Zygophillum
qatarense) , a low succulent bush which shows a number of desert
adaptations. In January the beautiful parasitic desert hyacinth
begins to force its way through the ground. If there has been
a reasonable amount of rainfall during the winter the spring months
bring a welcome floral display in parts of the desert. Colourful
additions are red lantern, asphodel and red thumb.
Resident birds of these arid parts are rather dull and include
Desert Lark, Crested Lark and Hoopoe Lark. A welcome splash of
avian colour is added by migrating birds such as Bee-eater, Hoopoe,
and Roller. Good numbers of the vulnerable Lesser Kestrel join
kestrels passing through the desert and onwards if they manage
to avoid being trapped and sold in the markets. Reptiles are most
evident in the shape of the spiny-tailed lizard which is to be
found in large numbers during the hotter parts of the year sitting
atop a mound close to their burrows. Careful searching may locate
the colourful Jayakar’s agama perched on top of one of the small
desert bushes. Mammals are not well represented. Cape hare and
long-eared desert hedgehog may be found after a careful search.
Lesser three-toed jerboas are common but usually only seen occassionally
and fleetingly in the car headlights unless specifically looked-for.
The Arabian sand gazelle is mainly restricted to the southern
desert and the population exceeds 100 individuals. A group of
about 30 can sometimes be seen west of the Tree of Life, and some
have recently been venturing as far north as the area west and
north of the Jebel ad Dukhan, where they are fed near a small
goat farm. Their pale coloration allows them to blend into the
background and they may only be noticed when they move.
Offshore Islands
The offshore islands, easily accessible by power boat, offer little
in the way of terrestrial wildlife. Often small, they become crowded
with pleasure boaters at weekends, reducing their attractiveness
as wildlife sites. However, between the mainland and such small
islets there are regular schools of humpbacked, common and bottlenose
dolphins. Humpbacked dolphins are reliably seen adjacent to the
deep-water channel running out from the Bahrain Yacht Club to
the BAPCO wharf just beyond the Al Dar Islands. Whilst not as
tame as some other dolphins, with care and patience, they can
be approached very closely. Further south in the area between
the small island of Um Jalid and the Hawar Islands there are extensive
sea grass beds which provide feeding grounds for large groups
of dugong. This population has been little studied and its movements
are not well known. Information is coming to light which suggests
that they may be found in the area between the months of October
and May. Any other information on this population is eagerly sought
by the authors. Sea snakes of various species are common in the
waters off Bahrain and are often seen in large numbers.
The Hawar Islands, 20 kms to the south-east of mainland Bahrain,
form a rich and interesting area, topographically quite unlike
that of the parent island. Made up of a group of 16 islands, some
flat and some with low but steep cliffs falling to the sea, Hawar
is home to some locally rare avian species. Eight to ten pairs
of the beautiful Sooty Falcon nest on the cliff ledges between
August and October each year. The flat island of Sowad al Janibiyah
is the breeding ground of up to 200,000 Socotra Cormorants, between
October and February. These islands also support about a hundred
pairs of Western Reef Herons and Breeding Caspian, Bridled, White-cheeked
and Saunders Little Terns. Add to this a wintering population
of 800 – 1000 Greater Flamingos, up to 25 pairs of ground-nesting
Ospreys, and a stark physical beauty seen nowhere else in Bahrain,
and these islands are well worth visiting (special permission
required).
Recently, arrangements have been made for visitors to visit the
largest of the Hawar islands where they are able to rent fully-equipped
chalets from the Municipality at very reasonable prices. Advanced
reservations are advised by phoning Tel no. 784433. Travel to
the islands is by dhow from the Bahrain mainland, departing from
Dur village at 8.00 a.m. and 11.00 a.m. on Thursdays and returning
on Fridays at 1.00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m. This trip costs around BD3
and can be booked by calling Tel no. 213804.
Visitors are restricted to the main island and any visit to the
outer islands would require special permission. Hawar Island trips
are suspended during the months of December, January and February
due to inclement weather conditions.
Conserved areas
Relatively few areas conserved for their natural history interest
are open to visitors, but with a growing environmental awareness
in Bahrain this is bound to change in the future.
The whole of central and southern Bahrain is a restricted region
which has the effect of protecting the wildlife of this part of
the country. Signs are easily visible on all of the roads south
once the restricted areas is reached. Permission is occasionally
given to visit for the purpose of natural history study.
Al Areen Wildlife Park
This wildlife park was the brainchild of His Highness Shaikh Hamad
bin Isa bin Sulman Al-Khalifa, The Crown Prince of Bahrain. It
is divided into two parts, one of which is open to the public.
The reserve area is off-limits without special permission. Access
to the park is by bus from the main entrance. This takes parties
around a tarmac road from which you are able to obtain good views
of a variey of Arabian mammals, some roaming free and others in
pens. There are also some African animals which remain from the
initial establishment of the park. Arabian species include scimitar-horned
oryx, addax, Arabian oryx, dama gazelle, Nubian ibex, wild goat,
barbary sheep and Asiatic onager. Wild bird species are also attracted
to the park. Near to the administrative building is a walkway
which gives close views of various species of bird and animal.
There are cafeteria facilities here. The park is opened daily
from 8 -11.00 a.m. and 1-4.30 p.m. More information may be obtained
from the park office: Tel 631826.
Useful Addresses for Bahrain
National Committee for the Protection of Wildlife, PO Box 28690, Bahrain.
Tel 0973- 631826; fax: 0973- 631173
Bahrain Natural History Society, P O Box 20336, Bahrain.
The BNHS is an active group with a meeting on the first Tuesday
of the month. Howard King, the bird recorder, is very helpful
and is always up to date with recent bird sightings.
Bahrain Centre for Research and Studies, P O Box 496, Manama,
Bahrain.
Tourism Projects Company organizes a bus tour from Bab Al Bahrain in Manama twice daily,
departing 9.30 a.m and 3.00 p.m.Tel 211025 or 213460.