Birding sites ON MASIRAH ISLAND

crab-plover

To get here you will need to purchase a ferry ticket from the National Ferry Company office in Shannah. Park here: GPS: 20°45'05.5"N 58°44'21.9"E and go into the rather unassuming office to get a ticket. Ferries depart at 9am, 12am, 3pm & 5pm most days - see full schedule below.

There are two different water transportations that you can take between Shannah Port and Hilf Port in Masirah Island.

The first is the ferry operated by the National Ferry Company (NFC). The journey takes 1 hour and the seating is very comfortable. The ticket price for a one-way journey is OMR 3 for adults and OMR 1.5 for children. It will cost OMR 16 for a standard vehicle and OMR 20 for a 4WD.

The second option is the privately-owned old boats. Although their facility is not as nice as the newer ferries operated by NFC, it costs much less (OMR 10 per car and free for people). The biggest difference between the two transportation methods is that the older ferries take hand an hour longer. In addition, most people will opt for the old ferries due to its more budget-friendly price, which can make it more crowded.

DestinationTrip DayDeparture TimeArrival Time
From Masirah to Shannah - Saturday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
9 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm

From Shannah to Masirah - Saturday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
9 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm

From Masirah to Shannah - Sunday
9 am, 12 pm, 3 pm

From Shannah to Masirah - Sunday
9 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm

From Masirah to Shannah - Monday
9 am, 3 pm, 5 pm

From Shannah to Masirah - Monday
12 pm, 5 pm

From Masirah to Shannah - Tuesday
12 pm, 5 pm

From Shannah to Masirah - Tuesday
9 am, 3 pm

Old Ferry Schedule
The old ferries do not have a fixed schedule and will only depart once the boat is full. They start operating around 6 am and will stop operations after 4-5 in the afternoon. Again, the cost is cheap as a ride from Shannah Port to Masirah will only cost OMR 10 for vehicles and is free for people. However, you may have to wait for a long time, so take your pick!

Al Shamkaiah Park

olive-backed pipit

The best birding site on the island and THE place to check for migrants and rarities. Anything can and does turn up here and surely more birders will decide to visit in the future? The park is quite small and can be explored thoroughly in an hour. There are several paths running through the park and around the perimeter, but you can walk anywhere. Don't ignore the small bushes on the north side for anything skulking inside as well. This site is adjacent to Hilf Sewage works and across the road from Hilf Coastal Wetland, making for a very interesting set of habitats - and these should be your main focus of attention on any visit. For instance on 20th December 2024 there's been Oriental (Rufous) Turtle Dove, Asian Koel, Pin-tailed Snipe, Crested Honey Buzzard, Pallid Harrier, Eurasian Wryneck, Isabelle Shrike, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Wood Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Forest Wagtail and Red-throated Pipit. In January 2025 Nick found the 5th Common Hawk-Cuckoo for Oman, and on the same day 2 Forest Wagtails were present. Other great birds seen here in the past have included Amur Falcon, Grey-bellied Cuckoo, Yellow-browed & Hume's Warbler, Booted Warbler, Menetries's Warbler, Brahminy Starling, Richard's Pipit, Olive-backed Pipit and Yellow-throated Sparrow.

TO VISIT THE eBIRD HOTSPOT INFO: Al Shamkaiah Park
GPS Co-ordinates: 20°37'45.5"N 58°51'58.4"E

HILF SEWAGE WORKS

small pratincole
Small Pratincole © Eduard Sangster

Worth checking for species such as Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Citrine Wagtail, Red-throated Pipit or any other rarities. A visit is well worthwhile, as anything can turn up. From the main entrance, please ask a member of staff to gain access and head down through the sewage works and drive left to the far corner to check out the overgrown tanks that are covered in in reeds. The area is very overgrown but some mud is exposed at the base of the reeds on one tank, whilst a flooded tank holds some wildfowl but is difficult to view as it is surrounded by dense Acacias. There is a certain amount of movement of birds between here and Hilf Coastal Wetland, which is directly opposite the sewage works. Over the years there's been White-breasted Waterhen, Allen's Gallinule, Lesser Moorhen, Little Bittern, Black-winged Kite, Cream-coloured Courser, White-tailed Lapwing, Small Pratincole, Jack Snipe, Long-toed Stint, Red-necked Phalarope, Saunders's Tern, Asian Koel, Common Hawk-Cuckoo, White-throated Kingfisher, Little Swift, Lesser Grey Shrike, Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin, Bluethroat, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Blyth's Pipit, Black Drongo, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Arabian Warbler, Upcher's Warbler, Barred Warbler, Green Warbler, Brahminy & Rose-coloured Starling, Common Rosefinch, Pale Rockfinch, Yellow-throated Sparrow and Spanish Sparrow amongst others. It may not be as good as it used to be, but still draws birds and the more birders that visit should produce some amazing rarities.

TO VISIT THE eBIRD HOTSPOT INFO: Hilf Sewage Works
GPS Co-ordinates: 20°37'39.7"N 58°52'02.1"E

Hilf Sewage Works
Hilf Sewage Works

HILF COASTAL WETLAND

daurian shrike

Very close to the sewage works and park, thoroughly check this coastal location for a variety of shorebirds inc Pin-tailed & Jack Snipes, shorebirds etc. The stream that starts from the main road runs all the way down to the beach and has grass-covered verges and bushes that can hide anything. At the beach check the gulls, terns, herons, egrets etc. January seems particularly good for Jack Snipe with at least 4 present in 2025. Passerines sighted here in the past have included Bimaculated Lark, Isabelline Shrike, Bluethroat, Citrine Wagtail, Tawny & Water Pipit & Rose-coloured Starling. There's even been Water Rail..!

TO VISIT THE eBIRD HOTSPOT INFO: Hilf Coastal Wetland
GPS Co-ordinates: 20°37'39.7"N 58°52'02.1"E

OVERVIEW OF NORTH END OF ISLAND

Use of the map above courtesy of Jens Eriksen & The Birdwatching Guide to Oman. To purchase a PDF of this excellent site guide please email Jens Eriksen at: hjoman@gmail.com (EUR 15).

SUR MASIRAH

crab-plover

Probably the best site on the island to see Crab-Plover with up to a 1,000 present on the right tide and only takes 25 minutes to drive from Al Shamkaiah Park. As you drive south and approach the bay, keep watch for the large congregation of shorebirds as their exact location seems to vary. Try and time your visit to Masirah to coincide with high tide - an incoming or outgoing tide would be best as you can drive down to Sur Masirah Beach and potentially get really close to the birds if you stay in your car. Just follow signs for Sur Masirah Beach from the main road. If you don't see Crab-Plovers here, continue to the GPS co-ordinates below.

Other species in this area include Egyptian Vulture, Greater Hoopoe-Lark, Crested Lark, Desert Wheatear, Brown-necked Raven & Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark.

TO VISIT THE eBIRD HOTSPOT INFO: Sur Masirah
GPS Co-ordinates: 20°25'35.2"N 58°43'04.6"E

Sur Masirah Beach
Sur Masirah Beach

Use of the map above courtesy of Jens Eriksen & The Birdwatching Guide to Oman. To purchase a PDF of this excellent site guide please email Jens Eriksen at: hjoman@gmail.com (EUR 15).

HIQL

pallas's gull

As you're driving around the island this might be a site to try if you haven't seen Pallas's Gull yet.

TO VISIT THE eBIRD HOTSPOT INFO: Hiql Beach
GPS Co-ordinates: 20°21'45.3"N 58°47'27.0"E

MASIRAH - SOUTH CAPE

Lesser Noddy
Lesser Noddy © Eduard Opperman

A very good site, if a bit unpredictable. In the right weather conditions and during September to late November you could get lucky with a number of seabirds such as Wilson's Storm-Petrel, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Persian Shearwater, Jouanin's Petrel, Bridled & White-cheeked Terns, Pomarine Skua, Red-necked Phalarope, Masked Booby and even Lesser Noddy. A summer visit in late May/June/July would undoubtedly be rewarded with some great views of Saunders's Tern and Lesser Noddy amongst a large non-breeding flock of Great Crested Terns that number 300+. This is a fascinating site with huge potential once again, as you can see with a record count of 350 Pallas's Gulls seen on 24th February 2024

TO VISIT THE eBIRD HOTSPOT INFO: Masirah - South Cape
GPS Co-ordinates: 20°09'45.5"N 58°38'10.7"E