THE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST SANDGROUSE No 2 PUBLISHED 1981 PRICE £5.00 The ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST was formed in April 1978 and is a successor to the Ornithological Society of Turkey. Aims: 1. Tocollect, collate and publish ornithological data on the birds of the Middle East. 2. Toencourage an interest in and conservation of the birds of the Middle East. 3. To develop a mutually beneficial working relationship with all environmental and con- servation bodies and natural history societies in and concerned with the Middle East. Membership is open to all and spans over 40 countries. Publications: It is intended to publish Sandgrouse as an annual journal to contain scientific papers on all aspects of the ornithology of the Middle East. A bulletin is issued biannually to all members. Officers of the Society (as at January 1981) Vice-Presidents: S. Cramp Dr. L. Hoffman Sir Hugh Elliott P. A. D. Hollom R. D. Etchécopar Dr. H. Kumerloeve Council: S. Albrecht S. C. Madge P. Conder D. Parr (Secretary) D. J. Fisher R. F. Porter T. P. Inskipp N. Redman M. C. Jennings Dr. D. A. Scott Dr. T. Lawson A. Vittery W.H.N. Wilkinson (Chairman) For further details and current subscription rates write to:— The Secretary, O.S.M.E., c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Beds., SG19 2DL, England. Cover illustrations by Ian Willis SANDGROUSE NUMBER 2 ISSN 0260-4736 Editor: Donald Parr Editorial Committee: Dave Fisher, Chris Harbard, Steve Madge, Richard Porter and Alan Vittery Published by THE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST March 1981 Price £5.00 Further copies from: The Secretary, O.S.M.E., c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Beds., SG19 2DL, England. CONTENTS Page Foreword by Stanley Cramp ............... | ie Re PE So 1 Editomal. occur en eee ee Seg ee Na ll Autumn Migration of Raptors, Storks, Pelicans and Spoonbills at Belen Pass, Southern Turkey by W. J. Sutherland and D. J. Brooks........ 1 Birds of the Azraq Wetland Reserve, Jordan: January and February 1979 by:Ps Conder. cs ca eis aches we See RIC Oe oe NN ene eee ee D2 Notes on the Birds of Northern Oman by F.J. Walker ................ 33 Notes on the Birds of Dhofar, Oman by F. J. Walker.................. 56 The Problem of Giildenstadt’s Redstart by Michael Walters............ 86 The Lappet-faced Vulture in the Middle East by B. Bruun.............. 91 The Occurrence of the Pine Bunting in Israel by E. Beidermann and TUS. Robertson: hve Sates so sies oc OR ee Ce 96 The Occurrence of Strickland’s Wheatear in Jordan by J. E. Clarke...... 98 The Occurrence of Hume’s Tawny Owl in Israel and SinaibyJ.Leshem.. 100 The Field Identification of the Arabian Warbler by Steve Madge and Donald Particw : Sos 2. See ee ee ee 103 The Subspecific Identity of the Little Green Bee-eater in Israel by Steve Mad geste isi eiok jos os ool es ee ee eee 107 The Diurnal Mass Migration of the Little Bittern by Y. Paran and | P. SHUM er ooo oe ahs ete Bes Ges ee ee 108 Addenda and Corrigenda ay ALL) FOREWORD It is a pleasure to welcome the speedy appearance of Sandgrouse 2 so soon after the belated first number. With the two issues before us it is possible to assess fully the importance of this new periodical for ornithological studies in a fascinating region of outstanding biological importance. There have been a few great pioneers, from Tristram and Meinertzhagen to Kumerloeve and Paludan, but inevitably their travels could cover only a part of this con- siderable area. Still, they were able to publish their invaluable results, while the much greater number of skilled field observers travelling widely in these regions in recent years have found outlets more and more difficult, and the few countries there which possess keen professional and amateur ornithologists are limited in their regular publications. Sandgrouse is designed to fill this gap at least in part. The first two numbers contain a most useful Check-list, migration studies, regional surveys, and a number of papers on little known species. They almost certainly represent only a small portion of the valuable observations locked away in field notebooks, and with Sandgrouse now planned on a regular yearly basis it is to be hoped that some of these will be disinterred and brought into the light of day. The other crying need is for more up to date Checklists and it is heartening that at least four are being prepared—on Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran and eastern Saudi Arabia, while for the few countries with a wealth of material, especially Israel, it is to be hoped that regular, if not annual, reports may soon be started. For not only are there still large tracts which are little known (some not getting any easier to visit under present conditions) and species crying out for detailed studies, but modern develop- ments could bring considerable changes in the exciting avifauna, as the paper on central Arabia in Sandgrouse I] suggested. There is a wealth of new discoveries to be made and changes to be charted. Publication of these is essential if our ornithological ignorance is to be dispelled. I believe that Sandgrouse has a key role to play and I welcome its most encouraging start. Stanley Cramp EDITORIAL With the publication of Sandgrouse 2 early in 1981, we are well on the way to achieving our declared objective in 1979, of producing an annual scientific journal dedicated to the birds of the Middle East. Number 3, which we hope to publish in the autumn of 1981, will represent the third issue covering the three years 1979-1981. Thereafter, we aim for a regular autumn publication. The time, therefore, is now ripe to solicit papers from members. The field is vast, the opportunity great and the Editorial Committee confidently looks for a regular flow of material. The future is in your hands; the health and vigour of the society will depend to a large extent on the way members respond to this challenge. The papers in this present number cover a wider geographical range and greater variety of topics than in the previous issue. The contributions on Jordan and Oman complement the papers in Sandgrouse 1; the paper by Duncan Brooks and Bill Sutherland represents the first of a series of papers on raptor migration through Turkey and other areas of the Middle East; several of the papers reflect the new-found interest in the birds of Israel and Sinai, following the advent of easier access to that region; notes on field recognition are represented while Michael Walters’ paper on Gildenstdat’s Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogaster is a stimulating challenge to all. The order of the systematic lists and the scientific names used in the papers follow the List of Recent Holarctic Bird Species by K. H. Voous (1977) and in general the vernacular names also follow that authority (apart from occasional instances where common usage suggests a minor alteration [as, for instance, the omission of the word ‘European’ from European Wigeon]). Where Voous cites alternative vernacular names, one only has been used and that being the one thought to be more generally acceptable and in common use by field workers. Finally I would like to place on record my appreciation and thanks to my wife, Joyce, for encouragement and help, to Mrs. F. E. Warr and M. D. Gallagher for practical help and advice and to all members of the Editorial Committee for their assistance, guidance and cooperation. Donald Parr THE AUTUMN MIGRATION OF RAPTORS, STORKS, PELICANS AND SPOONBILLS AT THE BELEN PASS, SOUTHERN TURKEY by William J. Sutherland and Duncan J. Brooks INTRODUCTION The autumn migration of soaring birds through the Bosphorus, Lebanon, Eilat and Suez has been known for a long time and, in the first case at least, is now well documented: at the Bosphorus by Nisbet and Smout (1957), Ballance and Lee (1961), Porter and Willis (1968) in the Bird Reports of the O.S.T. (1969, 1972, 1975 & 1978); in Lebanon by Cameron et al. (1967) and Nielsen and Christensen (1970); at Eilat by Safriel (1968) and Christensen et al. in prep.; at Suez by Marchant (1941), Goodwin (1949) and Simmons (1951). The recently discovered route around the eastern end of the Black Sea has so far only been documented in O.S.T. (1977) and under individual species in Cramp and Simmons (1980). Between 1963 and 1965 three expeditions to southern Turkey and the Lebanon (Cameron et al. 1967) showed that in autumn a stream of birds pass around the Gulf of Iskenderun and through the pass at Belen (see Figure /). A large raptor passage was also seen from Topbogazi passing down the ‘Syrian’ Valley to the east of the Gavur Daglari. Cameron et a/. spent only one full day and an evening at Topbogazi and six days at Belen, but further short periods of observation confirmed the importance of these routes (M. Beaman, R. F. Porter pers. comm.). In the autumn of 1976, as the major aim of the University of East Anglia Mediterranean Basin Expedition, we undertook a two month study of migration through the Belen Pass and, to a lesser extent, the surrounding area. LOCAL TOPOGRAPHY AND METHODS The Gavur Daglari range of mountains in which the Belen Pass is situated extends for 160 km., with about a third of its length along the south-eastern side of the Gulf of Iskenderun (Figure 1). On the inland side of the range lies a wide flat-bottomed fertile valley. The southern two-thirds of the range rises frequently to over 1400 metres, the major break being at the Belen Pass which carries the main Iskenderun - Antakya road. The sides of the pass are poorly defined but its width at its highest point, near the village of Belen, is about 10 km. It is an area of cultivation, stony scrub and trees, the latter largely on the south-western side. Finding a site within the pass that commanded a good view proved difficult. Subsequent events were to indicate that our final choice was possibly not ideal, but it seemed desirable to avoid the inevitable loss of coherence in results which would have been a consequence not only of the change of site but also of the diversion of manpower necessary to look for one. -From 2 to 4 August observations were made from a quite unsatisfactory site near the road about | km. north-west of Belen; the view of the north-eastern side of the pass from here proved to be very restricted. From 5 August to 23 September watching was done from the head of a short steep-sided ridge in the centre of the pass above and just west of Belen, at about 600 metres. The view here was restricted only to the south-east, by the head of the pass. Observations were made from 06.00 to 19.00 hrs. (local time, = G.M.T. + 2 hrs.), each _ day between 2 August and 23 September. There were always at least two people on watch; during periods of heavy passage this increased to four with another recording the observations. Large flocks, especially those of White Storks Ciconia ciconia and White Pelicans Pelecanus onocrotalus, often could not be counted accurately, so individual estimates were made then a figure agreed upon. It was often possible to obtain accurate counts of White Storks by counting birds as they peeled off the top of the column formed by a soaring flock. In every case, flock composition, route taken and time of passage were noted. SYSTEMATIC LIST It is stressed that all birds recorded here were considered to be migrants. Most followed similar routes within the pass and showed a decided purposefulness of flight; birds seen hunting or otherwise deviating from a direct route were not recorded as migrants. Individuals of species whose migratory status was in doubt or which were possibly resident in the area were watched for as long as possible to ensure the absence of any non-migratory behaviour, such doubtfuls often being in view over a flight path of 5 km. or more. Species involved were Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus, Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus, Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus, Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos, Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus and all falcons Falco spp. Pelecanus onocrotalus White Pelican A total of 7,273 with no well-marked peak within the study period. The species is regularly recorded on passage in the Bosphorus area from late August to early October (O.S.T. 1975) but not on the scale noted at Belen where the bulk of the passage presumably consists of the population which summers and breeds in the Central Plateau region of Turkey—probably over 5,000 birds (O.S.T. 1975). However, with around 8,000 birds (including unidentified pelicans) being recorded during the study, and with no sign of a decline in the movement at the end of our observations (see TABLE 1), it seems likely that practically the whole West Palearctic population (except that of eastern Turkey) passes through the Belen area (see population data in Cramp & Simmons 1977). Occurred in flocks of up to 670 (mean 93.2). Flocks were recorded containing Dalmatian Pelicans Pelecanus crispus (three times), Black Storks C. nigra (once) and White Storks (four times); the only other mixed flock was one which included a male Wigeon Anas penelope. White Pelicans and White Storks have similar plumage patterns and, at a distance, a similar shape, though we found that they could be separated by their behaviour. Both species were irregularly arranged whilst soaring but pelicans usually arranged themselves in lines when flying between thermals. All flocks which formed such lines subsequently proved to be pelicans and every flock watched for 5-10 minutes which did not behave in this manner proved to be storks. The flocks in which the number of birds of each age could be accurately counted contained 1,636 adults and 251 juveniles. Juveniles were not specifically identified but are assumed here to have been White. A further 733 pelicans were neither aged nor specifically identified. Pelecanus crispus Dalmatian Pelican Six between 13 and 31 Aug. All except one were with White Pelicans. Platalea leucorodia Spoonbill A total of 816 recorded, with 515 of these between 24 Aug. and 10 Sep! Spoonbilis differed from all other species considered here in that they flew by flapping with only brief glides, not soaring at all; on a few occasions birds circled once or twice (whilst flapping) to gain height. This behaviour is surprising in view of the impression commonly given in the literature (e.g. Cramp & Simmons 1977) that Spoonbills use soaring flight freely. A further difference from other species was that all birds flew straight up the centre of the pass at a considerable height; thus this is probably the only species of which individuals may have been missed purely due to their altitude. Flock size varied between five and 58 (mean 17.0). One flock included an egret Egretta (probably a Little Egret E. garzetta); and another, two White Storks. Flock formation was always line-astern, not transverse line (contra Cramp & Simmons 1977). Of 336 seen well enough to be aged, only 14 were in juvenile plumage. Post-juvenile moult is not normally started until December and only exceptionally as early as October (Cramp & Simmons 1977); thus this small proportion seems surprising. It is possible that breeding success was low that season or that the main passage of juveniles occurred after our observations ceased, although the 14 recorded were evenly spread over the study period. Since central European breeders apparently winter largely in Tunisia, and those from the Caspian area move largely to the south-east (Cramp & Simmons 1977), migrants over Belen seem likely to be from the Turkish or western Black Sea (possibly also Greek) colonies. Ringing results from the Manyas G6lu colony are consistent with this, birds being recovered south to south-east from Egypt and Sudan to Pakistan (Schtiz 1957). Ciconia ciconia White Stork Total recorded was 103,576; 103,168 passed between 4 Aug. and 13 Sep. and 23,590 between 2 and 7 Sep. Occurred in flocks of up to 4,000 birds (mean 287.7). At Eilat, Israel, flocks are smaller, usually of several scores (Safriel 1968), though at the Bosphorus flocks of up to 7,000 or more are common (M. Beaman & R. F. Porter pers. comm.). Of the 360 flocks recorded, 17 were mixed with raptors and 12 with Black Storks. Ciconia niger Black Stork Out of a total of 3,303, 2,868 occurred between 11 and 23 Sep.; thus, as at the Bosphorus (Porter & Willis 1968; O.S.T. 1969, 1972, 1975, 1978), Black Stork passage was later than that of the White Stork. As with White Storks, most flocks did not contain any other species. Of 271 Black Stork flocks, 37 were mixed with raptors (particularly Honey Buzzards Pernis apivorus); this proportion is greater than for White Storks. Occurred in much smaller flocks than White Stork (mean size 12.2). The daily peak of Black Stork passage was earlier than that of White Storks (10.00-11.00 and 12.00-13.00 hrs. respectively) and, more than any other soaring migrants, Black Storks would continue to pass during the early evening, being frequently recorded after sunset. Pernis apivorus Honey Buzzard One of the earliest raptors, this and Black Kite Milvus migrans being the only species for which practically the whole passage period was recorded. Most were seen between 25 Aug. and 13 Sep. (15,624 of the 15,971). Occurred in flocks of up to 570 individuals (mean 13.3) and was often seen with other species of raptors (13 per cent of flocks). Milvus migrans Black Kite A total of 506, all between 25 Aug. and 13 Sep. This figure is much lower than that recorded for the Bosphorus (see TABLE III). Porter and Willis (1968) suggested the population had declined after comparing their results with those obtained by Ballance and Lee (1961) for a 20-day period in 1959. Considering the difference in raptor counts there between the adjacent years 1971 and 1972 (no doubt due to birds taking slightly different routes, variation in the period of the passage and the differing abilities of the observing teams), it seems unwise to have speculated on population changes with the small differences observed (872 in 1966; 1,074 in 1959 with less complete coverage). Occurred in flocks of up to 27 (mean 2.3). 30.6 per cent of flocks and individuals were associated with other raptors (usually Honey Buzzards), - agreater proportion than for any other species. Milvus milvus Red Kite One passed directly overhead on 13 Sep. in association with Black Kites; its longer wings and longer, more deeply forked tail were readily apparent. A scarce migrant at the Bosphorus, this species is a winter visitor to Turkey (O.S.T. 1975) and rarely winters further south; Levant _ records are rare (Cramp & Simmons 1980). Neophron percnopterus Egyptian Vulture A total of 874 between 20 Aug. and 23 Sep. with 670 of these between 5 and 18 Sep. Peak passage at the Bosphorus from 1966 to 1975 was also during mid-September (Porter & Willis 1968; O.S.T. 1969, 1972, 1975, 1978). Of 620 seen well enough to be aged, 78.1 per cent were adult, 5.6 per cent sub-adult (probably 3-4 years old) and 16.3 per cent juvenile or immature. 3 The proportion of juveniles seems low but because of their dark plumage they were probably under-recorded as birds which were considered to be seen well enough for ageing and were also more likely to remain unidentified altogether. Some immatures are known to remain in» their winter quarters (Riddel 1945). There was no difference apparent within the season in the time at which the different ages migrated. Over twice as many were seen as have been noted at the Bosphorus up to a comparable date during 1966, 1971 and 1972; numbers are no doubt supplemented by Turkish breeders. 18.4 per cent of flocks in this study incorporated other species of raptors, a proportion exceeded only by the Black Kite. Gyps fulvus Griffon Vulture Fifteen seen, 11 from 19 Sep. onwards. This is similar to the number seen at the Bosphorus during the comparable period (TABLE III). Peak passage occurs in late September and October at the Bosphorus (Porter & Willis 1968; O.S.T. 1969, 1972, 1975, & 1978), in Lebanon (Nielsen & Christensen 1970) and in Israel (Safriel 1968). Cameron et al. (1967) saw 125 in six days in early September in the Belen Pass (TABLE II); this result contrasts sharply with our observations and other studies and is rather puzzling, as even resident birds were seen only occasionally in 1976. Circaetus gallicus Short-toed Eagle A total of 727, with 114 on the 18 Sep. Usually seen singly or in very small flocks (maximum nine). Some birds were resident in the area throughout the study period. On occasion, indivi- dually recognisable birds were seen regularly for a few days before disappearing—these may have been birds involved in more leisurely migration or dispersal. Circus spp. Harriers A total of 244 harriers were seen of which 31 were identified as Marsh C. aeruginosus, four as Pallid C. macrourus, 27 as Montagu’s C. pygargus and one as Hen C. cyaneus. Of 181 not specifically identified, 32 were considered to be Montagu’s/Pallid and 118 Montagu’s/ Pallid/Hen; the remaining 31 were identified only to genus. Maximum flock size was nine but most birds were alone (mean 1.1) and rarely (6.7 per cent of flocks and single birds) associated with other species. Harriers normally flew straight up the pass making only minimal use of thermals, suggest- ing that they may have flown across the Gulf of Iskenderun—harriers are known elsewhere to cross wide areas of sea (Beaman & Galea 1974, Cramp & Simmons 1980). This independence of thermals presumably contributed to the harriers’ position as the earliest of the migrants within the day (see Figure 2). Accipiter gentilis Goshawk One on 18 Sep. A few regularly noted on passage at the Bosphorus from mid-August to late September (O.S.T. 1975). Accipiter nisus Sparrowhawk None identified until 31 Aug. Nine of the 11 birds seen were alone. Accipiter brevipes Levant Sparrowhawk A late migrant with practically all of the total of 2,951 after 12 Sep. Unlike the Sparrow- hawk it was usually seen in flocks of up to 173 birds (mean 12.0), sometimes with other raptors. As on the Bosphorus, birds migrated early in the day (Porter & Willis 1968). Migrating Bee-eaters Merops apiaster, which were commonly recorded, presented an unexpected identi- fication problem, for the compact, tightly whirling flocks which both these species form proved very difficult to separate at long range. A further 115 unidentified sparrowhawks A. nisus/brevipes were recorded. 4 Buteo buteo Buzzard Two hundred and seven were seen from 11 Aug. 193 of these from 5 Sep. Usually occurred singly but also in flocks of up to six. The timing of the passage within the day was later than in all other studies considered, the peak at Belen being between 15.00 and 16.00 hrs. (see Figure 2). Maximum numbers at the Bosphorus occur in late September and early October (Porter & Willis 1968; O.S.T. 1969, 1972, 1975 & 1978) so the bulk of the passage at Belen was un- doubtedly missed. Cameron et a/. (1967) recorded far more in early September than the present study (see TABLE II), and suggested that, as Buzzards were abundant at Belen and yet infrequently recorded on the Bosphorus, the birds at Belen must be of northern Turkish and Russian origin. Since the species is now known to be common at the Bosphorus, however, the origin of those at Belen would again be speculative but for recent evidence which, as discussed later, suggests that they do not come via that route. Most of the birds were not seen well, but the few whose race could be determined appeared to be vulpinus, as at the Bosphorus at that time of year—birds resembling the nominate western race and intermediate between it and vu/pinus mostly appear on the Bosphorus after the third week of September (Porter & Willis 1968; O.S.T. 1969, 1972, 1975 & 1978). All birds recorded on the eastern Black Sea route resembled typical vulpinus (O.S.T. 1977). Buteo rufinus Long-legged Buzzard Two separate birds within 10 minutes on 22 Sep. Very small numbers are seen on the Bosphorus, mainly in the second half of September (O.S.T. 1969, 1972, 1975 & 1978). Aquila pomarina Lesser Spotted Eagle Of the 3,875 A. clanga/pomarina seen, 33.5 per cent were identified and these were all A. pomarina. Spotted Eagles A. clanga pass through the Bosphorus mainly from late September to early November (Porter & Willis 1968; O.S.T. 1969, 1972, 1975 & 1978) and Nielsen & Christensen (1969), as well as these authors, stress their rarity; none were seen on the eastern Black Sea route until 23 Sep. (M. Beaman pers. comm.). It is not therefore surprising that none were recorded in this study. Aquila chrysaetos Golden Eagle A total of six, from 7 Sep.; all were adults. A resident adult was easily recognisable by its ragged plumage. Also, the behaviour of those recorded as migrants differed: None showed any suggestion of hunting and instead maintained a direct heading along typical migrant flight paths. A very scarce migrant on the Bosphorus, not even recorded annually (O.S.T. 1969, 1972, 1975 & 1978). Hieraaetus pennatus Booted Eagle A total of 588, with 334 between 12 and 18 Sep. This is similar to the peak period at the Bosphorus (Porter & Willis 1968; O.S.T. 1969, 1972, 1975 & 1978). As at the Bosphorus, birds flew alone or in twos or threes (mean 1.2) and rarely (7.9 per cent of flocks and single birds) ‘with other species. Unlike many other species the bulk were seen after 12.00 hrs. with a peak between 13.00 and 14.00 (see Figure 2). Of 565 whose colour morph was determined, 33.7 per cent were dark. 40 per cent was recorded at the Bosphorus (Porter & Willis 1968) and 45 per cent on the eastern Black Sea route (M. Beaman pers. comm.). Hieraaetus fasciatus Bonelli’s Eagle Single immature birds on 2, 13 and 18 Sep. behaved as typical migrants. A resident immature was occasionally seen. There are scattered August and September reports from the Bosphorus (Nisbet & Smout 1957; Ballance & Lee 1961) and Topbogazi (Cameron et al. 1967) in Turkey and from Harissa in Lebanon (Cameron eft al. 1967, Nielsen & Christensen 1970). It has been suggested, at least for the Bosphorus, that some earlier identifications are perhaps incorrect, as none was identified there during the autumns of 1966-1975 (O.S.T. 1969, 1972, 1975 & 1978). Pandion haliaetus Osprey Six were seen, including three single birds within 12 minutes on 7 Sep. Not commonly recorded at narrow sea-crossings as it migrates on a broad front across the Mediterranean (Osterlof 1977). Falco naumanni/tinnunculus Lesser Kestrel/Kestrel Twenty one seen of which three were identified as Lesser Kestrels on 11, 12 and 22 Sep. and one as a Kestrel on 12 Sep. Lesser Kestrels are usually recorded comparatively infrequently around the Mediterranean in the autumn, probably because they undertake a non-stop high- altitude flight to the northern tropics of Africa (Moreau 1961). Falco vespertinus Red-footed Falcon Singles on 19 (probably an adult female) and 20 Sep. (adult female). Falco subbuteo Hobby Nine single birds between 4 and 21 Sep. and two together on 12 Sep. This is considerably fewer than seen in the equivalent period at the Bosphorus (TABLE III), but there the situation is complicated by the presence of local summer residents. (M. Beaman & R. F. Porter pers. comm.). Falco cherrug Saker One on 28 Aug. Small numbers are seen at the Bosphorus from mid-August to late September (O.S.T. 1975). Unidentified Raptors Unidentified raptors totalling 2,610 and 41 unidentified falcons were recorded, a large proportion of the former undoubtedly being Honey Buzzards and Lesser Spotted Eagles. COMPARISONS WITH OTHER STUDIES Cameron et al. (1967) counted the migrants between 2 and 7 September in the Belen Pass. TABLE II compares their data with our data for the same period in 1976. Cameron et al. watch- ed for an average of 6.9 hours a day (usually covering the period of peak passage) compared with 13 hours a day in the present study. The results differ remarkably and suggest in particular that almost all the Buzzards they recorded may in fact have been Honey Buzzards. TABLE III compares the results from this study between 20 Aug. and 23 Sep. and data from the Bosphorus in north-west Turkey in 1966, 1971 and 1972 and from Arhavi in north-east Turkey in 1976 between 17 Aug. and 20 Sep. These figures are broadly comparable if we assume that migrants take about three days to cross Turkey. (The cross-country flight-speeds of White Pelican, White Stork and four species of vulture were all about 40-50 km./hr. during the dry season in the Serengeti, Tanzania (Pennycuick 1972). Assuming this speed to be maintained on migration for about six hours per day, then a figure of three days seems reasonable.) Most of the variation between the Belen and Bosphorus counts is comparable to the variation between years for the Bosphorus. The exceptions are the harriers, Spoonbills and White Pelicans, all of which are probably present in greater numbers at Belen, presumably due to the additional migrants from the Turkish breeding populations—although in the case of harriers the local topography at Belen also seems more likely than that at the Bosphorus to provide a favourable leading line for the concentration of these broad-front migrants. White Stork numbers did not. reach those normally recorded at the Bosphorus and in particular the very large flocks (of up to 11,000) and days of heavy passage (up to 50,000) recorded there were not met with at Belen. 6 On three occasions we recorded large flocks of this species (of 2,000-3,000 birds) about 5 km. away passing by almost out of sight, low along the south-west side of the pass; it may well have been that large numbers used this route and escaped detection completely. It is impossible to state whether the differences in the numbers of Buzzards and Black Kites are due to variation in the seasonal timing of migration, whether they indicate population changes, or whether (as certainly happens) they are merely a consequence of an unknown proportion of the passage being missed at each site. THE ORIGIN OF THE BIRDS Most soaring raptors appear to enter Turkey by two routes: across the Bosphorus and around the eastern end of the Black Sea. The proportion of the dark morph of the Booted Eagle at Belen was low (see Systematic List). Eastern populations are said to contain a higher proportion of dark-morph birds than those of Europe (Cramp & Simmons 1980) and if many birds from the eastern Black Sea route were present a higher proportion of dark birds might have been expected but much more data is needed from both Belen and the eastern Black Sea before conclusions on this point can be confidently reached. The comparison of numbers of Honey Buzzard and Buzzard at Belen and at Arhavi (TABLE III) affords the strongest evidence that only a small proportion of birds (if any) from the eastern Black Sea route can be using the Belen Pass. Nielsen & Christensen (1969) recorded 2,585 Lesser Spotted Eagles on 15-17 and 21 Sep. 1968 at Harissa, Lebanon. Few birds had been seen crossing the Bosphorus at a comparable period that year so they suggested that many of the birds may have been of Caucasian or Anatolian origin. However, coverage at the Bosphorus was incomplete in 1968 and many may well have been missed (M. Beaman pers. comm.)—large numbers have certainly been recorded there in other years (O.S.T. 1969, 1972, 1975 & 1978) and the scale of passage now known from the eastern Black Sea route could, in any case, have only partially accounted for the Harissa observation. The results of the present study are comparable with those of the Bosphorus in previous years (TABLE III) but the number of Lesser Spotted Eagles passing through the Bosphorus in 1976 is unfortunately not known. Nielsen & Christensen (1970) compared a total of 14 days’ data in Lebanon in 1968-9 with data from the Bosphorus in 1966 and suggested differences were due to the presence of birds from the eastern Black Sea route. However, the vast variations between different studies at the same site (TABLES II and III) suggest that only massive differences in counts at differ- ent sites are significant, especially if the studies are of short duration and carried out by different teams of observers in different years. Steppe Eagles A. rapax are not uncommon in Lebanon (Nielsen & Christensen 1970) but very rare at the Bosphorus (O.S.T. 1969, 1972, 1975 & 1978); this provides the best evidence for eastern Black Sea raptors using the Levant route, at least to the south of Belen where further studies are clearly needed in late September and October to look for this late-migrating species. ROUTES TAKEN THROUGH THE BELEN AREA At Belen (even more so than seems to be the case at the Bosphorus), it was difficult to guess what proportion of birds passing through the area was being seen. The geography of the Gulf of Iskenderun area obviously has a much weaker effect in concentrating soaring migrants but, this apart, raptors and storks in the area are still left with several alternative routes. It was assumed at the outset that birds would be taking one of two major routes through the area: (1) east around the Gulf then turning south-west between the sea and the Gavur Daglari to cross the range at Belen and continue southwards; (2) down the Syrian valley, presumably having come _from much further north or having crossed the Taurus somewhere north of the Aladag. This proved much too simple a picture. We were able to confirm the observations of Cameron et al. (1967) on the existence of a stream of raptors (and storks) down the Syrian valley. As no watching was done further north than 3-4 km. north of Kirikhan, we are unable to say from how far north they had come; il observations here were on clear days and it is possible that birds were crossing the Gavur Daglari further north—as four Black Storks were seen to do on 17 Sep. Some birds fiew close to the hillside on the west (see TABLE IV) but, as Cameron ef al. (1967) also noted, many kept well out over the flat valley floor (TABLE V). In an attempt to understand the movements of birds on the west of the Gavur Daglari, short observations were carried out at various points along that side of the range. A more thorough coverage was intended here but circumstances conspired against us. Dortyol Observations were made on 18 Sep. from the roadside about 10 km. from the coast and about 3 km. from the edge of the range (see TABLE VI). Raptors and Black Storks at no great height were seen coming over the flat plain at the head of the Gulf heading south-east towards the range. Observation was difficult, but on nearing the range most appeared to turn south and fly alongside it. Sariseki Again from the roadside, a strong passage was noted during short periods of observation on 18 and 22 Sep. Birds were flying high, at about 1,100 metres, and apparently very close to the hillside. Those that were visible were continuing down the side of the range but, as the top is not visible from this point, it is possible that many were out of sight. Comparing the totals seen here with those subsequently recorded at Belen (TABLE VII) indicates that, at least on occasions, only a fraction of the actual passage through the area was recorded at Belen. The missed birds couid either have continued along the coast or taken a route within the Belen Pass that was out of sight of the observation point. Near Nergizlik Observation here was intended to provide evidence for or against birds avoiding Belen by continuing southwards along the costal side of the range and past the entrance to the pass. Four hours continuous watching from 13.00 hrs. on 22 Sep. produced only two migrants: a Hobby/Red-footed Falcon and a large unidentified raptor. Had there been a good passage at Belen during this period, evidence would have been strong for the bulk of the migrant stream turning inland at or before the pass, but this was unfortunately not the case on this date (see TABLE VII) and we did not have time to repeat the exercise on a day of heavy passage. How- ever, the topography of the area and such data as were collected suggests this hypothesis to be reasonable; Cameron et al. (1967) also held this view. At Belen, movements during the day took the following typical pattern. In the early morning birds flew south-east up the pass or else were on a rather more southerly heading, then passing somewhat to the east of us; on reaching a point level with the camp, birds were normally 20-50 metres higher than our position. As the day progressed, birds flew higher reaching a maximum about midday, being then as much as an estimated 600-800 metres above our position. The main consequence of this was that birds coming down the coastal side of the range were now following a higher contour (1,000 metres or more above sea level) and consequently passing well to the east of us, often too distant to be seen from the observation site (see Figure 1.) At this point the southern corner of the pass was certainly visible to them and those that could be seen were gliding off in that direction, passing out of our sight behind the head of the pass. Brief observations were made from a point in the centre of the inland half of the pass which confirmed that this route was being followed and some birds were recorded here which were not seen from the permanent observation site at Belen. Cameron et al. (1967) recorded several parties of White Storks crossing the range north of Belen but gave no details of time, route or weather. Except for a party of four Black Storks seen crossing 3-4 km. north of Kirikhan on 17 Sep., when a heavy passage was observed at Belen, shortage of time unfortunately left us unable to make useful observations on this point. Figure I shows, however, that on a clear day with some birds seen to be travelling at close to 1,500 metres it would be quite possible for them to cross the range at Sariseki, thus never coming within sight of Belen. Cameron et al. (1967) also recorded birds crossing the Gulf of Iskenderun, both flying out to sea from Karatas, and coming ashore near Sariseki and Iskenderun. We made no attempt to confirm these observations. Most birds apparently entered the pass at quite a height, following the edge of the range into the pass, but on several occasions whilst watching from Belen large flocks of White Storks and White Pelicans were located soaring low over the coastal plain about 10 km. distant. These birds gradually gained height and made their way up the pass usually quite close to the middle. Also, as previously described, a few large flocks of White Storks were recorded flying low, very distantly along the south-west side of the pass. It seems likely that birds in both these circumstances had come directly across the Gulf and it may be that all birds travelling along the south-west side of the pass had done likewise, making straight for the pass as being visibly the easiest place to cross the hills which confronted: them. Birds travelling directly up the pass or along the south-west side were generally lower than those passing to the east of us. This accords well with the foregoing suggestion if it is borne in mind that those in the latter stream have probably been flying down the range in strong up- draught conditions for an hour or so at least and thus had plenty of time to gain height (indeed by early afternoon, most on this course had reached a height far greater than was needed to cross the Belen Pass when they reached its vicinity). For birds having just made a short (30 km.), but presumably tiring, sea-crossing, height would be at more of a premium and their main objective simply to clear the pass. Harriers are noted to be largely reliant upon flapping flight during migration and are known to be more given to sea-crossings than most other large raptors; it is thus probably significant that most were recorded flying directly up the pass or along the south-western side. Days with clear weather and visibility across the Gulf may have increased the attractiveness of this route. All Spoonbills seen flew straight up the centre of the pass at a considerable height. They do not depend upon thermals and had almost certainly flown straight across the Gulf of Iskenderun. The situation, then, is that in clear weather birds stayed nearer to the north-eastern side of the pass where many undoubtedly went unrecorded; conditions also seem to have been more favourable then for birds to have crossed the range north of the Belen Pass or to have crossed the Gulf, possibly passing out of sight to the west. Clearly, on such a day only an unknown fraction of the total passage through the Gavur Daglari is being observed from Belen. There may yet be a more satisfactory observation site to be found on the hills above Sariseki (although all birds crossing the Gulf would then pass unseen) or on the landward side of the range south of the Belen pass (if the migration stream is still concentrated there), thus hopefully covering a confluence of all the migrant streams through the area. DIURNAL TIMING OF MIGRATION The bulk of migration occurred between 10.00 and 13.00 hrs. (see Figure 2), although this data is unfortunately complicated by diurnal changes in route. As already discussed, birds ‘migrating later in the day tended to be further from the observation site where many remained unidentified and others were probably missed. The peak of large unidentified raptors (13.00- 14.00 hrs.) was consequently later than that for those which were identified. Similarly the bulk of the Lesser Spotted Eagle passage was at 10.00-11.00 hrs. and yet a large proportion of the unidentified spotted eagles (the majority of which were undoubtedly Lesser Spotted) were recorded in the afternoon. The actual time of peak passage of many species may therefore be _later than the diagrams indicate. The presence of this late morning peak in the number of migrants seen can be attributed to three factors which are of general application in studies of this nature: 1. The time birds leave and enter their roosts If the largest number of birds are migrating at midday then, all other things being equal, there will be a midday peak in observed passage. 9 2. The speed at which they migrate If birds are moving faster then more will pass a given point in a given time. If thermals and other updraughts enable birds to fly faster, then the time of peak passage will be related to the periods at which these are present. 3. Siting of roosts The distance of the roosts from the observation point will affect the timing —e.g. Black Kites pass the Bosphorus in the early morning after roosting in nearby Istanbul and Uskudar (Porter & Willis 1968). Birds with specialised roosting requirements might have a restricted choice of sites; the timing of peak passage then depends on the time the birds take to fly from such a roost to the observation point. Conversely, those with generalised roosting requirements should show more of a spread through the day. The timing of birds entering and leaving roosts can only produce a pronounced peak in activity if most birds only migrate for a very short period each day, e.g. about 2-3 hours for the Honey Buzzard whose period of peak passage at Belen lasts for about this length of time (though not at the Bosphorus, Porter & Willis 1968). It was our impression that birds flew faster up the pass around midday—no doubt due to the presence of good thermals. However, Spoonbills were never seen to soar yet the timing of their passage was similar to that of soaring species. In addition, if flight speed is the major factor it would necessitate White Storks flying 10 times as fast at 12.00 than at 10.00 or 16.00 hrs. (and similarly for other species). This seems unlikely. Practically nothing is known of the positioning of roosts of soaring migrants but this theory does not explain why peak passage tends to be around midday at all raptor migration watch-points. Thus, a combination of the three factors is probably needed to explain the observed peak, though (1) and (2) seem likely to be of greatest general importance. This may not be so, how- ever, for one species with rather precise roosting requirements, the White Pelican, which shows two pronounced peaks in the diurnal timing of its passage at Belen (Figure 2). The fact that some birds, having perhaps roosted on the sea nearby, were recorded from 09.00-10.00 hrs. onwards, suggests that this may be about the time that migrant flocks normally resume their journeys. Pennycuick (1972) recorded the cross-country flight speed of one flock of White Pelicans as 45 km./hr. under normal (East African) conditions. Taking these as working figures suggests that birds passing Belen during the peaks of 11.00-12.00 and 16.00-17.00 hrs. had come from about 90 and 315 km. away respectively. The Eregli/Hotamis wetlands and the Goksu delta normally hold White Pelicans in autumn and there are also records from the Seyhan/Ceyhan delta (O.S.T. 1975). Distances of these areas from Belen (TABLE VIII) suggest that they could be the roosting areas for the bulk of birds seen there, the diurnal pattern of movement observed being a result of synchronous departure from these sites. © General help in elucidating the relative importance of the three factors discussed would come from further information on (a) roosting (sites used, times of arrival and departure), (b) migration speeds at different times of day and (c) time taken to cover large distances, e.g. the Bosphorus to Belen. Thus, knowledge of (b) and (c) would permit calculation of time spent travelling per day. Two Lesser Spotted Eagles seen flying into a wood south-west of the camp at 18.46 hrs. on 16 Sep. were the only obvious migrants seen roosting at Belen. A few Honey Buzzards were seen on the ground in farmland around Hamam at 09.00 hrs. on 16 Sep.; they may have roosted there due to lack of trees. INFLUENCE OF WEATHER Meteorological details (wind speed and direction, cloud cover and relative height, tem- perature, relative humidity) were recorded each hour throughout the observations at Belen. Cloud height proved a considerable influence on the route taken through the pass and hence numbers recorded. When the cloud base was low birds tended to cross the pass diagonally and in so doing fly close to the observation site. With no low cloud birds flew mainly along 10 the north-eastern edge of the pass. It is likely that many of the distant birds taking this route were missed or out of sight and the heaviest passage was therefore seen on those days with low cloud. There were three main periods of heavy migration (25-29 Aug., 4-8 Sep., 12-23 Sep.) which were all within the main cloudy periods (3-9 Aug., 19-29 Aug., 1-8 Sep., 12-23 Sep.). There were cloudy days with little visible migration but these were all prior to the start of the main passage period. At the observation site at least, wind speed and direction were remarkably constant throughout the study: a moderate breeze from the north-northwest, directly off the sea. There was a Slight indication that poor passage was recorded on days of low winds, perhaps related either to its effect on upcurrents or, more probably, on cloud height. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are indebted to Mark Beaman who suggested and encouraged this study, and to him and Richard Porter who made data available for TABLE III and commented on the manuscript. Our thanks are due to the Sir Philip Reckitt Educational Trust and the University of East Anglia Expeditions Committee whose financial assistance made this venture possible, the latter also helping with fatherly advice and the loan of equipment. Drs. R. K. Britton and D. J. Aidley were of great help with the organisation. We would in particular like to place on record our appreciation of the work of the other members of the expedition, M. R. W. Rands, C. J. Durdin, S. J. Roddis and D. J. Buckler, both for assistance in its organisation and for playing an equal part in the coliection of data. SUMMARY From 2 August to 23 September 1976, 28,641 raptors were recorded as migrants at the Belen Pass, near the Gulf of Iskenderun, southern Turkey; these included 15,971 Honey Buzzards Pernis apivorus, 874 Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus, 728 Short-toed Eagles Circaetus gallicus, 2,951 Levant Sparrowhawks Accipiter brevipes, 3,873 spotted eagles Aquila clanga/pomarina and 588 Booted Eagles Hieraaetus pennatus. 7,273 White Pelicans Pelecanus - onocrotalus, 103,576 White Storks Ciconia ciconia and 816 Spoonbills Platalea leucorodia were also recorded. The importance of the area for White Pelicans and Spoonbills was not previously known. Fewer migrants were seen on days of high cloud and cloudless days when a significant fraction migrated out of view along the north-east side of the pass; others may have crossed the mountain range to the north. All Spoonbills, many harriers and some storks and other species had undoubtedly flown across the Gulf, the remainder flew around it. All birds had _ probably crossed the Bosphorus or were Turkish breeders. Factors influencing the diurnal timing of soaring migration are discussed. 11 REFERENCES BALLANCE, D. K. & LEE, S. L. B. 1961. Notes on autumn migration at the Bosphorus and in the Aegean. Jbis. 103:195-204. BEAMAN, M. & GALEA, C. 1974. The visible migration of raptors over the Maltese Islands. Ibis 114:419-431. CAMERON, R. A. D., CORNWALLIS, L., PERCIVAL, M. J. L. & SINCLAIR, A. R. E. 1967. The migration of raptors and storks through the Near East in autumn. Jbis 109: 489-501. CHRISTENSEN, S., et al. The Spring migration of Raptors in Southern Israel and Sinai (in prep.). CRAMP, S. & SIMMONS, K. E. L. (Eds.) 1977. Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, The Birds of the Western Palearctic, Vol. I. Oxford. CRAMP, S. & SIMMONS, K. E. L. (Eds.) 1980. Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, The Birds of the Western Palearctic, Vol. 2. Oxford. COLLMAN, J. R. & CROXALL, J. P. 1967. Spring migration at the Bosphorus. Ibis 109: 359-372. GOODWIN, D. 1949. Notes on the migration of birds of prey over Suez. Ibis 91: 59-63. MARCHANT, S. 1941. Notes on the birds of the Gulf of Suez. Ibis (14) 5: 265-295, 378-396. MOREAU, R. E. 1961. Problems of Mediterranean-Saharan migration. [bis 103: 373-427, 580-623. NIELSEN, B. P. & CHRISTENSEN, S. 1969. On the autumn migration of spotted eagles and buzzards in the Middle East. Jbis 111: 620-621. | NIELSEN, B. P. & CHRISTENSEN, S. 1970. Observations on the autumn migration of raptors in the Lebanon. Ornis scand. 1: 65-73. NISBET, I. C. T. & SMOUT, T. C. 1957. Autumn observations on the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. Ibis 99: 483-499. ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF TURKEY (O:S.T.) 1969. Bird Report No. I (1966-1967). Sandy. ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF TURKEY (O:S.T.) 1972. Bird Report No. 2 (1968-1969). Sandy. ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF TURKEY (O:S.T.) 1975. Bird Report No. 3 (1970-1973). Sandy. ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF TURKEY (O.S.T.) 1977. Bulletin No. 14. Sandy. ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF TURKEY (O:S.T.) 1978. Bird Report No. 4 (1974-1975). Sandy. OSTERLOF, S. 1977. Migration, wintering areas and site tenasity of the European Osprey Pandion haliaetus. Ornis scand. 8: 61-78. PENNYCUICK, C. J. 1972. Soaring behaviour and performance of some East African birds, observed from a motor-glider. [bis 114: 178-219. PORTER, R. & WILLIS, I. 1968. The autumn migration of soaring birds at the Bosphorus. Ibis 110: 520-536. RIDDELL, W. H. 1945. Field notes from observations in Spain on birds in the British list. Ibis 87: 408-422. SAFRIEL, U. 1968. Bird aieaties at Elat, Israel. bis 110: 283-320. SIMMONS, K. E. L. 1951 Raptor migration in the Suez area: Autumn 1949-Spring 1950. Ibis 93: 402-406. SCHUZ, E. 1957. Vogelkunde am Manyas-See (Tiirkei). Vogelwarte 19: 41-44. SUTHERLAND, W. J. & BROOKS, D. J. The visible migration of passerines and near- passerines at the Belen pass, southern Turkey, in autumn. (in prep.) D.J. Brooks, West Palaearctic Birds Ltd., 71 Gray’s Inn Road, London WCIX 8TP, ENGLAND. W. J. Sutherland, Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, South Parks Rd., Oxford O XI 3PS, ENGLAND. 12 — BLACK SEA 4 rus or s Mr JUEASR & ‘ Y(- to, pe Uo iS ag Dortyol Y 17 ly | =5/ ) S) ( ta Iskenderun 1SKENDERUN ae Karatas yy oe SS Ss Eredli “Pozanti ny , Fe a ae f Belen MEDITERRANEAN SEA ey an BBR Land over 1500m ey, Vag Harissafe, /) Te \” ¢ 0 200 ZO0km 4 sles J€ on Figure 1. The Gulf of Iskenderun, Southern Turkey and surrounding area. 13 ee aoa White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus 1500 2 ra o Qa i} z 10005 500 %% 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 40000 r] 30000- White Stork Ciconia ciconia No. passing 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Black Kite Milvus migrans 100 No. passing 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Time 150 Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 100- | = 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 600) Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus 200 100. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Time Sutherland & Brooks, Raptor Paper, Figure 2, Part 1. 14 800 600- 400- or awe 200 Black Stork Ciconia nigra | | 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 goa 1005 50: ° 60 404 20. Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus 6 7 8 910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 > — Harriers Circus 6 7 8 9 00 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Time a No, passing No, passing Buzzard a | | Buteo buteo 204 | 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 6 17 8 19 | Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes | | | | 600- 4 | Time 6005 | Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina | | | ae es | 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1415 16 17 18 19 Booted Eagle 1005 Hieraaetus pennatus ee 505 | 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Time ° Sutherland and Brooks, Raptor Paper, Figure 2, Part 2. Aquila pomarina/clanga | fe} 1 __{__| 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 | | 1000 800+ Large unidentified 600- raptors 400-4 es | o; 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Time Figure 2. Ti otal numbers of large migrants observed over the Belen Pass, Southern Turkey, in each hour period, 2 August-23 September 1976. 15 TABLE I. DAILY TOTALS OF LARGE MIGRANTS AT BELEN, 1976 White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus Black Stork Ciconia nigra White Stork Ciconia ciconia Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus Black Kite Milvus migrans Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus Unidentified harriers Circus spp. Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes Unidentified sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus/brevipes Buzzard Buteo buteo Lesser-Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina Unidentified spotted eagles Aquila pomarina/clanga Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus Osprey Pandion haliaetus Lesser Kestrel/Kestrel Falco naumanni/tinnunculus Hobby Falco subbuteo Unidentified falcons Falco spp. Large unidentified raptors White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus Black Stork Ciconia nigra White Stork Ciconia ciconia Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus Black Kite Milvus migrans Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus Short-toed Eagle Cireaetus gallicus Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus Unidentified harriers Circus spp. Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes Unidentified sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus/brevipes Buzzard Buteo buteo Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina Unidentified spotted eagles Aquila pomarina/clanga Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus Osprey Pandion haliaetus Lesser Kestrel/Kestrel Falco naumanni/tinnunculus Hobby Falco subbuteo Unidentified falcons Falco spp. Large unidentified raptors The following species are not included above (see text): Red Kite Milus milvus 1, Goshawk Accipiter gentilis 1, Long-legged ~ 2 3 AUGUST 4 32 50 SEPTEMBER 1 22 3 165 121 18 20 8 1,196 2,430 26 6705-305, > 501 1 5 itp 7 11 1 3 2 1 1 4 1 2 i 2 4 12 1 3 11 20 956 10 N m AN We = CO N | 3 Ad 7 8 250 7 4,783 36 «66 6 7 350 D 58 42 264 1,500 40 65 337 282 10 7 2A 120 DI 2519 Ht 1 3 AG A3 D 1 1 6 1 3 5 9 = M16 2 93) 19 4 2 1 1 1 2 24 «96 NNW HPO 31 150 8 3,095 1,648 10 21 8 4 9 10 11 150 260 Uy 14 153 935 302 1,247 10 6 3 105 91 1 3 2 1 1 4 1 2 2 q/ 4 1 1 5 23 71: Buzzard Buteo rufinus 2, Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus 3, Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus 2, Saker Falco cherrug 1. 16 AUGUST continued 13 14 15 16 225 220 33 1 90 2,860 Sy7/ 4 1 1 SEPTEMBER continued 12 ils} 14 15 180 8§6251 516 6 514 147 119 63 4,441 223 dD 3,632 202 D) 63 110 469 221 9 1:2 17 3 2 4 1 14 91 513 2 4A 69 194 9" > -138 1 1 BSH 53 3 13 1 2 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 59405 53, 40. ~ 24 17 110 2 16 188 38 42 94) 18 1,200 4,203 1,002 723 238 160 147 99 TABLE I (continued) 19 20 431 1 2 10 9,487 i | 1 6 18 19 56 290 434 343 54. 65 42 2 64° *~ 9 1 114 6 1 3 1 468 265 6 35 5 249 2 606 74 1 cee | 1 1 4 55 145 1... 22 32-200 158 1,099 6 4 1 1 4 14 20 «21 430 73 142 134 4 8 5 4 14 12 9 7 1 29 «20 2 1 1 y) 3. 172 1 5 So ay (2) 32 225 160 1 28-49 1 2 1 1 1 3 1823; °- 12 17 23 24 25 443 63 8,180 5,945 13 47 1 14 388 13 1 6 10 4 5 4 Z 2 a 37 50 22 23 201 106 287 42 5 7 12 14 2 1 82 2 1 1 2 1 35-218 1 3 10 21 9 15 22). DVD 20 21 1 2 1 5) 49 628 3,512 33 956 150 6 50 27 28 29 189 37 36 3 45 12 1,960 17,806 5,578 145 34 604 5,169 580 20 = 127 30 26 39 30 1 a 30 30 6 2 4 27 18 1 2 1 1 i 3 13 16 1 1 4 2 44 14 16 TOTALS August & September 7,273 6 3,303 103,576 816 15,971 506 874 15 728 3] 4 21 181 11 2,951 115 183 TABLE IT. A COMPARISON OF NUMBERS OF LARGE MIGRANTS AT BELEN DURING 2-7 SEPTEMBER IN 1965 (CAMERON ez al. 1967) AND IN 1976 SPECIES White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus Black Stork Ciconia nigra White Stork Ciconia ciconia Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus Black Kite Milvus migrans Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus Harriers Circus spp. Buzzard Buteo buteo Buteo/Pernis Aquila spp. Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus Large unidentified raptors *Large unidentified raptors and Buteo/Pernis were not recorded separately. 18 194* TABLE HI. A COMPARISON OF NUMBERS OF LARGE MIGRANTS AT THE BOSPHORUS, NORTH-WEST TURKEY, AND ARHAVI, NORTH-EAST TURKEY, DURING 17 AUGUST-20 SEPTEMBER AND AT BELEN DURING 20 AUGUST-23 SEPTEMBER Bosphorus Arhavi Belen SPECIES 1966(a) 1971(b) 1972(b) 1976(b) 1976 White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus 6,203 Black Stork Ciconia nigra 1,607 3,409 1,846 20 3,303 White Stork Ciconia ciconia 111,784 170,917 231,290 82,887 Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 586 Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus 8,963 25,745 23,638 137,006 15,967 Black Kite Milvus migrans 1,606 2,489 1,587 5,329 506 Red Kite Milvus milvus 3 Z 1 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus 323 354 283 Z 874 Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus 18 6 9 15 Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus 407 548 263 44 726 Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 1 2 2 207 31 Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus 3 1 Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus 3 Z 69 4 Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygarus z 11 12 122 21 Unidentified harriers Circus spp. 11 12 13 553 181 Goshawk 2,693 18 8 22 20 October 6: 53 10 8 The diurnal distribution of birds observed on 11 September 1976 and on 12 September 1978 is shown in Figure J and the flock size distribution on the same two days in Figure 2. It could be assumed that the birds normally turn south well west of the Bardawil Lagoon and follow the coast so far out to sea that they have been missed in previous years. We have no explanation for the fact that the birds alighted at the Bardawil in 1976, nor do we know whether the concentration within such a short time of an extraordinarily large number of birds, as witnessed in both years, is normal. We can now state with some confidence that the Little Bittern, although departing for migratory flights at dusk, readily continues migrating in daylight. The species will often migrate socially, sometimes in large flocks, and not always or almost always singly, as stated by some authors. It prefers, of course, its natural habitat of - reeds and swamps, but if these are not available rests on tree tops and in the absence of trees is prepared to land even in areas where no cover whatsoever is available. REFERENCES BAUER, K. M. & GLUTZ VON BLOTZHEIM, U. N. (eds.) 1966. Handbuch der Vogel Mitteleuropas. Band 1. Frankfurt am Main. BODENHAM, K. L, 1945. Notes on migrant and resident birds in the Suez Canal area. Bul. Zool. Soc. Egypt 7:21-47. CRAMP. S. & SIMMONS, K. E. L. (eds.) 1977. The Birds of the Western Palearctic, Vol. 1. Oxford. DEMENTIEV, G. P. & GLADKOV, N. A. (eds.) 1969. Birds of the Soviet Union. Vol. 2. Jerusalem. GOODERS, J. (ed.) 1969. Birds of the World. Vol. 1. London MEINERTZHAGEN, R. 1930. Nicoll’s Birds of Egypt. Vol. 2. London. MEINERTZHAGEN, R. 1954. Birds of Arabia. Edinburgh. _Y. Paran and P. Shulter, 19, Barak Street, Tel Aviv, 69933, ISRAEL. 109 500 20 10 20 UES aks: 1000 500 J 07 09 i 4 E19 3/6 Bi LS Figure 1 Diurnal distribution of Little Bitterns. 40 60 80 100 20 40 60 80 Figure 2 Flock size distribution of Little Bitterns. 110 17 100 19 hrs. ADDENDA and CORRIGENDA A Check-list of the Birds of the Arabian Gulf States by Graham Bundy & Effie Warr. 1980. Sandgrouse 1: 4-49. p. 6 line 9: amend ‘1941’ to ‘1914’. p. 33: Add after Hippolais olivetorum Hippolais icterina Icterine Warbler (PM) In Kuwait very scarce; single birds or twos mid Apr. to early May, three records Sep., one Oct. In E.Prov. one Apr. 1975 at Dhahran. In Bahrain two individuals Apr. and May. No confirmed records Qatar or U.A.E. p. 49: References to read:- VOOUS, K. H. 1973, 1977. List of recent Holarctic bird species. Ibis 115: 612-638, 119: 223-250, 376-406. WARR, F. E. 1973. Birds recorded in the United Arab Emirates and the Musandam Peninsula (Oman). Duplicated typescript. . LOPPENTHIN, B. 1951. Sea birds of the Persian Gulf. Proc. X Int. Orn. Congress: 603-610. Breeding Birds in Central Arabia by M. C. Jennings. 1980. Sandgrouse 1: 71-81. p. 75: Galerida cristata Crested Lark: Delete last sentence.