Brahminy Starling: a vagrant from India at the coast of Oman. Migration time in Oman is prime birdwatching time. After having seen Moustached Warbler and Savi’s Warbler in the middle of the Oman´s deserts, now I can present the 3rd bird, which will be announced via a Rare Bird Report to the Oman Bird Records Committee.
About the distribution and the habitat of this starling, it is said, that it is a resident breeder in Nepal and India and a winter visitor to Sri Lanka. This passerine bird is usually found in dry forest and cultivation and is often found close to human habitations. These birds like to roost in leafy trees as it happened here, in a small wadi near Sadah. Coordinates: N 17° 03´5169´´ E 55°04´4054´´. Both birds were very reluctant to show up. If I would not have spend a minimum of 2 hours to photograph Pale Crack-Martin, Hirundo obsoleta, on a nest built under the roof of a prayer hall, I would probably missed this species. The entrance to that wadi from the road is covered with some big trees and the whole area seems to serve as a picknick site. Some facilities as a prayer hall and toilets are existent. The upper part of the wadi is sparsely covered with low bushes. Water is present on the other side of the road and around the washrooms. This photographed bird kept well hidden in the canopy of the trees just beside the hall. It was located by it´s strange sound when I was walking around. This bird – the other kept even more hidden between the leaves – seemed to show some curiosity, but disappeared quite fast afterwards. At that time I was successful in shooting the photo of the blog you can see under: www.bird-lens.com
Hanne and Jens Eriksen, the heads of the Oman Bird Records Committee write in their 2nd volume of the “Birdwatching Guide to Oman” (2008) that the Brahminy Starling is a vagrant to oman with only 8 records up to that time, 2008. The bird requires a Rare Bird Report which will be delivered in due time.