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The following largely unconfirmed records have all been published for interest only in Bulletins of the African Bird Club.

Slender-billed Gull Larus genei, Djibouti, Photo: Charles Davies

Five Djibouti Francolins Francolinus ochropectus - a Critically Endangered Djibouti endemic - were seen on the escarpment at Forêt du Day on 20 February 2010. Somali Starling Onychognathus blythii was common there. About 60 Arabian Golden Sparrows Passer euchlorus, including many males in full breeding plumage were at the railway embankment in Djibouti City on 7th and another 30+ north of the town on 20th.

Two Slender-billed Gulls Larus genei were photographed at the entrance to Djibouti’s harbour on 20 March 2008.

The most recent documented ornithological survey was between 4 and 12 February 2001 which carried out a count of the waterbirds wintering on the coastal mudflats from Djibouti city east to the Somali border to assess the area’s potential as a Ramsar site. This survey recorded 10,072 waterbirds of 66 species, including a first for Djibouti Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris, and regionally important numbers of Crab Plover Dromas ardeola (352 with higher numbers occurring on passage), Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus (1,368) and Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus (861). Other notable Djibouti records from this survey were a single Masked Booby Sula dactylatra, up to 8 Black Egrets Egretta ardesiaca, a single Great Black-headed Gull Larus ichthyaetus, up to 20 Slender-billed Gulls L. genei, 3 Whiskered Terns Chlidonias hybrida and a female Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola.

Last page update 1st September 2011