Birds play their part

Migratory birds are an intricate part of the eco-system of the desert islands. "These species will have historically been using the same migration route," Nasser Al Shaiba said. "Migratory birds have therefore been present on the islands pre-dating humans settlement and more recently the arrival of introduced animals onto Sir Bani Yas Island." Sir Bani Yas and the Discovery Islands provide several different types of habitat including coastline, mudflats, pastures, trees and mountainous areas. Article continues below These different environments attract almost 200 different bird species, representing individuals from 15 different bird orders. Around 90 per cent of bird species found in the Gulf are migratory. Sir Bani Yas and the Discovery Islands are visited by large numbers of birds at different times throughout the year. Wading birds and shore birds such as terns, gulls and plovers are well-represented on all the islands. Again long-term monitoring will give us a better indication of the role of the birds in the ecosystems in the future. Plastic bottle are an increasing problem during nesting season. Thousands of water bottles wash up on the shores of Discovery Islands each year. The conservation team patrolling the islands conducts clean- up campaigns before the nesting season. The team also records lists of plant and sea life spotted and removes any rubbish.