Bird watching on Tabag Hill in Wadi Musa|Petra, Jordan
Birdwatching in Petra
If you have a passion for nature and birds, I highly recommend to go birdwatching in Petra and the rest of Jordan. With a variety of habitats and migration patterns, it is the perfect destination for bird enthusiasts.
Not only can you observe the resident birds, but also over 250 migratory birds that use the Eurasian-African migratory routes over Jordan. The best time to witness these birds flying through the migration funnel along the Rift valley is during the spring or autumn seasons. These birds travel between Africa, Asia, and Europe.
For more information on birdwatching in Jordan, check out the Birds of Jordan flyer provided by the Jordan Tourism Board.
Different habitats for birdwatching in Jordan
Jordan has many different habitats. The vast Wadi Rum hot and dry desert in the south of Jordan. The green, rolling mountains in the Jordan valley with many trees. The wetlands in Azraq Nature Reserve. The seaside in Aqaba and the Aqaba Bird Observatory with the sweet water ponds where the migratory birds can rest after crossing the Red Sea. As a result there are many kinds of birds to watch in the different IBA’s in Jordan.
Birding in Important Bird Areas in Jordan
The Royal Society for Conservation of Nature (RSCN) identified more than 7,600 km2, which is 8.5% of Jordan’s surface area, as Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA). They choose the area’s in cooperation with Birdlife International. These areas are globally important for the conservation of bird populations as well as the wildlife they need to thrive.
Jordan has 18 IBA’s. They are protected and conserved by the RSCN and many of them have a visitor centre to welcome guests and teach them about the specific habitat that makes it of ornithological importance. One of these Important Bird Areas is Petra.
Bird watching at Al Tabag hill
This is a perfect activity for nature and bird lovers. Combine a cultural and historic visit to the ancient, rose red city , where you can see the National Bird of Jordan, the Sinai Rosefinch, with birdwatching in Petra and the area around this Wonder of the World.
One suggestion is to take a taxi or drive up the road in front of B&B Petra Fig Tree Villa to go to Tabag hill. Go until the end of the paved road and start hiking. Best to do this in the early morning or at the end of the day. Next to watch the sunset over Petra you can see “raptors flying directly side-by-side with you.”
My guests from Spain, who did a 20+ days bird watching tour in Jordan in March 2018, discovered this great birding site. They stayed three nights in the B&B to watch both Petra and the birds during two visits to this area. Both evenings after their birding hike, they sat round the kitchen table to write a report of all the birds they saw.
“Only two brief visits (morning and afternoon) were enough time to list an interesting number of bird species, which included Egyptian Vulture, Black Kite, Short-toed Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Steppe Buzzards (hundreds), Alpine Swift, European Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Wryneck, Red-rumped Swallow, Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock-Thrush, Palestine Sunbird, Woodchat Shrike, Spanish and Rock Sparrows, Fan-tailed Raven, Sinai Rosefinch and, above all, a Pale Rock Sparrow.”
Here you can find the complete report of this bird watching morning at Tabag hill.
Jordan birdwatching journey
To conclude, for al bird lovers visiting Jordan, add Al Tabag hill to your itinerary! And if you are really interested into birding, you can make it a birding holiday. With a stay at the B&B when you visit Petra. If you want to know more about a Jordan birding journey you can send me an email. Or give me a call or Whatsapp message on 00962 77 909 2675.