If there is one thing October has that we love, it’s the beautiful birds. The Halloween month opens the autumn migration season at Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, about 15 minutes from Downtown Dubai, and entry is free for all. Between November and March, more than 30,000 migratory birds arrive here, including more than 10,000 pink flamingos.
A little dive into what you will be seeing before we find the best spots in town. Dubai sits on the East African–West Asian migration flyway. Birds heading south pass through from September to November, and arrivals typically peak in late October and early November. The flamingos share the shallows with broad-billed sandpipers, Pacific golden plovers, herons and ducks, while great spotted eagles and other raptors pass overhead.
Where and when to watch the pink flamingos in Dubai
Two hides give the best views: the Flamingo Hide and the Mangrove Hide. The Lagoon Hide and Al Warqa Hide, and several other viewing areas are also open.
The hides are open 10 am to 4 pm daily, and feeding time within those hours is the best moment to watch and photograph. From November to March, the sanctuary’s winter hours are 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. Bring binoculars or a zoom lens, because the birds feed at a distance. Check opening times before you set out, as hours differ between summer and winter. October flamingo numbers vary from year to year, so expect the build-up rather than the full crowd.
The Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary covers more than 6 square kilometres of mudflats, lagoons and mangroves, and has been protected since the 1980s. It is one of 19 important bird areas in the UAE and is recognised under the Ramsar Convention on wetlands, which the UAE signed in 2007. More than 400 bird species have been recorded here over the year.
As the weather cools, a morning here makes an easy outing. You can watch thousands of flamingos feeding in the shallows with the Dubai skyline behind them.
Key information
- Location: Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, Dubai
- Best spot: Flamingo Hide, Mangrove Hide, Lagoon Hide, Al Warqa Hide
- Price: Free entry
- Best season for flamingos: December to February is the peak, but the first arrivals show up from late October
- Groups: Larger groups need a municipality permit
