Tom Nightingale

Basics: 1993, hardcover, 283 pages, 170+ color photographs, 290+ species, no range maps

This book fulfills three functions for this island nation in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia. First, it gives a good background on the natural environments of Bahrain along with a good overview of the natural history of the birds found in this country. Second, all 290+ of Bahrain’s birds are discussed. Third, a large sampling of the birds is offered in photographs.

This book is not meant to be an identification guide and is definitely too large to be used in the field. Instead, it is a unique combination of information that provides general natural history backgrounds along with specific breeding and seasonal information on a bird. This book seems to be geared towards the birder with an interest that's a little more than just casual and who likes to learn more about the bird and birdlife and not just identification.

Just over 170 color photos nicely illustrate about 50% of Bahrain’s birds. These photos range widely in both size and quality. Most are good, some are great, and others are just average enough to let you see the general image of the bird. These latter photos are often too small or too distant. The photos are geared towards allowing the birder to appreciate the country’s avifauna and not to really aid in identification.

The first 1/3 of the book focuses on Bahrain’s wildlife, its birding history, historical ornithologists, migration, and the watching of birds at different habitats and locations. Another two sections highlight the representative birds associated with each month of the year; and, another section offers about one-half page on each of the breeders in Bahrain. This information includes status, nesting preferences, clutch size and incubation period, and othe related notes.

The final 40% of the book lists all 294 birds along with a general review of each. This is typically composed of 1-3 paragraphs addressing range, status, notes on migration or breeding, some natural history notes, and sometimes brief descriptions of the bird.

If you want to know more about the birds of Bahrain beyond what’s just found in a field guide, you’ll enjoy this book, especially with the many good photos found throughout its pages. You’ll also learn what Bahrain offers regarding birding and its environment.

I’ve listed several related books below…
1) Field Guide to the Birds of the Middle East by Porter et al.
2) Birds of the Middle East and North Africa by Hollom et al.
3) The Birds of Oman by Gallagher
4) Common Birds in Oman by Eriksen
5) Birds of Madinat Yanbu Al-Sinaiyah and Its Hinterland by Baldwin/Meadows
6) Inland Birds of Saudi Arabia by Silsby
7) Birds of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia by Bundy
8) The Birds of the State of Kuwait by Gregory
9) The Birds of the United Arab Emirates by Richardson
10) Birds of Kuwait by Alfadhel
11) The Birds of Iran by Scott (in Arabic)
12) The Birds of Israel by Shirihai… (plus d'informations)