UAE: 3 rare Arabian spotted eagle owl babies hatch in Sharjah

Khaleej Times

01-06-2025

In a rare and heartwarming event, three Arabian Spotted Eagle Owl chicks hatched at the Kalba Birds of Prey Centre, the Environment and Protected Areas Authority of Sharjah announced.
This particular species — rarely found in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen — originates from Africa.
The centre said the event "marks a milestone" in the captive breeding programme for birds of prey, which aims to "protect rare species from extinction and rehabilitate them in their natural environments".
Take a look at one of the baby chicks.
The first time the species of this owl was found in the UAE was in 2003, after a donor from Dibba gifted it to the Dubai Zoo, claiming it was from the Dibba mountains.
In the beginning, the staff did not take much notice of it, but after some time they realised it looked different in appearance than other chicks of the Desert Eagle-Owl owl.
Meanwhile, according to the World Wildlife Fund, the Arabian Eagle Owl (Bubo africanus milesi) — part of the same family — was first discovered in 2017 in Fujairah's Hajar Mountains.
At the time, Jacky Judas, Manager & Scientific Advisor of Terrestrial Biodiversity, EWS-WWF, had said that despite the UAE's hot and arid climate, a "wide variety of resilient and fascinating species thrive in our deserts and mountain areas".
"Unfortunately, the rapid pace of development has become a major threat to many of these creatures. Thus, it is crucial — now more than ever— that we ramp up collective efforts to protect and safeguard key habitats and endangered species, all of which constitute the UAE's rich natural heritage," Jacky had said at the time.
He continued: 'If a large bird, 45cm in height, weighing 600 to 800g — even if nocturnal and elusive — went unnoticed up to the beginning of the 21st century, what about much smaller species of animals and plants, or under-surveyed taxonomic groups? We have very little doubt that so much more is still to be found in the Hajar Mountains.'
Recent rare appearances
In August of last year, a Mediterranean Gull was spotted for the first time in 28 years at Dubai's Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. Over the past quarter-century, there have been only 15 recorded sightings in the country, with nine in Abu Dhabi, four in Dubai, and two in Sharjah.
Another rare species of bird was also spotted that year. The red-footed Booby was seen in Abu Dhabi. One of the rarest and smallest species of Booby, the creature is found on the coasts and islands of tropical regions. It is very rare to see it in the Arabian Gulf region due to the absence of resident groups in the UAE.
Meanwhile in 2019, the Arabian Caracal (Caracal schmitzi) was sighted on Jebel Hafeet National Park in Al Ain. The medium-sized, sand-coloured cat with characteristically elongated, tufted black ears was last seen in Abu Dhabi in 1984.