One of the world’s rarest and most enigmatic birds has been sighted on Saadiyat Island.
The Steppe Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus alboaxillaris) has an estimated global population of just 100.
The whimbrel of Saadiyat is particularly remarkable because it is the first juvenile Steppe Whimbrell to be observed in the field anywhere in the world.
The bird was spotted by a lake at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Course by Oscar Campbell and Simon Lloyd, members of Emirates Bird Records Committee.
This is a perfect example of why supporting conservation projects for migrating birds is so important
The Steppe Whimbrel is one of five sub-species of the common whimbrel, which regularly passes through the Emirates in spring and autumn.
The sub-species has a distinctive white colouring under its wing and it was a flash of white that caught the eye of Mr Lloyd and Mr Campbell when observing a flock of about 20 common whimbrels one Friday morning in late August.
The pair have been on the lookout for the Steppe Whimbrel for years, following a 2016 Mozambique sighting of the rare bird that caused a global sensation amongst bird watchers.
The community was put on alert to watch for the Steppe Whimbrel along its potential migration path between its summer breeding home in Russia and its winter sites in eastern Africa.
“We have been checking every whimbrel that we see, and especially this time of year,” said Mr Lloyd. “We were just finishing up and were about to go back to the clubhouse when I saw the bird and got a good look at its underwing. I said, ‘we need to check this, this looks very interesting’.”
They kept calm and took several clear photographs for identification.
After all, the pair had two false alarms in the past, when photographs from potential sightings in Abu Dhabi and Kalba were inconclusive.
“We’ve had one or two near misses in the past,” said Mr Campbell.
“The two whimbrels are very similar, you need a good look at the underwing. If you just look at them side by side it would be impossible to tell them apart.
“We went home and we started to think, we could be in with a chance here. It was kind of a gradual build of excitement.”
The whimbrel’s identity was confirmed the next morning by Gary Allport of BirdLife International, the world’s foremost expert on Steppe Whimbrels.
“The discovery of a Steppe Whimbrel in Abu Dhabi is remarkable in itself, and confirms our suspicion that the migration route of the sub-species passes through the Arabian Peninsula region,” said Mr Allport.
“What is even more remarkable is that this is the first time ever, anywhere in the world, that a juvenile Steppe Whimbrel has been seen in the field which is encouraging evidence that there is still some breeding taking place in this tiny population. It’s an amazing find.”
The Steppe Whimbrel was first described in 1921. The subspecies was declared extinct in 1994 but was accidentally re-discovered in its Southern Russia breeding grounds three years later.
The bird was unrecorded from 2009 until 2016 when, by chance, Mr Allport sighted two adult birds on a public beach in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.
It was the first time the bird was recorded on the continent since 1965. A bird tagged in Mozambique in 2018 was tracked north to Yemen, where its tag fell off.
The Abu Dhabi sighting on August 29 was a missing piece in the puzzle. It was last sighted on September 11.
More knowledge about this rare sub-species is critical for the preservation of this little-known bird.
In 2018, the Abu Dhabi-based Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund made a grant to researchers at the University of Cape Town to support research on the Steppe Whimbrel migration.
“Sighting a juvenile Steppe Whimbrel here in Abu Dhabi is magnificent news,” said Razan Al Mubarak, managing director of the fund.
“The fund supports conservation of rare species and sub-species around the world but we never expected one of the rarest of all to turn up on our doorstep.
“It emphasises the importance of our commitment to maintaining protected areas along bird migration routes, including here in Abu Dhabi. It also shows the importance of the support provided by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund for projects to monitor and protect endangered species and sub-species.
"This is a perfect example of why supporting conservation projects for migrating birds is so important.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO
Championship play-offs, second legs:
Aston Villa 0
Middlesbrough 0
(Aston Villa advance 1-0 on aggregate)
Fulham 2
Sessegnon (47'), Odoi (66')
Derby County 0
(Fulham advance 2-1 on aggregate)
Final
Saturday, May 26, Wembley. Kick off 8pm (UAE)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
RESULTS
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.
Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.
Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.
Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
'Peninsula'
Stars: Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Ra
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Rating: 2/5
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
8.15pm: Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
8.50pm: Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
9.25pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections
6.30pm: Final Song
7.05pm: Pocket Dynamo
7.40pm: Dubai Icon
8.15pm: Dubai Legacy
8.50pm: Drafted
9.25pm: Lucius Tiberius
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
RESULT
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai 0 Al Ain 6
Al Ain: Caio (5', 73'), El Shahat (10'), Berg (65'), Khalil (83'), Al Ahbabi (90' 2)
NINE WINLESS GAMES
Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace (Oct 27, PL)
Liverpool 5-5 Arsenal (Oct 30, EFL)
Arsenal 1-1 Wolves (Nov 02, PL)
Vitoria Guimaraes 1-1 Arsenal (Nov 6, Europa)
Leicester 2-0 Arsenal (Nov 9, PL)
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton (Nov 23, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (Nov 28, Europa)
Norwich 2-2 Arsenal (Dec 01, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Brighton (Dec 05, PL)
