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Bird Watching
Bird-watchers from
all over the world have started organising
weeklong trips to Jordan to enjoy the
sight of some rare species of indigenous
birds and others that migrate annually
between the northern and southern hemispheres.
Jordan's location at the crossroads of
Europe, Asia and Africa means that birds
from these three continents can sometimes
be spotted in the same general area in
Jordan.
Jordan's remarkable variety of habitats
- from rugged mountains and evergreen
woodlands to scrubby steppe and hot deserts
- also makes for a dazzling variety of
bird species. Jordan's segment of the
Syrian-African Rift Valley is something
of a high-traffic crossroads on the main
migration routes for birds moving between
Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Russia,
towards Africa and back. At certain times
of the year, the skies over the Rift Valley
are full of circling birds of prey.
The
pleasure of bird watching in Jordan is
also enhanced by the genuine friendliness
of the Jordanian people, and the opportunity
to combine bird watching with trips to
some of the Middle East's most awesome
ancient and natural wonders, such as Petra,
Wadi Rum, or the Dead Sea.
What
sort of birds can you see?
The
Eastern Desert habitat, including the
Azraq oasis with its Wetland Reserve,
is home to local desert and aquatic species,
and is periodically visited by migrants.
The species one can meet here include
Temmink's Horned Lark, Desert Lark, Hoopoe
Lark, Desert Wheatear and Trumpeter Finch.
In winter, Cranes and Imperial Eagles
roam across this area, and in the Desert
Castles area east of Amman you can see
Thick-billed Lark and Red-rumped Wheatears.
In the western highlands, the Mediterranean
habitats surrounded by open steppe country
- the wooded areas of the north (Zubia,
Ajloun and Dibbin), and Dana in the south
- are home to the Palestine Sunbird and
different Warblers (Upcher's, Orphean
and Sardinian). The more open steppe habitats
typically contain the Spectacled Warbler,
Long-billed Pipit, Black-eared Wheatear,
Woodchat Shrike and Linnet.
The rift margins and valleys of the western
highlands of four biogeographic zones,
Wadi Shu'ayb and Wadi Mujib with their
perennial watercourses are home to beautiful
White-breasted Kingfisher, while at the
magnificent rocky gorges of Wadi Rum,
Dana, Mujib and Petra you can find the
Griffon Vulture, Bonelli's Eagle, Hume's
Tawny Owl, Blackstart, different Wheatears,
Scrub Warbler, Sinai Rosefinch, House
Bunting, Tristram's Grackle and Fan-tailed
Raven.
The Dead Sea area and Wadi Araba are home
to Arabian and African species such as
the Sand Partridge, Bar-tailed lark, Dunn's
lark, Hoopoe Lark, Little Green Bee-eater,
Blackstart and Arabian Babbler.
Several
fine colour guides to bird watching in
Jordan have been published in recent years.
Important
Bird Areas [IBAs] in Jordan
A total of 17 sites have been declared
as IBAs in Jordan, covering 9.5% of Jordan's
area. Both of Jordan's national parks,
and the six nature reserves are IBAs.
Five of the IBA sites are fully protected
by law, five are partially protected,
and two further are officially proposed
for legal protection.
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