Aqaba Birding Observatory

Is located in the Peace Forest near the southern crossing of Wadi Araba. The observatory was established in 2004, with a total area of 0.5 square kilometers.

It is run by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and is an important site for many European and African migratory species. The observatory is open all year round, but the best time to visit is in the spring and fall months.

The successive monitoring operations at the observatory resulted in the registration of 271 different species of birds, which together constitute 57% of the total number of species registered in Jordan, with a population of more than a quarter of a million birds during one year represented by two migration seasons.

Also, 17 species of rare bird species were recorded in Jordan during the last ten years, including the small glue geese, which is endangered worldwide and listed on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The increasing number of species recorded in the Aqaba Bird Observatory is a vital indicator of the health and safety of the environments, which reflects the results of the protection and preservation of these environments.

The Aqaba Bird Observatory includes a group of aquatic, forest, and desert environments, which together ensure the attraction of diverse and different types of birds during their crossing of Aqaba in the spring and autumn migrations.

The importance of the observatory:

Jordan is located on the second most important flight path for soaring birds in the world, known as the Rift Valley - the Red Sea, and this path connects the eastern parts of Europe and western Asia on one side and Africa on the other.

The number of flying birds that cross it is estimated to reach seven and a half million birds, and numbers may reach twice this number than other non-flying species. And because most birds are unable to swim in the water, so they choose the shortest distance over the seas and oceans during their migration.

Therefore, the Aqaba region is one of the important areas for birds to cross to be able to cross to the Sinai desert and then spread to the regions of Africa in the way and back. During the migration seasons.

the Aqaba Bird Observatory opens the way for visitors within standards that guarantee the safety of environments and birds by giving them the opportunity to watch migratory species during their rest on the site, which highlights the unique eco-tourism value in this place, as the annual total of visitors reaches about 10,000 visitors.

The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, by virtue of its experience in managing nature reserves, manages this place to ensure the sustainability of its environment and activate its role as an eco-touristic product based

 on a distinctive addition to a distinctive tourist activity that plays an important role in enhancing the environmental awareness aspect of visitors, especially about their viewing of different numbers and types that many have never before them seen before.

The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority also gives this site special importance by ensuring its sustainability and development in cooperation with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature.