a: 2 e= SS _ a Dee —_ an rags cE aE | q é | Bip. i ] \ ’ | 2 , f | | c : ‘ L | ie . ‘ . , | | | \ 1 | oS i | y ‘q i : s ry 8 Yer d ORN ee LOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST, CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA OSME OSME was founded in 1978 as the successor to the Ornithological Society of Turkey. Its primary aims are: BTo collect, collate, and publish data on all aspects of the birds of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. # To promote an interest in ornith- _ ology and bird conservation throughout the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. _ & To develop productive working relationships with other govern- mental and non-governmental organisations with an interest in conservation and/or natural history in the region. ~OSME CORPORATE SPONSORS Greentours Srreclorel MEMBERSHIP OSME is open to all, and its membership spans over 40 countries. ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP Individual £15 (UK address) £20 (Europe) £20 ( Sugfice mail outside Europe) £25 (Airmail outside ee Institutions £30 (Add £5 for Airmail) Write to the Membership Secretary at the address below for a membership form detailing methods of payment and also rates for Family, Supporting and Life membership. For any other information on the Society, _ write to the Secretary at the same address. Publications OSME publishes a scientific journal, Sandgrouse, containing papers, news and features on all aspects of Middle Eastern ornithology. Published twice yearly, it is issued free to mem- bers. Further copies are available for sale from OSME. Meetings An Annual General Meeting is held in London at which guest speakers provide new perspectives on ornithology in the region. There are also occasional special meetings, some tak- ing place outside the UK. Projects OSME organises field expeditions to collect data on birds in little-known parts of the region and in areas where OSME can assist by teaming up with local groups. The Conservation & Research Committee grants funds to valuable field projects and desk studies which further knowl- edge and conservation of birds in the region. Grants have been awarded to over 65 projects since the Conservation & Research Fund was set up in 1982. MEBirdNet Email Discussion Group This is an e-mail mailing list (moderated by OSME) that dis- cusses birds and birdwatching in the Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia. Subjects include research, conservation, bird news, recent records, identification, requests for information and exchange of information. To join the mailing list, send an empty e-mail to: MEBirdNet-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. VICE PRESIDENTS: Dan Alon Ali bin Amer Al-Kiyumi Imad Atrash Akram Eissa Darwish COUNCIL AS AT JULY 2007: John Bartley - secretary@osme.org Secretary Pat Bartley - crf@osme.org Conservation & Research Keith Betton - chairman@osme.org Chairman (co-opted) Richard Bonser Andrew Grieve Chris Harbard Website Ian Harrison (co-opted) Sharif Al Jbour Guy Kirwan Sherif Baha El Din Ramaz Gokhelashvili Samer Mouasher Ghassan & Mrs Mona Ramadan Jaradi Chris Lamsdell Dominic Mitchell David Murdoch | Richard Prior Colin Richardson Mark Thomas - ads@osme.org Advertising Effie Warr - sales@osme.org Sales & Distribution (co-opted) John Warr - treasurer@osme.org Treasurer & Membership (co-opted) Geoff Welch © 2007 Ornithological Society of the Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia ISSN 0260-4736 Registered charity no 282938 c/o THE LODGE, SANDY, BEDFORDSHIRE SGL9 2D IF GK OSME WEs sITE - http://www.osme.org SANDGROUSE Volume 29 (2) Editor Michael Blair - ed @osme.org Features Editor Situation Vacant Assistant Editor Situation Vacant Editorial Committee Paul Goriup Mike Jennings Simon Aspinall & Dr Stephen Newton Photographic Editor Paul Doherty Design & Production Harry |. Scott Identification Consultants C. G. Bradshaw Arnoud B. van den Berg & Steve Madge Cover Photograph: White-throated Robin, /rania gutturalis, April 2006, Syria © Aurélien Audevarde. Contents 114 114 117 LL 22 129 135 149 167 WAT 183 205 208 210 214 216 218 pa) 221 EDITORIAL OSME News NEWS AND INFORMATION REVIEWS & RECENT LITERATURE AROUND THE REGION - DAWN BALMER & KEITH BETTON Roosting harriers in the Aammiq wetland, Lebanon Marius P TEEUW & COLIN CONROY Studies of Socotran birds IV. Synonymization of six endemic bird taxa, with comments on the name Onychognathus blythti creaghi Guy M KIRWAN The ornithological regime in the Sudochie wetland, Uzbekistan ELENA KREUZBERG-MUKHINA & YEVGENIYA LANOVENKO A six-month survey of waterbirds in the Alagol and Kiashahr wetlands, Northern Iran, in the 2002-2003 winter OLYAGHOLI KHALILIPOUR, BEHROUZ BEHROUZI-RAD & ABOLGHASEM KHALEGHIZADEH Wintering of Greater Spotted Aquila clanga and Eastern Imperial Eagles a. heliaca in the Arabian Peninsula Dr GR LOBLEY Skua (Catharacta, Stercorarius) occurrence in the OSME Region VLADIMIR ARKHIPOV & MICHAEL BLAIR The first breeding record of Thick-billed Lark Ramphocoris clotbey in Kuwait and concomitant behavioural observations ST SPENCER, CWT PILCHER & PJ COWAN Ringing four breeding waterbird species at Lake Tashk, Iran — supplemental data MOHAMMAD BALOUCH, ZAHRA ELAHI-RAD & MOHAMMAD E SEHHATISABET Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis in the Hula Valley, Israel, in 2006 YOAV PERLMAN & AMIT GEFFEN First record of Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis for Syria PIERRE YESOU, GUY FLOHART & DAVID MURDOCH Recent decisions by the Oman Bird Records Committee — an update on first records for the Sultanate of Oman IAN HARRISON Iris Colour in Common Babbler Turdoides caudatus GEORGE GREGORY & KHALID AL-NASRALLAH Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni in habitat around Mar Saba Monastery, Jerusalem wilderness, Palestine SAMI BACKLEH & IMAD ATRASH A small colony of Purple Heron Ardea purpurea on Bahrif Island, Nile valley, Aswan - a new breeding species for Egypt? Dick HOEK 113 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 114-116 2007 EDITORIAL Perhaps the most revolutionary advance in ornithology, and one that will have a direct influence on birding, may come from the results described in a recent paper published in Molecular Ecology Notes. An advance copy was published on the Web: Kerr, KCR, MY STOECKLE, CJ Dove, LA WeEicT, CM FRANCIS AND PDN Hebert. 2007. Comprehensive DNA barcode coverage of North American birds. Mol. Ecol. Notes. (OnlineEarly Articles) 17 Jan 07. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-8286.2006.01670. In brief, self-consistent results were obtained for 643 bird species, with the cautionary note that testing the approach on other ‘well- characterised assemblages’ was essential to ‘NEW VICE-PRESIDENTS OSME is delighted to welcome two new Vice Presidents who will serve a term of ten years. These are Dan Alon from the Israel Ornithological Centre, and Dr Akram Eissa Darwish, who is Chairman of Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife. Having served a term of ten years already we thank our outgoing Vice Presidents for their support and advice. They are Dr Omar Al-Saghier, President of the Yemen Ornithological Society, and Dr Yossi Leshem, Director of the International Centre for the study of Bird Migration, based in Israel. prove the validity worldwide of this method of computer-assessed DNA results from blood or feather samples. The paper holds out the tantalising prospect of PDA-type readers that could confirm a species’ identity from its ‘bar-code’ version of its DNA. Not only might birders be interested in the use of this technique (the ethics of its usage will need to be evaluated pretty quickly), but conservation authorities and wildlife regulatory bodies might just get a useful addition to their armoury. Think of how trafficking in the world’s fauna could be better controlled if the identity of species in consignments could be confirmed in seconds, without the need for expertise at every location. Mike Blair OSME COUNCIL OSME welcomes four new Council Members who have been elected for a five-year term. _ These are Richard Bonser, Ian Harrison, Guy Kirwan and Geoff Welch. Steve Rooke, who was elected in 2006, has been forced to stand down due to pressure of work. Lastly, Council has decided that although he was due to stand down by rotation this year, Keith Betton should remain as Chairman for an extra year, retiring now in 2008. A full list of Council Members is shown on the inside title page. OSME SUMMER MEETING About 45 Members and guests attended OSME’s Summer Meeting in London on 7 July. A wide range of talks covered many aspects of bird conservation and research in the Middle East and Central Asia. Richard Porter outlined recent conservation work in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. He was particularly concerned about the development of a new and unnecessary road around the coast of socotra. Geoff Welch revealed the latest Important Bird Area work in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, with 95 sites identified already and a further 100 expected by 2008. Remco Hofland explained how he led a team to look for Sociable Lapwings in Syria and found a minimum of 1500 in a relatively small area, while over 700 were also found by a team nearby in Turkey. Mick Green gave the results of census work after several visits to Barr al Hikman in Oman. This underlined its 114 Keith Betton huge importance for migrating waders and other waterfowl. Staying in Oman, lan Harrison reflected on changes he had seen over the last twenty years. In particular he felt that many birding sites around Muscat had now been damaged by urban and industrial development, and while tourism was good in many ways, he was concerned about the new proposals to build more hotels along the coast. Guy Kirwan talked about the work he had done during the writing of the forthcoming book on Turkey’s avifauna. Richard Prior gave a summary of what it was like working and birding in Lebanon over the last two years, and finally Richard Bonser outlined the highlights of several recent visits to Egypt’s Red Sea coast. A poster presen- tation on Chaffinch biometrics was made by Uktu Perktas, who was visiting from Turkey. MORE OSME FUNDS TO HELP PROJECTS IN THE REGION OSME has used money from its Conservation and Research Fund to assist two more projects in the region. £500 was awarded towards the cost of undertaking additional ringing projects in Bahrain. £375 was used to supply binoculars for the five locally-employed staff who act as wardens at the breeding site of the Northern Bald Ibises in Syria. See Plate 1 below. Also, at our suggestion, the African Bird Club Keith Betton Pn a. = Plate Us Syrian Guard with donated binoculars. © Jeremy Lindsell RSPB OSME News generously funded fieldwork in Ethiopia to understand exactly where the birds spent the winter. We welcome applications for project funding from anyone looking to carry out valuable research within the region. OSME NEEDS HELP WITH ITS WEBSITE Our website contains much _ useful information, with trip reports, recent sightings and copies of important papers. However we want to grow it with additional information — such as checklists, photographs and information on sites. Once it has been updated, key areas of the site will be translated into several languages. If you have web experience and are willing to join our “virtual web team” who will update certain sections from where they are based then please do get in touch with Keith Betton (chairman@osme.org) OSME JOURNALS NEED HOMES IN THE REGION We are looking to provide ornithologists and libraries in the OSME region with sets of back issues of Sandgrouse. Anyone travelling to the region who is willing to take a set (they weigh 6kg, but we can negotiate!) please get in touch with Effie Warr (membership@osme.org). i 11515) Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 RAY DANIEL OSME was saddened to learn of the death of Ray Daniel earlier this year. Ray served as our Librarian from 1998 to 2004. In that role he helped many members by lending them documents or searching out obscure references, and he ensured that we had a very wide range of material stored. OSME CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH FUND The Society has awarded grants to a number of projects in the region over recent months. The grants come from the Conservation and Research Fund, which is used to support a wide range of conservation, survey and educational projects. Recent awards include: ® £1000 towards the cost of mounting an expedition to establish the numbers of wintering Sociable Lapwings in Syria. @ £300 to cover the travel costs of an amphibian expert to speak at the annual spring White Stork Festival at Lake Uluabat in NW Turkey. @ £520 towards the cost of research into Lesser Spotted Eagle ecology in the Caucasus. @ £2000 towards the production of a new Arabic Birds of Syrian field guide (of which £1500 was donated by Swedish tour operator Avifauna). @ £400 to extend work currently undertaken by the Bahrain Ringing Project. @ £360 to provide binoculars and telescopes for rangers protecting the Northern Bald Ibis colony in Syria. We welcome applications for project funding from anyone looking to carry out valuable research within the region. ERRATA IN ISSUE 28 (2): The short note “The first Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea in Kuwait — an escape’ was illustrated by a picture of Red-billed Starling Sturnus sericeus. The author, Khaled al-Ghanem, had no access to any reference material picturing Red-billed Starling, and had in the circumstances assumed that the illustration in Porter et al (1996) of Wattled Starling resembled the bird seen. Wattled Starling of course has occurred in southern Arabia as far as Oman. It was unfortunate that the illustration arrived as 28 (2) was being typeset, and the editor forwarded it immediately without passing it to the identification consultants. Reference to Feare & Craig 1998 subsequently clearly emphasised the error, but revealed a mystery, because the illustrations of Wattled Starling in Porter et al (1996) (p201) do not resemble in any way those in Feare & Craig (1998) (pp79 & 83). The short note is withdrawn. The editor apologises to all, but in particular to the author. Mike Blair | ERRATA IN ISSUE 29 (1): There were a number of errors in the Late News Photospot ‘Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregaria in Syria’. On p89, Plate 2 was actually of a White-tailed Lapwing V. leucurus. I had assembled a number of pictures from David Hoekstra’s list, but had not taken the time to replace serial numbers with bird names, and so selected the wrong number. Plate 4 on p96 is actually of a flock of Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea. My apologies go to David Hoekstra for these errors with the pictures. Furthermore, a typo was missed on the proofs; at the end of line 3 of the first paragraph, it should have read ‘Syria’ and not ‘Turkey’, since of course Turkey had been mentioned earlier in the line. Apologies therefore are due to Remco Hofland and to all members of the team that went to Syria. As a matter of courtesy, the text of this Late News item should have mentioned the main supporter of that expedition, Van Tienhoven. That omission was not intentional, and I emphasise here that the Van Tienhoven support for the Syrian and other expeditions is most admirable, greatly appreciated. Finally, the total of about 2000 Sociable Lapwings in Syria mentioned in the Photospot concerned a count made shortly after the expedition had left Syria, and should be regarded as unverified at present. The highest verified Syrian counts give a total of 1579 birds in four different locations. Mike Blair 116 Keith Betton ia The aim of this section is to inform readers about events in the OSME region. It relies on members and others supplying relevant news and information. If you have anything concerning birds, conservation or development in the OSME area please send it to News and Information, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK, or send it to the appropriate e-mail address shown inside the front cover. This section is not intended as a definitive report or write-up of the projects concerned. Many of the projects are sponsored; such support is appreciated but is not generally given acknowledgement here. ARABIA Phoenix No 23, the latest newsletter of the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia Project was published in January. Contents include the first breeding in Arabia of the Spotted Crake Porzana porzana, discovery of a breeding colony of Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis in UAE and the birds of the Wadi Khabb Shamsi/ Wadi Bei - Oman/UAE, Mussandam. For further details contact Mike Jennings at Warners Farm House, Warners Drove, Somersham, Cambridgeshire, PE28 3WD, UK. Or email ArabianBirds@dsl.pipex.com CYPRUS Bird photographs wanted The Birdlife Cyprus website is seeking photographs of birds taken in Cyprus (old and new), in particular photos of rarities or semi-rarities (see http://www.birdlife- cyprus.org/specieslist.htm) are wanted. Please send photographs to the webmaster Chris Lamsdell (email: lamsdell@tiscali.co.uk) ISRAEL IRDC Bulletin 6:01 The Israeli Rarities and Distribution Committee (IRDC) have published their latest bulletin on rarities in Israel. It can be viewed at: http://www. israbirding.com/irdc/ Dawn Balmer & Keith Betton News & Information INFORMATION compiled by Dawn Balmer & Keith Betton bulletins/bulletin_6/index.shtml.- The updated species list of Israel can be found at: http://www. israbirding.com/irdc/bulletins / irdc_list/ White Stork Webcam A webcam has been fixed to a White Stork nest at Kibbutz Tirat Zvi, Beit She’an Valley, about 30 KM south of Lake Galilee. This is the first nest in the Beit She’an Valley. The webcam can be viewed at www.birds.org.il. Four years ago a female White Stork was found with a broken wing and rescued by staff at the small Rehabilitation centre in the Kibbutz. A male landed nearby and tried to attract the female but failed. The people from the Kibbutz erected a pole with a tractor wheel on top. This year the male successfully attracted a mate during spring migration and they are nesting successfully. A New Israeli Bird Forum - Israbirding.com A new forum for birding in Israel has been launched to promote the exchange of information on birds and birding in Israel, and its immediate surroundings, at http://www. israbirding.com/israelbirdsforum/ forum.php. Please follow the link to join this forum. Contributed by: Ido Tsurim, Avner Cohen and Tomer Landsberger) JORDAN Birdwatching returns to the Azraq wetland reserve Jordan’s commitment to sustainable tourism continues to receive strong support from the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), the independent voluntary organi- zation devoted to the conservation of Jordan’s natural resources. Thanks to the valiant efforts of the RSCN and their push to restore and improve the once-endangered Azraq Wetland Reserve, a unique wetland oasis in the heart of the semi-arid desert, birders and conservationists alike can once again LT, Sandgrouse 29 (2): 117-118 2007 experience large numbers of a wide variety of birds, some stopping for a short rest along the migration routes and others wintering or breeding within the protected areas. Azraq once attracted up to half a million migrants at any one time, before water extraction began in the 1980s, but by 1993 so much water had been extracted that no surface water remained and the reserve’s ecological value was virtually destroyed. In 1994, the combined efforts of the RSCN and international support initiated a rescue effort, resulting in a significant portion of the wetland being restored. Many species have returned to Azrag oasis, which now has boardwalks and bird hides. At Azraq, regular species are Sinai Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus (Jordan's national bird), Temminck’s Lark Eremophila bilopha, Desert Lark Ammonanes deserti, Greater Hoopoe-Lark Alaemon alaudipes, Desert Wheatear Oenanithe desert: and Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus, winter visitors including Common Crane Grus grus and Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca. For those wanting to spend more than a day at Azraq, the RSCN has recently opened a new 16 room eco-lodge. For further information about Jordan, contact the Jordan Tourism Board at www.visitjordan.com and to find out more about the RSCN, visit www.rscn.org.jo. KUWAIT Birding Kuwait The latest news from Kuwait can be found on Birding Kuwait, a blog/website run by Mike Pope. The website address is: http://www. hawar-islands.com/blog/14_stub.php. KAZAKHSTAN Kazakhstan signs up to protect important wetlands The tirst Namsay site to be declared im Kazakhstan will be the “Tengiz-Korgalzhyn Lake System’. The site comprises the complete lake system, the lake shore areas as well as a buffer zone. Altogether the area totals some 353,000 hectares. An associated nature museum and visitors’ centre will encourage the use of the site for science-based tourism and research. The news has been welcomed by the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan (ACBK) who have been working towards Kazakhstan’s succession to the Convention. “Korgalzhyn and Tengiz Lakes are particularly important areas for migratory birds” said Valery Khrokov, President of ACBK. “Accession to the Ramsar Convention will help us ensure that our efforts to conserve them fit into a global strategy for conserving wetland birds”. Birdlife International and the United Nations Development Programme have assisted with this work. Details are under the heading ‘Government Expands Protection of Steppes’ on the website:http://www.rferl.org/ featuresarticle/2007/04/1F7E0162-F52A- 43D5-8951-E65FO3E3E75A.html New website Kazakhstan Bird Conservation Union has its own web-site, in Russian and English. It can be viewed at: http://www.kbcu.net/index.htm (Contributed by Jevgeni Shergalin) 118 Dawn Balmer & Keith Betton Reviews & Recent Literature TERM Sit The Birds of Kazakhstan by Arend Wassink and Gerald Oreel. Privately Published. Contact http://www.birdsof kazakstan.com. Price 55€. ISBN 978-90- 811462-1-0 I am lucky enough to have been to Kazakhstan three times over the last 20 years, the first time back in 1987. And how it has changed in that period, for instance the administrative capital has had a different mame on each of my visits. Our bird knowledge has changed too. On my first visit in 1987, Yellow-eyed Stock Dove was never mentioned and in 1992 I can remember a wild goose chase of dozens of miles to a Moslem cemetery site where the species had been seen 20 years before! Needless to say we didn’t find the bird. In 2005 I knew exactly where to find the species. Kazakhstan is an enormous country, the 9th largest in the world, occupying land the size of the whole of Western Europe, and so a book on its birds in the English language is long overdue. This book is a comprehensive summary of all the current knowledge, but as the authors indicate ‘there remain enormous gaps in our knowledge of the birds of Kazakhstan’ — consequently they request any corrections and additions. They record a bird list of 498 as of April 2007 — bird trips visiting this spring season perhaps will have pushed the list to over 500. And will breeding Slender- billed Curlew have been rediscovered? Wier book is an all-Dutch affair, but in excellent English — graphics, layout, photo editing, publishing and printing are all the work of familiar names. The authors, Gerald Oreel and Arend Wassink, should be partic- ularly well known to anyone familiar with the high quality Dutch Birding magazine. There is an introductory section detailing the landscapes and habitats, complete with a stunning collection of photographs showing the various deserts, wetlands, mountains, forests and steppe. This is followed by a short piece on climate and the inevitable environmental threats; and conservation. Each species, including sub-species, is covered by a short paragraph detailing status, habitat, distribution (including a breeding distribution map), and migration. A simple bar diagram shows the species presence over the year. Not all species are illustrated by photographs but all the key birds are covered — those ‘birders’ birds’ which make Kazakhstan such a special place. Eversmann’s’ Redstart, White-tailed Rubythroat and White-browed Tit-Warbler are my personal favourites. It’s a shame that the White-winged Lark photo is only of a necently =) tledeed > juvenile: "Photo reproduction is to a very high standard thanks to Rene Pop’s well known expert skills in pre-print preparation. In addition, there are several delightful watercolour illustrations by Martin Eccles. The Red- fronted Serin is particularly attractive. Three appendices cover species omitted from the Kazakhstan list (for various reasons), Red List species of which there are 34 and plant species and genera mentioned in the text. Finally, a nice little touch is a bookmark so you can tag that favourite photograph or species account. The book is beautifully produced and should be on the shelf of anyone with an interest in the birds of this exciting region of the world. Tim Loseby The Emirates — a Natural History Edited by Peter Hellyer and Simon Aspinall. Rublished =" by . lrident Press (www.tridentpress.com). Hardback. 428 pages. ISBN 1-905486-02-2. £60.00 This is a truly impressive book. Weighing in at almost 3kg, it has been created using the knowledge of 34 expert authors backed up by the work of many excellent photog- HE) Sandgrouse 29 (2): 119-121 2007 raphers. Specialist chapters cover all aspects of the natural history of the United Arab Emirates —- mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects and plants, with additional authoritative chapters on the region’s geology and conservation. The section on birds covers 22 pages, which is perhaps smaller than one might have expected, given that the book’s editors are birders. Starting with a look at the ornitho- logical year, this chapter segments each of the main habitats and discusses the typical species that may be encountered. Tables are included to display data on the main intertidal species. There are already many sources on bird information for the UAE, so for me the real value of this book is revealed once you read the chapters on those faunal groups for which there is little published information. To have drawn together all of these experts to create this book is a real triumph, and it would be great to see similar such works to cover the wildlife and natural history of other areas within the region. Keith Betton Books, journals, papers and short notes traditionally have formed the basis of the ‘tools’ used in the work variously called ornithology, birding or birdwatching. It’s about time we paid more attention to the electronic additions. I am expending the definition of ‘literature’ in this section to encompass such matter - Editor The Coming Revolution: WorldBirds David Murdoch damurdoch@hotmail.com Many years ago, when I started birdwatching, I was given a notebook. My fearsome great- aunt told me in no uncertain terms that my notebook was more important than my prized pair of binoculars, and she was right. Seventeen notebooks later, they are some of my most valued possessions. But, though the memories are treasured, 95% of my records lie unused. I have travelled for thirty years accumulating records which then gather dust. At last, the situation is about to change: the revolution is coming, WorldBirds is about to hit the scene. WorldBirds is a global ‘family’ 120 of internet-based data collection systems, being created to get all that unused but priceless information into a form accessible to all. It is being set up by Birdlife International, the partnership of the world’s bird conser- vation societies, comprising over 150 member organisations. The national partner has ‘ownership’ of the records data from that country but OSME (and the other Regional Bird Clubs) can play a pivotal role as the ‘experts’ at the regional level, particularly for countries with few national birders or without a national BirdLife partner. OSME can mobilise resources (local experts and enthusiasts) and promote the programme via Sandgrouse and the OSME website. The potential benefits are immense and wide-ranging, as these few examples show: WorldBirds imparts data ownership to national organisations and will contribute to their development; the data collected include site co-ordinates, enabling the data to be used to develop national atlases, whether of breeding and wintering species; WorldBirds encourages birders to submit comprehensive day lists — the provisional indications are that their analysis show that day lists can align with national trends and thus potentially can be the basis of reliable Abundance Indicators; standardised data submission makes data processing by national (and local) recorders much simpler, allowing them to tackle in- depth data analysis; WorldBirds emphat- ically is not just for birders visiting foreign countries, because a major focus of the project is to encourage amateur birders in countries that have few professional ornithol- ogists, and, of course, birds are not the only wildlife in the world — the WorldBirds IT set- up potentially can be used for any wildlife sroup — bats, beetles; buttentlies, ox nudibranchs (that is, sea slugs). How do birders participate? In this brief account, I cannot do justice to the complexity of the system; a demonstration site at www birdlife/info/demo/kenya.php gives a feel, but access to a live site such as Kenya’s (www.worldbirds.org/Kenya) really shows its potential. Contributors need to log in with their own password. The Kenya site hosts checklists (national and personal), maps and ‘top 50s’ (species, locations, birders etc.). Locations are linked to Important Bird Area (IBA) factsheets. I looked at the information available for Sharpe’s Longclaw Macronyx sharpei, a Kenyan endemic and Red Data Book species, and found not only the list of recent records but a sophisticated distribution map and links to the RDB species factsheet. WorldBirds will therefore be immensely useful also for visitors planning trips as a free data source — to which I hope they will later contribute. To input data, certain ‘key fields’ are needed, most of which are obvious — species, counts, date, time spent birding. Latitude and longitude are vital — or at least a local proxy such as the UK National Grid. Additional information enhances outputs: eg a full checklist of species seen and numbers of observers are particularly useful. These basic fields allow some good baseline scientific eriteria to. be compiled, such as effort information, but with more data, WorldBirds can employ increasingly sophisticated analysis. When the data are submitted, they are available to all — with reservations. There are potential drawbacks and problems with any powerful system of information. It is obvious that hunters or egg-collectors might abuse that information; but this can easily be avoided, as those submitting data can suppress records of ‘sensitive’ species, data that can still be accessed by national adminis- trators. The system needs administrators and records need to be checked, requiring a sophisticated validation system — but much of it can be automated and it will assist OSME to improve assessment of records. Many birders, of course, do not have Net access, but although this is fast changing, it remains a significant problem in developing countries. The present system has problems accepting data gathered while the observer is travelling — for instance, records of seabirds during a sea crossing — a serious challenge that needs to be addressed. In particular, the WorldBirds programme demands high standards of data collection, which may be uncomfortable for those on a relaxed birding holiday. It specif- ically questions whether site lists are compre- hensive (‘Did you see a Crested Lark that day at that site?’) and requires site co-ordinates — data that most birders would not normally collect, though they are now readily available with GPS systems and Google Earth, and will only be a problem for ‘new’ sites. I believe that the high standards of data collection Reviews & Recent Literature required by WorldBirds are quite justified; serious birders should look on their records as scientific data and should apply rigorous standards to their collection, standards applied equally to visiting and national birders. OSME Council is strongly committed to the introduction of WorldBirds and is keen to assist BirdLife and national partners. Several of the necessary building blocks are already in place for the region. The development of the OSME Regional List (ORL) will greatly simplify its introduction, and although there will be a degree of incompatibility between the two sets of taxonomic approaches and English names, BirdLife is reviewing this aspect continuously, and so the differences will not be insurmountable. OSME has supported the publication in Arabic of the regional field guide ‘Birds of the Middle East’, which uses a generally agreed Arabic nomenclature. We will be publicising WorldBirds and encouraging resident and visiting birders to submit data into the programme. Specifically, we have placed on the OSME website (www.osme.org) provisional drafts of standardised Bird Report Forms and Rarities Report Forms for the OSME Region, compatible with WorldBirds, that we hope visitors will use — and report back on! These are at present only in English but will be available in other languages. We must emphasise that WorldBirds is still very much in the developmental stage; we want to be proactive so that we can assist in its development and harness its benefits as soon as possible for the conservation of wildlife in the OSME region. It is unrealistic to expect that most birders will input those data sitting in dusty notebooks, but the objective is that they will submit data from future trips, particularly as they can use WorldBirds to plan them. We are keen that OSME members — you - are involved; we hope that you will try WorldBirds out, pick out the flaws, give us feedback and thus contribute to its development - and the ultimate goal, better wildlife conservation in the Region. Ie A A A 7 Lt KOU GbE Py yA INCQTOn Y compiled by Dawn Balmer and Keith Betton Records in Around the Region are published for interest only; their inclusion does not imply acceptance by the records committee of the relevant country. All reports relate to 2007 unless otherwise stated. Reports and photographs for Sandgrouse 30 (1) should be sent by 15 December to: Around the Region, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, U.K.; or atr@osme.org Dawn Balmer, 7 Fisher Way, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2LD, U.K. Keith Betton, 8 Dukes Close, Folly Hill, Farnham, Surrey, GUI ODR, U.K. ARMENIA On 17 May ten Red-necked Phalaropes Phalaropus fulicaria were recorded at Armash fish ponds. BAHRAIN The first breeding record of Little Tern Sternula albifrons (adult with a chick) was recorded at Buhair Valley on 24 Apr. Numerous small terns thought to be Little and not Saunders’s Tern S. saundersi are regularly seen in spring sitting on nests on the small islands and mud banks at the Race Course lake but access problems have resulted in these never having been properly documented. Saunders’s Tern does breed here but prefers more coastal sites. A Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis was observed and photographed on 9 March 2007 at the old Rock Quarry behind Riffa Air base - (Diplomatic Wadi). This is the 3rd record for Bahrain, the previous being one in November 2006 at the Riffa Golf Course (just a few km from this site). CYPRUS Up to four Red-breasted Mergansers Mergus serrator were off Potamos Liopetri until 19 Jan. An immature Northern Gannet Morus bassanus was seen off Cape Kiti on 17 Mar; the first since April 2004, and one was reported off Paphos Headland on 30 Mar. On 25 Apr a Merlin Falco columbarius was at Larnaca Salt Lake. An adult Saker Falcon F. cherrug was seen hunting the plain north of main road at Sinirustu on 28 Dec 2006 and a Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus was at Dhekeleia on 3rd Mar. The first Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus for Cyprus, a first-year was found at Cape Greco on 21 Apr and was later seen at Cape Andreas on 29 Apr. An Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus at Mandria on 11 Mar was only the 10th since 1996. Two White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus were recorded during the spring; one at Cape Drepano on 22 Apr (first since 2001) and one at Phasouri reedbeds on 11 May. A Great Snipe Gallinago media was at Akhna Dam 19-20 Apr and a record 160 Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus were on Akriotiri salt Lake on 6 Apr. An adult Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii was near Golden Beach Karpaz on 28 Dec 2006 and another adult was at Essentepe on 30 Dec 2006. A first-winter Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla winter flew east of Kayalar on 27 Dec 2006. An adult Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida at Akhna Dam untilll Jan was a rare winter visitor. The first Dunn’s Lark Eremalauda dunni for Cyprus was on Ayia Napa beach 9-12 Apr (and also first record for Europe). At least 25+ Woodlark Lullula arborea found wintering in the coastal strip in North Cyprus and thought to be under-recorded. An Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum was at Paphos Lighthouse 26-27 Apr and a Mountain Chiffchaff Phylloscopus sindianus trapped and ringed at Ayios Minas on 16 Apr will be the first record if accepted. A Radde’s Warbler P. schwarzi reported at Paphos SF on 26 Apr will also be the first record if accepted. A Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula Bee-eaters Merops apiaster by D. Powell 122 Dawn Balmer & Keith Betton Around the Region semitorquata was reported at South Nicosia on 20 Apr. A flock of 12 Rock Sparrows Petronia petronia reported in the Avagas Gorge on 3 Jan will be 2nd for Cyprus if accepted and one was at Cape Drepano on 2 Apr. The first record of Blyth’s Pipit Anthus godlewski for Cyprus was at Mandria on 4-7 Apr feeding in the company of four Tawny Pipits A. campestris. The first Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarellii for Cyprus was at Zakaki Marsh on 13 Mar. At least 15 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis were counted at Korucam on 27 Dec 2007, a species that likely is under-recorded. The sixth Red-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus was at Ayios Neophytos, Paphos on 5 Mar and a Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus was at Polis reedbed on 22 Apr (7th record). EGYPT Two Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea were at 10th Ramadan on 4 Jan. On 31 Jan two Lappet- faced Vultures Aegypius trachielotos were seen 56km north of Shalatein and three were at Shelatin/Halaeb on 6 Apr. Around 5000 Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes were seen on 16 Apr above the rubbish tip in Hurghada heading north; there were two flocks, one of 3000 and another of 2000 in 30 minutes. On 16 Dec 2006 a Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga was seen at Abassa and a pair of Bonelli’s Eagle A. fasciatus were at Sharm el Sheikh, South Sinai on 18-19 May (a rare resident).A Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus was at Manzala on 21 Dec 2006, around 12 Red-necked Phalaropes Phalaropus lobatus were at Mut, Dakhla Oasis on 5 Mar, and a Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni was at Hurghada on 29 Mar. Two Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus were seen at Port Said on 21 Dec 2006. Around 6-8 African Collared Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea were seen at Marsa Alam, Red Sea, on 5 Apr and two were 18km south of Taba, Sinai on 29-30 Apr. Two male and one female Namaqua Dove Oena capensis were around the sewage work in Hurghada from 25 Mar. A Pharaoh Eagle Owl Bubo ascalaphus was at Sakara on 3 Jan and another was at Wadi Digla, Cairo on 5 Mar. A pair and three chicks (2 of them were ringed) were in the Hurghada area on 7 Apr. Four Long-eared Owl Asio otus were at Sakara on 3 Jan and a Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus was at El Gouna golf course on 20 Mar and 7 Apr. An Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegypticus was seen in Hurghada late Mar. Two Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis were at Wadi Lahmy coast, south Red Sea on 6 Apr; the most southerly record in the Red Sea. Two pairs of House Crow Corvus splendens were at Taba on 30 Apr were a recent expansion of range. On 6 Apr two Fan-tailed Raven C. rhipidurus were West of Halaib, south Easter Desert on 6 Apr and three Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus were at the same site. On 13 Dec 2006 three Asian Desert Warblers Sylvia nana and a Ménétries Warbler Sylvia mystacea were at Wadi Hagul. A male Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe Dawn Balmer & Keith Betton xanthoprymna was at Taba (Holiday Taba Resort, 30km S of Taba Heights) from 29 Dec 2006 to at least 5 Jan. A Finsch’s Wheatear Oenanthe finschii was at 10th Ramadan on 4 Jan and a Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva was 18km south of Taba, Sinai on 1 May. IRAN Two days in Kavir National Park, 120km SE Tehran between 27-28 Apr produced 48 species including See-see Partridge Ammoperdix griseogularis, Common Quail Coturnix coturni, Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata, Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus, Bar- tailed desert Lark Ammomanes cincture and Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti. At least two Black-winged Kites Elanus caeruleus were seen in Hormozgan province near Minab in Jan and at least 10 were seen in Feb between Jiroft and Kahnudj in South Iran. In 2004 and 2005 this species was seen (1 in 2004, 2 in 2005) near Karun fish ponds, Shushtar, Khuzestan province. ISRAEL The first Bean Goose Anser fabalis for Israel, a juvenile, was at Eilat during 14-24 Mar and also visited Aqaba sewage ponds (Jordan). On 16 Jan an adult male Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serator was at Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) and two were at Eilat north beach on 24 Feb. On 29 Mar two Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus were amongst 8000 honey buzzards Pernis sp that passed over Ketura Junction and a male passed over the following day. A very early bird was over Eilat on 31 Mar and over 10 were seen migrating over the Eilat Mts and southern Arava during early May. A male in the Golan Heights on 12 June was a late record. A Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus (cirtensis type) was found dead at Eilat on 7 Jun. On 5 Apr a Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo flew over Eilat and a late Red Knot Calidris canutus was at Eilat Km20 saltpans on 6 Jun. A record 40 White- cheeked Tern Sterna repressa were off Eilat’s north beach on 19 May. An adult Saunders’s Tern Sternula saundersi, the fourth record if accepted, was at Eilat’s north beach on 24 Mar, 17 May and 29 May. Namaqua Dove Oena capensis were found breeding in northern Israel close to the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) for the first time this year; up to three pairs being present. Four Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus at Mt. Hermon on 25 May are the first records since 2001. There was a good number of Thick-billed Lark Ramphocoris clotbey records this spring, with two at Hameishar, S Negev on 21 Mar, one at KM 76, S Arava on 23 Mar, 11 at KM 76, C Arava on 30 Mar. Records of three at Sde Boker, C Negev on 11 Jun and seven at Ramon Crater, C Negev on 21-22 Jun involve probable families, indicating that breeding took place this year in the Negev highlands, following an exceptionally wet spring. Dunn’s Larks Eremalauda dunni were recorded at KM 76, on 24 Mar, another there on 30 Mar and one near 123 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 Tse’elim, NW Negev on 18 Jun. Following last year’s discovery of a possible breeding population of Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis in the Hula valley (p210 this issue), four adults were trapped at the same site as last year. Two were caught on 8 May and two on 21 May; three of which were returning birds ringed in summer 2006. A Blyth’s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum trapped and ringed at Yotvata on 25 Mar will be the 6th record for Israel if accepted and a Booted Warbler Iduna caligata seen at Yotvata on the 9 Apr will be the 8th record if accepted. A Black Scrub Robin Cercotrichas podobe was trapped and ringed at IBRCE, Eilat on 20 May and a very late male Red- breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva was ringed at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory on 21 Jun. JORDAN The first Bean Goose Anser fabalis for Jordan, a juvenile, was seen at Aqaba sewage ponds between 14-24 Mar (see also Israel). On 7 Apr, a flock of 49 Black Storks Ciconia nigra was seen in Wadi Araba; a exceptional number. A first-summer Striated Heron Butorides striata was at Azraq on 16 Apr where it is a rare spring visitor. A Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus, a first-summer female, was at Aqaba sewage works on 17 Apr. On 5 Apr a White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus was at Aqaba Sewage Works (a rare migrant) and an adult Little Gull Larus minutus was there on the same day (very rare migrant). Up to 8 Egyptian Nightjars Caprimulgus aegyptius were at Azraq on 11 Apr, which suggests this species is possibly commoner in the desert than records show. A Common Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia, a vagrant in Jordan, was seen at Azraq on 31 Mar. An Upcher’s Warbler Hippolais languida was at Aqaba on 4-5 Apr and a late Finsch’s Wheatear Oenanthe finschii was at Azrag on 31 Mar. A colony of Dead Sea Sparrows Passer moabiticus was at Suwayma in the spring and two Pale Rockfinch Carpospiza brachydactyla were at Dana on 8 Apr; there have been few recent reports of this species. KAZAKHSTAN A first-year Pallas’s Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus was at Sorbulak Lake, Province of Almaty on 21 May; there have been 11 records in the period 1885-2005. An adult White-tailed Eagle H. albicilla was also present. KUWAIT A flock of 17 Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus past Doha mid-Mar comprised the 2nd record for Kuwait. Two juvenile Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus were present at Jahra East on 31 May suggesting local breeding. Ten Western Reef Egrets Egretta gularis were at Al-Abraq Al-Khabari on 25 Mar, which is the most inland record for Kuwait. A maximum count of eight Socotra Cormorant Leucocarbo nigrogularis on a sandbar off Zour Port occurred on several dates between 22 Mar and 18 Apr. On 16 Feb a Merlin Falco columbarius was at Sulabiya Pivot fields and a pair of Peregrine Falcon F. peregrinus seen around the tall buildings in Kuwait City centre may have bred. The Black- winged Kite Elanus caeruleus at Jahra Farms on 1 Jan was the 6th record. An Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus was seen on 24 Feb near Al- Abrag Al-Khabari flying slowly north and an Eurasian Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus was at Kabd on 13 Apr. There were several records of Shikra Accipiter badius with single wintering birds at Jahra Farms, Abdalli Farms, Jahra Pool and Sabrya Farm in Jan and Feb. On 21 Apr a Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciatus was at Sulaibiya Pivot Fields. Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio was resident at South Doha with six birds calling from late Feb; breeding was confirmed when a juvenile was seen in late Jun. The highest winter count of Crab-plover Dromas ardeola was 300+ in Salaibikhat Bay. A new daily high count for Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus was set with 120 seen at Sulaibiya Pivot Fields on 15 Jan. The 5th Spur-winged Lapwing V. spinosus for Kuwait was recorded at Jahra East Outfall on 6 Jun. Several Red-wattled Lapwing V. indicus were present at Abdally Farms in breeding habitat and three free-flying juvenile White-tailed Lapwings V. leucurus present at Jahra East outfall on 8 Jun may have been reared in Kuwait. A new highest daily count for Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus was set on 2 March when 35 were in the SAANKR but soon afterwards this was replaced by a count of an incredible 168 in the SAANR on 16 March but all had moved on by 20 March. Three Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicaria were present with 67 Red-necked Phalaropes P. lobatus at Jahra East Outfall on 23 Apr and will be the 2nd Kuwait record if accepted. A count of 92 Black-winged Pratincoles Glareola nordmanni on 21 Apr in the SAANR was a record. On 15 Jan, 41 Common Woodpigeon Columba palumbis were seen at Sulaibiya Pivot Fields on 15 Jan, representing a new daily high count. African Collared Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea were seen at Al Abrag and Tulha in the SAANR on several dates during Mar and Apr. Two Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus wintered at Kabd and were last seen late Mar. It was a poor year for Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius, with just one record of a singing bird in breeding habitat in the SAANR Jahra bay side on 24 Apr. Single wintering Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis were seen at Jahra Farms, Rawdatain KOC oilfield, Mutla Farm, Fahaheel Park, Maboula and Messila on many dates in Jan and early Feb, possibly comprising two or three wandering individuals of this conspicuous but rare Western Palearctic visitor. The wintering Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach remained at Sulaibikhat Bay nature reserve until 10 Apr to the delight of most visiting Western Palearctic listers. A Rook Corvus frugilegus present from 4 Jan to 8 Mar was the first record for 43 years. On 6/7 Jan, a dusk and dawn check for Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus in Kuwait City revealed six at 124 Dawn Balmer and Keith Betton Qadsiya, 19 at Mansouriya and 17 at Green Island. There are probably at least two roost sites: one at Mansouriya and another at Green Island. Several other sites have held this species in the city and it is estimated that at least 50, probably more, are regular from autumn to spring. It was another good year with confirmed breeding for Greater Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes, Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cinctura, Desert Lark A. deserti, Dunn’s Lark Eremalauda dunni, Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix nigriceps and Temminck’s Lark Eremophila bilopha at SAANR, Salmi/ Wadi AI- Bhatin bern and Kabd during Mar and Apr. Two Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula were seen in the SAANR on 28 Jan. Several Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis were recorded on passage at Tulha and Al Abrag. This species possibly bred at Jahra East Outfall reedbed, for up to four were singing and showing well during Apr and early May. However, visits in late May and early Jun failed to locate any amongst the many other Acrocephalus spp present. Single Sykes’s Warblers Hippolais rama were seen at Al Abrag and Tulha during spring passage in Apr, an Icterine Warbler H. icterina was seen at Tulha on 12 Apr and single Hume’s Whitethroats Sylvia althaea were at Al Abraq and Tulha in the SAANR in Apr. Two half- grown fledglings with two adults of Common Babblers were seen on 5 Apr, representing the first confirmed breeding for Kuwait and for the Arabian Peninsula as defined by the Atlas of breeding birds of Arabia (ABBA). Iraq and Kuwait are the only Western Palearctic countries where this species has been seen (see also p218 this issue). On 18 Feb six Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus were at Jahra Farms around one of the wells. It seems likely that they will breed again this year. Up to five free- winged White-vented Myna Ac. grandis have been seen in Kuwait in 2007. It is possible that they might start breeding. A Dark-throated Thrush Turdus atrogularis was at Failaka on 26 Jan; the first for several years. On 18 Feb a Fieldfare Turdus iliacus was near Jahra and is the first record since 1998 whilst on 12 Apr a new daily high count of White-throated Robin Irania gutturalis was set when 72 were recorded at Kabd. A male and female Eversmann’s Redstart Phoenicurus erythronotus at Sabriya Farm on 22-23 Dec 2006 comprised the 6th Kuwait record — a thorough search of Sabriya Farm on 4 Jan revealed a female still present but no male. On Failaka Island a male was present on 25 Jan. Three Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe chrysopygia wintered in the SAANR and were last seen on 23 Mar and Finsch’s Wheatear Oenanthe finschii wintered at the same site. An astonishing 13,000 Spanish Sparrows Passer hispaniolensis were found roosting in one reedbed and it estimated that the total wintering population in Kuwait might be around 25,000. There were around 400 pairs in SAANK. Breeding was confirmed for Pale Rockfinch Carpospiza brachydactyla when a nest with four eggs found on 3 May in the SAANR; the first confirmed breeding since 1998. On 1 Apr three Around the Region Streaked Weavers Ploceus manyar (male singing, female carrying food) were seen at Sabah Al-Salem. This species has been recorded singing there on a number of occasions in past years and has possibly bred. However, it is not yet on the full Kuwait list since it has not established itself. The first Kuwait record of Radde’s Accentor Prunella ocularis was at Al-Abrag Al-Khabari on 29 Mar. A Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi was present at Sulaibikhat Bay from 21-30 Jan. Over 1000 Red-throated Pipits An. cervinus were at Sulaibiya Pivot Fields on 21 Apr, a new highest daily count for Kuwait. A Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsolete was drinking at Tulha in the SAANR on 15 May and a Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea, seen on 9 Mar 2007 at Al-Abraq Al-Khabari was an early migrant. LEBANON After failing to appear in 2006, Black-crowned Night Herons Nycticorax nycticorax returned to breed at Aammigq Marsh in May, also lingering and displaying were over 20 Little Egrets Egretta garzetta, a species yet to breed in Lebanon. Also at Aammigq, a pair of Eurasian Teal Anas crecca was still present on the late date of 31 May. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos bred successfully again, and small numbers of Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca were seen on passage between late January and late March. Unusual summer raptor records included a Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos above Ehden Forest on 3 Jun and a Peregrine Falco peregrinus at Ras Chekka the following day. Tripoli also hosted two Arctic Skuas Stercorarius parasiticus on 26 Feb and a Great Black-headed Gull Larus ichthyaetus on 19 Feb. A Black Tern Chilidonias niger was a rare visitor to Aammigq on 26 Apr, where Long-eared Owl Asio otus bred successfully again, after the first proven breeding in Lebanon in 2006. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis is very uncommon away from the coast towards the southern border, so one at Aammiq was a particularly welcome sight on 22 Feb, consti- tuting only the second site record since 1999. Little Swift Apus affinis seems to be increasingly rare in Lebanon, so two around Ras Beirut on 14 Mar were noteworthy. IBA survey visits to the remote valleys of the northern Mount Lebanon range produced welcome sightings of the endemic Lebanese race of White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus, one also being seen further south near Qab Elias. Two new sites for White-throated Robin [rania gutturalis were discovered in North Lebanon in May — the species may prove to be less rare than previously thought, breeding above 1600m on the Mount Lebanon range. An Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum was seen at Lake Qaraoun on 10 May and there was a late record from 11 Dec 2006 of two Yellow-billed Choughs Pyrrhocorax graculus above Ehden forest. OMAN An immature Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus was at Al Ansab Lagoons from 22 Mar to 9 Apr (7th record). 440 Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis, the highest number ever recorded in Oman, Dawn Balmer & Keith Betton 125 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 were at Jarziz Farm, Salalah on 31 Jan. Three Indian Cattle Egret B. coromandus (previously regarded as a ssp of B.ibis) were at East Khor, Salalah on 29 Mar. A first-winter Black Stork Ciconia nigra was present in the Khor Taqah/Khor Rouri area from 27 Dec to 21 Jan (5th record). A single African Spoonbill Platalea alba was at East Khor on 29 Mar — the last record of this species was in 2004. 15 Northern Shelducks Tadorna tadorna were at Montasar (first record for the central desert) on 25 Dec while the birds that arrived in Quriyat in December gradually dwindled in number as the floodwaters dried up, the 24 on 8 Jan reducing to a single bird by 1 Mar. There have been a few more records than usual of Common Crane Grus grus this winter with two at East Khor on 3 Jan, three at Al Beed Farms in the central desert from 18-31 Jan and seven at Sahanawt Farm, Salalah on 1 Feb. A juvenile Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhyncus was in Khor Tagah on 28 Dec. There was an adult male Amur Falcon Falco amurensis at Garzeiz Farm, Salalah on 31 Jan and one on 4 Feb. An adult male and female were at Masirah on 3 Apr. There have been few crake records in the north in recent years so a single Spotted Crake Porzana porzana from 28 Dec-12 Jan and a female Little Crake P. parva also on 12 Jan at Quriyat are of note. With the habitat degradation at Sohar Sun Farms, there has been only one record of Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius there - a single bird from 13-16 Feb which unusually stayed by the slurry pits rather than the remaining grass fields. However, three were at Al Beed Farms from18—23 Jan and eleven at Garzeiz Farm, Salalah on 30 Dec and 4 Feb. A Baltic (Lesser Black-backed) Gull Larus f. fuscus was at Khor al Baleed, Salalah on 3 Jan and another at Yiti on 12 Jan. A White-eyed Gull L. leucophthalmus was seen at Taqah on 17 Nov and another at Salalah on 25 Dec (8th and 9th records). An Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius was seen at Quriyat on 10 Apr (few recent records). A record of European Scops Owl Otus scops, also at Quriyat, on 19 Jan was unusually late or unusually early (or possibly wintering?). Fourteen Alpine Swifts Tachymarptis melba were over Garzeiz Farm on 1 Feb while a single Little Swift Apus affinis was at Qitbit on 4 Mar. A Grey-headed Kingfisher Halycon leucocephala at Khor Rouri on 29 Dec was either very late or very early. A White Wagtail Motacilla alba of the race persica, which breeds in North-west Iran, was found at Quriyat on 8 Apr - the first record of this race for Oman. A single Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscinioides was at Qurm Park on 9 Apr. The third record, if accepted, of Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler Phylloscopus orientalis was at Montasar on 24 Dec. Five Grasshopper Warblers Loc. naevia were seen in three locations in Mussandam on 12- 13 Apr. The Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach first seen at Quriyat on 14 Dec was seen again on 26 Jan (10th record). There have been an unusual number of records of Cretzchmar’s Bunting Emberiza caesia this spring - one almost adult male at Montasar on 8 Feb, a similarly plumaged bird at Qitbit on 4 Mar 126 and a fully adult male at Shisr on 22 Mar. A single Red-headed Bunting E. bruniceps was seen at OQitbit on 31 Dec (4th record). QATAR A White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus was at the Prison Pools near Doha on 26 Dec 2006. A Sooty Gull Larus hemprichiti was on a coastal lagoon at Wakra on 26 Jan. The species is infrequently seen in Qatar despite being regular elsewhere in the Gulf. A White-crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga in old farm areas near Mukainais and Trainia Gardens on 16 Feb would appear to be the first record. Zebra Doves Geopelia striata appear to have become resident around the Sheraton Hotel on Doha Corniche, and Six were there om. 1 Mar A jack snipe Lymnocryptes minimus was at the Prison Pools on 20 Mar and three Purple Swamphens Porphyrio porphyrio were there on 3 Apr and at least ten were seen on 18 May. These pools also held two Ferruginous Ducks Aythya nyroca on 3 Apr and ten on 18 May, when two Little Bitterns [xobrychus minutus were present. Two Pharaoh Eagle Owls Bubo ascalaphus were present on limestone outcrops to the south of Doha on several dates. Small numbers of Alexandrine Parakeets Psittacula eupatria are now being seen in Qatar. A Black Scrub Robin Cercotrichas podobe was at the Sealine Beach Resort, south of Umm Said on 4 May and is the first record. SYRIA This winter has seen a series of major discoveries involving Syria. The tiny colony of Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita discovered in 2002 near Palmyra is the last of the migratory eastern population of this Critically Endangered species. In 2006 two pairs fledged six young - a bumper season. The wintering grounds were unknown until three of the four adults were satellite-tagged in June 2006 and tracked down the Red Sea, where they paused in Yemen before crossing the Red Sea to winter in a remote part of the Ethiopian hignlands. The three subadults that joined the colony last summer and the six juveniles from 2006 did not follow them; their wintering grounds are still unknown. Two pairs returned in February 2007, followed by three subadults in April; six young hatched. But the situation is not as good as it appears; one adult has been lost every year since the colony was discovered, so its survival still hangs in the balance. In mid-January 2007, a Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus satellite- tagged in northern Russia by the Finno-Russian project was tracked through north-east Syria before moving into Iraq — the first proven Syrian record. A visit by A. Kullberg to the north-east on 9-11 February revealed at least 8 (possibly as many as 40) Lesser Whitefronts at Buhayrat al-Basil (lower Khabur reservoir) with 15 Smew Mergellus albellus (perhaps the third Syrian record). Other records included 700 Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea at Dawn Balmer & Keith Betton Around the Region a sabkha (seasonal salt lake) on the Iraqi border and 10 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus, over 500 Red-crested Pochard, Netta rufina one Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus (nominate pendulinus) and one Iraq Babbler Turdoides altirostris at al-Hawl lake, a rarely visited IBA near the Iraqi border. For reasons of security very few ornithologists have visited this interesting area. These discoveries were capped by a Dutch-Syrian expedition organised by R. Hofland, who found a flock of 35 Lesser White-fronted Geese on the southern edge of the great Sabkhat al-Jabbul wetland on 20 February. The expedition’s main objective was the Critically Endangered Sociable Lapwing V. gregarius, and it made ornithological headlines worldwide by counting at least 1397 birds in the Ar Ruweira Rangeland reserve, a steppe area in the north, on 25 February - perhaps 25-50% of the world population at one site. They also found a foreign hunting party there. Rapid action by the Syrian Society for Conservation of Wildlife and BirdLife Middle East ensured that none was shot. Expedition members later recorded 113 Sociable Plover, presumably on migration, along the Deir ez-Zor — Palmyra road on 1 March. Intensive surveys are planned for next winter to look for other sites and to ensure their safety. Other expedition records included 2 Eurasian Dotterel Charadrius morinellus and 30 Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis at this site; a flyover Twite Carduelis flavirostris (potentially a first for Syria) south of Lake Jabbul on 20 February; over 17,000 White-fronted Geese and 2,900 Ruddy Shelducks north of Lake Assad and 1800 Whiskered Terns Chidonias hybrida in the north- east of Lake Assad on 22 February; 2 Great Spotted Cuckoos Clamator glandarius and an adult Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca over Jebel al-Bilas and 17 Eurasian Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus at the Palmyra colony on 3 March; also 4 male Pine Buntings Emberiza leucocephalos and _ c20 Yellowhammers E. citrinella at Bloudan on 4 March. Other records included a Macqueen’s Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenti in the desert east of Damascus on 7 April, the first report from Syria from several years. First proven breeding records for Syria were a Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata nest at Sabkhat al-Jabbul in May, Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus and European Robin Erithacus rubecula from Foroullog Forest near Kassab on 29 May and Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius at Slenfe on 1 June. The Common Redstarts were breeding above a window in the reserve rangers’ centre! Namaqua Doves Oena capensis were seen near Palmyra on ~ several dates in May and June; there have been several previous reports from Syria but none has been fully documented. At least 10 Trumpeter Finches Bucanetes githagineus were at 2400m above Bloudan on 2 June and a pair of Ortolan Buntings E. hortulana was in suitable breeding habitat at Haffa west of Slenfe on 1 June. Dawn Balmer & Keith Betton Thus major populations of three Red Data Book species (two Critically Endangered) have been found in the Syrian steppes in the last 5 years - yet very few birders visit Syria. It is likely that further major ornithological discoveries await the adventurous birder. TURKEY When large numbers of Sociable Lapwings Vanellus gregarius were discovered in Syria close to the Turkish border, a group of Turkish ornithol- ogists set off to see if birds were also present north of the border. At Ceylanpinar, near Urfa they found at least 1,017 on 7 Mar. This area is only about 30km from the Syrian border. We can not be sure how many birds were present across the whole area, but although still threatened, the species’ world population is clearly larger than had been estimated. (Computer problems experienced by Emin Yogourtcoglu have delayed many Turkish records — Ed) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES A Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus was off Fujairah on 8 Apr followed by two there on 16 and 27 Apr. There were 13 there on 29 Apr, followed by singles off Ra’s Dibba 29 Apr and off Fujairah on 4 May. Two were off Fujairah on 11 May, followed by a single 25 May, when a bird was also off Ra’s Dibba. The last bird was off Fujairah on 29 May. The species appears to be regular off the East Coast in Apr and May, and this brings the number of records to 22. Other interesting birds off Fujairah were a Wilson’s Storm Petrel Oceanites oceanicus on 11 May, a Masked Booby Sula dactylatra on 29 Apr and a Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus on 7 and 11 May. A Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor at Al Wathba Lake on 30 Dec 2006 is the 4th record of a wild bird. Up to four Crested Honey Buzzards Pernis ptilorhyncus were in Abu Dhabi until 13 May. A Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina was over Sharjah University on 22 Apr. A surprising record was that of a male Sooty Falcon Falco concolor at Jebel Hafeet on 13 Feb. The species normally arrives in May and this is the first winter record for the UAE. A Merlin F. columbarius of the pallidus race was at Ghantoot on 16 Jan. A Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni was at Sharjah Tip on 9 Mar. A maximum of seven Sociable Lapwings Vanellus gregarius were at Dubai Pivot Fields and Lahbab Fields 12 Jan. Up to seven Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris were at Khor al-Beida from 17 Feb-9 Mar. An adult Long- toed Stint C. subminuta was near Abu Dhabi Airport on 9 and 19 Apr. A Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus at Al Warsan Lakes in Dec 2006 was re-found on 15 and 27 Jan and different birds were at Al Wathba Lake from 18 Jan to 20 Feb, and Dubai Creek on 4 Mar. 2007 (5th-7th records). A Little Gull L. minutus was at Al Wathba Lake on 3 Jan. A Brown Noddy Anous stolidus off Fujairah on 16 Apr was the only record. Sixteen Namaqua Doves Oena capensis at Al Ankah fodder ZT, Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 fields on 19 Jan was the highest number ever. There were up to six Pallid Scops Owls Otus brucei in Mushrif Park. A Little Swift Apus affinis was over Sharjah Tip on 14 May. Two Olive-backed Pipits Anthus hodgsoni were in Safa Park from 23 Jan-9 Mar and up to two Buff- bellied Pipits A. rubescens were at Dubai Pivot Fields from 1 Jan-21 Mar. Single Dark-throated Thrushes Turdus atrogularis were in various places between 12 Jan and 23 Feb, and up to two Redwings T. iliacus were at Mushrif Palace Gardens from 22 Jan-24 Feb (9th record). A Black Scrub Robin Cercotrichas podobe was in Abu Dhabi on 1 May (4th record). A female Eurasian Stonechat Saxicola torquatus was in Dubai Pivot Fields until 2 Mar, and a male was at Fujairah National Dairy Farm at Dibba until 9 Feb. Other records were of females at Rul Dhadnah on 2 Jan and Fujairah National Dairy Farm on 23 Feb. These are the 2nd to 5th records. A female Rufous-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna at Green Mubazzarah on 31 Dec 2006 will be the 2nd record if accepted. A Booted Warbler Iduna caligata was at Abu Dhabi on 4 May. A Green Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides nitidus was in Abu Dhabi from 28 Apr-3 May and another was at Khor Kalba on 4 May. A Wood Warbler P. sibilatrix was in full song at Fujairah © Dairy Farm from 14-16 Jan, and is first winter record in the UAE. A Hume’s Whitethroat Sylvia althaea was at Ghantoot-on 12 Jan. There was a scattering of Semi-collared Flycatchers Ficedula semitorquata in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from 19 Mar to 7 Apr. An adult male Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus in Abu Dhabi on 11 May was the 2nd record of the eastern race /ucionensis. A Long-tailed Shrike La. schach at Umm al-Nar Golf Course on 13 Mar was the 5th record. Great Grey Shrikes La. excubitor were at Bateen Airbase Park from 26 Dec 2006 to 2 Jan, and at Abu Dhabi Golf & Equestrian Club from 1 Jan-28 Feb (5th record). A Brambling Fringilla montifringilla at Jebel Hafeet from 31 Dec 2006-5 Jan was the first since 1996. Two Cinereous Buntings Emberiza cineracea were at Green Mubazzarah on 1 Apr and three were in Dubai Creekside Park from 4-18 Apr with another in Abu Dhabi on 13 Apr. YEMEN & SOCOTRA A Song Thrush Turdus philomelos was in the garden of the Marib Bilquis Hotel, Marib on 21 Dec 2006. A Pied Crow Corvus albus (See Plates 1-2) was on the Diksam Plateau, Socotra on 14 May. A single was found at the western end of Socotra in 2003. In 2006 one was found on one of the off-lying islands during a seabird survey. This year another was also found on Kal Farun, so there are at least two individuals present. Plates 1 D Pied eran Conus albus, Diksam Plateau, Socotra, Wave 2007. © Charles Hoots ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The following assisted in the compilation of this review: Mishal Al-Jeriwi, Hani Al Mawash, Khalid Al- Nasrallah, Hussain Al-Qallaf, Abdulrahman Al-Sirhan, Abdulmuhsen Al-Suraye, Simon Aspinall, Alain Baccaert, Andrew Bailey, Christopher Batty, Suzanne Bonmarchand, Richard Bonser, Gary Brown, Jamie Buchan, Steve Cale, Malcolm Calvert, Andrew Clifton, Avner Cohen, Sean Cole, Colin Conroy, Patrik De Harenne, Hugues Dufourny, David Ewbank, Pekka Fagel, Manfred Fleischer, Brian Foster, George Gregory, Wyvind Hagen, Bernard Hanus, Ian Harrison, Steve Higgins, Remco Hofland, Andrew Holden, Charles Hoots, Menno Hornman, Shady Indary, Faisal Jelabi, Nabil Khairallah, Mohammed Khamis, Jan Kiel, Tobi Koppejan, Anssi Kullberg, John Law, Jonathan Meyrav, Istvan “Steve” Moldovan, David Murdoch, Chris Naylor, Jarl Nystrom, Mike Orr, Alexander Parker, Tommy Pederson , Yoav Perlman, Mike Pope, David Porat, Richard Porter, Richard Prior, Sam Radjabi, Ahmed Riad, Ilkka Sahi, Hag Sameach, Gordon Saunders, Horst Schaub, Annie Sévin, Mahmoud Shihab Laurent Spriet, David Stanton, Donald Sykes, Oivind Syvertsen, Robert Thatcher, Mohammad Tohidifar, Karen Wade, Keijos Wahlroos, Ingo Weiss. Dawn Balmer, 7 Fisher Way, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2LD, U.K. Keith Betton, 5 Dukes Close, Folly Hill, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 ODR, U.K. 128 ; Dawn Balmer & Keith Betton Roosting harriers in the Aammig wetland, Lebanon Roosting harriers in the Aammigq wetland, Lebanon te CS. MARIUS P TEEUW AND COLIN CONROY Martius P. Teeuw, Zwaluwenburg 47, 3328 CP Dordrecht, The Netherlands. e-mail mariusenels@hotmail.com. Colin Conroy, c/o A Rocha Lebanon, The Post Office, Qabb Elias, The Bekaa, Lebanon. e-mail colintheconroy@yahoo.co.uk INTRODUCTION a ES Aammigq Wetland (33°44’N, 35°47’E) is the largest remaining freshwater wetland in Lebanon, a remnant of much more extensive marshes and lakes that once existed in the Bekaa Valley. It is an Important Bird Area in the Middle East (Galushin et al 1993), is included in the Directory of Wetlands in the Middle East (IUCN 1995), was declared a Ramsar site in 1999 and most recently was designated, with Al Shouf Cedar Reserve, a “Biosphere Reserve” by UNESCO in 2005. It lies on the major flyway for migrant birds in the eastern Mediterranean, and over 250 species of bird have been recorded in the area (A Rocha Lebanon 2006). In recent years, observations confirmed that the marsh was attractive to harriers for roosting, both during the migration seasons and over the winter period. Even the near-threatened Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus has been recorded wintering in the marsh (Colin Beale & Chris Naylor pers comm). However, no extended survey has been attempted, and specific roosting sites of harriers in Lebanon are still incompletely known. The Aammig marsh is no longer burned annually, as used to happen until 2001. Management at the site is designed to, wherever possible, optimise habitats for key species. It is therefore important to establish optimum conditions for roosting harriers with the long-term goal of increasing its usefulness to these species during wintering and migration. To this end, in the autumn of 2004 a survey was started to investigate the numbers, species and habitat preference of roosting harriers Figure 1. Western Marsh Harrier Circus in the Aammiq Wetland. aeruginosus by Cheryl Cousins. METHODS Observations were carried out for twelve months from September 2004. Counts were generally taken weekly, but after mid-April, when the numbers dropped drastically, counts were conducted once every two weeks. Age and sex classes of the birds were determined as far as possible using characters described by Forsman (1999). The harriers were counted in late afternoon/evening, 1.5-2 hours before sunset until dark, this period being the best for light over the marsh illuminating harriers. Counts were generally conducted by one observer, from the roof of an old pump house near the M.P. Teeuw & C. Conroy 129 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 129-134 2007 boundary of the wetland. This viewing point gave the maximum coverage of the study area. Only birds that were actually seen landing in the reed beds were counted. The species counted were: Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus, Pallid Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier C. pygargus and Western Marsh Harrier C. aeruginosus, but we also totalled ‘ring-tailed’ harriers as a means of grouping female and immature C. cyaneus/pygargus/macrourus where we could not establish species identity. The ‘ring-tails’ tended to be counted as such when light conditions were poor or the birds were at a great distance. The roosting sites of the harriers were drawn on a map. At the roosting sites a simple habitat analysis was conducted. Within a roosting area we recorded: 1s Number Number The average height of vegetation. The percent cover of vegetation in the following categories: reed, sedge, grass, herb, bare earth, crop and other. The species of plants found. 30 Figure 2a. Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus. 25 20 10 0 oF be eS a We Se a Ge ee es ee September October Movember December January February March April May June July August WeeknumberiMonth 40 Figure 2b. Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus. 35 39 40 41 42 45 44-45 46 49 5054 52 1°23 «4 «5 & 7 8 aaa tA pee ee ences, 22 23 24 25 26 27 25 29 30 31 32 35 34 35 September October Movember Oecember January aie y arch May June July August eeknamberMonth 130 M.P. Teeuw & C. Conroy Roosting harriers in the Aammiq wetland, Lebanon | Figure 2c. Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus. Number 0 3B 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 49-5054 52123 4 «5 & 7 & 8 10 14 1213 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 25 30 31 32 33 24 35 September October Movember December January February March April May June July August Weeknumber/Month Figure 2d. Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus. Number 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 49 50 51 52 123 45 © 7 S$ Y 1041 12:13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 23 29 30 HH 32 33 34 3S September October November December January mecha March April May June Jialy August eeknumber/Month Figures 2a-d. Total number of roosting harriers counted in the Aammig wetland, Lebanon in the period September 2004-August 2005. NC=Not counted. Fig 2a. Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus. Fig2b. Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus. Fig 2c. Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus. Fig 2d. Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Western Marsh Harrier The numbers of roosting Western Marsh Harriers varied considerably. The species occurred in greatest numbers in the third week of February, 38 birds being recorded on the 22nd. The numbers encountered dropped abruptly in mid-April. In week 15, 29 harriers were counted and in week 16 only three: a decrease of 90%. Perhaps the most likely explanation for this sudden decrease is that the reed stems had grown very thick by this date, preventing the harriers from finding enough suitable roosting habitat. Those harriers seen flying away from the roosting site after an initial effort to roost M.P. Teeuw & C. Conroy 131 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 probably found in nearby wheat fields roosting sites that provided sufficient shelter. Another factor is probably that by this time, the majority of Western Marsh Harriers had already migrated further north, which corresponds with the observations in other studies where most had disappeared from their wintering areas by March (Arroyo et al 1995, Shirihai 1996). Three birds oversummered in the marsh in 2005, but although initially it seemed as though they might breed, no conclusive proof was obtained. However, breeding in the marsh was proved in 2006. In mid-April, there was an increase in the percentage of male Western Marsh Harriers. On average, they made up 9.1% of the total (Table 1), but in mid-April comprised 38%. Panuccio et al (2005) studying wintering Western Marsh Harriers in southern Italy found that males accounted for only 12% of the wintering population. They suggested that males might winter further south in sub-Saharan Africa, possibly because the larger females might be better adapted to colder climates. This argument could account for the low male/female ratio of Western Marsh Harrier wintering at Aammigq and nearby, the area being at a similar latitude to the Sicilian study sites of Panuccio et al (2005). We suggest that at least some of the male Western Marsh Harriers seen in mid April were birds that had wintered further south. The April migration peak we recorded corresponds with observations from other studies (Gustin & Pizzari 1998, Arroyo et al 1995, Cramp & Simmons 1980). Table 1. Frequency (%) of sex classes of Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier and Pallid Harrier during winter 2004-2005 in the Aammigq wetland. Species Males (%) Females (%) Sample size (N) Marsh Harrier 9.1 90.9 435 Hen Harrier 6.3 93.7 207 Pallid Harrier 33.5 61.5 26 Hen Harrier Numbers of this species peaked at the end of January to early February (a maximum of 25 on 27 January). In general, the numbers fluctuated less widely than for the Western Marsh Harrier. Adult males comprised a minority of wintering birds (c6%, Table 1), which corresponds with the observations in winter in northern valleys of Israel (Shirihai 1996). This species was difficult to count because most individuals arrived just before dark. Unlike the Western Marsh Harrier, the Hen Harrier did not appear to be faithful to just one or two small roosting areas. Most birds spent some time hunting in the marsh before they left for their roosting site. Even when it was almost dark, birds were seen hunting for roosting Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica and Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris. Pallid Harrier This species was seen in low numbers at the Aammiq wetland. At least one bird was present during the whole winter period. In 1999 and 2000, one bird also wintered at Aammigq (Chris Naylor, pers comm). The principal wintering grounds of the Pallid Harrier are found in open country throughout the savanna belt in Africa south of the Sahara, and in the East African steppes. The Pallid Harrier is mainly an autumn and spring migrant through the Middle East, but a small number winter in cultivated areas and semi-desert. The species tends to prefer drier areas in comparison to Western Marsh and Hen Harriers (Shirihai 1996, Galushin et al 2003). Small peaks of migration occur in late November and early December and in late March and early April, circumstances that correspond with the migration periods fez M.P. Teeuw & C. Conroy Roosting harriers in the Aammig wetland, Lebanon recorded in Lebanon by A Rocha Lebanon (2006). Our maximum count was of 4 on 31 March. Unlike the other harrier species, a higher ratio of pygargus males (38.5%, Table 1) was observed at the roosting site. In Israel the majority (c70%) of wintering Pallid Harriers are adult males (Shirihai 1996). Montagu’s Harrier In autumn, up to 10 Montagu’s Harriers, mainly juveniles, were seen feeding in the fields northwest of the marsh. An informal survey of small mammals in this area in autumn 2004 by one of the authors (CC) showed that two rodent species, Levant vole Microtus socialis and house mouse Mus musculus are abundant here and it is likely that these made up the bulk of the diet of the harriers. After feeding, the harriers would move to their roosting sites. Peak numbers of Montagu’s Harrier occur at Aamiq in September, the last birds being noted in early November. Around this time they head for their wintering grounds, the open country of the sub-Saharan savanna belt and the East African steppes (Cramp & Simmons 1980). The total absence of the bird in the spring is notable. It is thought that the species migrates very quickly through the Bekaa Valley in the spring. Ring-tailed harriers Small numbers (a maximum count of 6) of unidentified harriers were observed, mainly in the autumn. Ring-tail totals comprised only 1.4% of the total harriers counted. ROOSTING SITES AND HABITATS Year-round there were at least two different roosting sites of Western Marsh Harriers, but Montagu’s, Pallid and Hen Harriers roosted separately. All harriers roosted in various forms of trampled vegetation, similar to those made by hares Lepus sp. Roost sites were 0.5-1m in diameter and were at least 5m apart. Montagu’s, Pallid and Hen Harriers tended to roost in the shorter, ungrazed pastures (vegetation up to 1m tall), while Western Marsh Harriers roosted in tall (up to 4m) reedbeds. The roosting site habitat characteristics are given in Table 2. Table 2. Summarised characteristics of the roosting sites of harriers in the Aammig wetland, 2004-05. Harrier species Plant species Estimated vegetation cover (%) Average vegetation height (cm) 60 Montagu’s/Pallid Carex sp. Sedge: 50 Hen/Ring-tailed Typha sp. Reed: 5 Festuca arundinacea Grass: 45 Western Marsh Phragmites australis Reed: 100 400 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The Aammigq wetland is a very important communal roosting site for harriers. Up to 54 individual birds were seen in January and February. This wetland may be the only suitable area in the Bekaa Valley. Birds were often seen coming down from high altitudes from the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, suggesting that they had spent the daylight hours in Syria. It is likely that the wetland acts as roosting site for birds from a huge area. It is significant that the marsh provides roosting habitat for the near- threatened Pallid Harrier, although the numbers are relatively low. Hunting might have an effect on the overall number of harriers roosting on the Aammigq wetland. On one occasion, we recorded a female Hen Harrier being shot on her way to the roosting site. On other occasions it was seen that harriers dropped down in the reed bed very fast when there was much hunting in the area. Furthermore, it was M.P. Teeuw & C. Conroy 133 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 obvious that the harriers roosted in the protected part of the marsh where hunting is prohibited. The effect of shooting disturbance on wintering harriers requires further research. However, we suggest that in order to protect the roosting harriers adequately, it is imperative that where the hunting ban applies in the wetland, it is rigorously enforced, especially during January and February, when hunting is severe. Currently there are plans to cut the reeds rotationally as part of the management of the Aammig wetland. For roosting Western Marsh Harriers in particular, it is important that in the central part of the marsh enough suitable habitat will be available. When cutting the reeds, an area of tall reed should be left. For the roosting of other harrier species, it is important to maintain rough pastures that are not heavily grazed in the autumn and winter. When the reed beds are managed, it is important to investigate the impacts of the management regimes on the roosting birds. The harrier survey is now part of the A Rocha Lebanon monitoring program of the Aammig wetland. Further study should be done in other wetlands in the region, such as those at Aanjar in the Eastern Bekaa, to determine whether or not Aammig is the only area for roosting harriers in Lebanon. REFERENCES A Rocua LEBANON. 2006. The birds of the Aammig Area. 3th edition. Beirut, Lebanon. ARROYO, BE, JR KING AND LE PALomarts. 1995. Observations on the ecology of Montagu’s and Marsh Harriers wintering in north-west Senegal. Ostrich 66: 37-40 | CRAMP, S AND KEL SIMMONS. 1980. (Eds). The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol 2. OU P. Oxford. UK. FORSMAN, D. 1999. The Raptors of Europe and the Middle East. A Handbook of Field Identification. Te AD Poyser. London. UK. GALUSHIN, V, R CLARKE AND A Davycora. 2003. International Action Plan for the Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus). BirdLife International. Cambridge. UK. GUSTIN, M AND T Pizzart. 1998. Migratory pattern in the genus Circus: sex and age differential migration in Italy. Ornis Svecica 8: 23-26 IUCN. 1995. Monitoring the state of conservation of Natural World Heritage Properties. The World Heritage Committee. A report prepared by the World Conservation Union. SHIRIHAI, H. 1996. The Birds of Israel. Academic Press. London. UK. PANuccio, M, B D’amicis, E CANALE AND A ROCCELLA. 2005. Sex and age ratios of Marsh Harriers Circus geruginosus wintering in central-southern Italy. Avocetta 29: 13-17. 134 M.P. Teeuw & C. Conroy Synonymization of six endemic bird taxa, with comments on the name O. blythii creaghi Studies of Socotran birds IV. Synonymization of six endemic bird taxa, with comments on the name Onychognathus blythi creaghi GUY M. KIRWAN Informed taxonomy marks the first step towards effective and meaningful conservation. Knowledge of the avifauna of the island of Socotra has advanced significantly in recent years, with many new data being accrued on the populations and breeding ecology of the endemic birds, and new species for the islands being recorded on a near-regular basis. Unfortunately, our cumulative understanding of taxonomy has remained virtually static since the 1960s. As part of an ongoing re-evaluation of the archipelago’s endemic and near-endemic birds, the present paper reviews the validity of the following taxa: Centropus superciliosus sokotrae, Eremopterix nigriceps forbeswatsoni, Lanius meridionalis uncinatus, Zosterops abyssinicus socotranus and Emberiza tahapisi insularis, as well as the cases relating to two other taxa originally described from Socotra, Streptopelia senegalensis sokotrae and Onychognathus blythii creaghi, of which the latter has been generally regarded as a synonym. Rationales for regarding the first six of these names as synonyms of (generally widespread) A frotropical species are presented, based on an examination of,specimens at those institutions holding the only significant collections of Socotran birds. In some cases recommendations for revised treatments of closely related taxa are also suggested here. The case of O. b. creaghi is particularly complex and requires the acquisition of more material before the case can be satisfactorily reviewed. 74 Waddington Street, Norwich NR2 4]S, UK, e-mail: GMKirwan@aol.com his is the fourth paper in a series that re-analyses the taxonomy of birds described from the ancient island of Socotra, which lies close to the Horn of Africa but is politically part of Yemen. Previous parts considered subspecific limits in Caprimulgus nubicus (Kirwan 2004), species limits in the Golden-winged Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus socotranus (Kirwan & Grieve 2007) and validated both taxa of Rufous Sparrow, Passer (motitensis) insularis and P. (m.) hemileucus, known from the archipelago at specific level (Kirwan in press). These notes seek to reawaken interest in taxonomic studies of Socotran birds, which with the sole exception of the endemic Buteo (Frost & Siegfried 1970, Clouet et al 1994, Martins & Porter 1996, Clouet & Wink 2000, Kruckenhauser et al 2004, Jennings 2007), have lain dormant for many years. Specifically, the series sets out to meet the challenge laid by Martins (1996), who stated: ‘There is a clear need for a review of the avifauna of Socotra which reflects contemporary systematic thinking.” The present contribution presents rationale for invalidating six avian taxa previously considered endemic to Socotra. Some of these were also considered synonyms by other works, but detailed evidence for such a view had not been published. Sibley & Monroe (1990) and The birds of Africa recognised six taxa as endemic species to Socotra, of which other contemporary commentators, including such influential tomes as Dickinson (2003), have generally acknowledged five (the discrepancy being the status accorded to Passer insularis: see Kirwan in press). Ripley & Bond (1966), the ‘most recent commentators to offer an extensive original overview of the taxonomy of the islands’ birds, considered a further 11 taxa subspecifically, whilst Martins & Porter (1996) appeared to incline to the view that the Buteo is best considered specifically. One of these taxa, Caprimulgus nubicus jonesi, was already shown to be a synonym (Kirwan 2004), a view followed by Cleere (submitted), whilst another, Passer insularis hemileucus, is meritorious of specific rank (Kirwan in press) and Rhynchostruthus s. socotranus is possibly also best considered specifically (Kirwan & Grieve 2007). The present contribution considers the cases of five other taxa treated as endemic G.M. Kirwan 135 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 135-148 2007 subspecies by Ripley & Bond (1966) and Martins (1996), namely: Centropus superciliosus sokotrae, Eremopterix nigriceps forbeswatsoni, Lanius elegans uncinatus, Zosterops abyssinicus socotranus, and Emberiza tahapisi insularis, as well as those relating to two other taxa originally described from Socotra: Streptopelia senegalensis sokotrae and Onychognathus blythi creaghi. METHODS Specimens of relevant Socotran taxa held at The Natural History Museum (NHM, Tring) and the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution), Washington DC, were studied, along with representative material of other relevant taxa from Arabia and north-east and East Africa. Wherever possible type material was included in my analyses of plumage. The following data were obtained from some specimens: wing-chord (flattened) and tail-length, using a standard metal wing-rule with a perpendicular stop at zero (accurate to 0.5 mm), and culmen-length (to skull) and culmen-depth (at the feathers), using digital callipers (accurate to 0.01 mm). Notes on plumage variation in all relevant forms were taken and compared with previous published findings wherever possible. A broad range of material was photographed, using a Nikon Coolpix 885 digital camera. My findings according to each analysed taxon are presented below in the following format. Firstly, the analyses or conclusions of previous commentators are summarised, then my own findings are presented. Finally, a brief list of relevant specimen material examined during the present study is enumerated, followed by a list of unexamined specimens in the only other institutions with any number of Socotran birds, namely the Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge (CUMZ), and the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, Liverpool (LM). Unless otherwise stated, all of the taxa here were treated as valid by Ripley & Bond (1966), Kirwan et al (1996) and Martins (1996). Throughout, I adhere to a concept of subspecies as elucidated by Barrowclough (1982) and Haffer (2003). Streptopelia senegalensis sokotrae C. H. B. Grant, 1914 Grant’s (1914) description refers to the bird as being simply smaller in size and somewhat paler in colour compared to other races. S. s. sokotrae was maintained by Sclater (1930), Peters (1937) and White (1965), but by the latter date even its describer evidently no longer believed it to be valid, as sokotrae is nowhere mentioned in Mackworth-Praed & Grant (1957), and Ripley & Bond (1966) likewise dismissed sokotrae and assigned Socotran birds to nominate senegalensis. They were followed by Martins (1996) and Kirwan et al (1996), though elsewhere in the same publication, sokotrae is apparently admitted (Dymond 1996). Despite Grant’s volte-face, Goodwin (1970), Urban et al (1986), Baptista et al (1997), who also considered sokotrae to have a pinker head, Gibbs et al (2001) and Dickinson (2003) conservatively retained it. Nonetheless, Goodwin (1970) considered that only cambayensis might be considered a well-differentiated race. Compared to material from Arabia and north-east Africa, most of it attributed to nominate senegalensis, differences in coloration are imperceptible and I find neither the head consistently pinker nor the overall coloration to be noticeably paler than material from neighbouring populations. There is far too much overlap in the specimens to hand in both Washington and Tring to identify sokotrae using these features (see Plate 1). Size differences also appear extremely difficult to discern, though Urban et al (1986), in particular, pointed to the shorter wing of sokotrae, giving the range for both sexes combined as 123-133mm (sample size not stated), vs 128-145mm in the nominate. My analysis of 23 specimens from Socotra gives a wing-length range of 120-137mm (eg against 136-146 for ten specimens, both sexes, of the obviously larger aegyptiaca, which is also typically brighter and deeper-coloured), 91-111 mm for the tail (vs 104-118 mm for senegalensis: Urban et al 1986) and 17.44-19.08 (vs 16-21 mm — 136 G.M. Kirwan Synonymization of six endemic bird taxa, with comments on the name O. blythii creaghi for senegalensis: Urban et al 1986), whilst weight data from Forbes-Watson’s unpublished report ranged from 70-98g (well within the range of variation from across continental Africa: Urban et al 1986). These data do, indeed, suggest that birds on Socotra are marginally smaller than their mainland counterparts, but also indicate that the magnitude of the difference is not highly significant, thereby underlining Grant’s decision to subsume sokotrae as being correct. Material examined.—S. s. sokotrae: 13 (NMNH), from Socotra, and 10 (NHM), from Socotra (including the holotype). S. s. senegalensis / S. s. cambayensis: 50 (NMNH), from eastern Africa south to the Cape and India, and 47 (NHM), from Ethiopia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen. S. s. aegyptiaca: 10 (NMNH), from Egypt. Unexamined material.—S. s. sokotrae: 5 (LM), from Socotra. Centropus superciliosus sokotrae C. H. B. Grant, 1915 The principally Afrotropical White-browed Coucal is distributed throughout much of eastern and southern Africa, further north penetrating south-west Arabia, and including Socotra. Five subspecies are generally admitted, of which two, including sokotrae, were described by Claude Grant simultaneously. C. s. sokotrae is generally accorded the range Arabia and Socotra, though Grant restricted the range to Socotra, the species being almost unknown in Arabia until a couple of years later (Sclater 1917), but see below for further comments on this issue. Grant (1915) described the adult male of the novelty thus: ‘Nape, sides of neck, and entire underparts much paler than in C. s. superciliosus; almost lacking the strong buff coloration of the typical form, which thus gives it a very grey appearance.’ C. s. sokotrae was reaffirmed as valid by Friedmann (1930) and Grant & Mackworth-Praed (1937). Most major works have accepted this form’s validity, including Sclater (1930), Mackworth-Praed & Grant (1957) and White (1965), and most recently Irwin (1988), Payne (1997, 2005) and Dickinson (2003). However, Irwin (1988) commented that socotrae (sic) is not well differentiated from superciliosus, but diagnosed it as having the crown and nape paler brown, lighter secondaries, with a greener (less bluish) gloss to the tail and whiter underparts. Payne (1997) also had noted that sokotrae is ‘not very distinct from [the] nominate’, and in Payne (2005) that some individuals are not distinct from Ethiopian specimens of superciliosus. Furthermore, he added east Somalia to the known range of sokotrae. Indeed geographical variation in C. s. superciliosus throughout East Africa is unsurprisingly slight, given its near-continuous distribution, as Louette (1986) remarked on his inability to assign to taxon specimens from north-east Zaire to either loandae or the nominate, and Payne (2005) does not refute this contention. Amongst the Forbes-Watson series from Socotra, housed at NMNH, and those at NHM, there is evidently quite some variation in the depth of the underparts coloration, with two (NMNH 518000, NHM 1899.8.11.101) being distinctly buff on the nape, neck- and breast-sides and flanks, contra Grant (1915), whilst the darkness of the crown and secondaries in the adults is as many superciliosus (Plates 2-3), to the point of invalidating those parts of Irwin’s diagnosis. (The specimens with browner crowns in the photograph are in various stages of immaturity, as noted by Ripley & Bond 1966.) As further evident from Plate 2, the intensity of the greenish gloss to the tail is rather variable in Socotran birds, but in any case I am unable to perceive any noticeable difference in tail coloration vis a vis birds from East Africa, at least without the benefit of a colorimeter. I would add that some specimens from as far removed as Sokoke, Kenya, appear to closely approach Socotran examples in those characters that were used to differentiate sokotrae. There is much overlap in all these same characters between Socotran and Arabian specimens, though with those with the whitest G.M. Kirwan 137 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 underparts are from Socotra and it tends to be the case that young from both these areas have more buff feathering on the underparts than adults. A further problem presents itself in recognising sokotrae, if we delimit its range to include southern Arabia (as most recent commentators have done) and even eastern Somalia (Payne 2005), because the name superciliosus, Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1833 (or perhaps 1829, see information from RJ Dowsett in litt. posted at www.zoonomen.net/cit/jours. html#Symb.Phys.Aves), was described from Arabia and Ethiopia. Of the type-series of four specimens, one is definitely labelled as being from Arabia (Dresser & Blanford 1874), though neither Gray (1870) nor Sclater (1891) acknowledged this. This would automat- ically make sokotrae a junior synonym, unless the name is restricted to those on Socotra which, of course, was Claude Grant's original intention and in which he was followed by Sclater (1930), by which time more material from Arabia was available including to British workers. Grant, however, had no experience of Arabian material; most subsequent commentators who possess such familiarity have been content to view Arabian and Socotran material as essentially identical. Material examined.—C. s. sokotrae: 7 (NMNH), from Socotra, and 18 (NHM), from Socotra and Arabia. C. s. superciliosus: 10 (NMNRH), from Ethiopia and Kenya, and 64 (NHM), from Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan. Unexamined material—None. Eremopterix nigriceps forbeswatsoni Ripley & Bond, 1966 Black-crowned Finch-lark Eremopterix nigriceps occurs from north-west India through the southern Middle East and across the Sahel to the Cape Verdes, off western Africa. Four to five races are generally recognised, one of which (nominate nigriceps) is generally considered to be restricted to the Cape Verdes, although Hazevoet (1995) regarded variation in E. nigriceps as being largely clinal and failed to perceive any diagnostic characters in specimens from the archipelago that might delimit nigriceps from the west African race albifrons. Such matters are largely beyond our concern here, but it is noteworthy that Hazevoet failed to find rationale for regarding Cape Verdean birds as different from those on the adjacent mainland, given the somewhat partially analagous example that the Cape Verdes present vis a vis Socotra (the two archipelagos are situated at near-parallel latitudes on the opposite sides of the African continent and possess a number of biogeographical similarities). Forbes-Watson (unpubl) noted E. nigriceps as being one of the commonest species on the plains of the main island of Socotra, with which analysis Kirwan et al (1996) concurred, and further remarked that he found it surprising that no-one had named the Socotran population. This remark prompted Ripley & Bond (1966) to recognise the population subspecif- ically, in homage to Forbes-Watson. The new form was diagnosed by its similarity to mainland African melanauchen, but males having the upperparts more rufous (partic- ularly the inner secondaries and central tail-feathers, and a larger white patch on the forecrown. Compared to E. n. sincipitalis of Arabia, forbeswatsoni is even less well differentiated, ‘being decidedly darker above and having the upperparts more rufous brown, less sandy grey’ (Ripley & Bond 1966). E. n. forbeswatsoni was not admitted by Ryan (2004), who included Socotran and Arabian birds within melanauchen, but was accepted by Dean et al (1992) and Dickinson (2003), although the latter also preferred to subsume Arabian birds within melanauchen. Dickinson cited Dean et al in support of maintaining forbeswatsoni, despite that the diagnosis therein is a mere repetition of Ripley & Bond (1966), suggesting no fresh consideration of this taxon’s validity. 138 G.M. Kirwan Synonymization of six endemic bird taxa, with comments on the name O. blythii creaghi Table 1. Comparison of the size of the white forehead patch in males of Eremopterix nigriceps from Arabia (sincipitalis), Socotra (forbeswatsoni), Djibouti and Somalia (melanauchen). Measurements in mm (using callipers): number of specimens and means in parentheses. Most specimens held in NHM, Tring. Population Forehead patch size Population Forehead patch size Arabia 3.93-6.23 (n=11, m=5.25) Somalia 2.24—4.81 (n=8, mM=3.80) Socotra 3.10-6.00 (n=22, mM=4.38) Djibouti 2.96, 5.37 (n=2, m=4.16) It is relevant to state that the comparative material examined by Ripley & Bond (1966) in diagnosing forbeswatsoni was very selective (just eight specimens in total from north-east Africa and Arabia). There is considerable variation in the size of the white forehead patch, within both African and Socotran material (see Table 1 and below). I cannot discern differences in upperparts coloration between forbeswatsoni and melanauchen from Africa, and compared with the large series in NHM there is plainly no consistent difference in this character compared to Arabian birds (Plate 4). One Bahrain male is noticeably paler than any other Arabian example that I have examined in the upperparts and is labelled as being close to affinis, but I cannot see the rationale for this statement with the material to hand in Tring. To test the hypothesis that Socotran birds display a larger white forehead patch than neighbouring populations, | measured males from three areas (Socotra, Somalia and Arabia), using callipers, from the base of the bill at the feathers in a straight line to the furthest extent of the white. The results are presented in Table 1 and reveal the degree of overlap in this character, thereby invali- dating this feature. Plate 5, however, reveals how, with the limited material at hand to Ripley & Bond (1966) in Washington, the authors of the type description might have reached their conclusions. In contrast, I find no strong evidence on which to base recognition of forbeswatsoni, or sincipitalis, and one must question whether more than one name is needed for all African and Arabian populations of the species. Material examined (only males).—E. n. forbeswatsoni: 13 (NMNH), from Socotra (including the holotype), and 9 (NHM), from Socotra. E. 1. melanauchen: 2 (NMNRF), from Djibouti, and 47 (NHM), from Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan. E. n. sincipitalis: 2 (NMNH), from Saudi Arabia, and 41 (NHM), from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Unexamined material —E. n. forbeswatsont: 2 (LM), from Socotra. Lanius meridionalis uncinatus Sclater & Hartlaub, 1881 Sclater & Hartlaub (1881), in their diagnosis of the new form, considered this taxon to be closest to Lanius fallax (an old name for L. m. elegans), but ‘remarkable for its much hooked bill’. Thereafter uncinatus was maintained by Sclater (1930), Mackworth-Praed & Grant (1960), Rand (1960) and White (1962), usually on the basis of its longer bill and rather less white on the scapulars than geographically proximate races, with the young bird being considered to be whiter below than aucheri with a buffish-grey chest and flanks. Following the major upheavals in grey shrike taxonomy of the 1990s, wherein Lanius excubitor was considered to comprise two species, L. excubitor and L. meridionalis, Lefranc (1997) and Harris (2000) effectively added nothing new to the diagnosis and taxonomy of uncinatus, being content to maintain the race, whilst Fry & Keith (2000) commented on it as being darker above, with less white on the scapulars, slightly greyer below and having a smaller body but longer bill than aucheri. Socotran birds, uncinatus, are currently considered to comprise one of the 10-12 forms recognised within the meridionalis species-group (Clement 1995, Lefranc 1997, Dickinson 2003). One of the contentious taxa is jebelmarrae, from Darfur, Sudan (see Nikolaus 1984, D. L. Pearson in Fry & Keith 2000). G.M. Kirwan 139 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 L. m. aucheri (of the Middle East south over much of Arabia and on the western side of the Red Sea as far south as northern Ethiopia) is often considered difficult to separate from L. m. elegans (which occurs in the Nile Valley and discontinuously west across the Sahara), but this issue is not considered further here. My analysis focused on the relative diagnosability of uncinatus vis a vis buryi and aucheri, as follows. I find no readily appreciable difference in the coloration of the upperparts between wncinatus and aucheri (Plate 6), and in terms of the underparts, the degree of difference is very small, even in the most extreme examples of each, and as a whole are subject to much overlap, thus invalidating their certain use in diagnosis (Plate 7). In adults, the amount of white on the scapulars in aucheri and uncinatus is similar and whilst the former tends to have slightly more the difference is again far from clear-cut. NHM has two young from Socotra, and NMNH another, which show less buffish in the underparts than six aucheri of similar age, but the distinction is not very obvious and might depend on the precise age of the birds in question. Comparative bill-lengths for all three forms are presented in Table 2, along with tail- and wing-length data for uncinatus. Whilst uncinatus has a slightly longer culmen, on average, than aucheri from Arabia, the difference is rather meagre and seems an insufficient basis alone on which to balance the case for continuing to recognise uncinatus. On the other hand, L. m. buryi Lorenz & Hellmayr, 1901, a principally highland form generally restricted to Yemen by most works, is far more easily diagnosable. The underparts are clearly darker grey and more saturated in typical individuals, the upperparts are also obviously darker than aucheri/uncinatus and most specimens exhibit scarcely any white in the scapulars, whilst the throat is almost invariably as dark as the rest of the underparts (though it might be added that aucheri/uncinatus often show some distinctly grey feathering on the chin and throat). Finally, buryi generally appears to be smaller in body size than aucheri/uncinatus, albeit with a marginally longer bill on average (Table 2). There is a Meinertzhagen specimen in NHM, from Lodar, Yemen, labelled as being an intergrade between buryi and aucheri, but it might in fact easily be considered a reasonably typical buryi. Furthermore, there are two specimens collected by Thesiger in modern-day Ethiopia, NHM 1934.8.9.600 from Danakil, and NHM 1934.8.9.598 from Gobad, both of which are labelled as referring to buryi and whose identification appears plausibly correct. In sum, I prefer to subsume uncinatus within aucheri, but maintain buryi. The question of whether some buryi move across the Red Sea to winter in the Ethiopian highlands demands further consideration and investigation. Material examined—L. m. uncinatus: 31 (NMNH), from Socotra, and 15 (NHM), from Socotra (including the holotype). L. m. bury: 35 (NHM), from Yemen (including the holotype of arabicus). L. m. auchert: 63 (NHM), from Arabia. Unexamined material—L. m. uncinatus: 8 (LM), from Socotra, and 2 (CUMZ), from Socotra. Table 2. Comparison between mensural data for both sexes of Lanius meridionalis uncinatus (from Socotra), against bill-length for L. e. buryi (Yemen) and L. e. aucheri (Arabia). Measurements in mm (using wing-rule and callipers): number of specimens and means in parentheses. Culmen measured to skull, and flattened wing. Specimens held in NHM, Tring, and NMNH, Washington. Population Culmen Tail Wing-length Socotra 19.06-23.62 92-107 94-103 (n=31, m=20.96) (n=25, m=104) = (n=31, m=99) Arabia 19.03-21.84 = = (n=18, m=20.10) _ oe Yemen 18.94—24.15 = = (n=16, m=22.05) = = 140 G.M. Kirwan Synonymization of six endemic bird taxa, with comments on the name O. blythii creaghi Zosterops abyssinicus socotranus Neumann, 1908 None of the early commentators reported any discriminatory features between the Socotran population and those in mainland Africa, thus it was left to Neumann (1908) to diagnose socotranus by its having a whiter underside and, more particularly, an almost blackish bill and dark feet. Subsequently, Mackworth-Praed & Grant (1960) stated simply that it was rather brighter on the upperparts and less olivaceous green, whilst White (1963) mooted that socotranus is yellower above than the nominate, with a black bill and no yellow forehead patch. Most recently, Fry (2000) added that the Socotran race is similar to the nominate, but with a blackish bill, greyer irides, brighter yellow throat, darker grey sides and underparts, and further mentioned that abyssinicus has the bill horn brown above and pinkish brown below, with the legs brown or flesh-coloured. Z. a. socotranus has enjoyed widespread acceptance (Sclater 1930, Mackworth-Praed & Grant 1960, Archer & Godman 1961, Moreau 1967, Fry 2000, Dickinson 2003), and Moreau (1967) noted that its range should be extended to encompass northern coastal Somalia which has been followed by subsequent authors (eg Ash & Miskell 1998). White-breasted (Abyssinian) White-eye Zosterops abyssinicus can easily be considered to comprise two groups, one white- or pale-bellied and the other yellow-bellied. The former ageregation comprises the following forms: Z. a. abyssinicus (north-east Sudan, Eritrea and north and central Ethiopia), Z. a. omoensis (Ethiopia, in Lake Tana to the Omo Valley), Z. a. arabs (Arabia) and Z. a. socotranus (Socotra and northern Somalia), whilst the yellow-bellied races are two: Z. a. flavilateralis (much of Kenya to northern Tanzania) and Z. a. jubaensis (southern Ethiopia and southern Somalia to northern Kenya). In all forms within the former grouping, there is quite some intra-taxon variation, and in Sudan and Eritrean specimens in NHM it is difficult to observe much difference between omoensis and nominate abyssinicus. The forehead patch mentioned by White (1963) as a discriminator between socotranus and abyssinicus is inadmissible, as Socotran birds have yellow lores extending to above the bill in some specimens (see also Plate 32 in Porter & Martins 1996a), and this feature is shown by a greater proportion of omoensis and abyssinicus, though a few do not or only barely exhibit it. On average, I find no difference in upper/underparts colorations between socotranus and abyssinicus, except in the marginally whiter belly of the former, but between socotranus and arabs one might notice a difference between the, on average, slightly yellower upperparts and crown of the former (versus greyer green in arabs), and slightly brighter yellow throat of socotranus, whilst the rest of the underparts tend to be more buffish grey in arabs. Concerning bare- parts coloration, which in any case seems a rather weak basis for recognising a passerine, Forbes-Watson’s labels reveal that of those he collected in 1964, the predominant bill colour varied from black (n=2), through blackish or blackish grey (n=22), dusky (n=1) to dark horn, blue horn or blue-grey (n=8), but even in those cases where the mandibles were largely black to blackish grey, the cutting edges (horn to pinkish) and base (bluish) were usually paler. Feet varied from blue-grey (the commonest description) to blackish, usually with much paler soles (pale yellowish or creamy). Plates 8-9 illustrate variation in underparts and upperparts colorations within the white-bellied group of taxa. In sum, socotranus seems at best only very doubtfully recognisable, whilst Z. a. arabs Lorenz & Hellmayr (1901), is rather better defined, at least in underparts coloration, but differences overall are still rather weakly expressed and subject to quite some variation and overlap, leading me to suggest that both might comfortably be included within abyssinicus. I would concur with previous authors who have assigned Somali birds to socotranus, though Archer & Godman (1961) did not, if subspecific limits as currently defined continue to be accepted. In general, it seems best to restrict the name omoensis to the environs of the Omo Valley, as birds from even G.M. Kirwan 141 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 relatively close neighbouring regions are almost or virtually impossible to separate from abyssinicus or socotranus, whilst those collected in the Omo Valley, in NHM, are easily distinguishable, particularly using upperparts coloration (see Plate 8). Material examined—Z. a. socotranus: 33 (NMNH), from Socotra, and 32 (NHM), from Socotra and Somalia. Z. a. abyssinicus: 5 (NMNRH), from Ethiopia, and 29 (NHM), from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan. Z. a. omoensis: 26 (NMNH), from Ethiopia, and 9 (NHM), from Ethiopia. Z. a. arabs: 26 (NHM), from Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Unexamined material—Z. a. socotranus: 6 (LM), from Socotra, and 4 (CUMZ), from Socotra. Onychognathus blythti creaghi (Ogilvie-Grant & Forbes, 1903) Two species of Onychognathus are present in the Socotran archipelago, Somali Starling O. blythii, which is the commoner, and Socotra Starling O. frater, which is also widespread but probably somewhat less numerous. The former species also occurs in Eritrea, northern Ethiopia and northern Somalia. For recent field studies of these starlings see Porter & Martins (1996b) and, more especially, Gedeon & Neumann (2004). Ogilvie-Grant & Forbes (1903) encountered a few small flocks of O. blythii (identified by the females having a grey head) on Abd Al-Kuri, in rugged hills bordering the coast, but were only able to secure a single male (NHM 1899.8.11.143), which served to describe creaghi, by it having the crown, throat and rest of the underparts oil green, like O. frater, rather than purplish blue as in O. blythii. The name creaghi was already considered a synonym of blythii by Sclater (1930) and omitted from Mackworth-Praed & Grant (1960) and White (1962), presumably because these authors followed Sclater, but it was resurrected by Amadon (1962). Despite its inclusion in the influential Peters Check-list, creaghi has subsequently fallen into disuse and it was neither mentioned, much less admitted, by Ripley & Bond (1966), Porter & Martins (1996), Feare & Craig (1998), Fry & Keith (2000) and Dickinson (2003). Gedeon & Neumann (2004) were alone in recent times in drawing attention to the name, but painted an incomplete and incorrect view of its history, even erroneously crediting its authorship solely to Forbes. Although they consider that Alec Forbes-Watson regarded creaghi as a synonym in his unpublished report, this is not the case as a careful reading of the manuscript demonstrates. In fact, Forbes-Watson makes no comment on the validity of creaghi; he merely found O. blythii rare on Abd Al-Kuri and was apparently unable to collect it. The characters applied to delimit creaghi are as stated; the holotype does indeed exhibit an oily green sheen to the dark plumage and is thereby differentiated from males taken on the main island of Socotra, as well as in Eritrea and Somalia, also held in Tring. Furthermore, as noted by Ogilvie-Grant & Forbes (1903), in this aspect of the bird’s plumage it approaches O. frater. In the absence of additional specimens and Table 3. Comparison between mensural data for males of Onychognathus blythii from Abd Al-Kuri (creaghi), Socotra (blythii, Eritrea and Somalia (blythii), and O. frater (Socotra). Measurements in mm (using wing-rule and callipers): number of specimens and means in parentheses. Culmen measured to feathers, bill-depth at feathers, and flattened wing. All specimens held in NHM, Tring. Population Culmen Bill-depth Wing-length Abd Al-Kuri 24.95 9.74 176 (n=1) Socotra © 23.89--26.25 9.57-10.48 163-173 (n=5, m=24.85) (n=3. m—-10, 15) (n=5, m=168) Eritrea & Somalia 23.65-—29.61 _ 160-179 (n=8, m=25.91) — (n=8, m=169.5) Socotra (O. frater) 25.06—28.45 9.6-11.44 150-163 (n=5, m=26.45) (n=5, m=10,56) (n=5, m=156) 142 G.M. Kirwan Synonymization of six endemic bird taxa, with comments on the name O. blythii creaghi field observations, it is impossible to comment further on the validity of creaghi, but mensural data appear to further support its inclusion within the blythii species (Table 3). Although the purported differences from blythii are not great, even plumage differences between O. frater and O. blythii are not so marked (Porter & Martins 1996, Feare & Craig 1998). Thus, for now, I prefer to await additional evidence before invali- dating or upholding creaghi. Material examined (all NHM)—O. bD. creaghi: 1 (the holotype), from Abd Al-Kuri. O. b. blytni: 23, from Eritrea, Socotra and Somalia. O. frater: 5 from Socotra. Unexamined material—o. b. blythit: 9 (LM), from Socotra, and 2 (CUMZ), from Socotra. O frater: 7 (LM), from Socotra), and 2 (CUMZ), from Socotra. Emberiza tahapisi insularis (Ogilvie-Grant & Forbes, 1899) Taxon endemic to Socotra; the following related forms and their broad ranges are relevant in the comparisons that follow: arabica (southern Arabia), septemstriata (eastern Sudan, northern Ethiopia and Eritrea) and tahapisi (much of the rest of north-east Africa and south to eastern South Africa). E. t. insularis is described as differing from E. t. tahapisi by ‘having the inner margin of the secondaries devoid of rufous, and the general colour of the chest and rest of the under parts pale brick colour, instead of dull rufous chestnut’ (Ogilvie-Grant & Forbes 1899). The taxon had been collected earlier, by Balfour, but ascribed by Sclater & Hartlaub (1881) to E. (t.) septemstriata, whilst Sharpe (1888) had boldly lumped it in with tahapisi. However, subsequent authorities readily accepted Ogilvie-Grant and Forbes’ description, and it was maintained by Sclater (1930), Mackworth-Praed & Grant (1960), White (1963) and Paynter & Storer (1970), amongst others. Finally, Dickinson (2003) not only accepted insularis, but also nivenorum, of north-west Namibia, a taxon widely ignored by most non-South African authorities. Byers et al (1995) stated ‘Very lke E. t. tahapisi but crown-stripes blacker and dark bib more restricted. Inner webs of flight-feathers devoid of rufous. First-winter birds, particularly females, may be very pale on the underparts.’ It should be remarked at this point that Ogilvie-Grant & Forbes (1899) only mentioned the secondaries as lacking rufous, because, for instance, there is a young male collected by them (1899.8.11.67) that does have rufous margins to the rectrices and primaries. Most adults collected by them are rather worn in these areas and therefore difficult to evaluate in this feature. Fry (2004) added that the underwing-coverts are whiter. Following examination of a great many tahapisi, I disagree that the crown-stripes might be considered blacker, especially against specimens from Kenya and Ethiopia (in which character septemstriata is very similar), whilst variation in preparation technique can easily affect the size and shape of the black bib, but in adults I find no suggestion of a definitive difference in this feature between tahapisi and insularis, merely minor degrees of individual variation. On the other hand, the bib of septem- striata might on average be slightly larger, at least in those specimens in Tring, but this is not a clear-cut difference because a great many specimens show no such quantifiable difference. The lack of rufous on some of the flight-feathers only serves to differentiate insularis from septemstriata, not from tahapisi. In this feature, there are a great many tahapisi which show equally little warm coloration on the remiges as insularis surely does, e.g. NHM 1949.30.192 (from Sudan), 1912.10.15.1766 (Ethiopia) and 1946.5.8.33 (Nyasaland). Even some septemstriata do not clearly exhibit much rufous on the flight-feathers, e.g. 1898.7.27.236 (Somalia). Young of both sexes of insularis are indeed very pale below, but this equally applies to same-age specimens G.M. Kirwan 143 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 from across the range of tahapisi, whilst young septemstriata-can also share this character, though perhaps incline to be slightly darker. E. t. arabica, of the south Arabian Peninsula, is even more weakly differentiated, described by Byers et al (1995) as differing from tahapisi only in having the underparts slightly paler, but I am unable to ascertain any clear differences between the two in this or any other character in the extensive material to hand in NHM (Plates 10-11). | The range of intra-taxon variation and relative weakness of any these feature to discriminate between taxa argues against the recognition of any name other than tahapisi for eastern and southern populations of Cinnamon-breasted (or African Rock) Bunting. As noted by Fry (2004), it seems that the ranges of E. t. septemstriata and West African E. t. goslingi meet around the Sudan/ Uganda border. If true, this would strongly support species status for goslingi (the only taxon that is obviously different from nominate tahapisi within the entire complex). Elsewhere from the range of septemstriata, however, Byers et al (1995) found evidence to suggest that it represented a hybrid swarm between goslingi and tahapisi. Material examined—E. t. tahapisi: 80 (NMNH), from South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Kenya and Ethiopia, and 50 (NHM), from Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan and Uganda (specimens from further south were not evaluated). E. t. septemstriata: 16 (NMNRH), from Ethiopia, and 24 (NHM), from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. E. t. insularis: 29 (NMNH) and 15 (NHM), from Socotra. E. t. arabica: 47 (NHM), from Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Unexamined material—E. t. insularis: 4 (LM), from Socotra, and 2 (CUMZ, both syntypes), from Socotra. CLOSING REMARKS This study reconfirms the importance of the Forbes-Watson collection from the Socotran archipelago and the unpublished expedition report (see Kirwan 1997), not only for taxonomic studies of the islands’ birds but also many aspects of their natural history. The 523 specimens that originally constituted the collection are a remarkable testament to Forbes-Watson and his two Kenyan taxidermists, and continue to represent the best (and. most beautifully prepared) series of birds from Socotra; the relative lack of previous attention that has been paid to this resource borders on the extraordinary. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to staff members at the Natural History Museum, Tring (Robert Prys-Jones, Katrina Cook, Alison Harding and Mark Adams) and National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC (James P Dean, Carla J Dove, Christina A Gebhard and Brian K Schmitt), for their assistance at these institutions. Clemency Fisher and Tony Parker provided some reference material and a list of relevant specimens held in the National Museums & Galleries on Merseyside, Liverpool. Michael Jennings’ persistence was essential in tracking down the unpublished expedition report of Alec Forbes-Watson. I thank Edward Dickinson and Alan Peterson for discussing some nomenclatural and other issues, and for suggesting additional lines of enquiry in endeavouring to resolve the same. In a similar vein, I am grateful to Effie Warr for checking some literature on my behalf. My field work in Socotra was undertaken within the framework of the 1993 Ornithological Society of the Middle East (OSME) South Yemen expedition. OSME also provided financial support that permitted my museum studies in North America, which were further abetted by a scholarship grant from the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. John & Effie Warr provided me with much- welcome hospitality during my many visits to NHM. 144 G.M. Kirwan Synonymization of six endemic bird taxa, with comments on the name O. blythii creaghi REFERENCES AMADON, D. 1962. Family Sturnidae, starlings. In: MAyR, E AND JC GREENWAY. (Eds). Check-list of the birds of the world. Vol 15. Pp 75-121. Mus. Comp. Zool., Cambridge, MA. 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Forbes-Watson in 1964, showing the range of variation in coloration; particularly note the notably pale and dark individuals at the extreme right (Guy M. Kirwan / National Museum of Natural History, Washington) ea Plates 2-3. Ventral and dorsal views of specimens of Centropus superciliosus sokotrae, taken by A. D. Forbes-Watson in 1964, showing the range of variation in coloration (Guy M. Kirwan / National Museum of Natural History, Washington) : ; nigriceps: top left-hand four birds race melanauchen — ae from Sudan, top right-hand three race sincipitalis from Arabia (the bird on the extreme right from Bahrain), bottom left-hand four race forbeswatsoni from Socotra and Abd Al-Kuri, and the bottom right-hand three race melanauchen from Somalia (Guy M. Kirwan, © The Natural History Museum, Tring) Plate 5 (above). Dorsal view of male specimens of Eremopterix nigriceps, from left to right: two from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (sincipitalis), and four iy (including the holotype) from Socotra =e Ss (forbeswatsoni) (Guy M. Kirwan / National Museum Es of Natural History, Washington) 146 G.M. Kirwan Synonymization of six endemic bird taxa, with comments on the name O. blythii creaghi Plates 6—7. Dorsal and ventral views of specimens of Lanius meridionalis from Arabia and Socotra, from left to right: three specimens from Yemen (bury), two from Saudi Arabia and Oman (aucheri) and two, including the holotype, from Socotra (uncinatus); note that the specimens of aucheri represent the pale extreme in range of variation in underparts coloration in the race (Guy M. Kirwan, © The Natural History Museum, Tring) Plates 8-9. Ventral and dorsal views of white-bellied specimens of Zosterops abyssinicus from Arabia and Africa: bottom left-hand four race socotranus from Socotra (including a paratype) and Somalia, top left-hand three race abyssinicus from Ethiopia, bottom right-hand three race arabs from Oman and Yemen, and top right- hand three race omoensis from the Omo Valley, Ethiopia. Note the generally close appearance in both upper- and underparts colorations of socotranus, which inclines to show fewest warm elements in the underparts, arabs (which shows most) and abyssinicus (most specimens of which closely approach socotranus), whereas omoensis from the type-locality region are clearly greener-yellow above with contrastingly darker wings (much less contrast in other populations) and, on average, whiter below than any of the other three races with the largest and brightest yellow throat-patch (Guy M. Kirwan, © The Natural History Museum, Tring) Plates 1 0-11. 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A revised check list of African shrikes, orioles, drongos, starlings, crows, waxwings, cuckoo-shrikes, bulbuls, accentors, thrushes and babblers. Govt. Printer, Lusaka. Northern Rhodesia, Central African Federation. WHITE, CMN. 1963. A revised check list of African flycatchers, tits, tree creepers, sunbirds, white-eyes, honey eaters, buntings, finches, weavers and waxbills. Govt. Printer, Lusaka. Northern Rhodesia, Central African Federation. White, CMN. 1965. A revised check list of African non-passerine birds. Govt. Printer, Lusaka. Zambia 148 G.M. Kirwan The ornithological regime in the Sudochie wetland, Uzbekistan The ornithological regime in the Sudochie wetland, Uzbekistan ELENA KREUZBERG-MUKHINA AND YEVGENIYA LANOVENKO Historically, the southern coast of the Aral Sea and the marshy delta of the Amu Darya represented an environment where waterbird aggregations were unique by their diversity and sheer numbers. These circumstances promoted extremely favourable conditions for breeding birds and for transient migrants. Data on the birds of the Aral Sea basin have been collected by many researchers since the late 19th century. The area lies on major migratory flyways and was ideal as a rest and refuelling stop. Since the 1970s, the relentless reduction of the surface area of the Aral Sea accompanied by many lakes drying out has significantly damaged the avifauna of this region. Nevertheless, the region’s remaining lakes have not all dried out, even during a recent severe drought, and continue, as at the Sudochie wetland, to play a vital role for migrant and breeding species of waterbirds and for the bird community generally. Elena Kreuzberg - e-mail : eakreuzberg@gmail.com INTRODUCTION n terms of the biological diversity of water-marsh ecosystems, the wetland system of the southern Aral Sea region once was the most important system of its kind in Central Asia and beyond — indeed it remains globally important as a conservation area. It lies on long-established migration flyways of birds from Western Siberia to wintering grounds that lie from the Caspian southwards as far as southern Africa. As the Aral Sea diminished from the 1970s onward, the importance of the lakes immediately to the south, including the Sudochie wetland, increased in inverse proportion (Map 1). Throughout this process, many changes occurred, including the 58°20 58°25 58°30 58°35 58°40 Map 1. Sudochie wetland locations ok Be ~ 1987 1988 Greylag Goose Anser anser 6210 3180 Mute Swan Cygnus olor 2987 1000 Gadwall Anas strepera 1000 2601 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 29165 16518 Common Teal Anas crecca Vw 2T AL 1950 Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina 39300 7378 Common Pochard Aythya ferina 200 1000 Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca 10 - Grebe spp - 54 Eurasian Coot Fulica atra 26300 5036 Total: 107889 38717 The present avifaunal structure and distribution We found that the structure of dominant species of waterbirds on the Sudochie wetland has remained unchanged, although numbers have of course fluctuated signifi- cantly over seasons and years. Once proper ecological monitoring of the Sudochie wetland began, it was possible for the very first time to research the Aral Sea region in a way that enabled us not only to make realistic scientific estimates of the biomass of this vast ecosystem, but also to forecast how its variety of closely interconnected components, including avifauna, would function spatially and temporally. Unfortunately, our work from 2000 to 2002 coincided with a two-year period of extremely low precipitation and water inflow in the region, circumstances causing considerable degradation of lake size and partial loss of biodiversity. Our ornitho- logical monitoring in many respects has therefore reflected those depressive processes. The avifaunal community in the Sudochie wetland Our first year of monitoring showed that conditions for the wetland’s avifauna were close to the ecosystem optimum, but the next two years indicated a gradual decrease in species numbers and their populations on the lakes (Fig 1, Table 2). Our findings on species composition and the distribution of birds over the Sudochie wetland are given in Table 2. We recorded in total during our work on of the Sudochie wetland lakes 230 bird species (of 17 orders), 101 being from the waterbird community. The maximum number of species observed on any day was 164 (April 2000) and the minimum 79 (Fig 1, Table 2). 160 19994 20005p 20005 20004 2001p 200015 20014 20025p 20025 20024 Fig 1. Seasonal avifaunal fluctuations during the monitoring period. Top curve = Total number of bird species recorded. Bottom curve = Hydrophilous species recorded. Suffix Key; So=Spring, S=Summer, A=Autumn ify E. Kreuzberg-Mukhina & Y. Lanovenko The ornithological regime in the Sudochie wetland, Uzbekistan We have established for the first time seasonal dynamics for the bird species structure in the Aral Sea region. The April 2000 peak (Fig 1) declined to133 in 2001 and 126 in 2002 (Table 2), but in all cases the spring totals were higher than those for the respective summer and autumn. The composition of the bird community in summer varied little in the three years of monitoring, although being at its greatest in 2000. The most significant changes in the bird community structure occurred during autumn, for in 2001, the total number of species on the Sudochie wetland waterbodies had reduced to 79 from the norm of 110-116 species recorded in 1999-2000, because by autumn 2001 the ecosystems had become degraded through drought, an event that mainly affected the waterbird community whose total species dropped from 56-58 to 28. However, by autumn 2003, the water supply had improved to fill most of the lakes again, allowing an increase in bird species diversity to 103, of which 45 were waterbirds. Despite the overall ecological conditions of the southern Aral Sea region having deteriorated markedly, the bird community of the Sudochie wetland has remained characteristically highly variable, both seasonally and by species number. The seasonal variation is driven by the presence of several migration flyways that persist at varying intensities throughout the year. The peak number of species occurs during the return (spring) migration, a lesser peak occurring in autumn (Fig 1). Table 2. Changes in the number of bird species in Sudochie wetland over years and seasons Years and Seasons > 1999 2000 2001 2002 Orders V A Sp Su A Sp Su A Sp Su A Anseriformes 18 WW 14 ie 16 12 12 19 7. 17 Grebes 4 3 3 5) 4 2, 3 2 2 2 Greater Flamingo - - - - 7 1 - 1 - - Ciconiiformes 7 10 9 5 6 6 2 Th 6 5 Pelicaniformes 5} 4 4 4 4 4 2 4 4 4 Falconiformes 14 ie 9 11 tot 5 £2 14 ré 11 Gruiformes 4 4 3 6) 3 Zz, 1 3 2 2 Galliformes 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 Charadriiformes 22 40 34 22 38 34 8 36 38 16 Columbiformes 2 6 3 3 3 2 4 3 2 5 Cuculiformes - - 1 - 1 1 - - 1 1 Strigiformes 2 2 2 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 Caprimulgiformes - 2 2 - 1 1 - - 2 - Apodiformes = 1 1 - 1 1 - 1 1 - Coraciiformes - 4 5 2 6) 2 - 2 4 2 Piciformes - - - - - - - 1 - 2 Passeriformes oo 5S 26 39 39 22 35 ro 5) 33 34 Total hydrophilous species: 58 78 67 56 72 67 28 71 59 45 Total species: 110 164 117 116 133 97 79 130 112 103 Key: A = Autumn, Sp = Spring, Su = Summer. Hydrophilus species subtotals in italics. The taxonomic richness of the bird community in the Sudochie wetland (230 of the 270 species recorded in Karakalpakstan — the territory immediately enclosing the Sudochie to the south) is determined, first of all, by natural ecological factors. The natural and artificially-created system of waterbodies occupies a vast area characterized by the variety of habitats ideally suited for resident, wintering and migratory birds. The diversity of the southern Aral Sea region is increased also by it being adjacent to remote and dry plains, a nearby slice of the Ustyurt Plateau adding a desert component to the typical water-marsh ecosystems. Furthermore, the Sudochie wetland’s remoteness from settlements coupled with the low economic usefulness of the basic waterbodies helps maintain favourable conditions for all bird species, not just waterbirds. E. Kreuzberg-Mukhina & Y. Lanovenko 153 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 Distribution of avifauna on the Sudochie wetland waterbodies~ Our research confirmed that the bird community was distributed heterogeneously at all our monitoring sites throughout the Sudochie wetland, which comprises four lakes and two collector-lakes. At the start of the optimum period for the Sudochie wetland ecosystem, monitoring revealed that species composition was the most highly diverse on Akushpa Lake, when some 180 species were recorded. Karateren Lake at this time held 111 species, Begdulla-Aidyn Lake 66, Bolshoe Sudochie Lake 51, Kungrad collector 150 and Ustyurt collector 88. The 2000-2001 drought and the concomitant degradation of water-dependent ecosystems affected the conditions for the bird species community at all waterbodies, but the changes recorded at individual monitoring points differed temporally as the waterbodies dried out rapidly, but at different rates, which meant that the productivity of each waterbody declined on an individual timescale. Overall, during the vegetation- growing period in 2000, the drought caused the destruction of the productive shallows of small waterbodies and shoreline lagoons on large waterbodies, radically changing sO 70 BO 50 40 30 20 10 0 : 1 ees et es es SS open ea ff eh tsi UD 12 oS a SR Se ae eet Fig 2a. Akushpa Lake Fig 2b. Karateren Lake Fal Fd 60 50 40) ral 40) = 20 30 or 20 o o dee eae Eh ei ie ee ee ele Te as OS ea ee ee Fig 2c. Begdulla-Aidyn Lake Fig 2d. Bolshoe Sudochie Lake 140 120 100 30 60 Ae ee ee E ch a) ~ oO ia — co 1 Bey 9) eh PR or fti3 eee Sl Fig 2e. Kungrad collector Fig 2f. Ustyurt collector. Fig 2. Avifaunal dynamics on the main Sudochie wetland waterbodies during the monitoring period. Note that the figures 1-10 represent consecutive monitoring seasons in 1999-2002. For each season, the first column = Total number of species recorded per waterbody and the second column = Total hydrophilous Specie recorded per waterbody 154 E. Kreuzberg-Mukhina & Y. Lanovenko The ornithological regime in the Sudochie wetland, Uzbekistan bird habitat conditions and thus affecting the distribution and number of many species, but the species composition of the bird community itself did not undergo significant changes. The waterbodies declined most rapidly during the 2001 vegetation-growing period, causing significant changes to the ecological conditions. The waterbird community was badly affected, especially in the structure and number of nesting species. Concomitantly, the Sudochie wetland lakes attracted assemblies of many fish- eating and coastal-water birds to feed on the stranded or isolated shoals of fish along the drying shores and amongst the newly-exposed shallows. The greatest changes in the bird community’s structure and distribution took place on the large shallow lakes of Akushpa and Bolshoe Sudochie, where the extent of drying out, the reduction in water surface area and the remnant shallows were at their greatest — vegetation also died back, drastically changing the habitat structure and thus the bird species that could be supported (Figs 2a & d). Breeding species on these lakes were superseded by transient and stopover migrants. Nevertheless, the Akushpa and Bolshoe Sudochie lakes retained sufficient waterborne and submergent vegetation and other food supplies to continue their vital role of supporting waterbird and other water- associated fauna (Figs 3a-j). Two other lakes — Karateren and Begdulla-Aidyn — suffered from the drought to a greater degree, losing almost all their waterbirds and water- *» Fig 3a. 1999, Autumn Fig 3b. 2000, Spring. Fig 3c. 2000, Summer ty Fig 3d. 2000, Autumn. Fig 3e. 2001, Spring. Fig 3f. 2001, Summer. 5 Fig 3h. 2002, Spring. Fig 3i. 2002, Summer. Fig 3. Bird species composition ratio on the main Sudochie wetland waterbodies, by season during the monitoring period. Colour Key (clockwise from top of Pie-chart): Blue-Grey = Akushpa Lake, Mauve = Karateren Lake, Cream = Begdulla-Aidyn Lake, Light Green = Bolshoe Sudochie Lake, Purple = Kungrad Collector and Pink = Ustyurt Fig 3j. 2002, Autumn. Collector. NB not all Pie-charts have all six colours. E. Kreuzberg-Mukhina & Y. Lanovenko 155 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 associated fauna (Figs 2b & c). Indeed, Karateren completely dried up and did not undergo much restoration once the remedial water control work became operational. Begdulla-Aidyn has become an overgrown bog following the drought-induced irreversible successional processes. The bird community structure at the other two monitored waterbodies, the Ustyurt and Kungrad collectors, were affected to different degrees. Over the entire monitoring period, the Kungrad collector was used as the principal means of water distribution for the entire Sudochie wetland system, thus enabling much of the area to retain a wide diversity of birds (Figs 2e & f). The Ustyurt collector was not utilised to the same extent and in the end dried out completely, thus causing major losses of waterbird species and numbers. The partial restoration of the avifauna of the Sudochie wetland began in autumn 2002 after hydraulic engineering facilities to control water level and distribution were commissioned (Last column in Figs 6, 7 & 8a). Unfortunately, monitoring opportunities were fewer at this time, occurring only during the waterbodies’ initial restoration stage. Nevertheless, by this stage it was clear that restoration cf water ecosystems and their components was also occurring in heterogeneous and gradual fashion, as had the degradation. Thus, the bird community composition and distribution have undergone significant changes during our ecological monitoring period, developments that generally have reflected the drought-induced processes of degradation of water ecosystems throughout the Aral region. Each waterbody of the Sudochie wetland has an individual capability and importance for the preservation of avifauna (Figs 2a-f). As the water regime became stabilised, we confirmed at Lake Akushpa that its varied bird species composition, the most-broadly-based of the region, had essentially Table 3 - Threatened bird species of the Sudochie wetland — number dynamics 1999-2002 Years and Seasons > 1999 2000 2001 2002 Species V A sp Ss Bakhtegan, west Tashk Species V Years > 2004 2005 2006 2004 2005 2006 Northern Shelduck Tadorna tadorna 0 0 72 36 120 48 Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 0 0 S 0 0 0 Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis 6 500 250 120 10 15 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 1 19 85 1210 550 1500 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 0 38 ) 0 0 0 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 0 30 0 0 0 0 Great Egret Ardea alba 0 103 0 0 0 0 Little Egret Egretta garzetta 20 4 12 938 700 1000 Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus 13935 1 10000 4784 Yés) 4000 Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus 0 0 0 22 22 1 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 0 1 0 5 0 0 Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 10 0 0 0 0 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius 5 25 0 4 8 0 Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus 0 0 3000 0 0 0 Common Redshank Tringa totanus 3 0 0 0 0 0 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus 0 1 0 0 0 0 Slender-billed Gull Larus genei 10 5) 0 3180 4500 3500 Table 4. Some waterbird species ringed at Gumboon on 16-20 December 1967. Species Nos ringed Species Nos ringed Common Teal Anas crecca 13 Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago 3 Water Rail Rallus aquaticus 2 Redshank Tringa totanus 3 Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus 3 Table 1 shows the 2006 counts made on Jazirah Bozorg (Great Island) and Jazirah Kouchak (Small Island). Unfortunately, only one Great White Pelican was found, which suggests that the species may be on the brink of abandoning Lake Tashk as a breeding site, although a flock of 17 had been seen at Jazirah Bozorg in May. We did find three nests with a total of 6 unhatched eggs on Jazirah Bozorg, and we can but hope that Great White Pelican returns in 2007. Little Egret numbers appear relatively stable over the three breeding years, but although the total of Eurasian Spoonbill adult and immature birds was by far the highest recorded, productivity, in the form of flightless pulli, was disproportionately low. Table 2 details the 2006 ringing effort with 432 pulli ringed. We were unable to carry out a comprehensive count of nests and eggs in 2006. Table 3 lists a range of waterbird species from the general area between 2004-2006. Table 4, ringing details from 1967 of a few waterbird species at nearby Gumboon, is included for 209 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 historical interest. In 2006, one Slender-billed Gull (serial EE 4606), three Eurasian Spoonbills (serials LL 53191, 39411, 39404) and one Little Egret (serials GG 4721) were found dead on Jazireh Bozorg, after the end of the breeding season. PRIMARY REFERENCE SEHHATISABET, ME, M BALOUCH, A BAHMAN-POUR AND A KHALEGHIZADEH. 2006. Ringing four breeding waterbird species at Lake Tashk. Sandgrouse 28 (2): 106-113. Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis in the Hula Valley, Israel, in 2006 YOAV PERLMAN AND AMIT GEFFEN Yoav Perlman, Israeli Ornithological Center, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, e-mail stenura@hotmail.com Li early July 2006, we trapped and ringed four Basra Reed Warblers Acrocephalus griseldis at the Hula Valley (33°05’N, 35°35’E) as part of monitoring activities carried out by the Hula Valley Birdwatching Center (Israeli Ornithological Center, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel). The birds were caught in one of our less-frequented ringing sites in the eastern part of the valley that was last visited in February 2006. The habitat consists of fishponds surrounded by a thick cover of mixed Phragmites sp (reeds) and Rubus prucerus (blackberry) bushes. After catching the first three birds on 4 July, we retrapped all three birds on 6 July and caught a fourth bird the next day. The birds included three adults (probably two males and one female, as adjudged from the larger size of males and the presence of a brood patch on the female), and a very fresh juvenile. The juvenile was at a very late stage of feather growth, where the feather shafts have not yet ‘closed’ (blood feathers). In this short note we discuss the possibility of Basra Reed Warblers breeding in Israel, describe the poorly known juvenile plumage, and highlight the separation of Basra Reed Warbler from Great Reed Warbler A. arundinaceus and Clamorous Reed Warbler A. stentoreus, common species that were trapped together with the Basra Reed Warblers allowing close comparison in the hand. Distribution The Basra Reed Warbler is known to breed very locally in the marshes of southern Iraq, and probably also in southern Iran and Kuwait. It is classified by the IUCN as endangered, with an estimated 70-80% decline in population size during the last few decades, mostly due to drainage and destruction of marshes (BirdLife International 2007). The whole population apparently migrates to Africa for the winter. There are scattered records in Sudan and Saudi Arabia of individuals on migration, and relatively large numbers are caught annually at Ngulia, SE Kenya, as they stopover in late autumn/early winter, though according to the Ngulia ringing totals, a 20-30% decadal decline was noted in recent decades (Pearson & Backhurst 1988, Walter et al 2004, Birdlife International, 2007). However, their wintering areas are not known, although some birds have been recorded in Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa (Walter et al 2004). In Israel, the Basra Reed Warbler is regarded as vagrant. It was first recorded in 1984, and up to 2002 it has been recorded 11 times more. Most birds were ringed at Eilat or at the Bet She’an Valley, both in the Great Rift Valley, between late April and late June (Shirihai 1996, 1999; K Meyrom pers comm). No sign of breeding has ever been noted in Israel before, but the repeated occurrence of birds in early summer, when they should already be back at their breeding sites, might have indicated that these birds bred in the general geographic area nearby. 210 Notes te Plate 1. Adult Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus Plate 2. Adult Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis (left) and adult Great Reed Warbler A. griseldis (left) and adult Clamorous Reed Warbler arundinaceus (right). © Rami Mizrahi. A. stentoreus (right). © Amit Geffen. oe re, is Plate 3. Adult Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus Plate 4. Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis showing some head moult. © Rami Mizrahi. griseldis 2nd primary notch. © Yoav Perlman. SS, Plate 5. Adult (left) and juvenile (right) Basra Reed Warblers _— Plate 6. Juvenile Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis. © Yoav Perlman. Acrocephalus griseldis. © Yoav Perlman. 211 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 Possible breeding in Israel and Conservation : This documented occurrence in northern Israel indicates for the first time that Basra Reed Warblers breed away from their known breeding range of southern Iraq. All four birds were trapped in the late breeding season, and they were all trapped at the same site, within a radius of 20m. The juvenile was trapped and then retrapped twice more, together with the same adult, probably a male, exactly in the same spot. The presumed female had a prominent brood patch, which indicates that this bird finished breeding not long before. Furthermore, the fact that the juvenile was in the last stages of its wing and tail feather growth, indicates that it hatched nearby. All of this evidence indicates that the Basra Reed Warbler bred in summer 2006 in or relatively close to the Hula Valley. In early July post-breeding dispersal has already begun. However, based on our ringing data of other Acrocephalus spp from northern Israel, this dispersal has never occurred over distances greater than a few dozen kilometres. The site where we trapped these birds is similar to many other sites in which we have worked very intensively during the breeding season, and yet we have never caught Basra Reed Warbler, suggesting that if it breeds in the Hula Valley, its distribution is at most very local, and it is present in very small numbers. Shirihai (1999) suggested that after the severe reduction in the area of the southern Iraqi marshes, the Basra Reed Warbler might expand its breeding range to other zones. This hypothesis is supported by the very consistent former vagrancy pattern in Israel, occurring mainly during the breeding season in the Bet She’an Valley during the 1990s. There has been no other proof or indication of breeding away from the south Iraq marshes and the Hula Valley, but see Yésou et al (2007), this issue. Recent ornithological efforts surveying the marshes along the Euphrates in Syria, and ringing activities in Lebanon might provide some new information about new breeding grounds of this endangered species. Currently the Israeli Ornithological Center is initiating a conservation project on the Basra Reed Warbler. During the 2007 breeding season, we will conduct intensive surveys to locate more individuals that may be breeding at nearby sites, and assess the species’ population size in Israel. Locating the birds in the field is difficult, as with all Acrocephalus species, so field efforts will include mist-netting and using playback calls. Identification The Basra Reed Warbler is a medium-sized Acrocephalus, intermediate in size between Eurasian Reed Warbler A. scirpaceus and the larger species, Great and Clamorous Reed Warblers. Basra Reed Warbler is a relatively easy Acrocephalus to identify, even in the field, due to the unique size and proportions, combined with typical upperpart coloration. In the hand, the combination of measurements and wing formula make identification straightforward. The identification features of the Basra Reed Warbler were noted by several authors before (eg Pearson & Backhurst 1988, Shirihai 1995 Baker 1997, Tenuovo 2006). It is distinctly larger than Eurasian Reed Warbler, and the coloration of the upperparts is a much colder olive-grey. The body and wing proportions are rather similar to Great Reed Warbler, including a long primary projection and shortish tail, but it is much smaller, the bill proportionately much longer and more slender, the supercilium is whitish and more prominent above the eye, and the upperparts are much colder-toned, olive-grey (Plate 1). Clamorous Reed Warbler has very similar bill proportions and bare-parts colour (greyish legs, horn-pink base to lower the mandible), but it has a much shorter primary projection than Basra Reed Warbler (Clamorous Reed Warblers in Israel are resident and short-distance migrants), the tail is much longer, upperpart coloration is much warmer and head markings are weaker than Basra Reed Warbler (Plate 2). In the hand, the combination of wing and tail measurements and weight makes straight- forward separation of Basra Reed Warbler from all other Acrocephalus species treated here (Table 1). Its wing length is intermediate between Great Reed and Eurasian Reed, with no overlap. The wing length is similar to Clamorous Reed Warbler, but the wing proportions are totally different, and they differ greatly in tail length. The tail length of Basra Reed Warblers ZAP Notes Table 1: Biometrics of four reed warbler species. The Acrocephalus griseldis measurements are of four birds trapped in the Hula Valley, July 2006 and of six birds trapped at the Bet She’an Valley, 1992-2004 (K Meyrom pers comm). The biometrics of the other three species are of birds trapped in 2005 in the Hula Valley. Species? Measurements? Wing (mm) Tail (mm) Weight (g) Range Average SD RangeAverage SD Range Average SD Basra Reed Warbler 80-86.5 8371599 61-63: 61.875 0/63 5 16:5-23'8. 19:04 « 2:06 Acrocephalus griseldis (n=10) Great Reed Warbler 91-105 96:69 3.23... 69-87% /3:97 .. 4.02. 24.4°40:2:.29 52 . 4:22 A. arundinaceus (n=364) Clamorous Reed Warbler 78-95 84.32 3.11 T2-9\ 2277-80 5:71 19.4-30.6 24.08 2.18 A. stentoreus (n=109) Eurasian Reed Warbler 52-72 65.68 2.42 AG-5 7x27 52-05: 270 8-17.2 10.98 1.40 A. scirpaceus (n=3207) seems to be unique, apparently with no overlap with the Middle Eastern populations of the other three species. The weight range is very typical of Basra Reed Warbler too; only extremely thin Clamorous Reed Warblers and extremely fat Eurasian Reed Warblers reach the extremes of the Basra Reed Warbler weight range, but can be easily ruled out by their wing and tail measurements. All adult birds caught in July 2006 had very worn feathers. Two adult birds had some head moult (Plate 3), but wing and tail moult should not occur before reaching their East African stopover sites. Another important identification feature that is not mentioned in the literature is the unique notch on the 2nd primary. It is as long as in Eurasian Reed and Great Reed Warblers, but it is very deep, creating a distinct ‘step’ (Plate 4); whereas in other Acrocephalus species the notch is always gradual. The juvenile Basra Reed Warbler we trapped had similar body proportions to adults, though its bill was distinctly shorter than adults (Plates 5 & 6). The upperparts coloration was similar to that of adults, even in fresh plumage, distinctly olive-grey, mostly cold toned with some warmer tones to the fringes of greater coverts, secondaries and uppertail coverts. Juveniles of Great, Clamorous and Eurasian Reed Warblers all show very warm brown of buff tones in fresh plumage. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors wish to thank Itay Shani for his help with the fieldwork, the Israeli Ornithological Center for funding the research work carried out in the Hula Valley and Zev Labinger his useful comments on earlier versions of this article. PRIMARY REFERENCES BAKER, K. 1997. Warblers of Europe, Asia and North Africa. Helm, London. PEARSON, DJ AND GC BAckuHursT. 1988. Characters and taxonomic position of Basra reed warbler. British Birds 81: 171-178. SHIRIHAI, H, CS ROSELAAR, AJ HELBIG, PH BARTHEL AND AJ VAN LOON. 1995. Identification and taxonomy of large Acrocephalus warblers. Dutch Birding 17: 229-239. SHIRIHAI, H. 1996. The Birds of Israel. Academic Press, London. SHIRIHAI, H. 1999. Fifty species new to Israel, 1979-1998: their discovery and documentation, with tips on identification. Sandgrouse 21: 45-105. TENUOVO, J. 2006. Basra Reed Warbler — a little-known Western Palearctic bird. Birding World 19: 66-68. Wa_ter, BA, MS WIsz AND C RAHBECK. 2004. Known and predicted African winter distributions and habitat use of the endangered Basra reed warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis) and the near-threatened cinereous bunting (Emberiza cineracea). Journal of Ornithology 145: 287-299. YéEsOU, P, G FLOHART AND D Murbocu. 2007. First record of Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis for Syria. Sandgrouse, this issue. SECONDARY REFERENCES BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL. 2007. Species factsheet: Acrocephalus griseldis. http://www.birdlife.org /datazone/ species, accessed on 6 May 2007. 213 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 First record of Basra Reed Warbler — Acrocephalus griseldis for Syria PIERRE YESOU, GUY FLOHART AND DAVID MURDOCH Pierre Yésou : ONCES, 53 rue Russeil, F-44000 Nantes, Brernas, e-mail pierre.yesou@oncfs.gouv.fr bee Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis has traditionally been believed to have a very restricted breeding range in the extensive reedbeds of south-east Iraq; it winters in eastern Africa from Sudan to Mozambique (BirdLife International 2000). The shallow wetlands in which it breeds were extensively damaged during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, though they have partially recovered in recent years. At Ngulia, Kenya, a classic site for the species, the average annual ringing total has been declining continuously over the last three decades relative to the average annual total for all Palaearctic passerine migrants. It is currently listed as Endangered by BirdLife International (2007). An individual seen and photographed by PY and GF at Halabbiyah on the Syrian Euphrates on 24 April 2006 appears to represent the first record for Syria. PY found an unusual warbler in reeds along the Euphrates, close to the Byzantine castle at Halabbiyah (35°41.286’N, 39°49.462’E). The reeds formed a discontinuous belt no more than 2m wide fringing the river. He initially thought that it was a Great Reed Warbler A. arundinaceus. Plate 1. Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus Plate 2. Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis, back view, at Halabbiyah, Syria, 24 April griseldis, side view, at Halabbiyah, Syria, 24 April 2006. © Guy Flohart. 2006. © Guy Flohart. 214 Notes Both PY and GF noted its large size in direct comparison with a Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos, but its structure recalled a small Acrocephalus warbler. Telescope views revealed a clearly slimmer silhouette, supporting this assessment. It was watched for one minute and digiscoped; it could not subsequently be relocated. The apparent contradiction between size and shape was its first striking feature. The shape was quite slim, or at least elongated. The impression of slimness arose less from the body, which was proportionately more full-bodied than in the smaller Acrocephalus warblers, than from the head shape and from wing / tail length. The head was slim, visibly different from that of Great Reed Warbler and more like a small Acrocephalus, but the primary projection recalled Great Reed Warbler, with at least 8 primaries visible. There was marked contrast between the ‘washed brown’ upperparts and light underparts. The upperparts were cold brown with a greyish cast, very different from Great Reed Warbler; the head looked grey under some light conditions. The underparts were off-white with a faint brown tinge on the flanks, noticeably lighter than on Great Reed Warbler. The supercilium was striking: off-white or pale cream, very long (as long as in Paddyfield Warbler A. agricola) and thin, quite different from that of Great Reed Warbler. The bill looked proportionately longer and much thinner than in Great Reed Warbler. The legs were greyish. The photographs confirm the greyish cast to the plumage, the primary projection, the supercilium and the head shape; unfortunately the bill is out of sight. This is a significant observation as there are extensive reedbeds along the Syrian Euphrates; few are accessible and very few have ever been visited by ornithologists (Rand 1994). Another Mesopotamian basin endemic, Iraq Babbler Turdoides altirostris, is a conspicuous and easily identified species, yet it has only recently been found to occur throughout the Syrian Euphrates (Murdoch et al 2004). This individual does not appear to be in a typical habitat — perhaps it was a migrant — but there are extensive reedbeds nearby. Other records from 2006 indicate that Basra Reed Warbler may be more widespread than previously suspected: four birds were caught in the Hula valley, Israel, in July 2006; one, a recently fledged juvenile, was probably locally bred (Western Palearctic News 2006, Perlman 2007, Perlman & Geffen 2007, this issue). The known breeding range of Basra Reed Warbler is limited and its conservation status is precarious, justifying active searches in the breeding season outside the known range; as identi- fication is not straightforward, mist-netting for confirmation would be valuable. Ornithologists visiting the Syrian Euphrates are urged to look for this elusive species and to take compre- hensive notes, supported if possible by photographs. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are very grateful to David Pearson and Richard Porter for their expert comments. PRIMARY REFERENCES BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL. 2000. Threatened birds of the world. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International. Barcelona and Cambridge. UK. EvANs, MI. 1994. Important Bird Areas in the Middle East. BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series No. 2). Cambridge. UK. Murpocu, D, I ANDREWS AND R HoFLanpb. 2004. The Syrian Wetland Expedition: a summary. Sandgrouse 26 (2): 94-104. PERLMAN, Y AND A GEFFEN. 2007. Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis in the Hula Valley, Israel, in 2006. Sandgrouse, this issue. SECONDARY REFERENCES BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL 2007. www.birdlike.org /datazone/species Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis. (Endangered category iaw IUCN 2006 Red List). PERLMAN, Y. 2007. Basra Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus griseldis) breeding in Israel. (Accessed 6 May 2007.) http:/ /www.israbirding.com/reports/rarity_alerts/basra_reed_warblers_breeding / WESTERN PALEARCTIC NEWS. 2006. Birding World 19(7): 134. 275 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 Recent decisions by the Oman Bird Records Committee — an update on first records for the Sultanate of Oman IAN HARRISON Hon Secretary, Oman Bird Records Committee, P O Box 246, Muscat 113, Sultanate of Oman. Llysen, Lon y Felin, Aberaeron, Ceredigion, SA46 OED, UK. e-mail ianbirds@gmail.com his short paper aims to put on the official record recent decisions taken by the Oman Bird Records Committee (OBRC), the body responsible for examining claims of sightings of birds previously unrecorded or considered rare in Oman — mainly species that have been recorded on fewer than ten occasions. Only records of first occurrences in Oman that have been accepted by OBRC since the publication of Oman Bird List, Edition 6 (2003) have been included here. A single Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus was seen and photographed by Paul Jourdain on 10 January 2005 at Shinas (near the UAE border) and by Hanne and Jens Eriksen the following day. What was assumed to be a second bird was seen at Quriyat 80 km south-east of Muscat by Jeremy Moore (il February 2005) and lan Harrison and David Sargeant (15 February). This species breeds in Iran (now rare resident, Scott & Adhami 2006) as well as south Pakistan and northwest India. It is known to be a partial migrant from the breeding areas in these countries as well as from Turkey. The provenance of these birds is uncertain but most probably will be from the Iran populations. An old record of a Great Frigatebird Fregata minor seen off Fahal Island by Michael Gallagher and Roger Woodiwiss from 11-18 June 1982 was recently reviewed and accepted by the committee as the first record for Oman. The coasts of Arabia are outside the normal more southerly Indo-Pacific range of this species and this record is thus unusual — the fact that it stayed in the area for some time is also interesting. Cape Gannet Morus capensis breeds on offshore islands off Namibia and Cape Province and disperses north to Mozambique and Tanzania. The record of a bird seen by Hanne Eriksen on 12 March 2004 off the Halaaniyaat Islands (southern Oman) is therefore probably an example of a bird overshooting its normal range during post-breeding dispersal. This particular bird was almost overlooked and noticed only during scrutiny of photographs; one wonders, therefore, how many other individuals visit the Arabian coast without being noticed among the large numbers of Masked Booby Sula dactylatra. A single first year White-eyed Buzzard Butastur teesa was found by Ian Harrison on 22 March 2004 At Ayn Najr, a small spring with brackish pools and small stands of date palms and ghaf trees Prosopis cineraria near the central Oman coast about 18km west of Ras Bintawt. The bird was seen in typical gliding flight, on the ground and soaring above the low hills. This species is a breeding resident from Pakistan and India through to Iran — indeed it breeds just across the Straits of Hormuz from the Omani enclave of Mussandam (rare, Scott & Adhami 2006). It is therefore not so surprising that some post-breeding dispersal of young birds should occur southwards although the bird is considered a fairly sedentary species. Perhaps what is a little surprising is that this bird was so far south. An American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica at Sur Sewage Farm, seen first by Andrew Lassey amongst others on 23 & 24 November 2003 and later by more observers, stayed until 23 December 2003. It is a remarkable record, even given this species’ long distance oceanic migration. While it has been recorded in Australia and West Africa, this particular individual was a long way from normal migration routes — even as a vagrant. 216 Notes A Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis was photographed at Sahanawt Farm, Salalah by Francois Moraze on 26 October 2005. The normal migration route of this species is across central North America to southern South America but has been recorded as a vagrant to East Africa and Sri Lanka (to name but two of the many countries it has been recorded in) and it is therefore not so surprising that an individual turned up in Arabia. Two adult Malachite Kingfishers Alcedo cristata were discovered at Khor Kharfut in Dhofar close to the Yemen border on 16 September 2000 by Stephen Carr. The birds were watched for 30 minutes down to about 7 metres as they dived into the water from overhanging reeds. Both birds were observed together many times on the same reed as if they were a breeding pair — rather than territorial rivals. The species is widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa where it is sedentary. Its range extends to eastern Somalia, which is some 600km in a straight line across the Indian Ocean from the area where these birds were seen. To have reached southwest Oman, these birds either crossed the Indian Ocean, or passed through Yemen. There were two further records in November 2004 at Khor Taqah and Khor Mughsayl, about 100km further to the east. An unanswered question is whether or not this species, like some other Africo-tropical species, visits the Dhofar region during the southwest monsoon on an occasional or regular basis in order to breed. Jennings (2005) cites local people in Eastern Yemen as saying that this species visits that area during the summer. A Eurasian Magpie Pica pica found at Qurm Park on 15 October 2004 by Dave Sargeant, and then by other observers until 30 January 2005, was considered to have been ship-assisted. The only previous record of this species (from May 1986 to January 1987 in Ruwi) is thought to have been an escape.) A Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala was found and videoed by Steve Tibbett at Thumrait on 29 September 2004. This mainly resident species — at best only a partial migrant — is rare even in western Arabia, and so to find one in south-eastern Arabia is highly unusual, especially given the long distance this bird had to travel over inhospitable terrain. Cyprus Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca, an endemic summer visitor to Cyprus, normally migrates much further to the west than the central desert of Oman. The sighting of a bird from 8-9 March 2004 by Rupert Hafner at Qitbit Motel is therefore unusual, and is presumably of a bird that had become disoriented on its way north from its wintering grounds. A single first year Eurasian Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca was found by John Atkins, Ian Harrison and David Sargeant at Qitbit Motel on 21 October 2004. It had been recorded as a vagrant in the UAE, but not in Oman, the nearest passage of eastern birds being through Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Israel. Radde’s Accentor Prunella ocularis breeds at higher elevations in Turkey and Iran, including the mountains due north of the enclave of Mussandam, and descends to lower levels in winter. This species has therefore been anticipated as a potential winter visit to Oman, and so the first record, a bird found by Ian Harrison on the Saye Plateau in Mussandam on 17 November 2004, was not entirely unexpected. The sub-species leucopsis of White Wagtail Motacilla alba (White-faced White Wagtail) is very much an eastern taxon, breeding in China. It is therefore very unusual for one to be so far west. The bird photographed by Roger Barnes at Al Ansab Sewage Lagoons on 15 March 2005 is thus an interesting record. What is equally interesting is that there was a record of this species in northeastern England at about the same time. REFERENCES JENNINGS, MC. 2005. ABBA Survey 33: Eastern Yemen April 2004. Phoenix 21: 22. Scott, DA AND A ApDaMt. 2006. An Updated Checklist of the Birds of Iran. Podoces 1 (1/2): 1-16. 217 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 Iris Colour in Common Babbler Turdoides caudatus GEORGE GREGORY AND KHALID AL-NASRALLAH George Gregory and Khalid Al-Nasrallah, Voluntary Work Center, P.O.Box 22799 Safat, KUWAIT, e-mail ggregory/1@hotmail.com ramp & Perrins (1993) in The Birds of the Western Palearctic describe iris colour in Common Babbler Turdoides caudatus thus: In ‘Field Characters’, “Eye usually warm brown.” In ‘Bare parts’, “ADULT. In India, iris always warm dark brown, sometimes with narrow white marginal rim; light brown, brown and red-brown recorded Iraq and Iran, once also hazel; paler colours, yellow and orange-yellow mentioned in Ali and Ripley (1971) and Whistler (1941) need verifi- cation. ... NESTLING. Iris dark grey. ... JUVENILE. Iris dark grey with olive tinge.” In Kuwait, Common Babbler is a vagrant, with five records. The subspecies involved is T. c. salvadorii, which occurs in south-western [ran and Iraq. The nearest other subspecies, T. c. huttoni, is found in southern Afghanistan, while two other subspecies occur in the Indian subcontinent. Up to four Common Babblers were present at Zour Port, Kuwait from 14 August 1998 to 7 December 2001. The single bird which remained during the latter part of this time sang and was observed to carry twigs as nesting material, and so presumably was'an old male. In his description, mainly of this single bird, Mark Chichester wrote: ‘Eye — golden-yellow with a black pupil.’ On 3 August 2006 Khalid Al-Nasrallah photographed a group of three Common Babblers in the Sabah Al-Ahmad Natural Reserve, Kuwait (Plates 1&2). Two of these birds (as in Plate 1) had dark brown irises, but Plate 2 shows a bird with a pale yellow iris. The ages and sexes of these individuals are unknown. It is clear that Common Babbler may have ‘paler colour’ irises, at least in the westernmost subspecies, T. c. salvadorii. The frequency with which this characteristic appears is uncertain and we do not know if iris colour varies with age or sex. REFERENCES ALI, S AND SD Riptey. 1971. Handbook of theBirds of India and Pakistan. OUP. Bombay. India. CRAMP, S AND CM PERRINS. 1993. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. VI. OUP. Oxford. UK. WHISTLER, H. 1941. Popular Handbook of Indian Birds. London. UK. Plate 1. Common Babbler Turdoides caudatus with Plate 2. Common Babbler Turdoides caudatus with all-dark irises, Sabah Al-Ahmed Natural Reserve, pale irises, Sabah Al-Anhmed Natural Reserve, Kuwait. © Khalid Al-Nasrallah. Kuwait. © Khalid Al-Nasrallah. 218 Notes Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni in habitat around Mar Saba Monastery, Jerusalem wilderness, Palestine SAMI BACKLEH AND IMAD ATRASH Imad Atrash, e-mail pwls@wildlife-pal.org Pee is part of the Great Rift Valley, and lies in the southwestern section of the junction of three continents, Europe, Asia and Africa, on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. The Rift Valley, stretching from around 20°S in Mozambique to around 34°N in Syria, has created geological conditions in Palestine’s location together that have produced diverse topographical features that have different micro-climates, allowing the country to host one of the richest bird species communities in the Middle East. Several areas are especially important as stopover sites for migrants and others lie beneath major flyways for migratory and passage species. Furthermore, many sites meet the criteria established by Birdlife International and IUCN for Important Bird Areas. Some 13 sites in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip have so far been nationally recognized as IBAs in Palestine. One IBA that supports globally threatened species in Palestine, meeting BirdLife IBA criteria A1 (species of global conservation concern), A3 (biome-restricted species) and A4 (congregations of certain proportion or number), is the Mar Saba Monastery area. Mar Saba, a Byzantine monastery (Plate 1), lies within the boundaries of the Jerusalem Wilderness Area (also called the Judean Plate 2: lesser! Kestrel Falco Leeann on the Mar Saba cliffs, 10 May 05. © Imad Atrash. Cow +. 4 ve > ay be we Z ibe yf ee . = Plate 3. Locust sp corneal encountered it in the Plate 1. Mar Saba Monastery © Agriculture Ministry. Jerusalem Wilderness Area. © Imad Atrash. 219 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 Plate 5. Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni cn Mar Wilderness Area. © Agriculture Ministry. Saba wall, 10 May 05. © Imad Atrash. Desert), which mostly is classified as being in an Irano-Turanian climatic zone, the dominant habitats being montane. This essentially treeless, arid and thin-soiled limestone plateau displays dramatic erosion (Plate 4), and is bisected by wadis draining towards the Dead Sea. Being in the rain-shadow of the central highlands, the region is designated as a hot area that receives very low annual rainfall, the mean varying from 400mm in the west to 150mm in the east. The unique geological formation of the Mar Saba area, its bio-geographic location and its relative abundance of water produced by flash floods and permanent springs all help to create a natural diversity of desert habitats, which is why the Mar Saba area regarded as one of the special IBAs of Palestine, because it hosts the globally threatened Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni in numbers that meet the above IBA criteria. The Lesser Kestrel has a reliable source of food (Plate 3) in this diverse area. Furthermore, this site has experienced a considerable increase in bird numbers not only during the breeding season, but also on passage and in winter, confirming the importance of the part the Jerusalem Wilderness in relation to the migration flyway. The Research and Wildlife Survey Department of the Palestine Wildlife Society implements and initiates bird species and wildlife surveys in a continuous programme throughout the year in the Jerusalem Wilderness, but at certain times, especially spring, activity concentrates on the group of Lesser Kestrels that nest in the holes and caves of the high cliffs that surrounding Mar Saba Monastery. On 2004, from late April to mid-May, the team paid five visits to the monastery and the surrounding area (24 & 26 April, 5, 8 and 15 May) to count and monitor nesting sites and to estimate the probable number of breeding pairs within the 5km* where the species was usually encountered. We found 2 nests inside the monastery itself and at least another 9 nests were recorded immediately outside it. The monitoring and general observation programme took place from mid-February — the first recorded arrival was on 14 Feb) — to mid-June. These research activities were interspersed with education-awareness campaigns for different sectors of the Palestinian community, to raise their perception of the need to protect the Lesser Kestrel and its habitat throughout that area. This approach ties in the eco-tourism value of the area with conservation support at the same time. The research team involved in 2004 were: Imad Atrash (PWLS), Sami Backleh (PWLS), Anton Khalilieh (PWLS), Johan Vanatgarden (Dutch volunteer during April). REFERENCES ATRASH, I. 1999. Important Bird Areas in Palestine. BirdLife International. Middle East Division. Evans, MI. 1994. Important Bird Areas in the Middle East. BirdLife International. Cambridge. UK. 220 Notes A small colony of Purple Heron Ardea purpurea on Bahrif Island, Nile valley, Aswan - a new breeding species for Egypt? DICK HOEK Wilhelminalaan 26 3051 JS Rotterdam, The Netherlands. dickhoek@planet.nl C) 10 May 2007 during bird counts on the west bank of the Nile north of Aswan, my attention was attracted by the typical bubbling colony-sound of Little Egrets Egretta garzetta, coming from Bahrif, a small island (Fig 1) in the middle of the Nile, clearly the species was nesting. I also observed at least 6 Black-crowned Night Herons Nycticorax nycticorax on the island. On 16 and 24 May 2007 we had closer looks by boat. | was accompanied by Haitham Ibrahim, Unit of Environmental Studies & Development South Valley University, Aswan and Chaled Abu Bakr on the first visit and by Samar Hassan and Dr Hoda Yacouli of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency EEAA, Aswan on the second visit I took pictures on both visits. Observations on Bahrif Island This small permanent island, (c2,5 acres at 24°09’34”N, 32°52’31”E) locally is known as Bahrif or Gharb Aswan island, the vegetation being mainly reed Phragmites australis, some small Mimosa Mimosa pigra shrubs and fields of knotgrass Polygonum senegalensis (Plate 1). At the time of the observations the island was nearly inaccessible because the Nile was running high and the reedbeds, partly in shallow water, were so dense. From the upper deck of the boat we could observe the interior of the island, but we did not attempt to land in order to limit disturbance. Over a 40-minute period, we sailed round the island several times to help estimate the numbers of breeding pairs and nests. There were: @ Black-crowned Night Heron: 25-50 m@ Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides: 30-40 @ Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis: >100 @ Little Egret: >100 @ Purple Heron Ardea purpurea: 5-10. Many nests of Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret and Little Egret with adults or chicks were visible. We did not observe any Night Heron nests, but some birds were carrying sticks or flying round the island with sticks, many others perching in the reedbeds. The Purple Herons were concen- trated in the centre of the island, and although we failed to find any nests (probably because of the dense reeds), we observed 8 juveniles, some with downy crown feathers (Plate 2), which I photographed. Probably unable to fly, they clambered towards areas of denser reed. Some 10 birds, probably mostly adults, flew away or hid in the reeds. Our second visit (Plates 3 & 4) revealed at least one juvenile and 4 adults flying from the island and two adults and two juveniles hiding in the reeds. We also noted two Little Bittern [xobrychus minutus and two Grey Herons Ardea cinerea (sex and age unknown) on the island. Table 1: Additional observations of Purple Herons near Bahrif Island, 29 Apri-28 May 2007 Counts & cumulative observation period To the N To the S Near observer 1. 125 point counts, 10.4 hours iL, 11 6 2. one point count, 10 hours 47 13 0 3. observation by boat, 1 hour 1 2 oh 221 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 222 Additional observations of Purple Heron near Bahrif Island From 29 April to 28 May 2007, three separate surveys were carried out in the surroundings of Bahrif Island: 1. From 1-15 May a point count survey in the Nile Valley between the Old Dam in the south and the bridge in the north over 18km at 125 points (many unsuitable heron habitats). Counts were carried out for 5 minutes each. 2. Migration and feeding movements of herons were observed from the east bank of Elephantine Island, (8km south of Bahrif Island) for a total of 10 hours (h) over 6 days: 29 April (1h), 18 May, (2h) 19 May (2h), 20 May (1h), 26 May (2h) and 28 May (2h). Except for 20 May (sunset), all counts were in the morning. 3. Additional observations were made along the west bank between Aswan city and Bahrif Island (6.5km) by boat on 16 May between 08:00 and 09:00 hours. The results of the additional observations are at Table 1. Most, if not all, birds seen were adults. Discussion In Goodman & Meininger (1989) Purple Heron is mentioned only as ‘a fairly common passage visitor’ occurring ‘from late February to mid-May (early June)’ and is ‘a rare summer visitor to the Nile Valley’. Until now there seems to have been no proof of breeding in Egypt (Sherif Baha el Din pers comm). However, Meinertzhagen (1930) had written, ‘there is no reason why they should not do so’. The totals comprising Table 1 suggest the presence of resident birds in the surroundings of Bahrif Island. Incubation and fledging periods are 25-30 and 45-50 days respectively (Cramp & Simmons 1977), and so the presence on 24 May of at least 1 juvenile able to fly means that its incubation time must have begun in early March. The nearest known Purple Heron colonies are more than 900km to the north, in Jordan and Israel, where the breeding season is lasts from mid-March to the end of July (Shirihai 1996, Cramp & Simmons 1977). Figure 1. Map showing Bahrif Island (arrowed). © Dick Hoek Notes Plate 3 aTrniel Haton Ardea Ba TDUIDUTGEe adults and ; a juvenile Little Egret Egretta garzetta and 3 Black- crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax, Bharif Island 24 May 2007. © Dick Hoek IN. Plate 2. ‘Juvenile Purgle Heron Ardea 1 purpurea - se ee downy feathers on crown, Bharif Island 16 May Plate 4. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea, adult and 2007. © Dick Hoek juvenile, Bahrif Island 24 May 2007. © Dick Hoek 223 Sandgrouse 29 (2): 2007 In addition, during bird counts on northern Lake Nasser from 21 to 26 May, we counted 41 Purple Herons (an underestimate). We discovered three heron colonies of Little Egret, Cattle Egret and Squacco Heron in tamarisk Tamarix nilotica shrubs. In one mixed colony in the Khor Essunta area, c50km south of Bahrif Island, cl0 adult Purple Herons were present, some standing on the top of the tamarisk while others flew around (pers obs). Unfortunately we had no time to look more closely, but we cannot exclude the possibility that Purple Heron also bred at this colony. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to thank Mr. Mahmoud Hasseb of the EEAA Aswan, for making a suitable boat available to visit Bahrif Island and for providing a permit to accompany the EEAA rangers on Lake Nasser. REFERENCES Cramp, S AND KEL SIMMONS. 1977. (Eds). The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol 1. Oxford University Press. New York GOODMAN, SM AND Pt MEININGER. 1989. (Eds). The Birds of Egypt. OUP. Oxford & New York. UK & USA. HANCOCK, J AND J KUSHLAN. 1984. The Herons Handbook. Croom Helm. London & Sydney. UK & Australia. MEINERTZHAGEN, R 1930. Birds of Egypt. Vol Il. Hugh Rees. London. UK. PorTER, RF, S CHRISTENSEN AND P SCHIERMACKER-HANSEN. 1996. Birds of the Middle East. Christopher Helm. London. UK. SHIRIHAL, H. 1996. The birds of Israel. Academic Press. London. UK. _ Advertising in Full page: 210mm tallx 135 wide £100 Half page: 100mm tall x 135 wide £60 Quarter page: 100mm tall x 61 wide £40 FULL-COLOUR ADVERT RATES Full page: 210mm tall x 135 wide £200 Back cover: 245mm tall x 170 wide £300 224 GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS (2007) The Editor will consider for publication in Sandgrouse or in Webgrouse (on the OSME Website) original papers that contribute to the body of information about birds of the Middle East and related zoogeographical regions; subject categories include, but are not limited to, species distribution, breeding biology, behav- iour, identification, taxonomy, phylogeny and conservation. The Middle East for this purpose (the OSME region) includes Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt in the west, the Caucasus republics and Kazakhstan in the north, Kyrgyzstan, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan in the east, Oman and Yemen (including the Socotra archipelago) in the south, and all states within the above boundaries. The region follows a line that follows the approxi- mate centreline of the Red Sea to include all islands belonging to Yemen and Saudi Arabia to the latitude of the Egypt-Sudan bor- der on the western coast; north of this latitude, the Red Sea falls entirely in the OSME region. The Arabian Sea eastern limit is 61°24aE and the southern limit is 10°N.The Editor may recom- mend that authors of papers concerning birds on or near the western and eastern limits of the OSME region should submit them to the African and Oriental Bird Clubs respectively. Papers dealing with countries outside the OSME Region will normally be declined unless their emphasis is on species of direct interest to OSME, or concern the migration of species through the Region. It is the Editor’s decision to accept or decline a submission for Sandgrouse or to suggest it for Webgrouse, but discussion is wel- comed on these aspects. 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However, see ‘Abbreviations’ below for the use of ‘Fig’. Note that column head- ings in a Table should be in bold. Abbreviations and the form they take: The general principle of modern abbreviations is that they do not have full stops (periods) following them, the argument being that abbreviations are now recognised as such, and by definition a shortening of a word to form an abbreviation should not be accompanied by adding a full stop to lengthen it! Hence we have ‘in prep’, not ‘in prep.’ for ‘in preparation’. Examples are; asl (not a.s.l.) = above sea level, (pers obs) = personal observation(s), not (pers. obs.) or (pers obs) or (pers. obs.) and eg (not e.g. nor eg) = exempli gratia, for example. General rules: Firstly, words and abbreviations from Latin and occasional- ly other languages are in italic. Examples are; et al (not et al. or et al) = and others, ie (not 1.e. or ie) = that is, c is the preferred abbre- viation for ‘circa’ = approximately (not c. or c.), and it should be used without a space between it and the quantity, thus: ‘c10 nests’, cf and not ‘cf.’ or ‘cf.’ for ‘compare’, unpub and not unpubl (Preferably, ‘unpub’ should be followed by ‘data’, ‘ms’, ‘notes’ or similar) and 1km (not 1 km or 1 Km or 1 km.) = one kilometre. Lastly, Fig (not Fig. or Fig.) = Figure; the use of this abbreviation is preferred in articles, but if ‘Figure’ is used, please be consistent. Secondly, the number of the Figure is also in Bold, thus: Fig 1 or Fig 6. Thirdly, for abbreviations of quantity, the abbreviation remains singular even when the quantities are plural, eg 1km, 2km or 500km. References and Citations In the reference list, the first author’s surname is followed by the relevant initials. Subsequent authors should have their initials placed before the surname. The gener- al rule is that we treat authors of papers first as human beings, and so apart from the lead or sole author whose surname must appear first to keep reference lists searchable in alphabetic order, we place the initials first. Note that: All references cited in the text must appear in the Reference List. All references appearing in the Reference List must be cited in the text. Published and generally available references should be classed as Primary References, whereas internal reports and Web references should be called Secondary References. The general form of listing references should follow the example below of the two references cited in these Guidelines. A citation in the text with 3 or more authors should cite only the first author, thus ‘(Smith ef al 2000), omitting periods (full stops) and without a separating comma (see also ef a/ in ‘Abbreviations’ above. Multiple citations in the text within a single set of brackets normally should be separated by a comma (,), thus: (Jones & Smith 1999, Heath et al 2000, Ramadan-Jaradi 2004). However, multiple citations of a single author or the same team of authors may require separation by a semi-colon, thus: (Brown 1998, 1999, 2001; Jones & Smith 1999, Ramadan-Jaradi 2004). Citing an author by - name within the text is unchanged, thus: ‘as recorded by Jones (1997)’. Do not use full stops (periods) to separate an author’s ini- tials in the Reference List, hence ‘JFP SMITH’ and not ‘J.F.P. SMITH’ (Note the use of ‘SMALL CapPITALs’). A citation with two authors should follow ‘(Smith & Jones 2000)’ in the text, using the amper- sand (&), but should be written as ‘SMITH, JFP AND AB JONES. 2000.’ in the Reference List. General The first mention of a species in any paper must include the species name, thus: ‘House Sparrow Passer domesticus’, with- out brackets. However, English is such a flexible language that sometimes context may still require the use of brackets. Please do not repeat the scientific name in the text unless comparisons between one or more species are being drawn. Summaries of full- length papers should be less than 300 words, should not cite refer- ences and should cover only the subjects contained in the main text. We adopt the convention that authors will receive one or more edited electronic versions of their original texts to check for typographical errors and to confirm that the changes have not altered the meaning of the content before the journal is sent for typesetting. No changes of substance can be made to typeset proofs. In research journals, the convention remains of using the third person and the passive voice, purportedly to allow a neutral presentation. Sandgrouse encourages use of the first person and active voice, while noting that the more technical papers may ben- efit from the former, non-partisan style. Short Notes do not require summaries. REFERENCES DICKINSON, EC. 2003. ( eo): The Howard and Moore complete checklist of the birds of the world. 3!“ edn. Christopher Helm. London. UK. GILL, F anD M Wricnt. 2006. Birds of the World: Recommended English Names. Princeton University Press. Princeton New Moree USA/Christopher Helm. London. UK. “$4 ae mA Sunbird, PO Box 76, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 1DF, UK Tel: 44 01767 262522 Fax: 44 01767 262916