From Aleppo

This town holds one of the most beautiful suq (market or bazaar) of the whole Middle East - it certainly deserves a visit - and also the finest restaurants of Syria. Staying at the iconic Baron Hotel is recommended. Aleppo is the best base to visit the internationally important Ramsar wetland of Sabkha Jabboul.

One full day should be enough (alternatively, 1-day + half-day visits) to take a look at the wetland from the two main viewing sites (North-west and South-east). Bird highlights discovered here so far are:

Dalmatian and White Pelican Pelecanus crispus and P. onocrotalus - in winter
Greater Flamingo - almost 13,000 counted during 2004 OSME Expedition (winter)
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea - in winter
White-fronted Goose - in winter
Red-crested Pochard - in winter
Ferruginous Duck - wintering (also breeding?)
White-headed Duck - about 160 seen in Feb 2003; possibly a breeding bird
Greater Spotted and Steppe Eagles - in winter
Grey-headed Swamphen
Greater Black-headed Gull - in winter
Armenian Gull - in winter
Iraq Babbler

A probable Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus was seen during 2004 OSME Expedition (winter). Remarkable numbers of most common species of Western Palearctic waterbirds can be watched within this Ramsar wetland during winter.