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.
Birds of Oman 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 Jen Eriksen, with colour plates opposite concise species text and accurate maps, it is indispensible for any naturalist visiting this jewel of the Arabian peninsula.
A tour guide and photographer, Jens Eriksen is renowned as Oman's premier birder, with a number of photographic titles covering the nation's birds under his belt.
Richard Porter has been writing books for Helm for more than 30 years and has been active in conservation throughout the Middle East since the 1960s. His work in Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey remains inspirational to researchers throughout the region.
"A recent addition to the Helm Field Guide series, Birds of Oman is an updated abridgement of the second edition of Birds of the Middle East (Porter and Aspinall, 2010). All 528 species recorded in the wild in Oman up to June 2017 are included, making it as comprehensive a field guide as possible for anyone interested in the country’s birdlife. [...] Oman remains a wonderful birding destination and its popularity seems to be growing. This book is a timely addition to the suite of available country-level field guides, and is a must-have for resident birders and anyone considering or planning a visit."
– Nick Moran, BTO book reviews