Oman is a top birding destination, known for its warm hospitality, excellent infrastructure, and diverse birdlife influenced by the Indian subcontinent and Africa.

Our journey focuses on Salalah, a lush oasis between the Dhofar Mountains and the Arabian Sea, offering a unique mix of Arabian, Asian, and African bird species. We’ll explore coastal habitats rich in shorebirds and embark on two pelagic trips from Mirbat, where we may spot rare seabirds, whales, dolphins, and sea turtles.

Beyond Salalah, we’ll venture into Oman’s desert interior, targeting various desert species, as well as migrating European and Asian birds, attracted to the sunfarm oasеs.

This tour blends world-class birding with Oman’s stunning landscapes and cultural richness—an unforgettable adventure for birding enthusiasts!

Tour itinerary

1^st November

Arrival at Salalah Airport or pickup from a hotel in Salalah no later than 11:00 a.m. First stop for the trip will be Wadi Ashawq Nature Reserve (Sand partridge, Greater Flamingo , Red-knobbed Coot, White-breasted Waterhen, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Pin-tailed Snipe, Temminck’s Stint, Yellow Bittern, Intermediate Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Greater Sand Plover, Tibetan Sand Plover, Sooty Gull, Brown Noddy, Saunders’s Tern, White-cheeked Tern, Great crested Tern, Lesser crested Tern, Wilson’s Storm-petrel, Jouanin’s Petrel, Masked Booby, Brown Booby, Socotra Cormorant, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Malachite Kingfisher, Rock Martin, Tristram’s Starling, Desert Wheatear, Blackstart, Arabian Wheatear, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, etc. From here we have a 2-hour transfer to Mudayy via the picturesque road towards the Yemeni border.

Mudday is located on the edge of the Dhofar Mountains and the vast Arabian Desert and attracts many desert bird species to its oasis. Our targets here will be Sand Partridge, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Spotted Sandgrouse, Crowned Sandgrouse, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Oriental Turtle Dove, African Collared Dove, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Arabian Green Bee-eater, Black-crowned Tchagra, Arabian Gray Shrike, Bar-tailed Lark, Desert Lark, Rock Martin, White-spectacled Bulbul, Asian Desert Warbler, Menetries’ Warbler, Hooded Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Blackstart, Hypocolius, Nile Valley Sunbird, Palestine Sunbird. Two nights in Mudday or Thumrait.

2^nd of November

Today we will visit the sunfarms to the north of Thumrait, which are magnets for many desert and migrating species of birds like Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Spotted Sandgrouse, Crowned Sandgrouse, Sociable lapwing, Cream-colored Courser, Black-winged Kite, Amur Falcon, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Red-tailed Shrike, Arabian Gray Shrike, Greater Hoopoe-lark, Black-crowned Sparrow-lark, Bimaculated Lark, Arabian Lark, Turkestan Short-toed Lark, Oriental Skylark, Desert wheatear, Upcher’s Warbler, Menetries’s Warbler, Desert Wheatear, Richard’s Pipit.

In the evening we will explore again the area around Mudday.

3^rd of November

The second morning in the desert we will spend in Wadi Rabkut, looking for Sand Partridge, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Spotted Sandgrouse, Crowned Sandgrouse, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Arabian Green Bee-eater, Arabian Gray Shrike, Greater Hoopoe-lark, Black-crowned Sparrow-lark, Upcher’s Warbler, Asian Desert Warbler, Blackstart, etc. Then we will drive back to Salalah, but on the way we’ll stop shortly at Thumrait Waste Disposal Site and check for raptors – Lappet-faced Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Greater Spotted Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle, etc.

We will arrive in Salalah at noon and will check-in for seven nights in the Samharam coastal resort, to the west of the city of Salalah.

In the afternoon we will check first the lagoon near the hotel West Khawr, where we can expect to see Cotton Pygmy-goose, White-tailed Lapwing, Greater Sand-plover, Lesser Sand-plover, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Sooty Gull, Heuglin’s Gull, Steppe Gull, White-cheeked Tern, Great Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Intermediate Egret, Indian Pond-heron, Western Reef-heron, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Isabelline Shrike, Graceful Prinia, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Rock Martin, Rueppell’s Weaver, African Silverbill. And in the evening we will check Raysut Lagoon, where many gulls and terns come to spend the night and our targets here will be Greater Sand-plover, Lesser Sand-plover, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Sooty Gull, Heuglin’s Gull, Steppe Gull, Pallas’s Gull, Saunders’s Tern, White-cheeked Tern, Great Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, African Openbill, Socotra Cormorant, Intermediate Egret, Indian Pond-heron, Western Reef-heron, Graceful Prinia, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Rock Martin, Rueppell’s Weaver, African Silverbill, etc.

4^th of November

Today will be our first pelagic trip from Mirbat harbor, and besides from the many species of seabirds like Pomarine Jaeger, Brown Noddy, Bridled Tern, Great Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Red-billed Tropicbird, Wilson’s Storm-petrel, Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel, Jouanin’s Petrel, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Persian Shearwater, Brown Booby, Masked Booby, Socotra Cormorant, Red-necked Phalarope, we also have chances to see Blue and Sperm Whales, Common and Spinner Dolphins, as well as 4 species of sea turtles – Green, Olive Ridley, Loggerhead and Hawksbill.

Back at the harbour we will look for Abdim’s Stork, Socotra Cormorant, Sooty Gull, Heuglin’s Gull, Steppe Gull, Striated Heron, Reef Egret, Tristram’s Starling, etc.

In the afternoon we will check again the Wadi Ashawq Nature Reserve and in the evening we will look for the Desert Owl and Egyptian Nightjar in one of the wadis. Other bird species that we might see in the wadi include Sand Partridge, Arabian Partridge, Bonelli’s Eagle, Arabian Green Bee-eater, Desert Larks, Rock Martin, Tristram’s Starling, Desert Wheatear, Blackstart, Arabian Wheatear, Long-billed Pipit, Striolated Bunting and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, as well as some mammal species like Arabian Ibex, Rüppell’s Fox and Hyrax.

5^th of November

This morning we will visit the wadis of Ayn Razat and Ayn Sahnawt. Our target species here will be Verreaux’s eagle, Bruce’s Green-pigeon, White-breasted Waterhen, Forbes-Watson’s Swift, Arabian Scops-owl, Arabian Eagle-owl, Dideric Cuckoo, Black-crowned Tchagra, Fan-tailed Raven, Graceful Prinia, White-spectacled Bulbul, Arabian Warbler, Abyssinian White-eye, Tristram’s Starling, Blackstart, Palestine Sunbird, Shining Sunbird, Rueppell’s Weaver, African Silverbill, Long-billed Pipit, Striolated Bunting, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, etc.

In the afternoon we will visit Al Balid Archeological Park in Salalah, which besides preserving the medieval ruins of Zafar that acted as an important port for the frankincense trade, also hosts a good variety of birds, including Spotted Thick-knee, Pacific Golden-plover, Sooty Gull, Heuglin’s Gull, Steppe Gull, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Isabelline Shrike, Graceful Prinia, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Rock Martin, White-spectacled Bulbul, Shining Sunbird, Rueppell’s Weaver, etc.

In the evening we will visit the coastal lagoon of East Khawr, where we look for Cotton Pygmy-goose, Greater Flamingo, Spotted Thick-knee, Pacific Golden-plover, White-tailed Lapwing, Greater Sand-plover, Lesser Sand-plover, Caspian Plover, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Long-toed Stint, Pin-tailed Snipe, Crab Plover, Small Pratincole, Sooty Gull, Heuglin’s Gull, Steppe Gull, Saunders’s Tern, White-cheeked Tern, Great Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Socotra Cormorant, Yellow Bittern, Intermediate Egret, Indian Pond-heron, Western Reef-heron, African Spoonbill, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Red-tailed Shrike, Graceful Prinia, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Rock Martin, White-spectacled Bulbul, Rueppell’s Weaver, African Silverbill, etc. After that we can go again to Ayn Razat and check for Arabian Scops-owl and Arabian Eagle-owl.

6^th of November

In the morning we will visit Tawi Atayr and look for the Arab endemic Yemen Serin. Other species of birds we might expect to see here include Arabian Partridge, Namaqua Dove, Bruce’s Green-pigeon, Abdim’s Stork, Forbes-Watson’s Swift, Lappet-faced Vulture, Bonelli’s Eagle, Gray-headed Kingfisher, Barbary Falcon, Black-crowned Tchagra, African Paradise-flycatcher, Isabelline Shrike, Fan-tailed Raven, Horsfield’s Bushlark, Rock Martin, White-spectacled Bulbul, Arabian Warbler, Abyssinian White-eye, Tristram’s Starling, Blackstart, Arabian Wheatear, Palestine Sunbird, Shining Sunbird, Rueppell’s Weaver, African Silverbill, Long-billed Pipit, Striolated Bunting, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting. Then we will go to Jabal Samhan, which is the prime area in Oman for the Verreaux’s Eagle. The landscape and the view from here over the whole coastal region of Dhofar is outstandingly beautiful and is worth the visit just for that. Of course, other bird species might also be seen here like Fan-tailed Raven, White-spectacled Bulbul, Tristram’s Starling, Hooded Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Blackstart, Arabian Wheatear, Palestine Sunbird, Shining Sunbird, Long-billed Pipit, Cinnamon-breasted bunting, etc.

In the afternoon we will go first to the coastal lagoon of Khawr Sawli. Possible species to see here include Greater flamingo, Greater Sand-plover, Lesser Sand-plover, Sooty Gull, Heuglin’s Gull, Steppe Gull, Great Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Intermediate Egret, Indian Pond-heron, Western Reef-heron, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Graceful Prinia, Clamorous Reed Warbler, African Silverbill, etc.

In the evening we will go to Ayn Tabraq, where we will look for Namaqua Dove, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Forbes-Watson’s Swift, Bonelli’s Eagle, Arabian scops-owl, Gray-headed Kingfisher, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Black-crowned Tchagra, African Paradise-flycatcher, Red-tailed Shrike, Fan-tailed Raven, Graceful Prinia, Rock Martin, White-spectacled Bulbul, Arabian Warbler, Abyssinian White-eye, Tristram’s Starling, Blackstart, Palestine Sunbird, Shining Sunbird, Rueppell’s Weaver, African Silverbill, Long-billed Pipit, Arabian Grosbeak, Striolated Bunting, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, etc.

7^th of November

Another morning spent offshore looking for seabirds, whales, dolphins and sea turtles.

After lunch and we don’t feel too exhausted we can take the long, but especially scenic road to Ash Shuwaymiyah (~ 3 hours).  At the lagoon near Ash Shuwaymiyah we can expect to see Greater Flamingo, White-breasted Waterhen, Pacific Golden-plover, Greater Sand-plover, Lesser Sand-plover, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Sooty Gull, Heuglin’s Gull, Steppe Gull, Great Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Masked Booby, Socotra Cormorant, Indian Pond-heron, Western Reef-heron, Isabelline Shrike, Clamorous Reed Warbler, etc. In the wadi near the town, we can find Sand Partridge, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Egyptian Nightjar, Desert Lark, Rock Martin, Arabian Wheatear and Shining Sunbird. On the way back we can opt for taking the slightly longer road via the desert and look for some desert species of birds and even spend a couple of hours of looking for mammals after dark.

8^th of November

The day will start at one of the most picturesque sites of Dhofar – Wadi Darbat. This green, forested mountainous gorge looks surreal in the predominantly desert habitats that cover the Dhofar Region of Oman. The river, lakes and waterfalls in the area attracts many species of birds, including Bruce’s Green-pigeon, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Forbes-Watson’s Swift, Oriental Honey-buzzard, Lappet-faced Vulture, Verreaux’s Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle, Arabian Scops-owl, Arabian Eagle-owl, Dideric Cuckoo, Gray-headed Kingfisher, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Barbary Falcon, African Paradise-flycatcher, Fan-tailed Raven, Horsfield’s Bushlark, Graceful Prinia, Rock Martin, White-spectacled Bulbul, Arabian Warbler, Abyssinian White-eye, Tristram’s Starling, Blackstart, Arabian Wheatear, Palestine Sunbird, Shining Sunbird, Rueppell’s Weaver, African Silverbill, Long-billed Pipit, Yemen Serin, Striolated Bunting, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, etc.

On the way back to the hotel we will visit Khawr Rawri lagoon, where we might see Cotton Pygmy-goose, Greater Flamingo, White-breasted Waterhen, Spotted Thick-knee, Pacific Golden-plover, White-tailed Lapwing, Greater Sand-plover, Lesser Sand-plover, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Long-toed Stint, Pin-tailed Snipe, Sooty Gull, Heuglin’s Gull, Steppe Gull, Pallas’s Gull, Bridled Tern, Saunders’s Tern, White-cheeked Tern, Great Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Masked Booby, Socotra Cormorant, Intermediate Egret, Indian Pond-heron, Western Reef-heron, Bonelli’s Eagle, Malachite Kingfisher, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Red-tailed Shrike, Isabelline Shrike, Fan-tailed Raven, Black-crowned Sparrow-lark, Graceful Prinia, Rock Martin, Arabian Warbler, Menetries’s Warbler, Tristram’s Starling, Shining Sunbird, Rueppell’s Weaver, African Silverbill).

In the afternoon we will visit Raysut Settling Pools, where we might see Greater Flamingo, White-tailed Lapwing, Pin-tailed Snipe, Small Pratincole, Abdim’s Stork, African sacred ibis, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Rock Martin and Rueppell’s Weaver. For the evening we will decide where to go, depending on what we have missed so far.

9^th of November

On our last day in Oman, we will visit the wadis of Ayn Hamran and Wadi Kheesh, where our targets will be Arabian Partridge, Oriental Тurtle-dove, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Egyptian Nightjar, White-breasted Waterhen, Forbes-Watson’s Swift, Verreaux’s Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle, Arabian Scops-owl, Arabian Eagle-owl, Pied Cuckoo, Dideric Cuckoo, Gray-headed Kingfisher, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Barbary Falcon, Black-crowned Tchagra, African Paradise-flycatcher, Red-tailed Shrike, Isabelline Shrike, Arabian Gray Shrike, Fan-tailed Raven, Black-crowned Sparrow-lark, Horsfield’s Bushlark, Graceful Prinia, Upcher’s Warbler, Rock Martin, White-spectacled Bulbul, Scrub Warbler, Arabian Warbler, Menetries’s Warbler, Abyssinian White-eye, Tristram’s Starling, Desert Wheatear, Blackstart, Arabian Wheatear, Palestine Sunbird, Shining Sunbird, Rueppell’s Weaver, African Silverbill, Long-billed Pipit, Arabian Grosbeak, Striolated Bunting, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, etc.

Again, for the afternoon and evening birding we will decide depending on what we missed to see so far.

10^th of November

Birding around Salalah in the morning. We will decide on the sites to visit depending on the success in the previous days.

Transfer to the Salalah airport in the afternoon.

To get the tour check-list, please contact us.