Search results
Search results for Keywords : 952
‘Parkinsonia
Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Not in other Gulf regions. Habitat & distribution: Presumably widespread in urban areas. Uses: Planted as an ornamental tree, for erosion control and a source of firewood and charcoal.
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Aegyptius Bug
Kingdom : Bugs, Assassin bugs, Insects
Insect follows Reduviidae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is 9 mm, and is silverin colour. It exists on herbal plants.
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Aelijaan
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Mainly in NE Qatar, where locally frequent on more compact soils. Well- grown bushes occur at Ras Laffan Industrial City (John Norton) and the species is also found at Al Dhakira, Fuwairit and Simaismah (Mohammed Al Safran). Notes: […]
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Alaqool
Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occurs in the NW of Al Khor town (Mohammed Al Safran) and seen by MAS at two locations in W Qatar. Batanouny recorded it at Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah and Umm Bab. Usually in saline […]
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Arabian Horned Viper
Kingdom : Reptiles, Snakes, Viperidae
Arabian horned viper adults average around 45-50 cm, and exceptionally reach 100cm. The head is flat, wide and roughly triangular in shape. The horn above each eye may or may not be present. The neck is thin, body is stocky and roundish in section. The tail is distinct, especially in females. Scales are heavily keeled, […]
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Arta
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from a sand dune near Umm Bab. Uses: ‘The fruits are edible and freshen the mouth with their tart taste’ (Cornes & Cornes). Twigs said to be pounded and added to milk […]
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Bard Vitch
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded as a weed of irrigated land.
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Barwaq
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to locally frequent in shallow, often somewhat compact, sand; particularly in sandy or gravelly depressions. Uses: Phillips quotes Dickson (1955) reporting that the seeds of the plant were used by the Bedu of Kuwait […]
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Bayonet Grass
Growth form: Sedge. Flowering. Mar–Jun. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Batanouny only recorded it in a permanently wet area at Ras Ushirij, at the edge of a patch of Typha domingensis.
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Beet
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Introduced.Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: An escape from cultivation; the wild form occurs in saltmarshes but has not been recorded from Qatar. Uses: Cultivated as a vegetable. The plant has diuretic, aphrodisiac and various other medicinal properties (Rizk & El-Ghazaly). Notes: Beta vulgaris […]
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Bermuda Buttercup
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Cultivated areas, C and N Qatar. A weed of garden origin. Uses: ‘Leaves eaten in Iran in stews but bitter in taste’ (El Amin).
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Bermuda Grass
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Most of year. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: The main constituent of lawns in urban areas; occasional in natural habitats. Uses: Of economic importance due to its widespread use in making lawns. Medicinal uses worldwide are described by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.
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Bird Tongue
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: To be confirmed.
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Birdwood Grass
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: The habitat of this species is similar to other species of Cenchrus. Notes: Tentatively listed for Qatar by Cope on the basis of the photograph included in Batanouny (Plate 111), mis-labelled as C. pennisetiformis.
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Bladderdock
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in rocky terrain in shallow deposits of sand or silt, but also recorded in cultivated areas. Uses: The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. Mandaville reports from an earlier source that it was sometimes […]
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Blandford’s Semaphore Gecko
Kingdom : Reptiles, Diurnal lizards, Sphaerodactylidae
Blanford, 1874
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Blanford’s Short-Nosed Desert Lizard
Kingdom : Reptiles, Diurnal lizards, Lacertidae
Blanford, 1874
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Blue Flower
Growth form: Annual or perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from roads and runnels in C Qatar, but not recorded by any other authors from Arabia. Uses: El Amin mentions that it is used medicinally in West Africa to treat dysentery, heart […]
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Blue-stem Grass
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from C and W Qatar, including Dukhan. Uses: Good fodder (El Amin).
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Bristle Grass
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant on sand sheets, drifting sand and small dunes, especially in S Qatar. Uses: Batanouny remarks that it is grazed, but not preferred by animals. The species has potential to be used as a […]
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Brome grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from a stony area at Umm Slal Mohammed.
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Brown Lily
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE.Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in S and C Qatar, in sandy depressions and runnels. Uses: The bulb is reputed to be edible, although Mandaville says it is bitter, whilst Jongbloed et al. state that the capsule is […]
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Buck’s-horn Plantain
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded from Dukhan; recorded twice recently in W Qatar. Uses: The roots are used to treat haemorhoids, malaria and fevers; the leaves are locally applied to wounds, burns, abscesses, bites and inflamations (Rizk & El-Ghazaly). […]
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Burning Nettle
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. habitat & distribution: A weed of irrigated gardens. Uses: Many medicinal uses such as to sooth wounds and ulcers and to treat diarrhoea (Rizk & El- Ghazaly).
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Castor-oil Plant
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Jan–May. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: In the Gulf generally it is widely planted in shelterbelts, but also escapes into areas around gardens and farms. Uses: It is well known that the oil is extracted for medicinal uses, particularly as a laxative, and that the […]
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Casuarina
Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Common. Not in other Gulf Areas. Habitat & distribution: Mainly gardens and roadsides in towns and cities. Uses: Widely planted for ornament and shade. Notes: Several species are planted in the Gulf (Miller & Cope); C. equisetifolia L. probably being the more common and widespread. C. cunninghamiana […]
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Cat’s-eye
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in cultivated areas and with trees, particularly in N and NW Qatar. Uses: Ghazanfar reports the whole plant is used to treat skin rash and ulcers. Notes: Formerly placed in the Primulaceae. The blue-flowering […]
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Cheat grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from a stony area with accumulated fine soil at Umm Slal Mohammed. Notes: Batanouny ascribed his plant to var. psilostachys Hal?csy (not formally recognised by Cope).
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Chickweed, Algazaz Grass
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of gardens and other irrigated, cultivated areas. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly list numerous medicinal uses.
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Christ’s Thorn
Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in roadside plantations. Rarely found naturalised. Uses: A list of medicinal uses is given by Rizk & El-Ghazaly. Ghazanfar reports that the leaves, fruit and seeds are used to treat blisters, bruises, chest pains, dandruff, fractures and mouth […]
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Cicada
Kingdom : Bugs, Cicadas, Insects
Insect follows Cicadidae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is between 20-24 mm, and is grey and brown in colour. Larvas feed on tree roots, causing great harm to trees. Adults are distinguished with a unique squeaking noise during daylight when mating.
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Citrus Leafminer
Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Leaf miners
Insect follows Geometridae family, and Lepidoptera order. It is light brown, wing is 5mm long. Larva are dangerous pests for citrus and some other plants. Larva dig tutas in leaves, causing dryness and leaf fall.
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Clifford’s Diadem Snake
Kingdom : Reptiles, Snakes, Colubridae
Adults can reach up to 130cm, in arabia 90-100cm is more common. Head coffin shaped, and tapers from the angle of the jaw to a fairly narrow snout. The body is thick, long and slighly square in section. Variable in colour, most commonly grey/tan to reddish brown base colour, with a series of brown oval […]
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Corn Cleavers
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny, growing over Ziziphus.
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Costae Bug
Kingdom : Bugs, Plant bugs, Insects
Insect follows Miridae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is between 8-10 mm, and is black and white colour. It feeds by sucking on plants.
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Cottina, Cotton
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: El Amin recorded it near Al Khor. Uses: El Amin remarks that the white fibres are used as cotton stuffings.
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Crab Grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in damp areas, including the edges of cultivated fields. Uses: Grazed, and used for fodder.
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Creeping Sorrel
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–Jun. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of lawns and gardens in Doha. Uses: The plant has numerous medicinal uses, including the treatment of bruises, clots, fever, snake bite and infections (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).
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Crimson-speckled Flunkey
Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Tiger moths
Insect follows Arctiidae family, and Hemiptera order. It has white with black and red spots, and wing is 30-42 mm. Butterfly flies during daylight. Larva feed on Al Ramram plant (Heliotropium bacciferum). It breeds more than once in a year.
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Cucumber Moth
Kingdom : Grass moths, Insects, Moths and Butterflies
Insect follows Crambidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Wings colour is white with dark brown marks. Wing is 30 mm long. Butterfly is diurnal. Larvas feed on Hodgsonia male plants (marrow). Pest causes great harm to marrow plant. The insect breeds more than once a year.
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Curved Hard-grass
Growth form: Grass. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Cope (2007). Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: The typical habitats include seashores; but also found in irrigated lawns and gardens. Notes: Cope maps a record for this species over Doha. He notes that much of the material originally […]
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Dahmah
Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent on gravel and stone plains, compacted sand sheets and similar habitats. Uses: El Amin mentions that some local people boil it to cure fevers.
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Dahseer
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Mainly in NE Qatar, where locally frequent on more compact soils. Well- grown bushes occur at Ras Laffan Industrial City (John Norton) and the species is also found at Al Dhakira, Fuwairit and Simaismah (Mohammed Al Safran). Notes: […]
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Daqeeqa, Umm threib
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant on thin sandy deposits and other rocky areas; also in other sandy habitats, gardens and cultivated areas.
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Darkling Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 24-27 mm, and has black colour.
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Date Palm
Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Planted all over Qatar. Naturalised on the coast at Umm Bab. Uses: Cultivated in plantations and gardens, especially for the edible fruit (Debbie Allante); also along roadsides to provide greenery and shade. Various authors describe cultural […]
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Desert Black Snake
Kingdom : Reptiles, Snakes, Elapidae
this speacies ranges from 100-140cm, The head is broad and covered in black glossy head shields. The eyes are small and dark. The body is thick, elongated and sub-triangular in section. They are completely black in colour with a bright blue iridescence when viewed in the sunlight.
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Desert Figwort
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional; generally on harder substrates in shallow sand or sandy runnels, especially in S and C Qatar.
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Desert Thorn
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Jan–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to locally dominant, in sandy and silty depressions, runnels, wadis and on rocky slopes. Stunted specimens have been recorded in saline habitats. Often grows with stands of Acacia and Ziziphus trees. Uses: Grazed by […]
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Devil’s Coach Whip
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in C Qatar; also recorded at Doha. Notes: Cope notes that much of the material originally named as this species was in fact Parapholis incurva (L.) C.E. HuBenno B?er. However, he thinks that Henrardia pubescens is also […]
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Dhuraymah
Growth form: Biennial or perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy and gravelly habitats. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly describe a number of medicinal uses. Notes: Batanouny describes three varieties occuring in Qatar: var. bruguieri, var. laxa Boiss. and var. rechingeri Hadidi.
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Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in N and S Qatar on roads and in gardens, usually in shade of trees.
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Egyptian Fenugreek
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent or abundant in farms and gardens. Uses: Used as fodder (El Amin). Eaten raw by bedouin as a salad herb (Mandaville).
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Fasah, gat
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. May–Jul. Status: Introduced.Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: May occur as an escape from cultivation. Uses: This is a very common and widely grown fodder crop throughout the Arabian peninsula. Ghazanfar states the leaves are used to treat bruises, fractures and to stop nose-bleeds. Seeds are […]
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Faustinata Moth
Kingdom : Geometer moths, Insects, Moths and Butterflies
Insect follows Geometridae family, and Lepidoptera order. It is green or light green, wing is 20 mm long. Larva feed on herbs.
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Fern-leaf Peony
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from Al Sheehaniyah and Al Karaanah in sandy depressions and runnels.
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Finger Grass
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in cultivated farms, gardens and other irrigated land. Uses: Good fodder (El Amin).
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Flowerpot Snake
Kingdom : Reptiles, Snakes, Typhlopidae
A very small earthworm looking snake, with an average adult length of 12-15cm. The head is rounded and the mouth is low down on the head, the eyes are virtually invisible except for dark shaded patches. These snakes vary in colour but in the Arabian region are generally a uniform pink colour.
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Fountain Grass
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Cope (2007). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: A plant of rocky areas. The map in Cope shows a locality marked on the west coast.
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Foxtail Grass
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to abundant or locally dominant in moderately compact sand or silt, especially in rocky areas and often around inhabited areas and farmland. Uses: Described by Mandaville as ‘useful fodder grass’.
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Frogfruit
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. May–Jun. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of wet places. Uses: Sometimes cultivated as ground cover in parts of the Gulf. A wide variety of medical uses are known (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).
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Garat, Garad, sanat
Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Mar–Nov. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Subsp. indica is widely planted in the Gulf and presumably in Qatar; it is native to parts of Saudi Arabia and Oman. Uses: The wood has various construction uses and can used as firewood and for producing charcoal. The […]
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Gebira, Haitham
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in northern Qatar. Occurs in the Dukhan area on compacted gypsum soils (John Norton). Uses: Grazed and liked by camels, sheep and other livestock.
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Gharaz
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to locally frequent in shallow sand in wadis and runnels; often within rocky areas. Uses: Eaten by all animals (El Amin). Notes: Recorded as C. aucheri (Boiss.) Stapf by Batanouny, but later apparently redetermined as C. plumulosus […]
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Ghardab
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of moist ground in cultivated areas. Notes: The record of P. equisetiformis by Obeid (1975) reported by Batanouny, a Mediteranean species, is probably referable to this species (see Miller & Cope 1996, p. 129) […]
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Giant Reed
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from Al Wabrah. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).
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Glandular Speedwell
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: A weed of gardens in Doha.
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Ground Bug
Kingdom : Bugs, Milkweed bugs or Seed bugs, Insects
Insect follows Lygaeidae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is between 11-13 mm, and is red and black in colour. It feeds by sucking on plants.
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Hairy Nightshade
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced.Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of disturbed and enriched habitats, including cultivated areas, sewage ponds and gardens. Uses: Batanouny noted that the fruit is edible. Mandaville states that although sometimes listed as a poisonous plant, he has seen the ripe […]
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Hama
Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from roadside runnel at Al-Amiriyah and on waste land near irrigation. Uses: An infusion of the leaves is drunk for respiratory and intestinal ailments and the fruits are used in the treatment of gastric ulcers […]
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Hamd alarnab, Shayran
Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Aug–Nov. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Widespread on harder substrates including compacted, moderately saline, Sandy areas including sabkha edge. Uses: El Amin states that it is known for good salt grazing for camels and other animals.
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Hameira
Growth form: Shrublet. Flowering. Jan–Jun. Status: Native. Common. First published record: Mandaville (1990, p.181). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy habitats. It appears to be relatively frequent in western coastal areas (John Norton, Sara Abdul Majid) and is also common across a large part of the UAE (Jongbloed et […]
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Handakoq Abiad
Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in irrigated places, including gardens. Uses: Grazed by animals (El Amin), but widely known to have toxic effects on livestock. Used to treat rheumatic pain and various other medical conditions and has narcotic action […]
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Handakoq Asfar
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in irrigated places, including gardens. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly list various medicinal uses including treatment of rashes, abdominal cramps and genital diseases.
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Hansbremeri Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-6 mm, and has black colour.
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Harm
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Endemic to the Arabian Peninsula. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant, or dominant in gravel plains and saline sandy habitats, including sabkha edge and beaches. Uses: Not edible to humans and usually avoided by wild animals and livestock. […]
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Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth
Kingdom : Grass moths, Insects, Moths and Butterflies
Insect follows Crambidae family, and Lepidoptera order. It is brown, wing is 22-24 mm long. Butterfly is diurnal. Larva feed on spinach, beta vulgaris, cotton, corn, and soya beans. It feeds on lower parts of plants. Larva are large, somewhat like leaf veins. Growing up to 19 mm in length.
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Hawrbeith
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy areas; W and S Qatar. Notes: L. glinoides and L. schimperi were formerly regarded as distinct species, and are probably best amalgamated, but not all authors agree.
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Henna
Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Sep–Feb. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Planted in urban areas in the Gulf, but distribution in Qatar uncertain. Uses: Widely used in the Middle East as a dye for painting hands and feet and worldwide for colouring hair and beards. The leaves are used for […]
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Hooded Malpolon (False Cobra)
Kingdom : Reptiles, Snakes, Colubridae
Adults are usually 0.80 – 1.40 m in length, but some specimens have reached about 1.9 m. They have big round eyes, reddish in colour. One distinctive feature that the snake has is a black blotch which runs from the cheek to the angle of the jaw. It generally has a straw coloured background checkered […]
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Hopbush
Growth form: Shrub or small tree. Flowering. Jan–May. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Mainly planted by roadsides. Native to parts of Saudi Arabia and the Hajar Mountains in UAE (Jongbloed). Uses: As an ornamental and for screening; often clipped into hedges. Ghazanfar reports that the leaves are used […]
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Hureim
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in stony habitats and compacted, often saline soils. Uses: In Bahrain, the leaves are used as an antibiotic and laxative; infusion of leaves or the seeds is applied to the eyes in […]
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Ikrish
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant in saline habitats, including sabkha edge, saltmarsh and the edges of permanent wetland areas. Sometimes dominates large areas of saline flats. Uses: El Amin states this species to be good fodder.
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Incense Grass
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to locally abundant in silty or sandy depressions and runnels; mainly N and C Qatar. Large tussocks of this lemon-scented species dominate silt pans in parts of Ras Laffan Industrial City where there is no […]
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Indian Grass
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded as common in irrigation channels and other damp areas in cultivated lands, but seen only once by the present authors. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).
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Indigofera
Growth form: Shrublet. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abdel Bari found this species near Doha central market, suggesting that it has been introduced by human activity. Uses: Ghazanfar states the roots are used for an analgesic and as an anti-inflammatory; leaves are […]
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Ja’ad
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Stony runnels and silty soils; C and N Qatar. Occasional at Ras Laffan (John Norton) and mentioned for Jebel Fuwairit by earlier authors. Uses: Many reputed medicinal uses, e.g. for fevers and cholera (El Amin), […]
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Julman
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Sep–Oct. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in coastal areas and wherever saline soils occur, including irrigated farmland. Uses: El Amin remarks that fresh leaves are sold in markets in Qatar for eating in salads. Stems and leaves are also used […]
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Jumby Bean
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated lands in N Qatar. Uses: ‘Good fodder’ (El Amin).
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Kebaisha
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in gypsum desert, shallow or compacted silty soils. Particularly numerous at Dukhan (John Norton); also recorded Ras Laffan (John Norton), Al Wakra, Al Karaanah (earlier authors). Uses: El Amin notes that it is grazed by […]
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Kenar
Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occurs in C and S Qatar in sandy depressions; often dominant or mixed with Acacia spp. uses: The fruit is edible, sweet and ‘also used to treat coughs’ (El Amin). The species can be used for […]
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Khaisa, Samgaht ALRih
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in disturbed areas, especially around towns and villages.
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Khanasir al ’aroos
Growth form: Shrublet. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded in SW Qatar, west of Al Karaanah and Wadi Al Ireig. Recently seen in MeSara Abdul Majideer area (Mohammed Al Safran).
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Khawatim al bar
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded in S Qatar at Al Karaanah and some areas in the north (Mohammed Al Safran). Grows in silty and sandy depressions and other areas with fine, shallow soils.
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Khillah
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded in sandy soils and silty depressions in cultivated areas. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly mention that an infusion of the plant is used as a cooling agent against sunstroke and that the root is astringent and […]
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Khuneeq
Growth form: Climber. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from Al Karaanah and Al KhaRenee. Still at the latter location, and also present at Qatar University campus (Mohammed Al Safran). Usually grows over Ziziphus or Acacia trees. Uses: Fruit edible (El Amin). Used in the treatment of fevers (Rizk […]
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Khurreyz, Khurreyza
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Locally abundant in salt marsh and sabkha edge, or occasionally on saline sand; mainly N Qatar and the E coast.
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Kraatzi Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 15-18 mm, and has grey colour.
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Least Mallow
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in sandy soils after rains; is more common in and around inhabited and cultivated areas uses: Mandaville quotes earlier authors who reported that the leaves are eaten as a vegetable by […]
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Lebena Arabia
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded near Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah on a ‘mud plain’.
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Lebena
Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occurs on various soils and a weed in urban areas, but may have been frequently mis-recorded for C. serpens. Uses: Sap is applied to poisonous bites (Jongbloed et al.). Notes: One of several very […]
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Lesser Chickweed
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Jan–Mar. Status: Native. Uncertain. Also recorded: Kuwait. Habitat & distribution: A species of moist ground. Notes: The only Stellaria species listed for Qatar by Miller & Cope, who comment on the difficulty in identifying this and S. media with certainty.
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Love-grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy soils.
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Mandli Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 2-2.5 mm, and has black colour.
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Mealworm Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 12-15 mm, and has brown colour. Usually, larvas are used in petfoods (reptilia, fish and birds), and is useful because body contains high vitamins levels.
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Memphis Grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy areas of S and W Qatar. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).
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Mesaieed Psylla
Kingdom : Bugs, Jumping plant lice, Insects
Insect follows Psyllidae family, and Hemiptera order. It was first discovered in Qater’s Masaed Town (Sealine resort). Size is 2 mm; male is green and female is black. It feeds by sucking on plants.
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Middle Eastern Sand Gecko
Kingdom : Reptiles, Nocturnal lizards, Gekkonidae
Blandford, 1874
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Millet Rice
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in irrigated lawns and gardens. Uses: Good fodder (El Amin).
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Moleih
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to abundant on saline ground, including cultivated areas and coastal sand. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly report it to be used as a diuretic.
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Mouse Barley
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. habitat & distribution: Batanouny recorded this taxon from Umm Slal Mohammed growing in small depressions on calcareous ridges. It may also occur as a weed species in cultivated areas, as it does elsewhere in the Gulf. Uses: Mandaville remarks that […]
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Mouse Barley
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. habitat & distribution: Batanouny recorded this taxon from Umm Slal Mohammed growing in small depressions on calcareous ridges. It may also occur as a weed species in cultivated areas, as it does elsewhere in the Gulf. Uses: Mandaville remarks that […]
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Mulakhiyah al bar
Growth form: A prostrate shrublet. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent on silty or sandy depressions with compacted soil. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly report that the plant is used for removing tumours and pain.
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Mulakhiyah
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional as a weed of crops. Uses: The leaves are used as a vegetable to make the Arabic dish mulakhiyah. A number of medicinal uses are listed by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.
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Nafal Abo Hassak
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in sandy habitats. Uses: Said to be ‘palatable grazing’ by Batanouny, although El Amin says it is grazed by animals but not much liked because of the bristly fruit. Notes: A […]
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Nafal Bari, Halba Bariah
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in silty depressions; mainly N Qatar. Uses: Noted as palatable to livestock by Batanouny and El Amin.
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Najm
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in irrigated lawns, groves and other tree plantations. Uses: El Amin notes that it ‘is used as fodder, but not of high value’. Various medicinal uses are reported.
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Needlegrass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded from stony and rocky ground in N Qatar.
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Orache
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Oct–Nov. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in coastal areas. Uses: Grazed by sheep and camels and is valuable salt grazing (El Amin). Cornes & Cornes note that ‘Atriplex species are a good source of fodder, with high protein content’. Notes: Two […]
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Paraplatyope Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 10-12 mm, and has silver colour.
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Penthicus Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 5-7 mm, and has black colour.
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Phtora Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-5 mm, and has brown colour.
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Pimelia Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 17-20 mm, and has black colour.
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Potato Aphid
Kingdom : Bugs, Aphids, Insects
Insect follows Aphididae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is between 3-4 mm, and has green (sometimes rose) colour. It feeds on perennial herbs, potato buds, lettuce inside glass houses, tomato and cabbage. It feeds on buds and the lower surfaces of leaves.
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Prickly Dock
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in sandy habitats. Uses: Phillips and Mandaville note that the plant is edible. It is used as a remedy for stomach disorders (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).
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Prochroma Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 8-10 mm, and has black colour.
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Proscheimus Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 2-3 mm, and has rusty red colour.
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Purple False Brome
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny as occasional in deep alluvial soil.
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Purslane
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–Sep. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in cultivated areas, including gardens. Uses: A salad herb, widely cultivated and available in many of Qatar’s markets as well as grocery stores and supermarkets. Is also highly palatable to animals. Jongbloed et al. […]
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Qadha
Growth form: Shrub or small tree. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A characteristic species of deep, often drifting sand. Recorded only by El Amin, but, confusingly, he refers to this species as Haloxylon salicornicum. He recorded it east of Salwa at Mah Sobia hill (the […]
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Qalam,Ajram
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant in salt marshes along coasts at Al Khor, Ras Eshairiq, Umm Bab and Dukhan. Also locally dominant on coastal sabkha at Ras Abrouq. Uses: Dry stems are used as firewood.
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Qileiqlan, hdot ALHosan
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Depressions and runnels.
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Qileiqlan
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE.Habitat & distribution: Batanouny recorded as ‘fairly common’ in depressions, but it is not mentioned by El Amin; Mandaville states that it appears to be very rare in Saudi Arabia.
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Qurdi
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in sandy or gravelly depressions, growing amongst Acacia, Ziziphus and Lycium. It can be seen by the roadside of the Al Shamal highway from north of Doha to Al Khor and from Al […]
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Rablat al mistah
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in silty and sandy depressions in C and N Qatar. Uses: The plant has various medicinal properties.
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Rack Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 13-15 mm, and has black colour.
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Rak
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Jul. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Distribution in Qatar uncertain. Widely planted and naturalised in the Gulf and native to parts of Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the far east of UAE (Jongbloed). One long- established clump occurs by an old well within Ras Laffan […]
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Rasha
Growth form: Rush. Flowering. Nov-Dec. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in muddy saltmarshes and other damp, saline areas. Occurs at Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah, Al Dhakhira, Jebel Fuwairit (Mohammed Al Safran) and also previously recorded from Wadi El Ireig. Uses: Eaten by camels. Used to make […]
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Ra’al
Growth form: Shrublet or small shrub. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in shallow silty or sandy soils, in rocky areas, also in depressions with coarse soils. Uses: The plant is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, gonorhoea, haemorhoids and eye diseases (Rizk & […]
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Red Flour Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 2-3 mm, and has rusty red colour. It is a pest spread all over the world on stored products especially food grains. Moreover, it attacks flour, pasta, biscuits and beans.
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Reseda
Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant on harder substrates; mainly C and S Qatar. Uses: Grazed by animals, especially goats and sheep (El Amin).
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Reversed Trefoil
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of irrigated farmland. Uses: Used as fodder (El Amin).
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Rigid Flax
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from ‘C Qatar, Wakra hills’ (presumably Jebel Al Wakra, E Qatar). Habitat is given as light soils on depressions. Uses: The seeds yield an oil similar to linseed oil (El Amin).
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Round leafed Rothe
Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Oct–Dec. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny in S Qatar ‘where it dominates a community on the road to the UAE’. Typical habitats in Saudi Arabia include sand dunes, rocky slopes, limestone and sandstone plateaux (Miller & Cope).
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Rye grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in Doha gardens and lawns, and in cultivated fields. May be native in some areas, but widely naturalised. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin). Toxicity to sheep and cattle has been reported; ingestion of seed- heads […]
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Saadan
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in shallow or deep sand; mainly S Qatar. Uses: It is well known that the seed pods embed the in the hooves of livestock and can cause lameness. El Amin states that […]
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Sacred Datura
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Sep. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: Kuwait. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from Doha.
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Safsaf
Growth form: Annual or perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Cope (2007). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Details of the Cope record(s) not known, but a specimen of this species was collected by John Norton from a sandy depression in SW Qatar in 2007.
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Salam
Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in sandy areas, often with other large shrubs and trees. Less less widely distributed than A. tortilis, but it is locally dominant in C and SE Qatar, especially at Al Sheehaniyah. Mandaville states that it […]
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Samgaht Al Rih
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A frequent weed of cultivated and irrigated areas. Uses: Various medicinal uses have been documented.
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Sand Spurry
Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in sandy or silty depressions, particularly under shade of trees.
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Sa’ed
Growth form: Sedge. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A species of marshy places, often in slightly saline habitats. Recorded by Batanouny at Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah in SW Qatar. Uses: Fodder for camels (El Amin).
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Scentless Plant Bug
Kingdom : Bugs, Scentless plant bugs, Insects
Insect follows Rhopalidae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is 7 mm, and is brown in colour. It feeds on herbal plants.
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Sea Lavender
Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to dominant on beaches, sabkha edge and other saline habitats around the coasts. Uses: Ghazanfar states the whole plant is used against diarrhoea and as an astringent. Notes: The related species Limonium carnosum (Boiss.) Kuntze […]
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Senna
Growth form: Shrublet or small shrub. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional, particularly on more compacted soils on gravelly and rocky areas, and also in disturbed areas near to habitation. Uses: Grazed by sheep and goats (El Amin), but Mandaville remarks that some bedouin consider […]
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Sesban
Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Likely to be found planted or naturalised under shade of trees along roadsides or in plantations. Mandaville comments that in eastern Saudi Arabia it is self- propogating in the larger oases. Uses: Eaten by man and used […]
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Shershir
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Sep. Status: Native. Rare. An Arabian endemic. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Shallow, fine textured soil and pebbly habitats (Batanouny). Uses: Mandaville states that it is a main camel grazing species in parts of the Rub’ Al Khali.
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Shka’e
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in softer sand. Notes: Subspecies ovalifolia and pakistanica Ghafoor both occur in Qatar; var. qatarensis Hadidi has also been described (IPNI), presumably from Qatar.
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Shufan barri
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in irrigated places. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin). Notes: Cope lists subspp. sterilis and ludoviciana (Durieu) M. Gillet & Magne for Qatar; the latter is often treated as a separate species.
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Shwaikah
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. habitat & distribution: Occasional on harder substrates and disturbed areas around inhabited areas. uses: Ghazanfar reports that the leaves, stems and roots are used for treating abdominal colic, dyspepsia, fever and venereal disease.
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Silver Nightshade
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: A weed of irrgated, cultivated areas in N Qatar.
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Sinan at-tais
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in S, W and C Qatar on sandy soils. Uses: El Amin remarks that the plant is ‘not liked’ as grazing, and that the ‘bedouin use it to cure scorpion stings’. Ghazanfar mentions the […]
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Soft Love-grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from a depression at Al MagDebbie Allanh, growing under the shade of Ziziphus and Lycium bushes.
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Sordidatus Bug
Kingdom : Bugs, Broad-headed bugs, Insects
Insect follows Alydidae family, and Hemiptera order. Size is between 8-11 mm, and has bright brown colour. It feeds on cultivated and wild plant juices.
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Sourgrass
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded as a weed of gardens. Notes: Plants recorded in Qatar are probably referable to var. corymbosa (DC.) Lourteig.
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Sprangletops
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. May–Nov. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny in a regularly irrigated lawn of Hotel in Doha. The species may also potentially occur in other wet habitats.
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Star Fenugreek
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in wadis, runnels, depressions and other sandy areas. Uses: Batanouny notes that it is palatable to sheep & goats, but Mandaville states that excessive grazing is reported to cause bloat in livestock. Used […]
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Stink-grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy runnels, wadis and other sandy areas; also as a weed in irrigated gardens. Uses: Probably a useful grazing species.
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Stone-breaker, Arq AL-Nada
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Local. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded as ‘widespread’ in gardens. Uses: As its English name indicates, well-known as a cure for kidney stones and also used to treat liver diseases. Dried leaves and extracts of the […]
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Tanoom
Growth form: Annual (occasionally perennial) herb. Flowering. Apr–Jun. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in cultivated lands, field margins and disturbed areas; C Qatar. Uses: Like C. oblongifolia, used to produce dyes; however for C. tinctoria Mandaville states that although long used in southern Europe and the […]
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Tanoom
Growth form: Perennial herb or small shrub. Flowering. Dec–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in cultivated depressions, field margins and disturbed areas in C Qatar. Uses: Chrozophora species have been traditionally used in Arabia to produce dyes. Further details are given by Mandaville.
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Tarfah
Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Oct–Feb. status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: UAE. habitat & distribution: A frequently planted tree, often used as screening or shelterbelt around farMohammed Al Safran. uses: Mandaville notes its economic importance in Saudi Arabia, listing various uses including traditional house construction, ornamental planting, afforestation and dune stabilization. A number of medicinal uses […]
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Thamam
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant on sand sheets, sandy depressions and other sandy habitats. Especially common in S and SW Qatar, where it is a major component of the natural perennial vegetation. It probably avoids saline sand. Uses: Described […]
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Thanda
Growth form: Sedge. Flowering. May–Jun. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A plant characteristic of deeper sand, especially larger dunes, but in Qatar also locally abundant around coastal areas on beach sand and on white sand inland. Occasional to locally frequent in other habitats, such as sandy […]
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Torba
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in sandy habitats. Not rare as noted by Batanouny, but only numerous after rains. Notes: Miller and Cope (1996, p. 219) distinguish two forms ‘A’ and ‘B’ in Arabia, of which […]
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Trachyderma Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 20-25 mm, and has grey colour.
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Umm al qurain; Umm Ghorien
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in sandy areas; especially W Qatar.
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Weasel’s Snout
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated fields in C Qatar.
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Wedaina
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Only a single plant was found during a survey of western Qatar in 2007 (John Norton and S. Aspinall). Batanouny recorded it as ‘fairly common especially in sandy habitats in S Qatar’.
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Wild Jute
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Reported as rare in N Qatar by Rizk & El-Ghazaly. El Amin listed C. trilocularis in the Arabic index to his book, but it was omitted from the species accounts. Uses: Cultivated as a vegetable. A number of medicinal uses […]
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Winter Cherry
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from Doha as a weed amongst cultivated plants.
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Woolly Love-grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in fine soils in depressions, often under trees.
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Woolly-winged Milkwort
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy areas in C Qatar including Dukhan area and Al Wakra. Uses: Jongbloed et al. state that the generic name comes from the belief that ‘animals feeding on these species would produce more milk’.
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Zarundnyi´s Worm Lizard
Kingdom : Reptiles, Fossorial lizards, Trogonophiidae
Nikolski, 1907
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Zophosis Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 8-10 mm, and has black colour.
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7-spot Ladybird
Kingdom : Beetles, Ladybirds, Insects
Insect follows Coccinellidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 6.5-10 mm, wings are red with 7 black spots, thorax and head are black with white spots. Adults and larvas are predators to Aphids, and have important role in biological control programs of Aphids.
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Bishop’s Weed
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: Kuwait, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Cultivated areas. Uses: Used in the Middle East for centuries as a treatment for particular skin diseases (Rizk & El- Ghazaly).
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Black Mulberry
Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Present distribution in Qatar not known but widespread in the Gulf. Uses: Ornamental planting.
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Black Percher
Kingdom : Insects, Dragonflies, Skimmers or Perchers
Insect follows Libellulidae family, and Odonata order. It is glossy black with yellow spots and wings are membranous. Size is about 35-45 mm. Adults have strong wings, help them fly fast and chase prey. Adults are predators to flying insects especially flies and mosquitoes. Nymphs live in water, and are predators to mosquito’s larvas and […]
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Cheesman’s Gerbil
Kingdom : Mammals, Gerbils and jirds
Cheesman’s Gerbil is a medium sized gerbil species with a soft and silky coat. The dorsal side is a reddish orange. The cheeks are white, and there are white spots above the eyes and behind the ears. The undersides and lower flanks are pure white, clearly demarcated from the dorsal colour. The eyes are large […]
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Cut-leaved Crane’s-bill
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant in sandy and silty depressions; mainly C and N Qatar.
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Daqeeqa (1)
شكل الإنبات: عشبة حولية. الإزهار: فبراير – مارس. الأصل: دخيلة نادرة. مسجلة أيضا في: الكويت وشرق السعودية والإمارات. التربة والتوزيع: آفة في البساتين وتنمو عادة في التربة الرملية.
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Desert Hyacinth
Growth form: Parasitic herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Mainly in coastal areas, including coastal sands along beaches, where occasionally forming small clumps. Host plants include Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, Cornulaca spp, Limonium axillare, and Tetraena qatarensis. Uses: ‘Said to be poisonous’ (El Amin). Rizk & […]
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Dunlin
Often one of the commonest shorebirds, larger than the Stints, but slightly smaller than Curlew Sandpiper. Longer bill than Stints is slightly down-curved. In summer plumage easily told by black belly-patch. In winter, this patch is lost as are rufous tones to upperparts, then has grey upperparts with narrow pale fringes to coverts and scapulars, […]
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Dwarf Chicory
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Summer. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: A weed in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) fields (Batanouny).
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Eyelash Plant, Njiaa
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. habitat & distribution: Occasional, on compact stony and gravelly soils; mainly in C Qatar; rare in the west. El Amin recorded along the road from Al Sheehaniyah (where it still common) to Dukhan; it also occurs along the road to […]
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Flamingo, Greater
Flamingos are unmistakable large, long-legged, long-necked pinkish wading birds with characteristic bill-shape. The white plumage of the adults gradually acquires a pink hue and red wing-coverts. Juveniles which are smaller than adults, are greyish with brown markings.
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Grebe, Black-necked
The Black-necked Grebe is slightly larger than the Little Grebe.It has a small bill, steeply sloping forehead,and large red eye. Mostly dark chocolate brown and golden in summer. In winter plumage the white throat and cheeks contrast with the grey neck and grey and black body. Often seen in small flocks on open water.
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Gull, Caspian
Similar to Steppe Gull with large white head. Comes to Qatar as winter visitor to coastal areas. Smaller than the Heuglin’s Gull, but more paler in colour with long bill and upright stance and distinctive blank facial expression, sloping rounded head and dark eyes. In flight has less of black and large all white wing […]
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Hamool
Growth form: Annual parasitic herb. Flowering. Jan–Dec. Status: Introduced. Local. Needs confirmation for Qatar. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Batanouny mentions that this species is a fairly common parasite of cultivated alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), as well as Ziziphus nummularia. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly list a large number […]
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Harriet
Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Jun–Sep. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent or abundant in coastal saline areas, including beaches and sabkha, occasionally in other habitats. Uses: ‘In Bahrain, the Flowers are used as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory’ Rizk & El-Ghazaly.
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Heron, Goliath
Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons
Very large with long legs and heavy bill. Resembles Purple Heron in plumage but is twice the size. Distinctive features of adult are rich chestnut head and hindneck, bluish grey upperparts and rich chestnut underparts and underwing coverts. Told from Purple Heron by large size, stouter head and neck, lack of any black on crown, […]
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Housefly
Kingdom : Insects, Flies, House flies or Stable flies
Insect follows Muscidae family, and Diptera order. They are of the most widespread insects around the world and exist in all areas of planet earth, and may transfer dangerous infections. Size is between 5-8 mm, thorax is grey with four dark vertical lines on back. Hair covers whole body, and it has a pair of […]
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Jiljilan
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent on rocky ground and shallow, compacted sand; especially SW Qatar. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly report that in Bahrain the leaves are used as purgative and hypoglycaemic.
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Khatme, Rohama
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy areas; particularly W Qatar.
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Lapwing, Sociable
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Lapwing-sized, with more upright stance, especially when alert. In breeding plumage easily told by long white supercilium, joining on nape, black crown and chestnut-black belly. In winter, loses belly-patch, becomes mottled on breast and supercilium is less distinct (but white forehead usually quite prominent). Juvenile, which is browner than adult, has buffish wash to forehead […]
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Lesser Centaury
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny in Al Wabrah. Regarded mainly as a naturalised weed in Arabia. Uses: Various medicinal uses are reported by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.
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Mesquite, Ghwoef.
Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Oct–Jan, Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to abundant or dominant in sandy areas, disturbed habitats and cultivated areas. Originally planted in and around towns and villages but now naturalised and has spread into desert areas. Several authors note that it […]
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Nance
Kingdom : Flora, Yellow and Purple, Herb
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Not confirmed for Qatar. Not in other Gulf areas. Notes: Miller & Cope note that it is recorded from Qatar by Batanouny (1981) and the UAE by Western. However, they remark that no verified material has been seen and the occurence of the species in Arabia needs confirmation. […]
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Ostrich, North African Red-necked
Huge, flightless bird with long bare legs and neck. Male has blackish plumage with white wings and tail. (can be chestnut) Females and immature birds grey brown. 60 – 80kg. Introduced into Qatar.
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Oystercatcher, Eurasian
Kingdom : Birds, Oyster-catcher
Large unmistakable black and white wader with long, red bill and rather short, red-pink legs (adult). Flight is strong, direct and duck-like and shows conspicuous white wing-bar, white rump and terminal black tail band; non-breeding adult has white neck collar and duller bill-tip. Juvenile and immature have duller black upperparts, dark tip to bill, greyish […]
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Pelican, Great White
Huge bird with a large wingspan. Beak shape makes it easy to differentiate from other birds. Adult is white with contrasting solid black flight feathers. Flight consists of slow wingbeats followed by a glide.
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Redshank, Common
Medium-sized greyish wader with bright red legs, in flight showing white barring on tail, and broad, brilliant white trailing edge to wings. Breeding adult heavily dark-spotted, with red base of bill. Winter plumage uniform grey above, paler grey underparts with ill-defined spotted breast, mostly recalling Spotted Redshank (which see). Juvenile buff-spotted upperparts and all-dark bill […]
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Rimth
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Sep–Oct. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant in parts of SW Qatar in sandy areas between Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah and Al Karaanah. Also found at Al Khor, and locally elsewhere. An area has recently been developed at the Al Sheehaniyah racecourse […]
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Rootha, Hamd
Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from C and N Qatar in calcareous stony soils and saline areas. Uses: Favourite grazing for camels (Mandaville). Salt grazing (El Amin). Often used as firewood (Mandaville).
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Samr
Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. May–Jun. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Locally dominant in sandy depressions, wadis and larger runnels, often prefering the slightly elevated ground at the edges of such features. Uses: Grazed by livestock and used for fodder and firewood. The gum is of […]
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Shnan
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Sep–Oct. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant and often dominant on undulating sand, sabkha edge and over sand dunes from Mesaieed southwards. Uses: The leaves are used as a cleansing agent (Ghazanfar).
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Swan, Whooper
Large swan with a long neck, flattened forehead and bi-coloured bill. Bill black with yellow base extending in a wedge usually to below nostril or beyond.Walks well. Silent in flight, with powerful wingbeats with a flattened head profile.
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Sweet Pea
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. status: Introduced. Rare. First record: SW Qatar, March 2007 (S. Aspinall). Not in other Gulf Floras. habitat & distribution: A weed of crops such as chick-pea, so the record may refer to a plant that had escaped from a cultivated area. Not recorded elsewhere in the Gulf and possibly […]
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Swied
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Oct. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in coastal saline habitats. Uses: Jong et al. note that the plant is suitable for saline irririgation and a promising landscape plant, and is also used to treat asthma.
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Teal, Eurasian
Smallest of the common ducks found in the region. Readily takes to the wing with swift flight. At distance, male looks dark headed with greyish body, yellow patches oon side of rump and thin white horizontal stripe on side of body. Female told from Garganey female by evenly coloured head and throat, small light patch […]
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Thailoth
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Sep–Oct. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny from saltmarsh at Al Khor and Abu Sara Abdul Majidrah. Uses: Cornes & Cornes report that the plant is intensively grazed by camels in sabkha areas and also by gazelles; Mandaville (citing an […]
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Thalj, (salj)
Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Oct–Nov. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in coastal areas and in S Qatar on deeper saline sand. Uses: Reported by Rizk & El-Ghazaly to have some degree of antimicrobial activity when ingested. Leaves are used to treat jaundice in Qatar (Ghazanfar).
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Tropicbird, Red-billed
Kingdom : Birds, Tropicbird
Unlikely to be confused with any other sea bird in the Middle East. Plump-bodied, white with long white-tail streamers and red bill. White plumage is relieved by black eye-stripe, black outer primaries and narrow black barring on upperparts and coverts. Juvenile lacks tail streamers, has black-tipped tail, yellow bill and blackish collar. Flight is direct […]
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Warbler, Paddyfield
Similar to Marsh and European Reed but slightly smaller. Short bill, more prominent supercilium, shorter wings, longer constantly flicking tail are the main differences to the other warblers. Warm wash to flanks and undertail. Bill brown with flesh coloured lower mandible. Bill can appear dark tipped.
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11-spot Ladybird
Kingdom : Beetles, Ladybirds, Insects
Insect follows Coccinellidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-5 mm, wings are red with 11 black spots, thorax and head are black with white spots. Adults and larvas are predators to Aphids, and have important role in biological control programs of Aphids.
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Broadleaf Seagrass
Growth form: Marine perennial herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: In areas around the coast; widespread (Benno B?er). Collected from Al Khor shore by El Amin.
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Camel
Kingdom : Mammals
They have short fur ranging in colour from beige to dark brown with slightly lighter undersides, however in captivity white to beige and beige to black mutations are produced. They have a single hump on the back. They have a small head, with short pointed ears and long eyelashes. They also have nasal flaps which […]
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Cat’s-tail
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. May–Aug. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from a small number of sites by Batanouny. It grows at Abu Nakhla wastewater ponds south of Doha (MAS) and is likely to be more frequent now, due to the increase in permanently wet […]
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Cleome noeana
Growth form: Annual or perennial herb, or small shrub. Flowering. May–Aug. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Miller & Cope (1996). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Gravel desert on the north coast (Miller & Cope). Notes: Only subsp. noeana occurs in Qatar; subsp. brachystyla (Chamberlain & Lamond) is found elsewhere in Arabia. The plant […]
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Curlew, Eurasian
Kingdom : Birds, Coursers and Whimbrels
Large, brown-mottled, buffish grey wader with long, decurved bill. Plumage warmer, more ochre (less greyish), in fresh plumage (including juvenile). Male smaller than female, with shorter bill, which in young male overlaps with Whimbrel’s, but is more evenly decurved. Flight with rather slow, gull-like wing-beats (obviously slower than Whimbrel), showing barred tail and white wedge […]
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Finch, Desert
Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows
Pale greyish buff finch with striking wing pattern and short black bill. Flight feathers mostly black with white edges and pink panel on coverts and base of secondaries. Male has black lores and bill base. Female drabber with less pink, black and white in wing, and lacks black face-patch. Juvenile has straw coloured, dark tipped […]
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Ghaf
Growth form: Tree. Flowering. May–Aug. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A survey by Mohammed Al Safran confirmed that there are two main areas of distribution in C and N Qatar. At the ‘Al Ghafat’ area at RawDebbie Allant Rashed there are eight trees and at the ‘Al Ghaf […]
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Grebe, Little
The smallest Grebe in the region. Identified by small size, blunt-ended body, short neck and bill, and absence of white in upperwing. Adult birds have dark brown throat and cheeks with a yellow gape patch. In the winter, adult and juveniles paler brown above, pale buff below, variably mixed with dull chestnut on fore-neck (adult). […]
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Gull. Heuglin’s
Typically larger in size compared to Lesser Black-backed Gull, with upright stance. Categorized in Qatar as passage migrant & winter visitor on most coastal areas. Looks like Caspian and Steppe Gulls in plumage but more darker. Wings greyer and colour of legs vary from pale purple to yellow creating difficulty in identification. Bill is usually […]
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Hamool, Arook
Growth form: Parasitic herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated areas on many different hosts including crops such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum); also on trees such as Prosopis and Ziziphus, and also on Chenopodium, Fagonia and Trigonella spp.
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Kingfisher, Common
Kingdom : Birds, Kingfisher
Small kingfisher with brilliant blue and green upperparts, reddish underparts, but buffish white throat and neck patch and long, dark bill, though female has red on most of lower mandible. In flight, which is swift, direct and low over water, luminous back and tail obvious. Fairly shy, often inconspicuous when perched, sitting on branch over […]
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Lesser Pumpkin Fly
Kingdom : Insects, Flies, Fruit flies
Insect follows Tephritidae family, and Diptera order. Larvas grow in fruits of vast group of pumpkin and wild crops such as cucumber, watermelon and marrow. Fly lays eggs under fruits’ crust, breeds after 1-2 days. Larva feed inside fruit for 5-6 days, then returned to soil or under host plant. Adults appeart after 2-4 weeks. […]
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Mallard
Large dabbling duck. Male easily told by dark greenish head, yellow bill, and brown breast and grey body. In flight see grey wings, dark blue speculum distinctly bordered by white, and white underwing coverts. Female is mottled brown like other female ducks and told mostly by size, bill shape, bill colour, and wing pattern. Differing […]
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Plover, Lesser Sand
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Very similar to Greater Sand in all plumages, behaviour and general outline, and isolated individuals can be impossible to distinguish. Best separated by: size (body only slightly larger than Ringed, Greater Sand distinctly larger); shorter bill, less pointed, more swollen at tip (but overlap with Greater Sand occurs in western birds); head looks smaller, more […]
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Sandpiper, Curlew
Told from Dunlin in all plumages by white rump, longer, more decurved bill and longer legs, giving it a more elegant appearance. Easily told in breeding plumage by chestnut-red face and underparts (often with white feather-fringes). In winter, plain grey above, white below with a light suffusion to breast sides and noticeable white supercilium; then […]
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Slender buffel Grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated lands in C Qatar by Batanouny, but presumably also occurs in natural areas with sandy and silty soils.
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Stint, Little
Often the commonest small sandpipers on passage and in winter in the region. In summer plumage, colour on face, neck, breast and scapulars varies from dull orange to warm buff: always shows a pale ‘V’ on mantle and dark centre to crown; in this plumage confusion with Sanderling possible but note small size of Little […]
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Tern, Caspian
The largest tern identified by heavy red bill (can be seen at long distance), almost gull-like flight with slow steady wing-beats and by call; wings and back pale grey, under surface white with distinctive dark primaries below. Juvenile has more orangy bill, more extensive black cap to below eye (unlike adult), weak dark scales on […]
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Tiger Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Ground beetles, Insects
Beetle follows Carabidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 9-12 mm, brassy brown; adults are diurnal and very fast whereas larvas live in holes. Adults and larvas are predators to smaller invertebrates, and plays important role in biological insect control.
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Warbler, Yellow-browed
Very similar to Hume’s Leaf Warbler. Brighter green upperparts, whiter underparts, very long, pronounced, yellow-white supercilium and 2 distinct yellow-white wing bars are main differences. The base of bill is also paler.
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Wild Mustard
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivated and irrigated areas.
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Garganey
Small, Teal sized dabbling duck. Male has unmistakable broad, white stripe above eye to hindneck, black mottled breast contrasting with grey sides and white belly. In flight, striking blue-grey forewing contrasts with dark head, breast and upperparts. Female similr to female Teal, but longer bill and more contrasting dark and light head-stripes widening in front […]
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Gazelle’s Horn
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native.Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant in sandy habitats, especially after winter rains. Depressions in the Dukhan area in 2007 turned green with this species. May be less common in E Qatar. Uses: Grazed by sheep and goats (El Amin). […]
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Grebe, Great Crested
The biggest Grebe in the region. Swims while keeping its long body low, with its graceful, long white neck held upright. During flight it keeps the neck extended and feet under the line of the body. It has a large white patch on the secondaries, white border to front of underwing and on shoulders along […]
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Heron, Black-crowned Night
Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons
Stocky, about half the size of the Grey Heron and most active at dusk. Adult’s grey plumage with black back and crown are unmistakable. The brownish juvenile is prominently spotted with white on back and coverts. This feature identifies it from the other brown heron-types, notably the larger Bittern. By the second year the spotting […]
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Kingfisher, Pied
Kingdom : Birds, Kingfisher
Large and unmistakable, the only black and white kingfisher, frequently seen hovering well above water before plunging for fish. White underparts have two more or less complete black breast bands in male and one in female. Black eye-mask, white supercilium, blackish top of head with short crest at nape; white tail has black band at […]
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Mureer
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in shallow sandy deposits, sandy depressions and cultivated areas. Uses: Those listed by Ghazanfar include treatment of colic, constipation, swollen and inflamed eyes, using the leaves.
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Nusi
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in gravel plains, gravelly depressions and other areas with compact soil. Notes: No confirmed recent records. It is possible that this species has been recorded in error in the past for S. sokotrana. Uses: Used for […]
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Paddle Weed
Growth form: Marine perennial herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Common. Not previously documented for Qatar. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: In areas around the coast; widespread (Benno B?er). Notes: See comments under Diplanthera spp.
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Raraa ayoub
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: First published record: Obeid (1975). Not in other Gulf Floras. Notes: A North African species not recorded by other botanists in Arabia. Obeid’s record could relate to a casual occurrence of an introduced plant, or be in error for another species.
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Safra
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional on sandy or silty soils; often in disturbed areas around habitation. Occurs along parts of the NE coast and in sandy habitats in the south (Mohammed Al Safran). notes: Subspp. L m. mucronata and […]
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Sandpiper, Green
Easily distinguished by call and contrasting black and white flight pattern. Shy and often well hidden, first seen when flushed. Rather broad black wings above and below contrasting sharply with white belly, and white rump; looks cut off at rear. When standing, blackish upperparts and breast contrast with clear white belly and flanks. Juvenile darker, […]
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Spiny Cocklebur
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Jun. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Cultivated fields; N Qatar. Uses: The plant is used in the treatment of diabetes, rabies and other diseases and medical conditions; the leaves have diuretic properties. Poisoning of cattle from the plant has been reported (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).
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Stint, Temminck’s
Similar size to Little Stint but with more elongated body, shorter legs, which are yellowish grey in all plumages and white sides to tail (useful when flushed at short range). In summer, mainly grey-buff with dark centres to many scapulars, and lacking the rufous-orange tones of Little. In winter the dark scapulars are lost and […]
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Stork, Yellow-billed
Unmistakable in adult plumage with slightly drooping orange-yellow bill, bare red face and orange-red legs. Plumage resembles White Stork but tail is black (visible in flight) and mantle and tips of wing-coverts tinged pink. Subadults are sandy buff with some pink on underwing-coverts, a much duller bill and legs, and greyish to pale orange facial […]
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Tern, Swift
Large slender tern, size between Sandwich and Caspian; adult best identified from Lesser Crested by longer, thicker, more drooping waxy yellow bill tinged greenish (slimmer, orange-yellow in Lesser Crested) and by much darker ashy grey upperparts; rump and tail paler grey than back. In summer, black crested cap always broken by white forehead-band (never black […]
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Tiger Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Ground beetles, Insects
Beetle follows Carabidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 18-22 mm, metallic green, and is a predator to smaller invertebrates.
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Wheatear, Desert
Easily told in flight from other similar-sized wheatears by almost wholly black tail (no large white patches at sides); otherwise male recalls black-throated form of Black-eared but black throat narrowly joined with narrower black wing area (shoulders not black as in male Black-eared); rump tinged buff. Sandy brown or grey-buff female often lacks black throat; […]
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Wheatear, White-crowned
Large, glossy black wheatear with black underparts down to legs, and, in many adults, white crown; immature and some adults have black crown, resembling smaller Eastern Pied (opistholeuca race) but size, longer bill and white sides of tail with black corners diagnostic (no black terminal-band). Some black-crowned birds show a few white feather-tips, these birds […]
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Bittern, Eurasian
More often heard than seen. Smaller than the Grey Heron, with stocky neck and entirely dark brown and golden buff streaked plumage which provides excellent camouflage. Juvenile Little Bittern is similar in plumage but is very much smaller. Juvenile Night Heron is smaller and shows white spots on wings. Juvenile Purple Heron lacks streaks on […]
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Bluethroat
Size and shape resembles Robin but slimmer, longer legged and generally more skulking. Pale, broad supercilium distinctive, and diagnostic rust-red tail-base obvious in flight or when perched with cocked tail. Striking features in breeding male are blue chin and throat framed below by black and rusty; depending on race the throat spot is red, white […]
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Clouded Yellow
Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Whites, Yellows, or Sulphurs
Insect follows Pieridae family, and Lepidoptera order. Wing is yellowish orange and ends are black. Wing is about 45-62 mm long. Larvas attack various plants of Leguminosae, causing great harm to fodder plants including clover and Lucerne.
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Gull, Armenian
A large gull. Heavily built with deep bill, long legs, heavy breast and long wing projection. Adult a dark ash-grey with orange yellow legs, usually with dark brownish eyes. Bill has large gonys-spot and variable blackish subterminal band. In winter sparse streaking on hindneck. Adult a shade of dark ash-grey with orange-yellow legs and usually […]
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Mountain Tea
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Jun. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Often abundantt in small silty depressions. Scattered plants may occur anywhere in sandy or silty habitats. Uses: Various authors report its use in traditional medicine, including use as a diuretic.
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Plover, Crab
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Long-legged pied wader with large head and straight massive bill. Adult breeding has black mantle, white head and neck and distinctive black spot around eye; adult winter and immature have dark streaks on crown and nape. Juvenile shows streaking on rear crown, silvery grey mantle, scapulars and tail, and at distance could be mistaken for […]
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Prickly Golden Fleece
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native.Rare. First published record: Abulfatih et al. (2001) (included in a list of species recorded). Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A plant of rocky areas.
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Sanderling
Slightly larger than Dunlin with shorter, straighter bill. In winter, easily told by very pale plumage with often a dark mark at bend of wing. In summer and juvenile plumage more confusable with other small waders, particularly stints, especially if comparison is not possible. In summer plumage (often shown on spring passage), can be quite […]
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Seagrass
Growth form: Marine perennial herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. Common. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Not in other Gulf areas, though marine flowering plants appear to have been overlooked by some authors. Habitat & distribution: In areas around the coast; widespread (Benno B?er). Uses: Diplanthera spp. and Halophila spp. (p. 71) are an […]
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Sparrow, Yellow-throated
Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows
Plumage is olive grey brown. The long bill with strong base is black in breeding male, but rose brown in female and juvenile male. Male has a yellow spot on lower throat, surrounded by olive-grey breast band and lower cheeks, with whitish upper throat. Lesser coverts are chestnut, median coverts form broad white wing bar. […]
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Tall Bushman Grass
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Feb–Jul. Status: Native. Rare. First published record: Cope (2007). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Seen only once recently, in W Qatar (S. Aspinall & John Norton, 2007), growing in compact, silty soil.
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Tiger Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Ground beetles, Insects
Beetle follows Carabidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 12-15 mm, colour is brassy bronze with white spots mostly connected to each others. Adults are diurnal and very active, whereas larvas live in holes. Adults and larvas are predators to smaller invertebrates and plays important role in biological insects’ control.
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Tit, Eurasian Penduline
A small bird, with a long tail and finely pointed bill, chestnut mantle and wing covets, blackish wings and tail feathers fringed white. Underparts are ochre to buff-white. Adult has black mask contrasting with pale grey crown and nape and white throat. Female is duller with smaller mask.
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Turnstone, Ruddy
A medium-sized, stocky, short-billed and short-legged wader; easily distinguished in breeding plumage by striking head and breast markings, chestnut shoulder-patch and wing-coverts, and bright orange legs. Flight is strong and direct and shows distinctive pied and chestnut appearance, black breast is a striking feature. In winter and juvenile plumage, head and neck are much darker, […]
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Bittern, Little
Smallest type of heron. Identified by tiny size and, at all ages, conspicuous pale covert-panels contrasting with black flight feathers and dark back. Female resembles male but duller with more rufous tinge and buff streaks on underparts. Juvenile more boldly streaked buff and brown with duller, streaked covert panels. Most often seen in flight, when […]
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Convolvulus Hawk-moth
Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Hawk moths, Sphinx moths, and Hornworms
Insect follows Sphingidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Wing is grey; abdomen is black, rose and white lines. Wing is about 80-105 mm long. Larvas attack bindweed leaves and some plants of Convolvulaceae, Araceae , and Leguminosae.
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Dove, European Turtle
Small, fast-flying dove with shorter tail and more pointed wings than Collared; easily told from it also by dark underwings, well defined whitish belly patch, rufous, black-spotted upperparts with blue-grey, well defined outerwing-panel and contrasting pattern of uppertail being darker with more clear-cut white corners, particularly when tail spread upon landing: black and white-streaked patch […]
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Jersey Cudweed
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Cultivated areas.
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Kingfisher, White-throated
Kingdom : Birds, Kingfisher
Large, unmistakable brightly coloured kingfisher with enormous red bill, dark brown head and belly, large white ‘bib’, brilliant turquoise-blue upperparts and black forewing. In its fast straight flight shows conspicuous white primary-patches. Rather noisy; often perches on wires (but can sit well hidden) looking for prey on ground, which is often taken in shrike-like manner.
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Knot, Great
A large knot of stocky build, tapering at rear. In winter plumage (when most likely to be seen in the region) told by long, decurved bill with heavy base, large greyish spots on underparts, faint supercilium (caused by more extensive greyish lores) and obvious tail pattern. White rump/ uppertail-coverts contrasting with dark upperparts and tail; […]
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Lapwing, Northern
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Unmistakable with long up-turned crest and greenish upperparts; in flight, broad rounded wings show no wing-bar. In winter upperparts have narrow pale scaling to feathers. Often in large flocks outside breeding season.
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Roller, European
Its turquoise-blue body and most wing-coverts contrasting with blackish flight-feathers, bright chestnut back and deep blue leading forewing above make this species unmistakable. The juvenile is duller and browner with lightly streaked neck and breast. In flight, has fast vigorous wing-beats, at times not unlike those of Lapwing. Medium–long tail narrow and square-cut. Often sits […]
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Spear Grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant and often dominant after winter rains on compact, shallow sandy soils in rocky areas and also in shallow sandy depressions and runnels. Uses: Batanouny remarks that it is grazed when young, but […]
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Drop-seed Grass
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent in urban areas, particularly irrigated roadside plantations, lawns and gardens; tolerant of salinity.
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Egret, Western Great
Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons
The largest white heron with long, angular neck often stretched to full extent. Adult in breeding plumage told by large size, scapular plumes, black bill with yellow base and black legs, yellowish above joint. In winter bill is yellow and lower legs blackish green or brownish. Sedate in flight and on the ground.
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Goat’s Beard
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A plant in fruit was photographed by S. Aspinall from SW Qatar in March 2007.
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Lapwing, White-tailed
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Typical lapwing size, told by plain head (accentuating dark eye), long yellow legs (which protrude in flight) and, in flight, all-white tail; juvenile paler on neck and breast, dark-mottled on upperparts with dark cap and faint brown tip to tail. Slender and graceful on ground, often with neck held erect. When feeding, tips down so […]
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Nafayj
Growth form: Perennial herb or small shrub. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain. Habitat & distribution: Occasional at Ras Laffan and Mesaieed (John Norton), but absent from the west coast. Also listed by Abdel Bari as ‘widespread’. Appears to prefer compact or disturbed gravelly or silty soils, particularly in depressions and wadis. Uses: […]
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Rail, Water
Mostly heard, seldom briefly seen walking in cover along edge of reeds or other aquatic vegetation. Obviously smaller than Moorhen, but bigger than the three smaller crakes and easily told from them by long, slender bill. Adult has dark, mottled brown upperparts, uniform slate-blue sides of head and underparts with heavy black and white bars […]
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Skua, Long-tailed
Body size of Black-headed Gull but wing-span close to Arctic Skua. Resembles pale and rather grey Arctic but told by elongated, long, flexible central tail-feathers (16–24 cm), lack of breast band, white forebody, gradually darkening towards rear, smaller white primary-patch above, pale greyish upperparts contrasting with blackish secondaries and, largely, pale blue-grey legs. Juvenile variable […]
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Yellow-Bellied House Gecko
Kingdom : Reptiles, Nocturnal lizards, Gekkonidae
Rüppell, 1835
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Egret, Little
Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons
A graceful, all-white egret, which in adult plumage has a black bill and black legs with yellow feet. Immature birds have brownish green legs and pinkish base to lower mandible. May be confused with white phase of Western Reef Heron. (see that species) Larger than Cattle Egret, also lacks buffish wash to plumage and bill […]
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Gull, Slender-billed
Medium-sized gull with wing pattern almost identical to Black-headed, but head completely white in summer when breast often has rosy tinge. Larger than Black-headed with different build; bill distinctly longer, forehead rather sloping with longer upper mandible feathering accentuating length of bill, giving ‘snoutish’ effect. Legs longer (stands higher); when relaxed breast more bulky but […]
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Marsh Fleabane
Growth form: Perennial herb or shrub. Flowering. Jan–Dec. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded only once by Batanouny, but the species is now widespread (Abdel Bari 1997). Plentiful in Phragmites ponds at Dukhan water treatment works in 2007 (John Norton). Notes: There is a discussion on the taxonomy […]
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Owl, Little
Small owl with round, flat-crowned head and long legs; often sits in the open in daytime on buildings or telegraph-poles. Distinctly white-spotted crown and nape and white-blotched upperparts and wings; boldly streaked underparts; eyes yellow, framed white. Flight deeply undulating (alternating rapid flapping with closing of wings) unlike straighter flight of the scops owls. If […]
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Pipit, Richard’s
Large robust pipit. Separated from sandier, smaller, adult Tawny by longer tail, legs and bill, very upright stance, prominently dark-streaked grey-brown upperparts, streaked breast and characteristic call. More undulating flight and longer tail give more wagtail-like flight than Tawny. Frequently hovers just before landing. On ground wags tail less frequently than Tawny.
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Whinchat
Small, short-tailed chat with less upright stance, slightly smaller head and longer primary projection than Stonechat. Told from Stonechat by combination of streaked brownish rump and white sides to base of tail; male also has bold, clear-cut white supercilium and white stripe between blackish sides of head and orangey throat; female duller with paler throat […]
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Wild Lettuce
Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: An occasional weed of cultivation. Uses: The leaves and sap have numerous medicinal properties.
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Yellow water Crown-grass
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by El Amin from irrigated soils at a large farm.
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Camel’s Eye
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional on gravel plains, stony or rocky areas, growing in thin sandy deposits. Uses: Poisonous and animals avoid it (El Amin).
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Common Sow Thistle
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Reported from a farm near Al Khor by El Amin. Notes: A typographical error in El Amin’s book inadvertently put this species into the genus Senecio, but the record in any case is doubtful as this species is […]
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Heron, Grey
Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons
A large heron with long neck and legs and powerful bill. Grey upperparts and white underparts and neck. Adult has characteristic black crest and markings down front of neck. Juvenile has darker grey or browner upperparts and crown with rest of plumage white. Bill yellowish and legs brownish yellow in adult. Juveniles have browner bill […]
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Honey Badger, Ratel
The Honey Badger has a long, heavily built body. The fur is completely black on the underside, cheeks and muzzle. The top of the head, back and flanks are white. The head is small and flat, with a short muzzle. The eyes are small, and their tiny ears are little more than ridges on the […]
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Martin, Pale Crag
A small pale grey martin. Upperparts, especially back and rump, appear slightly greyer than wings; underparts almost white including chin, merging into pale mouse-grey undertail-coverts; less contrasting head pattern though ear-coverts sometimes darker than crown; white spots in spread tail distinctly visible when flying overhead or from above. Underwing pale grey with brownish-grey coverts. Flight […]
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Sardous Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-5 mm, and has black colour.
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Siler Roots
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded by El Amin from saline, sandy soils in S Qatar.
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Turnsole
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant or sometimes dominant in sandy, often compacted soils, including coastal beach sand. Also in disturbed areas by roadsides and around towns and villages. Uses: Dried powdered leaves are used as a poultice […]
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Crown Daisy
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from irrigated lawns in Doha to Batanouny. Uses: Medicinal uses are listed by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.
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Hoopoe, Eurasian
Distinctive pinkish buff with bold black and white bars on wings and tail, long black-tipped crest, usually depressed (though raised upon landing), long decurved bill and distinctive flight with flaps of broad wings. Spends much time on the ground where hard to detect; often first noticed when it flies.
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House mouse
Kingdom : Mammals
Their fur ranges in colour from light brown to black, and they generally have white or buffy coloured abdomen. They have long tails with little fur and circular rows of scales. They tend to have longer tails and darker fur when living closely with humans. Many domestic forms of mice have developed that range from […]
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Owl, Pharoah Eagle
Largest of the owls. A winter visitor which can remain behind to breed. It is distinguished by the ear tufts and large orange eyes. Like other owls it is nocturnal but can be spotted also during the day hours. Feeds on small birds, rodents, insects, scorpions and has been observed feeding on large hares.
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Plover, Greater Sand
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Resembles larger version of Lesser Sand (which see for further details), and isolated individuals can be almost impossible to separate. Note especially: larger size (obviously larger than Ringed); longer, more pointed bill, and larger, more angular head and big eye; sometimes reminiscent in shape of much larger Grey Plover; longer, usually yellowish green legs (especially […]
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Prickly Sow Thistle
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: An occasional weed of gardens and other cultivated places.
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Sandpiper, Common
Short-legged wader with almost uniform brown upperparts, clean white underparts running up in a wedge between wing and breast side; rather long tail projecting far beyond wing-tips; short neck, horizontal stance, deep chest and constantly bobbing rear-body are also conspicuous features (though shared with Terek, which see). Additionally, has a unique flight action low over […]
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Sandpiper, Marsh
Resembles small edition of Greenshank (body size smaller than Redshank’s), but legs proportionally longer, bill straight, thin and fine-pointed and neck slimmer, face almost white, usually with distinctive supercilium; flight pattern also similar to Greenshank’s with dark wings, contrasting white tail and wedge up back, pale head and white underparts; protruding legs distinctive beyond tip […]
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Slender Sow Thistle
Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivation.
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Spoonbill, Eurasian
Heron-sized with all white plumage, characteristic black spatulate bill with yellow tip and black legs. Adult has nape plumes and yellowish neck band, which are lost in winter. Immature has dull flesh-coloured bill and legs and black wing-tips. In flight, neck extended and wing beats fastand shallow, interspersed with short glides.
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Sudan Grass
Growth form: Annual or short-lived perennial grass. Flowering. Not known. Status: Native. First published record: Cope (2007). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia.Habitat & distribution: May occur in farm areas as an escape from cultivation.Uses: Cultivated for fodder. Notes: Derived from Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. and its wild ancestor S. arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf. (Cope).
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Zmiem al bar
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy and silty depressions with Ziziphus trees. In Saudi Arabia Mandaville recorded it as a weed of disturbed ground around farms and roadsides. Uses: The plant has antifungal and antibacterial properties.
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Johnson Grass
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated fields in C Qatar. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin). Cultivated as forage in many parts of the world (Mandaville).
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Plover, Pacific Golden
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Very similar to and easily confused with slightly bigger European Golden in all plumages. Best separated by generally slimmer structure, voice and underwing. Compared with European Golden, wings often (but not always) protrude 1-2 cm beyond tail-tip (most obvious in adult), bill is finer and longer, legs are clearly longer, particularly thighs, making it appear […]
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Sand Cat
The fur is a pale sandy color, with reddish brown or blackish vertical bars and spots on the flanks. The front legs have two black elbow rings. The tail has a black tip, with two to five dark rings alternating with buff bands. The belly is white. The head is broad and the ears are […]
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Sparrowhawk, Eurasian
Female much larger than male, approaching male Goshawk, but wing-beats faster and lighter; rear-body thinner; wing-tips blunter; tail thinner, longer and more square-cut and head protrudes less. Series of quick wing-beats interspersed with short descending glides (stronger, straighter glides in Goshawk). Adult dark ash-grey above, barred rufous or brown below (rufous most in male); dark […]
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Arfaj
Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Mar–Jul. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Being a favoured grazing species is rarely seen in quantity. Frequent in the western part of Ras Laffan Industrial City (John Norton 2004) where protected from grazing; very scattered in western Qatar in 2007. Batanouny […]
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Green Bristle-grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of damp areas in farms and gardens. Uses: The plant is applied externally for bruises; various medicinal uses of the seed are reported (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).
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Heron, Squacco
Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons
A small heron which in adult breeding plumage is a delicate golden buff with a purple sheen on mantle and long streaked nape-plumes. The bill has a greenish blue base. Nape-plumes lost in winter when neck becomes streaked and bill has yellowish base. Juvenile is brownish buff with streaked neck and upper breastmaking it well […]
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Patruele Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 10 mm, and has grey colour.
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Quteyna
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in shallow sand, especially depressions and runnels. Uses: El Amin noted that the plant is eaten by ‘rabbits’ (i.e. Cape Hare Lepus capensis).
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Sandpiper, Broad-billed
Slightly smaller than Dunlin, from which told in all plumages by longer bill which is broad-based with downward droop near tip, shorter yellowish grey legs and double supercilium, especially noticeable in breeding plumage. In breeding plumage rather dark upperparts with white ‘V’ on mantle and white line on scapulars and white underparts with noticeable dark-spotted […]
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Skua, Pomarine
Larger size, heavier build and in adult, elongated broad and twisted central tail-feathers separate it from Arctic. Two phases: all-dark (scarce) and a pale phase, which differs from Arctic in more extensive black cap, darker flanks, blacker breast band (sometimes absent), vent and upperparts. In winter, flanks and tail-coverts barred, elongated tail-feathers often short and […]
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Turnip
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Farms and cultivated areas. Uses: A widely cultivated vegetable. Has been used in the treatment of various medical conditions including arthritis, chest-colds, dysentery, fever, mastitis, rheumatism, scurvy and skin ailments (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).
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Wild Chamomile
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded at Al Sheehaniyah and Doha.
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Wryneck, Eurasian
Its skulking behaviour and nightjar-like plumage often make it difficult to study in detail. Reminiscent of large long-tailed warbler or greyish female Red-backed Shrike when dropping into cover in low foliage, or slipping away in low, shallowly undulating flight. Often forages on ground close to cover. Distinctive features when seen well are pointed head/bill and […]
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Arabian Primrose
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in C and W Qatar. Previously recorded from Salwa and Jebel Dukhan, on saline, Sandy areas. Uses: The deep red root is used by bedouin women as a cosmetic (rouge).
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Crane, Common
Big and majestic when walking slowly on ground. Huge in flight; shape resembles White Stork (though slightly bigger and shorter-billed), but grey plumage contrasting with black flight-feathers, black head and upper neck, and white stripe from eye down along neck, are obvious features. Red band above eye visible only at closer range. Looks ‘bushy’ at […]
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Egret, Western Cattle
Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons
A small, white meadow-dwelling heron, usually seen in flocks, and frequently associates with cattle. It differs from Little Egret by stockier build, shorter pale bill, neck and legs, extended “jowl” under bill and faster flight. Also in breeding season orange-buff wash on crown, back and breast, and reddish bill. Usually seen feeding in flocks or […]
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Fleabane Daisy
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Sep. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional, in gardens and cultivated areas. Uses: Flowering branches are used as an antirheumatic and diuretic; the aerial part is used in the treatment of liver and urinary diseases, and stomach ulcers (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).
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Golden Chamomile
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Silty depressions. Uses: Chamomile tea is brewed from Flower heads, ‘known to both bedouin and villagers’ (Mandaville) and is used for general stomach problems such as colic, cramps and stomach aches (Ghazanfar).
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Hobby, Eurasian
Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons
Has long, scythe-like, pointed wings (recalling a large swift) and relatively short tail. In adult, combination of dark slate-grey upperparts, uniform tail, contrast between prominent moustache and white cheeks/throat, densely streaked underparts with red thighs and undertail-coverts, and shape and length of wings and tail separate it from Merlin and Kestrel. Juvenile browner above with […]
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Ibis, Glossy
Blackish with long decurved bill. Close views however show plumage to be a deep purple-chestnut, glossed green on wings. In winter bill is brownish with fine pale streaks on head and neck. Juvenile plumage much duller. Fast wing-beats in flight often followed by long glides, frequently in long-line formation.
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Rough Bristle-grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. May. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivated land.
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Rüppell’s Sand Fox, Sand Fox
The Sand Fox looks somewhat similar to the Red Fox, but is smaller in size, and has relatively larger ears. The fur is silky, and a uniform creamy-white to pale rufous and the eyes are golden brown. The bushy tails has a white tip. The large ears help in cooling the body. The pads of […]
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Arabian Primrose
Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abundant on shallow sandy deposits in all habitat types except saline areas. Perhaps more abundant in S and SW Qatar. Uses: ‘Women formerly used the powdery red dust, that rubs off the thick […]
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Buzzard, Long-legged
Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons
Size of Black Kite with long wings and tail, kinked wing position when gliding and flexible wing-beats; soars on highly raised wings. Wide plumage variation: creamy white, rufous-brown and blackish forms on account of colour on body and underwing-coverts. The blackish form can show coarse dark bars on flight- and tail-feathers. Many Long-legged (except dark […]
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Goose. Greater White-fronted
Smaller than the Greylag Goose. It is a warm grey-brown, with a dark head and hindneck, with orange legs. Bill quite long, pink with white nail. Adult has a large white area surrounding the base of bill, and black bars on underparts. Juvenile warmer brownish, lacks white forehead and black bars on underparts, forehead and […]
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Gull, Common Black-headed
Medium-small gull, told (except from Slender-billed) by broad white leading edge of primaries, contrasting below with dark grey remaining primaries. In summer, has dark brown hood; in winter, head white with black spot on ear-coverts and, often, vague bar from eye over crown and from ear-covers over nape. See Slender-billed for separation. Juvenile and 1st […]
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Heron, Purple
Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons
Slightly smaller and much darker than Grey Heron, with angular snake-like neck. Adult dark grey with black belly, chestnut on neck edged with black streak, black crown and line across cheeks. Bill a dull yellow. Juvenile has sandy brown upper-parts and hindneck with diffuse dark streaking on neck and blackish crown. In flight has a […]
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Huwa ghanam
Growth form: Biennial or perennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in sandy habitats. Uses: ‘The leaves are used to treat fevers and to stop excessive bleeding after childbirth’ (Ghazanfar). Rizk & El-Ghazaly also state that they are put on the heads […]
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Martin, Eurasian Crag
Broad-winged, almost square-tailed, largely brown martin. Dark brown upperparts lacking greyish tinge to rump; cheeks fairly dark usually contrasting with pale throat and underparts; fine spots on chin and throat can be hard to see; underparts buffish grey becoming darker towards tail-coverts without contrast; white spots in spread tail distinctive; underwing-coverts distinctly darker than flight-feathers […]
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Mediterranean Grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Described as ‘sandy plains, often overlying limestone’ (Cope). Notes: See comments under S. arabicus.
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Pochard, Common
Sloping forehead leading into long bill is characteristic. No crest present. Male has chestnut head and neck, contrasting with black breast and pale grey body. Black bill has has pale grey band in centre. Eclipse male resembles female but greyer above. Female fairly nondescript with dullish brown head and breast, chin and eye-stripe paler, dark […]
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Arabian Schismus
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Schismus species are frequent to abundant over Qatar in sandy soils. Cope describes the habitat of S. arabicus as ‘dry banks, wadi beds and sandy hollows’. Uses: Widely known as an important grazing species […]
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Giant African Mantis
Insect follows Mantidae family, and Mantodea order. It is green and size is about 100 mm. The insect is a predator to other insects.
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Heron, Western Reef
Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons
White, dark and intermediate phases occur.White phase similar to Little Egret but less elegant with thicker bill. Bill pale brown to yellowish usually with reddish flush in breeding season. Legs brownish green. Dark phase is slate-grey with white chin and throat and occasionally a few white flight feathers. Juvenile in white-phase often has grey feathers, […]
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Lapwing, Spur-winged
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Elegant, long-legged plover, mainly sandy brown above, black head and underparts and contrasting white cheeks and sides of neck. In flight, tri-coloured: conspicuous white band between black flight-feathers and sandy wing-coverts; broad black tail-band; from below black belly and flight feathers contrast with white underwing-coverts. Flight action rather jerky. Juvenile similar to adult. Differs from […]
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Rahaba
Growth form: Herb. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). The salt-tolerant plant H. curassavicum L. is also very likely to occur in Qatar in gardens and farms. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivation.
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Ramram
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional on gravelly or sandy areas. Prevously recorded for N Qatar, but also found in the south. Uses: Medicinal uses are similar to those recorded for H. bacciferum.
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Shrike, Daurian
A pale shrike, little longer than the Red-backed Shrike. In the strain breeding in Iran (i.e. phoenicuroides), male has blackish mask on face and a white mirror on primaries’ base. In isabellinus male, face mask is less delineated, and there is hardly a white mirror in wings. All strains contain yellowish white lower parts, and […]
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Shrike, Red-backed
Male is unmistakable, with reddish brown mantle and wings coverts contrasting to the grey top of head and rump, black facial mask and black tail with white sides to base. Females are warm brown above, tail darker brown, whitish underparts with dense crescent barring on breast and flank. Compare to similar Daurian Shrike. Juvenile has […]
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Siskin, Eurasian
Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows
Small, finely built finch. Male yellowish green with black forehead and chin, broad yellow wing-bar, sides of tail and rump, particularly obvious in flight. Female olive-brown above, white below with a tinge of yellowish green which, together with yellow in wings, tail and rump identity it. Lacks black on head of male. Back and flanks […]
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Whimbrel
Kingdom : Birds, Coursers and Whimbrels
Smaller, and slightly darker than Curlew, with faster wing-beats. Bill usually shorter and more decurved near the tip (though overlaps with young Curlew in length), dark crown with pale central stripe and dark eye-stripe give head more contrast than in other curlews; flight-pattern similar to larger Curlew and slightly smaller Bar-tailed Godwit (note bill-shape of […]
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Blackbird, Eurasian
Entirely black with yellow bill, though 1st year males show brown flight feathers and yellow and dark bill.Female dark brown with all dark bill and slightly paler throat and breast with dark mottling (when seen from close). Juvenile similar to female but shows more mottling to underparts. Superficially resembles Starling but has longer tail and […]
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Chiffchaff, Common
It is a middle-sized warbler, uniform dark olive greenish-grey in colour, with a round head and pot-bellied appearance.Yellow in plumage is limited to bend of wing, slight infusion on breast and sometimes under-tail coverts. Supercilium is short, off-white,tinged yellow or buff. A broken eye-ring often seen with dark ear coverts. Legs are black and bill […]
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Cleome barbaran
Growth form: Annual or short-lived perennial. Flowering. Dec–Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from Al Khor by Batanouny.
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Gull. Sooty
Distinctive, medium-sized gull with dark sooty brown hood and ‘bib’, dark grey-brown upperparts and wings, dark flanks and underwings (white trailing edge) and narrow white half-collar. Long, thick, straight bill distinctly bi-coloured at all ages (in adult yellow-green with black band near red tip; in young pale blue-grey with black tip). Narrow white crescent above […]
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Kestrel, Common
Long, narrow, fairly pointed wings, long rounded or tapering tail, shallow loose wing-beats, persistent hovering and rufous upperparts, contrasting with darker flight-feathers, characteristic. Compared to Lesser, male has black spots on back and wing-coverts (absent in male Lesser), lacks blue-grey greater upper-wing-coverts, has different head-pattern and underwing. Female has dark bars on red-brown upperparts; some […]
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Rocket
Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed in gardens and other cultivated areas. Uses: Eaten in salads. The whole plant is considered an aphrodisiac and considered a cure for a wide range of medical conditions, including inflammations, ulcers, […]
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Scarab Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Scarab beetles, Insects
Insect follows Scarabaeidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 7-9 mm, and has reddish brown colour. Adult females are active in spring and summer, and though nocturnal beetles, they are attracted to light. Adult females feed on leaves, buds, and flowers of several plants, but larvas feed on plant roots.
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Shrike, Bay-backed
Plump-bodied, long tailed and large headed shrike. Adult has a short square-ended tail, wide black forehead band which reaching fore-crown , grey rump, whitish upper tail coverts, white tail sides, and large white mirror at base of primaries base appearing as conspicuous band in flight. Female is duller than male. Juvenile has rufous tail and […]
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Sundevall’s Jird
Kingdom : Mammals, Gerbils and jirds
Sundevall’s Jird is larger and has a heavier build than the gerbil species. Its back colour ranges between light brown and reddish sandy brown. The undersides are white. The tail is longer than the head and body together, ending with a black tuft. The claws are white.
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Tiny Bristle Grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Sandy habitats; occasional in gardens; Dukhan township, 2007 (John Norton). Uses: Mandaville and Jongbloed et al. note its value as a spring grazing grass.
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Wheatear, Hume’s
Closely resembles the picata race of Eastern Pied, but is larger, with ‘bull-headed’ appearance and more upright stance. Black parts more glossy; black throat has slight side-extension and is thus less ‘bib-shaped than Eastern Pied; also white on back extends farther up between wings, where border to black mantle is rounded (square-cut in Eastern Pied); […]
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Broad Scarlet or Scarlet Dragonfly
Kingdom : Insects, Dragonflies, Skimmers or Perchers
Insect follows Libellulidae family, and Odonata order. It is bright red and wings are membranous. Size is about 32-40 mm. Adults have strong wings, help them fly fast and chase prey. Adults are predators to flying insects especially flies and mosquitoes. Nymphs live in water, and are predators to mosquito’s larvas and micro-organisms living in […]
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Cleome Clover
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy saline depressions. Uses: Jongbloed et al. note its use to treat abdominal and rheumatic pains.
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Lapwing, Red-wattled
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Rather large, colourful plover; easily identified by long bright yellow legs, black head and centre of breast, white ear-coverts, side of neck and breast-side; eye-ring and wattle in front of eye is red. Flight is light with slow wing-beats and shows similar wing pattern to Spur-winged and White-tailed, but tail has black subterminal band with […]
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Rabbit-foot Grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant in damp, sandy places; especially at the edges of irrigation channels and freshwater lagoons. Tolerant of low levels of salinity.
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Sleisla
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Local. First record: SW Qatar, March 2007 (John Norton & S. Aspinall). Miller & Cope mention a record for which there is no supporting specimen. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional, mainly on compact, gravelly soils in SW Qatar (found in 2007 at […]
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Tern, Common
Adult birds in spring are easy to identify from their red bill with black tip, black cap and red legs, which remain red throughout the year. The tail does not extend beyond the wing tips of standing birds. Immature birds are difficult to distinguish from immature White-cheeked terns. The Common Tern has a whitish rump, […]
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Thrush, Black-throated
A little smaller than blackbird. Male has a clear black bib, and prominent whitish underparts. Female has white throat streaked blackish, but lower border of black breast clear-cut, with upperparts browner. It is a shy bird with fast straight flight.
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Warbler, Menetries’s
A small short tailed warbler. Male has black forehead and ear coverts, with grey crown and brown grey mantle, wings with sandy feather-fringes and black alula. Females and juveniles are a pale sandy brown. In fresh plumage showwhite moustachial stripe, contrasting with pinkish-white throat and breast. Eye ring varies from salmon pink to red. Bill […]
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Warbler, Plain Leaf
The smallest warbler lacking any obvious markings. Similar to Chiffchaff, with upperparts pale brownish-grey, tinged olive. Indistinct pale to cream supercilium, narrow white eye-ring, dusky lores and and eye-stripe, and buff flecked ear-coverts. Underparts off-white, washed creamy on flanks. Legs and bill dark brown. Very active, constantly flicking wings, or seen in whirring and jerky […]
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Annual Meadow Grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Jan–Dec. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Reported by Batanouny as a rare weed of lawns.
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Brevicollis Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 2.5 mm, and has brown colour.
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Owl, Pallid Scops
Appearance very close to European Scops, but paler sandy grey above without white spots on crown or hindneck, greyer below with black streaks more sharply demarcated, being the only distinctive plumage feature (European Scops has black streaks more broken by vermiculations and paler blotches below, submerged by darker groundcolour); iris yellow. Juvenile has underparts completely […]
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Pintail, Northern
Large, very slim and elegant dabbling duck. Long neck and tail obvious in flight with more pointed wings than other dabbling ducks. Male unmistakable white neck and underparts, grey upperparts contrasting with dark head and tail and dark slender bill. Female similar similar to other female dabbling ducks, but note dark bill, greyer plumage and […]
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Pipit, Tawny
Medium-large pipit with relatively long tail, legs and bill and fairly upright stance which, together with adult’s poorly streaked sandy upperparts, nearly unstreaked breast, plain sandy wings with conspicuous dark-centred median coverts and bold whitish supercilium separate it from other pipits. Undulating flight slightly reminiscent of Yellow Wagtail. Runs quickly on the ground, stops suddenly […]
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Radish
Growth form: Annual or biennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: An escape from cultivation in farm areas. Uses: Widely grown as a salad vegetable. A wide variety of medicinal benefits and uses are described.
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Roller, Indian
Identified at all ages in flight by large, translucent pale turquoise-blue primary-patch (both surfaces) and pale turquoise-blue tail-feathers (except centrals) with clear-cut dark blue band at tip and base (seen when tail spread). Wing-tip clearly blunter than in European Roller. When perched, lightly white-streaked neck, throat and breast are vinous-cinnamon (turquoise-blue in European Roller) and […]
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Sandpiper, Terek
When standing easily distinguished by grey head and upperparts bordered by dark shoulder bar, carpal-patch and primary-line; white, deep-chested underparts and long, yellow-based, upcurved, rather pointed bill are striking features; the short legs and neck, horizontal carriage, dark breast side and bobbing rear body reminiscent of Common Sandpiper, but orange-yellow legs and bill shape differ […]
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Shafallah
Growth form: Shrub. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in stony and rocky areas and compact silty soils in depressions and by roads; mainly in NE Qatar. Uses: Buds are cooked and pickled and used as flavouring in cooking (El Amin). The leaves of the […]
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Ward’s Weed
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Rare. First record: SW Qatar, March 2007 (John Norton). Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: A single plant in fruit growing in thin soil on a rocky summit.
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Evening Stock
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Previously recorded from Al Wakra and Salwa.
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Jacana, Pheasant-tailed
Rail-like and mostly seen walking on floating vegetation on very long toes. Adult breeding has long black down-curved tail, chocolate-brown body, striking head marks with white face and fore-neck, golden-yellow hindneck, edged black; white wings with black tips are very conspicuous in flight. In non-breeding plumage tail is short, underparts turn white, but a dark […]
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Pipit, Meadow
Similar to Tree Pipit in general appearance but has finer, less stocky build and slightly longer tail. See Tree for further differences. Flies with short, irregular undulations. Flicks tail nervously on ground.
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Pipit, Water
Resembles slightly larger, more robust, lighter streaked version of Meadow but legs blackish brown (exceptions occur); compared with Meadow crown and mantle greyer, more indistinctly streaked and underparts whiter; in breeding season breast variably tinged rosy-pink and practically unstreaked; creamy white supercilium generally more pronounced. In winter, browner above though still greyer than Meadow; whiter […]
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Reed
Growth form: Perennial grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Locally dominant as reedbed fringing waste water lagoons and other permanent wetlands, especially at Abu Nakhla and Abu Hamour lagoons; also at Ras Laffan, Mesaieed and Dukhan. Uses: El Amin notes that it is used […]
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Shaja
Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in SW Qatar in sandy and silty depressions. The village of Umm al Shubrum is named after the plant, which occurs in the area. Also found at Mekainis, Al Kharrarah and Umm Slal […]
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Wheatear, Red-tailed
Slender, medium-sized wheatear. Male of race xanthoprymna (E Turkey, NW Iran) has black throat, sides of head and neck merging with blackish brown leading wing-coverts, rufous rump but white sides to tail; black band at tip of tail narrow (larger male Red-rumped almost black-tailed); little white in wings. Female usually lacks black throat but rump […]
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Bunting, Rustic
Medium -small bunting with longish bill and much rufous in plumage. Male unmistakable with black head broken by bold white supercilium and nape spot, bright red nape merging on sides of neck with rusty breast band. Flanks with extensive rusty streaks, rump rusty red. Female has less blackish head with paler median crown-streak and ear […]
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Dove, Eurasian Collared
Medium-small, sandy brown dove with narrow black half-collar on hindneck (absent in juvenile). Told from Turtle by unspotted sandy brown forewing (rufous, spotted blackish in Turtle), black neck-collar, whitish underwing (dark in Turtle), plainer uppertail (bolder patterned in Turtle), absence of well defined whitish belly-patch (present Turtle) and by less rapid flight with less jerky […]
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Garden Cress
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Jan–Mar. Status: Introduced. Rare. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: Kuwait. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from a roadside. Uses: A salad herb. Various medicinal uses are reported.
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Godwit, Black-tailed
Large, graceful wader with long bill and legs and diagnostic, contrasting flight pattern. On ground, most similar to Bar-tailed, but slightly larger and more erect due to longer legs and neck; bill slightly longer and straighter. In summer plumage, both sexes have varying amount of rusty red on head, neck and fore-body with diffuse, dark […]
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Indian Hedge Mustard
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of lawns (Batanouny) and waste ground (Abdel Bari).
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Plover, Common Ringed
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Dunlin-sized plover with orange legs and bill-base, strong black breast band and white hindneck collar; in flight, shows conspicuous white wing-bar, note also characteristic call. In adult non-breeding black is replaced by dark grey-brown, supercilium and forehead are tinged brown, and bill is nearly black. Juvenile similar to adult non-breeding, but is paler and duller, […]
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Scarites
Kingdom : Beetles, Ground beetles, Insects
Beetle follows Carabidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 36 mm, black, and with big thorax. Front legs are raptorial for digging. It is nocturnal, hides at daytimes in sand. It is distinguished with parallel lines on upper body surface.
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Sha’ir al-far
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from gardens and cultivated lands. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).
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Blackcap, Eurasian
Similar in size to Common Whitethroat. In general, it is grey brown but male has a distinguished black crown. First year birds and females have a warm brown crown. These features prevent confusion with any other warbler.
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Buettikeri Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 3.5-5 mm, and has black colour.
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Bunting, Cretzschmar’s
Resembles a bright version of Ortolan Bunting. Male has bright blue-grey head and breast band framing rusty orange throat, rufous rump, a rufous-buff vent and undertail coverts. Belly orange-chestnut, blackish brown tertials with clear-cut rufous-chestnut notched fringe. Female duller, often with traces of ash-grey on head, some grey on streaked breast. Compare with Ortolan Bunting.
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London Rocket
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivation, irrigated soils and waste ground.
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Long-horn Palm-borer
Kingdom : Beetles, Longhorn beetles, Insects
Insect follows Cermbycidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 5-8 mm, yellowish brown, and nocturnal. It was found in Doha Ziziphus. Larvas dig inside tree branches. Adults have unique long antennas.
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Rosefinch, Common
Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows
Finch with a fairly stout bill, stocky body and round head. Adult male easily told by red head, breast and rump contrasting with brown upperparts, Females, 1st year males and juveniles are dull olive-brown, lightly streaked above and more heavily streaked below, with 2 whitish or buffish wing-bars. Uniform head shows conspicuous dark eye. Often […]
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Sandpiper, Wood
In flight, resembles Green (which see) with dark upperparts, head and wings and contrasting white rump; differs in whitish (not black) underwing-coverts, longer feet-projection (does not look cut off at rear) and characteristic call. When perched, adult shows brown upperparts boldly speckled whitish, conspicuous long supercilium, and rather long, yellowish legs; general appearance is a […]
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Small Canary Grass
Growth form: Annual grass. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed species of cultivated areas. Uses: Used for fodder (El Amin).
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Swine Cress
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. All year. Status: Introduced. Local. First published record: Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: This species is a recent colonist in the Gulf; it is only included in the most recent literature for the region (Jongbloed et al.). In Qatar it is likely to […]
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Virgin’s Hand
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to abundant in shallow sandy deposits, including runnels and small depressions. The plant is extremely common in the west (Renee Richer). Uses: Its use as a charm and herbal aid in childbirth is […]
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Oriole, Eurasian Golden
It is a shy, thrush-sized bird. Male’s bright yellow plumage with black wings is diagnostic. Female and immature male are greenish above with olive-brown wings and tail, rump often yellowish green, underparts yellowish white, indistinctly streaked darker. Appears short tailed in flight. Flight pattern undulating, followed by soft wing beats.
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Ouzel, Ring
Resembles Blackbird but instantly told by white breast-crescent and pale fringes to wing feathers which give “frosty-winged” appearance in flight.Female dark brown with obscure buffish breast-crescent, pale fringes to wing feathers and to feathers of underparts, giving scaly appearance. Fairly shy but will sit prominently in open.
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Owl, Long-eared
Unmistakable when perched and seen well, with long ear-tufts (though sometimes invisible when relaxed); facial disc noticeably warm buff with striking white divide and orange eyes. Flight has jerky, fairly stiff wing-beats with glides on level (sometimes slightly raised) wings. The wings are long and slightly curved with a dark carpal-patch above with orange base […]
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Plover, Eurasian Golden
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Has heavy, short-necked and pot-bellied appearance, comparatively short legs and bill, white underwing coverts and axillaries. Adult breeding is strikingly coloured black, white and golden; very contrasting in flight from below with white underwings and black belly; feet do not extend beyond tip of tail. Flight pattern above is rather uniform, dark brown spotted golden […]
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الذكات
Rather large, slender and pied wader with mainly white appearance; at distance flocks on water somewhat recalling small gulls. Black crown and hindneck and long, thin upcurved bill are distinctive features; in flight, shows white wings with prominent black markings; from below pure white with black wing-tips and long trailing greyish blue legs. Flight is […]
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Kite, Black
A buzzard sized bird with a characteristically shallow fork to the tail. Uniformly dark brown with a pale patch sometimes visible on the underwings in immature birds. Juvenile has dark eye-mask, pale feather tips on mantle and shoulders, boldly dark spotted breast but pale belly with no contrast to undertail. Dark band present near tip […]
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Naked-bellied Tomb Bat
Naked-bellied Tomb Bats are one of the larger species of bats in Qatar. They are greyish brown above, paler below. The lower back, abdomen, chin, throat and cheeks are hairless. The short tail protrudes from the midpoint of the membrane. There is no nose leaf.
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Skylark, Eurasian
Medium-sized with earth-grey upperparts streaked dark, and warm brown edges to tertials and coverts in fresh plumage; underparts buffish white heavily streaked/spotted on breast; can show a small crest (much smaller than in Crested and not spiky); rather indistinct head marks. Juvenile has upperparts spotted dark with scaly ochre markings. In flight, shows distinct whitish […]
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Wagtail, Grey
In all plumages has characteristic yellow vent and undertail-coverts, greyish back, no obvious covert-bars but bold white translucent bar at base of flight-feathers (visible in flight), very long tail and extremely undulating flight. Male in summer has black throat bordered by white stripe below; female has less black or even whitish throat; immature has white […]
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Greenshank, Common
Larger than Redshank with long, green (sometimes yellow-green) legs, fairly long, stout, slightly upturned bill and mainly grey and white plumage. Flight action slow and jerky with rather long, uniform, dark wings contrasting with paler head and neck, and conspicuous white tail and wedge up back, similar to much smaller, slimmer and paler Marsh Sandpiper; […]
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Reed Warbler, Eurasian Reed
Similar to Marsh Warbler but plumage is warmer brown with a rusty tinge to the rump. Has similar long wing-projection but with less obviously pale edges and has darker legs.
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Starling, Rose-coloured
It resembles the Common Starling in shape and behaviour, but yellow bill is shorter with curved culmen. Adult’s black and pink plumage can’t be mistaken. Has a long pointed crest which is raised when singing. Juvenile has a yellowish bill, pale lores, pale grey-brown upperparts with whitish grey rump and dirty white underparts.
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Tern, Bridled
Medium-sized slender tern with dark grey-brown upperparts (sometimes appearing blackish), blackish wings and black bill and legs; has narrow white forehead-band extending behind eye as narrow supercilium line, black cap contrasting with pale grey hindneck-collar (often hard to see in flight); long outer feathers of deeply forked tail have white sides. Whitish underparts and underwing-coverts […]
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Thrush, Blue Rock
Little bigger than Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, with longer tail and bill. Males are easily identified by dark blue plumage (which may seem black from a distance) which in winter can show fine buffish fringe to feathers. Female resembles female Blackbird but has longer bill, shorter tail, and dull buff spotting and barring on underparts. Some […]
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Owl, Barn
Medium-sized, strikingly pale owl, both when perched and in flight with white underparts (suffused ochreous on breast), heart-shaped face with black eyes and ochreous-buff upperparts. No other owl looks similar but note that when seen in car head-lights at night, most owls can look pale.
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Redshank, Spotted
Medium-sized, rather slim wader; in winter plumage with red legs mostly recalling Redshank, but larger, cooler grey upperparts, white underparts, and longer finer bill, slightly drooping at tip; flight pattern differs markedly. In breeding plumage unmistakable: almost black, fine-spotted white above with long, blackish red legs and bill. In flight, shows dark tail and wings […]
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Sitona Weevil
Kingdom : Beetles, Weevils (snout beetles), Insects
Insect follows Curculionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-7 mm, and has grey colour. Adults feed on leaves especially peas and clover, whereas larvas feed on roots and root knots.
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Warbler, Eastern Orphean
A largish warbler with a long with grey crown contrasting poorly with black ish ear coverts. Adult male has yellowish or dark coloured muddy iris. Females brownish, similar to Lesser Whitethroat.
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Blue Pansy
Kingdom : Brush-footed butterflies or Four-footed butterflies, Insects, Moths and Butterflies
Insect follows Nymphalidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Half wing is velvet black from the base, and the other is blue with orange spots on the wing. Wing is 40 mm long. Larvas attack big number of plant families.
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Wheatear, Variable
Three races occur; much individual variation among females. picaia: (breeds Iran) resembles Hume’s but black crown, upperparts and ‘bib’ almost without gloss; rest of underparts white, undertail-coverts sometimes buff in autumn. Female above usually brown where male black, ‘bib’ often rufous-brown but throat sometimes black; rest of underparts creamy buff to white. See Hume’s for […]
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Old World Hybosorus Scarab
Kingdom : Beetles, Scavenger Scarab beetles, Insects
Insect follows Hybosoridae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 7-9 mm, and has glossy black colour. Adult feeds on both invertebrates and vertebrate’s carcasses in early decay stages.
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Corncrake
Skulking land rail, larger than Quail, but similar to crakes in shape and general character. Rarely seen out of cover unless flushed. Flight, which is seldom seen, can suggest a young gamebird, but note chestnut wing-coverts and often dangling legs. Otherwise only noticeable by characteristic breeding call.
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Hardwicke’s Rat Snake
Kingdom : Reptiles, Snakes, Colubridae
Rat snake adults average around 65-70cm, maximum length up to 95cm. The head is covered in large smooth plates. The body and tail are long and slender, with the tail approximately 25% of total body length. The scales are smooth and shiny, and several colours and paterns exist. They are more commonly grey, brown or […]
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Phalarope, Red-necked
A small, elegant wader which swims high on water, often spinning to whirl up food items, which will be taken with needle-thin, black bill. Unmistakable in breeding plumage with striking head and neck pattern. In winter plumage upperparts are ash-grey with white lines and fringes, black mask through eye and black on hind-crown conspicuous. Juvenile […]
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Shelduck, Common
A large, mainly white, goose-like duck. Black head and green gloss, broad chestnut belt around forepart of body and black belly-stripe with a prominent red bill. In flight, shows black flight feathers contrasting strongly with white upper and underwing coverts and black shoulders. Flight is goose like with slow wing beats.
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Long-horn Date-palm Stem-borer
Kingdom : Beetles, Longhorn beetles, Insects
Insect follows Cermbycidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 30-45 mm, and is reddish brown. Larvas are white, dig inside palm trees, and have long antennas. Adults appear at night.
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Ruff
Resembles Redshank, but often stands more upright with longer neck, smaller head and proportionally short slightly drooping bill; often looks hump-backed and pot-bellied; female noticeably smaller than male (and smaller than Redshank). Flight lazy on rather broad wings deeply depressed on downstroke, sometimes interrupted with glides, especially before landing; flight pattern shows narrow, dull wing-bar […]
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Stork, Western White
Easily told both on ground and in flight by combination of large size, white plumage with black flight-feathers, straight red bill and long red legs. In flight , the neck is extended and legs protrude behind the end of the tail. Told from adult Yellow-billed Stork (vagrant to region) by straight red bill and all-white […]
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Tern, Lesser-crested
Size of Sandwich Tern but resembles Swift Tern more closely in plumage. Has long slim orange-yellow bill, pale ash-grey upperparts with rump and tail paler grey. Slightly crested nape black as may be forehead for short period in summer, but forehead otherwise white. In winter, bill paler orange-yellow and solid black is confined to nape. […]
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Bunting, Eastern Cinereous
Medium sized bunting with blue-grey bill, narrow yellow eye-ring and white in outer tail feathers. Male has yellowish green crown, sides of face and throat, with otherwise greyish plumage, including unstreaked grey rump. In autumn upper breast is streaked darker. Female is olive grey-brown, streaked like autumn male. Throat has buffish or yellowish tinge, streaked […]
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Courser, Cream-coloured
Kingdom : Birds, Coursers and Whimbrels
Adapted to desert habitat, well camouflaged; runs quickly with plover-like behaviour and sudden stops, prefers running away rather than flying. Mainly sandy buff with distinctive black and white head markings joining in ‘V’ on nape, bill short and down-curved. When standing has an erect posture with long pale legs. Flight rapid with long, slightly rounded […]
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Punctulatus beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 5-7 mm, and has black colour.
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Bunting, Black-headed
Heavy bodied, stout billed bunting without white in tail. Male diagnostic with black head, yellow underparts and unstreaked chestnut upperparts. Black of head subdued by pale fringes in Autumn. Females and 1st year birds lack black, bright yellow and chestnut colouring.
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Dotterel, Eurasian
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Rather dark, brownish plover recalling non-breeding European Golden in general outline, but smaller; additionally white or buffish supercilia, meeting in a ‘V’ on nape, and narrow white or pale upper breast band are distinctive features in all plumages. Adult breeding female (male duller) has striking white supercilium and throat contrasting with blackish cap and greyish […]
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Red Date-palm Weevil
Kingdom : Beetles, Weevils, Insects
Insect follows Dryophthoridae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 20-50 mm, and has rusty red colour. Larvas dig Tutas inside palm trees, causing tree death. It is one of the most dangerous insect pests for palm trees. Adults weakly feed on palm trees, and female lays about 200 eggs during life.
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Tern, Whiskered
Slightly larger than Little and Saunder’s terns with slightly longer, broader wings, slightly more forked tail (adult), longer legs and heavier bill; flight buoyant and restless. It both snatches and dives for food. Adult in summer has uniform pale grey upper surface (including rump and tail); sooty grey underparts contrasting with whitish cheek-stripe and underwings. […]
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Eagle, Greater Spotted
A difficult species. Adult dark brown below, flight-feathers similarly dark or a shade paler; leading underwing-coverts sometimes blackish brown on upper surface, mid to dark brown coverts sometimes contrast with darker mantle; no conspicuous pale primary-patch above. Juvenile is blackish brown below with paler flight-feathers; blackish brown upperwing has 1–3 white covert-bars, often creating pale […]
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Skua, Arctic
Wing-span as for Common Gull. Adult in summer has elongated pointed central tail-feathers (6–11 cm). Two phases (with frequent intermediates); see Pomarine for separation. Juvenile variable, from pale to very dark birds; ground-colour generally warmer, more rusty than young Pomarine, which see for further details. Told, with experience, from young Long-tailed by broader wings, slightly […]
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Bunting, Western Cinereous
Male has unstreaked yellowish green crown, but otherwise plumage is grey. Throat white but in females whitish grey. Feet and bill in both sexes yellowish brown and eye dark brown in colour. Recorded in Qatar as passage migrant.
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Darkling Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 5.5-7 mm, and has glossy black colour. Body is arched and lives in deserts.
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Plover, Caspian
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
A slim and delicate plover mostly recalling sand plovers (which see) in size and general appearance, but separated by long attenuated body, with wings projecting well beyond tail-tip, when perched; proportionally longer legs, long neck and smaller head with rather fine tapering bill; broader white supercilium gives a ‘capped’ effect. Male breeding shows distinct blackish […]
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Stonechat, Pied
Small, short-tailed, rounded head perching semi upright; flicks tail quite often. Jet black male unmistakable with white belly, rump and narrow shoulder patch; white patterns above easily seen in low jerky flight. Female has unstreaked sooty earth-brown upperparts and breast, creamy belly and rufous-orange rump; some are rusty brown on breast and have slight supercilium.
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Wagtail, Yellow
In male, head colour differs, depending on race, of which eight have been recorded in the region. Racial variation is given below: flava: blue-grey crown and ear-coverts; long white supercilium; chin and sometimes sides of throat white. thunbergi: dark grey crown, with no sharp demarcation to upperparts but contrasting with very dark grey ear-coverts, usually […]
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Arabian Oryx, White Oryx
Kingdom : Mammals, Oryx and gazelle
The Arabian Oryx is a medium-sized antelope. It is white in colour, with dark chocolate or black patches on the nose and cheeks. The legs and tail tip are also dark. The winter coat is longer and darker than that of summer. Arabian Oryx of both sexes have magnificent straight, ringed horns; those of the […]
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Plover, Grey
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Large, rather robust-looking plover, bigger than European Golden, with heavier head and longer, stouter bill; lacks obvious yellow or greenish tones in upper-parts, except for faint yellow-buff tinge in juvenile. Black axillaries diagnostic in all plumages in flight (most obvious and contrasting in juvenile and non-breeding). Adult breeding recalls European Golden, but more white on […]
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Swamphen, African
Smaller but similar to Purple Swamphen, but colour of body, head and mantle is bluish purple and wings are dirty greenish. Habitat is mainly swampy areas with reed beds and tall grass.
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Flycatcher, Semi-collared
Kingdom : Birds, Flycatcher
A black and white coloured flycatcher. Male has a white half-collar onto sides of black neck, a large white spot at base of primaries, white on sides of tail, and white tipped median coverts. White on wing and forehead also present. Females more grey in colour.
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Hemprich’s Long-eared Bat
This is a heavily-built bat. Their pale colour gives them a ghost-like appearance. The very long ears are conspicuous and the muzzle is somewhat dog-like, lacking a nose leaf. About 4-5 mm of tail project from the membrane.
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Plover, Little Ringed
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Small, slim and long-winged plover; horizontal stance when perched. In breeding plumage similar to Ringed Plover, but breast band narrower and lacks white wing-bar in flight; note also yellow orbital ring, dark bill, white line behind black forecrown, and muddy coloured or pinkish legs. Adult non-breeding and juvenile have almost plain brown forehead with ill-defined […]
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Erodius beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 12-16 mm, and has black colour.
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Falcon, Sooty
Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons
Size and shape similar to Hobby . Long-winged, but tail slightly shorter; elongated central tail feathers (sometimes seen in Hobby) but closed tail-tip pointed. Adult has slaty blue-grey upperparts with darker primaries and outer uppertail, blue-grey underparts (underwings appear paler). Female darker, less contrasting above. Young Sooty told from similar Hobby by greyer upperparts with […]
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Flycatcher, Red-breasted
Kingdom : Birds, Flycatcher
A small Flycatcher, with clear white spots on sides of tail base. Adult male has reddish orange throat, and sometimes upper breast. Sides of head and neck are lead-grey. Females and 2nd year males have buffish white throat, otherwise upper plumage is grey-brown and whitish below. It moves around foliage like Willow Warbler, raising tail.
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Owl, Eurasian Scops
Small ‘eared’ owl; very similar to and difficult to distinguish from Pallid Scops Owl. Rather large-headed with small ear-tufts (head often just looks angular); brown-grey or rufous-brown with paler face and dark surround to yellow eyes. Plumage above streaked, barred and vermiculated black-brown; sides of crown, ears and shoulder distinctly white- or buff-spotted; underparts streaked, […]
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Snipe, Common
Medium-sized, dark brown wader with distinctly yellow-striped head and upperparts, dark-striped breast, barred flanks and very long bill, with which it probes in mud with vibrating movements. Often squats in low, swampy vegetation, and usually not seen until flushed at 10–15 m distance (at only about 1 m in Jack Snipe); rises explosively, immediately uttering […]
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Heron, Striated
Kingdom : Birds, Egrets and Herons
Small, rather dark, thick-set heron. Adult has black crown with long nape-plumes , bluish grey upperparts, buff-fringed coverts and greyish neck and underparts, with a marked facial pattern. Legs are rosy, yellowish or pink. Immature brownish with white spots on tips of wing coverts, brown and white streaked upper breast and yellowish green legs. In […]
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Trident Leaf- nosed Bat
This is a small Leaf-Nosed Bat of fairly light build. The tail reaches the level of the feet and the tip protrudes 3-5 mm from the tail membrane. The colour is variable. Some individuals are light orange-brown on the back and belly. Others are pale greyish-brown or greyish-pink. In Qatar it appears that the grey […]
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Falcon, Peregrine
Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons
Large, stocky falcon with relatively short tail and broad-based, sharply tapering wings which, when soaring, are more pointed than in other large falcons (except Barbary). Adult separated from Lanner and Saker by black crown and bold moustache, contrasting strongly with white throat and small cheek-patch, darker upperparts, barred underparts, but gleaming white upperbreast, and plain […]
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Gull, Steppe
Looks very much like the Caspian Gull in size and plumage, including the beak and wings particularly when flying or standing on ground or inside water. Categorized as winter visitor and can be found in all coastal areas of Qatar.
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Shrike, Lesser Grey
It resembles Southern Grey Shrike, but smaller with stubbier bill, longer wings with long primary projection and shorter, less graduated tail. The white wing panel is confined to primaries. Adult forehead is extensively black, and without the white supercilium(it exists in some Southern Grey Shrikes), the bluish grey upper parts lack white on shoulders (sometimes […]
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Green Lacewing
Kingdom : Insects, Net-Winged Insects, Green lacewings
Insect follows Chrysopidae family, and Neuroptera order. It is green, size is about 12-20 mm. Adults feed on flower nectars, whereas nymphs are predators to Aphids.
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Shrike, Masked
It is smaller and slimmer than the Woodchat Shrike, has a finer bill and longer tail. Adult is unmistakablewith black upper parts and mask (female duller, browish-grey) with white face. Flanks are washed orange with a distinctive white shoulder patch. Pale wing patch is noticeable in flight. Juvenile similar to juvenile Woodchat Shrike but has […]
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Wheatear, Hooded
Large, slender, long-tailed and long-winged wheatear with long bill and buoyant, almost butterfly-like flight, recalling Spotted Flycatcher when catching prey, sometimes in long sallies. Distinctive male with black extending to centre of breast and, except for black central tail-feathers, nearly all-white tail with just black corners, provides easy identification. Autumn and juvenile male has whitish […]
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Lark, Crested
Rather stocky, pot-bellied, short-tailed lark; long spiky crest always visible; bill fairly long, slightly curved. Upperparts buffish grey or rusty, rather uniform, diffusely streaked darker on hindneck/upper mantle; breast more heavily streaked. Flight with flapping wing-beats on broad wings showing rusty buff underwings and blackish brown short tail with cinnamon sides. Juvenile heavily pale-spotted above. […]
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Fasciata Grasshopper
Kingdom : Insects, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Grasshoppers
Insect follows Acrididae family, and Orthoptera order. It is light brown with black spots, size is about 20-25 mm. Adults and nymphs feed on herbal plants. Back legs are strong and long, help them move through jumping. Adults lay eggs in groups in soil.
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Kite, Black-eared
Smaller than the Black Kite, but adult birds have white lines on the outer primary feathers which are noticeable in flight. Crown colour is brown while in Black Kite is greyish. Eyes are black and attractive. Habitat is similar to that of Black Kite which is mostly woodland, near water sources, and can be located […]
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Plover, Kentish
Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers
Small, sandy plover with white underparts, rather long, blackish legs, conspicuous white hindneck-collar and never complete breast band, in flight, a clear, white wing-bar and broad, white sides to tail. Adult breeding male has variable, rufous cap, black frontal bar, and lateral black breast-patches. Breeding female, adult non-breeding and juvenile are much duller, lacking black […]
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Warbler, Garden
A uniform grey-brown warbler, with a square-ended tail, and a short, relatively heavy bill, rounded head, greyish sides to neck and lacking any white in tail or wings. Most of the other warbler species have thinner, longer bills. Keeps well hidden in vegetation.
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Akis beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 15-20 mm, and has black colour. It is a desert insect.
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Godwit, Bar-tailed
Resembles Black-tailed (which see) especially on ground in non-breeding plumage, bur note more compact, less erect appearance with shorter legs and neck, and slightly upturned bill. In flight, easily separated in all plumages by lack of distinct wing and tail markings typical of Black-tailed. Male in breeding plumage has deep rusty red head and entire […]
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Nightingale, Thrush
Kingdom : Birds, Nightingale
Dark olivaceous grey-brown, resembling small thrush, with rusty red tail and pale underparts, whitish throat and eye-ring, Very similar to Nightingale but darker brown upperparts, duller rusty red tail and darker brownish grey breast and flanks indistinctly mottled when seen well at close range; best distinguished by rather far-carrying song. Very skulking.
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Red Fox
Red Foxes are larger than Rüppell’s Sand Foxes, and are variable in colour, ranging from light sand coloured to light reddish brown. The back of the rears are dark grey, and there is usually a dark marking running from the eye towards the jaw. In winter its fur becomes thicker and darker than in summer. […]
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Adesmia beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 10-15 mm, and has black colour. It is a desert insect, appears during day light and is very fast.
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Duck, Tufted
Small diving duck with roundish head but fairly steep forehead. Crest at nape, long and drooping in male, minute in female. Bill blue-grey. Male is black and white with black upperparts and purple green head. Female and eclipse male have brownish sides to body, female sometimes with whitish band around base of bill. In rapid […]
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Puissanti Grasshopper
Kingdom : Insects, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Grasshoppers
Insect follows Acrididae family, and Orthoptera order. It is light brown with green, size is about 20-25 mm. Adults and nymphs feed on herbal plants. Back legs are strong and long, help them move through jumping. Adults lay eggs in groups in soil.
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Swallow, Barn
Easily distinguished by combination of bluish black upperparts (small white patches visible in tail when spread), long tail-streamers, chestnut forehead and throat, solid dark breast band and buffish white underparts including underwing-coverts. Juvenile lacks tail-streamers, has brownish breast band and wings and paler rusty forehead. Flight is strong and elegant with much banking and turning, […]
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Adesmia Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 10-15 mm, and has black colour. It is a desert insect, appears during day light and is very fast.
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Halm, Ghabshah
Growth form: Shrublet or small shrub. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent on sand sheets, depressions and other sandy areas.
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Harrier, Montagu’s
Slender build, narrower, longer more pointed wings, longer narrower tail and more buoyant flight helps separation from Hen Harrier. In adult, rear-body slimmer than in Pallid. Male has dark grey back and innerwing, silvery grey outerwing but extensive black wing-tips; one black band on secondaries above and two below; red-brown streaks below dark grey upperbreast. […]
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Lark, Bimaculated
A large heavy-billed lark with a short tail and longish wings. Has a contrasting head pattern with large yellowish bill, black patches on lower throat, and a white superciium. In flight has dull grey-brown underwing with no white trailing edge; has white-tipped tail while outer feathers are buff-brown.
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Stork, Black
A glossy black stork with white lower underparts. Adult has red bill and legs, whereas browner, less glossy juvenile has greyish green bill and legs.
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Buzzard, European Honey
Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons
Similar to Steppe Buzzard but tail longer and narrower with rounded corners. Head and neck narrower, protruding in cuckoo-like manner. Wing beats moe flexible.Soars on flatish, and glides on slightly lowered wings. Male has greyish head and upperparts, female browner. Below, colour varies between birds from blackish brown to almost white. Most are barred with […]
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Dung Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Scarab beetles, Insects
Insect follows Scarabaeidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 25-35 mm, and has black colour. Body is wide oval. Adult females fly to organic fertilizer piles, make different-sized balls sometimes bigger even than a beetle, and then roll it to suitable place and store underground.
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Falsocatomulus Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 14-17 mm, and has black colour. Body is wide.
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gull
The largest goose in the region. Thick neck with heavy, pink bill, greyish head and neck and pink legs. In flight, shows distinctive, pale forewing. Upperparts more greyish than other grey geese, belly has small, black blotches, not forming bars. Juvenile simiar to adult but lacks transverse lines on upperparts and dark belly marks.
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Monksefa
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from a single location by Batanouny, but occurs in irigated lawns and other damp places elsewhere in the Gulf, so may be more widespread now in Qatar. Uses: Rizk & El-Ghazaly list numerous cosmetic and medicinal […]
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Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous
Size and shape of a European Reed Warbler, having a flat crown and long bill. However, Olivaceous Warbler is more grayish with a square-ended or little slightly rounded tail and shorter under tail coverts. It can mostly be mistaken with the Greater and greyer Upcher’s Warbler.Upper parts olive brown, tinged greyish on head and mantle. […]
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Asperulus Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-5 mm, and has black colour.
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Pratincole, Collared
Kingdom : Birds, Pratincole
Distinctive, highly aerial wader, resembling terns in graceful fast flight, long pointed wings, deeply forked tail and short bill. Usually in loose flocks chasing winged insects. On ground, plover-like with quick tripping actions on rather short legs, often with upright stance, head held high. Adult has creamy buff throat bordered black; tail and wing-tips are […]
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Scarab Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Scarab beetles, Insects
Insect follows Scarabaeidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 20 mm, and has black colour. Larvas feed on crops such as corn and sugar beet. Moreover, larvas feed on grass roots.
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Swift, Alpine
Shape and behaviour much like Common and Pallid Swift, but much larger with remarkably slower and deeper wing-beats; brown upperparts and white underparts broken by brown breast band, vent and undertail-coverts.
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Tern, Little
Easily identified from other terns (except Saunders’s) by small size, narrow wings with very fast beats both when hovering and in direct flight. Adult in summer pale grey above (extending onto centre of rump in some) with narrow grey-black leading (two) primaries and yellow bill tipped black; white forehead usually extends as white point to […]
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Nightjar, Egyptian
The palest of the nightjars. Pale sandy grey base-colour, broad rows of inconspicuous buff tips to wing-coverts and white patch on side of neck (often very hard to see); in flight, very pale underwing, and above, dark flight-feathers which contrast with pale upperwing-coverts. Both sexes lack white patch in wing, but male shows pale creamy […]
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Qartam barie
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in rocky areas. El Amin recorded from Jebel Dukhan and Wadi Al Banat.
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Rhinoceros Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Scarab beetles, Insects
Insect follows Scarabaeidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 35-40 mm, and has glossy black colour. Adult females have frontal head antenna. It causes harm to palm trees, especially for palm clusters and leaves.
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Swift, Common
Almost uniform sooty in fresh plumage, but brownish and more contrasting in worn plumage, though much depending on light conditions. Round whitish throat-patch variable, sometimes almost invisible; lacks contrast above but underparts show clearly paler inner flight-feathers than body and wing-coverts; deep tail-fork. Easily confused with Pallid, but note especially overall colour-tone, throat-patch, head pattern, […]
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Tern, Sandwich
Medium-sized tern with very pale grey upperparts and wings, long slender black bill tipped yellow (latter hard to see at distance), long narrow wings, medium-short forked tail and fairly long extended neck in flight, which is powerful with deep wing-beats. In summer, black cap has short crest; in winter, black confined to nape extending forward […]
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Warbler, Hume’s Leaf
It is mostly confusable with Yellow-browed Warbler (and may be undistinguishable) but is generally greyer, with less yellow green appearance. A more greyish olive colour, with a more buffish white supercilium. It has 2 pale wing bars, the upper one short and sometimes invisible, the lower one distinct. Underparts dusky white, tinged buffish on ear […]
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White-lined Sphinx
Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Hawk moths, Sphinx moths, and Hornworms
Insect follows Sphingidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Frontal wing colour is dark brown, with black stripes. Back wing is black with a rose stripe. Wing is about 65-90 mm long. Larvas attack grapes, Herbs, sallow apples and tomatoes.
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Coot, Eurasian
Unmistakable. Sooty black with white bill and frontal shield; hunchbacked appearance on water. Upright stance on long green-grey legs and long lobed feet when out of water. Flight is stronger and heavier than other rails, more duck-like, on rounded wings and with long pattering run across water before take-off. Note long toes trail behind tail-tip. […]
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Cuckoo, Common
Usually seen in flight when long tail, pointed wings and shallow wing-beats can cause resemblance to a Kestrel, but head held slightly raised and wings not lifted above level of body. Grey above with barring on underparts; grey underwing has pale line through centre. Female similar but with brown wash on band across breast. Also […]
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Stonechat, European
Looks similar to the Siberian Stonechat. Recorded in Qatar as a passage migrant and winter visitor. Female paler in colour than male which looks more whitish, with dark breast and throat.
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Swift, Pallid
Slightly bulkier than Common Swift with broader, less tapering outerwing and sometimes blunter wing-tips; tail-fork variable but slightly shallower with less pointed tips; head looks broad and flat with larger, more triangular, whitish throat-patch; forehead and lores paler, contrasting with dark eye-patch. Overall colour brownish; with good views rather distinct scaling is visible in underparts […]
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Click Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Click beetles, Insects
Insect follows Elateridae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 13 mm, and has rusty red colour.
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Pea Blue or Long-tailed Blue
Kingdom : Gossamer-winged butterflies, Insects, Moths and Butterflies
Insect follows Lycaenidae family, and Lepidoptera order. It is blue and brown, wing is 24-32 mm long. Larvas feed on flowers, seeds, and cores of many Leguminous plants.
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Wigeon, Eurasian
Medium sized rather rufous duck with short neck, rounded, steep forehead and small grey bill, tipped black. Looks to have a high rear end when seen on water. Has a white belly patch, obvious in flight and when on land. Adult male has creamy yellow forehead and forecrown contrasting with chestnut head and neck, pinkish […]
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Cuckoo, Pied
Size of Common Cuckoo and easily told by distinctive black and white plumage, long graduated tail and crest; conspicuous white wing-patch in flight (unlike any other cuckoo). A rarer black form occurs (which also shows white in wing). Juvenile is sooty above with dirty white underparts and small crest.
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Lark, Desert
Dumpy, short-tailed lark with broad, rounded wings and floppy, slow, undulating flight. Colour variable, grey-brown with much variation; generally, they are unstreaked above except for vague mottling on mantle in some; underparts buffish or greyish white, unmarked in some, but diffusely streaked breast in others; rufous tinge to rump, flight-feathers and underwings in many. Longish, […]
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Lomi albar, Shwik
Growth form: Annual or perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy habitats. Previously recorded from Al Karaanah, Al Wakra and Wadi Al Banat and recently from Al Khorh and other parts of W Qatar. Uses: El Amin reported that it is […]
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Setulosum Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 5 mm, and has black colour.
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Snout Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Weevils (snout beetles), Insects
Insect follows Curculionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 10.5-17 mm, grey colour and covered with yellow hair. Larvas dig inside plant stems, whereas adults feed on flowers and leaves.
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Warbler, Icterine
The only obvious yellow and olive-green warbler in the region. It has a peaked crown, yellow-orange bill and very long wings with pale wing panel. Conspicuous yellowish eye ring and lores making eye prominent. Legs blue-grey.
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Bunting, Corn
Bulky grey-brown bunting with fairly large head, large conical bill and no white in tail. Underparts heavily streaked, some have irregular black spot on breast, often with pale submoustachial stripe and variable ill-defined malar streak. Heavy fluttering flight, legs often dangling, lacks white on trailing edge of wings of Skylark with which it can be […]
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Owl, Short-eared
Resembles Long-eared, but occurs in open ground (Long-eared mostly seen among trees). Flies with slow, elegant and high wing-beats on long, slender wings raised during glides in shallow ‘V’ (shorter wings with shallower, faster wing-beats in Long-eared); often sits on ground and very short ear-tufts not always visible. Further differs from Long-eared in paler greyish […]
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Pygmea Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 7 mm, and has black colour. Body is long.
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Red-legged Ham Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Checkered beetles, Insects
Insect follows Cleridae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 3.5-7 mm, has glossy greenish blue metallic colour; red legs and antennas. Insect feeds on meat fly larvas (Calliphora). Adult feeds on host surface whereas larvas feed inside dry or smoked meat, causing greater harm. Additionally, insect attacks bones, leather, coconut, dried egg, cheese and […]
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Shih
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. May. Status: Native. Rare. Not in other Gulf areas. Habitat & distribution: Recorded by Batanouny at a single location along the road N of Doha, in a small depression. Uses: The plant is known to have anti-microbial properties and is used as an antiseptic and an insecticide. Rizk & Ghazaly […]
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Eagle, Booted
Two phases. Size of Buzzard, but outline and wing-position close to Black Kite; tail square-cut. More ample deep-fingered wings than Buzzard. Pale phase identified by creamy white underparts with contrasting blackish flight-feathers, kite-like band on innerwing above, pale scapulars and upper-tail-coverts and diagnostic small white spot at base of neck, seen on front-view. Dark phase […]
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Eucymatodera Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Checkered beetles, Insects
Insect follows Cleridae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 19 mm, black with a wide white line in the middle, and thorax is reddish brown. Larvas are predator to Tuta Absoluta lavas inside trees.
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Goose, Cotton Pygmy
Smallest duck to occur in the region. Short-neck, and short, stubby, goose-like bill, round body with high rear end on water. Male unmistakable with white head, neck and underparts with black cap, eye and band across white breast. Black back with greenish and purple gloss. Female is a drabber version of the male. Flight is […]
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Sandgrouse Chestnut-bellied
Elegant and dark especially in flight with diagnostic all-dark underwing continuous with dark chestnut belly, merging into paler breast and buffish yellow head in male. Female shows black-spotted breast above the black bar; male has golden wings with some dark barring, female narrowly vermiculated blackish upperparts, and yellowish buff head; both sexes show elongated tail […]
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Falcon, Lanner
Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons
Size of Peregrine but resembles Saker in plumage and shape; long wings with ample hand, slightly blunt-ended when soaring; tail relatively long. Adult separated from most Sakers by barred, greyish upperparts, including distinctly barred uppertail, more contrasting head-pattern of black upper-forehead band, clear-cut narrow black eye-stripe, always conspicuous moustache and with crown unstreaked creamy buff, […]
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Groundnut Seed Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Leaf beetles, Insects
Insect follows Chrysomelidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-6 mm, red grey and has fluff. It attacks Acacia tree seeds, and may cause harm to seed stocks. In some countries, it attacks Tamarind trees.
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Parakeet, Alexandrine
Resembles distinctly larger version of Ring-necked, but with heavier bill and large red patch on shoulders at all ages (sometimes partly hidden when perched). Male female differences as for Rose-ringed.
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Rashad bari
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: A species of silty depressions which have held rainwater.
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Robin, European
Unmistakable brown chat with diagnostic orange-red face and breast; plump body, large dark eyes and short wings. Juvenile, which lacks red breast, is brown, distinctly spotted buff above and below, (attains adult plumage by end of summer). Usually hops close to ground in shadow (but often sings from high perch). Upright stance, rather tame and […]
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Bulbul, White-eared
Size of a small thrush. Easily told by black head and throat with large white cheek-patch; the race that occurs in the region, leucotis, often shows only slight crest. Undertail-coverts yellow and noticeable white tips to tail-feathers. Juvenile has browner head than adult.
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Golden Jackal, Asiatic Jackal
The Golden Jackal is slender, with long legs, a long, pointed muzzle and a relatively short, bushy tail. As the name suggests, the jackal generally has golden or yellowish fur that may vary between seasons, regions and age. The coat is rather coarse. The back is often mottled black, brown and white, while the head, […]
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Harass
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Abudant, often locally dominant. Always on hard surfaces, including gravel plains, stony and and rocky areas, where there is a thin covering of silt or sand. Uses: El Amin remarks that it is not […]
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Seed Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Leaf beetles, Insects
Insect follows Chrysomelidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-6 mm, and is dark red with grey. Larvas feed on green or dry seeds of plants. In Africa, it is used in biological control to get rid of harmful grasses.
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Wheatear, Kurdistan
Male has a grey crown with a distinctive white supercilium. Ear coverts, throat and shoulder are black. Mantle is grey , underparts whitish with a rusty orange vent.. Female lacks black throat as in male. Tips of tail feathers are black with two white lines, and are a red broad colour extending towards birds’ body. […]
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Bulbul, Red-vented
Generally sooty in colour with black head and fine pale scalloping on upperparts and breast when seen close; slightly crested and with red undertail-coverts. In flight, reveals off-white rump and white tip to blackish tail. Can be gregarious.
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Hoopoe-Lark, Greater
Large, slender lark, easily identified by its long decurved bill, rather long pale legs, long tail and, in flight, bold black and white bands through wings. Upperparts unstreaked sandy grey-buff, underparts whitish, often spotted black on breast; whitish supercilium, dark eye and malar-stripe. Juvenile spotted on mantle but almost without breast-spots; bill less decurved. Speedy […]
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Lesser Jerboa
This attractive rodent has a large, rounded head, big, lustrous eyes, large rounded ears, and long whiskers. The hind feet are enormously elongated, with three toes, the central one being the longest. These toes have fringes of rigid hairs that conceal the digital pads. The forelimbs are relatively small, each with five toes. The tail […]
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Warbler, Common Grasshopper
Small, dark skulking warbler with rounded tail when seen flushed and flying to cover, in short jerky flight. Upperparts olive-brown, heavily streaked, with faint supercilium. Underparts dirty white with streaking on rear flanks, undertail, and sometimes on darker breast.
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Waterhen, White-breasted
Slightly smaller and slimmer than Moorhen with longer neck and bill. Distinctive slaty brown and white, with rufous-chestnut vent and undertail-coverts, and yellowish green bill and feet; in breeding season reddish base to upper mandible; the crimson eye set in white face is very conspicuous. Juvenile has white face obscured by slate-brown. Skulking but sometimes […]
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Kameela
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent or abundant on sand sheets, gravel plains and other sandy habitats. Uses: Mandaville remarks that the plant is traditionally used by one of the bedouin tribes to treat mange of camels. Ghazanfar records […]
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Mynah, Common
Plumage is deep brown, with a yellow bill and small yellow bare patch below the eye. In flight it shows a conspicuous large white patch across primary bases, on outer underwing-coverts and on tail corners. Walks on ground with an upright, strutting motion. A noisy bird.
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Osprey
Easily told by long, narrow wings, distinctly angled when gliding, white under-surface with black carpals and band through centre of underwing, white crown and dark eye-mask. Variable dusky band across fore-neck (usually boldest in female). Juvenile has whitish scales and white line on greater coverts above. Flies with very steady shallow wing-beats, glides on smoothly […]
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Puncticollis Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 8-10 mm, and has black colour. Body is long.
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Wheatear, Pied
Slender, relatively long-tailed wheatear, often perching on bushes. told from Mourning by absence of white panel in open wing. Autumn male has black back and ‘bib’ fringed buffish, dark crown with buff-white supercilium, and buff underparts. Female sometimes like female Black-eared (of eastern race melanoleuca) but upperparts usually duller, cooler brown-grey; some show large dark […]
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Duck, Ferruginous
Slightly smaller than Tufted Duck, shape of head close to that of Pochard. No crest but higher crown than Tufted Duck. It has a flatter sloping forehead and longer dark grey bill with black nail when compared with Tufted Duck. Male is rich chestnut brown with white eye, sharply defined pure white undertail coverts and […]
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Rijel Alhamam
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional on shallow Sandy areas uses: ‘The entire plant is used as a stimulant and aphrodisiac’ (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).
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Silverbill, Indian
Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows
Small brown and whitish finch-type with large conical silver-grey bill, prominent eye and pointed black tail. Juvenile has pale edgings to wing feathers. Fairly tame and often in small groups, sitting close when perched, with tail waving and flicking. Light flight with small undulations.
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Sparrowhawk, Levant
Similar to Eursian Sparrowhawk in plumage, but longer, narrower, less curved wings have more pointed tip, giving falcon-like appearance when gliding (separating also from blunt-winged Sparrowhawk). Male dull blue-grey above with blackish wing-tip and plain central tail-feathers; female browner, less contrasting and closed uppertail has dark band near tip. From below, male has white underwing […]
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Thistle Mantis
Kingdom : Mantis, Empusid, Insects
Insect follows Empusidae family, and Mantodea order. It is green and white spotted. Size is about 60 mm. It is a predator to other insects. Adults can move head and thorax one side, but movement is slow.
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Baluchistan Gerbil
Kingdom : Mammals, Gerbils and jirds
The Baluchistan Gerbil is a small and widely distributed desert rodent. It has a sandy fawn or greyish upper body with white undersides, separated by a clear demarcation. The tail is long, with a prominent, dark tuft on the end. This species has naked palms and soles on the feet, unlike those of Cheesman’s Gerbil.
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Brown rat
Kingdom : Mammals
In natural populations, these rats are covered in course brown fur on their dorsal surface, lightening to a tan/gray colour when moing to their ventral abdomen (patches of black or white fur is not uncommon). Various strains of these rats bred in captivity can be white, black or brown. The ears and tail are bald […]
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Bunting, Striolated
Small rufous coloured bunting with orange-yellow lower mandible, and rufous edged outer tail feathers, and thin streaks on upperparts and wing coverts. Male has a dark ash-grey and white striped head, throat and upper breast with steel-grey and black speckles. Upperparts, wing coverts, lower breast and belly are bright rufous. Female duller with much more […]
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Chaffinch, Common
Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows
A medium-sized finch. Male is easily identified by blue-grey head, chestnut back, pinkish breast and 2 white wing-bars. Female is more nondescript but can be told by white wing-bars, white outer tail feathers and brownish to olive brown upperparts. Undulating flight with wings closed every few beats. Feeds mainly on ground where it moves rather […]
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Domino Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Ground beetles, Insects
Beetle follows Carabidae family, and Coleoptera order. It is big-sized (between 35-40 mm) black beetle, with white spots. It is a predator for other kinds of insects, and moves fast.
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Ghebayra, Eysh shawlah
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded only once on Jebel Dukhan by El Amin. Uses: Used as a diuretic and astringent (Batanouny); a powerful narcotic and stomach iRenee Richeritant (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).
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Merlin
Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons
Smallest falcon in the region; has short pointed wings and relatively long tail, speedy flight with fast wing-beats, interspersed with short quick glides. Male told by blue-grey upperparts with blackish primaries, broad black tail-band and ill-defined head pattern. Female and juvenile are brownish above, creamy below with dark streaks, diffuse moustache, barred primaries above and […]
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Bustard, Macqueen’s
Large, with long narrow neck and rather elongated body and long tail. In flight, wings long and evenly broad white primary patches evident. White and black crest in adults. Also black tufted feathers on side of neck with white central band.(lacking in juveniles) Breast uniformly grey, upperparts blotched and barred brown. Male elongates black and […]
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Ghebayra,Umm wajaa alkabid
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent on compact or thin soils over most of Qatar. Uses: ‘Good fodder’ (El Amin). The scientific name refers to its use in treating hernias (mentioned for Europe by Jongbloed et al.). It is […]
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Gull, Baltic
The smallest in size of the Gull group with long very dark black wings and mantle. Legs are bright yellow with a small white mirror spot on wingtip when flying. Distinguished from other gulls by dark brown tertials, white tail and rump, tail base with spotted or barred black and white beard. Lives in coastal […]
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Jewel Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Jewel beetles, Insects
Beetle follows Buprestidae family, and Coleoptera order. The beetle is big-sized (between 29-31 mm), has a glossy green colour with glossy yellow spots. It feeds on wild tree flower’s nectar from Aril to June. Larva has a flattened head and lives as diggers inside wild trees.
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Peafowl, Indian (Peacock)
Weighs from 3.5-5kg. Introduced into Qatar. Male has distinctive long beautiful neck and long greenish glossy feathers with round spots, when displaying its blue, green and beautiful feathers in a dramatic way for attracting females. Peafowl is usually shy but very tame.
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Shelduck, Ruddy
Short necked, small billed, goose like duck with orange chestnut body and paler cinnamon-buff head. Black flight feathers with green speculum, striking white forewing and underwing coverts, and a black bill and legs. In flight told from other ducks and geese by size, striking black and white wing pattern, and orange-chestnut body.
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The Vagrant Emperor
Kingdom : Insects, Dragonflies, Hawkers or Darners
Insect follows Aeshnidae family, and Odonata order. It is brown with blue spots, wings are clear membrane. Size is about 60-70 mm. Adults have strong wings, help them fly fast and chase prey. Adults are predators to flying insects especially flies and mosquitoes. Nymphs live in water, and are predators to mosquito’s larvas and micro-organisms […]
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Alqa
Growth form: Perennial herb or shrublet. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. First record: SW Qatar, March 2007 (John Norton and S. Aspinall). Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: In moderately firm sand mixed with gravel, and similar habitats. A species also of stable sand dunes in some other parts of the Gulf. […]
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Cormorant, Socotra
Slightly smaller than the Great Cormorant, it has a slimmer head and neck. Adult has sooty black plumage with bronze green wings and back, and without white face and chin patch of Great Cormorant. Bill is much slimmer than that of Great Cormorant and appears paler against dark head. In breeding plumage, more glossy and […]
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Pratincole, Black-winged
Kingdom : Birds, Pratincole
Structure and behaviour as Collared (which see); difficult to distinguish between the two. Adult slightly darker above than Collared, with no contrast between flight-feathers and coverts, lacks white trailing edge to secondaries, and underwing-coverts are jet black (but reddish brown in Collared can be hard to see, often appearing dark), tail fork shallower; when perched […]
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Weaver, Streaked
Tale is short, bill is thick and black, crown in male is yellow with clear streaks on body. Female lacks yellow crown, bill is paler, and streaks on body are pale brown and under coverts brownish. Prefers to live in a habitat rich with reeds and wetland.
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Black rat
Kingdom : Mammals
Many individuals of this species are black in colour with a lighter coloured ventral abdomen. The species is often divided into subspecies based on colour patterns which can occur in any combination of black, white, gray and agouti. The scull and nasal bones are relatively narrow. One of the best ways to differentiate between R. […]
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Caterpillar Hunter
Kingdom : Beetles, Ground beetles, Insects
Beetle follows Carabidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 20-28 mm, black, and with big thorax. It is a predator and fast moving insect.
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Swamphen, Purple
Almost twice the size of Moorhen; huge red bill and frontal shield; red legs prominent. Plumage mostly uniform bluish with greyish head and neck. Swims with body stooped forward like Moorhen; white undertail-coverts often striking. In flight, shape like huge Moorhen with blue wings and long red legs. Juvenile drabber with greyish underparts, dull red […]
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Zaphra, Khaysa
Growth form: Annual or short-lived perennial. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Rocky places; previously recorded N of Doha by Batanouny and recently in a few sites in NE Qatar (Mohammed Al Safran).
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Finch, Trumpeter
Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows
Small, rather inconspicuous, ground dwelling finch with a large head, stout bill and rather short tail. Male distinctive with grey head pinkish wash on forehead, underparts and rump, and wings. Bill an orange-red. Non-breeding female and juvenile sandy grey-buff with slightly paler rump, blackish grey wings and tail with paler feather edgings and pale yellowish […]
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Gryllus campestris
Kingdom : Insects, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Diggers
Insect follows Gryllotalpidae family, and Orthoptera order. It is brown, size is about 30-35 mm. Adults dig tunnels under soil, attack stems of plants, vegetables and trees; causing the death of young plants. It causes economic harms for crops especially when they are buds.
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Moorhen, Common
A dark waterhen with prominent red bill and shield, white flank line and constantly flirting tail, exhibiting white undertail-coverts both when walking and swimming. Swims with vigorous nodding movements and body stooped forward unlike Coot. Juvenile paler, grey-brown with dark bill, and distinguished from young Coot by white flank line and undertail pattern. Swims often […]
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Tern, White-winged
Smaller than Whiskered with clearly shorter, thinner bill and more buoyant flight. Adult in summer identified by solid black body and underwing-coverts contrasting with greyish white flight-feathers below, white tail and upperwing. In winter, underparts white, upperparts pale grey; rump and tail white; a few show some black marks on underwing- coverts, making identification easier. […]
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ThuwaT, Samarra
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from N and C Qatar in silty or sandy areas; often associated with Ziziphus nummularia trees.
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Grace
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or locally frequent in small sandy or silty depressions; C and S Qatar. Uses: ‘The plant is sometimes eaten raw by bedouin, who may also use it in the preparation of iqt (dried sour milk cakes)’ […]
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Rockfinch, Pale
Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows
Unstreaked grey-brown with a broad white streak where secondaries meet the tertials. It has a long primary projection, short dark tail with a white tip( seen in flight), strong pale bill, translucent looking brownish orange legs, sandy white underparts, 2 whitish wing-bars and a prominent dark eye in a pale face. In flight the long […]
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Wheatear, Isabelline
Resembles large female Northern Wheatear but, generally, more robust in build, with longer legs and bill, slightly shorter tail and more upright stance; best separated by isolated black alula in paler, more uniform sandy wings, contrasting less with upperparts (has broader pale feather-edges to wings than Northern Wheatear; note that some first autumn Northern can […]
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Bee-eater, Blue-cheeked
Larger than European Bee-eater and distinctly green or turquoise-green with a chestnut throat, long central tail-streamers and rusty red underwings framed dark on trailing edge. Juvenile duller and lacks long tail projections. From young European Bee-eater (more uniform greenish upperparts than in adult) by entirely green plumage including crown and underparts, long tail-streamers, and rusty […]
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Gull, Great Black-headed
Very large gull. Distinctive adult identified in summer by large black hood, large orange-yellow bill with black band near tip and white primaries with black band near wing-tip. In winter, has large dusky patch behind eye; white eye-crescents present in all ages. Juvenile and 1st winter told from other young large gulls by unmarked white […]
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Marak
Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy habitats. Although a dominant component of the coastal vegetation over much of the Gulf, it prefers non-saline, fairly deep sand and therefore is restricted in Qatar, mainly to western coastal areas. In […]
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Pioneer White or Brown-veined White
Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Whites, Yellows, or Sulphurs
Insect follows Pieridae family, and Lepidoptera order. Wing is white and black from ends. Wing is about 45-60 mm long. Larvas attack plants of Capparaceae, causing great economic harm to cabbages.
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Sparrow, Spanish
Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows
Resembles House Sparrow, but male has typically rufous brown crown and larger bib, extending to bold black streaks on breast and flanks. Back is boldly streaked black, marging at sides with black of breast. Cheeks are whitish, and the belly is white. It is not easy to distinguish female and juvenile from House Sparrow counterparts. […]
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Tern, Saunder’s
Very difficult to separate from Little Tern in non-breeding plumage, particularly in Arabian Gulf, where intermediates between the two apparently occur. In breeding plumage there is a triangular white spot on the forehead. This is larger in Little Tern. In flight outer primaries tend to show more black than in Little Tern. Rump is more […]
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Bee-eater, European
Easily distinguished by combination of chestnut crown, bright yellow throat contrasting with turquoise-blue underparts and, in adult, by chestnut back and upperwing-coverts. In flight, shows paler, grey underwings. Juvenile has more greenish upperparts, but still shows chestnut crown and yellow throat; central tail-feathers very short or lacking. Migrates in flocks, often passing high overhead, revealed […]
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Cetorus Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-6 mm, and has blackish brown colour.
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Eagle, Eastern Imperial
In adult, plumage is blackish-brown with contrasting yellow-white hindneck, pale uppertail with broad black band, white ‘shoulder-braces’ (hard to see), pale ventral region, darkish primaries above, parallel-edged wings held flattish and, often, closed narrow tail when soaring. Juvenile has dark-streaked breast forming pectoral band which contrasts with unstreaked yellow-buff rear-body, and distinct pale wedge on […]
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Itr, Jarawa (Fruits)
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent to abundant, or locally dominant in shallow sandy runnels and depressions on gravel plains; mostly S Qatar. Uses: ‘Whole plant is good fodder; fruit eaten by animals’ (El Amin); Mandaville also states that the very […]
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Crow, House
A slim crow with a scrawny appearance. It has a domed crown, a long deep bill and a long tail.The grey nape, neck and breast clearly demarcated from black face and remaining black plumage. Gregarious.
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Ghasool, Hor
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in dried out saline areas, such as the edges of irrigated fields and along beaches, on compacted sand or other soils; mainly NE Qatar.
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Nightingale, Eastern
Kingdom : Birds, Nightingale
Easily confused with Thrush Nightingale. But this species is paler and closer to grey brown colour with pale streaks on chest. Tail colour is rusty brown and eye ring is pale. Found in areas rich in trees and bushes, particulary lin town/city gardens and also in semi desert areas with plenty of shade cover.
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Snipe, Jack
Smallest snipe in region. Very hard to see on ground being superbly camouflaged and extremely difficult to flush; often rises silently at about 1 m distance, in low, slightly jerking flight, which is less powerful than Common Snipe’s and reminiscent of a small crake; settles almost immediately; short bill, blackish brown upperparts with two broad […]
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Thrush, Song
A little thrush that has black spots (not lines) on whitish underparts, is brown above with pale yellowish brown underwing- coverts. Flight is fast and straight.
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Vulture, Egyptian
A small vulture, the size of an Eagle. Adult has white wedge shaped tail, white underparts with black flight feathers, small pointed head and thin bill. Colour pattern similar to pale phase Booted Eagle or White Stork but shape quite different. Juvenile is mid brown below, ruff blackish, dark brown above with creamy bars on […]
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Buzzard, Steppe
Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons
The main race that occurs in the region is the highly migratory Steppe Buzzard, B. b. vulpinus, which is slightly smaller with narrower, more pointed wings and longer tail compared with Western European birds of the race B. b. buteo, which are rare.Three types occur: fox-red, grey-brown and blackish (scarce); intermediates are frequent. Fox-red and […]
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Longheaded Flour Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 2.5-3 mm, and has brown colour. It is a dangerous pest in grain storage.
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Nightjar, European
The most patterned nightjar in the region and also the most widely encountered. The distinguishing features are the dark-streaked grey crown contrasting with rich brown cheeks and throat, and grey upperparts with broad bands of dark brown and buff on the scapulars and rows of buff bands on the coverts. Male has white spots in […]
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Samah, Ghasool
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Noted in two places in western Qatar, 2007 (John Norton), including one site on the outskirts of Dukhan township and another south of Umm Bab; both on compact, calcareous soils. Also Al Khor island (Renee Richer). Batanouny […]
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Warbler, Asian Desert
A small sandy grey -brown warbler, with relatively long tail and legs. Rufous-brown tertials rump and closed upper tail. The tail, when spread is dark brown, with much white on sides with a rufous centre.The fine bill is mostly yellow, with yellowish iris and legs. Sometimes there is a pale area around the eye. Spends […]
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Warbler, Clamorous Reed
Similar to Great Reed Warbler, but slightly smaller and slimmer with longer bill. A long more rounded tail, short wings with only 4 – 5 primary tips showing beyond tertials. Colder grey-brown plumage than Great Reed with less pronounced supercilium. Legs steely grey or or slate brown. Pale brown in Great Reed. Song is important […]
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Cormorant, Great
Large waterbird with a powerful bill, swims low in the water and often perches with wings outstretched. In breeding plumage glossy black with white feathering on nape and neck and white thigh patch. Adults in winter retain white chin and throat patch unlike the Socotra cormorant. Juveniles browner with brownish-white or dirty white underparts. or […]
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Prinia, Graceful
Small, plain, pale grey and buff warbler with long graduated tail, which is frequently raised. Streaked on crown, mantle and back. Round head, pale face and prominent eye. Tail dark above, pale below with black and white tips. Underparts off-white and streaked. Bill fine, black in breeding male, brown in female. Active and tame, raely […]
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Wagtail, Citrine
Male unmistakable; N Russian race, citreola, has bright yellow head and underparts, black neck-band and grey upperparts; S central Asian calcarata has black mantle while W central Asian, werae, has no (or reduced) black neck-band and less rich yellow underparts; 2 broad pure white wing-bars characteristic at all ages. Female told from Yellow also by […]
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Hadaq, Jafnah
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Native. Very common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent; usually on harder substrates with shallow deposits of sand. uses: Eaten by camels; leaves are eaten in salads.
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Pipit, Tree
Resembles Meadow but slightly larger and stockier and with slightly shorter tail; best told from Meadow by voice. Compared with Meadow, generally warmer grey-brown above (less grey-green), warmer yellow-buff on breast but belly whiter; breast often bolder striped but flanks usually finely streaked (often boldly in Meadow); dark malar and creamy submoustachial streak generally boldest […]
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Prolixum Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 7 mm, and has grey colour.
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Warbler, Wood
Large warbler, with long wings and short tail. Vivid green upperparts, with long broad yellow supercilium, ear coverts, throat and upper breast. Contrasting white underparts. Yellow-fringed secondaries form pale panel contrasting with blackish, whitish fringed tertials. Black alula visible, with yellow lower bill and pale legs. Rather active high up in trees.
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Dove, Rock (including Feral Pigeon)
Medium-sized, compact, pale blue-grey pigeon, with two broad black bands across secondaries above and whitish or greyish rump. Underwing white with dark band at rear, black band on outer tail.The ancestor of the Feral Pigeon, some of which are very similar to Rock, others are blackish, whitish or reddish buff, but black bands on wing, […]
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Falcon, Barbary
Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons
Resembles Peregrine in outline and flight but slightly narrower based wings (male) give impression of longer tail. Adult separated from Peregrine by rufous nape and rear eyebrow, narrower moustache and larger pale cheek-patch, almost reaching eye; more creamy, less barred underparts,and often with dark ‘comma’ on greater primary coverts; upperparts paler blue-grey, more often with […]
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Francolin, Grey
A rather drab, stub-tailed greyish brown gamebird with fine mottling and barring on upper and underparts with chestnut forehead and cheeks; has pale throat-patch bordered below by black ‘U’. In flight, shows chestnut tail. Hard to flush, but if pressed rises with explosive whirr of wings. Normally runs off very swiftly.
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Mangrove, Qaram, Showra.
Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Sheltered bays and creeks, often along the tide line; usually dominant where it occurs. Main surviving areas are at Umm Tais, Ras Laffan, Al Dhakhira, Al Khor, all in NE Qatar and Al Wakra. Abulfatih et al. […]
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Plain Tiger
Kingdom : Brush-footed butterflies or Four-footed butterflies, Insects, Moths and Butterflies
Insect follows Nymphalidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Butterfly body is black with white spots, wings are yellowish black. Wing is 70-80 mm long. It flies from dawn till dusk. Female lays one oviparous on lower surface of leaves, then on the upper surface making several holes in leaves. Butterfly attacks several plant families including; Asclepiadoideae […]
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Caterpillar Hunter
Kingdom : Beetles, Ground beetles, Insects
Beetle follows Carabidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 20-28 mm, has a black colour, with big thorax, and produces malodor from a gland on abdomen side. It is a predator and fast insect.
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Dove, Namaqua
Unmistakable at all ages. Very small blue-grey or grey-brown dove with long black central tail-feathers, recalling large Budgerigar in shape. In flight, black primaries show large red-brown patch. Male has black face and upper breast, which are brownish grey in female. Juvenile barred black and buff on crown, throat, wing-coverts and back. Very rapid flight […]
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Ibis, African Sacred
Unmistakable with black and white plumage, long black scapulars drooping over rear end and long, decurved bill. Juvenile has mottled head and neck. In flight, shows diagnostic black line on rear edge of wings. Rather heavy in flight with longish neck outstretched and legs protruding beyond tail.
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Nightingale, Common
Kingdom : Birds, Nightingale
Very similar to Thrush Nightingale but more russet-brown upper-parts, paler, rusty red tail, and often more conspicuous whiter eye-ring; underparts more ‘clean’, lacking mottled impression on breast and flanks. The central Asian race hafizi, which migrates through the eastern part of the region, shows pale fringes to the tertials and greater coverts, paler underparts and […]
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Shrubby Horsetail, Alanda
Growth form: Climber. Flowering. Apr–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy depressions, with Ziziphus or Acacia, N and C Qatar. Uses: Batanouny mentions that protruding branches are usually ‘trimmed’ by camels. ‘Certain plants of this genus yield ephedrine, used in the treatment of colds, asthma […]
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Swallowtail Butterfly
Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Swallowtail butterflies
Insect follows Papilionidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Wing is yellow and black with two lower red spots. Wing is about 80-100 mm long. Larvas attack plants of Rutaceae, causing great economic harm to them.
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Adder’s-tongue Fern
Kingdom : Flora, Fern, Ophioglossaceae
Growth form: Fern. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Local. First published record: Abdel Bari (1995); see also Abdel Bari (1997). Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional, N and S Qatar, sandy areas. Uses: Used to be eaten as salad greens (Jongbloed et al.).
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Date-palm Stalk Borer
Kingdom : Beetles, Scarab beetles, Insects
Insect follows Scarabaeidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 35-40 mm, and has glossy black colour. It is considered a pest of palm trees, as larvas dig long tutas in palm leaves and clusters, so they fall.
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Death’s-head Hawk-moth
Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Hawk moths, Sphinx moths, and Hornworms
Insect follows Sphingidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Frontal wing color is brown, with yellow waves. Back wing is yellow with brown waves. Wing is about 90-130 mm long. Female lays eggs individually on lower surface of Solanales especially sesame and potato. Moreover, it attacks other plants.
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Dove, Laughing
Small, dark red-brown dove, recalling Collared in proportions but plumage closer to Turtle; smaller than both. Black-spotted patch on fore-neck and upper breast, unspotted red-brown upperparts with large, dull blue-grey area in outer-coverts distinguish it. Uppertail less contrasting than in Turtle. Juvenile lacks patch on fore-neck and is less richly coloured. Flight closer to Collared’s […]
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Parakeet, Rose-ringed
Large green parakeet with long, graduated, pointed tail and short, deeply hooked red bill. In male, black throat continues round neck as a narrow rosy ring, absent in female and juvenile where throat green and bill horn-coloured. The larger Alexandrine has red shoulder-patch, absent in Rose-ringed. Flight swift, fast and direct but flocks may change […]
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Robin, White-throated
Size and movements recall Nightingale: strikingly coloured male identified by black sides of face and head framing pure white centre of throat, rusty red underparts, blue-grey upperparts, black tail and whitish supercilium. Grey-brown female has dark brown tail, ochreous-buff sides of body, whitish throat bordered grey-buff at sides of head and breast, Generally shy and […]
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Afro-Asian Sand Snake
Kingdom : Reptiles, Snakes, Colubridae
Average adult sand snakes measure just below 100cm, exceptionally reaching 150cm. The head is long and narrow, shaped similar to a coffin. Head easiyl distinguished with the very thin neck region. Colour of the snakes are variable with two common forms. The first is tan coloured, with a pale tan-dotted line, consisting of small suture […]
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Desert Hare, Arabian Hare, Cape Hare
The Desert Hare is small, but has exceptionally large ears. Their colour varies from light brown to pale grey, with white undersides. The large ears assist cooling by dissipating body heat through many superficial blood vessels. Tufts of soft hair grow between the pads on its feet and help him to move on soft sand. […]
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Gadwall
Medium sized, slightly built dabbling duck. Swims high on water with elevated rear end like Wigeon. Flies with rapid wing beats and has pointed wings like Wigeon. Males mainly dark grey with black around tail, In flight white speculum, bordered black in front, and white belly are visible. Female and juvenile resemble larger and heavier […]
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Myrmeleon
Kingdom : Insects, Net-Winged Insects, Antlion lacewings
Insect follows Myrmeleontidae family, and Neuroptera order. It is dark brown and sides are yellow. Size is about 20-30 mm. Nymphs are small, without wings, make traps in sand to catch insects especially ants. Adults have clear membranes wings and body is thin and long.
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Stilt, Black-winged
Unmistakable. Exceptionally long, red legs and rather slim black and white body; walks with high, graceful carriage. In flight, white with uniform black wings and noticeable trailing legs. Head and neck pattern varies from pure white to dusky grey. Female has slightly browner mantle and scapulars. Non-breeding adults have dusky head- and neck marks. Juvenile […]
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Swallow, Red-rumped
Size, shape and bluish black upperparts much resembling Barn Swallow but easily distinguished by rufous collar and broad pale rufous rump; underparts, including underwing-coverts, buffish white, faintly streaked (hardly visible in flight); conspicuous black undertail-coverts striking when perched or in flight; lacks breast band and white in tail. Juvenile duller and browner with upperparts fringed […]
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Crake, Little
Smaller than Spotted Crake and separated by uniform grey underparts (adult male) and heavily barred undertail-coverts. Female has brown-buff underparts, white chin and throat and some grey on cheeks and supercilium. Juvenile lacks grey head pattern and has stronger flank-barring than adult. Hard to see, but often walks on floating vegetation.
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Koel, Asian
Unmistakable cuckoo-like bird with relatively thick bill, short wings and rather long tail. Male black with bluish gloss and bright yellow bill. Female has drab brawn upperparts, thinly streaked and spotted white; whitish throat heavily streaked dark brown, rest of underparts densely barred with dark brown and buff; dark tail with many thin whitish bars. […]
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Field Cricket
Kingdom : Insects, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Crickets
Insect follows Gryllidae family, and Orthoptera order. It is glossy black with two yellow spots. Size is about 30-35 mm. Adults and nymphs feed on herbal plants. Male makes sounds through rubbing outer wings with each other all night to attract female and warn other males.
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Martin, Sand
Small, dull brown and white martin distinguished by white underparts sharply broken by brown breast band and slightly long and deeply forked tail. Juvenile has scaly buff upperparts. It has a fluttering flight action.
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Sand Gazelle or Reem
Kingdom : Mammals, Oryx and gazelle
Sand Gazelle are the largest gazelle species in Arabia. The species is famed for its beauty and agility while running. They are cautious animals, and run at high speed to avoid danger, without the leaping gait seen in other gazelle species. They are stockily built, and a light sandy colour. There may be ill-defined facial […]
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Shoveler, Northern
Medium sized, rather heavily built and short necked dabbling duck. Differs from all other ducks with huge spatulate bill. Swims with front end low and bill often dabbling in water. Shape and proportions unique. Male has unmistakable dark bill and glossy green head which contrast markedly with white breast and shoulder. Flanks and belly strikingly […]
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Tuwaim, Tarf
Growth form: Small shrub. Flowering. Feb–Mar. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional to frequent on rocky substrates with shallow sand, or in silty and sandy depressions. Uses: Several authors note that the Flowering heads were formerly used by the bedouin for stuffing saddles, pillows and cushions. Used […]
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Longipes Grasshopper
Kingdom : Insects, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Grasshoppers
Insect follows Acrididae family, and Orthoptera order. It is light brown with black, size is about 25 mm. Adults and nymphs feed on herbal plants. Back legs are strong and long, help them move through jumping. Adults lay eggs in groups in soil.
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Orf Aldeek
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr.sSatus: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in cultivated and disturbed areas, including farms and gardens. Uses: Leaves are used as an emollient; crushed leaves are applied to scorpion stings, snake bites, irritating or itchy rashes (Ghazanfar).
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Tern, White-cheeked
Slightly smaller than Common Tern with shorter wings, slightly shorter legs but with fairly long bill. A dark tern, in breeding plumage it is easy to identify with its black cap, white cheeks, dark grey wings and light underparts. Bill colour varies from almost all red to almost all black.The legs are a dark brownish-red. […]
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Harrier, Western Marsh
Larger, heavier and more broad-winged than other harriers; wavering low glides on raised wings when hunting; otherwise wings with bend at carpals. Male tri-coloured on upperwing (silver-grey, brown and black); uppertail silver-grey; under surface white but wing-tip black and rear-body red-brown, latter separating it from high-flying male Hen Harrier. Female dark brown, tail rusty-brown, crown, […]
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Lesser Mealworm
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 5.8-6.3 mm, and has black or blackish brown colour. It is a desert insect. Antennas and body have dense short yellow hair. It is a dangerous pest for food storage, and a significant transporter of poultry diseases and parasites.
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Shrike, Woodchat
Striking rufous-brown crown and nape in adult with large white shoulder patch on black upperparts.. Female is duller with more white/buff at base of bill and lower back and rump only slightly greyer than mantle. Juvenile and first winter birds resemble Red-backed Shrike counterparts, but upper parts of Woodchat Shrike are pale grey brown with […]
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Sugarcane Looper
Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Owlet moths
Insect follows Noctuidae family, and Lepidoptera order. It is grey-brown; wing is 36-50 mm long. Larvas feed on gramineous plant leaves in fields and farms.
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Clitobius Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 4 mm, and has yellowish brown colour.
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Doflaa
Growth form: Tree. Flowering. All year. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Not known but widespread throughout the Gulf; native to parts of UAE and Oman. Uses: Widely planted in towns for shade and landscaping. The bitter roots are used medicinally, including as a diuretic and emetic. Ghazanfar states that the leaves are […]
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Hypocolius
Kingdom : Birds, Hypocolius
In shape resembles a slim Grey Shrike but with longer tail. Soft blue-grey plumage with black eye-mask joining over nape and black-tipped tail; primaries black (but barely showing so at rest) with pure white tips, prominent in flight. Female and immature rather featureless creamy brown (but with well demarcated creamy throat), lacking black on head […]
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Pipit, Red-throated
Adult plumage has variable amount of reddish or pinkish buff on face, throat and upper breast. Plumage varies during summer and first winter regarding throat and breast colour, streaked rumps, flanks and stripes. Found in grassland, cultivated lands and marshes near water. Categorized in Qatar as passage migrant and winter visitor.
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Spotted Bollworm
Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Tuft moths
Insect follows Nolidae family, and Lepidoptera order. It is white and green; wing is 17-23 mm long. This butterfly is a dangerous pest for okra plant. Female lays oviparous on okra; larvas penetrate, feed on it and become unmerchantable.
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Warbler, Barred
A large warbler. Adults have concentric barring on underparts, and a yellowish iris. A long tail with white corners when spread upon landing. Tips of greater coverts and tertials are whitish. Some dark barring on undertail coverts. Usually keeps hidden in bushes. Movements are rather heavy.
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Falcon, Saker
Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons
Largest falcon of the region with wing-span of female Buzzard. Like Lanner in outline, but larger, and heavier-chested. Separated from Lanner by combination of whitish crown (sometimes confined to nape), unbarred Kestrel-like contrast above, less distinctly barred uppertail, poorly developed moustache and less contrasting head pattern (diffuse dark eye-stripe, no dark forehead-band); whitish supercilium often […]
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Imatismus Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 10 mm, and has black colour with short yellow hair. Body is long.
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Shrike, Steppe Grey
Compared with the Southern Grey Shrike, its colour is more pale particularly the bill and the area between the bill and the eyes, and also the crown. It is difficult to tell them apart from other shrikes. Usually it swoops on its prey, like big insects and rodents, and spikes them on thorns to feed […]
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Wheatear, Eastern Mourning
When perched resembles stocky version of male Pied or male Eastern Pied (capistrata race). Readily identified from both in flight by prominent whitish panel in open wing; compared with Pied the black ‘bib’ is smaller, underparts white (tinged buff in Pied) and undertail-coverts rufous-buff; also primary coverts narrowly tipped white and black band near tip […]
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Whitethroat, Common
Kingdom : Birds, Whitethroat
A middle-sized warbler resembles Lesser Whitethroat, but differs in having chestnut fringes to coverts and secondaries. Tail is slightly longer, legs are orange and eye ring is white. Females and 1st winter birds birds lack the grey wash present in males, with dark iris (not orange). Similar to Lesser Whitethroat but can always be identified […]
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Fennel
Growth form: Biennial or perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Introduced. Local. Not in other Gulf Areas. Habitat & distribution: An occasional escapee, e.g. along irrigated roadsides. Uses: Cultivated for its aniseed-flavoured seeds, which are widely used in Asian cooking. Numerous medicinal uses are described by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.
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Prolixa Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 5-7 mm, and has yellow colour.
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Sparrow, House
Kingdom : Birds, Finches and Sparrows
A common wide-spread sparrow. Male has a grey crown, chestnut brown sides to head, pale greyish cheeks, large black bib on chest and grey rump. Mantle and wing coverts are rufous-chestnut brown with a broad white wing bar on median coverts. Female and juvenile lack contrasting head and throat pattern, being buffish brown above, boldly […]
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Mundus Grasshopper
Kingdom : Insects, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Grasshoppers
Insect follows Acrididae family, and Orthoptera order. It is light brown with black, size is about 25 mm. Adults and nymphs feed on herbal plants. Back legs are strong and long, help them move through jumping. Adults lay eggs in groups in soil.
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Pseudoseriscius Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 4-5 mm, and has yellow colour.
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Robin, Black Scrub
Similar in size and shape to Rufous Scrub Robin but with longer tail. Appearance unmistakable: entirely sooty black plumage with browner wings and prominent white tips to undertail-coverts and outer tail-feathers (obviously visible from below, when tail is swept upwards over back and fanned). Skulking or close to cover, often on ground but sings from […]
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Warbler, Willow
Medium sized warbler. Rather yellow in plumage, with olive upperparts, darker, pale-edged flight feathers and tertials, with yellow-white underparts and supercilium. Legs and bill variable, usually pale brown or orange. It has a longer primary projection than Chiffchaff. Differs from Chiffchaff with brighter, more yellow and green appearance, longer, broader supercilium, contrasting yellow throat and […]
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Wild Cat
They look similar to housecats but smaller in size. A wild cat has pale gray long fur, a round small face, black or brown nose with white whiskers, white lips and yellow brownish ears. The tail is long, and usually slightly exceeds one-half of the animal’s body length. The ears are moderate in length, and […]
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Arabian Sand Boa
Kingdom : Reptiles, Snakes, Boidae
A small snake usually around 30-45cm but sand boa’s as large as 64cm have been found. They have a small head with fragmented scales, with the eyes on top of the head. They have a spade shaped snout used to bury themselves in the sand quickly and efficiently. The body is short and thick and […]
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Dill
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Feb–Apr. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Cultivated areas. Uses: Leaves and seeds used as salad, also used as a herb and spice in cooking for its aniseed-like Flavouring, e.g. to Flavour rice dishes. Numerous medicinal uses are described by Rizk & El-Ghazaly.
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Flycatcher, Spotted
Kingdom : Birds, Flycatcher
A brownish grey, long-winged flycatcher, with streaked forehead and breast, thin pale edges to greater coverts and tertials, and blackish bill. Males make short wavering flights for insects from exposed branches. Perches upright, often flicking wings.
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Insubricus Grasshopper
Kingdom : Insects, Grasshoppers, Crickets and Locusts, Grasshoppers
Insect follows Acrididae family, and Orthoptera order. It is light brown with black, size is about 20 mm. Adults and nymphs feed on herbal plants. Back legs are strong and long, help them move through jumping. Adults lay eggs in groups in soil.
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Redstart, Black
Males of ‘European’ winter visitors are of the blackish grey race with white wing panel; Near Eastern semirufus is black above and on throat to lower breast, sharply defined from deep red below; NE Iranian phoenicuroides is less black above and black below extends only to mid-breast; male ochruros (Turkey to N Iran) variable; some […]
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Robin, Rufous-tailed Scrub
Skulking behaviour similar to Nightingale but slightly smaller and slimmer, and showing rather long, fan-shaped, often cocked, tail. Upperparts grey-brown, contrasting with rufous rump and tail, the latter showing prominent black subterminal-band and white tips (broadening at sides), obvious above and below. Head distinctive with white supercilium contrasting with blackish eye-stripe. Juvenile has faintly mottled […]
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Crowned Dwarf Snake
Kingdom : Reptiles, Snakes, Colubridae
Crowned dwarf snake adults range from 25-30cm in length. The head is a little wider than the body, although the body is a little bulky and has smooth dorsal scales. The tail is distinctly narrower than the main body and constitutes about 20% of the total length. The dorsal surface is usually pale brown to […]
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Martin, Common House
Smaller than Barn Swallow with black and white appearance; easily recognised by bluish black upperparts with striking white rump and all white underparts; short, forked black tail with white undertail-coverts and rather dark underwings. Juvenile duller with brownish wash on head and breast sides. Flight more fluttering than Barn Swallow with long glides often high […]
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Orf Aldeek
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in cultivated and disturbed areas, including farms and gardens. Uses: Used in the treatment in a wide variety of stomach complaints and as a laxative (Rizk & El- Ghazaly).
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Vicinus beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 5-7 mm, and has black colour.
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Crowned Leaf-nosed Snake
Kingdom : Reptiles, Snakes, Colubridae
They are commonly around 30cm, but can reach 44cm. The Head is narrow, the eyes are large with eliptical pupils that do not extend as close to the edge of the iris as other snakes with vertical pupils. They have smooth glossy body scales. The colour varies but usually have a pinkish brown base colour, […]
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Cuckoo, Great Spotted
A large cuckoo with slight crest, very long tail and rather fast, shallow wing-beats. Unmistakable with grey upperparts, white-spotted coverts and white underparts. Juvenile is dark brown above with blackish head, white-spotted coverts and showing distinctive chestnut primaries (above and below) in flight.
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Orf Aldeek
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: A weed of cultivated fields and gardens.
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Pochard, Red-crested
Plump, Mallard sized, diving duck, but often behaving as a surface feeder, sitting high on the water. Male diagnostic with large red head and paler erectile crest, red bill, black breast and white flanks. Eclipse male resembles female but with red bill. Female drab brown with pale grey cheeks contrasting with dark crown. Dark bill […]
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Sindh Saw-Scaled Viper
Kingdom : Reptiles, Snakes, Viperidae
The saw scaled viper commonly reaches 35-45cm with exceptions at 70cm in length. The head is slightly flattened and pear shaped. The eyes are large and elliptical with catlike pupils. The neck is thin, and head distinct from the body. The body is thick and colour patterns are variable. Most comonly brown, grey or tan […]
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Sparrow-Lark, Black-crowned
Small stocky lark with stout, deep-based, pale blue-grey bill with curved culmen. Male unmistakable with bold black and white head pattern, black underparts and underwing-coverts. Female has unstreaked pale sandy grey upperparts, faintly streaked crown, pale face and hindneck, pale buff underparts, faintly streaked across upper breast; blackish underwing-coverts always separate it from other small […]
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Wheatear, Finsch’s
Heavier and stockier than Pied and Black-eared; male told from former by narrow buff-white stripe down mantle and back to join white rump; told from latter by larger black ‘bib’ broadly connected with black wings (beware of Black-eared with head sunk between shoulders); told from both also by terminal tail-band of even width (no black […]
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Asher, Ashaar
Growth form: Shrub or tree. Flowering. May–Jul. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE. Habitat & distribution: In Qatar mainly in disturbed areas where there is run-off of rainwater or irrigation, such as farms, roadsides and gardens. Rarely away from habitation. Not included in the accounts by Batanouny or El Amin, but was probably […]
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Darkling Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 23-27 mm, and has black colour. It lives in desert.
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Whitethroat, Lesser
Kingdom : Birds, Whitethroat
A small to medium sized warbler. Genearally grey-brown above with browner wings, medium -grey crown and darker ear coverts, which often vary in prominence. Has a white throat with a contrasting dusky-washed breast. Differs from Common Whitethroat in abcense of rusty fringes to wing feathers. It has dark ear-coverts and dark legs. Ist year birds […]
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Aphidophagous Ladybird
Kingdom : Beetles, Ladybirds, Insects
Insect follows Coccinellidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 1.7-2.2 mm, and wings are between yellowish to reddish brown with a middle vertical black stripe. It is a predator to several kinds of insects including Aphids and Scale Insects.
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Starling, Common
A starling with blackish plumage with prominent white spots. The short tail and short pointed triangular shaped wings are characteristic in fast, straight flight. Walks quickly when on the ground. Juvenile is drab brown all over, with a blackish straight bill and dark loral streak.
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Stonechat, Siberian
It is similar in appearance to the European Stonechat. The male neck is more whitish and underparts less grayish compared to the European species. Generally, unstreaked orange to white rump, black tail is paler. Longer primary projection much whiter in sides of tail base.
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Whitethroat, Hume’s
Kingdom : Birds, Whitethroat
Slightly larger than Lesser Whitethroat. Has a rather large head, with stouter bill and darker plumage. Dark grey crown merges into dull grey-brown back and near black ear-covverts, creating greater contrast with white throat.
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Lark, Greater Short-toed
Small pale lark with well streaked upperparts, buffish white generally unstreaked underparts with variable black patch at sides of throat (adult); relatively stout pale bill, long tertials almost covering wing-tip (unless worn) and boldly patterned median coverts; also prominent buffish white supercilium, pale lores, dark eye-streak and small pale area on cheeks are further features. […]
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Ndeewa
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional on compact saline soils around the coasts; especially N Qatar. Recorded from Ras Laffan (John Norton), just west of Doha (Renee Richer) and is common at Al Zubarah (Renee Richer). Uses: In Bahrain, the […]
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Painted Lady
Kingdom : Brush-footed butterflies or Four-footed butterflies, Insects, Moths and Butterflies
Insect follows Nymphalidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Half wing is velvet black from the base, and the upper part is black with white spots on the wing. Wing is 40-50 mm long. Larvas attack big number of plant families, reaches about 300 plants.
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Consobrinum Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 8 mm, and has brown colour.
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Melbow, Rohima
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–May. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Locally abundant in silty depressions in C Qatar. Uses: Eaten as salad or cooked with rice to add flavour (El Amin, Jongbloed et al.). Used as a purgative in Bahrain (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).
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Thrush, Rufous-tailed Rock
Rather small thrush, with short tail and prominent bill. Male easily told by blue-grey upper parts and bib with white patch on back and dull red underparts and tail. In winter feathers of entire plumage edged dark and white producung a scalloped effect. Female and 1st winter similar to winter male but browner, resembling female […]
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Wheatear, Northern
Relatively short-tailed wheatear with white rump and sides of tail; blackish terminal tail-band of even width. Male told by combination of ash-grey crown and back, white supercilium, thin black eye-stripe and black ear-coverts and wings. See Isabelline for separation from female/1st winter Northern Wheatear. Female Northern Wheatear is greyer brown than similar Black-eared/Pied; 1st autumn […]
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Aoliq, Madada
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Rare. Also recorded: UAE. Habitat & distribution: Recorded from cultivated lands, in light or sandy areas. Uses: Taken as a purgative (Rizk & El-Ghazaly).
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Bunting, Ortolan
Medium sized bunting with yellow eye-ring, pink bill, boldly streaked mantle and blackish brown tertials with clear-cut light chestnut brown edges. Male has olive greyish head and breast band which frames a pale yellowish throat. Female is duller, less olive, more brown tinged and more streaked. Throat pale yellow-buff. Compare with similar Cretzschmar’s Bunting.
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Lark, Lesser Short-toed
Resembles Greater Short-toed Lark though slightly smaller, with shorter, more stubby bill, more distinctly streaked breast, no black patches at sides of throat, shorter tertials with wing-tip clearly exposed beyond (beware of Short-toed with worn tertials) and typical flight-call different. Upperparts generally sandy grey, pale buff or rufous-brown, crown usually not tinged rufous; supercilium generally […]
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Marginata beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is between 11.5-14.5 mm, and has black colour. Body is long.
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Tern, Gull-billed
Resembles Sandwich Tern but has shorter, thicker, gull-like all black bill and, in adult, shallower forked tail; lacks short crest of Sandwich Tern and has whitish grey rump and tail (only slightly paler than mantle, white in Sandwich); lacks contrast shown by Sandwich between dark outer and pale inner primaries above; outer primaries have distinct […]
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Aoliq
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Mar–Apr. Status: Introduced. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional or frequent in lawns, gardens and other cultivated areas. Uses: The plant is poisonous if eaten in any quantity (Rizk & El-Ghazaly); roots and leaves are used as an anti-haemorhagic (Ghazanfar).
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Dilamus Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 3.5 mm, and has black colour.
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Lark, Bar-tailed
Resembles Desert Lark in general appearance but smaller, with more upright stance, rounder head and with orange-yellow bill shorter and finer, also told from Desert by clear-cut black band to tip of reddish brown tail, best seen when tail spread in flight (in Desert, dark brown tail gradually merges into paler brown base) and by […]
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Warbler, Great Reed
A very large warbler, which may be confused with Clamorous Reed Warbler. It looks like European Reed Warbler but is much bigger with a more prominent supercilium and heavier bill. Compared to Clamorous Reed Warbler, it has a longer primary projection ( 7 – 8 tips showing) A proportionally shorter tail and a shorter,slightly stouter […]
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Warbler, Sedge
A medium sized warbler. Buffish and streaked, with a buffish white supercilium. It has a pale crown, pale ear-coverts, with buffy streaked upper parts with a warm coloured rump.
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Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared
Behaviour and build much as Pied. Male of black-throated form can be confused with male Finsch’s; white-throated male only confusable with some ‘vittata’ forms of Pied. Black of throat/ear-coverts not joined with black of wings and shoulder; mantle whitish (summer) or buffish grey (autumn). Tail pattern as Pied. See Pied for separation between 1st autumn […]
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Clustered Yellowtops
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Apr. Status: Introduced. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Frequent in irrigated, cultivated areas. Noted as a ‘serious weed’ in some regions by Cornes & Cornes.
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conocarpus
Growth form: Tree. Flowering. Not known. Status: Introduced. Also recorded: E Saudi Arabia. Habitat & distribution: Planted at Mesaieed Industrial City (John Norton), but may be more widespread. Uses: A saline-tolerant tree producing dense foliage, making it suitable for use as shade and screening.
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Kite, Black-winged
Size of a large Kestrel, but appears larger in flight. Easily identified by combination of black primaries on white under surface and large black patch on forewing, in otherwise pale grey upper surface with a whitish tail. Juvenile darker and dirtier above with thin white line on greater coverts. Well protruding, broad head, shortish tail […]
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Redstart, Common
Typical redstart which bobs body and shivers tail (like Black Redstart). Male’s black cheeks and throat, contrasting sharply with rusty red underparts, grey crown with pronounced white forehead characteristic; upperparts grey-brown. Male samamisicus (breeds Turkey eastwards) has white wing-panel and, often, darker upperparts; (note that all races of male Black are more or less black-breasted); […]
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Warbler, Upcher’s
Similar to Eastern Olivaceous Warbler but is larger, with a proportionally longer, much darker sooty brown tail. Upper parts are greyer in fresh plumage, with darker wings and pale pale edges to tertials and secondaries, forming an obvious wing panel. Head is rounder from Eastern Olivaceous Warbler but with similar markings, although the paler supercilium […]
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Eagle, Short-toed Snake
Large long-winged Eagle with very pale underparts, square-cut tail with three evenly spaced dark bands and a broad head. Whitish underparts variably spotted and barred, some nearly all whitish, others with contrasting dark head and upper breast. Staring bright yellow eyes and broad head, flattened on top give it a rather owl-like appearance. Flies with […]
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Goose, Egyptian
Slightly larger than a Ruddy Shelduck, has black flight feathers , green speculum and striking white forewing and underwing coverts. Otherwise brownish buff, with variable brownish or greyish upperparts, pale fore-neck and face with prominent dark eye patch, dark collar and belly patch. Legs are long and pink.
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Harrier, Pallid
Flight and proportions almost identical to Montagu’s. Male pale grey above without clear-cut white rump; whitish head and undersurface with black wedge on wing-tip. Female separated from similar Montagu’s by pale, dark-streaked collar (like female Hen Harrier; virtually absent in Montagu’s), less spacing between dark bands on secondaries below, with pale bands becoming darker towards […]
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Eggplant Fruit and Shoot Borer
Kingdom : Insects, Moths and Butterflies, Snout moths
Insect follows Pyralidae family, and Lepidoptera order. Wing is white, with brown spots. Wing is about 17-23 mm long. Larvas attack eggplants. Early hitting causes shoot tips of plant and plant decay. But in advanced stages, larvas dig tutus in eggplants that become unmerchantable.
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Harrier, Hen
Smaller, slimmer and slightly narrower-winged than Marsh, with similar flight, but male more buoyant. Male has clear-cut white uppertail-coverts, uniform pale blue-grey upperparts, head and upper breast, rest of under surface white but wing-tip black (both surfaces). 2nd autumn male can show black wedge on wing-rip like male Pallid (as result of primary-moult). Female and […]
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Shrike, Turkestan
Comes to Qatar as winter visitor. Darker in colour compared to other Shrikes, with long black line extending from end of the black bill to behind the eye. Tail is long and reddish and wings in flight have distinctive white spot. Legs are slim and black. Chest and underparts white. Has the ability to dash […]
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Kestrel, Lesser
Very similar to Kestrel and not always separable. Slightly smaller and slimmer, with slightly narrower wings, slightly shorter, more wedge-shaped tail and quicker wing-beats. Male is unmarked rufous above but greater coverts often blue-grey (hard to see). Whole head ash-grey without moustache or pale area on cheeks. From below, white underwing contrasts with dark wing-tip […]
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Quail, Common
Common, but highly secretive; more often heard than seen, and very hard to flush. In flight size of Starling; rather pointed narrow wings, fast shallow wing-beats, plain wings and striped back; creeps on ground and is a rather compact, very short-tailed gamebird, with noticeably pale buffish white under-body, streaked flanks, and dark- and yellow-striped upperparts. […]
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Warbler, Sykes’s
Similar to Booted Warbler, but subtly different, having longer bill with pale lower mandible. Tail longer, with grey pinkish legs, and pale underparts. Frequents damp scrub habitat and grazed mangroves and trees.
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Eagle, Steppe
Dark brown adult has variably coloured underwing-coverts, either similar to body or paler; underwing uniform, or with paler or darker flight-feathers with well spaced broad dark bars and clear-cut band on trailing edge (pattern sometimes diffuse); large dark carpal-patch typical, except in darkest birds. From above, coverts often palest part of wing; usually large, dark-barred, […]
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Handal
Growth form: Perennial herb. Flowering. Apr–Jul. Status: Native. Common. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional in sandy areas, particularly in depressions and runnels; though single plants may cover a large area. Uses: El Amin reports that the ripe fruit were used to prepare gunpowder. The plant is well known […]
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Shrike, Southern Grey
Upright, grey with black and white markings. Perches boldly on top of bush shrubs or other prominent perch. It resembles Lesser Grey Shrike but is distinguished in all cases by larger size, the longer bill and the relatively short wings (with very short primary projection). Wing bar often longer, tail also longer and more graduated. […]
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Duck, Marbled
In flight it resembles a small female Pintail, having a fairly long neck, wings and tail. On water it is identified by pale plumage, dappled dark and cream with dark oval patch around the eye in otherwise pale head with long black bill. Head appears large and rounded with steep forehead and, in adult, a […]
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Wagtail, White
Easily told from other wagtails by grey, black and white plumage, with grey back contrasting with black nape (male) or crown (female), white face and ear-coverts contrasting sharply with black throat and breast. Juvenile, and especially winter birds, have whitish underparts broken by black breast band. NE Iranian race, personata, has black of head and […]
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Crake, Spotted
A small-headed, round-bodied crake, much shorter and a little smaller than Water Rail, and slightly bigger than Little Crake. Otherwise similar to Little, but heavily white-spotted plumage. Short, red-based, yellow bill; flanks and vent strongly barred black and white, but has buff undertail-coverts (barred in Little), latter visible, when walking with tail cocked. Juvenile lacks […]
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Desert Thumb
Growth form: Parasitic perennial herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Native. Local. Also recorded: Bahrain, Kuwait, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: On damp, saline sand, including beaches. Frequent at Dukhan water treatment works, growing on Tetraena qatarensis and nearby on the west coast (John Norton); also occurs at Ras Laffan (Renee Richer), Mesaieed and Khor […]
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Ethiopian Hedgehog, Desert Hedgehog
This is the only hedgehog species recorded in Qatar, and instantly identified by its spiny coat. The spines on its back are short and sharp with white tips, giving an overall greyish appearance. It has small eyes and relatively short and rounded ears, a white band across the forehead, and a dark muzzle. The legs […]
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Redstart, Eversmann’s
Size of Common Redstart. Brightly coloured male told from other redstarts by broad longitudinal white patch on wing-coverts (including primary-coverts), rusty red mantle and most of underparts, including throat; crown to hindneck whitish grey, black sides of head extends to shoulder. In winter both adult and 1st winter male (which has also white in wing) […]
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Thrush, Red-throated
Similar to Black-throated Thrush, but with brown reddish throat and tail tips rusty, red colour. Prefers to live in a habitat where lots of trees and bushes prevail, particularly in gardens, parks and cultivated areas. Reported in Qatar as a vagrant bird.
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Warbler, Savi’s
A large warbler. Warm brown in clour, with diffuse lines or spots on breast, long undertail coverts, sometimes pale tipped, Often seen on ground, with bobbing or raised tail, walking with jerky movements. A secretive bird.
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Falcon, Amur
Kingdom : Birds, Buzzards and Falcons
Male has a dark crown, mantle and leading edge to wing with white underwing-coverts. Female white below except for warm buff thighs and streaked breast, boldly barred flanks and lightly spotted underwing-coverts; dark crown and short moustache contrast with white cheeks. Crown is dark grey.
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Lebena,Frabion
Growth form: Annual herb. Flowering. Mar. Status: Introduced. Rare. Also recorded: Bahrain, E Saudi Arabia, UAE. Habitat & distribution: Occasional as a roadside weed in Dukhan township in 2007 (John Norton). Uses: The plant is good for asthma; the milky juice is used to remove corns, warts and in the treatment of cancer of the […]
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Warbler, Marsh
The smallest of the Acrocephalus warblers. Pale brown above, with slight olive tinge with a warmer coloured rump, Creamy buff below with buffier flanks. Shortish white supercilium and pale eye ring. A rounded tail ( like all Acrocephalus warblers) long undertail coverts and sloping forehead. Best told by pale fringed dark tertials, long primary projection, […]
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Besnardi Beetle
Kingdom : Beetles, Darkling beetles, Insects
Insect follows Tenebrionidae family, and Coleoptera order. Size is 8 mm, and has black colour.
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Whitethroat, Desert
Kingdom : Birds, Whitethroat
Slightly smaller than Lesser Whitethroat with smaller bill, and paler washed out plumage. Upperparts grey-buff or sandy brown with pale edgings to wing feathers. Buffish grey crown and darkish ear-coverts. (paler than Lesser or Hume’s) Underparts clean sandy white with white throat. More active than other whitethroats, frequently flicking tail.
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