Oman is a truly amazing place. In terms of avifauna it lies at the crossroads between Asian and African species--Arabian desert species to the north, and a host of Afrotropical species occurring in the monsoon-swept south that don't occur anywhere else in the Western Palaearctic.

With much of the Middle East now effectively off-limits to birders, people are increasingly turning to Oman and its avian riches. And what riches they are--highlights include the incredible Omani Owl, discovered just a couple of years ago in the Al Hajar mountains, a suite of regionally scarce wheatears, exotic pigeons, shearwaters and storm-petrels that can be seen from the beach, a host of wintering eagles, plus impressive residents such as Verreaux's, the only accessible sites for Arabian Golden-winged Grosbeak, and Yemen Serin; the list goes on and on.

This book is the perfect guide to this wonderful country's birdlife. Written by the world's leading expert on Middle Eastern birds, Richard Porter, along with Oman bird specialist Jens Eriksen, with color plates opposite concise species text and accurate maps, it is indispensable for any naturalist visiting this jewel of the Arabian peninsula.

The first comprehensive field guide to Oman, covering all 528 species on the Oman bird list, plus a few non-naturalized species; 116 color plates depict every species and many distinct plumages and races; Species accounts cover key identification features, including habitat and voice; Color maps show breeding, wintering and migration distributions of all regularly occuring species; Includes a complete Oman checklist.