Officially called the Sultanate of Oman, the country is an Arab state located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman form the coastline of the country, providing plenty of opportunities for seabirds and waders to enjoy the sea’s bounty. Husband and wife Janne and Jens Eriksen are experienced birdwatchers based in Oman, and they are making a concerted effort to bring the country’s rich birdlife to the attention of birders around the world. While the winter months, between October and March, are particularly interesting because of the foreign feathered visitors that join the locals, Oman has a thriving all-year-round population of around 500 species of birds spread throughout the more than 300,000 square kilometers of land.

The Oman Ministry of Environment, together with the Ministry of Tourism, is actively involved in both protecting the natural heritage of the country, and promoting eco-tourism. Authorities have allocated fifteen protected conservation areas and have sponsored the publication of books on birding in Oman to encourage both locals and international tourists to enjoy the birdlife of the country. The Eriksens note that while people flock to shopping malls for recreation, they are missing out on spending their leisure time in nature. This is a situation they would like to change and believe that nature clubs in schools are the answer, as these could encourage the younger generation to get involved in bird watching and hiking.

November is one of the most popular times for bird watching in Oman, as this is when large flocks of migrating birds arrive, providing plenty of action on the coastline as they establish territory for the winter by strutting about, swooping and diving in an endless flurry of activity. By December the birds are more settled and bird watchers can observe them going about their daily routines. In January, the water level of the lagoons and wetlands rises, attracting wintering waterfowl in large numbers. Certainly, birders who have spent time observing the birds of Oman agree that the diversity and number of birds is astounding, and well worth experiencing.

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Albatrosses do not generally receive a lot of public attention, but they are certainly no less important than other birds. This large sea bird is currently facing a huge dilemma – as many as three quarters of albatross species are at the brink of extinction. The main cause for their demise is the fact that they are easily entangled in long fishing lines which are dropped into the water to catch fish such as tuna. The bird then swoops down on the baited lines to which it is attracted, quickly becomes entangled in the lines and it is then eventually pulled underwater where it drowns. It would seem to be such a simple problem to solve, but up until now conservationists have not have much success in helping to stem the number of fishing industry-related deaths.

Fortunately a South African initiative called the Albatross Task Force (ATF) project has now found a way to make the lines safer and so reduce the probability of the birds being drawn to them and becoming entangled. The project’s main preservation technique involves attaching brightly colored streamers to the back of the vessels. These streamers, known as tori lines, flap in the wind and scare the birds away, so helping them to avoid becoming entangled. The initiative also looks at educating fishermen so as to help them avoid catching albatrosses. They share specialist knowledge with the fishermen and also encourage them to fish at night when activity is low. Finding more effective ways to keep the lines down under the water is also encouraged. While changing entrenched attitudes takes time, new laws stipulating that no more than 25 birds may be caught during fishing trips is a very powerful motivator.

So far the Albatross Task Force project has been incredibly successful in helping these endangered birds to avoid premature deaths. The project was launched in 2006 and in 2008 the number of birds killed by fisheries in South Africa dropped by an incredible 85%. Expanding the project to encompass other countries is simply the next logical step, and the UK Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is very supportive of the move. Hopefully this creative and forward-thinking initiative will save yet another bird species from extinction.

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When you look at the Herald Petrel, you will find that its body measures roughly 36-41 cm in length with a wingspan of 97-102 cm. Generally speaking, the whole bird is gray with some green showing on the nape and upper tail. The body has no patterning whatsoever. The Herald Petrel also has a hooked, seabird-shaped bill and a pointed tail. The wings are also quite pointed in shape while the legs are pink in color. Birdwatchers should note that there are three different color morphs of the Herald Petrel: light, intermediate and dark. The light morph has a white chest and belly, while its upper parts are a dark gray. The dark morph has a dark grey body overall with a silver-grey or white base on its under-wing flight feathers. The intermediate morph is mixture of the light and dark morph.

When the time comes for the Herald Petrel to breed, both sexes will work together to excavate or clean out a burrow. Once this is done, the female lays only one egg in a sparse, un-lined burrow and both the male and female share incubation duties. After 49-54 days, the eggs hatch and a new Herald Petrel is born. Herald Petrels have only one brood a year.

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All variations of the Gyrfalcon are similar in size and have long, broad-based, pointed wings and a short, dark, hooked beak. The adult-grey morph has grey upperparts and white underparts with dark streaks. The flight feathers are pale and there is a thin moustache mark. The tail is grey with thin white bands. The adult-white morph has white plumage and a white tail with black barring on the back and wings. The adult-dark morph has dark brown upperparts and a dark tail. The underparts are heavily streaked and the flight feathers are noticeably paler than the lining on the wings.

The Gyrfalcon is circumpolar in nature and tends to nest in the arctic regions of North America, Europe, Asia, Iceland and Greenland, though they may be found elsewhere in the world when not breeding. They can live in either open, treeless plains or in swampy, forested areas and can be found near cliffs along shorelines, rivers or even in mountains. They usually nest in depressions on a protected ledge or cliff face and may even make use of an abandoned nest or a suitable man-made structure from time to time. When they nest, they generally lay 2 to 6 eggs that may take 34 to 36 days to hatch. Interestingly, they nest in arctic regions and often begin to lay their eggs in below-zero temperatures. Gyrfalcon‘s take about 2 to 3 years to become sexually mature. They generally feed on ptarmigan, grouse, seabirds, waterfowl, lemmings and ground squirrels, catching their prey either in the air or on the ground.

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They are predominantly white over their heads, necks, throats, breasts, bellies, and under their wings. The upper parts of their wings are black at the tips, and turning lighter and receding as they age. Younger birds that are still undergoing the stages to adult plumage are often confused with similar looking albatrosses. Their bills are generally a yellow to pink color, but it can vary. The albatross will glide over the surface of the water to feed, and collects fish, squid and other aquatic foods from the water. These magnificent birds are known to follow fishing trawlers to collect scraps that are thrown overboard, and  this is often the reason why they get caught up in the nets.

Breeding season is in November for the Wandering Albatrosses, and only takes place every second year. They mate for life, and will migrate to sub-Antarctic islands to nest. Nests are constructed on ridges close to the ocean, and are built from mud, sticks and other pieces of vegetation. The female will only lay one egg and the incubation period is approximately eight weeks. After hatching, the chicks will remain in the nest for a period of nine months, while it develops. While the chicks are still very young, parents will alternate to search for food, to ensure that one parent is at the nest at all times. As the chick ages, both parents will start hunting for food, returning to feed their chick. The chick is only fully developed after twelve months and weighs approximately a staggering twelve kilograms when it fledges the nest. In ideal conditions Wandering Albatrosses can live to the ripe old age of about 80.

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Crested auklets nest in large colonies on isolated island cliffs in Siberia and Alaska. These small black and grey seabirds have bright orange bills, with white facial feathers and a prominent feathered crest rising from their foreheads. Recent research carried out on crested auklets nesting on the St. Lawrence Island in the northern Bering Sea off the coast of Siberia, has revealed an interesting courting ritual which, until now, has not been observed in birds.

Hector Douglas, a researcher from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has concluded from his research that crested auklets secrete a citrus-like scent in wick feathers on their backs. During courtship the birds intertwine their necks in an embrace that rubs this scent on each other. The male initiates the interaction by adopting a horizontal posture and making a soft choking sound. The female accepts the invitation by rubbing her upper body and her bill over the male’s wick feathers, after which she offers her wick feathers to the male. They repeat this action a number of times resulting in spreading the chemicals over their necks, heads and upper bodies. This behavior, known as alloanointing, has been observed in some mammals, but has not been previously documented in birds. Alloanointing seems to serve a two-fold purpose. Firstly it serves as mating signal and secondly, the tick-repelling scent helps protect the birds from parasites in areas that they cannot reach by themselves when preening.

The researcher reached his conclusions by conducting an experiment in which dispensers of the crested auklet’s chemicals were concealed in blocks of construction foam that had been painted to blend in with the rocks. He then placed life size decoys on top of the blocks and waited. Shortly thereafter, the birds approached the decoys with their heads down in a conspicuous sniffing behavior. Once the source of the scent had been identified by the birds, they rubbed their bills over the dispensers and then rubbed themselves on the lifelike decoys right in the area where the wick feathers are situated.

To determine what role alloanointing plays in breeding, the experiment was repeated with captive crested auklets at the Cincinnati Zoo. It was found that, in two successive years, the response to the scent was strongest during early courtship, supporting the idea that birds communicate using scent during courtship periods. Tests were also carried out using the secreted chemicals on ticks, with the conclusion being that alloanointing serves as a protection against parasites, as well acting as a mating signal for the crested auklet.

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Most seabirds nest in large, seaside colonies. Not the Marbled Murrelet. This small, brown-speckled seabird species eats fish in the ocean. But each spring, it flies up to 50 miles (70 kilometers) inland to nest high in old-growth trees.

No one knows why this seabird nests so far from its hunting grounds. Despite intensive studies, scientists know very little about them. Until 1974, no one knew where they nested at all. In 1974, the first nest was finally found, high in a tree, in California’s Santa Cruz Mountains.

This nest stunned the world’s bird scientists. What an amazing ecological link between the ocean and the forests. And how surprising that these birds, whose heavy bodies are poorly-suited for forest flying, make daily commutes to their nests, up to 50 miles inland. They must return each day with fish for their growing chick. And when that chick fledges, its first flight must be a long, 50-mile beeline to the ocean.

Murrelets need tall, old-growth trees for nesting- only a tree 200-800 years old will have limbs broad enough for the bird’s 7-inch-wide nest. Unfortunately, these older trees are rapidly disappearing due to logging. Conservationists battled in court to protect these nesting areas. The birds’ prime habitats now have some legal protection from logging, in California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.

The murrelet is at risk from more than logging, however. Marine conservation issues will also affect it. For example: over-fishing, gill-net entanglement, and oil spills. Scientists are still hard at work, learning how to protect this amazing, but vulnerable, seabird.

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Most seabirds simply drink the ocean’s saltwater. They could not do this without the help of their special glands called Salt Glands. The salt gland is an area of their nostrils that filters extra salt from the bloodstream. This salt is then sneezed out, or it dribbles out from the birds’ nostrils.

And there is plenty of salt to filter out- seawater is 3% salt, but birds need their bodies to be 1% salt in order to survive. These salt glands are constantly at work.

In some birds species like albatross and petrels, these glands look like big tubes sitting on top of the bill. This is why these ocean birds are sometimes called “tubenoses”.

Many kinds of birds have this gland, but it is only fully developed in seabirds. Interestingly, when scientists have fed young freshwater ducks large amounts of saltwater, these birds develop larger, more functioning salt glands as they grow into adults.

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Bird feathers aren’t naturally waterproof. But birds can make them water resistant by applying waxes from their preen glands. You may have watched a pet parrot grooming its own feathers – the bird will alternately rub its head against the base of its tail, and against its other feathers. It is depositing waxy, water-resistant oils found in the preen gland (at the tail base) onto the other feathers.

Birds also have a dusty powder in their feathers. This powder comes from special feathers called “powderdowns”, which are constantly disintegrating into waterproof powder. This powder adds to the water-resistant quality of feathers.

It is essential for birds like ducks to constantly preen their feathers to keep them in good shape, and to keep distributing these waterproof oils and powders.

Seabirds that dive underwater have particularly dense feathers, which also helps water from penetrating through the feathers to the bird’s body.

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