The Birds and Natural History of the Sultanate of Oman 2022

An annual public Oman lecture evening at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and online.

The 6th Oman Natural Heritage Lecture in London will focus the Avian Fauna and Natural History of Oman on Wednesday 26th October 2022 7.00pm – 8.30pm (doors open at 6.15 pm and online at 6.45pm). The speakers this year are Mr. Nasser Al Kindi, writer, filmmaker, photographer and naturalist - and author of Birds in Oman and a Guide for Birds in Muscat. Joining Nasser will be the Director of the Oman Natural History Museum in Muscat, Mrs. Azzah Al Jabri.

Guests of Honour at the Royal Geographical Society

The Ambassador, London, Sultanate of Oman. Honoured Guests from the Embassy of the Sultante of OmanMajor-General Richard Stanford, Chairman, Anglo Omani SocietyMr Stuart Laing, Anglo-Omani Society, LondonMr Tom Kenyon-Slaney, London Speaker BureauMr Doug Gurr, Natural History Museum, LondonMr John Jackson, Natural History Museum, LondonMr Richard Deverell, Royal Botanic Gardens, KewKatie Burton, Editor of the Geographical MagazineProfessor Joe Smith, Director, Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)Shane Winser, Geography Outdoors, Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

The evening has been orgnaised in association with:

The Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman, the Anglo-Omani Society, the Oman Natural History Museum (Muscat), the London Speaker Bureau, the Geographical Magazine, the Natural History Museum (London), the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Open University, Westminster University and the Oman Ministry of Heritage and Culture.

The Evening Programme in London.

6.15pm Doors open at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) – Exhibition Road entrance SW7 2AR.

Refreshments, displays and meeting other delegates in the Society's former Map Room, now with the model of Everest used in planning the first ascent in 1953 and the famous large 16th century map by the Jesuit Priest, Matteo Ricc. Also there will be photographs of Oman's Natural History.

6.45pm Opening pre-lecture film sequence by Mr Nasser Al Kindi to showcase the diversity and beauty of the Natural History of the Sultanate of Oman with music, to inform those logging on, they are in the right place and have a countdown clock.

6.50pm Those attending will be asked to take their seast in the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Lecture Theatre (750 seats) to begin the evening promptly at 7.00pm. All guests will be advised on their seats by the Oman Group Stewards.

7.00pm Nigel Winser opens the evening and welcomes VIPs and guests to the Royal Geographical Society on behalf of the UK Oman Group, the Anglo-Omani Society, the London Speaker Bureau and the Geographical Magazine and the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman, London.

Nigel Winser then introduces our distinguished speakers, Mr. Nasser Al Kindi and Mrs. Azzah Al Jabri. The two lectures will document the diversity of Oman’s ornithological heritage, supported by images and film taken by Mr. Nasser Al Kindi over 40 years and the work of the Natural History Museum since 1985.

8.00pm Question and Answers

8.25pm Vote of thanks by Mr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, London.

8.30pm Lecture ends, followed by refreshments and an opportunity to meet those attending.

9.30pm Evening ends and all attending heading home, safely, fortified and inspired by the sights and sounds of the Natural History of Oman.

Photographing and documenting the Avian Fuana of Oman by Mr. Nasser Al Kindi.

Through my personal journey, the presentation highlights four main topics:

1. Beginnings

It is probably befitting that the story begins at the Sharqiya Sands; many, many years after the Wahiba Sands Project. I had been driving all morning across the dunes from Bidiya towards Was Al Ruwais in the east when I chanced upon a small hut next to a water well and few palm trees. With a couple other friends, we decided to take a coffee and dates break here. Then, a relatively large bird, of predominantly white and brown plumage perched close to the well. It was a very beautiful bird with a pattern around its head resembling a heart. I was smitten. I took a few photos and on my return to Muscat looked for information on the bird.

2. Birds in Oman

Oman was the first country in the GCC to dedicate a government ministry for the environment: to date 531 species of birds have been sighted and recorded in Oman. This is the largest number in the GCC, thanks to efforts made by Omanis, expatriates, and visitors. 98 of the 531 are resident. They include 14 types of owls.

Oman boasts 33 Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas designated by Birdlife International and 18 potential Ramsar sites (The Convention on Wetlands).
Barr Al Hikman, a peninsula of predominantly wetlands and salt flats, hosts over 300,000 migratory birds, including 17% of the world population of Crab Plovers.

3. Documentation

Documentation began in the seventies and has evolved since from cards to now a dedicated electronic database taken up by the National Field Research Centre for Environmental Conservation, Oman (NFRCEC).

Several books and films have been produced to help birdwatchers and raise awareness of avian fauna in Oman. Amongst such publication are Michael Gallagher’s The Birds of Oman, books by Hanne & Jens Eriksen, SQU and Nasser Al Kindi. Documentaries produced include Hamed Al Wardi’s, Ministry of Information’s, NFRCEC’s and Nasser Al Kindi’s.

4. Potential for Tourism

A rare visit by a Malachite Kingfisher to Darbat in 2016 attracted the attention of many bird photographers from the GCC, who flew to Dhofar to appreciate the uncommon sighting. The Kingfisher did not disappoint; it put on a display!

The Sultanate of Oman is nestled on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is within marine proximity to East Africa, Southeast Asia, particularly the island of Socotra, Iran, India, and Pakistan. It has a total area of just over 300 thousand km2, a coastal line extending to approximately 1967 miles and a total population (including non-Omani residents/expats) of just under 5 million.

The Sultanate boasts a varied medley of typography, weather, and flora, though gravel and sand plains predominate. Oman attracts large populations of birds in autumn and winter; those can be seen throughout the country. Noteworthy are the large numbers of vultures and eagles in Dhofar, cormorants along the coast particularly in Muscat, gulls and other sea and coastal birds.

While temperatures rise in most northern parts of the country, it is worth noting that most of the southern coastline is affected to some degree by the summer monsoon winds, with large parts of Dhofar enjoying the cooler temperatures, mist and rainfall brought by the winds and trapped by the mountains of Samhan and Al Qamar forming a belt around the coastal plains.

This summer banquet attracts birds from East Africa to join other avian residents of Dhofar. Birds such as the Dideric Cuckoo and the Grey-headed Kingfisher are found in relative abundance enjoying a summer sojourn alongside residents such as the Singing Bush Lark, African Paradise Flycatcher and Rüppelle’s Weaver.

The avian calendar is bustling throughout the year in Oman. It is estimated that over three thousand tourists visited the country every year (pre-covid19) for birdwatching. This number could increase significantly as more people learn of the country’s avian treasures and more tour operators gear up for birdwatching-focused itineraries.

Mr. Nasser Al Kindi is a writer, film maker and photographer. He has a BA in European Literature and Comparative Studies and an MA in Wildlife Documentary Production. He now lives mostly in Muscat and Salalah.

While crossing the Sharquiya Sands in 2009, Mr. Al Kindi encountered a Barn Owl on her return to an underground water well. Spellbound by its sheer beauty, he has since developed a keen interest in professional bird photography as a medium to document and highlight the life and variety of avian fauna in Oman. His deep-rooted interest in in the flora and fauna of the Sultanate and the necessity to conserve it led him to expand his work in the field and refine his mission. In late 2011, he founded and promoted Clean up Oman, making it, by March 2012, the largest volunteer-based environmental initiative in Oman, an accomplishment recognised in that same year by conferring upon him His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Award for Voluntary Work.

In 2013, he published his first book on Birds in Oman, the first such undertaking by an Omani photographer and writer. He has since published several books on birds and wildlife, including Birds of Oman and the Arabian Peninsula.

In 2016, Mr. Al Kindi left his day job to add filmmaking to his writing and photography career. Later that year, he traveled to the UK to pursue a Master’s Degree in Wildlife Documentary Production from the University of Salford. His short documentary, ‘Wilderness Dhofar,’ along with his other shorter films such as ‘The Birds of Ayn Athoum,’ earned him a Distinction. His 2018 film ‘Weaver’s Nest’ explored the effects of the Cyclonic Storm Mekunu on birds in Dhofar; later in the year, the film joined a handful of nominees for the prestigious Sultan Qaboos Award for Culture, Art, and Literature.

Host or Publisher Oman Natural Heritage Lecture Group UK 2020