This blog was written by Fraser Bell on 6 June 2025.
For any serious world birder, or those wanting a unique experience in Arabia, birding in Oman is simply unforgettable. This Middle Eastern country offers breathtaking landscapes, from vast deserts and beautiful mountain ranges to diverse coastal wetlands and lush wadis. Oman is a destination where African, Asian, and Arabian species meet, making it the best place to explore the birds of Arabia, especially for owl lovers.
A hidden gem with over 550 bird species
While Oman is well known to many UK and European birders, others are often surprised by how impressive the birding is here. With close to 550 species recorded, including regional endemics, sought-after migrants, a range of birds found mainly in Arabia, and several owls rarely seen by international birdwatchers, Oman remains a relatively under-explored birding frontier. Top targets include Grey Hypocolius (a monotypic family) and the poorly-known Forbes-Watson’s Swift. Our November Oman Birding Tour coincides with the wintering period for many migrants and includes focused searches for the region’s rarely seen owls.
Grey Hypocolius is another exciting target on our Oman birding tours.
Unlike many of its neighbors, Oman is a safe, accessible, and modern bird tour destination, boasting excellent infrastructure, cuisine, and accommodation. But what truly sets Oman apart for birders is its remarkable diversity of owl species. Some have only been described in recent years, others are elusive desert dwellers rarely seen, and for some, Oman remains the best place on Earth to find them. Most are extremely difficult to locate without expert guidance — which is exactly what our tour provides.
Owling in Oman – targeting the Arabian Peninsula’s most elusive nocturnal birds
Omani Owl
The owls of Oman conjure up images of mystery and intrigue. None more so than the Omani Owl. First described from a single specimen collected in Pakistan in the 19th century, it was only rediscovered in 2023 by ornithologists researching Pallid Scops Owls near Muscat. Perfectly camouflaged in its remote cliffside habitat, with brown, buffy, and grey plumage that blends seamlessly into the rock, its identity remained unclear for some time. We now know its stronghold is in the mountains west of Muscat, where we will spend three nights during our tour with expert local guides to try and find this highly sought-after species.
Desert Owl
The Desert Owl is another fabled Arabian species, a true desert specialist found in rocky gorges and canyons. Its sandy brown and greyish-yellow plumage makes it perfectly camouflaged in these otherworldly landscapes. Though patchily distributed across the Arabian Peninsula, birders most often connect with it just west of Salalah, where ideal habitat is easily accessed. Its trio of soft, haunting hoots can be heard year-round, which we use to help locate the species during our four nights in Salalah.
One of the four primary owl targets is the most-wanted Desert Owl.
Arabian Eagle-Owl and Arabian Scops Owl
Both Arabian Eagle-Owl and Arabian Scops Owl are Arabian Peninsula endemics, and while they are seen reliably in southern Saudi Arabia, Oman remains the most accessible and stable destination for international birders to look for them.
While the Arabian Eagle-Owl is relatively small for an eagle-owl, it is the region’s second largest owl, and it certainly is impressive! We will search well-wooded wadis in the rocky hills north and east of Salalah for this large owl with long ear tufts and piercing yellow eyes, where they are regularly seen. Arabian Scops Owls begin breeding around our tour dates, making it the ideal time to look for them. We will listen for their frog-like ‘prreup’ calls at night, then visit known roosts during the day. These compact, grey-brown owls are easily overlooked due to their excellent camouflage, but up-close, their subtle plumage is striking, and we might even see their tiny ear tufts.
Other owls in Oman
In addition to the four key owl targets, we also search for the endearing Little Owl, always a favorite thanks to its bold behavior and curious nature. We will also look for Pallid Scops Owl, which is paler and less marked than its Arabian cousin. Interestingly, while much of its Central Asian population is migratory, wintering in India and Pakistan, the Omani population is resident. We have a great chance of finding this species in the Al Hajar Mountains while also searching for the elusive Omani Owl. The final owl species we will search for on our Oman birding tour is the large Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, a sandy colored species found in rocky desert hills and mountains, and often seen at day roosts. Though rare in Oman, we will look for it in the Al Hajar mountains and in the desert north of Salalah, both by day, and by listening for its deep ‘WHU’ hoots at night. Encouragingly, there have been several sightings already in early 2025, and we will visit these in hope of connecting with one.
Pharaoh Eagle-Owl another of the special owls we will be looking for in Oman.
Searching for owls in Oman is unlike anywhere else. The rarity of the targets and the landscapes they inhabit make it a truly special birding experience. Several species, such as Omani and Desert Owls, live in mountain desert terrain, and seeking them by night is an otherworldly experience. You are immersed in their vast, silent world, scanning sheer cliffs under star-filled skies, the cool desert air around you. Often, you hear them before you see them, their calls echoing through the canyons, but spotting them takes patience and a degree of luck, as with owling around the rest of the world. The Arabian Eagle-Owl and Arabian Scops Owl are a little more forgiving, found in wooded wadis where we hope to locate them at day roosts and admire their beautifully cryptic plumage by daylight. Join our small group and expert guides for an unforgettable quest to find the owls of Oman.
Little Owl in its desert environment.
More than just owls – other birding highlights in Oman
Our confirmed November 2025 departure is about much more than owls. This is a well-paced, high-comfort birding tour covering Oman’s best birding sites. We target Arabian endemics, desert specialists, seabirds, and overwintering migrants. By including an internal flight, we minimize travel time while enjoying top-quality accommodation throughout. Our 12-day Oman birdwatching tour is based in two locations, designed to maximize birding and minimize driving:
Al Hajar and Jebel Akhdar Mountains west of Muscat
Here, we will target species like Sand Partridge, Eversmann’s Redstart, Arabian Green Bee-eater, and four wheatear species, including the handsome Hooded Wheatear.
Salalah and the Dhofar Mountains
We will fly south to Salalah, where the Khareef monsoon transforms the Dhofar Mountains into a surprisingly green oasis. Traveling into the true desert interior, we seek Grey Hypocolius and three species of sandgrouse, including the sought after Crowned Sandgrouse. At wetlands and wadis, we look for Arabian Partridge, Arabian Sunbird, and Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak, among many others.
Oman pelagic birding trip
Embarking on a pelagic from Mirbat sees us targeting Socotra Cormorant, Persian Shearwater, and Jouanin’s Petrel, which is sure to be an exciting day of seabirding.
Arabian Babbler is one of several Arabian endemics that we target on this tour.
Our Birding Ecotours guide will be working alongside local birding experts with lots of experience in the Arabian Peninsula. Accommodation is comfortable throughout this tour, and during the tour, we also visit a handful of sites of cultural significance, providing an opportunity to experience more of Oman while we target its special bird species.
Why November is the best time to bird in Oman
November is an excellent time to bird Oman and has been specifically chosen for our scheduled Oman bird tour. Temperatures are cooler and more comfortable than other times, and the country hosts masses of overwintering migrant birds. There is also the chance to find some vagrants. Most importantly, resident owls are active this time of year, giving us an excellent chance of seeing them.
There are limited spaces remaining on our confirmed departure November 2025 Oman Birding Tour, targeting elusive owls and Arabian specials across Salalah and the Al Hajar Mountains. Now is the time to snap up one of the final spots on this exciting birding tour.
