Where to watch birds in Egypt?

Abassa Fish Pounds

From Cairo, take the road down to Bilbeis, then to Abu Hammad. On the third bridge, turn right. At the end of the road you will find the ponds, a reliable place to see White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis, Senegal Thick-knee Burhinus senegalensis, Senegal Coucal Centropus senegalensis, Greater Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus, Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus and Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis.

There is no accommodation here. Best spend the night in Cairo.

Wadi Natrun

Wadi Natrun is a valley located in Beheira Governorate, west of the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Highway and about 80 km south of the Mediterranean. This is the closest place to Cairo where one of the most sought-after Egyptian speciality can be found: Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius. This habitat is a potential place to find one of the critically endangered species Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris. In 2010, the Slender-billed Curlew Working Group began a search for this very rare species, placing four volunteer teams right here. An endemic subspecies of the Graceful Warbler is widespread here: Prinia gracilis natronensis. Here too, it is easy to find the Egyptian Wagtail, which might be elevated to a full species in the future: Motacilla flava pygmea.

A good place to overnight is the Hamra Ecolodge (Tel: +2 (02) 305-3081 or +2 (010) 388-2001), at 150 EGP per person per night.

Ain Sokhna

Located at the Gulf of Suez, this is probably the best place in the Western Palearctic to watch the biannual raptor migration, but especially the northwards return migration. Up to 6000 birds per day can be seen when weather conditions are favourable, from late February through the end of April. It is a migration bottleneck on the Great Rift Flyway, meeting the Important Bird Area (IBA) criteria of A1, A3, and A4iv.

Some globally threatened species can be seen here: Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca, Greater Spotted Eagle A. clanga and Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanii. However, large numbers of Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus and Steppe Eagle A. nipalensis pass across the high escarpment of the mountains, and on good days, up to 60 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus a species declining steeply, may pass here.

The annual Tom Coles Memorial Raptor Survey & Training event, for Egyptian wildlife conservation personnel and others, is held here each year in mid-April.

The local contact is Mrs.Mary Megalli.

Hurghada

Hurghada, a coastal tourist city, and its islands comprise the place to see White-eyed Gull Larus leucophthalmus and Sooty Gull L. hemprichii and some much sought-after terns: Swift Thalasseus bergii, Lesser Crested T. bengalensis, Bridled Onchyoprion anaethetus and White-cheeked Sterna repressa. A one-day boat trip to the coral reefs should reveal all or most of these species and, with some luck, even Brown Booby Sula leucogaster and Sooty Falcon Falco concolor.

A good observation point for the see species is also the terrace of the Felfela restaurant situated on the sea coast of the Hadaba hill: 27°12'21.22"N 33°50'54.05"E.

The sewage ponds west of town ( Lat: 27°14'54.49"N Long: 33°45'52.55"E) are a good place to see Namaqua Dove Oena capensis, Cream-colored Courser Cursorius cursor, Sandgrouse spp., Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius and Pharaoh`s Eagle Owl Bubo ascalaphus.

Personally, I have run a ringing camp here several years, in collaboration with SEEN (Gdansk University, Poland), during the spring and autumn migrations.

You can overnight in the city. At the northern part of the city (Dahar) there are numerous relatively cheap hotels. Use your Lonely Planet guide in order to find them. With a charming sense of humour, the Egyptian owners of the place have name the hotels: Four Season, or even Alaska. Because it is almost impossible to locate a hotel following the guidelines of a LP guide, I give here the coordinates of the “Four Season Hotel”: 27°15'32.53"N 33°49'8.91"E, or ask your taxi driver to take you to Triton Empire Hotel, which is widely known, as it is just 50 m away from the previously mentioned values.

Only 30 km North of Hurghada lays the exceptionally clean El Gouna city. During the spring and summer migration, the golf course (27°23'22.98"N 33°40'19.09"E) attract a large number of birds, including raptors. Black-winged Pratincoles, Three-banded Plover, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Sociable Plover, Black Bush robin, Pied Bushchat and various other goodies has been reported from here by the travelling birders and especially by the long time Swedish resident birder, Tomas Haraldsson.

Buses are leaving every 30 minutes from the downtown to Hurghada. The price of a one way ticket is 6 EGP.

Wadi Gamal National Park (WGNP)

The biodiversity of WGNP is unique. Located 50km south of Marsa el Alam, it was established as a National Park in January 2003, covering 6,770km² (4,770km² land, 2,000km² sea). WGNP is unique among Egypt’s protected areas in maintaining a high species richness of birds of prey, including one globally threatened species Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotus and one rare and declining species Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus.

During winter, several interesting species usually occur in the coastal area: White-tailed plover Vanelus leucurus, Ménétriés’s Warbler Sylvia mystacea, Cyprus Warbler S. melanothorax, Kurdish Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna, Asian Desert Warbler S. nana), Black Scrub Robin Cercotrichas podobe, Caspian Stonechat Saxicola maurus variagatus.

The excellent Shams Alam Hotel (4*) is a very good place to stay. Its garden is a real migrant trap. The rooms are clean, fully equipped and the meals are excellent. Steve Moldován wholeheartedly recommends the hotel. If it is fully booked, as an alternative I recommend the Gorgonia hotel, about 1 km N of Shamsa Alam Hotel.

For more information’s regarding the birding in WGNP, contact one of the local National Park rangers, Sayed El Khodary.

Wadi Lahami

Wadi Lahami holds a large mangrove swamp that occasionally hosts the rare and much-desired Goliath Heron Ardea goliath, which has been documented by Pierre André Crochet as breeding here.

The owner (Ross McGrath) of the nearby Eco-lodge and diving centre runs a tent camp lodge at the end of the road which leads to the mangrove swamps. He requests that birding visitors have lunch or a drink at the bar, and inform the management at an early stage about your plans to visit, because they would advise that sometimes the area occasionally is less accessible. For management purposes, the mangrove swamps have to be cleaned periodically and otherwise maintained regularly by the employees of the Eco-lodge.

Hamata Mangrove

Hamata Mangrove has the most extensive mangrove stands in Egypt. A new birdwatching trail has been created in the Wadi Gamal National Park, which include this beautiful mangrove swamp. The local rangers can show you a few places where Crab-plover Dromas ardeola and Goliath Heron can be seen.

For more information it is best to contact Sayed El Khodary one of the local National Park rangers.

Bir Shaltin

Bir Shalatein essentially is a Sudanese village, fortunately being one of the last-remaining places to visit that remains much in its original form. The local bazaar still remains authentic, lacking the “Made in China” items predominant elsewhere.

There are two hotels: El Haramin (The Robbers) and Dr. Bargud (Dr. Flea). Hard to choose between them, you might think? Well, I wholeheartedly recommend the Dr. Bargud Hotel, which has small individual rooms and not just communal bedrooms, and there are no fleas. Well, cockroaches are present, but you can find those even the 5* hotels in tourist resorts.

The camel market is easy to find – ask the locals. Lappet-faced Vultures circle round, as do Egyptian Vultures, but there is a chance of seeing Rüppell`s Vulture Gyps ruepelli and Lammergeier as well.

For more information, contact one of the enthusiast rangers of the Elba Natural Protectorate, Islam Elsadek.

St. Katherine protectorate

When visiting the St Katherine Protectorate, the best place to spend the night is the Desert Fox Camp in St. Katherine city. It’s the cheapest place in the world, dinner is great, and the personnel are very friendly and have a charming sense of humour. Rooms are clean; the price is around 50 EGP/night. The rooms are equipped with mosquito nets. If the Desert Fox Camp is fully booked, try the Bedouin Camp. However, it is advisable to buy a Pyrosol spray beforehand, and spray all around the room. It is very effective and costs less than $1 US. Spraying is highly effective as an ozone and lung destroyer as well...

Tristam`s Grackle Onycognamus tristamii, Palestinian Sunbird Nectarinia osea, White-crowned Weather Oenanthe leucopyga are just a few of the species which are always around the camp. Rock Hyrax Procarvia capensis inhabit the cliffs behind the camp.

Ala El Din Ismail is one of the best-trained researchers of the Ranger corps that Steve Moldován has met. It is well worthwhile contacting the Rangers before you visit the National Park.

Luxor

Luxor has much cheap accommodation, the most popular being downtown, behind the Luxor temple, beside the Omm Caltzun Coffee Shop. There are many others (such as the Hathor and Nefertari hotels) along the main street (Nile Corniche). But if you want to be at the right birding spot in the early morning, you should visit the Mövenpick Hotel gardens, on Crocodile Island. The hotel has been sold to another company and the island is now called “King`s Island”, but every local will know it as Crocodile Island.

The best place to find Red Avadavat Amandava amandava, Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio, Greater Painted Snipe and Nile Valley Sunbird. Even an African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus turned up here in May 2009!

A rather expensive but well-known local birding guide is Abdul Youssef. Contact him on his cell number: +2-012-239-54-67, or ask at the reception of Mövenpick hotel.

Aswan

In Aswan, accommodation is easy to find by using your Lonely Planet Guide. There are many cheap hotels, even on the main street. The most famous (if still functioning) is the Bob Marley Hotel, which name tells much about this great place – peace, man... Another good-value hotel is the Keylany. Only a few weeks in January it can be rather busy when many Egyptians enjoy their holiday in Aswan.

In and around The First Cataract Islands Protectorate Saluga & Ghazal, the travelling birder may find up to 7 heron species, including Striated Heron Butorides striata.

When the Nile is running low, mostly from end of October – end of January, you can find on the mudflats and sandbanks up to 23 species of waders and 10 species of ducks. Nearly every year African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris has been observed here during this time. Best mudflats:

• along the Corniche, opposite the railway station GPS 24°6'3.80" N 32°53'51.46"E
• more north, near the mosque along the Nile GPS 24°7'16.95" N 32°53'47.91"E.
• along the west bank (West Aswan) GPS 24°6'58.41" N 32°53'31.97"E
• near the village West Sehel GPS 24°3'19.73" N 32°51'50.06"E.

Yellow-billed Kite Milvus aegyptius circles over the town and the Nile and Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris may well occur here in this time – it’s the only reliable place in the Western Palearctic where it appears; it bred here too. For the exact place you best contact one of the rangers of the Egyptian Environmental Agency Affairs: Haitham Ibrahim haythamibra@yahoo.com

Other places worth visiting are:

• the new garbage place, south of Aswan: GPS 24°2'3.58"N, 32°56'30.59"E. A good place for hundreds of White Storks, Black Kites, a few Steppe Eagles Aquila nipalensis and sometimes Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus.
• the Shalal area with the Aswan Reservoir: GPS 24° 1'54.93"N, 32°53'47.37"E in winter often hundreds of Ferruginous Ducks Aythya nyroca and 1- 2 Imperial Eagles Aquila heliaca.

Abu Simbel

Travelling in convoy to Abu Simbel is recommended. It is wise to join one, just in case. Always take a ample water supplies with you because none is available en route. The first convoy departs at 04:00, the second at 11:00.

There are two hotels, Nefertari, which is rated at 4* at a price of 120$ per person per night, and Ramses II.

Steve Moldován stays in the Ramses II Hotel at around $15 per person per night. However, there is a down side. You will need ear plugs because the hotel has a mosque in the middle of it! You should also take additional food to breakfast because the size of the meals served is sufficient only for a mouse!

Beside Airport Bay, you may find African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp and Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis. Stumbling through the bush, you could well flush an Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius and perhaps several Kittlitz`s Plover.

Check Lake Nasser for Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens and African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris.

Now no matter how much you might want to in Lake Nasser, resist the temptation, for it is a great place to encounter huge Nile Crocodiles Crocodylus niloticus...

Enjoy your birding, but please don’t forget to send us or OSME your report of your birding trip. Every report helps!