255 species recorded in the country Most of Qatar, with its flat desert and scanty vegetation, supports only a sparse and restricted avifauna. Of 255 species recorded in the country, about 23 breed, 78 are winter visitors and 104 are more-or-less regular migrants; the rest are vagrant or are rarely recorded. Seabirds breed on the offshore islands, possibly in internationally significant numbers, but the colonies have not been comprehensively surveyed; the species include Phalacrocorax nigrogularis, Egretta gularis, Sterna casoia, S. bengalensis, S. repressa and S. anaethetus. Parts of the law, rocky coast have broad intertidal flats of sand or mud, but coastal waterbirds are generally found at low densities except in certain spots, mostly on the more sheltered east coast. Outside the breeding season, the coastal zone of Qatar supports internationally important numbers of P.nigrogularis and, possibly, of Dromas ardeola. for more information about Qatar's important bird areas, click here |