The document explores seabird breeding in the northern Red Sea of Saudi Arabia, categorizing seabirds into true seabirds and other water birds, and detailing various methodologies used for counting breeding pairs across different habitats. It reports on 16 species observed during surveys, highlights breeding behaviors, and emphasizes the impact of human activities on seabirds. Recommendations include conservation efforts, raising awareness about seabird protection, and further research on their biological and environmental needs.

2. Breeding Seabirds in
the Northern Red Sea
of Saudi Arabia
Abdulhadi A. Aloufi

3. What are seabirds?
The birds inhabit the marine environment in a direct or indirect way, and spend most
of their life in the sea.
The real seabirds:
This category depend completely on marine environment, they get their food from the
sea, nesting and live near the sea such as; Brown Booby, gulls and Terns.
Other seabirds:
they called water birds, they can be found originally in spring water environments, but
they use marine environments (sandy beaches, tidal flats and mangrove environments),
they depend on them for food or nesting, such as Ardeidae, Crap plover, swans, and
Spoonbill.
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4. Other seabirds The real seabirds
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5. Methodology:1
In 2011 five visits to carried out covering 16 islands between March 2011 and October 2011.
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6. Habitats of seabirds in Tabuk region
1. Coastal environment (beaches):
a. Sandy beaches:
b. Muddy Beaches:
c. Rocky Shores:
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7. Islands environment
(A) Rocky islands (B) Sandy islands
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8. Mangrove environments
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9. Methodology:2
The number of breeding pairs was estimated using three methods:
1. The vantage points.
2. Flush counts.
3. Walk-through count, and quadrates .
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10. The vantage points
The vantage points were used at one
cliff island of Al Awandiah, and partly
around Rekah in which the boat or
the higher spot were used as vantage
point to count breeding brown
boobies and sooty gull in cliffs.
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11. The flush count
• The flush count were carried out with the majority
of incubating nesting seabirds on sandy islands (as
on approach by a human they rise up reasonably
synchronously and fly around above the colony in
a relatively compact flock).
• This method was used commonly with the White-
cheeked tern and Bridled Terns.
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12. The walk-though count method
• The walk-though count method was used for
the white cheeked terns, bridled terns and at
the small colony of lesser crested tern.
Finally, quadrates were used for lesser-
crested tern' nests.
• A light weight frame of rigid wire measuring
1 x 1 m laid carefully down at different parts
of the colony and average nest numbers were
estimated and the number of breeding pairs
was extrapolated to the whole area of the
colony.
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13. The breeding seasons
• The breeding seasons were determined by
compile our observations of eggs and nestlings
size with documented incubations and fledging
periods .
• Eggs measurements were made by using a digital
caliper and the location of each islands were
recorded by using Garmen 12, GPS
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14. RESULTS
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15. Breeding Season
• During the surveys 16 species were recorded at the surveyed islands; eight true
seabirds, five water birds, two birds of prey and the terrestrial species, rock dove.
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16. Table shows the total number of breeding pairs estimated at islands surveyed islands
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17. The estimated range of breeding season of different species recorded during the study.
BB= Brown Booby, SG= Sooty Gull, WYG= White-eyed Gull, WCT= White-cheeked Tern, BT= Bridled
Tern, LCT= Leser-crested Tern, CT= Caspian Tern, SLT= Saunders's Tern, ST= Swift Tern , PH= Purple
Heron, WRH= Western Reef Heron, StH= Striated Heron, KP= Kentish Plover, CP= Crap Plover, OsP=
Osprey, SF= Sooty Falcon.
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18. Behaviors
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19. 1. Courtship behavior
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20. 2. Maternal Behaviour
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21. 3. Kleptoparasitism
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22. Seabirds and mankind: A balancing point
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23. Seabirds and mankind
1. The expansion of the tourist industry and the building resorts on islands and beaches
2. Pollution
3. The frequent visits of humans to the birds breeding and nesting areas
4. Collecting eggs by some fishermen or locals
5. Bringing cats, dogs and other predators to birds nesting places
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24. Recommendations
1. Conserve and protect the islands which are haven and nesting places for seabirds.
2. Protect seabirds by prevent hunting and the eggs and chicks of the birds.
3. Awareness: by alerting citizens and fishermen not to access the birds
4. Conduct further researches and studies about the current situation, biological and
environmental aspects of the seabirds in Tabuk region.
5. There is an urgent need to develop a management plan for the islands and mangrove
environments in order to protect the main seabirds nesting areas
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