A note on heavy falls of 
Redstarts Phoenicurus 
phoenicurus on the Red 
Sea coast at Yanbu, 
Saudi Arabia during 
spring 1993 
Brian S Meadows 
The Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus 
is a regular double passage migrant at 
Yanbu al-Sinaiyah (23° 54-59N, 38° 11-18' E) on 
the Red Sea coast. Spring passage occurs from March-May and 
autumn passage from August-October (Baldwin & Meadows 1988). 
Weekly counts in transects in mangrove stands of Avicennia marina along 
the shoreline never reached double figures in an intensive two year study 
(Meadows in press) and no unusually heavy falls have ever been observed 
in the landscaped areas of the city since regular observations commenced 
in 1979. 
In spring 1993, however, during 13-22 April, exceptional falls of Redstarts 
were witnessed. Daily counts made two to three hours before sunset 
between 13-23 April along a one km length of sea-wall overlooking a 
dense stand of mangroves gave the following totals (rounded to nearest 
five individuals): 
13 April- 5 16 April - no count 19 April -80 22 April -10 
14 April- 10 17 April -645 20 April -40 23 April- 0 
15 April -120 18 April -210 21 April -30 
Weather at Yanbu was atypical at the time. Wind speeds were less than 
normal, and there were several overcast days between 12-18 April. Air 
temperature was relatively low. 
Throughout the central Hijaz there was localized heavy rainfall during 
the last two weeks of April and first two weeks of May. Yanbu al- 
Sinaiyah had seven mm of rain on 1 1 May, the first recorded May rainfall 
in the city since local records began in 1981. There was rain again on 21 
May. 
1 
