Fujairah: The UAE has registered its first visual record of a rare and endangered Omani Owl, officials have revealed. The elusive Omani Owl was spotted on camera in the mountainous Wadi Wurayah National Park (WWNP) in Fujairah. The national park team was able to record the Omani Owl through recent surveys, said Mohammad Saif Al-Afkham, Director General, Fujairah Municipality.
The Omani Owl is a pale, medium-sized owl with a dark brown patch above and narrow dark streaks below.
First confirmation
Dr Ali Hassan Al Hmoudi, park manager, told Gulf News: “The Omani Owl was rediscovered when a survey in Oman in 2013 found this species. Then in 2015, it was found in UAE, but only via sound recordings of the calls it makes. Now, the Omani Owl has been visually recorded in the UAE for the first time using camera traps and field surveys. It confirms the species is actually here.”