White-tailed Lapwing Luxor. Or should I go to Djibouti instead for Crab Plover and the Francolin? (1 Viewer)

[Arbu]

I'm thinking of taking a trip to Luxor at the start of the New Year. Any tips for finding White-tailed Lapwing?

Other lifers would be

Nubian Nightjar

Egyptian Plover

African Skimmer

Sooty Falcon

Arabian Warbler

Nile Valley Sunbird

I guess the Sunbird is quite easy, the Skimmer possible with luck, and the others not really possible. I suppose the best approach for both the Lapwing and the Skimmer would be to take a cruise to Aswan and back and keep looking from the boat, instead of staying in Luxor . But the whole boat experience looks rather dated to me, whilst there are some good hotels in Luxor.

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

No experience in visiting Egypt at all, but the Egyptian Plover is long gone from Egypt AFAIK!

 

[Jos Stratford]

It's a long time since I have been to Egypt, but I think Abu Simbel is your best option for the chances of less usual species such as African Pied Wagtail, African Skimmer, perhaps even Pink-backed Pelican or Yellow-billed Stork.

Nile Valley Sunbird is common throughout, easy at Aswan etc. You are a little late for Egyptian Plover, think you needed to attend Tutankhamen's inauguration to see that at Luxor 🙂

 

[Arbu]

It's a long time since I have been to Egypt, but I think Abu Simbel is your best option for the chances of less usual species such as African Pied Wagtail, African Skimmer, perhaps even Pink-backed Pelican or Yellow-billed Stork.

Thanks, I have been to sub-Saharan Africa plenty, so those birds, apart from Skimmer are all familiar to me. I only have about ten days available, hence not considering going very far. Djibouti is another option, although still not a lot of potential lifers for me there either.

 

[Arbu]

Djibouti possibilities:

Djibouti Francolin

Nubian Nightjar

Crab-plover

Rosy-patched Bush-shrike

Red-fronted Prinia

Arabian Warbler

Somali Starling

Black Scrub-robin

Buff-breasted Wheatear

Rüppell's Weaver

Arabian Golden Sparrow

+ scuba diving

I don't know how easy it is to get up to the mountains where the Francolin lives.

 

[Steve Lister]

A long time since I was in Egypt - maybe 30 years for the Nile Valley - but in those days White-tailed Lapwing was easy on the fields at Crocodile Island, a few miles south of Luxor. It might all be built up with hotels now for all I know though.

The skimmer I think is only likely well south on Lake Nasser, ie from Abu Simbel. You can do day trips to Abu Simbel from Aswan but I doubt from Luxor. I did a seven day cruise from Aswan to Abu Simbel and back in 1999 - we saw skimmers on exposed sandbanks from the boat but I don't think we saw any from the shore.

 

[DMW]

Why not go to Saudi Arabia?

 

[Arbu]

Why not go to Saudi Arabia?

Could do. Makes for a slightly longer trip I think because the dive trips are a week, and then I've got to get around to see the birds. The list is a bit longer:

Harlequin Quail

Philby's Partridge

Arabian Partridge

Nubian Nightjar

Plain Nightjar

Crab-plover

Arabian Scops-owl

Arabian Woodpecker

Arabian Warbler

Yemen Warbler

Yemen Thrush

Black Scrub-robin

Nile Valley Sunbird

Arabian Waxbill

Arabian Golden Sparrow

Arabian Grosbeak

Yemen Serin

Yemen Linnet

 

[Ismael Khalifa]

I'm thinking of taking a trip to Luxor at the start of the New Year. Any tips for finding White-tailed Lapwing?

Other lifers would be

Nubian Nightjar

Egyptian Plover

African Skimmer

Sooty Falcon

Arabian Warbler

Nile Valley Sunbird

I guess the Sunbird is quite easy, the Skimmer possible with luck, and the others not really possible. I suppose the best approach for both the Lapwing and the Skimmer would be to take a cruise to Aswan and back and keep looking from the boat, instead of staying in Luxor . But the whole boat experience looks rather dated to me, whilst there are some good hotels in Luxor.

Yes. Nile valley sunbird is easy to spot. Nubian nightjar needs lots of luck. Egyptian plover is impossible, as it is no more present in Egypt. African skimmer is very difficult, only in Abu Simbel south of Aswan there is a little chance to spot it. Sooty falcon not common at the area. Arabian warbler never heared it has been spotted in Luxor.
But the bright side is that you can spot some nice birds on the shallow water areas south of the city (crocodile island surroundings and banana island)...Some possible "easy" species at that time of the year are:
Striated heron
Common coot
African swamphen
Indian silverbill
Red avadavat
White-winged kite
Common snipe
African green bee-eater
Pallid swift
White-throated kingfisher
Red-throated pipit
And more...
If you have enough time to visit Aswan, you will like it..
Best wishes
Ismael Khalifa
Local birding guide and founder of "Aswan Birdwatching"

 

[Arbu]

Yes. Nile valley sunbird is easy to spot. Nubian nightjar needs lots of luck. Egyptian plover is impossible, as it is no more present in Egypt. African skimmer is very difficult, only in Abu Simbel south of Aswan there is a little chance to spot it. Sooty falcon not common at the area. Arabian warbler never heared it has been spotted in Luxor.
But the bright side is that you can spot some nice birds on the shallow water areas south of the city (crocodile island surroundings and banana island)...Some possible "easy" species at that time of the year are:
Striated heron
Common coot
African swamphen
Indian silverbill
Red avadavat
White-winged kite
Common snipe
African green bee-eater
Pallid swift
White-throated kingfisher
Red-throated pipit
And more...
If you have enough time to visit Aswan, you will like it..
Best wishes
Ismael Khalifa
Local birding guide and founder of "Aswan Birdwatching"

Thanks Ismael. I might take an early train from Luxor to Aswan, then fly to Abu Simbel the same day, and fly back the next. It seems the flights are quite cheap if you go back to Aswan first thing in the morning. That means I could spend a day at Abu Simbel to see the temple and look out for skimmers. There also look to be some ponds around the sewage works about a mile west of town which might be worth checking out.

 

[Arbu]

Yes. Nile valley sunbird is easy to spot. Nubian nightjar needs lots of luck. Egyptian plover is impossible, as it is no more present in Egypt. African skimmer is very difficult, only in Abu Simbel south of Aswan there is a little chance to spot it. Sooty falcon not common at the area. Arabian warbler never heared it has been spotted in Luxor.
But the bright side is that you can spot some nice birds on the shallow water areas south of the city (crocodile island surroundings and banana island)...Some possible "easy" species at that time of the year are:
Striated heron
Common coot
African swamphen
Indian silverbill
Red avadavat
White-winged kite
Common snipe
African green bee-eater
Pallid swift
White-throated kingfisher
Red-throated pipit
And more...
If you have enough time to visit Aswan, you will like it..
Best wishes
Ismael Khalifa
Local birding guide and founder of "Aswan Birdwatching"

Thanks Ismael. I got all your birds at Crocodile Island plus four white-tailed lapwing. Also, a stop at a place in the desert near Esna close to a poultry farm was interesting with hundreds of red-throated pipit and a couple of eagles, Steppe I guess.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S208631930
Observations

 

[Ismael Khalifa]

Thanks Ismael. I got all your birds at Crocodile Island plus four white-tailed lapwing. Also, a stop at a place in the desert near Esna close to a poultry farm was interesting with hundreds of red-throated pipit and a couple of eagles, Steppe I guess.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S208631930
Observations

That's great 👍
I am happy for you 🌷
Best regards