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Overview
One of the top tourist destinations in Egypt, Luxor has the Valley of the Kings, the Temples of Karnak and Hatshepshut and the Colossi of Memnon, and consequently it is easy to reach and has plentiful accommodation.
In addition to the historical sites the birding here is excellent with a good range of wetland and desert species typical of Egypt.
Birds
Notable Species
On the Nile itself, Western Cattle Egret and Little Egret are common and there are also Green Heron, Purple Heron and Grey Heron, Glossy Ibis and Eurasian Spoonbill as well as Egyptian Goose, African Skimmer and Spur-winged Plover, sometimes also White-tailed Plover. Wintering ducks can include Marbled Duck, Ferruginous Duck and Red-crested Pochard.
Desert birds can be seen whilst visiting the historical sites with Little Owl and Barn Owl, and Rock Martin at Karnak and Trumpeter Finch, Blue Rock Thrush and wheatears including White-tailed Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Hooded Wheatear and Mourning Wheatear in the Valley of the Kings.
Sooty Falcon, Barbary Falcon and Lanner Falcon are also present in the area in addition to Long-legged Buzzard, Cream-coloured Courser and Spotted Sandgrouse.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Great Cormorant, Little Bittern, Striated Heron, Squacco Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Egyptian Goose, Common Teal, Mallard, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Marbled Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, European Honey Buzzard, Black Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, Short-toed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Sooty Falcon, Lanner Falcon, Barbary Falcon, Little Crake, African Swamphen, Common Crane, Greater Painted Snipe, Black-winged Stilt, Stone-curlew, Senegal Thick-knee, Cream-coloured Courser, Kentish Plover, Spur-winged Plover, White-tailed Plover, Little Stint, Temminck's Stint, Dunlin, Ruff, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Whiskered Tern, African Skimmer, Spotted Sandgrouse, Laughing Dove, Namaqua Dove, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Pallid Swift, Pied Kingfisher, African Green Bee-eater, European Roller, Hoopoe, Desert Lark, Sand Martin, Rock Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-throated Pipit, Egyptian Yellow Wagtail, Common Bulbul, Bluethroat, Desert Wheatear, Mourning Wheatear, Hooded Wheatear, White-tailed Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Graceful Prinia, Moustached Warbler, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Nile Valley Sunbird, Masked Shrike, Hooded Crow, Brown-necked Raven, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Red Avadavat, Trumpeter Finch
Other Wildlife
To do
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
The reedbeds and mudflats that can be viewed from the bridge to Crocodile Island, 4km south of Luxor, have the African Swamphen, Squacco Heron and Little Bittern with Greater Painted Snipe sometimes recorded as breeding.
Little Crake has been seen and passerines include Graceful Prinia and Clamorous Reed Warbler and, in winter, Moustached Warbler and Bluethroat. Black-winged Kite and Marsh Harrier are also common here as is Pied Kingfisher.
The hotel gardens on Crocodile Island are home to African Green Bee-eater, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Common Bulbul, Nile Valley Sunbird and Red Avadavat.
Access and Facilities
Luxor can be reached by road from Cairo or Aswan and there are also bus and train services. Alternatively, those in a hurry can fly there on internal flights from Cairo or Aswan. The town has a large number of hotels to suit all pockets although some may require advance booking in the high season (November-May).
There is also a youth hostel and a YMCA campsite. Bicycles can be hired and can be very useful for the more local sites and there are frequent ferries across the river.
Contact Details
To do
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
