UAE Seabirds & Shorebirds
Animals, birds, reptiles and other wildlife
The coastline of the United Arab Emirates supports a remarkable diversity of seabirds and shorebirds, from species breeding around the Arabian Gulf to migrants travelling thousands of kilometres between breeding and wintering grounds. Sandy beaches, tidal flats, offshore islands, rocky headlands and open sea each provide important feeding, resting and breeding habitats.
This collection documents coastal and marine birds photographed across the UAE, including Socotra Cormorants, Crab Plovers, Persian Shearwaters, White-cheeked Terns, Bridled Terns, gulls, plovers, sandpipers and other coastal species. Some are familiar winter visitors, while others are highly specialised seabirds or uncommon offshore encounters. Together they reveal a part of UAE wildlife that is often overlooked beyond the country's beaches and waterfronts.
Short-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna tenuirostris) - United Arab Emirates
Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) - United Arab Emirates
Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) - United Arab Emirates
Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) - United Arab Emirates
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) - United Arab Emirates
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) - United Arab Emirates
Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus) - United Arab Emirates
Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus) - United Arab Emirates
Lesser Noddy (Anous tenuirostris) - United Arab Emirates
Lesser Crested Tern (Thalasseus bengalensis) - United Arab Emirates
Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii) - United Arab Emirates
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) - United Arab Emirates
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)- Lebanon
Socotra Cormorant (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis) - United Arab Emirates
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) - Lebanon
Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) - Lebanon
Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) - Lebanon
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) - Lebanon
Eurasian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) - Lebanon
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) - Lebanon
African Three-banded Plover (Charadrius tricollaris) - Lebanon
Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) - Lebanon
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) - Lebanon
Little Heron (Butorides atricapilla) - United Arab Emirates
Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) - United Arab Emirates
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) - United Arab Emirates
Western Reef Heron (Egretta gularis) - United Arab Emirates
Eurasian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) - United Arab Emirates
Slender-billed Gull (Larus genei) - United Arab Emirates
Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) - United Arab Emirates
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) - United Arab Emirates
Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) - United Arab Emirates
Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus) - United Arab Emirates
Dunlin (Calidris alpina) - United Arab Emirates
Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) - United Arab Emirates
Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) - United Arab Emirates
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) - United Arab Emirates
Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) - United Arab Emirates
Sooty Gull (Larus hemprichii) - United Arab Emirates
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) - United Arab Emirates
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) - United Arab Emirates
Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) - United Arab Emirates
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) - United Arab Emirates
Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) - United Arab Emirates
Broad-billed Sandpiper - United Arab Emirates
Greater Sandplover (Charadrius leschenaultii) - United Arab Emirates
Persian Shearwater (Puffinus persicus) - United Arab Emirates
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) - United Arab Emirates
White-cheeked Tern (Sterna repressa) - United Arab Emirates
Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) - United Arab Emirates
Crab plover (Dromas ardeola) - United Arab Emirates
Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) - United Arab Emirates