Overview
A popular tourist destination in the south of Jordan, Wadi Rum is a huge wadi of dramatic scenery, steep cliffs, ravines and rock pillars surrounded by arid desert.
The birds of the area include many typical desert species, and larks and wheatears in particular. In addition the area attracts large numbers of a wide variety of migrants. The wadi is a Man and the Biosphere Reserve.
Birds
Notable Species
Desert Lark, Bar-tailed Desert Lark, Calandra Lark and Greater Hoopoe-Lark can be seen as well as Hooded Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Mourning Wheatear and White-tailed Wheatear. Raptors include Long-legged Buzzard and Barbary Falcon and with luck also Verreaux's Eagle and Sooty Falcon. The last two are best looked for to the east of Wadi Rum village.
Lappet-faced Vulture and Lammergeier have been recorded in the area. Desert Eagle Owl and Desert Owl are possible here and other desert species include Stone-curlew and Cream-coloured Courser.
The village itself is home to Tristram's Grackle, Striolated Bunting, Sinai Rosefinch and Masked Shrike. The cultivated land of the area supports Yellow-vented Bulbul, Trumpeter Finch, Streaked Scrub Warbler, Spanish Sparrow and Rock Sparrow and many migrants. The rockier areas hold Brown-necked Raven and Fan-tailed Raven, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush and Blue Rock Thrush and raptors.
Passage wheatears at Wadi Rum can include Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Kurdistan Wheatear and Cyprus Pied Wheatear and warblers such as Cyprus Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Orphean Warbler, African Desert Warbler, Olive-tree Warbler and Upcher's Warbler are possible.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
European Honey Buzzard, Black Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Levant Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Steppe Buzzard, Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Verreaux's Eagle, Booted Eagle, Osprey, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Northern Hobby, Sooty Falcon, Barbary Falcon, Chukar Partridge, Sand Partridge, Stone-curlew, Cream-coloured Courser, Rock Dove, European Turtle Dove, Laughing Dove, Common Cuckoo, Desert Eagle Owl, Little Owl, Desert Owl, Common Swift, Pallid Swift, European Bee-eater, European Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Wryneck, Bar-tailed Desert Lark, Desert Lark, Greater Hoopoe-Lark, Calandra Lark, Greater Short-toed Lark, Crested Lark, Temminck's Horned Lark, Sand Martin, Rock Martin, Eurasian Crag Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Western House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Blue-headed Wagtail, White Wagtail, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Blackstart, Thrush Nightingale, Common Nightingale, Bluethroat, White-throated Robin, Black Redstart, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Isabelline Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Pied Wheatear, Cyprus Pied Wheatear, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Kurdistan Wheatear, Mourning Wheatear, Hooded Wheatear, White-tailed Wheatear, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Streaked Scrub Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Common Reed Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Upcher's Warbler, Olive-tree Warbler, Wood Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus Warbler, Ruppell's Warbler, African Desert Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Barred Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Spotted Flycatcher, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Palestine Sunbird, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Great Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Masked Shrike, Brown-necked Raven, Fan-tailed Raven, Tristram's Starling, House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Rock Sparrow, Syrian Serin, Desert Finch, Trumpeter Finch, Sinai Rosefinch, Striolated Bunting, Ortolan Bunting, Cretzschmar's Bunting
Other Wildlife
Although they are unlikely to be seen some very rare mammls survive at Wadi Rum including Leopard Panthera pardus, Caracal Felis caracal, Sand Cat Felis margarita, Grey Wolf Canis lupus and Striped Hyena Hyaena hyaena.
Also present are Golden Jackal Canis aureus, Blanford's Fox Vulpes cana, Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis and a range of small desert rodents such as gerbils and spiny mice.
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
To do
Access and Facilities
Reached by taking the Route 53 north from Aqaba and turning east after 16km at Ar Rashidiyya to Wadi Rum, a resthouse can be found about 30km from the main highway. 4WD vehicles with drivers can be hired in the village. Further east is Disi, an area of agricultural land good for migrants.
Contact Details
To do
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
