Gulls are pouring into UAE

The largest number of migratory birds to the UAE is possibly represented by the various species of gulls that not only visit the coastal areas and islands but also almost all the water bodies, including the man-made ones.

Of the half a dozen species of gulls that fill almost every nook and corner of the country, that one you encounter most is the black-headed (BH) gull. This is the species you will encounter at fish markets, rubbish skips, waste collecting drums, public parks and even in school compounds.

Other species include the slender-billed or the sooty gulls and the Heuglin's gull or the yellow-legged gull.

Towards the end of November 2009, I saw the first flock of about 3,000 BH gulls at the sewage treatment plant in Al Warsun area. On one side of the plant is the privately managed huge fodder and lawn grass fields irrigated all year round. About half a kilometre west of the plant lies the Al Warsun Lakes - the largest water bodies in the area.

Thus the entire area of Al Warsun and the neighbourhood of the treatment plant have become an abode for water-loving birds like the gulls. On December 4, I counted more than 10,000 BH gulls and little over 500 Heuglin's Gulls.

In addition to these, there were another 2,000 gulls in the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary.