The King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve Development Authority recorded a new scientific and environmental achievement with the acceptance of a peer-reviewed paper for publication in the international journal Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, published by ALÖKI Kft in Budapest. The achievement adds to the Kingdom's efforts in wildlife conservation.
The paper documents, for the first time, the confirmed nesting and breeding of the Egyptian Nightjar, known locally as Mulhi Al-Ru'yan, within the reserve.
The nocturnal desert bird is a rare and elusive species listed as Least Concern (LC) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, making the finding a valuable scientific contribution to understanding the distribution of wildlife species in desert ecosystems, SPA reported.
The study was based on extensive field monitoring conducted at Umm Al-Dhiyabah, one of the reserve's unique seasonal wetland habitats.
During the surveys, environmental teams observed two eggs laid directly on the ground without a conventional nest, a nesting behavior characteristic of the Egyptian Nightjar. About a week later, on April 15, 2025, eggshell remains were documented at the site, confirming the successful hatching of the chicks.
Monitoring teams continued to record repeated sightings of the Egyptian Nightjar at multiple locations across the reserve from mid-October, indicating the species' continued use of the habitat and its ability to adapt to local environmental conditions during specific seasons.
The paper's scientific significance lies in upgrading the species' record in Saudi Arabia from previous observations and suspected nesting to confirmed breeding. The findings contribute to redefining the bird's breeding range across the Arabian Peninsula and updating scientific data on its distribution and ecological behavior.
