Database

The Omani Birds Database is a comprehensive and integrated system containing extensive data and information about birds in the Sultanate of Oman. As of 2019, the database includes over 16 million bird observations, covering approximately 47 families and 623 species. It utilizes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map the spatial distribution of birds across more than 455,000 locations.

The earliest recorded bird observation in the Omani Birds Database dates back to the famous traveler Ibn Battuta (1304–1369), who visited the Sultanate of Oman in early summer of 1329 during his journey from the eastern coast of Africa to the Hallaniyat Islands. He then arrived at the eastern coast of the Sultanate of Oman, known today as Muscat. While on Al-Hasikiyah Island, Ibn Battuta described seeing black birds, which are believed to be Socotra cormorants. To this day, Al-Hasikiyah Island remains the only known breeding site for this bird species in the Sultanate of Oman. For the 500 years following Ibn Battuta’s account, there were no additional bird records until British sailors began visiting the Sultanate of Oman in the 1830s.

The national database of Omani birds is managed and regularly updated by the Diwan of Royal Court, in collaboration with the Center for Environmental Studies and Research and the Remote Sensing and GIS Research Center at Sultan Qaboos University. Work on developing this database began in 1971, and we are pleased to now offer it as a resource for bird watchers and enthusiasts.

The Omani Birds Database serves as a vital tool for managing both biological and geospatial information. It enables ornithologists and bird watchers to manage, analyze, and report on their expanding knowledge of bird species, important bird areas, and endemic bird habitats. This data is accessible through the Oman Birds website under the "Data Zone" section, where users can query detailed information about bird species, their distribution, and related datasets.

  • 2013

    In 2013, the Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems Research Center at Sultan Qaboos University conducted a research project to track the migration of wintering birds in Barr Al-Hikman using GPS devices mounted on the birds. This study is considered the first of its kind to track the migration of the Crab Plover and the Bar-tailed Godwit along the West Asia–East Africa flyway. Monitoring bird migration routes and the consistency of migration timing serves as a key indicator of potential climate change—whether local, regional, or global. Recording the presence of waterbirds in particular also provides valuable indicators of the overall environmental condition of wetlands. The study revealed that more than one million migratory shorebirds visit the wetland area of Barr Al-Hikman annually, with half of these species being long-distance migrants. Furthermore, the study found that this area supports 10–15% of the global population of Crab Plovers, making it the most important wintering site for this species.

  • 2001

    For many years, the Center for Environmental Studies and Research at Sultan Qaboos University has invested in developing tools to manage the Oman Bird Database. In 2001, financial and technical support was provided to transfer the computerized Oman Bird Database to the Center. Since then, the database has been regularly updated with the support of Dr. Jens Eriksen, and the Center has published four books since 2001 to monitor the overall status of birds in the Sultanate of Oman.

  • 1989

    The card index, which contains around 5,000 cards, was handed over in 1989 to Mr. Jens Eriksen, who became the new recorder. In the same year, Jens and his wife embarked on a challenging six-year mission to develop a computerized database, during which they transferred all the records from the cards into the new system.

  • 1981

    Effie Warr delivered the cards to Michael Gallagher on August 1, 1981, in several plastic boxes. They were later coded, compiled, and organized by bird species groups and stored at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. The data from the observers' reports was then entered by Michael Gallagher, and later by David J.G. Foster, who was the first recorder for the Oman Bird Records Committee.

  • 1971

    Work on establishing the Oman Bird Database began in 1971 through a card index prepared by Effie Warr, who wrote on the first card: “This card index was started when I was in the Sultanate of Oman in 1971 for my own use and without any thought that it might be read or used by anyone else. Well, the card index has been widely used and has become a valuable reference—at least for publishing data on the birds of the Sultanate of Oman” (Gallagher & Woodcock, 1980).

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