Northward migration of Curlew Sandpipers Calidris ferruginea through the Persian Gulf

Results of two wader studies are presented. These were carried out along the Persian Gulf coasts of Saudi Arabia in spring 1991 and in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in spring 1995. Curlew Sandpipers were common migrants in both study areas, with peak numbers occurring during the last decade of April and the first decade of May. It is estimated that, in late April, almost 1% of the nonbreeding population simultaneously uses the tidal flats of the UAE. Especially in Khor Dubai, high densities were reached and food intake was high, with birds predating upon the largest worms available. Measurements, weights and weight increases are compared with data from other studies, and observations of departing flocks are discussed. Curlew Sandpipers migrate northward in a broad front which stretches from West Africa to at least the Persian Gulf. It is argued that those migrating through the UAE are not the same individuals as those staging along the Saudi Arabian coast.