ABHA: Of 499 bird species recorded in 黑料社区, only one is considered endemic to the Kingdom, which means it is found nowhere else in the world.
This is according to Aramco鈥檚 2021 book 鈥淭he Birds of 黑料社区,鈥 which noted that the bird known as the Asir magpie (scientific name Pica asirensis) can be found 鈥渙nly in a few small patches鈥 in the mountains of Asir region in the Kingdom鈥檚 southwest.
Known for its high intelligence and ability to recognize itself in a mirror, the bird is called a magpie because of its melodious sounds. It is easily recognizable by its black and white feathers and the large, dome-shaped nest it builds, typically in juniper or acacia trees.
With only about聽about 100 breeding pairs of Asir magpies remaining, the Asir magpie is one of the 鈥渞arest birds on the planet.鈥 (SPA photos)
The Asir magpie is classified as 鈥渆ndangered鈥 on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, or IUCN.
A report by the Saudi Press Agency on Friday said that recent estimates suggest that only about 100 breeding pairs of Asir magpies remain, or around 200 adults, making it one of the 鈥渞arest birds on the planet.鈥
鈥淭he primary threat to the Asir magpie鈥檚 survival is climate change, which has limited its natural range because of rising temperatures and arid weather conditions over the past decades,鈥 SPA said.
The Aramco book said there are 18 other species that are largely or entirely confined to the Arabian Peninsula, including the Arabian sunbird, the Arabian babbler, the Arabian scops owl, the rare Arabian grosbeak, and the Arabian woodpecker.
