Socotra Birding Tour: Endemic Birds and Dragon Blood Trees

The Socotra Archipelago is unlike anywhere else on earth. These isolated and untouched desert islands offer visitors a truly memorable experience, with stunningly beautiful scenery and iconic wildlife, in a remote and peaceful setting. Our Socotra birding tour focuses on seeing the endemic birds and plants of the island, rare seabirds, and migratory species passing through.

We hope to find Socotra Scops Owl at a day roost during our tour (photo Ahmed Saeed Sulaiman).

With six full days on the island of Socotra, this birding tour will offer a comprehensive exploration of Socotra wildlife and landscapes. We target all nine bird species endemic to Socotra, including Socotra Scops Owl, the handsome Socotra Sunbird, the odd Socotra Warbler, and perhaps the most desired, Socotra Golden-winged Grosbeak. Aside from these star endemics, we will look for range-restricted species, such as Socotra White-eye, Somali Starling, and Forbes-Watson’s Swift. This Socotra birding tour will also include a pelagic boat trip to target rare seabirds that breed in the area like Socotra Cormorant, Persian Shearwater and Jouanin’s Petrel. Our visit coincides with the height of the autumn migratory period when the islands are an important stopping point for many migratory species traveling south from Eurasian breeding areas, offering the exciting opportunity to encounter a number of interesting migrants.

The Socotran landscape is simply otherworldly (photo Rod Waddington (CC BY-SA 2.0.)).

Socotra’s landscapes are stunning, with towering sand dunes and endless pristine beaches meeting the clear turquoise sea, and desert wadis set against a backdrop of impressive mountains and staggering rock formations. While in this island paradise, we make a special effort to enjoy its iconic endemic wildlife, such as the Socotra Dragon Blood Tree, Socotra Cucumber Tree, and Socotra Chameleon, and visit diverse reefs teeming with exotic species. Despite its remoteness, we use a comfortable air-conditioned hotel, enjoy simple but good food, and meet friendly local people throughout the trip.