The town itself is not so attractive touristically speaking, except from the nice views and suspension bridge over the Euphrates. Pale (Striated) Scops Owl Otus brucei should be searched for within gardens along the river at dusk. Before breakfast a 2-hour visit should be paid to the gardens along the river, to search for Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, White-cheeked Bulbul and Iraq Babbler. Several 1-day or half-day birding excursions can be arranged from Der-ez-Zor, such as:
Ferruginous Duck - wintering and/or breeding
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala - wintering and breeding
Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris - wintering and/or breeding
Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio (porphyrio) caspius
White-tailed Plover Vanellus leucurus
Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius - during migration (and/or breeding?)
Pygmy Cormorant - internationally important numbers in winter
Bittern Botaurus stellaris
Marbled Teal - wintering and/or breeding
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina - in winter
Ferruginous Duck - internationally important numbers in winter (also breeding?)
White-headed Duck - wintering and breeding
Greater Spotted Eagle - internationally important numbers in winter
Black Francolin
See-see Partridge Ammoperdix griseogularis
Grey-headed Swamphen
Spur-winged Plover Vanellus spinosus - migrant breeder
White-tailed Plover - migrant breeder
Armenian Gull Larus armenicus - in winter
Greater Black-headed Gull L. ichtyaetus - in winter
Iraq Babbler
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis
Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon mimicus
Bearded Reedling Panurus biarmicus
Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus
Dead Sea Sparrow
Three Sociable Plovers were seen on a small river tributary to the Euphrates (Khabur river) during the OSME expedition in February 2004 - so this bird might occur also along Euphrates! There is suitable habitat for Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris along the Euphrates, but this rare and highly endangered bird has not yet been detected in Syria.