Monitoring and observation activities constitute a fundamental component of environmental science, biodiversity conservation and wildlife management research. With the expansion of human activities and changes in land use impacting local ecosystems, systematic monitoring has become increasingly essential. These activities track bird species, population fluctuations and threatened species while monitoring the condition of habitats and environments. Field surveys are conducted across diverse ecosystems to observe species distribution and specific bird populations, including rare and endemic birds in Oman, as well as migratory birds.
Oman lies along the coastal bird migration route known as the Afro–Eurasian Flyway and serves as a stopover for multiple species. It’s varied geography including mountains of differing elevations, deserts, sabkhas, wetlands and extensive coastlines supports diverse habitats for birds at different stages of their life cycles. Annually, a large flocks of migratory birds traverse Oman. Some migrate in winter seeking warmth and food from colder regions, while others migrate in summer seeking suitable breeding and nesting habitats. The migration routes generally follow three main paths:

  1. From Europe to Africa.
  2. From Europe to Asia.
  3. From West Asia to East Asia.
Bird migration predominantly occurs in the Northern Hemisphere. This is often guided by natural barriers such as the Mediterranean or Caribbean seas. Migratory birds face significant risks such as predation and harsh natural conditions.
Among the reasons for the migration of birds:
  1. Environmental changes.
  2. Searching for food.
  3. Climate change.
In the 1960s, in the Al Batinah North Governorate, large numbers of wild duck species were recorded, most of which appear during the autumn days, totalling 15 species in Oman. Some birds are known as “visiting birds,” which arrive in Oman during the winter season, including the Iraqi Cygne, the Redstart and the white-breasted blackbird and other birds coming from India, Iran and the northern polar regions. Notably, migratory birds spend a long period in Oman, lasting up to an entire season.

Oman is also home to 115 species of breeding birds, most of which reproduce regularly.

There is a type of migration known as "inland migration" which refers to the movement of birds within the boundaries of Oman. This migration is relatively limited in some seasons and usually occurs over short distances within the same region. Most breeding bird species have established themselves in semi-permanent habitats.

Oman celebrates World Migratory Bird Day annually during the second week of May. The first national celebration was in 2006, coordinated with two international wildlife conservation agreements under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA).

Oman has also made numerous ongoing efforts to raise public awareness about the threats faced by migratory birds such as habitat destruction, over-exploitation of natural resources, various forms of pollution and climate change. These initiatives emphasize the importance of protecting birds during their migration, as they play a crucial role in maintaining Oman’s ecological balance and contributing to global bird’s diversity.
Database
The Birds of Oman Database is a comprehensive system containing extensive information on birds in Oman. It includes over 16 million observations across 47 groups and 623 species (as of 2019). The database relies on geographic information systems (GIS) to map bird distributions across more than 455,000 sites.
The first recorded observation of birds in the Birds of Oman database dates back to the traveller Ibn Battuta (1304–1369), who visited the country in early summer of 1329 when he sailed from the east coast of Africa to the Hallaniyat Islands and reached the eastern coast of Oman, known today as Muscat. On Al-Hasikiyah Island, Ibn Battuta documented his sighting of black birds, which were likely Socotra cormorants. To this day, Al-Hasikiyah Island remains the only breeding site for this species. During the 500 years following Ibn Battuta’s record, there were no other bird observations were documented until British sailors began visiting Oman in the 1830s.
This digital database provides a tool for managing biological and geospatial information, through which bird specialists and observers can manage, analyze and report on their knowledge of species, important bird areas, and habitats of resident birds. The data can be accessed via the Birds of Oman website under the 'Data Zone' tab, which allows users to query detailed information on bird species, their distribution, and related data.
Work on initiation the Oman Bird Database began in 1971 through a catalogue of cards prepared by Evie Warer, who wrote on the first card: "This catalogue of cards began when I was in Oman in 1971 for my own use and without thinking that it could be read or used by anyone else. Well, the card catalogue has been widely used and has become a valuable reference, at least for the publication of data on the birds of Oman" (Gallagher Woodcock, 1980).
1971
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1981
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Effie Warr handed over the cards to Michael Gallagher on August 1, 1981, in several plastic boxes. The cards were later coded, compiled and organized according to bird species groups that were stored at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. Subsequently, data from observer reports were entered by Michael Gallagher and later by David G. J. Foster, who became the first recorder for the Oman Bird Records Committee.
The card index, which contained around 5,000 cards, was handed over to Jens Eriksen in 1989, who became the new recorder. In the same year, Jens and his wife embarked on a demanding six-year effort to develop a computerized database, during which they transferred all the records from the cards into the digital database.
1989
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2001
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For many years, the Environmental Studies and Research Center at Sultan Qaboos University has invested in developing tools to manage the Oman Birds Database. In 2001, financial and technical support became available to transfer the computerized Oman Birds Database to the Environmental Studies and Research Center. Since then, the database has been regularly updated with support from Dr. Jens Eriksen and the center has published four books since 2001 to monitor the overall status of birds in Oman.
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 attached to the birds. This study was the first of its kind to track the Crab Plover and Lapwings 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 at local, regional, or global scales. In addition, documenting the presence of waterbirds in particular provides valuable indicators of the overall environmental condition of wetlands. The study revealed that more than one million migratory coastal birds visit the Barr Al Hikman wetlands each year; half of these species migrate long distances. Moreover, the study showed that this area supports 10–15% of the global population of the Crab Plover, making it the most important winter site for this species.
2013
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