SANDGROUSE VOLUME 31(2).2009 ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST a THE CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA OSME OSME was founded in 1978 as the successor to the Ornithological Society of Turkey. Its primary aims are: ¢ To coliect, collate and publish data on all aspects of the birds of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. e To promote an interest in ornithology and bird conservation throughout the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. ¢ To develop productive working relationships with governmental and non-governmental organizations with an interest in conservation and/or natural history in the region. PUBLICATIONS OSME publishes a scientific journal, Sandgrouse, containing papers, news and features on the ornithology of the OSME region. MEETINGS An Annual General Meeting is held at which guest speakers provide new perspectives on ornithology in the region. PROJECTS The Conservation & Research Committee grants funds to valuable projects that further knowledge and conservation of birds in the region. Priority is given to projects involving nationals from the OSME region. MEMBERSHIP OSME is open to all. For details of membership, subscription fees and how to join see Www.osme.org. MEBIRDNET This is a discussion and information group moderated by OSME. To join see www.osme. org. POSTAL ADDRESS OSME c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SGA) ABIL ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST ) ee THE CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA VICE PRESIDENTS (AS AT JUNE 2009) Ali Adhami Mirhosseyni Dan Alon Ali bin Amer Al-Kiyumi Imad Atrash Akram Eissa Darwish Sherif Baha El] Din Ramaz Gokhelashvili Ghassan Ramadan Jaradi Mona Ramadan Jaradi Sergey Sklyarenko COUNCIL (AS AT JUNE 2009) Michael Blair Richard Bonser Ian Harrison « Secretary secretary@osme.org Sharif Al Jbour Guy Kirwan Chris Lamsdell « Advertising ads@osme.org Richard Prior « Publicity publicity@osme.org Colin Richardson Effie Warr « Sales & Distribution (co-opted) sales@osme.org John Warr « Treasurer & Membership (co- opted) treasurer@osme.org Geoff Welch ¢ Chairman chairman@osme.org ¢ Conservation & Research crf@osme.org OSME CORPORATE MEMBERS Avifauna Greentours NHBS Rockjumper Birding Tours Sarus Bird Tours Sunbird Registered charity no 282938 ©2009 Ornithological Society of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. www.osme.org — SANDGROUSE 106 109 112 122 128 134 138 140 146 160 163 171 177 79 182 VOLUME 31 (2) 2009 Further on the diet of wintering Long-eared Owls Asio otus in northern Israel. ReUveN Yoser & KoBl MEYROM Juvenile plumage of the Socotra Bunting Emberiza socotrana. PETER G RYAN, RF PorTER, BARRIE ROSE & AHMED SAEED SULEIMAN Western flyway of the Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus: further releases of captive-reared birds in Iran. SADEGH SADEGHI ZADEGAN, CRAWFORD PRENTICE & ELENA ILYASHENKO The Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina in the North Caucasus, Russian Federation: taxonomic status, genetic diversity, breeding density and nest site characteristics. ULO VAL, VIKTOR P BELIK & IGOR 'G BABKIN Status of Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus in the North Caucasus, Russian Federation. GS DZHAMIRZOEV & SA BUKREEV The rediscovery of breeding Shikras Accipiter badius in the Western Palaearctic. MICHAEL Heiss & KAl GAUGER First record of Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus (rubescens) japonicus for Turkey. At! ATAHAN & MEHMET ATAHAN The Ras Baalbek semi-desert: Lebanon’s aridland area and its birds. RICHARD PRIOR & COLIN CONROY Ornithological surveys in Bamiyan province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. SIMON BUSUTTIL & RAFFAEL AYE Aberrant moult in an adult male Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus phoenicuroides. LAURENT DEMONGIN & REUVEN YOSEF On the nomenclature of the so-called Isabelline Shrike. EN PANov Black-headed Penduline Tits Remiz macronyx in Kazakhstan. SANDER BoT & RENE E VAN Dijk First record of Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris in Qatar. MICHAEL CHALMERS Relationship between nesting Isabelline Wheatears Oenanthe isabellina and a burrowing rodent (a jird Meriones sp). SIMON AsPINALL Status, seasonality and distribution of the Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus at Khafrah Marsh, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. BRIAN S MEADOWS 189 193 196 197 207 208 / Sandgrouse 31 (2009) Photospot: Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinit. Reviews. OSME News. Georr WELCH News & Information. DAWN BALMER (COMPILER) Obituary: Steen Christensen. Around the Region. DAWN BALMER & DAVID MURDOCH (COMPILERS) Photo above: Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis southern Israel (just north of Eilat), April. © Paul Doherty Cover photo: Cretzschmar’s Bunting Emberiza caesia. © Mehmet Goren 105 Further on the diet of wintering Long-eared Owls Asio otus in northern Israel REUVEN YOSEF & KOBI MEYROM In Israel, the Long-eared Owl Asio otus was classified as a scarce to uncommon resident in most low lying regions of the country and to some extent a rare to scarce migrant; and also as a winter visitor (Shirihai 1996). In recent years in Israel, the species has established further breeding populations and its numbers have increased greatly since 2002 with breeding pairs spreading into suburban and urban habitats (Dovrat & Meyrose 2005). They have also spread extensively into the Negev desert (Leader et al 2008). It was previously suggested that raptors (Mendelson & Yom-Tov 1987) and Long-eared Owls (Yosef 1997) in northern Israel subsist during the winter period mostly on the very common Field Vole (Microtus socialis guenther1). Since these preliminary studies of winter- ing birds, Leader et al (2008) have studied the diet of Long-eared Owl breeding pairs in the northern and central Negev desert, and Kiat et al (2008) described feeding specializations of an urban Long-eared Owl pair in Jerusalem. Following intensive attempts to eradicate voles in the northern parts of Israel and a steady decline in the number of wintering Long-eared Owls at a traditional roost site there (Yesod Hamaala), we considered it important to document whether there have been any obvious dietary changes so that pressures on the owls’ wintering site could be bet- ter understood. Mikkola (1983) considered pellet analysis to be a reliable technique that reflected the species’ diet. STUDY AREA & METHODS Yesod Hamaala (33° 03’ 27” N, 35° 36’ 29” E) is a collective-farming settlement in northern Israel. It is close to the Hula nature reserve and has many private gardens with ornamen- tal bushes and trees. In the garden of a particular house, there is a concentration of River Sheoak Casuarina cunninghamiana, Silk-oak Grevillea robusta and Brazilian Pepper-tree Schinus terebinthifolius that has served as a winter roost for several owl species, mostly Long-eared Owls. The owner of the garden contends that the first of the spring heat waves initiates the return of the owls to their breeding grounds. We visited the site 4 times in 1995 (Yosef 1997) and 7 times 2002-2004 and collected a total of 731 pellets at the base of the roost trees. As the overwhelming number of owls at the roost were Long-eared Owls and most of the others are of similar body size, and produce pellets of a similar size to those of the Long-eared Owl, no effort was made to try and separate the pellets by species All pellets were oven dried, separated, and the con- tents analyzed for prey content. We treated each pellet as containing the remains of the complete portion of the prey eaten (Raczyfiski & Ruprecht 1974). However, not all pellets were found complete and some were broken up, or had disintegrated because of the rain, resulting in different sample sizes. RESULTS & DISCUSSION On the 11 different visits 1995-2004 (17, 24, 31 Jan, 25 Mar 1995, 29 Dec 2002, 15 Jan, 11 Feb, 23 Dec 2003, 6, 19 Jan, 1 Feb 2004) we counted an average of 42 (28-61) owls at the site, with a total of 463 owl-days. In all counts the dominant species was Long-eared Owl (429, 92.6%), but we also saw Barn Owl (Tyto alba, 18, 3.9%), Scops Owl (Otus scops, 11, 2.4%) and Tawny Owl (Strix aluco, 5, 1.1%). 106 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) The average pellet length was 41.8 mm (411.8, range 22.14—73.81, N = 512), breadth at widest part 25.84 mm (44.4, 21.85-32.1, N = 512) and width at midsection 16.8 mm (+2.1, 15.4—24.3, N = 432). These dimensions are within the range mentioned by Mikkola (1983) for European countries. A total of 1287 prey items were in the 731 pellets, an average of 1.76 (range 1-5) prey per pellet. Remains of 1236 (96%) Field Voles, 35 (2.7%) amphibians (Green Toads Bufo viridis, tree frogs Hyla spp), and 17 (1.3%) unidentified passerines (Table 1) were found. In 27 (2.1%) we found vegetation and particles of dust or stone imbedded in the pellet sug- gesting ingestion by the owls either accidentally with the prey or intentionally to aid with digestion. A comparison between the pellets collected in 1995 (Yosef 1997) and those in 2002-2004 shows that the Field Vole continues to be the dominant prey species in the diet of the Long-eared Owls at Yesod Hamaala. However, the percentage of voles has decreased by 5% while there is a slight increase in the number of amphibians and birds (Table 1). This is probably a result of an increase in sampling size/years sampled. If this is a real trend the owls would have to resort to finding alternative prey to voles. Additional years of obser- vation are required to establish whether there is any change in the diet of the Long-eared Owls at Yesod Hamaala and, indeed, if they are altering their hunting regimes to accom- modate the vole eradication practiced in the agricultural fields. Mikkola (1983) reported for several European countries that the Long-eared Owl fed not only upon voles, even though it was numerically by far the commonest prey, but also on a wide variety of small and medium sized mammals. Owls only very occasionally took amphibians, fish or invertebrates. In our study, the diet was similar in composition to those reported in Europe, with small mammals constituting the majority of prey, although the percentage of microtines is the highest of 179 diet studies reviewed in Williams (1996) and higher than that of sub- sequent studies (eg Tome 2003, Kiat et al 2008). This is probably the result of the wintering Long-eared Owls hunting in a comparatively homogenous agricultural environment (see Martinez & Zuborogoitia 2004) where the abundance of the Field Voles outnumbers those of other small mammal species (cf Erlinge 1987). The above may also be a result of the vulnerability of the voles in winter when their burrows are flooded by the rains and they Table |. A comparison of the prey of wintering Long-eared Owls Asio otus in the Hula valley (1995, 2002—2004), and of Asio otus breeding pairs in the northern Negev desert (Leader et al 2008) and Jerusalem (Kiat et al 2008). Small mammals in the Hula valley were exclusively Field Voles Microtus socialis guentheri but comprised a range of other species in the northern Negev and Jerusalem. Yesod Hamaala, Hula Northern Negev Jerusalem 1995 2002-2004 2002-2003 2002-2005 No. Pellets 279 452 3034 107 No. Prey 438 849 4668 150 Prey/Pellet 1-57. 1.87 1.54 1.4 Small Mammals 434 (99.1%) 802 (94.4%) 3327 (71.3%) 12 (8.0%) Amphibians 3 (0.7%) 32 (3.8%) Birds | (0.2%) 16 (1.9%) 1236 (26.5%) 136 (90.7%) Reptiles 3 (0.1%) Invertebrates 102 (2.0%) 2 (1.3%) Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 107 are forced to the surface. Also, as temperatures can be quite low in the Hula valley area, voles probably need to forage more frequently in winter (KM pers obs) exposing them to predation by the owls. : The Long-eared Owl has been described as having a more specialized diet than other sympatric owls (Andrews 1990) while other studies show that they are opportunistic (Bertolino et al 2001). Our study and those of Leader et al (2008) from the Negev desert and Kiat et al (2008) from Jerusalem suggest opportunistic feeding behaviour of the over- wintering and breeding populations of Long-eared Ow] in Israel. The Yesod Hamaala wintering population may well be dependent on the voles for their survival. It is likely that the voles are the only numerous prey species at the wintering site and hence vole eradication would need to be controlled. Long-eared Owls may be oppor- tunistic hunters but if their prey base is lost we are liable to loose these over-wintering populations. An in-depth behavioural and foraging study is needed to understand if owls need to spend more time and energy to gain the same amount of food. Another problem brought to our attention by the land owner is that it is imperative to regulate the visits by birdwatching groups at the roost sites of the owls. In recent years the number of disturbances to the owls has increased greatly owing to growing awareness by the public, and this may also have resulted in fewer owls being observed at this traditional roost. Ensuring a good supply of microtine prey, minimizing human disturbance and the establishment of a long-term study of the wintering population should ensure that the Long-eared Owls will continue to winter in the traditional roost at Yesod Hamaala. REFERENCES Andrews, P. 1990. Owls, caves and fossils. Natural History Museum Publications, London. Bertolino, S, E Ghiberti & A Perrone. 2001. Feeding ecology of the Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) in northern Italy: is it a dietary specialist? Canadian Journal of Zoology 79: 2192-2198. Dovrat, E & A Merose. 2005. Long-eared Owl breeding survey. Torgos 33: 9-23. Erlinge, S. 1987. Predation and noncyclicity in a microtine population in Southern Sweden. Oikos 50: 347-352. Kiat, Y, G Perlman, A Balaban, Y Leshem, I Izhaki & M Charter. 2008. Feeding specialization of urban Long- eared Owls Asio otus (Linnaeus, 1758), in Jerusalem, Israel. Zoology in the Middle East 43: 49-54. Leader, Z, Y Yom-Tov & U Motro. 2008. Diet of the Long-eared Owl in the northern and central Negev Desert, Israel. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 120: 641-645. Martinez, JA & I Zuberogoitia. 2004. Habitat preferences for Long-eared Owls Asio otus and Little Owls Athene noctua in semi-arid environments at three spatial scales. Bird Study 51: 163-169. Mendelson, H & Y Yom-Tov. 1987. Plants and animals of the land of Israel. Vol 7. Ministry of Defence Publisher, Tel Aviv. Mikkola, H. 1983. Owls of Europe. T & AD Poyser, Calton, UK. Raczynski, J & AL Ruprecht. 1974. The effect of digestion on the osteological composition of owl pellets. Acta Ornithologica 14: 25-37. Shirihai, H. 1996. The birds of Israel. Academic Press, London. Tome, D. 2003. Functional response of the Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) to changing prey numbers: a 20-year study. Ornis Fennica 80: 63-70. Williams, RSR. 1996. Ecology and population dynamics of the Long-eared Owl Asio otus. PhD thesis, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. Yosef, R. 1997. Diet of Long-eared Owls Asio otus wintering in the Khula Valley, Israel. Sandgrouse 19: 148-149. Reuven Yosef, International Birding & Research Centre in Eilat, PO Box 774, Eilat 88000, Israel. ibrce@eilatcity.co.il Kobi Meyrom, Kibbutz Nir David, Mobile Post Har Gilboa 19150, Israel. 108 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) Juvenile plumage of the Socotra Bunting Emberiza socotrana PETER G RYAN, RF PORTER, BARRIE ROSE & AHMED SAEED SULEIMAN The Socotra Bunting Emberiza socotrana is a poorly known species confined to the island of Socotra. It is listed as Vulnerable due to its small range, low density, and patchy distribu- tion within apparently suitable habitat (BirdLife International 2004). The total population is estimated to be c300 pairs or 1400 individuals (Porter & Suleiman in prep). No nests have been found, but it is thought to breed from 600 to over 1200 m elevation (Byers et al 1995, Morton 1996, Fry & Keith 2004, Porter & Suleiman in prep), although Alex Forbes-Watson collected more birds at lower elevations (Ripley & Bond 1966). Males have been recorded singing in the highlands from December-—February, and a female collected in mid-Febru- ary had a brood patch (Byers et al 1995, Kirwan et al 1996). Adults observed moulting in early April (see below) suggest that breeding is completed by then. These observations and those below confirm a winter breeding season for Socotra Buntings. Adults are readily separated from Cinnamon-breasted Rock Buntings E. tahapisi, the only other bunting on Socotra, by their rich chestnut wing coverts, whitish (not cinnamon- washed) belly and whitish lower back/rump, noticeable in flight (Byers et al 1995). Adults have a striking black-and-white striped head, a grey-brown mantle streaked blackish brown, a pale grey back with bold blackish chevrons, and a pale grey rump with dif- fuse dark streaks (Plate 1). The wing coverts are chestnut brown, with dark brown inner webs to the greater coverts. The throat is whitish, contrasting with a rich cinnamon breast, which grades into a whitish belly (Plate 2). Outside of the breeding season the Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 109 Plate 2. Frontal view of an adult Socotra Bunting Emberiza socotrana, Skand protected area, 5 April 2007 © PG Ryan Plate 3. (left) Juvenile Socotra Bunting Emberiza socotrana, Mahlih plateau, 10 February 2004 © RF Porter Plate 4. (right) Juvenile Socotra Bunting Emberiza socotrana, Mahlih plateau, 10 February 2004 © RF Porter rich colouration on the breast is greatly reduced. Adult females are slightly duller, with brownish-black head stripes, but the juvenile plumage has not been described (Byers et al 1995, Fry & Keith 2004). On 10 February 2004, RFP and ASS, together with Simon Geel watched and photo- graphed a pair of Socotra Buntings with at least two fledged young on the limestone slopes of the Mahlih plateau. This area appears to hold a good population of Socotra Buntings. Subsequently, on 3 and 5 April 2007, PGR, BR and ASS visited the Skand protected area in the Hajhir (Hagghier) range, where ASS knew that Socotra Buntings were relatively common. At least 5 adults (5 together at one stage, but probably more) and 1-2 juveniles were observed in an area of a few hectares of rocky hill-slopes, feeding on the ground in 110 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) Plate 5. Juvenile Socotra Bunting Emberiza socotrana, Plate 6. Juvenile Socotra Bunting Emberiza socotrana, Skand protected area, 5 April 2007 © PG Ryan Skand protected area, 5 April 2007 © PG Ryan an area of relatively lush vegetation close to a stock post. No singing was heard, and at least some adults were moulting rectrices. The juvenile(s) were loosely associated with adult birds, and were also photographed. They occasionally gave a high-pitched ‘tseep’ call, possibly in an attempt to solicit food from their parents, although feeding of juveniles was not observed. The juvenile plumage (Plates 3-6) is quite distinct, much duller than adult plumage, with somewhat indistinct grey-brown head stripes with darker streaks. The median crown stripe is reduced or absent, and the supercilium is off-white with a few darker feathers. The whitish cheek stripe is much less well-defined, with a greyish patch almost connecting the moustachial and eye-stripes beneath the eye. The mantle is slightly paler than in the adult, and the wing coverts have dark brown central streaks. The remiges and rectrices are blackish brown with chestnut outer margins. The throat is off-white, merging into a warm buff-brown breast with noticeable brown streaking on the upper breast. The belly is creamy, with a buff wash on the flanks. The eyes are dark brown, similar to the adults, but the bill is duller, with a pale horn (not yellowish) lower mandible. The legs are pink developing into flesh or pinkish-brown, not yellowish-horn as in adults. REFERENCES BirdLife International. 2004. Threatened birds of the world. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. Byers, C, U Olsson & J Curson. 1995. Buntings and sparrows: a guide to the buntings and North American spar- rows. Pica Press, Sussex, UK. Fry, CH & S Keith. 2004. The Birds of Africa. Vol 7. Christopher Helm, London. Kirwan, GM, RP Martins, KM Morton & DA Showler. 1996. The status of birds in Socotra and ‘Abd Al-Kuri and the records of the OSME survey in spring 1993. Sandgrouse 17: 83-101. Morton, KM. 1996. The Socotra bunting Emberiza socotrana. Sandgrouse 17: 155-157. Porter, RF & AS Suleiman. In prep. The population and distribution of the breeding birds of Socotra. BirdLife International/Socotra Conservation & Development Programme. Ripley, SD & GM Bond. 1966. The birds of Socotra and Abd-el-kuri. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 151(7): 1-37. Peter G Ryan & Barrie Rose, Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa. peter.ryan@uct.ac.za RF Porter, c/o BirdLife International, Girton Road, Cambridge, CB3 ONA, UK. Ahmed Saeed Suleiman, Socotra Conservation and Development Programme, Ministry of Water and Environment, PO Box 16494, Sana’a, Yemen. Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 111 Western flyway of the Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus: further releases of captive- reared birds in Iran SADEGH SADEGHI ZADEGAN, CRAWFORD PRENTICE & ELENA ILYASHENKO The Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus is the world’s third rarest crane after the Whooping G. americana and Red-crowned Cranes G. japonensis. It is listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (www.iucnredlist.org) as a critically endangered species. The Siberian Crane total population was believed to number only a few hundred until 1981, when a wintering flock of 830-850 was discovered at Poyang lake along the middle Yangtze river in China. Subsequent field surveys have revised the total population estimate to c3500 birds. The species (CMS/ICF 2008) is divided into two populations, the Eastern and Western/ Central Asian, which used three migration routes (Figure 1). Genetically, there is no signif- icant difference between the populations despite their geographical isolation (Ponomarev et al 2004). There are two flocks or groups of birds within the W/C Asian population, one of which migrated to India and the other to Iran. Now there are so few birds left, that it is difficult to say how they represent past population(s), even though we know they had different wintering grounds and migration routes. Currently, more than 99% of the world’s total population of Siberian Cranes belongs to the Eastern population. These birds breed in north-eastern Siberia and winter along the middle Yangtze river in China. The Central Asian flock of Siberian Cranes recently nested on the riparian lowlands of the Kunovat river in western Siberia. It traditionally migrated 5000 km southeast over the now Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, before arriving at the wintering grounds in Keoladeo national park in Rajasthan, India. The last known pair wintered there in 2001/2002 and currently there are no individuals that are known to winter in India. Based on successful satellite tracking of one wild Siberian Crane (Sorokin & Markin 1996) and subsequent observations at the same site, the Western Asian flock is thought to breed in the centre of west Siberia, in the Russian Federation. The Western migration route reaches wintering grounds on the Caspian lowlands of northern Iran (Figure 1), but the wintering flock has steadily declined to just one known wild bird at the present time. The most important stopover sites are the Naurzum nature reserve (Kazakhstan) and Astrakhan nature reserve (Volga river delta, Russian Federation). The cranes remain at these staging areas for 1-3 weeks while at other stopovers they remain only overnight or for a few days. From Astrakhan, the cranes fly along the west side of the Caspian sea over Dagestan (Agrakhan federal wildlife refuge in the Terek river estuary, Russian Federation) and Azerbaijan (cape Sharabad, Shirvan steppe national park, with a short stopover in Kurinskaya Kosa in the Kyzyl-Aghach nature reserve). The migration route continues towards the east along the south side of the Caspian sea to flooded rice fields used for duck trapping (damgahs) near Fereydoon Kenar, Iran. The Siberian Cranes usually arrive on these wintering grounds in late October or early November and remain until late February or early March (CMS/ICF 2008). CONSERVATION EFFORTS The history of Siberian Crane conservation started in 1973 with cooperation between Dr Vladimir Flint and Drs George Archibald and Ronald Sauey, co-founders of the 112 = Sandgrouse 31 (2009) PAL AY Ze 244 g by = Primary Migration Corridors for Siberian Cranes ee Siberian Crane Range States @ UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetland Project Sites 4 Sites Covered Under Other Projects ® 60°E 80°E 100°E 120°E Map by the International Crane Foundation 2005 Cartographer: Zoé Rickenbach Figure |. Map of Siberian Crane’s Grus leucogeranus three flyways. Key for the two western flyways: | Kunovat river basin (breeding site), 2 Konda & Alymka river basins (breeding), 3 Tyumen & Kurgan transboundary wetlands (migration), 4 Tontegir hollow & Zhanshura lake (migration), 5 Naurzum nature reserve (migration), 6 Urkash & Zharsor lakes (migration), 7 Kulykol lake (migration), 8 Ural river delta (potential migration stopover), 9 Volga river delta (migration), 10 Shirvan national park (migration), || Kyzyl-Aghach nature reserve (migration), 12 Bujagh/ Sefid Rud delta (potential wintering site), 13 Amirkelayekh & Rud Posht (potential wintering site), 14 Fereydoon Kenar (wintering), 15 Tengiz lake (migration), 16 Ab-i-Estada (migration), 17 Keoladeo national park (wintering). International Crane Foundation. They also pioneered conservation work with the Siberian Crane through collaboration with Iran, Afghanistan, India and China. This conservation work was expanded to all Siberian Crane range states which signed a “Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Conservation Measures for the Siberian Crane” in 1993. Besides the 11 range states, several conservation organizations such as the International Crane Foundation (ICF), the Wild Bird Society of Japan, Wetlands International and the Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 113 Cracid & Crane Breeding and Conservation Centre (CBCC) have signed this agreement (Archibald et al 2007). From this base, ICF, with the governments of the Russian Federation, Iran, Kazakhstan and China, launched a joint initiative adopting the Siberian Crane as a flagship species to develop and maintain networks of globally important wetlands along its flyways in West/Central and East Asia. The Siberian Crane Wetlands Project (GCWP, www.scwp.info) started in 2003, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In W/C Asia, it aims to secure the effective management of the critical sites used by Siberian Cranes in Iran, Kazakhstan and Russia as an essential basis for the continuation of the reintroduc- tion project (Moermond et al 2008). WINTERING POPULATION AND ITS HABITAT IN NORTHERN IRAN Two provinces in Iran border the Caspian sea, Gilan in the west and Mazandaran in the east. Siberian Cranes were first reported in lowland areas of Gilan in the early part of the 20th century. However, they have not been seen there during the comprehensive mid-win- ter waterfowl counts done by the Iranian Department of the Environment, conducted since the 1960’s. In 1978, a small group of 10-12 cranes was discovered near the coastal town of Fereydoon Kenar in Mazandaran province. They were wintering at three duck and goose trapping complexes, damgahs (Farsi: “the place where birds are caught in a net”). The larg- est damgah (200 ha) is close to Fereydoon Kenar while the others are smaller and lie further west near the villages of Esbaran (25 ha) and Sorkh Rud (25 ha). The Siberian Cranes move between these damgahs and occasionally to rice fields bordering them. The cranes usually select ankle-deep water where they forage on a variety of aquatic food items including sedge tubers, small aquatic animals, seeds and green vegetation. Typically, they dig in the mud for their food (Meine & Archibald 1996, Markin et al 2002). Each damgah consists of a large area of harvested rice fields flooded artificially to a depth of 10-30 cm and bordered by a narrow strip of forest with trees standing cl10 m tall. The inner side of the forest strip is lined by a wall of woven reeds standing c1.5 m high, a wall that must be rebuilt annually before the arrival of the migratory birds. Trappers hide in the forest and behind the wall from where they operate their traps. Thousands of ducks, geese and shorebirds rest in the damgah during daylight hours. At dusk and at night they fly to other rice fields to feed, protected from hunters by darkness. The majority of the waterfowl that gather in the damgahs are dabbling ducks. Common Teal Anas crecca, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos and Northern Pintail Anas acuta are the most abundant while Gadwall Anas strepera, Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata, Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope and Garganey Anas querquedula are not uncommon. There are lesser num- bers of diving ducks including Common Aythya ferina and Red-crested Pochards Netta rufina and Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula. The geese are predominantly Greylags Anser anser, although there are fair numbers of Greater White-fronted Anser albifrons and occa- sional Lesser White-fronted Anser erythropus and Red-breasted Geese Branta ruficollis. Flocks of thousands of Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa, hundreds of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo, many egrets and herons, and a variety of raptors also find sanctuary in the damgahs. The International Waterbird Census (www.wetlands.org) provides a strong dataset, over eight years, on the occurrence of various species at the Fereydoon Kenar non shooting area. The Siberian Crane population at the Fereydoon Kenar wintering site numbered between 9 and 14 birds until the late 1990’s, and usually included one or two juveniles. Within the largest damgah, pairs defended large territories against the intrusion of other Siberian Cranes. It appeared that the damgah could support only three to four pairs. The smaller damgahs did not support territorial pairs suggesting they might not be large 114 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) enough for such a function. However, these damgahs were often used as feeding and roosting sites by non-territorial Siberian Cranes, which were perhaps unpaired and sub- adult birds. The smaller damgahs are also used if the cranes are disturbed at the large damgah (CMS/ICF 2008). Due to various factors such as the space demands of the cranes, natural mortality, illegal hunting and habitat destruction, the population not only failed to increase above 9-14 birds, but then started to fall. The population was 9 birds in 1996/97 and 1997/98, 7 in 1998/99, 5 in 2000/01, 3 (adults) in 2001/02 and 2002/03 and 3 adults and one juvenile in 2003/04. In 2004/05 three adults (a pair and a single bird) spent the winter at Fereydoon Kenar, but only two single cranes arrived in autumn 2005. In autumn 2006, again two single Siberian Cranes arrived on the wintering grounds, but one disappeared in January 2007 (CMS/ICF 2008). In winters 2007/08 and 2008/2009 only a single wild Siberian Crane arrived and wintered. Aerial surveys over other wetlands in Mazandaran province in 2000 failed to find Siberian Cranes. Comprehensive ground surveys in both Gilan and Mazandaran prov- inces in 2000 and 2003 (Markin & Sadeghi Zadegan 2003c) also failed to locate cranes at other sites, and the annual midwinter waterbird counts across the south Caspian lowlands have not found any. However, the existence of additional birds is confirmed by the sight- ing of 4 Siberian Cranes in Astrakhan nature reserve almost one month after the arrival of two Siberian Cranes on the wintering grounds in Iran in 2006 (Rusanov 2007). In addi- tion, there have been some unconfirmed Siberian Crane sightings at breeding sites in West Siberia (Markin et al 2007) and regular observations of 2-7 Siberian Cranes during migration stopovers in Naurzum nature reserve in Kazakhstan (Bragin 2003, 2005, 2007). All these sightings suggest the exist- ence of additional wintering sites. SIBERIAN CRANES IN CAPTIVITY The Siberian Crane is held in captivity at various institutions. ICF (USA), Oka Crane Breeding Centre (OCBC, Plate 1, Russian Federation) and CBCC (Belgium) have the biggest captive flocks. The 4th issue of the International Siberian Crane Studbook was prepared in 2006 and includes informa- tion on 326 captive Siberian Cranes (129 males, 127 females and 70 others) held by 40 agencies in 10 countries (Kashentseva & Belterman 2007). A total of 104 captive-bred Siberian Cranes from the OCBC have been released into the wild between 1992 and 2008, as follows (Tatiana Kashentseva pers comm 2008, updated by SSZ): 30 in the north of west Siberia in Kunovat wildlife refuge (Russia), 53 in the south of Tyumen region in Belozerskiy wildlife refuge (Russia), 9 in Volga river delta in Astrakhan nature Plate |. Parent-reared Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus chick, Oka Crane Breeding Centre, Russian Federation. reserve (Russia), 8 in Fereydoon Kenar (Iran) © T. Kashentseva and 4 in Keoladeo national park (India). Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 115 RELEASE HISTORY OF CAPTIVE-BRED SIBERIAN CRANES IN IRAN Detailed information on the Siberian Crane releases at the wintering grounds in Fereydoon Kenar is presented below. Winter 1996/97. Two adult males, ‘Yertle’ and ‘Arjan’, that were parent-reared in captivity at ICF, USA, were imported into Iran in late winter. These birds and a wild male captured at the release site were ringed with colour bands and had PTTs (donated by Wild Bird Society of Japan) attached and were released at a trapping unit in Fereydoon Kenar. The captive-reared cranes did not join the wild cranes and did not migrate. One of them was recaptured and held at Pardisan eco-park, Tehran, and died in captivity in 2006. However, the wild crane carrying the PTT migrated west across the Caspian lowlands, across Azerbaijan, Chechnya, and then to the Volga delta where it remained for 17 days before continuing northwest to a presumed breeding area just east of the Ural Mountains and northwest of Tyumen city in Uvat region (Sorokin & Markin 1996). Winter 2002/03. In January 2003, three young Siberian Cranes raised at the OCBC were sent to the wintering grounds near Fereydoon Kenar. Two of the birds, “Khoper’ and ‘Don’, both males, reared using an isolation technique, had participated in a hang-glider experiment in 2002, making the long flight from the breeding grounds near Kunovat to Armizon (SW Siberia). The third crane, a female named Angara, was parent-reared. On 13 January 2003, Angara was ringed with a yellow plastic band with black number 77 and had a satellite transmitter (PTT number 15417) attached. She was released into a second, recently-built, damgah at Sorkh Rud, the wintering site of a male wild Siberian Crane and a young Eurasian Crane Grus grus. On 16 January, Don and Khoper were released into Fereydoon Kenar damgah, where there was a wild pair of Siberian Cranes. But on 3 March, for various reasons, Don and Khoper were returned to captivity (to Bujagh national park, Iran, a potential wintering site), where they later died. On 2 March, Angara, the wild pair of Siberian Cranes and the young Eurasian : Crane left the area, presumably commenc- ing migration (Markin & Sadeghi Zadegan 2003a). PITT data showed Angara’s route from Fereydoon Kenar, through Azerbaijan to Dagestan (Russia). After 4 March, in Dagestan, the receiving of PTT data stopped, but on 28 April (after nearly two months) it recommenced from almost the same loca- tion. PTT data continued to come throughout May until 10 June 2003 (Ilyashenko 2003). Observation of the area in Dagestan where the last stationary PTT data were received was conducted, but neither the bird nor the PTT were found (Dzhamirzoyev & Bukreev 2003). Winter 2003/04. Two young Siberian Cranes, ‘Vokhma’, a male, and ‘Suna’, a female, parent-reared at OCBC, were released at Fereydoon Kenar damgah, on 26 and 27 December 2003 respectively. Vokhma was ringed with a standard metal ring (A145985) Plate 2. Suna just after release at Fereydoon Kenar on the right leg and a blue-white-yellow damgah, 7 November 2005. © S Sadeghi Zadegan 116 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) Plate 3. Arrival of Inya and Vitim at Fereydoon Kenar, Plate 4. Inya and Vitim in captivity at Fereydoon Kenar 26 January 2007. © S Sadeghi Zadegan damgah the day before Inya’s release, 28 January 2007. © S Sadeghi Zadegan Plate 5. Inya and Vitim in captivity at Fereydoon Kenar Plate 6. Vitim in captivity at Fereydoon Kenar damgah, damgah the day before Inya’s release, 28 January 2007. summer 2007. © S Sadeghi Zadegan © S Sadeghi Zadegan plastic band on the left leg. Suna was ringed with a green plastic band (white number 03 and attached PTT #33244) on the right leg and a standard metal ring (A185986) on the left leg. On 3 March 2004, they commenced migration. However, Suna was caught by local people c300 km away near Anzali wetland in Gilan province, and taken into captivity at Bujagh national park until autumn 2005 (Markin & Sadeghi Zadegan 2003b). The plastic band and PTT were removed from her. Winter 2005/06. On 7 November 2005, two days after the arrival of two wild Siberian Cranes, Suna was released again at Fereydoon Kenar damgah (Plate 2). She was ringed with one orange plastic band/leg in addition to the metal ring on the left leg. Each plastic band has two letters, XP (right leg) and HN (left). Almost immediately after release, Suna joined one of the two lone wild cranes. She fed on natural food items in flooded rice fields, and was in the constant company of the wild crane (Sadeghi Zadegan & Archibald 2005). She left on migration along with the two wild Siberian Cranes on 3 March 2006 but has not been seen since (Sadeghi Zadegan 2007). Winter 2006/07. On 26 January 2007, two parent-reared Siberian Cranes, ‘Inya’ and ‘Vitim’ were transferred to Tehran from OCBC. The birds were then driven to Fereydoon Kenar and placed in a pen built at the damgah (Plates 3-5). On 29 January, Inya was released at the damgah to accompany a wild male Siberian Crane. She had a yellow plastic band (55) on the left leg and a standard metal ring (A145910) on the right, and an attached PTT (33244). After release, Inya joined the wild male. After 3 days they made unison calls. They Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 117 Plate 7. Vitim with colour rings in captivity at Fereydoon _— Plate 8. Vitim after his first release at Fereydoon Kenar Kenar damgah, October 2007. © S Sadeghi Zadegan damgah, 14 November 2007. © S Sadeghi Zadegan Plate 9. Vitim, Fereydoon Kenar damgah, 5 February Plate 10. Vitim and wild Siberian Crane, Fereydoon 2008. © S Sadeghi Zadegan Kenar damgah, 5 February 2008. © S$ Sadeghi Zadegan Plate I 1. Vitim and wild Siberian Crane, Fereydoon Kenar damgah, 5 February 2008. © S Sadeghi Zadegan 118 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 4 si Plate 13. Neya in pen at Fereydoon Kenar damgah, 10 Plate 14. Neya and wild Siberian Crane, Fereydoon December 2008. © S Sadeghi Zadegan Kenar damgah, 22 January 2009. © S Sadeghi Zadegan kept together and started migration on 28 February. Unfortunately, no satellite transmitter data was received after her departure. Vitim, wearing a standard metal ring (A145911), was kept in captivity at Fereydoon Kenar damgah during spring and summer 2007 (Plate 6). Later, he was also given two plastic colour bands (green and red, Plate 7, Markin & Sadeghi Zadegan 2007). Winter 2007/08. On the night of 3 November 2007, a wild male Siberian Crane arrived at Ezbaran damgah. On 14 November, at 07.15 h, Vitim was released at Fereydoon Kenar damgah (Plate 8). Thirty minutes later the wild male landed close to Vitim. Vitim flew out of the damgah on 27 November but at 23.30 h was captured in a net set up by trappers for geese in Sooteh village. Vitim was returned to Fereydoon Kenar damgah and placed in the pen. On 17 December, he was released again at Fereydoon Kenar damgah. Vitim and the wild Siberian Crane were seen flying together on 22 December. They were photographed on 5 February 2008 (Plates 9-12). These two Siberian Cranes began their northern spring Sandgrouse 31 (2009) £19 Plate 15. Neya and wild Siberian Crane, Fereydoon Kenar damgah, 22 January 2009. © S Sadeghi Zadegan migration on 23 February (they were not observed in the area by local people after that date). LATEST RELEASE Winter 2008/2009. On 26 October 2008, a single unringed wild Siberian Crane arrived at Fereydoon Kenar. On 9 December, a captive-bred Siberian Crane (female ‘Neya’) was transferred to Iran from OCBC. This bird had hatched there in 2005 and was reared by her parents. On 10 December 2008, Neya was transferred to Fereydoon Kenar and placed in a pen, where a white plastic band (black number 185) was placed on the right leg and a standard metal ring (A16090) on the left leg (Plate 13). On 13 December, Neya was released into Fereydoon Kenar damgah. Before release, a PTT (82129) was attached to Neya’s back. After release, she joined the wild male crane, but didn’t fly with him to the roosting site, staying in the damgah instead. From 20 December, Neya was present at a farm close to Sooteh village, where she was observed feeding on small fish. Neya joined the wild Siberian Crane on 5 January 2009 (Plates 14 & 15) and they started migration together on 25 February. As usual, the cranes flew high above the damgah before their departure. The final PTT signals were received from the Sefid Rud river area, Gilan province, c250 km northwest of Fereydoon Kenar, on 1 March 2009. In summary, a total of ten captive-bred Siberian Cranes have been released at Fereydoon Kenar in Iran since the winter of 1996/1997; three of them died and five started migration along with wild cranes. All cranes were ringed with colour plastic bands and three of them were also fitted with satellite transmitters. Unfortunately, all the transmitters stopped working after a short time or just after migration started. None of the released Siberian Cranes returned to the wintering grounds. These results indicate that further discussion and review are needed to improve release techniques and more effective use of PTTs is required to track released birds. 120 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to colleagues in the UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetlands Project for their continuous support, and experts from Iran, Russia, US and elsewhere that are not directly involved in the SCWP project but are involved in the CMS MoU efforts, and to Scott Newman at FAO for providing the PTT for the latest released bird. Special thanks to George Archibald, ICF co-founder, and The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation for facilitat- ing all the Siberian Crane releases. REFERENCES Archibald, G, C Prentice, C Mirande & D Hykle (compilers). 2007. The “Lily of Birds”: A Journey to Help the Most Unique and Endangered of Cranes. International Crane Foundation, www.scwp.info/documents. shtml. Bragin, Ye. 2003. Western Flyway. Kazakhstan. Siberian Crane Flyway News 5: 10. www.sibeflyway.org Bragin Ye. 2005. Sightings of Siberian Cranes during spring and autumn migrations of 2005 in Kazakhstan. Siberian Crane Flyway News 7: 13. Bragin, Ye. 2007. Sightings of Siberian Cranes during spring and autumn migrations in Kazakhstan in 2006. Siberian Crane Flyway News 8: 9. CMS/ICF. 2008. Conservation Measures for the Siberian Crane, Fourth Edition. CMS Technical Report Series 16. UNEP/CMS Secretariat, Bonn, www.cms.int. Dzhamirzoyev, G & S Bukreev. 2003. Survey of the Siberian Crane Stopover in Dagestan (PTT data). Siberian Crane Flyway News 4: 7. Ilyashenko, E. 2003. Siberian Crane migration according to PTT data. Siberian Crane Flyway News 4: 6. Kashentseva, T & R Belterman. 2007. The International Siberian Crane Studbook. Siberian Crane Flyway News 8223: Markin, Yu, G Archibald & S Sadeghi Zadegan. 2002. Siberian Crane wintering in Iran. Siberian Crane Flyway News 3: 9. Markin, Yu & S Sadeghi Zadegan. 2003a. Siberian Crane Reintroduction in Iran in 2003. Siberian Crane Flyway News 4: 3. Markin, Yu & S Sadeghi Zadegan. 2003b. Release of Siberian Cranes in Fereydoon Kenar, I.R.Iran. Siberian Crane Flyway News 5: 7. Markin, Yu & S Sadeghi Zadegan. 2003c. Search for Alternative Siberian Crane Wintering Grounds in L.R.Iran. Siberian Crane Flyway News 5: 15. Markin, Yu & S Sadeghi Zadegan. 2007. Release of Siberian Cranes at Wintering Site in Iran in 2007. Siberian Crane Flyway News 8: 25. Markin, Yu, A Sorokin, A Ermakov & A Shilina. 2007. About monitoring on Siberian and Eurasian Cranes in West Siberia, Russia, in 2006. Siberian Crane Flyway News 8: 4. Meine, CD & G Archibald. 1996. The Cranes, Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. Y'UCN/SSC Crane Specialist Group, www.npwic.usgs.gov. Moermond, T, E Ilyashenko, J Harris, C Mirande & C Prentice (compilers). 2008. Saving Wetlands across Eurasia: Inspired by the Siberian Crane. International Crane Foundation, www.scwp.info/documents. shtml. Ponomarev A, T Tatarinova, V Bubyakina, F Smagulova, T Kashentseva & I Morozov. 2004. Variation of mitochondrial DNA D-loop sequences in the endangered Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus Pallas. Conservation Genetics 5: 847-851. Rusanov, G. 2007. Unusual late sighting of Siberian Cranes in Astrakhan Nature Reserve. Siberian Crane Flyway News 8: 10. Sadeghi Zadegan, S. 2007. Siberian Cranes at wintering site in Iran in 2006. Siberian Crane Flyway News 8: 20. Sadeghi Zadegan, S & G Archibald. 2005. The Siberian Crane Reintroduction in Fereydoon Kenar, Iran, in 2005. Siberian Crane Flyway News 7: 7. Sorokin, A & Yu Markin. 1996. New nesting site of Siberian Cranes. Newsletter of Russian Bird Conservation Union 2 (5): 7. Sadegh Sadeghi Zadegan, UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetlands Project, Department of Environment, PO Box 14155-7383, Tehran, Iran. sadegh64@hotmail.com Crawford Prentice, UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetlands Project, ICF, 87, Jalan SS 22/27, Damansara Jaya, 47400 Petaling Jaya Selangor, Malaysia. crawford@savingcranes.org Elena Ilyashenko, ICF/CMS Siberian Crane Flyway Coordinator, 1 Bolshaya Gruzinskaya St, Moscow 123242, Russia. eilyashenko@savingcranes.org Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 121 The Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina in the North Caucasus, Russian Federation: taxonomic status, genetic diversity, breeding density and nest site characteristics ULO VALI, VIKTOR P BELIK & IGOR G BABKIN We studied the Lesser Spotted Eagle population in a 55 km? study area near Kislovodsk, North Caucasus, in July 2007. Birds were observed on ten breeding territories while nests, distributed unevenly in the landscape in forested river valleys, were found and described for eight territories. Productivity in 2007 was 0.71 nestlings per occupied nest. The results of our mitochondrial DNA analysis indicate that the Caucasus region is inhabited by the same subspecies as occurs elsewhere in Europe. However, the genetic diversity within the Caucasian population was much higher than that of more northern European populations, suggesting that the Caucasian population is relatively old and not been subject to historical or recent ‘bottlenecks’. INTRODUCTION The Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina is declining in many parts of its range, although listed in the IUCN Red List as a species of Least Concern (BirdLife International 2007). The prevailing view (eg Dickinson 2003) used to be that there are two subspecies of Lesser Spotted Eagle. The nominate A. p. pomarina breeds in central, eastern and southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and Turkey through northern Iran, and migrates to winter in south- ern regions of Africa. A. p. hastata (Indian Spotted Eagle) is a resident found only in the Indian subcontinent. Originally, A. hastata was described as a separate species (Lesson 1834), a position supported by recent morphological and genetic analyses, which suggest that it is indeed a different species from Lesser Spotted Eagle (Parry et al 2002, Vali 2006). This leads to the question whether A. pomarina is truly monotypic or whether there are a Kislovodsk Russia o ® See Caspian ea Sea Black Sea Georgia Figure |. Location of Kislovodsk, North Caucasus, Russian Federation. A222 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) Plate |. Adult Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina in the study area, North Caucasus. © Ulo Vali any previously unknown or even cryptic (distinguishable only or mostly through genetic analysis) subspecies to be found. The status of the Lesser Spotted Eagle in Turkey, the Caucasus and northern Iraq and Iran is unclear. It is probable that these populations are isolated from the main European populations, possibly sufficiently for a separate subspecies to have developed. Furthermore, such isolated populations might harbour only limited genetic diversity and, therefore, have a reduced evolutionary potential. On the other hand, the Caucasus region has been suggested as a likely refugium for several vertebrate populations during the last ice age (Hewitt 2004). Should this be true for Lesser Spotted Eagle, we should find a larger genetic diversity compared to more northern populations in Europe. Our main aim in the current study was to evaluate the taxonomic status and genetic diversity of the Caucasian population of Lesser Spotted Eagle (Plate 1). The project took place in a region of the North Caucasus, in a potential Important Bird Area (IBA), where existence of a substantial population was suspected (Belik & Tel’pov 2007). Therefore, our second aim was to seek evidence to verify, or otherwise, previous observations of high breeding densities there, by mapping territories and finding nests. Because the biology of and the threat factors for the species are poorly known in the North Caucasus (Belik et al 2008), our third aim was to study breeding biology and assess potential factors limiting the population. STUDY AREA AND METHODS The fieldwork was performed in a rectangular 55 km? (10 x 5.5 km) study area near Kislovodsk (43° 54’ N, 42° 36’ E, Figure 1), on the border of Stavropol’skiy krai and Karachayevo-Cherkessiya, southern Russian Federation. The majority of the study area, on the gently-sloping northern foothills of the Caucasus mountains, comprises a slightly Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 123 Plate 2. Breeding habitat of the Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina in the study area, North Caucasus. © Ulo Vali hummocky open landscape at altitudes of 1000-1200 m asl and is crossed by steep-sided valleys a few hundred metres wide and 50-100 m deep (Plate 2). It is characteristic for these valley slopes, on the northern or western sides, to be cliffs while the opposite slopes possess fragments of deciduous forests (birch Betula, elm Ulnus and ash Fraxinus being the main tree species) of varying sizes, some being large. These are the only forested parts of the study area and altogether comprise only c5-10% of it. About 50-60% is covered by steppe-like subalpine meadows, once used as pastures and hayfields but now abandoned. According to estimations of Tel’pov et al (2000), the region otherwise consists of: cliffs and valley sides (c20%), agricultural land (c5%) and other biotopes (c15%). There are very few human settlements in the study area, only a few farms and villages. However, there are densely populated areas, such as Kislovodsk town, just to the north of the study area. We mapped Lesser Spotted Eagle breeding territories and searched for their nests, 10-17 July 2007. We described the nests and evaluated occupancy and breeding results. Nests were often on trees growing obliquely on relatively steep slopes, therefore we also estimated the direction the slope faced and measured nest height both from the ground and from the tree base. From each of five successful nests, a nestling was ringed and a blood sample taken from it for genetic analysis. We also collected moulted feathers of adult birds from all nest sites in case they were needed for genetic analysis. Only one sample, blood (preferable) or feather, per nest site was used in the analysis (feather data only used for the three unsuccessful nest sites). In the genetic analysis, we sequenced 520 base-pairs from the cytochrome b gene and 847 base-pairs from the pseudo-control region of the mitochondrial DNA (see Vali 2002). Each individual bird has only one type of each mitochondrial gene sequence, a haplotype. 124 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) The more distantly related two populations are the more differences (mutations) can be found when individuals originating from different populations are compared. A large number of differences between individuals from the same population indicates high genetic diversity within the population. Sequences and the calculated indices describing genetic diversity were compared with those from two northern populations of Lesser Spotted Eagle (Estonian, n=20, and Lithuanian, n=20; reduced sample from Vali et al 2004). RESULTS We analysed DNA samples from eight birds, each from a different breeding territory. In the variable pseudo-control region, three different haplotypes were found. The most common haplotype, containing two nucleotide substitutions not yet found elsewhere in Europe (U Vali unpub), was found in four individuals. A second haplotype was found in three and a third in a single individual. The average number of nucleotide substitutions per site between the North Caucasus population and the sample from Estonia was only 0.00177 + 0.00078 (SD), and between North Caucasus and Lithuania 0.00194 + 0.00069. The average number of substitutions within the North Caucasus population was 0.00194 + 0.00049, which is much higher than in the northern populations in Estonia (0.00059 + 0.00033) or Lithuania (0.00094 + 0.00028). Finally, a part of the cytochrome b gene was sequenced in four individuals, representing three pseudo-control region haplotypes, and no variation was found. These sequences were identical to that found in the two Baltic countries (Vali et al 2004). During the study, we observed Lesser Spotted Eagles on ten breeding territories in the 55 km? of the study area, equivalent to a breeding density of 18 territories/100 km?. In seven territories we found occupied nests (two in territory 7) and in an eighth territory Table I. Nest data for Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina nests found in 2007 in the vicinity of Kislovodsk, North Caucasus. * no evidence of breeding. Nest height bo above 8 = - e aa See £ ee — ge bs iS te E g o as} 00 toe 4 Oo—_~ — o) 5 Der siyae Gy GA)” 5 Y o) o a oy) i] 2 e o = Op (2) ag O's aa ie oO. o Z (a) Nest tree Or a oe wa Z Occupancy | 1 JulO07 Common alder Alnus glutinosa 7a All LO). 2780 N 2y+ | nestling, 25 days old j) 11 JulO07 Common ash Fraxinus excelsior 10 6 5 1040 N Isty | nestling, 20 days old g 12 JulO07 Wych elm Ulmus glabra NOs eae7. 6 980 W Ist y Occupied* 4 [2 Jul 07 Silver birch Betula pendula Ba ee) 5 1040 NW ~— lyt+ Not occupied 5 14 Jul 07} Wych elm Ulmus glabra Lox 8 6 ? NE 2y+ | nestling, 30 days old 6 15 Jul 07 Goat willow Salix caprea Pag 9) 7 2400 N 2y+ | nestling, 30 days old 7a 15 Jul07 Aspen Populus tremula 55-79 5 ? NW ~~ ly+ Occupied* 7b = 15 Jul 07 Silver birch Betula pendula LO; 48 5 ? NW Isty Built 2007, occupied* 8 11 JulO7 Wych elm Ulmus glabra QOD ARE 10 980 N 2y+ | nestling, 45 days old Average [3.2% 8.0 - 6:6... 1540 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 125 an unoccupied nest, probably from 2006 (Table 1). Nest sites were located only in forested river or rivulet valleys, thus dis- tributed unevenly in the landscape. In the area of highest nest density, four nests had a nearest-neighbour distance of less than 1 km. Five nests contained a nestling (Plate 3), and two nests, though occupied, showed no signs of breeding. Productivity in 2007 was thus 0.71 nestlings per occupied nest (ie per breeding territory). According to the estimated nestling age (Table 1) and average incubation time (Cramp & Simmons 1980), ™ AP eT ; the eggs had been laid in late April or early Plate 3. Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina nest 2 May, hatching occurring by mid-June. (Table 1), North Caucasus. © Ulo Vali DISCUSSION The results of our mitochondrial DNA analysis indicate that the Caucasus region is inhab- ited by the same subspecies as found elsewhere in Europe. There were no differences in the cytochrome b gene, and differentiation in the pseudo-control region was far too small to define a new subspecies. The high genetic diversity within: the Caucasian population is remarkable because we collected samples in only a small study area, where inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity is possible. This suggests that the Caucasian population of Lesser Spotted Eagle is relatively old and has not been subject to historical or recent genetic ‘bottlenecks’. Furthermore, the Caucasus may well have held a refugial population of this species during the last ice age. More populations will have to be compared with each other before any final conclusions on the historical and current relationships between Lesser Spotted Eagle populations can be made. This study confirms the high current breeding density of the Lesser Spotted Eagle in the vicinity of Kislovodsk. Indeed, this site seems to be the most densely populated in the entire North Caucasus (Belik et al 2008), equalling the highest densities recorded in other parts of Europe (Dombrovski & Ivanovski 2005, Bergmanis et al 2006). The Kislovodsk region is clearly well worth assessing for designation as an IBA (Belik & Tel’pov 2007). The nearest-neighbour distances between different eagle territories were variable, which may indicate that in areas of apparent lower occupation, we may not have discovered all nests. For example, because our study took place in July, we would not detect unsuccessful territories abandoned earlier that year. Actual overall breeding density may be somewhat higher than we recorded, but probably not by much, because we recorded greater (>2 km) nearest-neighbour distances in less forested localities, against the cl km measured between 4 nests in a continuous forest belt. As in the other regions of the North Caucasus (Belik et al 2008), all nests were found on deciduous trees. The majority of nests were built on relatively weak branches or on the arched top of a young tree, which means one could expect many of them to be destroyed in bad weather after the breeding season. We believe that even these weak nest substrates, by being very abundant, are attractive to the eagles during the nest-building season, even though older trees and stronger nest substrates are available as well. Availability of nest sites, therefore, may limit numbers of eagles some- what in the study area, but it is likely that the high breeding density itself is already at the limit for this territorial species. Other potential threat factors such as limited availability of foraging area and dis- turbance by humans are probably not significant in the study area because the area of 126 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) grasslands is very high, and existing meadows seem to remain suitable for foraging Lesser Spotted Eagles even after abandonment, whereas human settlements are scarce in the study area. In the North Caucasus, the Lesser Spotted Eagle seems to breed mainly in the larger dense forest patches where its nests are probably not easily found by nest-robbers, whose raptors and owls are often kept illegally in captivity and exhibited in Kislovodsk and other towns. However, we did find some nests (Table 1: 4, 7a, 7b) in a narrow tree row on a gentle lower slope and so the species probably is vulnerable, particularly outside its primary habitat. Local authorities, with the assistance of conservation bodies, need to implement more efficiently local and national laws concerning protected species. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to KA Lyubimova, EV Gugueva, SYu Metkalova and VA Tel’pov for their support in the field, and to Rimgaudas Treinys for comments on the manuscript. Fieldwork was financed by the Ornithological Society of the Middle East and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund. Genetic studies were supported by the Estonian Science Foundation, grant 7593. REFERENCES Belik, VP & VA Tel’pov. 2007. Results of the inventory and monitoring of IBAs in Central Caucasus in 2006. Strepet 5: 71-84. Belik, VP, U Vali & IG Babkin. 2008. [The Lesser Spotted Eagle in the Northern Caucasus]. In: Melnikov, VN. [Research and Conservation of the Greater and Lesser Spotted Eagles in the Northern Eurasia]. Izdatel’stvo Ivanovskiogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta, Ivanovo, Russia, pp47—69. [In Russian] Bergmanis, U, A Petrins, V Cirulis, J Matusiak & J Kuze. 2006. Lesser Spotted Eagle Aguila pomarina in Latvia—current status, endangerment and perspectives. Populationsokologie Greifvdgel- und Eulenarten 5: 95-115. BirdLife International. 2007. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Cramp, S & KEL Simmons. 1980. Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol 2. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Dickinson, EC. 2003. The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. 3rd edition. Christopher Helm, London. Dombrovski, VC & VV Ivanovski. 2005. New data on numbers and distribution of birds of prey breeding in Belarus. Acta Zoologica Lituanica 15: 218-227. Hewitt, G. 2004. Genetic consequences of climatic oscillations in the Quaternary. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society London B 359: 183-195. Lesson, R-P. 1834. Oiseaux. In: Behnger, C. Voyage Aux Indes Orientales. Bertrand, Paris, p217. Parry, SJ, WS Clark & V Prakash. 2002. On the taxonomic status of the Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata. Ibis 144: 665-675. Tel’pov, VA, AN Hohlov & MP Ilyuh. 2000. [Surroundings of Kislovodsk]. In: Sviridova, TV & VA Zubakin. [Key Ornithological Territories in Russia]. Vol 1. Russian Bird Conservation Union, Moscow, pp351-352. [In Russian] Vali, U. 2002. Mitochondrial pseudo-control region in old world eagles (genus Aquila). Molecular Ecology 11: 2189-2194. Vali, U. 2006. Mitochondrial DNA sequences support species status for the Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 126: 238-242. Vali, U, R Treinys & K Poirazidis. 2004. Genetic structure of Greater Aquila clanga and Lesser Spotted Eagle A. pomarina populations: implications for phylogeography and conservation. In: Chancellor, RD & B-U Meyburg. Raptors Woridwide. WWGBP/MME. Budapest, pp473-482. Ulo Vali, Department of Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyviigen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden & Institute of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Riia 181, 51014 Tartu, Estonia. ulo.vali@ ebc.uu.se Viktor P Belik & Igor G Babkin, Department of Zoology, South Federation University, 344065 Rostov-on-Don, Russia. vbelik@mail.ru Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 127 Status of Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus in the North Caucasus, Russian Federation The Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus is a widely distributed species in south- ern Europe, northern Africa and southern Asia. However, its numbers have declined throughout the major part of its Western Palearctic range (Burfield & van Bommel 2004), including Russia (Til’ba 2001). It is included in the Red Data Book of Russia (cat- egory 3, ‘rare species’). Numbers in Europe are estimated at 3500-5600 pairs (Burfield & van Bommel 2004). In Russia the species breeds only in the North Caucasus where the numbers are estimated at 70-120 pairs (Mischenko et al 2004, Belik 2005). The Egyptian Vulture (Plates 1 & 2) is a breeding summer visitor to the North Caucasus and the northern limit of its breed- GS DZHAMIRZOEV & SA BUKREEV Plate I. Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus, Kasumkentski reserve IBA, Daghestan. © G Dzhamirzoev Plate 2. Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus, Turanchaij region, Azerbaijan. © K Cepenas 128 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) ing range in Russia crosses the region (Figure 1). Egyptian Vultures occur throughout the mountainous parts of the North Caucasus and move into adjacent plains. The species breeds in Krasnodar krai, Adygeya republic, Stavropol krai, Karachaevo-Cherkessia republic, Kabardino-Balkar republic, North Osetia-Alania republic, republic of Ingushetia, Chechen republic and the Daghestan republic. Wandering individuals may reach north to the Kalmykia republic (Figure 1) where some birds were seen at fawning sites of the Saiga antelope Saiga tatarica (Bliiznyuk 2004). The Egyptian Vulture is also a very rare vagrant north to the Manych-Gudilo lake area including Rostov oblast (Minoransky et al 2006). In Daghestan, birds arrive at breeding sites in the first days of April. By mid-April, Egyptian Vultures may be found everywhere throughout their North Caucasus breeding range. In autumn, the last birds were seen in the foothills of Daghestan in late September (pers obs). In the western and central North Caucasus, Egyptian Vultures arrive in late March (the earliest date is 21 March) or early April and can remain until late September (Boehme 1926, Khokhlov & Vytovich 1990, Khokhlov et al 2005). The latest record was end of the first week of November (Khokhlov 1995). HABITAT REQUIREMENTS AND BREEDING BIOLOGY In the North Caucasus, the species doesn’t breed in the high mountains or far out on the plains though it may be recorded in such habitats in the breeding period. Rather, it breeds at medium altitudes and in the foothills and adjacent plains (Plates 3 & 4). Breeding territo- ries are usually found in terrain with exposed rock faces and steep cliffs with nearby river valleys and vast open plains eg foothill plains or intermontane depressions. In Daghestan (pers obs), the species is recorded in breeding time at 200-2000 m asl, but the majority of birds breed in the foothills and intermontane areas no higher than 1000 m asl. Egyptian Black Sea - Krasnodar Territory - Kabardino-Batkar Republic - Northern Osetia-Alania - Republic of Ingushetia - Chechen Republic SOUR HA WH ' esha Figure 1. Political map of the North Caucasus, Russian Federation, showing approximate breeding range, in grey, of the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus. Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 129 Table I. Russian code* AJI-00! ILC-005 ILC-008 IC-013 ILC-014 IIC-019 ILC-021 ILC-022 ITC-023 ITC-024 ILC-027 ILC-028 ILC-036 KB-003 KB-004 KB-007 KB-009 KJI-008 KIJI-013 KJI-014 K4Y-002 K4Y-005 K4Y-007 K4-008 CO-00! CO-006 CT-003 YE-005 Important Bird Areas in the North Caucasus that contain breeding Egyptian Vultures. International code EU-RU318 EU-RU282 EU-RU303 EU-RU28 | EU-RU285 EU-RU299 EU-RU385 EU-RU274 EU-RU275 EU-RU307 EU-RU429 EU-RU426 EU-RU427 EU-RU407 EU-RU409 EU-RU41 | EU-RU414 EU-RU317 EU-RU154 EU-RU162 EU-RU308 EU-RU402 EU-RU403 EU-RU404 EU-RU169 EU-RU416 EU-RU382 EU-RU433 IBAs name Vicinity of Dakhovka Kayakentski reserve Samurski ridge Kasumkentski reserve Laman-Kam area Orota depression Talginskaya valley Andreyaul’ski reserve Barchan Sarykum and Narat-Tyube Shur-Dere Kosobsko-Kelebski reserve Buinakskaya depression Gunibskoye plateau Malka river ravine Ravine of Gundelen-Tyzyl river Chegemskoye ravine Ushchel’ye reki Cherek-Balkarski Valley of Khodz’ river Akhmet-Skala ridge Valley of Urup river Skalisti ridge between Urup and Maly Zelenchuk rivers Sources of Kuma river Sources of the Podkumok river Marinskaya cuesta of Skalisti ridge Alagirskoye i Kurtatinskoye ravines (Severo-Osetinski nature reserve) Valley of Gizel’don river Outskirts of Kislovodsk Kezenoi-Am lake Coordinates of the centre 44°13 N, 40° E 42°2\ N, 47°49’ E 41°30’ N, 47°45’ E 41°38 N, 47°59 E 41°37 N, 48°18’ E 42°35" N, 46°57 E 42°52’ N, 47°26 E 43°07 N, 46°43’ E 43°00’ N, 47° 10° E 41°51’ N, 48°14 E 42°16 N, 46°21’ E 42°54 N, 47°15’ E 42°25’ N, 46°54 E 43°40’ N, 42°43’ E 43°35’ N, 43°05’ E 43°23’ N, 43°09’ E 43°10’ N, 43°29" E 44°10’ N, 40°37' E 44°06’ N, 41°00 E 44°02’ N, 41°17 E 43°59° N, 41°29 E 43°52’ N, 42°11 E 43°49’ N, 42°19 E 43°49’ N, 42°06 E 42°46’ N, 44°05’ E 42°52’ N, 44°26 E 43°51’ N, 42°37 E 42°46’ N, 46°10 E Breeding numbers (pairs) * Regions: AJI republic of Adygeya, JIC Daghestan republic, KB Kabardino-Balkar republic, KI, Krasnodar krai, KJ republic of Kalmykia, KU Karachaevo-Cherkesia republic, CO republic of North Osetia-Alania, CT Stavropol krai, YE Chechen republic. 130 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) | | Vultures in the North Caucasus avoid vast unfragmented forests but prefer unforested sites in mountains with open dry valleys. Optimal habitats are arid intermontane areas and foothills with signs of desertifica- tion due to high grazing pressure. The nests are placed on ledges, in niches or shallow caves in rocks and cliffs. Egyptian Vultures are less timid than other scavengers. If conditions are suitable, Egyptian Vultures will breed in the vicinity Plate 3. Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus breeding of small villages. Usually pairs are widely habitat in west central North Caucasus, Kislovodsk dispersed but sometimes, in favourable con- outskirts IBA, Stavropol region. © V Belik ditions, small colonies may be found which ~ consist of several pairs breeding nearby eg up to 10-12 pairs of Egyptian Vultures breed in southernmost Stavropol krai in the outskirts of Kislovodsk (Khokhlov 1995, Parfenov 2007). Egyptian Vultures suffer from shooting and disturbance at many sites near human settlements, which otherwise are suitable for breeding. Breeding sites are used year after year. Egyptian Vultures commence breeding in late April in the North Caucasus. Egg laying is recorded in early May (Parfenov 2007, pers obs). The complete clutch consists of 1-2 eggs. The incubation period lasts for about 1.5 months. First nestlings are seen in mid-June. Nestlings remain in nests up to mid-August (Til’ba 1995, Parfenov 2007, pers obs). POPULATION HISTORY IN THE NORTH CAUCASUS Unfortunately, there is little information on the species in the North Caucasus in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Probably, the Egyptian Vulture was common but not numerous at that time. The species was recorded regularly on the foothill plains (Bogdanov 1879, Radde 1884, Dinnik 1886, Satunin 1907, Boehme 1926 etc). There appear to have been no consid- erable changes in the pattern of distribution of Egyptian Vulture in the North Caucasus since that time, though in the first half of the 20th century the species occurred along the Black Sea coast near the towns of Gelendzhik and Sochi during the breeding season, where it is now absent (Til’ba 2001). The numbers of Egyptian Vultures have declined slightly in the western North Caucasus, within Krasnodar krai and the republic of Adygeya, in last 25-30 years. Numbers were estimated at 6-8 breeding pairs in the 1980’s but nowadays 4—5 pairs breed in Krasnodar krai and 1-2 pairs in Adygeya (Til’ba 1995, Til’ba 2001, PA Til’ba & RA Mnatsekanov pers comm). In the late 1980s, the numbers of Egyptian Vultures were esti- mated at 30-40 pairs in Karachaevo-Cherkessia and Stavropol krai together (Khokhlov & Vytovich 1990). Now the numbers are estimated at 20-30 pairs in Karachaevo-Cherkessia (AA Karavaev pers comm) while 12-15 pairs breed in Stavropol krai (Khokhlov et al 2005, AN Khokhlov & MP Ilyukh pers comm). No large fluctuations in numbers appear to have occurred elsewhere in the North Caucasus either. In Kabardino-Balkaria the numbers are estimated at 5-10 pairs (RK Pshegusov pers comm). In North Osetia, 2-4 pairs of Egyptian Vultures breed (YE Komarov pers comm). The numbers of the species are estimated at 4—5 pairs in Chechnya and Ingushetia together (Gizyatullin et al 2001). The largest breeding population of Egyptian Vulture in the North Caucasus is now found in Daghestan. Probably, it is also stable. Previously, it was estimated at 15—20 pairs Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 131 (Dzhamirzoev et al 2000) but according to the data of our latest surveys the population is at least 40-50 pairs, a discrepancy prob- ably due to better survey coverage rather than an increase in numbers. About 80% of the overall breeding popu- lation of the species in the North Caucasus is concentrated in three areas: in foothills of Karachaevo-Cherkessia (more than 20 pairs), in the outskirts of Kislovodsk (10-12 pairs) and in the dry foothills of eastern Daghestan (35-40 pairs). The Egyptian Vulture is recorded at virtually every Plate 4. Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus breeding Important Bird Area in the mountainous _ habitat in eastern North Caucasus, Kasumkentski reserve parts of the North Caucasus (Dzhamirzoev Te Dashes an OS eee & Bukreev 2008) and breeds in many of them (Table 1). THREATS AND LIMITING FACTORS The main limiting factors for Egyptian Vulture populations in the North Caucasus appear to be habitat change, shortage of food resources, disturbance and shooting (Dzhamirzoev et al 2000, Til’ba 2001, Khokhlov et al 2005 etc). In the east, Egyptian Vulture habitats have changed less. Dry desertified foothills are used mainly as pasture, especially in winter. In Daghestan, the Egyptian Vulture is well adapted to life in these degraded ecosystems, which it seems to prefer. In the foothills of central and western North Caucasus intensive recreational use near breeding sites, such as mountaineering and tourist camps and cre- ation of new sport/recreational facilities may become a problem for the species. No problems of food shortage appear to have occurred in Daghestan so far. The increase in cattle numbers indicates that probably the impact of this factor will be mini- mal in the near future. In the western part of North Caucasus, decrease in food supply for Egyptian Vultures was noted due to the apparent decrease in both cattle numbers and cattle disposal sites (Til’ba 2001). Probably, shortage of breeding sites is not a limiting fac- tor for Egyptian Vultures in the North Caucasus. If food resources are available, they can readily find enough suitable places at rock exposures and cliffs to breed. The impact of disturbance is recorded throughout the breeding range of the species in the North Caucasus. Cases are known where birds abandoned a territory because people visited the breeding site too often (Parfenov 2007). The birds also suffer from curiosity of local people, especially children, if breeding sites are not far from human settlements. Direct persecution by man is the main factor limiting the numbers of Egyptian Vulture in the eastern North Caucasus. Cases of destroying nests or shooting birds are especially frequent in arid foothill areas where many cattle farms (‘kutans’) are situated close to Egyptian Vulture breeding sites. Some cases of catching birds for sale by local people are known. Unfortunately, we must note a generally negative attitude of local people to these splendid birds in breeding areas. In western North Caucasus some cases of shooting Egyptian Vultures by herdsmen and hunters have been reported (Khokhlov 1995). Cases of Egyptian Vulture mortality due to poisoning by taking baits have also been reported (Khokhlov et al 2005). We have no data on losses at power transmission lines (PTL), but given the habit of Egyptian Vultures of using PTL pylons as perches, losses may well occur. 132 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) REFERENCES Belik, VP. 2005. [A cadastre of the fauna of breeding birds of Southern Russia]. Strepet 3 (1 & 2): 5-37. [In Russian] Burfield, I & F van Bommel (compilers). 2004. Birds in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. Bliznyuk, AI. 2004. [Game and rare mammals and birds of Kalmykia]. Kalmyk Book Publishing House, Elista, Russian Federation (RF). [In Russian] Boehme, LB. 1926. [Birds of Northern Osetia and Ingushetia. Proceedings of Northern-Caucasus Institute of Regional Studies] 1: 175-274. [In Russian] Bogdanov, MN. 1879. [The birds of Caucasus. Proceedings of Society of Nature at Kazan University.] 8 (4): 1-188. [In Russian] Dinnik, NY. 1886. [Ornithological observations in Caucasus. Transactions of St Petersburg Naturalists’ Society] 17 (1): 260-378. [In Russian] Dzhamirzoev, GS & SA Bukreev. 2008. Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus). In: Dzhamirzoev, GS & SA Bukreev (eds). Action plans for conservation of globally threatened bird species in Caucasus eco-region. Russian Bird Conservation Union/Institute of Biogeography and Landscape Ecology, Moscow/ Makhachkala, RF, pp151-157. Dzhamirzoev, GS, AN Khokhlov & MP Ilyukh. 2000. [Rare and threatened birds of Daghestan and their protec- tion]. Menzbir Ornithological Society (North Caucasian branch), Stavropol, RF. [In Russian] Gizyatullin, 1, AN Khokhlov & MP Ilyukh. 2001. [Birds of Chechnya and Ingushetia]. Menzbir Ornithological Society (North Caucasian branch), Stavropol, RF. [In Russian] Khokhlov, AN. 1995. [Current state of Falconiformes fauna in Stavropol Territory and Karachaevo- Cherkessia]. In: Polivanova, NN & AN Khokhlov (eds). [Birds of prey and owls of Northern Caucasus]. Teberdinsky State Reserve, Stavropol, RF, pp25—94. [In Russian] Khokhlov, AN, MP Ilyukh, & UZ Kaziev. 2005. [Rare land vertebrates of Stavropol Territory]. Russian Bird Conservation Union (Stavropol branch), Stavropol, RF. [In Russian] Khokhlov, AN & OA Vytovich. 1990. [The current state of rare bird species of Stavropol Territory and the problems of their conservation]. In: Khokhlov, AN (ed). [Rare and lesser known birds of Northern Caucasus]. Menzbir Ornithological Society (North Caucasian branch), Stavropol, RF, pp102-151. [In Russian] Minoransky, VA, AM Uzdenov & YaYu Podgornaya. 2006. [Birds of Manych-Gudilo lake and adjacent steppe. Alive Nature of Steppe Association], Rostov-na-Donu, RF. [In Russian] Mischenko, AL, VP Belik, ES Ravkin, OV Borodin, SV Bakka, VS Sarychev, VM Galushin, YuV Krasnov, OV Sukhanova, EA Lebedeva, AP Mezhnev, SV Volkov et al. 2004. [Estimates of bird abundance and the dynamics of the numbers in European part of Russia (Birds of Europe —II)]. Russian Bird Conservation Union, Moscow. [In Russian] Parfenov, EA. 2007. [On some rare, migrating and vagrant bird species of Caucasus Mineral Waters area and adjacent territories]. In: Khokhlov, AN (ed). [Birds of Caucasus: studies, conservation and sustainable use]. Menzbir Ornithological Society (North Caucasian branch), Stavropol, RF, pp89-103. [In Russian] Radde, GI. 1884. [Ornithological fauna of Caucasus. Caucasian Museum, Typhlis] (now Tbilisi, Georgia). [In Russian] Satunin, KA. 1907. [Materials to the study of birds of Caucasus region]. Russian Geographical Society (Caucasian Department), Typhlis. [In Russian] Til’ba, PA. 1995. [Birds of prey of central part of Western Caucasus]. In: Polivanova, NN & AN Khokhlov (eds). [Birds of prey and owls of Northern Caucasus]. Teberdinsky State Reserve, Stavropol, RF, pp5—24. [In Russian] Til’ba, PA. 2001. [Egyptian Vulture]. In: Danilov-Danilyan, VI (ed) [Red Data Book of Russia]. Astrel’, Moscow, pp450-451. [In Russian] GS Dzhamirzoev, Institute of Biogeography and Landscape Ecology, 57 Yaragskogo Street, Makhachkala, Daghestan, Russian Federation. dzhamir@mail.ru SA Bukreev, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Science, Leninsky prospectus 33, Moscow, Russian Federation. sbukreev@rol.ru Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 133 The rediscovery of breeding Shikras Accipiter badius in the Western Palaearctic In spring/summer 2008 we spent sever- al months doing fieldwork in Azerbaijan, where we mainly worked in the Talish mountains in the southernmost region of the country (Figure 1). In May, Dr Hartmut EJ Miller was visiting the nearby Lankaran lowlands, when he stopped at a roadside tea house a few kilometres south of the city of Masalli. He noticed an Accipiter alarm- calling with a double call and was sure that this was not a European Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, which produces a series of single calls (Svenson et al 1999). His first thought was that it might have been a Levant Sparrowhawk Hilmand : Nimroz Kandahar ( Oo 50 100 200 300 400 a ees Kilometers ~ Lakes Bandi Amir Figure |. Location of Band-i-Amir and Ajar proposed protected areas in Afghanistan. 146 =Sandgrouse 31 (2009) tively well visited area within Afghanistan. Meinertzhagen collected specimens of Afghan Snowfinch Pyrgilauda theresae in the area in 1937 and it was visited in 1949 by Paludan (1959). It has subsequently been reasonably well documented ornithologi- cally particularly during the 1970's. As part of its USAID-funded Afghanistan Biodiversity Conservation Program, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) com- missioned ornithological surveys of two proposed protected areas, at Band-i-Amir and Ajar in Bamiyan province in spring 2008. The objective of the surveys was - to provide baseline ornithological data of | breeding birds for the Band-i-Amir pro- posed national park and Ajar proposed wildlife reserve management plans. The authors, with support from many others, carried out the surveys 27 May-11 June 2008. BAND-I-AMIR Band-i-Amir lies in a westward extension of the Hindu Kush mountain range 185 km north-northwest of Kabul and 55 km west of Bamiyan town. The area covered by the survey is based on the watershed for the series of six lakes and associated wetlands covering c80 000 ha. The lakes lie at 2900 m asl and are separated by travertine dams (Plate 1), formed when calcite precipitates out from upwelling calcium rich ground- water. The lakes are bounded by limestone cliffs and the surrounding land is mainly a plateau 3200-3400 m asl. In the northern part of the catchment, land rises to 3800 m asl. The lake valley system includes beds Plate I. Travertine dam and lake, Band-i-Amir. © Simon Busuttil Plate 2. Wetland habitat, Band-i-Amir. © Simon Busuttil of Phragmites, Salix and wet grassland (Plates 2-4). The catchment forms the headwaters of the Band-i-Amir river which eventually joins the river Balkh which itself disappears into the sand north of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. The land has been heavily grazed for centuries and is primarily made up of thorn cushion plants, dwarf shrubs and poisonous weeds often dominated by Artemisia. It is essentially a degraded cushion shru- bland with areas of alpine meadow. Dryland farming (‘lalmi’) of wheat and barley takes place and the valley is cultivated through irrigation, with planted poplars and willows adding variety. Band-i-Amir is recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA, Evans 1994). Most of the information on which the IBA status was based was from July-September 1970 when an Oxford University expedition covered the area, focusing mainly on migrant birds (Pimm undated). The IBA falls within the Afghanistan Mountains (secondary area) Endemic Bird Area (Birdlife International 2008). Sandgrouse 31 (2009) = 147 Plate 3. Wetland habitat, Band-i-Amir. © Simon Busuttil | Plate 4. Canyon habitat, Band-i-Amir. © Simon Busuttil There were no documented observations between 1979 and 2002 due to the political and security situation. Some ad hoc recording has taken place since then but no sys- tematic survey of breeding species had been carried out. The WCS Management Plan for Band-i-Amir (Band-i-Amir Provisional National Park: A Preliminary Management Plan 2008-2011) lists 84 species as having been recorded for the area, drawn from earlier records (Madge undated, Pimm undated) and from observations made by WCS staff on the ground in the last few years. : AJAR A former royal hunting preserve, Ajar covers 40 000 to 50 000 ha of the Hindu Kush moun- tain range in Bamiyan province, some 70 km north of Bamiyan town. The mountainous terrain (Plates 5 & 6) is typical of the Hindu Kush, having a maximum relief of nearly 1800 m (Ajar PWR Valley Provisional Wildlife Reserve: A Preliminary Management Plan, Draft for Consultation January 2008). East-west running ridges with precipitous peaks rise to 3800 m asl and are interspersed with gently rounded and vegetated mountain tops up to 3200 m in elevation. Bisecting the area from east to west is the Jawzari canyon (Dara-i Jawzari) lying at about 2200 m asl with cliffs up to 350 m high. Vegetation is varied and complex with Stipa, Carex, Artemisia and Amygdalus communities and limited areas of juni- per and willow remaining on remote crags and in wetland areas, respectively. Ajar has no formal recognition as being of importance for birds. Both sites have a strongly continental climate with low air humidity, high evaporation, wide temperature fluctuations, heavy winter snowfall and virtually no summer precipita- tion. METHODOLOGY Observer field days totalled 25. Fifteen of these were at Band-i-Amir and 10 at Ajar. Two basic methods were used: walked transects and non-transect observations. In Band-i-Amir, 26 transects were carried out 05.00-13.00 h between 30 May and 1 June and then between 9 and 11 June (total 6 days). In Ajar, 22 transects were carried out 05.25— 12.00 h between 4 and 8 June (5 days). Transect time averaged about one hour. Distance covered was more variable due to varying terrain conditions. All transects were made by a single observer (one of the two authors) using Garmin GPS 60 units to plot start and fin- ish points and, in most cases, routes. Routes were not randomly selected but were chosen to try to represent as many habitat types across the two areas as possible within the time constraints and taking into account accessibility and security. All birds seen and heard 148 = Sandgrouse 31 (2009) _ Emberiza buchanani habitat. © Simon Busuttil were counted and no distance restriction was placed on our transect recording. Non-transect observations were made in Band-i-Amir throughout the period 27 May-1 June and then again 9-11 June and in Ajar 4—8 June (all dates inclusive). Most non- transect observations were made on foot but some were made from vehicles whilst travelling. There is no vehicular access at all within Ajar, whilst there is a network of routes accessible by vehicle through much of Band-i-Amir. We attempted to note all birds, Plate 5. Ajar; Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe even though tor common birds this could (xanthoprymna) chrysopygia and Grey-necked Bunting not always be achieved. Most observations were made whilst getting to and return- ing from the transect route and around the two base camps, in Band-i-Amir and Ajar. All species observed were allocated to one of the four breeding status categories defined by the British Trust for Ornithology (www.bto.org.uk, accessed 14 June 2008): Possible, Probable and Confirmed Breeding and Non-Breeding. Evidence for breeding status was collected through both transect and non-transect observations. Certain spe- cies received increased levels of observation effort where it was felt that the level of con- Plate 6. Typical terrain in Ajar proposed protected area. firmation could be raised. ; © Chris Shank Raw data was analyzed in Kabul 13-16 June. From our fieldnotes, a figure for the estimated number of individuals observed was calculated. This corresponds to an approx- imate total number of individuals seen in the area. Wherever an individual was obviously noted twice or more often, it was excluded. For the purposes of our analysis, the taxa Riparia (riparia) riparia, R. (riparia) diluta, Motacilla (citreola) citreola, M. (citreola) calcarata, M. (alba) alba and M. (alba) personata are treated as separate species. We used the BirdLife International list of biome restricted species (Lachmann et al 2006, Mike Evans in litt June 2008). Applying these criteria, based on published data, our own experience and conversations with other experts, we made changes to the biome-restricted status of three species for our reporting. Hume’s Whitethroat Sylvia (curruca) althaea is not listed as biome-restricted by Lachmann et al (2006). However, the species’ breeding range is restricted to the Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forests with only very limited exten- sion into the Irano-[uranian Mountains. This fits the criteria for biome-restriction and we have considered it as such here. Sinai Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus is not formally recognised as biome-restricted by Birdlife International. In our view, despite the possibly increasing population in the Middle East (Mike Evans in litt), the species is best treated as biome-restricted. If the species is as numerous in the rest of its central Asian range as our fieldwork has shown it to be in central Afghanistan, then it seems likely that over 75% of its world population occurs in the Eurasian High Mountain biome. Though Red-headed Bunting Emberiza bruniceps is considered as biome-restricted (Eurasian Desert and Semi- desert) by BirdLife International, it occurs in other biomes (Eurasian High Montane) over Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 149 large areas and in high numbers in Tajikistan and Afghanistan (RA pers obs) and is there- fore considered non-restricted here. i RESULTS & DISCUSSION In Band-i-Amir, the 26 transects walked covered 35.1 km (average transect length = 1.35 km) and 1878 individual birds of 63 species were recorded (Table 1), equating to 53 birds/ km. The time taken to do these transects was 24 h 42 min (average transect time = 57 min) equating to 76 birds/h. Of the total number of species recorded in Band-i-Amir, 63% were recorded on transects (61 species from a total recorded of 96). If only species considered biome-restricted or categorized as other than of Least Concern (BirdLife International 2008) are taken into account, the observations during transects add up to 521 individuals of 16 species equating to 15.0 birds/km. At Ajar, the 22 transects covered 28.9 km (average transect length = 1.32 km) and 1333 individual birds of 55 species were recorded (Table 2) equating to 46 birds/km and the time taken to do these transects was 21 h 48 min (average transect time = 59 min) equating to 62 birds/h. Of the total number of species recorded at Ajar, 76% were recorded on transects (55 species from a total recorded of 72) and if only species considered biome-restricted or categorized as other than of Least Concern (BirdLife International 2008) are taken into Table |. Bird species recorded in Band-i-Amir, spring 2008. IUCN status: LC. = least-concern, NT = near-threat- ened, EN = endangered, br = biome-restricted, en = endemic. * Fresh flight feather found in suitable habitat. English Name Scientific Name IUCN Breeding status in Estimated status Band-i-Amir number of individuals observed Himalayan Snowcock Tetraogallus himalayensis LC-br Probable 10 Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar LC Probable | Mallard Anas platyrhynchos LC Probable 5 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata LC Non-breeding | Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis EE Probable 3 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus EG Confirmed 5 Great Egret Egretta alba WE Non-breeding 3 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo EG Non-breeding 3 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus LG Confirmed 3D Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo LE Possible | Saker Falcon Falco cherrug EN Possible Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus EE Possible 4 Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis LC-br Non-breeding I Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus NT Non-breeding 7) Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus LE Non-breeding | Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus LE Possible 15 Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos Le Probable 2 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus KE Probable 2 Eurasian Coot Fulica atra Ke Probable 166 Black-winged Stilt H. himantopus LC Non-breeding | 150 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) English Name Little Ringed Plover Lesser Sand Plover Common Redshank Common Greenshank Common Sandpiper Common Black-headed Gull Common Tern Whiskered Tern Black-bellied Sandgrouse Rock Dove Laughing Dove Common Cuckoo Eurasian Eagle Owl Alpine Swift Common Swift Common Kingfisher Eurasian Hoopoe Long-tailed Shrike Lesser Grey Shrike Indian Golden Oriole Asian Paradise-Flycatcher Eurasian Magpie Red-billed Chough Yellow-billed Chough Oriental Crow Hooded Crow Northern Raven Sand Martin Pale Martin Barn Swallow Eurasian Crag Martin Common House Martin Hume’s Short-toed Lark Eurasian Skylark Horned Lark Clamorous Reed Warbler Paddyfield Warbler Blyth’s Reed Warbler Sykes’s Warbler Scientific Name Charadrius dubius Charadrius (mongolus) atrifrons Tringa totanus Tringa nebularia Actitis hypoleucos Larus ridibundus Sterna hirundo Chlidonias hybridus Pterocles orientalis Columba livia Streptopelia senegalensis Cuculus canorus Bubo (bubo) bubo Apus melba Apus apus Alcedo atthis Upupa epops Lanius schach Lanius minor Oriolus (oriolus) kundoo Terpsiphone paradisi Pica pica P. pyrrhocorax Pyrrhocorax graculus Corvus (corone) orientalis Corvus cornix Corvus (corax) corax Riparia (riparia) riparia Riparia (riparia) diluta Hirundo rustica Ptyonoprogne rupestris Delichon urbicum Calandrella acutirostris Alauda arvensis Eremophila alpestris Acrocephalus stentoreus Acrocephalus agricola Acrocephalus dumetorum Iduna rama IUCN status ke LC-br Ke LC EC ke ke ke ke EC LE LC Le LE te ke Ss LC Le Le LC Le LE Le L€ LC LC LC LC-br Ee ke Le LC-br Le Le LE Le EE LC-br Breeding status in Estimated Band-i-Amir number of individuals observed Probable 3 Confirmed 4 Probable 21 Non-breeding 3 Possible | Non-breeding 2 Possible 2 Non-breeding | Probable 67 Confirmed 67 Probable 2 Probable 14 Non-breeding [ Non-breeding Zz Probable Ht2 Possible 3 Confirmed 18 Possible is) Possible | Possible | Possible 2 Confirmed 32 Confirmed 237 Probable 45 Possible Z Possible 3 Confirmed 16 Non-breeding 10 Non-breeding | Non-breeding 20 Confirmed 162 Confirmed 98 Confirmed 197 Non-breeding 4 Confirmed 299 Probable 40 Probable 32 Non-breeding 4 Possible Z Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 151 English Name Siberian Chiffchaff Sulphur-bellied Warbler Green Warbler Hume’s Whitethroat Common Whitethroat Eastern Rock Nuthatch Wallcreeper Rose-coloured Starling Eastern Black Redstart Siberian Stonechat Isabelline Wheatear Northern Wheatear Red-tailed Wheatear Desert Wheatear Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush Indian House Sparrow Eurasian Tree Sparrow Rock Sparrow White-winged Snowfinch Afghan Snowfinch Brown Accentor Citrine Wagtail Black-backed Citrine Wagtail White Wagtail Masked Wagtail Tawny Pipit Common Chaffinch Red-fronted Serin Eastern Goldfinch Twite Crimson-winged Finch Trumpeter Finch Mongolian Finch Common Rosefinch Sinai Rosefinch Spotted Great Rosefinch Grey-necked Bunting Scientific Name Phylloscopus (collybita) tristis Phylloscopus griseolus Phylloscopus trochiloides nitidus Sylvia (curruca) althaea Sylvia communis Sitta tephronota Tichodroma muraria Sturnus roseus Phoenicurus (ochruros) phoenicuroides Saxicola (torquatus) maurus Oenanthe isabellina Oenanthe oenanthe Oenanthe (xanthoprymna) chrysopygia Oenanthe deserti Monticola saxatilis Passer (domesticus) indicus | Passer montanus Petronia petronia Montifringilla nivalis Pyrgilauda theresae Prunella fulvescens Motacilla (citreola) citreola Motacilla (citreola) calcarata Motacilla (alba) alba Motacilla (alba) personata Anthus campestris Fringilla coelebs Serinus pusillus Carduelis (carduelis) paropanisi Carduelis flavirostris Rhodopechys sanguinea Bucanetes githagineus Bucanetes mongolicus Carpodacus erythrinus Carpodacus synoicus Carpodacus (rubicilla) severtzovi Emberiza buchanani 152 — Sandgrouse 31 (2009) IUCN status LC-br ~ LC-br LC-en LC-br KE Ke LC LE LC AS LC-br EG Lie LC-br kG He Le LC-br LC-br LC-br Breeding status in Band-i-Amir Non-breeding Confirmed Non-breeding Probable Non-breeding Confirmed Confirmed Possible Confirmed Probable Possible Confirmed Probable Probable Confirmed Probable Confirmed Confirmed Confirmed Confirmed Probable Obs Confirmed Obs Confirmed Possible Non-breeding Probable Possible Probable Confirmed Probable Probable Probable Confirmed Probable Probable Estimated number of individuals observed 4 86 2 7 ~ account, the observations during transects add up to 429 individuals of 17 species, equat- ing to 14.8 birds/km. The analysis should be looked on with caution for a number of reasons. The objective of the survey was to collect baseline data, especially of breeding species for both Band-i- Amir and Ajar, and not to carry out distance sampling or collect data on habitat, so whilst any analysis may be of interest, few conclusions should be drawn from comparing the two sites. The analysis shows that transect length and time were similar between the two sites. A greater number of species and total individuals were recorded at Band-i-Amir than Ajar and the number per km and per hour was greater. As no attempt was made to choose transects randomly or to standardize them (other than methodologically) between the two sites, this could be an artifact. The number of species and of individuals recorded on transects, as a percentage of the total number of species and individuals recorded, was higher for Ajar than for Band- i-Amir in both cases. This probably reflects both the greater amount of time spent at Band-i-Amir (50% more), where all birds seen were still counted towards the total, and the ease of transport around that site compared to Ajar. At Ajar, in order to maximize time recording on transects, a higher proportion of the limited field time was spent on transects. With the network of drivable tracks at Band-i-Amir, more time was spent driv- ing between transects and recording birds outside transects (mostly to assess breeding status). At Ajar the difficult conditions (eg heat, topography) and limited time forced us to concentrate on transects. | Thirty-four percent of all individuals recorded at Ajar were of biome-restricted species compared to 13% at Band-i-Amir. This probably reflects both the smaller area of anthropo- genic habitat (permanent settlement and irrigated agriculture) at Ajar and the greater area of wetland at Band-i-Amir, holding a high number of individuals of non-biome-restricted species. Band-i-Amir Ninety-six species were recorded in Band-i-Amir (Table 1), of which 73 were possibly, probably or confirmed breeding. Of these breeding species, Saker Falcon is classified as Globally Threatened (Endangered) by IUCN, 17 are classified as biome-restricted by Birdlife International (Lachmann et al 2006) or by us and Afghan Snowfinch Pyrgilauda theresae is classified as a breeding endemic. A further two observed species (ie not found to be breeding) are of importance, the Globally Near-Threatened Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus and the biome-restricted Pale Martin Riparia (riparia) diluta. It is certainly possible that Cinereous Vulture breeds within the area. Of the 10 species cited in the Band-i-Amir IBA citation (Evans 1994), we were able to confirm the presence during the breeding season of Himalayan Snowcock Tetraogallus himalayensis, Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture) Gypaetus barbatus, Hume’s Short-toed Lark Calandrella acutirostris, Hume’s Whitethroat, Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe chrysopygia, White-winged Snowfinch Montifringilla nivalis, Afghan Snowfinch and Crimson-winged Finch Rhodopechys sanguinea. For the purposes of this report, the area surveyed is assumed to cover the same area as the IBA. We were unable to confirm the presence of Variable Wheatear Oenanthe picata or Desert (Small) Whitethroat Sylvia (curruca) minula. We are also able to confirm as breeding Black-backed Citrine Wagtail Motacilla (citreola) calcarata, Sinai (Pale) Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus, Mongolian Finch Rhodopechys mongolica, Grey-necked Bunting Emberiza buchanani and Sulphur-bellied warbler Phylloscopus griseolus. Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 153 Table 2. List of bird species recorded in Ajar, spring 2008. LC = least-concern, NT = near-threatened, EN = endangered, br = biome-restricted. English Name Himalayan Snowcock Chukar Partridge See-see Partridge Common Kestrel Barbary Falcon Lammergeier Himalayan Griffon Vulture Short-toed Snake Eagle Golden Eagle Common Sandpiper Rock Dove Common Cuckoo Eurasian Scops Owl Little Owl European Nightjar Common Swift Eurasian Hoopoe Long-tailed Shrike Eurasian Magpie Red-billed Chough Yellow-billed Chough Hooded Crow Northern Raven Rufous-naped Tit Yellow-breasted Tit Eurasian Crag Martin Common House Martin Red-rumped Swallow Hume’s Short-toed Lark Horned Lark Scrub Warbler Cetti’s Warbler Clamorous Reed Warbler Blyth’s Reed Warbler Plain Leaf Warbler Sulphur-bellied Warbler Green Warbler Scientific Name Tetraogallus himalayensis Alectoris chukar Ammoperdix griseogularis Falco tinnunculus Falco pelegrinoides Gypaetus barbatus Gyps himalayensis Circaetus gallicus Aquila chrysaetos Actitis hypoleucos Columba livia Cuculus canorus Otus scops Athene noctua Caprimulgus europaeus Apus apus Upupa epops Lanius schach Pica pica P. pyrrhocorax Pyrrhocorax graculus Corvus cornix Corvus (corax) corax Parus rufonuchalis Cyanistes (cyanus) flavipectus Ptyonoprogne rupestris Delichon urbicum Cecropis daurica Calandrella acutirostris Eremophila alpestris Scotocerca inquieta Cettia cetti Acrocephalus stentoreus Acrocephalus dumetorum Phylloscopus neglectus Phylloscopus griseolus Phylloscopus trochiloides nitidus 154 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) IUCN status LC-br LC LC-br Ke LC Le LC-br Ke US Le he EE LG HE LG EG ie LC We We LE Le Le LC-br LC-br LC le LG LC-br Le EE KE LC LC LC-br LC-br EE Breeding status in Ajar Probable Probable Possible Confirmed Probable Possible Possible Possible Probable Possible Confirmed Probable Possible Possible Probable Confirmed Confirmed Possible Confirmed Confirmed Confirmed Possible Possible Possible Possible Confirmed Probable Probable Possible Probable Probable Probable Probable Possible Possible Confirmed Possible Estimated number of individuals observed 3 67 94 24 | English Name Hume’s Whitethroat Eastern Orphean Warbler Eastern Rock Nuthatch Wallcreeper Common Myna Blue Whistling Thrush Eastern Black Redstart Siberian Stonechat Northern Wheatear Red-tailed Wheatear Desert Wheatear Variable Wheatear Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush White-throated Dipper Indian House Sparrow Spanish Sparrow Rock Sparrow White-winged Snowfinch Brown Accentor Black-backed Citrine Wagtail Grey Wagtail Masked Wagtail Tawny Pipit Red-fronted Serin Eastern Goldfinch Twite Trumpeter Finch Common Rosefinch Sinai Rosefinch Blyth’s Rosefinch Spotted Great Rosefinch Rock Bunting White-capped Bunting Grey-necked Bunting Red-headed Bunting Scientific Name Sylvia (curruca) althaea Sylvia (hortensis) crassirostris Sitta tephronota Tichodroma muraria Acridotheres tristis Myophonus caeruleus Phoenicurus (ochruros) phoenicuroides Saxicola (torquatus) maurus Oenanthe oenanthe Oenanthe (xanthoprymna) chrysopygia Oenanthe deserti Oenanthe (picata) picata Monticola saxatilis Cinclus cinclus Passer (domesticus) indicus Passer hispaniolensis Petronia petronia Montifringilla nivalis Prunella fulvescens Motacilla (citreola) calcarata Motacilla cinerea Motacilla (alba) personata Anthus campestris Serinus pusillus Carduelis (carduelis) paropanisi Carduelis flavirostris Bucanetes githagineus Carpodacus erythrinus Carpodacus synoicus Carpodacus grandis Carpodacus (rubicilla) severtzovi Emberiza cia Emberiza stewarti Emberiza buchanani Emberiza bruniceps IUCN status LC-br Le LC-br LC-br EG LE me LC LC LC-br Le LC-br LE He Le Le Le LC-br LC-br LE Le ke LC LC-br KE Lie EC WG LC-br LC-br LC-br Le LC-br LC-br LE Breeding status in Ajar Confirmed Probable Confirmed Confirmed Possible Confirmed Confirmed Confirmed Probable Confirmed Probable Probable Possible Possible Confirmed Possible Confirmed Confirmed Confirmed Probable Confirmed Confirmed Confirmed Probable Confirmed Probable Possible Possible Confirmed Probable Probable Confirmed Probable Confirmed , Confirmed Sandgrouse 31 (2009) Estimated number of individuals observed 39 3 77 155 Ajar 7 We found 73 species at Ajar (Table 2), all of which were found _to be possibly, probably or confirmed breeding. None are classified as Globally Threatened, but 21 are classified as biome-restricted by Birdlife International (Lachmann et al 2006) and by us. Ajar is clearly of high importance for the conservation of breeding birds. A high num- ber of biome-restricted species were found to be possible, probable or confirmed breeders. Species like See-see Partridge Ammoperdix griseogularis and Plain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus neglectus reach the eastern edge of their distribution range here, while Yellow-breasted Tit Cyanistes (cyanus) flavipectus, Rufous-naped Tit Parus rufonuchalis and Blyth’s Rosefinch Carpodacus grandis reach the western edge of their distribution range. However, it is cur- rently not known how Ajar compares with other areas in the Hindu Kush. Notes on important species: Saker Falcon Falco cherrug. One bird was seen in suitable breeding habitat at Band-i-Amir and as the species is relatively faithful to its breeding sites, it was categorised as a possible breeder. More observations are needed to confirm its status. Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus. Observed in Band-i-Amir only, where two birds were seen crossing the area at high altitude. The species is classified as a non-breeding visitor, but future research could prove it to breed. Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis. More numerous in Ajar than at Band-i- Amir. It was mainly observed at higher altitudes and was classified as a possible breeding species in both areas. Future research may identify breeding cliffs, which would be the most essential areas to protect for this mobile species. Himalayan Snowcock Tetraogallus himalayensis. A probable breeder, found on top of high cliffs and steep areas with many crags (Plate 7), always above 3100 m. The species is restricted to the Eurasian High Montane biome and reaches the western limit of its global distribution in the mountains of northern Afghanistan. See-see Partridge Ammoperdix griseogularis. This biome-restricted species (Irano-Turanian Mountains) was found in Ajar only in small numbers on steep rocky slopes. Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius (mongolus) atrifrons. Observed in Band-i-Amir where it was found breeding. Two pairs of adults with mobile young were seen in a karst area on a flat mountain top on the eastern edge of the area. This observation constitutes a significant range extension, the closest known breeding areas are in the Pamir mountains (Rasmussen & Anderton 2005). Hume’s Short-toed Lark Calandrella acutirostris. Strikingly numerous in open and undu- lating country in Band-i-Amir but only in small numbers in Ajar. It was mainly found in the low to mid-level areas of Band-i-Amir and less numerous on the highest plateaus. This coincides with the areas that are used for agriculture though it may not be agricul- ture dependent (in the Wakhan, Pamir and Darvoz mountains of Tajikistan, the species breeds far away from agricultural! lands, RA pers obs). Moreover, the survey covered only a very short period of the year during the breeding season. The species is restricted to the Eurasian High Montane biome and is close to the southwestern edge of its distribution range in Band-i-Amir. Brown Accentor Prunella fulvescens. Found in canyons and along crags in higher altitudes of both Ajar and Band-i-Amir. The species is restricted to the Eurasian High Montane biome and is close to the southwestern edge of its distribution range in Band-i-Amir. 156 = Sandgrouse 31 (2009) Plate 7. Habitat of Himalayan Snowcock Tetraogallus himalayensis and Spotted Great Rosefinch Carpodacus (rubicilla) severtzovi at Band-i-Amir. © Simon Busuttil Red-tailed Wheatear Oecenanthe (xanthop- rymna) chrysopygia. Listed as Oenanthe xanthopryma in the IBA description (Evans 1994). This biome-restricted (Irano-Turanian Mountains) species was more common in Ajar than in Band-i-Amir. It was found on Plate 8. Remnant juniper woodland, Ajar. Habitat for boulder slopes (Plate 5), in dry rocky parts Plain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus neglectus and Grey- of the bottom of canyons and around crags necked Bunting Emberiza buchanani. © Simon Busuttil with juniper. Variable Wheatear Oenanthe (picata) picata. Found in Ajar only and mainly on the arid slopes adjacent to agricultural land. All birds observed within the proposed protected area belonged to the capistrata morph. Both the picata morph and ‘Black-bellied Wheatear’ Oenanthe (picata) opistholeuca were observed within 50 km of the survey area at the village of Ruy-i-Sang. Variable Wheatear is restricted to the Irano-Turanian Mountains biome. Sykes’s Warbler Iduna rama. Observed in areas of shrub in steep valleys and along streams in Band-i-Amir. The species may breed in such habitats and was therefore classified as a possible breeder. Future surveys will have to determine whether it really breeds. It is biome-restricted (Eurasian Desert and Semi-desert). Hume’s Whitethroat Sylvia (curruca) althaea. This warbler was recorded in well-vegetated areas of both Ajar and Band-i-Amir. In Ajar it was found mostly in juniper vegetation, in Band-i-Amir mostly in willows and bushes of the Rosaceae family in canyons and along small streams. Hume’s Whitethroat is considered biome-restricted for the purposes of this study. Plain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus neglectus. Observed in Ajar on several occasions. All observations took place in the vicinity of juniper stands (Plate 8), including the densest remaining juniper stands in the main canyon. The species is restricted to the Irano-Turanian Mountains biome and reaches the eastern (possibly north-eastern) limit of its distribution range in the wider surroundings of the surveyed areas. Paludan (1959) found only six individuals at three locations during his extensive expedition to Afghanistan. The closest of these locations is located more than 300 km to the west of the surveyed areas described here. Sandgrouse 31 (2009) = 157 Plate 9. Entrance to Jawzari canyon, Ajar. Habitat of Plate 10. Band-i-Amir lake. Habitat of Sinai (Pale) White-capped Bunting Emberiza stewarti and Blyth’s Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus. © Simon Busuttil Rosefinch Carpodacus grandis. © Simon Busuttil Sulphur-bellied Warbler Phylloscopus griseolus. This warbler was encountered quite com- monly where there was some scrub on steep rocky slopes and on the edge of scree. It was also found on cliffs (including canyons) with shrubby vegetation. Sulphur-bellied Warbler is restricted to the Eurasian High Montane biome. Afghan Snowfinch Pyrgilauda theresae. Observed in Band-i-Amir only, where it is a rela- tively common breeder in open habitats (Artemisia steppes, lalmi). It was missing in the canyons, screes and other habitats with very limited vegetation. Earlier ornithological work suggested that the species leaves the area in winter (RA pers obs 2006). The observations made during this survey appear to be the first made of this species in this area during the breeding season since Paludan in 1948 (Paludan 1959). Afghan Snowfinch is an endemic species to Afghanistan though with specimens col- lected in winter in Turkmenistan and unsubstantiated records from Tajikistan (Tolstoy & Geipel 1990), and was the reason for Birdlife International to designate central Afghanistan a secondary Endemic Bird Area (BirdLife International zune) Red-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus. Very numerous along crags, cliffs, saMyrons and in rocky valleys of both surveyed areas. Crimson-winged Finch Rhodopechys sanguinea. Quite common at Band-i-Amir. It was usually most commonly found in canyons, but also in relatively open undulating country including Artemisia steppe and fallow fields (lalmi or irrigated). Nearby crags and cliffs presumably are necessary for the occurrence of the species in open country. It is biome restricted (Eurasian High Montane). 3 Blyth’s Rosefinch Carpodacus grandis. Found in Ajar only, especially along the larger canyons and in places where there are junipers (Plate 9). The surveyed area constitutes probably the westernmost limit of the distribution of this overall rather scarce species. Paludan (1959) had found it exclusively in Nuristan, eastern Afghanistan. Spotted Great Rosefinch Carpodacus (rubicilla) severtzovi. It inhabits high cliffs and canyons in both areas, being more numerous in Band-i-Amir. This seems to be a new finding, as the previously known range did not reach as far west. Paludan (1959) did not find the spe- cies on his expedition, but did list it in his preliminary checklist of birds of Afghanistan. It is unclear whether, except for the type specimens of diabolica (see below), any museum 158 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) specimens of this taxon exist from Afghanistan. The limited evidence therefore suggests that this is an isolated population. The areas where the birds spend most of their time are completely inaccessible (Plate 7) and knowledge of the voice of this species is therefore critical to find it. Several tenta- tive identifications of this species were made in Band-i-Amir before it could be positively identified and recorded. It seems to be somewhat more numerous and widespread in Band-i-Amir than in Ajar. The populations of Great Rosefinch occurring from the Himalayas through the Hindu Kush to the Altai mountains further north have been split from the Caucasian popula- tions as Spotted Great Rosefinch Carpodacus severtzovi (Rasmussen & Anderton 2005). A further taxon, diabolica, was described from Sanglech, Afghanistan (Vaurie 1949) though it is unclear whether it is valid. Sinai (Pale) Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus. Quite common in both areas and was found mainly in rocky areas, including canyons (Plate 10), screes, cliffs and arid slopes with boul- ders. Sinai Rosefinch occurs in Afghanistan as an endemic subspecies, salimalii. The species itself is considered biome-restricted for the purpose of this report. White-capped Bunting Emberiza stewarti. Observed at Ajar only and found in the main canyon (Plate 9) around the area where juniper grows most densely. The species is biome- restricted. Ajar is close to the western edge of its distribution range. Grey-necked Bunting Emberiza buchanani. This bunting, which is restricted to the Irano- Turanian Mountains biome, was found in both areas but was particularly numerous in Ajar. It was most commonly found on slopes with some scrubs or bushes, from screes with single bushes to Artemisia steppes that cover a majority of the areas (Plates 5 & 8). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The WCS Afghanistan Biodiversity Conservation Program is USAID-funded. The authors are very grate- ful to WCS for providing us with the opportunity to visit this wonderful country. We would like to thank Chris Shank and Ayub Alavi for organizing this survey and their company during it. Thanks also to Chris for commenting on the manuscript. Also, we highly appreciate the company and help of Don Bedunah, Ayub Wafi, Syed Humayoon, Mohammad Sharif, our driver Ali Ahmad and cook Dad Ali. We thank Haji Fazel and numerous rangers for their hospitality and openness. Haqiq Rahmani deserves special thanks for recovering crucial information from the unknown depths of a GPS. REFERENCES BirdLife International. 2008. BirdLife’s online World Bird Database: the site for bird conservation. Version 2.1. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK, www.birdlife.org (accessed 14/6/2008). Evans, MI (compiler). 1994. Important bird areas of the Middle East. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. Lachmann, L, A Braunlich, S Sklyarenko & M Brombacher. 2006. Criteria for the identification of Important Bird Areas in Central Asia. Birdlife International, RSPB, Darwin Initiative, unpublished report. Madge, S. undated. Band-I-Amir records 1970. (received 2008). Paludan, K. 1959. On the birds of Afghanistan. Videnskabelige Meddelelser Dansk naturhistorisk Forening 122: 1-332. Pimm, S. undated. Report of the Oxford University Expedition to Afghanistan and Kashmir 1970. (received 2008). Rasmussen, PC & JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Smithsonian Institution/Lynx Edicions, Washington DC/Barcelona. Tolstoy, V & E Geipel. 1990. First Finding of Afghan Snowfinch in Tajikistan, Ornithologiya 24: 164. Vaurie, C. 1949. Notes on some Asiatic Finches. American Museum Novitates 1424: 24-28. Simon Busuttil, RSPB East Scotland Office, 10 Albyn Terrace, Aberdeen AB10 1YP, UK. Simon.Busuttil@rspb.org.uk Raffael Ayé, Im Zimmerhof 7, 4054 Basel, Switzerland. raffael.aye@birding.ch Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 159 Aberrant moult in an adult male Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus phoenicuroides LAURENT DEMONGIN & REUVEN YOSEF Knowledge of bird moult of European species has progressed enormously (eg Ginn & Meiville 1983, Svensson 1992, Jenni & Winkler 1994). Some families of passerines have a rather regular type of moult, whereas others present considerable variations between spe- cies as well as within species. Such is the case for the true shrikes (Laniidae). The moult of the Isabelline Shrike Lantus isabellinus is particularly complex because of the various subspecies and their respective migration strategies (Lefranc 1993, Lefranc & Worfolk 1997); moreover, the species is relatively poorly known due to its easterly, non-European, distribution (Yosef 2008). During the regular ringing programme of the International Birding and Research Centre in Eilat (IBRCE), Israel, an adult male of the subspecies phoenicuroides was captured on 18 October 2005. Here we report the unusual moult of the wing feathers of this bird. Some regard this subspecies as a full species, the Rufous Shrike (Rasmussen & Anderton 2005); we retain it as one of the four subspecies (phoenicuroides, isabellinus, speculigerus, tsai- damensis) of L. tsabellinus (Lefranc & Worfolk 1997, Harris & Franklin 2000, Yosef 2008). The primaries and primary coverts and alula were counted descendantly; the second- aries and secondary coverts were counted ascendantly. The feathers moulted during the last partial post-breeding moult were coded A (autumn 2005), those moulted during the complete pre-breeding moult coded 5S (spring 2005), and an older feather coded O (old). The most internal primary was moulted during the post-breeding moult (code A) as well Table |. Extent of post-breeding moult for the wings of an adult male Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus phoenicuroi- des captured 18 October 2005, Eilat, Israel. A = feather moulted during the autumn (partial post-breeding moult), S = feather moulted during the last spring (pre-breeding moult), O = feather moulted before the last spring. Right Wing Secondaries Primaries emcee afatatalaletstatetelels[etelstels[a Remees [S's sss |S sis is PAS Ss) SS | Ss eae eS Left Wing atin ERA Primaries : pov [ope] [2a] si] a eat ai a a [ae eee Grearcovers|_ | s | s|s|slolalalalals[alalalalalalala remgess [si s[s]s{s|{s|s{s|sfafs|s{sis[s{s]a]s]s| Secondaries 160 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) Plate |. Right wing of an adult male Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus phoenicuroides captured 18 October 2005, Eilat, Israel. All small coverts, carpal covert and the majority of the median and greater secondary coverts were moulted in the autumn. © Laurent Demongin as the longest tertiary of the left wing, whereas all the other remiges were moulted during the complete pre-breeding moult (code S, Table 1). All the small coverts, the carpal covert and the majority of the median and greater secondary coverts were moulted in the autumn (code A, Plate 1). The moult of the primary coverts was very asymmetrical between the wings and three generations were present on the left wing (Plate 2). To date, two strategies of moult have been distinguished in the Isabelline Shrike (Lefranc 1993, Cramp & Perrins 1993, Jenny & Winkler 1994, Lefranc & Worfolk 1997, Harris & Franklin 2000). The adults of the eastern populations of isabellinus and most indi- viduals of speculigerus have a complete moult in summer on the breeding grounds. Those of phoenicuroides and the other populations of isabellinus have a partial post-breeding moult July-September involving body, tertials, tail and many wing-coverts but no flight-feathers, followed by a complete pre-breeding moult in the winter quarters between (October) November and February (April). The captured individual in Eilat was especially interesting in that it displayed two unusual characteristics as compared to a ‘normal’ individual phoenicuroides from the lit- erature: 1) The most internal primary was moulted on each wing during the partial post-breeding moult, then the moult was stopped or suspended. The absence of growing feathers allowed us to exclude that it was the beginning of the complete moult, which would, in addition, be exceptionally early. 2) The absence of moult of the primary coverts of the right wing was as expected; but, three generations were present on the left wing, the most internal having been moulted during the partial post-breeding moult and the most external during the complete pre- Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 161 Plate 2. Left wing of an adult male Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus phoenicuroides captured 18 October 2005, Eilat, Israel. The moult of the primary coverts was asymmetrical between the wings and three generations were present on the left wing. © Laurent Demongin breeding moult. The last one was retained during these two successive moults and was thus older than one year. The pre-breeding moult was thus not absolutely complete. This individual shows that information available on the moult of the Isabelline Shrike is still incomplete and that each captured individual should be studied and described in detail. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank helpers during field work, especially Rea Shayish, Tzadok Tzemach and Jill Oron. REFERENCES Cramp, S & CM Perrins (eds). 1993. Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Vol 7. Flycatchers to Shrikes. Oxford University Press, NY. Ginn, HB & DS Melville. 1983. Moult in Birds. BTO Guide 19. British Trust for Ornithology, Tring, UK. Harris, T & K Franklin. 2000. Shrikes and Bush-Shrikes: including Wood-Shrikes, Helmet-Shrikes, Flycatcher- Shrikes, Philentomas, Batises and Wattle-Eyes. Christopher Helm, London. Jenni, L & R Winkler. 1994. Moult and Ageing of European Passerines. Academic Press, London. Lefranc, N. 1993. Les pies-griéches d’Europe, d'Afrique du Nord et du Moyen-Orient. Delachaux et Niestlé, Lausanne. Lefranc, N & T Worfolk. 1997. Shrikes: a Guide to the Shrikes of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Rasmussen, PC & JC Anderton. 2005. Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. 2 vols. Smithsonian Institution/ Lynx Edicions, Washington DC/Barcelona. Svensson, L. 1992. Identification Guide to European Passerines. 4th edition. Lars Svensson, Stockholm. Yosef, R. 2008. Family Laniidae. In: del Hoyo, J, A Elliott & DA Christie (eds). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol 13. Penduline Tits to Shrikes. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, pp732-796. Laurent Demongin & Reuven Yosef, International Birding & Research Centre in Eilat, PO Box 774, Eilat 88106, Israel. ryosef@eilatcity.co.il 162 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) | a On the nomenclature of the so-called Isabelline Shrike EN PANOV Ina seminal paper published in 1930, Stegmann distinguished four races within what is now often still regarded in the European literature as a single species under the name Isabelline Shrike’. Alternatively, a number of Russian authors who, unlike the European ornithologists, have been studying these birds within their breeding ranges for years, have long been inclined to consider this taxon as consisting of two independent species: the Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus and Turkestan Shrike L. phoenicuroides (Korelov 1970, _ Panov & Kryukov 1973, Kryukov 1995, Panow 1996). This view was adopted in a new checklist of Russian bird species (Koblik et al 2006), which was compiled to improve on _ previous lists by Stepanyan (1978, 1990). It is well known that two groups of forms are clearly distinguishable within the com- plex. These can be named the ‘phoenicuroides group’ (phoenicuroides and speculigerus) with contrasting coloration of males (Plate 1) and rather pronounced sexual dichromatism, and the ‘isabellinus group’ (isabellinus and tsaidamensis), in which individuals of both sexes have dull sandy-greyish coloration (Plate 2). _ Plate |. Typical males of the Turkestan Shrike Lanius phoenicuroides (left) and Dzungarian Shrike L. isabellinus _ speculigerus (right). © EN Panov The pairs of forms constituting these groups differ from each other not only in colour pattern, but also wing formula, moult schedule, phenology of breeding and character of EEE seasonal migration (Cramp & Perrins 1993). On the basis of all these differences, Neufeldt (1978) suggested that phoenicuroides and speculigerus should be regarded as subspecies of the polytypic species L. phoenicuroides. Although this author did not give any additional arguments in favour of the conspecificity of these forms, it is not inconceivable that sub- sequent studies (in particular, genetic ones) will support their close phylogenetic affinity. Iam more inclined now, however, to consider speculigerus a subspecies of the Isabelline Shrike, along with two other (see Plate 2) forms: thus, nominate isabellinus, tsaidamensis and speculigerus. The view that phoenicuroides and speculigerus are not conspecific is supported by there being at least one call-type not found in phoenicuroides in the vocal repertoire of the latter (Panow 1996). "By holding to a polytypic concept of the ‘large species’, prevailing in those years, Stegmann considered all _ these forms as geographical races of the Red-backed Shrike L. collurio. Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 163 In this paper, I shall touch on two dif- ferent themes. Firstly, I should like to argue in favour of the view that the monotypic L. phoenicuroides is an independent species, separate from the polytypic L. isabellinus. Secondly, I shall try to dispute a recent rec- ommendation by Pearson (2000) to change a generally accepted nomenclature of the L. isabellinus races, well established since 1930. SITUATION NEAR THE BORDER OF THE RANGES OF PHOENICUROIDES AND ISABELLINUS In the Tien Shan, the breeding ranges of these forms are almost contiguous (Figure 1). According to Ludlow and Kinnear (1933: 467), phoenicuroides is common in the Tekes river valley, where the birds breed at alti- tudes of cl500-—2000 m, while Isabelline Shrikes of the nominate race, isabellinus, occupy desert plains of nearby Kashgaria (Tarim basin). These two areas are sepa- rated, in fact, by two parallel ridges of the Tien-Shan mountain system, which have a maximum height from 4300 up to 7440 m asl. This natural barrier, that may, in prin- ciple, prevent direct contact between the Plate 2. Phenotypes of the nominate race of the phoenicuroides and isabellinus populations, is only c150 km wide. It is known that at least phoenicuroides is absent in these mountains (Ludlow & Kinnear 1933). Isabelline Shrike L. i. isabellinus (males, top) and of the subspecies tsaidamensis (males, bottom). For explanation of arrow, see text. © Zoological Institute collections in St Petersburg The fact that two closely related forms were living in such close proximity had led our research team to suppose earlier that a zone of their hybridization might exist there (Kryukov & Panov 1980). To test this assumption, fieldwork was carried out in the Tekes river valley area of Kazakhstan in the spring of 2008 (Figure 1). Three observers made daily excursions by car in the period between 1 and 25 May. All available characteristic shrike habitats in the valleys of the river Tekes and its tributaries (Maly Kokpak, Bol’shoy Kokpak, Bayankol) and some further north, in the Charyn river valley, were visited and investigated. The distance between the extreme northern and southern parts of the study area was about 100 km. It is known that the spring arrival of isabellinus in Kashgaria and the beginning of its breeding season there typically occurs around the middle of March (Sharpe 1891, Ludlow & Kinnear 1933, Sudilovskaya 1936). On the other hand, in our study area in 2008, there were no signs of any shrikes being present until 9 May, when the first arriving bird (typi- cal phoenicuroides) was observed. A complete absence of isabeilinus individuals in April and early May in the area investigated showed that the region is not part of the breeding range of this form. The fact contradicts suggestions by Belyalov & Berezovikov (2004) that isabel- linus was now beginning to colonize southern Kazakhstan (but see below). All the shrikes that were beginning to establish territories and start breeding in bushy _ habitats of the study area during mid to late May (in one case, the beginning of nest- — 164 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) ®1 phoenicuroides e 3 speculigerus White arrow designates study area @2 isabellinus 4 tsaidamensis Figure |. The Tien-Shan mountain system, to the north of the Takla Makan desert of the Tarim basin, and some other geographic features of central Asia. Location of breeding season specimen/sight records of the taxa phoenicuroides, isabellinus, speculigerus and tsaidamensis of the Isabelline Shrike complex are indicated (Ludlow & .Kinnear 1933, Korelov 1970, Kryukov 1982, author’s data) as is the location of the author’s study area in 2008. building was observed on 18 May and, on 24 May, the first egg was laid in this nest) had the appearance of typical phoenicuroides. Overall, 18 males (13 were photographed in the field, six captured and examined in the hand) and no fewer than nine females were found. To digress briefly from the main theme of the paper, we may particularly emphasize a very high constancy in the appearance of the local phenotypes. In this respect, the population studied differs dramatically from those inhabiting areas situated further north. In the lat- ter, birds of the ‘karelini’ type are quite common, which phenotype I consider to be a result of lengthy introgression of collurio genes into phoenicuroides populations (Panow 1996). A complete absence of such birds in the study area thus seems easily explainable: it is situ- ated at a considerable distance from the phoenicuroides and collurio contact zones. The same conclusion was made earlier by Shnitnikov (1949: 475). At the same time, the constancy of the local phoenicuroides phenotypes clearly indicates an absence of any significant gene flow from the isabellinus populations distributed south _ of the study area. The question arises as to which factors may be responsible for the rather obvious reproductive isolation between these two forms. First, of course, is that mountain barriers seem to be preventing direct contact between them during the breeding season. At other times, however, birds appear to overcome these barriers without difficulty. Thus, just after finishing a breeding cycle, as early as late July or early August, vagrant Isabelline - Shrikes (both adults and juveniles) appear in the extreme south of Kazakhstan and in Kyrgyzstan, ie in areas situated on the northern slopes of the Tien Shan (Shnitnikov 1949: _ 479; see also Belyalov & Berezovikov 2004, Berezovikov et al 2005). All of this lends sup- | ' port to the idea that, along with the spatial isolation of the two forms’ populations, a sharp difference in the timing of the start of breeding (about two months) may be an important _ isolating factor. | The conclusion can therefore be made that the breeding range of the Turkestan Shrike is spatially isolated from those of any representatives of the Isabelline Shrike (both L. 1. isabellinus distributed southward and L. i. speculigerus in the east). In view of this fact, Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 165 together with an apparent absence of regular gene flow between phoenicuroides and nomi- nate isabellinus populations in the zone of allopatry/parapatry-(data presented above), the former may be regarded formally as an independent species. Nevertheless, what was said above does not exclude the possibility of occasional interbreeding between phoenicuroides and isabellinus (as documented for very many pairs of good species: see Panov 1989). O Belyalov (pers comm, Plate 3) documented one case of a phoenicuroides male and an isabellinus female in close proximity (apparently paired) in mid-May 2008 near the town of Zharkent not far from part of my study site. On a car route about 20 km long, this researcher counted 20 phoenicuroides individuals and that single isabellinus female. I should add that my long experience of working in museum collections shows that apparent hybrids phoentcuroides x isabellinus are quite rare (for details, see Panov 2008). They occur far more rarely than collurio x phoenicuroides hybrids, although in the lat- ter case the parental forms are unanimously considered as not conspecific. To conclude this section, I should emphasize that splitting the so-called Isabelline Shrike into two independent species would also be very useful for practical reasons. Lumping L. isabellinus and L. phoenicuroides, in contrast, leads to vagueness in the identifi- cation of migrating and wintering individuals by those observers who do not have a firm grasp of the complex systematics of the whole group. As a result, an observed individual is often simply described as isabellinus without an indication of its exact taxonomic status. The same is often true of specimens in museum collections (see eg Martens & Eck 1995: 370). PEARSON’S (2000) PROPOSAL TO CHANGE EXISTING ISABELLINE SHRIKE NOMENCLATURE When discussing a history of the attempts to ascertain interrelationships between dif- ferent forms within the so-called Lantus isabellinus complex, Voous (1979) described its taxonomy as ‘capricious’. Indeed, a discrepancy between European and Russian ornitholo- gists with regard to the taxonomic status of phoenicuroides is not the only contradiction in this field. Dement’ev (1954) and Portenko (1960), for example, gave different descrip- tions of the nomenclature and distribution of the shrikes that later came to be considered unanimously under the name isabellinus (eg in Cramp & Perrins 1993, Lefranc & Worfolk 1997). Portenko, in contrast to Dement’ev, divided this taxon into two: isabellinus as such, inhabiting “semideserts and deserts of Soviet Central Asia south of the Syr-Darya and Aral Sea to Iran, and arenarius breeding in Kashgaria” (op cit: 205). We now know that this information about isabellinus sensu Portenko is erroneous, since he mistakenly regarded wintering and migrating birds as breeders. Many other discrepancies in the evaluation of the species’ affinities and taxonomic positions of different forms are given in Panow (1996: 61, Table 3). More recently, Pearson (2000: 24) emphasized that understanding the true situation is restrained by an absence of clarity in the naming of subspecies by different authors. In | particular, he wrote that even such experts in systematics as Stresemann (1927) and Vaurie — (1959) used the names isabellinus and speculigerus in respect of the same form. | It may seem all the more strange, therefore, that Pearson himself proposed to introduce additional difficulties in the nomenclature discussed by changing names that had become — well established with time in the ornithological community, in regional handbooks (eg | Lefranc 1993, Cramp & Perrins 1993, Shirihai 1996, Fry et al 2000) and review volumes on | the genus Lanius (Panow 1996, Lefranc & Worfolk 1997). | It is Pearson’s belief that the male type specimen, obtained in 1828 by Hemprich and | Ehrenberg, belongs to the subspecies speculigerus, not to the nominate form, and he there- fore suggested renaming speculigerus as isabellinus, and isabellinus, in turn, as arenarius. One | 166 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) Plate 3. Mixed pair composed of Turkestan Shrike Lanius phoenicuroides male (in front on the left) and L. i. isabellinus female. On the right, female with food just presented to her by male. © OV Belyalov may imagine how destructive such revision would be for future steps in the so-capri- cious taxonomic history of the Isabelline Shrike. It is not difficult to see that such a change would result in an avalanche of new mishmashes, especially in the identification of migrating and wintering individuals by ornithologists unacquainted with all the minutest details of the species’ systematics. Moreover, all handbooks and fundamental classic works which include the Isabelline Shrike would be dismissed as useless or even erroneous. Pearson's opinion is not incontestable. Below, I shall argue my profound doubts about assigning the type specimen to the subspecies speculigerus. First of all, as the bird was taken outside its breeding range (in the western part of the Arabian penin- sula, on a migration route or in its winter quarters), there cannot be a direct confir- mation of its subspecific affinity. We should thus analyse the phenotype of the indi- vidual in detail and compare it with a good series of speculigerus and isabellinus (which Plate 4. Type specimen of the Isabelline Shrike L. i. me ; isabellinus. © Zoological Museum collections in Berlin surprisingly was not done in the paper by Pearson, see below). Lars Svensson kindly presented me with a good photograph of the specimen (Plate 4), so that I could examine it as closely as a picture permits. At least two features seem to me uncharacteristic of the typical speculigerus colour pattern. The first of these is the size of the light wing-patch in the specimen. As Pearson states, itis 4mm in width (the only measurement given in the entire article). Such narrow wing- | patches are extremely rare in breeding male speculigerus. Kryukov (1982) measured the - width of this patch in 49 males from the speculigerus populations of Transbaikalia (the Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 167 subspecies’ terra typica) and the Gobi. In one of them, the wing-patch was completely concealed by the coverts. A narrow wing-patch (1-4 mm in width) was present in only one male, while 17 of them had patches wider than 4 mm (up to 6 mm) and in 31 individu- als the measurements were 7-10 mm. On the basis of these figures, it can be said that, in respect of this character, the probability of the type specimen’s affinity to speculigerus is 2/49, ie 0.04 only. | The second character that seems suspicious is the width of the lore, which appears to be too broad for typical speculigerus. Its black colour extends on to the forehead, where the left and right markings nearly merge with each other, being divided only by the proximal end of the bill ridge, not by the entire base of the upper surface of the maxilla as in typical speculigerus (Plate 5). In support of the doubt I have expressed, it is appropriate to mention here that in the course of examining in the Zoological Institute in St Petersburg a large speculigerus series from different parts of its breeding range, I discovered some males with rather a lot of black on the forehead. The distribution of the black colour varies in such individuals from a noticeable widening of the lores to their being joined at the base of maxilla, where in this case a narrow black band is formed (Plate 6). It appears that such birds are distrib- uted unevenly within the subspecies’ breeding range. They are most common in the local zone of hybridization between L. 1. speculigerus and L. collurio in the Chuya steppe, not far from the Russian/Mongolian border (Panow 1996: 101-102). The proportion of such males decreases with distance from this locality, and in Transbaikalia (c1200 km further east, in the terra typica range of the subspecies) they are completely absent (Table 1). Because of the dispersion of individuals of hybridogenous origin from the hybrid zone, birds with even a rather broad frontal band can be found in different parts of Mongolia (a photograph of one such male was kindly sent to me by Lars Svensson). An analysis of the whole array of quite variable phenotypes obtained in two sec- tors of the hybrid zone (Panov & Kryukov 1973, Neufeldt 1986) leads to the conclusion that the presence of excessive black on the forehead in such specimens is a result of the influence of collurio genes. It may therefore be supposed that the wide lores in the type specimen discussed are due to this genetic factor as well. In any case, the validity of the type spec- imen as a speculigerus male is in no way ar established fact. Indeed, a small wing-patch is more characteristic of nominate tsabellinus Plate 5. Head coloration in typical L. isabellinus (13 out of 35 males taken in the breeding speculigerus male. © EN Panov : Plate 6. Variation in head coloration among L. isabellinus speculigerus males. Arrows show excess of black in the forehead region. © Zoological Institute collections in St Petersburg 168 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) | Table |. Number and percentage of ‘speculigerus’ phenotype with much black on the forehead. Region N males Proportion of aberrant phenotypes Chuya steppe 10 6 (60.0) Mongolia, Dzungaria 13 6 (46.2) Gobi Altay, Gobi desert 9 2 (22.2) Tuva 3 MG3:3) Transbaikalia 10 0 (0.0) Sum total 45 15. (33-3) season in Kashgaria, according to Kryukov 1982). Some males of this form are similar to speculigerus individuals in having rather broad black lores (Plate 2, shown by arrow). Unfortunately, in the article by Pearson, no data are given on wing-length, which is a very important diagnostic character for distinguishing speculigerus from nominate isabellinus, nor indeed any other measurements indicating the overall size of the specimen. At the same time, the absence of such measurements is not surprising, when it becomes clear that the author of the article did not even examine the skin in the hand, but based his proposal on comments by G Nikolaus, who had examined it, and photographs sent to him from the Berlin collections. Rather, ‘indecent’ haste, not careful appraisal, seems to have prevailed in the attempted solution of such a complex taxonomic question. Disregard of the standard and necessary procedures for working with collection material seems to have passed unnoticed by Lefranc (2007), who pushed on with changes to the Isabelline Shrike nomenclature for birdwatchers. Fortunately, CS Roselaar in Cramp & Perrins (1993), editor responsible for the sections on shrike taxonomy, only mentioned Pearson's suggestion, a personal communication, cursorily, retaining the entire Isabelline Shrike nomenclature unchanged. While I am in favour of treating L. phoenicuroides as an independent species, I too support the retention of the old nomenclature for the polytypic L. isabellinus, and therefore hope that ornithologists will follow this opinion in the future. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Iam grateful to staff at the Zoological Museum of Moscow University and Laboratory of Ornithology of the Zoological Institute in St Petersburg (and especially to VM Loskot, YaA Red’kin, EA Shapoval and PS Tomkovich) for the invaluable help they gave me in my work with the bird skin collections in these deposi- tories. I wish to express my appreciation to NN Berezovikov and AF Kovshar’ for organizing my fieldwork in Kazakhstan, and to AV Gribkov and AS Opaev, who helped by collecting data. I thank also Mike Wilson, who kindly edited an early draft of this paper, improved my English, and corresponded with the Editor about the publication of the paper in Sandgrouse. REFERENCES Belyalov, OV & NN Berezovikov. 2004. [The Kashgar Isabelline Shrike Lantus isabellinus—a breeding species in the avifauna of Kazakhstan]. Kazakhstanskiy ornitologicheskty byulleten’ 2004: 182-183. [In Russian] Berezovikov, NN, AA Vinokurov & OV Belyalov. 2005. 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Pica Press, Sussex, UK. Ludlow, F & NB Kinnear. 1933. A contribution to the ornithology of Chinese Turkestan. Ibis (13)3: 240-259, 440-473, 658-694. Martens, J & S Eck. 1995. Towards an ornithology of the Himalayas: systematics, ecology and vocalizations of Nepal birds. Bonner Zoologische Monographien 38. Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany. Neufeldt IA. 1978. [Post-breeding moult in East Asian Shrike (Lanius cristatus Linnaeus). (Systematics, mor- phology and biology of birds.)] Proceedings of the Zoological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences 68: 176-227. [In Russian] Neufeldt, IA. 1986. [On some results of an ornithological expedition to the South-Eastern Altay. (The distri- bution and biology of birds in the Altay and Far East.)] Proceedings of the Zoological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences 150: 7-73. [In Russian] Panov, EN. 1989. [Natural hybridization and ethological olation in birds]. Nauka, Moscow. [In Russian] Panov, EN. 2008. [True shrikes (family Lantidae) of the world: ecology, behaviour, evolution]. KMK Scientific Press, Moscow. [In Russian]. Panov, EN & AP Kryukov. 1973. [Divergence, isolating mechanisms and hybridization in a group of small Palearctic shrikes (Lanius, Aves)]. Zoologicheskty Zhurnal 52: 1683-1697. [In Russian] Panow, EN. 1996. Die Wiirger der Paldarktis. (Die Neue Brehm-Bucherei 557.) 2nd revised edition. Westarp Wissenschaften, Magdeburg in association with Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany. Pearson, DJ. 2000. The races of the Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus and their nomenclature. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 120: 22-27. Portenko, LA. 1960. [Family Laniidae—shrikes. In: Birds of the USSR]. Part 4. USSR Academy of Sciences Press, Moscow & Leningrad, pp185—207. [In Russian] Sharpe, RB. 1891. Scientific results of the Second Yarkand Mission. bes Based upon the collections and notes of the late Ferdinand Stoliczka. Published by Order of the Government of India and printed by Taylor and Francis, London. Shirihai, H. 1996. The birds of Israel. Academic Press, London. Shnitnikov, VN. 1949. [Birds of Semirech’ye]. USSR Academy of Sciences Press, Moscow & Leningrad. [In Russian] Stegmann, B. 1930. Uber die Formen der palaarktischen Rotriicken- und Rotschwanzwurger und deren taxonomischen Wert. Ornithologische Monatsberichte 38: 106-118. Stepanyan, LS. 1978. [Composition and distribution of the avifauna of the USSR. Passeriformes]. Nauka, Moscow. [In Russian] Stepanyan, LS. 1990. [Conspectus of the ornithological fauna of the USSR]. Nauka, Moscow. [In Russian] Stresemann, E. 1927. Die Wanderungen der Rotschwanz-Wiirger (Formenkreis Lanius cristatus). Journal fur Ornithologie 75: 68-85. Sudilovskaya, AM. 1936. [Birds of Kashgaria. Based mainly on the collections of M.N. Divnogorskiy]. USSR Academy of Sciences Press, Moscow & Leningrad. [In Russian] Vaurie, C. 1959. The birds of the Palearctic fauna. Order Passeriformes. HF & G Witherby, London. Voous, KH. 1979. Capricious taxonomic history of Isabelline Shrike. British Birds 72: 573-578. EN Panov, A N Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy Prospect 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia. panoven@mail.ru 170 = Sandgrouse 31 (2009) - Black-headed Penduline Tits Remiz macronyx —————————ESE } } in Kazakhstan SANDER BOT & RENE E VAN DIJK The Black-headed Penduline Tit Remiz macronyx is a poorly known species that breeds in reedbeds Phragmites australis and bulrush Typha latifolia, mainly in Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan (Harrap & Quinn 1996, Wassink & Oreel 2007, Madge 2008). Kazakhstan is perhaps the most accessible place to see the species, yet there is only one site where it is regularly reported by birdwatchers: the Topar lakes along the Ili river delta near lake Balkhash, Almaty province (Figure 1). Four subspecies have been recognised of which R. m. ssaposhnikow1 occurs at the Topar lakes. The Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus does not occur in this area. As part of a research project investigating the evolution of _ breeding systems in penduline tits (see van Dijk et al 2007a) we studied populations of pen- duline tits in Kazakhstan. During the period 12-26 June 2008 we visited the Topar lakes in search of Black-headed Penduline Tits. Although we found Black-headed Penduline Tits, the population near the Topar lakes appeared to be of low density. In this paper we describe our findings and speculate about the taxonomy of penduline tits in the genus Remiz. WHERE TO FIND A BLACK-HEADED PENDULINE TIT Black-headed Penduline Tits are scarce in the Topar lakes area. Not every bird watching tour visiting the Topar lakes finds the species and in the period of research we managed to see only 14 birds: nine males and five females. We arrived late in the season during which many birds may be either incubating or feeding offspring. In that period, penduline tits are generally more quiet and elusive. So we might have been more successful find- ing Black-headed Penduline Tits if we had visited the area earlier in the breeding season. Nevertheless, the population near the Topar lakes appears to be small. Kazakhstan ¥ Figure |. Distribution of Black-headed Penduline Tit Remiz macronyx and Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus in Kazakhstan, following Harrap & Quinn (1996) and Wassink & Oreel (2007). Red: R. macronyx ssaposhnikowi, Yellow: R. m. macronyx, Pink: R. pendulinus jaxarticus, Green: R.p. caspius. Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 171 Plate I. Typical habitat of Black-headed Penduline Tit Remiz macronyx ssaposhnikowi: lakes surrounded by extensive reedbeds, Topar lakes, Kazakhstan, June 2008. © René van Dijk The area consists of semi-desert inter- spersed with small lakes and marshes. The many relatively small lakes in the sand dunes seem suitable for Black-headed Penduline Tits, but we failed to find any there. Although hard to quantify in the _ field, we suggest that the apparently limited Plate 2. Male Remiz macronyx ssaposhnikowi with black abundance of food or nest material might be ™ask, a chestnut brown crown and nape, and white the reason they avoid this habitat. We did eC cee hoe ee ius; Tapa find Black-headed Penduline Tits in more extensive reed beds close to the river Topar (Plate 1). These reedbeds, however, are scarce and despite extensive searches in the region we only found them in a lake system some 3 km northeast of Topar village (45° 3’ 31” N, 75° 2’ 50” E). The road from Topar village to Zhelturanga crosses this area. Walking beside these lakes whilst listening for their call is the way to find your penduline tit (van Dijk et al 2007b). MORPHOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR Harrap & Quinn (1996) described subspecies ssaposhnikowi as “rather variable in colour: head pattern mainly as R. pendulinus caspius (a race of European Penduline Tit)”. Out of the nine males we observed, four had an all black head, four other males indeed resembled R. p. caspius, albeit variable in the extent to which the chestnut-brown was present on the crown and nape. One male exhibited an intermediate head pattern. The four males which had a completely black head also had a very dark reddish breast and red brown mantle and scapulars. The tertials, secondaries and primaries had white fringes, creating a white wing panel. These birds had a tricoloured appearance: black-red-white. In all respects these birds looked like the nominate subspecies of Black-headed Penduline Tit except for the broad pale fringes to the flight feathers, which are cinnamon-brown in the nominate subspecies. The four males that resembled R. pendulinus caspius in their head colouration, had a black mask, a chestnut brown crown and nape, and a white throat. The rest of their plumage did not differ from the birds with a completely black head, so that the mantle and scapulars were a deeply coloured dark red-brown with a lot of red colouration on the breast and flight feathers with broad white fringes (Plate 2). One male showed an inter- mediate head pattern: a black head intermixed with some chestnut coloured feathers and a white throat (Plate 3). All five observed females were very similar to males of Eurasian 172 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) Plate 3. (above) Male Remiz macronyx ssaposhnikowi. The only observed male with intermediate head pattern characteristics. The black head resembles a nominate macronyx, but the intermixing chestnut coloured feathers and white throat resembles a caspius type bird. Topar lakes, Kazakhstan, June 2008. © René van Dijk Plate 4. (right) Female ‘Remiz macronyx ssaposhnikow/’. Topar lakes, Kazakhstan, June 2008. © René van Dijk Penduline Tit Remiz p. pendulinus, yet with typical female characteristics: they had a wide mask, but squared rather than coni- cally shaped and interspersed with some grey feathers, especially at the base of the bill and a grey ring around the eye. In addi- tion these females had a clear red fringe on the head above the forehead patch extend- ing to both sides of the crown and had lots of red feathers on the breast. A variable amount of black feathers on the neck was present and the back was paler than that of the males (Plate 4). This description fits well with the description given for female caspius in Harrap & Quinn (1996). Curiously, we did not observe any macronyx-type females. Bird watchers mostly report caspius-like males Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 173 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 s Figure 2. Sonograms of typical calls of Eurasian Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus pendulinus (top), recorded in Hungary (46° 19° N, 20° 5’ E) May 2006, and ‘R. macronyx ssaposhnikowi (bottom) recorded at the Topar lakes, Kazakhstan, June 2008. Note the difference in call length. and only a very few report black-headed males in their trip reports (see eg www.travel- lingbirder.com). : Song and call of both male types of ssaposhnikowi differ from those of European R. p. pendulinus. Different syllables are used in the song repertoire of ssaposhnikowi Black- headed Penduline Tits and their call is longer and more monotonous compared to the slightly decreasing and shorter call of the nominate R. pendulinus (Figure 2). Nest building behaviour may differ between the two types of male. We twice observed a black-headed male building a nest between two reed stems at about 1.5 m height in a reedbed, while a pair of the caspius-type had a nest in a tree. Of course, we cannot be certain that this is a species specific difference in behaviour or a habitat driven behaviour. Either species may build its nest in trees or reeds dependent on what is available. Incidentally, Black-headed Penduline Tits Remiz m. macronyx in Turkmenistan build their nests in either trees or reed (Y Belousov pers comm). A few records exist of nominate Eurasian Penduline Tits building their nest in reeds. DOES REMIZ MACRONYX SSAPOSHNIKOWI EXIST? According to published information on the species’ distribution, all penduline tits in the Topar lakes area are supposed to be R. m. ssaposhnikowi and Vaurie (1957) treats ssa- poshnikowi as a hybrid swarm R. pendulinus jaxarticus x R. m. macronyx (jaxarticus is the subspecies of R. pendulinus occurring north of lake Balkhash, Figure 1). We now doubt whether we should treat all the Topar lakes birds as ssaposhnikowi and believe Vaurie (1957) might have been incorrect in suspecting a hybrid swarm. Subspecies R. p. jaxar- ticus approaches nominate pendulinus in morphology (Harrap & Quinn 1996) and thus lacks the extent of chestnut colouration found in ssaposhnikowi. Our observations do not provide support for R. m. ssaposhnikowi being a valid subspecies. Rather, we suspect that 174 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) - Remizm. macronyx and Remiz pendulinus caspius may well be coexisting in the area, ie R. m. ssaposhnikowi may in fact be identical to R. p. caspius. Descriptions from published sources (Harrap & Quinn 1996, Madge 2008) suggest there are no diagnostic plumage character- istics to distinguish between R. p. caspius and R. m. ssaposhnikowi. The observed possible variation in nest site selection might promote the coexistence of two distinct populations (note that the White-crowned Penduline Tit R. coronatus coronatus also occurs in the Topar lakes area). Out of nine observed males, one showed intermediate features, suggesting that hybridization may occur to a limited extent. If our supposition proves correct, this would mean a relatively minor range extension for nominate RK. m. macronyx. However, the known distribution of R. pendulinus caspius would need considerable revision as R. p. caspius is described to occur only near and around the Caspian sea, over 1000 km to the west (Figure 1). TAXONOMY OF PENDULINE TITS OF GENUS REMIZ Taxonomy of penduline tits in the genus Remiz is complex and confused. Until recently they were most often treated as one wide-ranging species, Remiz pendulinus, the Penduline Tit (Snow 1967). However, Harrap & Quinn (1996) and Madge (2008) recognised four species: Eurasian Penduline Tit R. pendulinus, Black-headed Penduline Tit R. macronyx, White-crowned Penduline Tit R. coronatus and Chinese Penduline Tit R. consobrinus. Eck & Martens (2006) lumped Black-headed Penduline Tit with Eurasian Penduline Tit and White-crowned Penduline Tit with Chinese Penduline Tit. They also stated that “besides the morphological and biological information already available, acoustic and molecular data are needed for sound decisions.” Our research reported here has provided a new hypothesis concerning the ‘ssaposhnikow1’ taxon. From the data we collected, we cannot conclude with certainty whether to split or lump Black-headed Penduline Tit and Eurasian Penduline Tit. Nevertheless, the possible coexist- ence of members of both taxa without evidence for extensive hybridization suggests they are best treated as different species. Clearly, more data are needed from this and other populations in Central Asia, to verify this proposition. We can be more confident about the relationship between the White-crowned Penduline Tit and the ‘R. m. ssaposhnikow?’ population at the Topar lakes: we argue that they should be treated as different species. The White-crowned Penduline Tits in the Topar area did not show any characteristics that suggested hybridisation with the ‘R. m. ssaposhnikowi’ population. Biometric measurements, song and plumage traits for R. corona- tus were markedly different from ‘R. m. ssaposhnikowt’: individuals of R. m. ssaposhnikow1 are heavier (mean + SD: 10.75 + 0.64 versus 7.55 + 0.65 g), and have longer tarsi (18.00 + 0.28 versus 15.20 + 0.39 mm). The larger feet of R. m. ssaposhnikowi are possibly an adaptation to living in reedbeds. R. m. ssaposhnikowi used different syllables in its song repertoire compared to White-crowned Penduline Tits. Most populations of White-crowned Penduline Tit occur in a different habitat. The small river along which the White-crowned Penduline Tits occurred in the Topar area lacked the extensive reedbeds that seem to be preferred by Black-headed Penduline Tits. White-crowned Penduline Tits that occur in, for instance, the South Kazakhstan province, breed along small streams, without extensive reedbeds, that come down the western Tien Shan mountains (van Dijk & Bot unpubl data). Near Topar, they build their nests in Russian Olives Eleagnus angustifolius, and we never observed a White-crowned Penduline Tit in a reedbed where ‘ssaposhnikowi’ occurred and vice versa. Finally, in a collaborative project with the Swedish Museum of Natural History, we are currently constructing a phylogenetic tree of penduline tits based on molecular genetics. Provisional results support our proposition that ‘ssaposhnikowi’ and the White-crowned Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 175 Penduline Tit are different species (RE van Dijk, T Székely, M Irestedt & PGP Ericson unpubl data). : The Chinese Penduline Tit is also included in the phylogenetic analysis and preliminary results suggest that the Chinese Penduline Tit is distinct from White-crowned Penduline Tit, and deserves species status. These provisional molecular systematics results are sup- ported by observations in the field: we found that Chinese and White-crowned Penduline Tits clearly differ in song, plumage and breeding system (RE van Dijk, A Pogany, S Bot, J Komdeur & T Székely unpubl data). For sound conclusions about the relationship between the Black-headed Penduline Tit and Eurasian Penduline Tit we need much more field data as well as high resolution phy- logenetic information. In the present study we only found a limited number of birds and very little is known from the areas around the Caspian sea where both taxa meet. By pub- lishing our findings we hope to encourage people to collect and report more information about behaviour, biometrics, morphology, hybridisation and genetic divergence to reveal the taxonomy of this morphologically and behaviourally diverse group. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Sixth Framework Programme (FP6/2002-2006) under contract n 28696. We thank Vera Voronova for her indispensable help in the field and Sergey Sklyarenko, Arend Wassink, Lammert Bies and Machiel Valkenburg for their essential support in arranging practicalities. REFERENCES van Dijk, RE, I Szentirmai, J Komdeur & T Székely. 2007a. Sexual conflict over parental care in Penduline Tits Remiz pendulinus: the process of clutch desertion. [bis 149: 530-534. van Dijk, RE, I Szentirmai & T Székely. 2007b. Practical field guide for investigating breeding ecology of penduline tits Remiz pendulinus. Field Protocol. University of Bath, www.bath.ac.uk/bio-sci/biodiversity-lab/pdfs/ PT_%20Field%20Guide_1_2.pdf. Eck, S & J Martens. 2006. Systematic notes on Asian Birds. 49. A preliminary review of the Aegithalidae, Remizidae and Paridae. Zoologische Mededelingen Leiden 80-5 (1): 1-63. Harrap, S & D Quinn. 1996. Tits, Nuthatches & Treecreepers. Christopher Helm, London. Madge, S. 2008. In: del Hoyo, J, A Elliott & DA Christie (eds). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Penduline-tits to Shrikes. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Snow, DW. 1967. The families Aegithalidae, Remizidae and Paridae. In: RA Paynter (ed). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol 12. Cambridge, Massachusetts, pp52-124. Vaurie C, 1957. Systematic Notes on Palearctic Birds. No 28. The families Remizidae and Aegithalidae. American Museum Novitates 1853: 1-21. Wassink A & GJ Oreel. 2007. The Birds of Kazakhstan. Arend Wassink, De Cocksdorp, Texel, Netherlands. Sander Bot, Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, 9750 AA Haren, Netherlands. sanderbot@yahoo.co.uk René E van Dijk, Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, 9750 AA Haren, Netherlands & Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK. 176 = Sandgrouse 31 (2009) First record of Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris in Qatar y MICHAEL CHALMERS i errr ee nee ERS T | r On 10 December 2008 I was counting shorebirds on the silty foreshore near Ras al Ilaj on the east coast of Qatar. The area is currently undeveloped but is proposed as the site for the New Doha Port Project. I had been visiting the area for over a year in connection with the port and found it to support a diverse range of waterbirds, shorebirds and terns with around 2000 birds in winter, including over 500 Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber, and increased numbers of shorebirds on passage in spring and autumn. The habitat com- prises shallow silty or sandy foreshores fringed with mangroves and backed by intertidal lagoons, saltmarsh, sabkha and stony desert. I was walking out onto the intertidal area to gain closer views of resting terns when a single shorebird flew towards me, circled completely around at a distance of c50 m, and | | Plates 1-3. A Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris, 10 December 2008, Qatar. © Michael Chalmers Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 177 then flew off. After raising my binoculars I was surprised to note it was a Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris, a species Iam very familiar with in Hong Kong, where | have observed birds in spring, autumn and winter for over 30 years, and also on the breeding grounds in north-east Siberia. Fortunately, [ had my camera and 400 mm telephoto lens with me and fired off several flight shots before the bird disappeared (Plates 1-3). The identification was based on the combination of the following features. Firstly, it was a medium-sized wader significantly larger than the nearby Dunlin Calidris alpina with bulkier build and slower more measured wingbeats. First fleeting impressions were of a bird similar in size to Ruff Philomachus pugnax, which I had seen in the area on a pre- vious occasion. It had a medium length slightly decurved black bill. In flight it showed scaly pale brown upperparts with a thin indistinct whitish wing bar. The most prominent feature on the upperwing was the large blackish area around the bend in the wing and across the primary coverts contrasting with the paler lesser and median wing coverts and flight feathers. The rump and uppertail coverts were white and contrasted with the dark tail. The feet and legs were dark and did not project beyond the tail end. The underwings and underparts, apart from the darker breast and wing tips, were generally whitish with characteristic large dark spots across the breast and flanks. There was no distinct head or face pattern. Overall, the bird fitted all the key characteristics for a winter plumage Great Knot. This species is generally not vocal and no call was heard. In addition to its apparent larger size and proportionally longer bill, separation from Red Knot Calidris canutus was confirmed by the distinct white rump, inconspicuous wing bar, unmarked whitish under- wing, plainer face, and spotting to the breast and flanks. Hayman et al (1986) stated that Great Knot breeds in the subarctic highlands of north- east Siberia and winters in India, south-east Asia and Australia but is only a vagrant to Arabia. However, Aspinall (1993) reported Great Knot at a number of sites in Arabia, and Richardson and Aspinall (1998) recorded it as a regular autumn migrant and winter visitor to the United Arab Emirates from 1990 following the first record in 1986. Since then win- tering flocks of up to 90 have been reported in the UAE (Vine 1996). The first records for Kuwait occurred in 2004 (Anon 2004). It was thus only a matter of time before records of this long-distance migrant would occur in suitable habitat in neighbouring Gulf countries such as Qatar. REFERENCES Anon. 2004. Bird Monitoring and Protection Team (BMAPT) at the Kuwait Environment Protection Society (KEPS) Annual Report 2004. Kuwait. www.alsirhan.com Aspinall, SJ. 1993. A wintering or passage population of Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris in the Arabian Gulf? Wader Study Group Bulletin 72: 43-47. Hayman, P, AJ Marchant & AH Prater. 1986. Shorebirds: an identification guide to the waders of the world. Croom Helm, Beckenham, UK. Richardson, C & S Aspinall. 1998. The Shell Birdwatching Guide to the United Arab Emirates. Hobby Publications, Liverpool & Dubai. Vine, PJ. 1996. Natural Emirates: Wildlife and Environment of the United Arab Emirates. Trident Press, London. Michael L Chalmers, c/o Scott Wilson Ltd, 38th Floor, Metroplaza Tower 1, Kwai oe New Territories, Hong Kong. chalmersam@netvigator.com 178 = Sandgrouse 31 (2009) ‘Relationship between nesting Isabelline Wheatears Oenanthe isabellina and a burrowing rodent (a jird Meriones sp) SIMON ASPINALL Breeding bird surveys of a semi-desert area in Azerbaijan provided evidence to support the apparent relationship between a species of burrowing rodent (a jird Meriones sp, reportedly Libyan Jird M. lybicus but this remains to be confirmed) and the presence and size of the breeding population of migrant Isabelline Wheatears Oenanthe isabellina. Cramp (1988) stated, of rodent burrows, “their availability perhaps influences the extent to which otherwise suitable habitat is exploited [by nesting Isabelline Wheatears]”. The results of the breeding bird surveys described here allow a retrospective discussion of the relation- ship, of which the author had, at the time, no prior knowledge. The study area, near the village of Sangachal, c35 km south of the capital Baku, was surveyed in late May or early June in each of 2001, 2004 and 2005. Much of the study area had been buried by mudflows in 1999-2000, and remained devoid of any vegetation or was only sparsely recolonised by low shrubs before commencement of the 2001 breeding sea- son survey. Just under half of the total area of almost 80 km’ was censused during each of the three surveys, with a team of three observers walking the same parallel fixed transects annually. Seven subdivisions of unequal size and differing habitats were recognized over the 80 km* survey area: Western Plains (c25%), Central Plain North (< 20%), Central Plain South (< 15%), Coast (10%), West Hills and North Hill (each < 5%). The Far West (20%) was surveyed just twice and is excluded from further consideration. The impact of the mud- flows on two resident breeding species, Finsch’s Wheatear O. finschii and Crested Lark Galerida cristata, is also considered here. Much of the Caspian basin remains seismically active with, in the area in question, periodically active mud-volcanoes (which emit boiling mud rather than lava). These may form entire hills or be small cones on the summit or flanks of existing hills, while some are submarine and have now formed islands in the Caspian sea. It was the large mud-volcano lying immediately to the north of the area, aside North Hill, from which the extensive mudflows had issued. These flows primarily affected the closest areas, the Western Plains and Central Plain North, with the latter being the worse hit. The more distant Coast, Central Plain South and West Hills were unaffected by the mudflow per se, with the North Hill itself being only partially in the line of the flows. The Western Plains and Central Plain North were dominantly semi-desert plains, the North and West Hills elevated rocky terrain and the Central Plain South partly semi-desert but with at least a third being wet- land scrub and other riparian habitats. Mudflows, while destructive here, are highly fertile and the steppic vegetation itself, dominated by shrubby Artemisia fragrans and Salsola nodulosa, appeared to have largely recovered by 2004. Breeding Isabelline Wheatear numbers increased substantially between 2001 and 2004 and again between 2004 and 2005, but also, significantly, shifted ‘their distribution markedly within the study area between the latter two years (Table 1), whence they moved mainly from the West Hills and Central Plain North to the Western Plains. The reason for the shift appeared to be directly linked to the prior re-colonisation of Western Plains by jirds. Unfortunately, no precise assessment was made of the numbers _ of jird burrows annually, such data as was gathered being on a qualitative basis. Similarly, Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 179 Table |. Breeding populations of Isabelline VWheatear Oenanthe isabellina, Finsch’s Wheatear O. finschii and Crested Lark Galerida cristata in late May/early June of 2001, 2004 and 2005 in the Sangachal study area, Azerbaijan. All fig- ures refer to minimum number of pairs/occupied territories. 2001 Coast North Central Plain Central Plain West Hills Western TOTAL Hill South North Plains Date 28-29/5 28/5 30/5 30/5 31/5 31/5 Isabelline Wheatear 2 0 6 0 0 14 jj. Finsch’s Wheatear | 5 0 0 12 2 20 Crested Lark 10 0 14 4 4 10 42 2004 Coast North Central Plain} Central Plain West Hills Western TOTAL Hill South North Plains Date 9/6 10/6 10/6 8/6 9/6 11/6 Isabelline Wheatear 6 3 8 15 jz) 18 79 Finsch’s VWheatear 0 5 | 3 15 0 24 Crested Lark 23 9 24 44 50 0 160 2005 Coast North Central Plain Central Plain West Hills Western TOTAL Hill South North Plains Date 6/6 11/6 8/6 7/6 11/6 10/6 Isabelline Wheatear | 4 if | 14 66 a3 Finsch’s VWheatear | 6 3 2 22 6 40 Crested Lark 13 4 17 19 10 DSi 9| the invertebrate prey base for breeding birds was not assessed but this presumably also recovered through time. Jirds are mainly nocturnal, colonial, burrowing rodents. They were conspicuously absent in the study area in 2001 (mudflows still being fluid with little recovery of vegeta- tion) and not noticeably frequent in 2004, yet by the onset of the 2005 breeding season large numbers of burrows were commonplace, especially in Western Plains. By then, many apparently unoccupied colonies were also noted and some Isabelline Wheatears were cer- tainly nesting in those burrows so vacated. Apart from a sudden availability of burrows, drainage channels which had been naturally re-cut across the area also now provided small cliffs with crevices in which both species of wheatear could nest (or resume nest- ing). Finsch’s and Isabelline Wheatears themselves ordinarily occupy mutually exclusive habitat types and for this reason appeared not to be in competition. However, the Finsch’s Wheatear and Crested Lark populations appear to have been affected by the mudflow- displaced Isabelline Wheatears. Interestingly, West Hills, which forms only c5% of the total area, appeared to have played some sort of pivotal role over the period in question, with widely fluctuating numbers of these three species nesting there in the three survey years. The habitat here, low rocky hills, would otherwise seem largely unsuitable or at least atypical for both Crested Lark and Isabelline Wheatear, although otherwise eminently suitable for Finsch’s Wheatear. The absence of Isabelline Wheatear (but not Finsch’s) and such low numbers of 180 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) ~ Crested Lark here in 2001 is, however, not readily explicable. Note should be taken of the relatively stable numbers of the three species in Central Plain South over the three years, but where unsuitable wetland habitat would in any case have prevented any take up of displaced wheatears. What may have caused the respective breeding numbers of two of these species, Crested Lark and Isabelline Wheatear, to change so markedly between 2004 and 2005 in the Central Plain North is also hard to explain, although a livestock camp had newly moved back into this area by then and grazing pressure may have had an effect. A resumption of agriculture, the sowing of cereal and reseeding of small grassland plots, no doubt accounts for the high number of Crested Larks suddenly appearing in the Western Plains in 2005, even if their population across the entire study area fell. It would be interesting to learn whether any cyclicity occurs between rodent numbers and those of Isabelline Wheatears in the absence of mudflows. Clearly, the 1999-2000 mud- flows resulted in a nest-site shortage for Isabelline Wheatears, whose recovery apparently relied on the prior recovery of the jird population but with knock-on effects on numbers and distribution of the two other nesting bird species. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My colleagues in the field, Nigar Agayeva, Aynur Ahmedova, Ilyas Babayev and Elchin Sultanov are all thanked for their companionship during my time spent in Azerbaijan. REFERENCE Cramp, S (ed). 1988. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa: the birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol 5. Oxford University Press, UK. Simon Aspinall, 7 Dussindale Drive, Norwich, Norfolk NR7 OTZ, UK. aspinall@talktalk.net Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 181 Status, seasonality and distribution of the Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus at Khafrah marsh, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia BRIAN S MEADOWS The Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus has over the past three decades colonized inland wetlands (many entirely or partially manmade) in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, reaching as far north as Jubail from its original stronghold in the al-Hufuf area. Data from song plots obtained along two transects through a reed-swamp and general observations during a seven year investigation at one of the sites colonized during the 1990’s showed a peak of singing activity in late February and March save for one year when singing was delayed until April and early May. The latter may have been linked to exceptionally low rainfall in January during that particular year. Birds were present in all months during the study period, indicating a negligible mobile component within the population. The study site had a mosaic of open water and Phragmites but in one sector, which was heavily invaded by reeds during the monitoring period, there was a marked reduction in Clamorous Reed Warblers and a corresponding increase in the numbers of migrant Eastern Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus fuscus. The former returned to the sector following reed clearance and indicates intensive management of such sites is needed if they are to be suitable for species that require the early stages of reed bed succession. INTRODUCTION The Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus breeds from Egypt eastwards through the Middle East, much of central Asia, the Indian sub-continent to south China, south-east Asia and south to Australia. Most populations are essentially sedentary but breeding birds in central Asia (including Pakistan and northernmost India) are appar- ently entirely migratory, wintering in peninsular India and Sri Lanka, with possibly, as indicated by many records of apparent migrants along the Arabian gulf coast, some in Arabia also. The species forms a superspecies with the Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus (Cramp 1992). On the Arabian peninsula it is likely that until recently the species was restricted as a breeding species to mangrove stands around the coast. On the Arabian gulf, the northern _ limit for mangroves supporting breeding Clamorous Reed Warblers is c25° N. The exten- sive wetlands in the al-Hufuf oasis of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, the largest natural oasis in the world, were apparently the first inland sites to be colonized, prob- ably as recently as the mid-1970’s (Bundy et al 1989). Subsequently, they spread north-east through the Abgaiq~-Damman corridor and then north-west, parallel with the coast, along a chain of at least seven new or expanded man-made wetlands reaching as far north as Jubail (27° 01’ N, 49° 40’ E) by the 1990's. It had also occurred beyond Saudi Arabia during the same period, into nearby Qatar (per R & H Nation) and Kuwait. In Kuwait, however, breeding apparently has not been proven to date (Gregory 2005) and the origin of birds may differ from those occurring in Eastern Province, possibly from the Basra area where it is considered to be a relatively recent visitor (DA Scott & E Carp in Cramp 1992). Most of the sites in inland Saudi Arabia are relatively large areas of reed-swamp dominated by Phragmites. Clamorous Reed Warblers have been found to be absent in Eastern Province from small ponds with bulrushes Typha sp and along small isolated reed-fringed mar- gins of water drainage channels (contra Cramp 1992). Surveys undertaken by the author between 1994-2004, of all stands of Avicennia marina mangroves and zones of coastal 182 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) marsh grass between al Khobar (26° 17’ N, 50° 12’ E) and Ras az-Zawr (27° 25’ N, 49° 04’ E) also proved to be negative. In August 1997, I commenced monthly transects through a reed swamp at one of the recently colonized inland sites in the Eastern Province to determine the status and sea- sonality of the species. Monthly monitoring of Clamorous Reed Warblers continued until July 2004. STUDY AREA The study location comprised a 116 ha section of an extensive reed-swamp of Phragmites australis, known locally as Khafrah marsh (26° 48’ N, 49° 34’ E). Khafrah marsh covers an area of c300 ha and has a regular water supply, a combination of natural springs and irrigation run-off water, that merges into a playa lake fed mainly by winter rainfall. The water is eutrophic (nitrate 2 mg/l, Kjeddahl nitrogen 1.1 mg/I, total phosphorous 0.2 mg/L, oxygen that averages only around 50% of the saturation value as shown by portable meter - readings, salinity 3.5 ppt). The wetland lies within a depression at the northern end of the al-Jafurah sand-desert, a northerly extension of the Empty Quarter (Rub al-Khali). Part of the marsh normally dries out completely during the summer but the sectors surveyed retained water throughout the year with a maximum depth of around 0.5 m remaining at the centre. Along the immediate fringe of the wetland there is a narrow Juncus zone behind which are tamarisk shrubs and low sand dunes containing some iso- lated small palms, salt-bushes and clumps of Panicum grass. | METHODS Song plots were recorded each side along two parallel line transects, which allowed the study area to be subdivided into four sectors through the reed-swamp, each transect cov- ering a distance of 800 m and consisting solely of stands of Phragmites with varying areas of open water. Each of the two transects were in different areas of the reed-swamp to avoid repetition. Movement by the author through the reedbeds was possible via gravel paths, which had been constructed to allow access to service the Trans-Arabian Oil Pipeline that crosses the marsh. Both transects were walked slowly at a rate equivalent to cl km an hour at least monthly during the study period. The number of all species of Acrocephalus warblers heard singing within c36 m each side of a transect was recorded. The Phragmites zones and approximate distribution of open water were noted on a base map before and on completion of the study. Transects were normally walked between sunrise and 09.00 h. Clamorous Reed Warblers sing loudly, often in the open on tops of reeds, and constantly throughout most of the day and their song is sufficiently loud to be detectable at a distance of at least 36 m. For the species in question and considering the uniformity of the habitat, the use of the line transect method seems justified (Bibby et al 1992). No attempt was made to record any song variations, such as singing intensity by individual birds. If more than one count was made in a month, for recording purposes, the maximum number of singing birds for the month was used. On mornings when a strong wind was blowing no survey was conducted. Rainfall and temperature data for the years 1997-2003 were extracted from annual monitoring reports of a meteorological network at the industrial city of Jubail, Jubail Project, c25 km from Khafrah marsh. In the autumn of 2003 all reeds were cut from the westernmost sector. RESULTS Combined song plot data for Clamorous Reed Warblers from both transects for the com- plete years 1998-2003, is presented in Figure 1. Over this period, although some song was heard in all months except August, most song was heard either in February (in 3 years) Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 183 or March (in 2 years) except in 2000 when peak singing did not occur until May. Rainfall in 2000 was negligible during January compared with other years (Table 1) and a plot of linear regression of rainfall showed a correlation between rainfall and commencement of singing. Total numbers of Clamorous Reed Warblers in the study area remained relatively constant over the study period, but in the westernmost strip of the marsh they almost disappeared as reed colonization completely eliminated areas of open water. The overall population, however, did not decline and actually rose as remaining areas became more favourable to the species, with reed succession increasing the ratio of reeds to open water and providing a more suitable habitat. Table 2 gives the distribution of peak singing birds in each strip area 1998-2003, and Table 3 shows approximate percentages of open water at the start of the investigation in July 1997 and the situation in July 2003. mw 1998 m 1999 a. EA 50 noc oe = = 45 se 40 = 35 exe Hl 30 ‘i 20 _ 5 ie 2 = | a = eee | =m EE 0 i. ___ eee, lee eee SSO HAR SSH GIA NSD F M A M S SOON MONTHS MONTHS m 2000 m2001 sy = 50 45 45 40 sees 40 35 +— 35 Sea se) ees 30 30 25 25 — 20 20 15 Sean 15 - 10 + oal a 10 a ! al . ab 0 a a = oo ied i 0 Z eo MA M OF Nz MA M BN QED MONTHS MONTHS m 2002 m 2003 eee Af See eee SS eee eet és sonbie Mesias eu a 45 ais 31 45 sig ee eS ee 40 = 40 Sone See 35 — = 35 | 30 eee ee 30 - se —— 20 ee a 20 See 10 7 ‘ ae saves 10 + in 5 fs ee 5 4 earn 0 e i BY ea | i | 0 - es = — 2 eee see J: 2b Aw LS GANG =D M A M A MONTHS MONTHS Figure |. Combined song plot data from both transects for the complete years 1998-2003, Khafrah marsh, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Vertical axis: number of singing birds. 184 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) | Table |. Mean monthly precipitation (mm, no rain June-September) 1997-2003, Jubail Project meteorological net- work, Jubail, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May 97-98 8.6 82.5 11.1 62.3 9.4 24.2 I? 0.3 98-99 0.0 0.0 0.0 20.7 21.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 99-00 0.0 0.0 2 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 00-01 0.0 61.0 5.5 33.6 0.0 1.6 0.0 0.3 01-02 0.0 0.0 Sul D2: he2 0.9 0.1 0.0 02-03 0.0 26.5 23.7 13:5 1337 2.6 14.7 0.0 Table 2. Number of singing Clamorous Reed Warblers Acrocephalus stentoreus counted in the month of maximum singing in the four strip areas (A-D) adjacent to east and west line transects over six years, Khafrah marsh, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. A B CG D Feb 1998 5 2 0 15 Feb 1999 7 10 2 8 May 2000 6 lI 7 5 Mar 2001 6 17 14 3 Mar 2002 6 15 8 | Feb 2003 10 15 Ms 0 Table 3. Approximate percentage of open water in the four strip areas (A—D) adjacent to east and west line transects, Khafrah marsh, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. A B € D 1997 95 80 80 50 2003 50 20 15 0 Table 4. Song plots of Eastern Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus fuscus and Clamorous Reed Warbler A. sten- toreus in the westernmost strip area (D) of Khafrah marsh in 2002 (see text), Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. _ fuscus stentoreus March 12 | April 6 0 May 8 0 During the study period, the population of migrant Eastern Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus fuscus increased from two song plots in 1998 to seventy-three by 2002 and the species had virtually replaced (Student t: P = 0.029) the Clamorous Reed Warbler in the Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 185 westernmost strip area sector by 2002 (Table 4) but by the following year both species deserted this sector as reed density increased further. However, as in the case of the larger species a significant number of song plots continued to be recorded in the remaining sec- tors. DISCUSSION Clamorous Reed Warblers now breeding on the Arabian peninsula are resident or pre- sumed to be essentially resident (Jennings 1995). Statements that this species is only a summer visitor to mangroves in Oman and only occur in winter along the Red Sea coast in northern Yemen may need to be revised (Brooks et al 1987, Cramp 1992). There are no known recoveries from the few birds ringed in Arabia. Observations at Khafrah marsh showed that birds were present each month of the year during the study period even at times when no song plots were registered. Any emigra- tion of the breeding population or dispersal of juveniles that did occur is likely to have been only very short-distance as found, for example, in the isolated population at a simi- lar latitude, south, in Western Australia that breeds mainly on farm dams (RJ Brown & MN Brown in Cramp 1992). Occurrence tables in Baldwin & Meadows (1988) indicate that Clamorous Reed Warblers at Yanbu al-Sinaiyah, Saudi Arabia, which nest in mangroves on the Red Sea, moved out of the Yanbu area during August when temperatures can regularly exceed 40°C. Subsequent observations (pers obs) showed, though, that during this hot period birds simply moved inland to the adjacent Tihama (maximum distance 5 km) where they managed to feed within woody Halocnemum bushes and other halophytic vegetation. However, during ten years residence in Eastern Province, the author only observed the Clamorous Reed Warbler away from reed-swamp habitat on one occasion. The race breeding at both coastal mangroves and inland reed-swamps on the Arabian peninsula, brunnescens, has apparently been recorded once in Israel (Shirihai 1996), which perhaps indicates some vagrancy. However, during and before my study period, Clamorous Reed Warblers were never recorded from central Arabia despite the existence of suitable habitat particularly along the course of the al-Hair or Riyadh river and only 260 km from al-Hufuf (Jennings 1999, Nikolaus & Ash 1997, Stagg 1991 & pers obs 2000-2004). Peak song activity of the Clamorous Reed Warbler over the study period occurred late February to March, except in 2000. This peak coincided with a lengthening of day- light hours plus increasing temperatures. Monthly mean temperature 1997-2003 in March ranged from 17.9°C to 21.6°C with an overall mean of 20.3°C. The main song period also ties in with the establishment of breeding territories elsewhere in the Eastern Province, which commences at least one month earlier than reported for the nominate race in reed- swamps in Israel (Shirihai 1996) but is similar to birds nesting in papyrus swamps in Egypt (Meininger et al 1986, pers obs). The late start to commencement of peak singing that occurred in 2000, correlated with a lack of rainfall during January, is likely to have affected food availability and hence song output. It was assumed that many birds nesting at Khafrah marsh were double-brooded with a complete moult occurring in late summer or early autumn; birds were seen in moult at the marsh in August, September and October. Although no attempt was made to specifically search for nests or obtain data on breeding success over the nesting period, ad hoc obser- vations of recently-fledged juveniles indicated breeding extended into July, at least for part of the population. Predation of young birds, particularly by Little Bitterns Ixobrychus minu- tus (several pairs breeding at Khafrah marsh), rails and Red-backed Shrikes Lantus collurio, which were often abundant on passage during May in the reed-swamp, was likely. Over the study period, it was observed that without any management the reed-swamp was gradually invaded by Phragmites. Open water areas were reduced significantly and 186 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) | this was most marked along the western line transect with the sector closest to the inflow eventually becoming a dense stand of reeds without any open water. This caused the decline in the Clamorous Reed Warbler population and an initial replacement with Eastern Reed Warblers (Table 4). This was not surprising in view of the known differences in feeding behaviour between the two species with the former collecting a considerably higher proportion of its food from or close to the water surface, with small frogs being a particularly common prey item observed at the study site, and with a greater preference to nest on edges of emergent vegetation with closer access to feeding grounds (Cramp 1992, pers obs). Replacement of Clamorous Reed Warblers by Eastern Reed Warblers also took place at another inland wetland (Sabkha al Fas] 27° 03’ N, 49° 29’ E) in Eastern Province, which has been proposed as a nature reserve (Symens & al-Suhaibani 1996). As in the case of Khafrah marsh, the decline in the Clamorous Reed Warbler population at Sabkha al Fasl was attributed to a loss of a mosaic of reeds and open water following succession by Phragmites (Meadows 2004a). At another site, 50 km southwest of Jubail, an agricultural project (Al Sharkiyah development area) created numerous pools, covering a total area of c20 ha, that received run-off from irrigated fields. Until the reeds became dense and completely cov- ered the water surface, there was a very high density of Clamorous Reed Warblers with a minimum population, in 2002, estimated at 90 singing birds (pers obs). In the al-Hufuf wetlands I noticed that, at least up to 2002, local people annually cut down the reeds for animal fodder, thatch and bedding so that open water was always present. Elsewhere within the al-Hufuf area a few entirely natural and isolated sites with surface water low in suspended solids such as deep pools behind large barchan dunes or rocky hills, remained relatively reed free except around their fringes and these sites also retained Clamorous Reed Warblers for over two decades. At Khafrah marsh an opportunity to monitor the return of the Clamorous Reed Warbler occurred when all standing reeds were removed from the westernmost sector by a combination of burning and cutting during the autumn of 2003 (Table 3). In January 2003, reed-bed succession in this sector of Khafrah marsh was virtually 100% complete with no significant areas of open water remaining and a complete disappearance of Clamorous Reed Warblers. However, numbers elsewhere on the marsh, where open water remained, did not decline and neither did population densities at other sites in the Eastern Province (pers obs), indicating thatthe extinction was probably due to a localized population crash responding to habitat change. Following the removal of emergent vegetation later in the year and return of open water plus some limited reed regrowth, within a period of only three months, Clamorous Reed Warblers had recolonized the sector (five birds singing in March 2004). Reed-bed management is clearly needed to encourage optimal habitat for Clamorous Reed Warblers and certain other wetland species; the Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris, which was present during the spring of 1998 at Khafrah marsh, being a particu- lar case in point in view of its requirements for reedbeds at an early stage of succession (Gilbert et al 2005). In mangroves along the Red Sea coast north of Jedda, where the Clamorous Reed Warbler breeds sympatrically with the Red Sea Reed Warbler Acrocephalus avicennia, it has been noticed that there are clear differences in habitat selection with the latter prefer- ring denser stands of younger mangroves, always Avicennia marina, and with Clamorous Reed Warblers being attracted to more mature groves of either Avicennia marina and/or Rhizopora mucronata with adjacent open water (pers obs). In Jubail, Eastern Reed Warblers are essentially summer visitors and have to establish territories later than Clamorous Reed Warblers, but at a Red Sea Reed Warbler site studied in detail at Yanbu al-Sinaiyah (Meadows 1999) the latter were, as is the case of Clamorous Reed Warblers at Khafrah, Sandgrouse 31 (2009) = 187 resident which suggests that the earlier timing for establishing breeding territories by Clamorous Reed Warblers at Khafrah marsh is not important, and that there is minimal competition between the larger and smaller species. Apart from Eastern Reed Warblers the only other Acrocephalus warbler that was known to be breeding at Khafrah marsh during the study period was the Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon. This spe- cies is unlikely to be in competition with Clamorous Reed Warblers as, although it also feeds close to the water surface, it selects different prey items and it also appeared to be present at a low density albeit, with its regular breaks in singing, actual numbers proved extremely difficult to estimate (Meadows 2004b). REFERENCES Baldwin, PJ & BS Meadows. 1988. Birds of Madinat Yanbu al-Sinatyah and its hinterland. Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Riyadh. Bibby, CJ, N Burgess & D Hill. 1992. Bird Census Techniques. Academic Press, London. Brooks, DJ, MI Evans, RP Martins & RF Porter. 1987. The status of birds in north Yemen and the records of the OSME Expedition in autumn 1985. Sandgrouse 9: 4-66. © Bundy, G, RJ Connor & CJO Harrison. 1989. Birds of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Witherby, London. Cramp, S (ed). 1992. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol 6. Oxford University Press, UK. Gilbert, G, G Tyler & KW Smith. 2005. Behaviour, home-range size and habitat use by male Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris in Britain. [bis 147: 533-543. Gregory, G. 2005. The birds of the State of Kuwait. Gregory, Skegness, UK. Jennings, MJ. 1995. An interim atlas of the breeding birds of Arabia. National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, Riyadh. Jennings, MJ. 1999. Birds along the al-Hair watercourse, April 1999. Phoenix 1619: Meadows, BS. 1999. The African Reed Warbler in mangroves at Yanbu al-Sinaiyah. Phoenix 16: 18-19. Meadows, BS. 2004a. Sites of interest: Sabkha al-Fasl, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Phoenix 20: 12-16. Meadows, BS. 2004b. Two new breeding sites for Moustached Warbler, Eastern Province. Phoenix 20: 24. Meininger, PL, UG Sorensen & GAM Atta. 1986. The breeding birds of the lakes in the Nile Delta, Egypt. Sandgrouse 7: 1-20. Nikolaus, G & JS Ash. 1997. Riyadh River, Saudi Arabia; notes on breeding birds. Phoenix 14: 18-19. Shirihai, H. 1996. The birds of Israel. Academic Press, London. Stagg, AJ. 1991. Birds of the Riyadh region: an annotated checklist. National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, Riyadh. Symens, P & AH al-Suhaibani. 1996. The ornithological importance of the coastal parts of the Jubail Marine Wildlife Sanctuary. In: Krupp, F, AM Abuzinada & IA Nader (eds). A Marine Wildlife Sanctuary for the Arabian Gulf: Environmental Research and Conservation following the 1991 Gulf War oil spill. National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, Riyadh, pp1—25. Brian S Meadows, 9 Old Hall Lane, Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex C014 8LE, UK. briansmeadows@lycos.com 188 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) | } a : PHOTOSPOT Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinii Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinii has been the subject of a previous Photospot in Sandgrouse (Shirihai et al 1999) but I make no apology for revisiting this difficult-to-observe, and to count, Nyctiperdix pteroclidid (Johnsgard 1991, Moeller 1993, de Juana 1997). Shirihai et al (1999) briefly described the species’ poorly known ecology and breeding biology including its population size in Israel and its visits to a pumping station drinking trough in Eilat, described its plumage and noted the broad area of bare skin around the eye. Daytime photographs of adults of the species in Israel (by Arie de Knifff, Hadoram Shirihai) and Oman (Hanne & Jens Eriksen) were featured. Most encounters with Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse fall into two groups, stumbling across the species during daytime, when they often flush, and ‘watching’ the birds under near- _ dark conditions at their drinking sites. Gary Brown’s photos fall into the first category. His account of photographing the nest, eggs and the incubating female follows. “T came across a female Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse on its nest in Wadi Bih by pure chance in early May 2005. This remote wadi is situated in the mountains of the southern _ Musandam (northern Oman). I was on my way to Dibba in the UAE, and stopped by a rough track at about 600 m asl to take some photographs of the spectacular mountain scenery. Whilst looking for a good spot to set up the tripod, I suddenly noticed a bird creep away from in front of me without flying off. Looking down, I realised I was stand- ing immediately in front of the nest of a Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse that contained 3 eggs. Moving back carefully, I took photographs of the nest, a mere depression in the ground, and eggs (Plate 1) and the nest site, a small area of flat rocky ground with very sparse veg- etation (Plate 2). I decided to leave the site for a while because | was interested in obtaining _ photographs of the female on its nest. Before leaving, I made sure I knew exactly where the y | | | | 4| al nest was located, because although the area was very small, experience had taught me that relocating well-camouflaged birds could be very tricky. On my return about five minutes later, the bird was already back on her nest incubating. I began by taking shots from about 30 m, gradually moving forwards on all fours. The final shots (Plate 3) were taken from a distance of less than 5 m, but holding the camera steady on the very uncomfortable rocky surface was not easy.” Gary also managed to photograph the species on a visit to the island of Socotra, Yemen, in December 2008. Pa 3 a Ste . pa bs fio Mae? say oe = age : ; ete eS ee a > Sess Sa PO OEN Mee = By rs sai a “i i Plate |. ‘Nest’ of Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse Pterocles Plate 2. The nest site (Plate |). Eggs visible in centre of | lichtensteinii with 3 eggs, Wadi Bih, Oman, May 2005. © photo. © Gary Brown Gary Brown Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 189 Plate 4. Pool in date palm grove where Lichtenstein’s Plate 5. Low scrub dominated by Acacia edgeworthii, Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinii was encountered, a stronghold of Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse Pterocles Socotra, Yemen, December 2008. © Gary Brown lichtensteinii, north coast east of Hadibu, Socotra, Yemen, December 2008. © Gary Brown “Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse is locally quite common on the northern coastal plains of Socotra, but the birds are best located after dusk when their distinctive calls draw atten- tion to them as they come in to land at favoured drinking sites (Plate 4). However, it is virtually impossible to photograph the birds well in the dark, even with a sophisticated flash set-up. Our group of four, led by local birdwatcher and conservationist Ahmed Saeed Suleiman, was able to make out several birds, thanks to bright moonshine, but the views were not particularly good.” “Ahmed also accompanied us on a trip during the day to one of the species’ strong- holds: in the low scrub dominated by the shrub-like Acacia edgeworthii on the north coast to the east of Hadibu (Plate 5). The birds hide out there in the very shallow stony drain- age channels which have little plant growth. Despite a group of five of us looking for the 190 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) Plate 6. Male Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinii in Croton socotranus shrubland at the mouth of Wadi Dihazafaq, c4.5 km ESE of Hadibu, Socotra, Yemen, December 2008. © Gary Brown birds, we were out of luck. On one of the last days of my visit, my wife and I were being driven along a rough track down from Wadi Dihazafaq (c4.5 km ESE of Hadibu) through some rather monotonous Croton socotranus shrubland. Suddenly, the driver stopped the car, and standing on the track immediately in front of us was a rather spectacular male Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse. I was sitting in the back of the car and was unable to get my camera ready in time before the bird disappeared into the scrub. Undeterred, I got out of the car and figured out where the bird could be hiding. I walked carefully for about 100 m into the scrub, and then headed very slowly back towards the car. Sure enough, I found the bird sitting about 20 m from the track. I stopped about 10 m from the bird and kneeled on the ground where I was able to photograph the bird at my leisure (Plate 6).” Paul Doherty has attempted crepuscular shots in Israel (Plates 7 & 8). “Both photos were taken on 29 October 1986 from a car parked at the water pumping station just outside Eilat. My notebook shows a minimum of 44 birds coming to drink in the gloom of dusk that evening. They would fly in, land and, once they were happy the coast was clear, walk cautiously up to the spot where a leaky pipe meant there was a supply of water, drink briefly then fly off into the dark calling. They’re both flash shots, the background lighting from Eilat was some help, but it was a bit of a case of press the shutter and hope for the best. They don’t normally come in until it is almost dark (or at least at Eilat they didn’t normally).” “Incidentally, I tried to video them in Israel in the late 1990’s and the different light sensitivity and metering of a video camera compared to a still one was interesting. | was sat there in the gloom thinking OK if they come now I can still get something. Then it was a case of OK I’ve tweaked every possible setting but if they come now I'l] just scrape through. Then as soon as the light went the Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse arrived. It seems they wait for that extra bit of darkness/gloom before they fly in.” A video sequence of Sandgrouse 31 (2009) TOT Plate 8. Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinii, Eilat, Israel, October 1986. © Paul Doherty Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse taken by Leo Boon in near-dark conditions near the Eilat drink- ing trough in December 1998 can be seen on the DVD Guide to the Birds of Britain & Europe (www.birdvideodvd.com). A near-dark drinking sequence of this species taken by Max Whitby in Israel is on BWP72.0 (www.birdguides.com). The use of IR illumination and (expensive) night-vision equipment might assist matters. REFERENCES 3 Johnsgard, PA. 1991. Bustards, Hemipodes, and Sandgrouse. Oxford University Press, UK. de Juana, E. 1997. Family Pteroclidae (Sandgrouse). In: del Hoyo, J, A Elliott & J Sargatal (eds). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol 4. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, pp30-57. Moeller, E. 1993. The problem of counting Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinti. Emirates Bird Report 17: 9-10. Shirihai, H, R Yosef, P Doherty & D Alon. 1999. Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse. Sandgrouse 21: 5-8. P] Cowan 192 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) | | | | | REVIEWS Cyprus Bird Report 2007 BirdLife Cyprus. 2008. Softback. 170 pages, colour photos, line drawings, graphs and tables. £15 Available from OSME sales A total of 261 species was recorded in 2007, quite a reduction on the 288 and 290 in 2006 and 2005 respectively, but due in no small part to the extensive waroucht im ; recent years. The long-term decline in winter and spring rainfall is of real concern for the future of wetland habitats in Cyprus. SOMmene 3 +» 00 records were sub- mitted and 75 rare bird sightings were reported, of which c50% were accept- ed. Amongst the highlights were the first records of Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus, Dunn’s Lark Eremalauda dunnti, Blyth’s Pipit Anthus godlewsku, Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarellit and Mountain Chiffchaff Phylloscopus lorenzii—all of which are reported in detail. These five were all discovered in the space of five weeks, between 13 March and 21 April, and the Bateleur record was also the first of the species in Europe. Another significant record was the first uncaged Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia—despite that this species is widespread and common just 150 km to the north in Turkey. Also of note were the second records of Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica and Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus, the fourth and fifth records of Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva, and the seventh record of Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus. This is an impressive report, using many graphs and tables to illustrate seasonal move- ments, whilst an excellent selection of line drawings and colour photographs illustrate some of the less-common visitors. CYPRUS BIRD REPORT A ringing report summarises the most significant movements recorded including a Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis, which became the first Cyprus-ringed bird to be found in the Central African Republic. Sadly, having made a journey of 3500 km it was prepared as a spe- cial meal for a Polish missionary! Keith Betton Where to Watch Birds in _ Northern Cyprus Steve Cale Privately published. 2008. Softback. 92 pages, 22 maps. £15.99 Available www.steve-cale-artist.co.uk Steve Cale is a talented illustrator and an experienced bird guide. He has visited north- ern Cyprus many times, mostly leading bird groups, and is very familiar with its birdlife. After the beautiful frontispiece of a Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius, he con- tinues with a historical summary of divided Cyprus, where to stay, driving tips and cli- mate, before the ‘meaty’ bits, the top birding sites. Twenty-two areas are detailed with the help of hand-drawn maps, placed at the back of the book and which fold out to double size. Familiar to many, he lists the Karpas penin- sula as his favourite place and every location there is described in detail. There are dozens of photographs and paintings of all the inter- esting species by the author. One of the nicest illustrations is the White-throated Robin Irania gutturalis . . . if only the rarities committee received field sketches of this quality! There is asummary of other wildlife, including orchids, reptiles and butterflies. All sites are shown using their Turkish name, and Steve acknowledges BirdLife Cyprus by using the official country checklist and requests that all 7 Where to watch Birds i Northem€yprus Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 193 bird sightings are sent to the Recorder. The book is richly adorned with photographs and sketches, and is thoroughly recommended to anyone visiting northern Cyprus. Colin Richardson Shorebirds of the Northern Hemisphere Richard Chandler Christopher Helm/A & C Black. 2009. Softback. 448 pages, 850 colour photo- graphs, many colour maps. £2999 ISBN 978—1-4081—0790-4 Ins 1989" Richard Chandler published an excellent little photographic guide, North Atlantic shore- birds. That book has now evolved and been further devel- oped to cover 134 species occurring in the ‘Northern emis pinere:; although the defini- tion of the region used here excludes northern South America and much of Africa south of the northern edge of the Sahara. Thus several species with ranges extending into the ‘real’ Northern Hemisphere, for example Spot-breasted Plover Vanellus melanocephalus, Crowned Lapwing V. coronatus and others, are excluded. The introduction, illustrated with a selec- tion of appropriate photographs, includes a discussion of plumages and moults, and various aspects of shorebird behaviour. Single-page family introductions are followed by individual species accounts. Each account has a number of generally excellent photo- graphs, varying from one for Jerdon’s Courser Rhinoptilus bitorquatus to 22 in the case of Ruff Philomachus pugnax. Where possible, with polytypic species, at least one photo- graph of each distinct subspecies is included. The majority of photographs are the author’s own work, and most are new to me, but a significant number are the product of other photographers and include some that have 194 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) appeared elsewhere. Each image’s caption points out useful notes concerning ageing, moult or identification. The accompanying text concentrates on identification and ageing, whilst calls but oddly not song are also briefly discussed. Other sections cover ‘status’, ‘habitat and dis- tribution’, ‘racial variation’, “similar species’ and ‘references’. The emphasis on those sub- species identifiable in the field is a particularly valuable aspect of the book. In general the text seems accurate and references the most up-to- date developments in identification. The distribution maps appear to be largely derived from those published in Shorebirds by Hayman et al (1986), and include some minor Sap errors. For example, neither Pacific Golden @ Plover Pluvialis fulva nor Black-tailed Godwit ¥ Limosa limosa is mapped for the coasts of the Oman and Yemen, where both species are readily encountered during winter. When asked to review this publication, I "wondered about the need for another pho- tographic guide to shorebirds. Two similar publications were recently published cover- ing North American species, which of course overlap significantly in scope with this pub- lication. There isn’t a great deal to choose between them, but the increased scope of this publication offers something different. This is a useful collection of shorebird photographs from one of the world’s finest bird photog- raphers, and I’m sure many will find it a valuable purchase. Chris Bradshaw Birds of the Horn of Africa Nigel Redman, Terry Stevenson & John Fanshawe, illustrated by John Gale & Brian Small Christopher Helm/A & C Black. 2009. Softback. 496 pages, 213 colour plates, many colour maps. £29'99 ISBN 978-0-7136-6541-3 This one-stop field guide usefully covers Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and, of par- ticular relevance to OSME members, Yemen’s Socotra archipelago. It will certainly serve you well on a trip to any of these countries (although the guide to take to Socotra remains Helm’s Field guide to the birds of the Middle East ee ee by Porter et al) and would otherwise be * recommended for irds of the its biogeographi- OFT} Of /AAIT1Ca cal interest alone. SOMALIA AND SOCOTRE As usual, the giant Sudan misses the cut (will the pub- lishers please note). A standard lay- out is used, with maps and text opposite the plates, and traditionalists will be pleased with the order, which commences with Ostrich Struthio camelus and terminates in buntings. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow the African Bird Club checklist (avail- able at www.africanbirdclub.org), but the guide additionally treats a number of forms either as full or as ‘incipient’ species, includ- ing the following endemic to Socotra, Socotra Buzzard Buteo sp, Socotra Scops Owl Otus socotranus, Socotra Golden-winged Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus socotranus and Abd al Kuri Sparrow Passer hemileucus, all making their premier appearances, whereas from elsewhere Degodi Lark Mirafra degodiensis has ‘bitten the dust’ along with the short-lived Bulo Burti Bush-shrike Laniarius liberatus. Over 1000 species are depicted, with over 2600 illustrations on the 213 plates. The illustrations are of the usual high standard, although, for example, some of the swifts look rather well fed, the head and bill of most of the crows appear too small and in the field, to my eyes, female Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix nigriceps never looks like the bird depicted here. Even so, these minor points should not hinder making correct identifica- tions. Whilst the illustrations themselves can rarely be faulted, why the predominantly winter-visiting ‘large white-headed gulls’ (Lesser Black-backed Larus fuscus, Heuglin’s L. heuglini and Caspian L. cachinnans) should be shown in summer but not winter plumage must be an oversight. The species accounts follow sections on ‘how to use this book’; ‘bird identification’; a lengthy glossary; geography, climate and habitats; Important Bird Areas and organisa- tions (mainly conservation NGOs) and their respective websites. Each species account is necessarily concise, some of necessity longer than others, and present key identification features and calls, as well as notes on habitat and, where appropriate, altitudinal range. The font size used may be too small or print too faint for some to read the text with ease. (Brave would be a publisher to pare down treatment of widespread species, such as many waders, to allow greater space for ‘other’ species, or even to reduce a guide's weight: not that this is an especially heavy one). Alternative common names are given, and indexed, whilst unusually for a field guide the status of threatened species is also noted. Subspecies occurring are described and usually also illustrated (the capensis Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis shown in flight is missing its wingbar). The maps show clearly in colour various categories from resident or visiting breeder to migrant/winter visitor (differentiating com- mon from sparser occurrence), as well as mapping the occurrence of vagrants. The text adds further distributional information and occurrence details as necessary. Whilst neither long-awaited nor anticipat- ed, this splendid new guide fills an erstwhile void, even if certain of the countries concerned remain at times volatile or out of bounds to foreigners (not Socotra though), whilst remembering it is still seemingly best not to try to arrive anywhere here by boat. With that proviso, you should definitely buy this guide, even if only for some carbon-saving armchair ornithology. Simon Aspinall Note: This field guide is a very useful comple- ment to Birds of Ethiopia & Eritrea by John Ash & John Atkins, also recently published by A & C Black. / Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 195 OSME News Geoff Welch Like any organisation, OSME needs to con- stantly evolve and adapt to changes, especially in relation to its membership, conservation and research activities in the region, and the wider global situation. One of the privileges of being Chairman of Council is that it gives an opportunity to indulge in a little ‘crystal ball gazing’ regarding how OSME could and should develop in the coming years and I would like to take this opportunity to share some of my, and Council’s, thoughts with you. Despite the many social, political, econom- ic and environmental difficulties currently facing many of the countries in the OSME region, there is a steadily growing number of active and extremely dedicated birdwatchers and conservationists and OSME is committed to supporting their efforts in whatever way the Society is able. The most practical means of doing this are through providing financial support via the Conservation and Research Fund and facilitating access to information and contacts locally, regionally and _ inter- nationally via the Supported Membership scheme, journal exchanges and the OSME website. Inevitably all of these require money to a greater or lesser extent and therefore OSME is reliant on the support of its indi- vidual and corporate members to make this possible. Therefore, in addition to continuing your membership of OSME, Council would like to encourage as many members as pos- sible to upgrade to Supporting Member which would enable us to provide subscriptions to nationals throughout the region who are oth- erwise unable to pay the annual subscription fee. I know firsthand that in many countries there is a new and developing generation of birdwatchers often based around university bird groups and whilst these students have almost boundless enthusiasm they have very limited resources for optical equipment, field guides, reference material or transport. A year’s subscription to Sandgrouse is a very effective means of encouraging a continued interest in birds and conservation and as skills 196 = Sandgrouse 31 (2009) and knowledge increase this is already lead- ing to an increasing number of papers being submitted for publication. Additionally, UK tax paying members can increase the value of their subscription, at no additional cost to themselves, by completing a Gift Aid form. This enables OSME to claim £0.28 for each £1 paid (equals £4.20 on an individual member- ship) from the government, money that is used to support the work of the Society. So if you have not yet signed up for this, please do so today. Forms can be obtained from the treasurer@osme.org. Continuing the Sandgrouse theme, Council is researching the practicality of digitising back copies of Sandgrouse and the OSME Bulletin for eventual posting on the OSME web site to make this valuable archive avail- able to all, especially as many of the earlier issues of Sandgrouse are no longer available in print. The challenge is to find a means of doing this cost-effectively but we hope to be able to make a start on this project within the coming year. Sandgrouse itself has under- gone a redesign recently and now has much more colour throughout and is continuing to be at the forefront of bird club publica- tions providing an excellent mix of scientific and popular articles presented in a modern, attractive format. Following the very popular Syrian Checklist (Sandgrouse Supplement 2), there is an increasing interest from organi- sations in the region for more of this type of publication and preliminary planning is underway for checklists for the United Arab Emirates and Central Asia. Whilst Sandgrouse continues to go from strength to strength, unfortunately the same cannot be said about the OSME website. Council acknowledges that the site current- ly lags behind those of the other regional bird clubs and contains many errors and omissions. With internet access increasingly commonplace throughout the region and the internet now most people’s starting point when seeking information, it is imperative that this situation is remedied as soon as possible. It is Council’s hope that the OSME website becomes the place where birdwatch- ers and researchers go to find out more about the region. Therefore one of the key positions Council is seeking to fill is that of Website Manager. To be effective, websites not only have to be attractive and informative, they need to be updated on a regular basis. However, because of the nature of website design and management, such work can be done ‘remotely’ so work on the site can be undertaken from anywhere. Therefore, if you have website design and management skills or know someone who does, we would be very pleased to hear from you. These are just a few of the main areas of work for OSME in the coming months and years but to make this possible we need your support so please remember to renew your membership, encourage your friends to join, sign up to Gift Aid and don’t forget this year’s raffle—it’s not too late to buy tickets! Subscription rate increases It has been 10 years since subscription rates were increased, a period in which gen- eral costs have steadily increased and, of major impact on OSME, postage costs have increased markedly, including by 25% in the last two years alone. Therefore, to ensure that OSME publications can be maintained at the current high standard and, importantly, sup- port can be maintained for the Conservation and Research Fund, Council has decided that subscription rates will be increased from 1 January 2010. Details of the current and new rates are given below and it is hoped that fol- lowing these increases rates will be held at these levels for several years to come. Category Current rate New rate (£) (£) UK addresses Individual 15.00 20.00 Family 20.00 25.00 Supporting 30.00 40.00 Institution 30.00 40.00 Overseas addresses Individual 20.00 25.00 Family 25.00 30.00 Supporting 35.00 45.00 Institution 30.00 40.00 NEws & INFORMATION Dawn Balmer (compiler) AFGHANISTAN List of protected species for Afghanistan The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced in early June that Afghanistan’s National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA), in an effort to safeguard its natural heritage, has released the country’s first-ever list of protected species now banned from hunting or harvest. The list, consisting of 20 mammals, seven birds, four plants, and a single amphibian and insect, provides legal protection to some of Afghanistan’s wildlife, which has been devastated by more than 30 years of conflict. NEPA, in partnership with the USAID-funded Wildlife Conservation Society, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, and Kabul University created the Afghanistan Wildlife Executive Committee (AWEC) to facilitate the listing process. NEPA has also worked collaboratively with students at the University of Richmond in Virginia, USA, to complete the listing pro- cess. NEPA will be responsible for managing Afghanistan’s protected species including writing recovery plans for species designated as threatened. Species will be re-evaluated every five years to determine whether popu- lations have recovered to the extent where they may be removed from the protected list. In May, Afghanistan announced the cre- ation of its first national park: Band-e-Amir, a series of six deep blue lakes separated by natural dams made of travertine, a min- eral deposit. (Source: Wildlife Conservation Society) Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 197 AZERBAIJAN New potential IBAs in Azerbaijan With the support of the Azerbaijan Ornithological Society (AOS, BirdLife in Azerbaijan), a young Azeri researcher Arzu Mammadov has spent the past three years sur- veying the birds of the autonomous republic of Nakhchivan, in the south-west of Azerbaijan. As well as recording many species of conser- vation concern and identifying a number of new candidate Important Bird Areas (IBAs), he has also involved the local community and institutions in his work, becoming Chairman of the regional AOS branch. The research project, funded by the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences and AOS, aimed to identify potential IBAs, develop the research on existing IBAs and increase the protection of local biodiversity. Prior to this study, 217 bird species were known from the region and four IBAs had been identified. Arzu and his team have now increased the list of species to 241 and identified three new potential IBAs. The existing and candidate IBAs of Nakhchivan autonomous republic hold 18 globally threatened species and 24 species of European conservation concern. Arzu and his team used some of these spe- cies as ecological indicators to assess the status of the sites in which they occur, using BirdLife’s global IBA monitoring framework. The assessment revealed that the condition of four sites (Ilandag, Negramdag, Toglugaya, Garagaya) was deteriorating because of intensive livestock grazing, cultivation, grass burning and other types of habitat degrada- tion. However, the status of the other sites (Ordubad, Shahbuz, Araz water reservoir) was assessed as improving. Arzu and the local AOS branch will continue to work with the local institutions to try to improve the condition of deteriorating sites and restore their biodiversity values. (Source: BirdLife International) CYPRUS May hunting ban in Cyprus After a successful campaign led by BirdLife International and BirdLife Cyprus, the Cypriot government has decided to stop the shooting of birds during the month of May 198 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) on the island. Prior to the new law, hunting was allowed in 2008 for eight days in May to control crows, particularly Carrion Crow Corvus corone and Eurasian Magpie Pica pica. This initiative was then seen as an excuse to allow hunters to also shoot migratory species like European Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur. However this year, the ‘corvid control decree’ has been reduced to just three days in June, when the risk to migratory species is deemed to be low. (Source: BirdLife International) Migratory birds served in Cypriot restaurants BirdLife Cyprus recently announced that in 2008 more than 1.1 million birds were illegally slaughtered in Cyprus by trappers eager to feed a lucrative demand for banned Warbier ‘delicacies’. A report on the situation, com- piled by Birdlife Cyprus and RSPB, has been submitted to the Wildlife Committee of the Council of Europe, the Cypriot government and the European Commission. In response to worrying declines, BirdLife has launched the Born to Travel Campaign to protect migratory waterbirds, soaring birds and songbirds along the African-Eurasian flyway. Born to Travel is a perfect example of how effectively the unique BirdLife Network meshes together as a united force to take action for conservation. For more information visit www.birdlife.org/ flyways. (Source: BirdLife International) EGYPT Website development The birding website for Egypt, www.bird- inginegypt.com, now allows you to upload your records of rare and scarce birds by click- ing on the ‘Birding News’ button. (Source: Moldovan Istvan) GEORGIA Volunteers for raptor migration counts in Batumi— Makhindjauri, Georgia, in autumn 2009 In 2008, the count recorded a total of 812 000 raptors migrating from the European and Russian breeding grounds to Africa. Other Georgian birding hotspots like Kazbeg or the southern steppe lakes near the Armenian border are easily visited from Batumi. Anyone wishing to join the 2009 count can find more information online at http://www.freewebs. com/batumiraptorcount/participatein2009. htm. (Source: Pieter Vantieghem) IRAN Radio-tracking of Pleske’s Ground Jay A project has begun to radio-tag a number of Pleske’s Ground Jays Podoces pleskei in Touran Biosphere Reserve, Iran. The project is being carried out by a team from the University of Tehran and is supported by the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF). Between 21-25 March 2009, four (three females and one male) were captured using mist-nets and were radio- tagged and released. The aim is to investigate the ecology of this poorly known species in Iran. (Source: Mohammad Tohidifar) Red-necked Stint added to list Guy Kirwan (Dutch Birding 29(2): 92-93 2007) found two female Red-necked Stints Calidris ruficollis that had been collected by Walter Koelz at Borujerd, Lorestan province, western Iran on 25 July 1941. This is a new species for the Iranian list. (Source: Abolghasem Khaleghizadeh) IRAQ Awareness campaign The surveys of the Mesopotamian marshes that Iraqi environmental group Nature Iraq has carried out over the last 5 years have shown that large numbers of the globally near- threatened Marbled Duck are being hunted. Many of these birds are then sold in the local markets. The globally endangered Sociable Lapwing also occurs in Iraq on migration and whilst there have not been any surveys it is known that they too are hunted. Now NI (BirdLife’s partner in Iraq) is trying to address the problem and has started a public aware- ness campaign, particularly aimed at hunters. Posters (Plates 1 & 2) are on display (Plate 3) especially in the areas where hunting occurs. The aim is not to stop ail hunting (whether by gun or falcon) but to encourage respect for birds that are threatened and for which Iraq 2 INTERNATIONAL O00 5 (Stel = 4) oli = “ested! al} 5a Sensi ndit! ill SFL Gile Bagtl gata soi Alot Igo 78 iLS5 iboats ol3pi Sociable Lapwing os Vanellus greqarius RM pets he Vp sottay ai ibe aig lad os ie A ag 4 iy wings wetlands "Bg ia Pay irg SWAR a SKI Ina Os wrcat we SScw AQ TK ‘torsos Premiers Plate |. Poster against the hunting in Iraq of Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris and other endangered species. © Nature Iraq Plate 2. Poster against the hunting in Iraq of Sociable Lapwings Vanellus gregarius. © Nature Iraq Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 199 Plate 3. Posters against the hunting of Sociable Lapwings Vanellus gregarius (Plate 2) and Marbled Ducks Marmaronetta angustirostris and other endangered species (Plate 1) on display at one of many locations in Iraq. © Omar Fadil/Nature Iraq Plates 4-6. A ten-day training course, hosted by Nature Iraq, was conducted from 14-23 April 2009 in Iraqi has a global responsibility. (Source: Richard Porter) E Training course in Iraq A ten-day training course, hosted by Nature Iraq was conducted from 14-23 April in Iraqi Kurdistan for over 20 bird and botany field biologists (Plates 4-6). This is the fifth bird training course (the others having been in Syria). This double course focused on bird and botanical identification in the field, survey methodology and assessment of conservation issues. Trainees from various facilities and institutes all over Iraq attended the course, which included extensive field visits to areas in the Kurdistan governorate of Sulaimani. Richard Porter, an advisor to the Nature Iraq Biodiversity Program shared his expert knowledge of birds of the Middle East with the students. Richard’s visit may be an indica- Kurdistan for over 20 bird and botany field biologists. © RF Porter 200 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) tion of a future when opportunities increase for outside birdwatchers to visit Iraq and see its unique bird populations and ecosystems. Tony Miller and Sophie Neale from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, Scotland, pro- vided the botanical training. During the course a number of diverse mountain, wadi and riverine habitats were visited including Homer Qawm, Zewe and Peramagroon, Kobi Qara Dag, Chami Rezan, Darbendikhan lake, De Lezha, Chamchamal, Ahmed Awa, Waraz and Mawat. The infor- mation collected will be included in Nature Iraq’s extensive database on Iraq's flora and fauna. In terms of bird observations, the train- ing team found a wide spectrum of breeding birds that are listed as globally threatened or near threatened species by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) or are species of conservation concern. From a botanical point of view, the areas visited during the course were lush and green (Iraq has been facing a drought over the past two years but recent rains had covered the Kurdish mountains in grasses and herbs). Tony Miller of the RBGE stated, “When we got down to looking at the vegetation in detail we found it to be rich in species, on a par | would say, with some of the richest areas | have visited in the Middle East. In particular, I was impressed by the changes in species composition across fairly small distances as we changed altitude or moved, for instance, from limestone to serpentine soils.” Nature Iraq along with other Iraqi government and university stakeholders propose to produce a modern flora of Iraq. This will involve exten- sive surveying of Iraq’s botanical resources and new methodologies are needed to com- plete this work. As a result of the course, many additional trainees received a solid baseline of skills in field ornithology and botany which could help with the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) summer survey. Nature Iraq teams are car- rying out their fifth summer survey of the southern marshes, their third of the Kurdistan hills and woods and their first of the west- ern steppes. All are aimed at identifying Iraq’s most important areas for conservation action. (Source: Omar Fadhil, Anna Bachmann and Richard Porter) ISRAEL Natural predators encouraged Barn Owls Tyto alba and Common Kestrels Falco tinnunculus are being encouraged by farmers in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority area to control agricultural pests instead of using harmful chemicals. The two species provide round-the-clock predation of mice, rats and voles. However, modern development has reduced the number of suit- able nest sites available in barns, attics and deserted buildings. This was easily remedied by providing nest boxes and the first boxes were erected for Barn Owls in the fields of an environmentally-friendly kibbutz (communal farm), Sde Eliyahu, in the Bet-She’an valley. Boxes have now been placed throughout the valley, and 70% are already occupied by owls. It’s estimated that Barn Owls are removing at least 80 000 rodents from Bet-She’an’s fields each year which has ensured a reduction in the damage pesticides cause to people, soil, water, wildlife and migrating birds. The proj- ect was expanded to also include Common Kestrels, with nesting boxes erected through- out Israel. During 2005-2008 the project was expand- ed beyond the borders of Israel, and 37 nesting boxes were erected in fields in Jordan east of the Jordan river. At the same time, Imad Atrash, director of the Palestine Wildlife Society (PWLS: BirdLife in Palestine), erected 10 nesting boxes for Barn Owls in the fields of Jericho in the Palestinian Authority area. The success of using birds of prey to con- trol rodents now continues to go from strength to strength. In Israel, the General Directors of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environmental Protection decided to pro- mote a three-year national project (2008-2010) using Barn Owls and Common Kestrels countrywide, together with the Baracha Foundation, the SPNI (BirdLife in Israel) and Tel-Aviv University. Furthermore, USAID- MERC (Middle East Regional Cooperation) recently provided funds for a research project to compare experimental results of using Barn Owls and Kestrels in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority area. A total of 1480 nest boxes are now located throughout Israel, with approximately 600 pairs of nesting Barn Owls. SPNI are now Sandgrouse 31 (2009) = 201 seeking to develop the project further and create a regional project with Palestinians and Jordanians. (Source: BirdLife International) Hoopoe chosen as National Bird The Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops has been awarded the title of Israel’s National Bird by President Shimon Peres. The bird will be celebrated with the issue of new coins and stamps. The initiative to choose a national bird for Israel, by the Israel Ornithological Center, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) and the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration, began two years before the celebrations for Israel’s 60th birth- day. (Source: BirdLife International) Spring Migration Festival 2010 The 4th International Spring Migration Festival at Eilat is scheduled for 18-24 March 2010. Further details can be found on the web- site www.eilatbirdsfestival.com. This spring over 220 birders from Israel and ten other countries took part in the festival activities and 221 species were recorded. 2G Sa BirdLife Plate 7. Poster showing Important Bird Areas in Lebanon. © BirdLife International/SPNL 202 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) Birding & Wetlands Centre, Ma’agan Mikhael The centre is looking for volunteers who have some experience with bird ringing, mist net- ting and waders (licensed ringers preferred). Accommodation will be provided. For details please contact Shai Agmon by email, aquila@ kfitz.net, or fax: +972 73 2413843 LEBANON Identifying and Conserving IBAs in Lebanon The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) and A Rocha Lebanon have completed a three-year nationwide search for new Important Bird Areas (IBAs). An impres- sive 3000 hours of monitoring was carried out which has more than tripled the number of IBAs in Lebanon, marking the start of the conservation process for these sites (Plate 7). Prior to the recent surveys only four sites in Lebanon had been recognised as IBAs. One newly identified IBA, the Beirut River Valley, covers over 8000 hectares of riverside, woodland, cultivated ground and high cliff tops. During the migration periods, more than 70 000 soaring birds fly through the Beirut River Valley IBA, including White Stork Ciconia ciconia, European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus and Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina. Teams of researchers from SPNL and A Rocha Lebanon made a total of 320 visits to sites over the three year period thanks to generous funding from the MAVA trust. Thousands of bird records from sites were then compared against BirdLife’s global IBA criteria resulting in the identification of nine new IBAs of global significance and two of regional significance, with additional fund- ing to support documentation in a database provided by the UK Government’s Darwin Initiative. During the monitoring work, contact was made with interested individuals from local communities who were subsequently asked to provide representatives to attend the IBA © community workshops and form Site Support Groups. Four two-day workshops were set up to provide people with an introduction to bird identification and explain BirdLife’s IBA | programme, along with the basics of site man- agement. Site management committees have now been formed for sites with no current conservation status, to create management plans for their conservation. To help the local committees set their priorities, the completed project has produced site management state- ments for each IBA. The completed project marks the begin- ning in the conservation process for Lebanon’s newest IBAs. SPNL and A Rocha Lebanon are now planning to publish education and train- ing materials for local groups, build their combined capacity for undertaking research and surveying work, elaborate site monitoring _ programmes, provide networking between the IBA sites and initiate conservation proj- ects for the declared sites. (Source: BirdLife International) QATAR Updated checklist A provisional checklist of the birds of Qatar has been created by Qatar Bird Club, sum- marised below: e Category A: species occurring in an appar- ent wild state [284]. e Category C: introduced and established resident breeding species [9]. e Category D: vagrancy possible but escapes not ruled out [6]. e Category E: released or escaped birds, with populations not considered self-sus- taining [5]. e Category X: species claimed to have been seen without any supporting documenta- tion [56]. One notable species missing from the list _is Sooty Falcon Falco concolor, for although it breeds on the Hawar Islands (Bahrain), which are within 2.75 km of Qatar, there are no documented records for Qatar itself. It is hoped the checklist will be published in full in due course. (Source: Jamie Buchan) SAUDI ARABIA _ ABBA Survey 40: Northern Saudi Arabia During February 2009 a survey was made _of wintering birds in northern Saudi Arabia by Mike Jennings and three staff members from the NCWCD Riyadh. The main study area was within about 200 km of the borders with Jordan and Iraq. The survey covered the whole region from near the Arabian gulf coast to the gulf of Aqaba, chalking up 8700 km (mostly off-road). In previous similar surveys to this generally treeless plain, thousands of sandgrouse (Pin-tailed Pterocles alchata and Black-bellied P. orientalis) and uncommon wintering waders such as Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius and Dotterel Charadrius morinellus have been encountered, sometimes in large numbers. One of the aims of the sur- vey was to systematically cover the region so numbers of these important species could be estimated and to judge how important the region is as wintering habitat for them. Methods included a series of vehicle transect counts (more than 1500 km of measured off- road counts) as well as early morning timed censuses on foot. However, whilst this region has enjoyed good rains during the 1990's, it has suffered widespread drought condi- tions for most of the 21st Century. Indeed, most of this region was showing conditions consistent with prolonged drought and in many areas there was a complete absence of green vegetation. Probably because of these conditions, in a classic case of failure to make contact with the study species, not a single Dotterel or Sociable Lapwing was seen and only a few dozen Pin-tailed Sandgrouse were found, at one site. The Pin-tailed Sandgrouse were seen on irrigated farmland and it is pos- sible that many more, and the other species, were wintering on other farms where they would find green vegetation, such as alfalfa, which at some stages of its growing/cropping cycle can resemble the desert in a wet year. However, the lack of records of the study spe- cies in desert regions also suggests that many had gone elsewhere this winter. Numbers of other wintering birds were generally low and not a single wintering vulture was seen, although Lappet-faced Vultures Aegyptus tra- chielotos were breeding at one locality. There were very good numbers of Eastern Imperial Eagles Aguila heliaca. At least 500 wintering Black Kites Milvus migrans were roosting at one farm, more than previously record- ed wintering in this region. Breeding range extensions were recorded for Desert Finch Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 203 Rhodospiza obsoleta, Desert Eagle Owl Bubo ascalaphus, Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba, and Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis amongst other species. Wintering birds included sev- eral small flocks of Eurasian Linnets Carduelis cannabina (not recorded in northern Saudi Arabia before) and Hen Harriers Circus cyanus relatively numerous at one farm. This area has rather limited species diversity in winter but the short list included 13 species of raptors, five owls, nine larks (numbers were low of this group and more species were expected) and seven wheatears. The NCWCD sponsored the survey and a full report of the findings is being prepared for them, which will include full details and analysis of transects counts and censuses and a systematic list. A soft copy of this report will be available to those who subscribe to Phoenix and a summary of the survey will appear in Phoenix 26 (January 2010). (Contributed by Mike Jennings) SOCOTRA (YEMEN) House Crows Corvus splendens eradicated from Socotra The House Crow, which arrived on Socotra by boat ten years ago, has now been eradicated. The population gradually built up and there were concerns about the damage the species could do to the bird populations on this island of high endemism. (Source: Richard Porter) TURKEY New Hope for Ilisu In late December the German government decided to withdraw its support for the con- troversial Ilisu dam project in Turkey. For many years nature conservation organisa- tions, including Doga Dernegi (BirdLife in Turkey) and NABU (BirdLife in Germany), have been campaigning against the construc- tion of the hydro-electric dam on the Tigris river in the south-eastern part of Turkey. The project, which had financial backing from Germany, Switzerland and Austria, would destroy the habitat of up to 123 bird species including the Endangered Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus, which breeds in the cliffs along the valley in Hasankeyf, and the Near Threatened Cinereous Bunting Emberiza 204 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) cineracea, which breeds on the rocky slopes of the river basin. It would also have devastat- ing consequences for the local community, flooding many villages including Ilisu and the ancient city of Hasankeyf and forcing up to 60 000 people to leave their homes. The German government decided to start the pullout pro- ceedings as environmental and human rights standards have not been met. As a last chance the Austrian, German and Swiss export credit agencies have still agreed to give the dam authorities another deadline of 180 days to ful- fil their obligations. Nevertheless the German government's decision is an exceptional u-turn and is an important step towards victory for people and nature. However, the final pullout can only be enforced after the deadline has passed. This will sadly come too late for the local inhabitants whose homes have already been taken and who have neither been offered suitable compensation nor an appropriate site to resettle. (Source: BirdLife International) Turkey book updates A webpage has been set up devoted solely to providing updates and corrections to the recently published Turkey avifauna. It can be found at www.freewebs.com/guykirwan/ turkeybookupdates.htm. Anyone with information concerning new unpublished records for the page should contact Guy Kirwan at GMKirwan@aol.com. OTHER NEWS Large-billed Reed Warbler discovered in museums According to a recent paper in the Journal of Avian Biology (39: 305-310 Nov 2008) by Lars Svensson and colleagues, Large-billed Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orinus can be added to the bird lists of Afghanistan and Kazakhstan, after finding 10 new specimens in museum collections. The Kazakhstan specimen was collected by N Zarudny on 18 August 1900 in the south-east of the country. The four Afghan specimens were collected by WN Koelz in north-east Afghanistan in July 1937. Until recently, Large-billed Reed Warbler was known only from one specimen, collected in the Sutlej valley, Himachal Pradesh, India in November 1867. In March 2006 one was | trapped at Laem Phak Bia, Phatchaburi prov- ince, south-west Thailand. (Source: BirdLife International) New CEO for BirdLife International Dr Marco Lambertini has been appoint- ed as the new Chief Executive of BirdLife International by the BirdLife Global Council and took up this position on 1 March 2009 and succeeds Mike Rands, a former chairman of OSME. (Source: BirdLife International) Bibliography of Arabian Ornithology The huge number of references collated during the preparation of the Atlas of Breeding Birds of Arabia (ABBA) has now been brought fully up to date with all sources traceable to April 2009, some 2100-2200 titles in total. The bibliography is in rich text format (.rtf), about 0.5 MB. In addition, the latest edition of Phoenix, the newsletter of the ABBA project, was published at the end of January. Copies of the Bibliography and Phoenix are available from Mike Jennings, Warners Farm House, Warners Drove, Somersham, Cambridgeshire PE28 3WD, UK. Email: ArabianBirds@dsl. pipex.com. BirdLife launches new migratory bird project BirdLife’s newest flyways project was launched in early May at an inception work- shop in Jordan. “This marks a significant increase in our efforts to conserve migratory soaring birds in one of world’s most impor- tant migratory flyways” said Dr Jonathan Barnard, Senior Programme Manager at BirdLife International. Government and NGO partners from eleven countries across the _ Middle East and Africa came together in Amman, Jordan, to discuss and launch the UNDP-GEF/BirdLife International ‘Migratory Soaring Birds’ project. “We need to acknowl- edge the importance of international and regional conservation to reduce threats to sig- nificant populations of Globally Threatened _ migratory soaring birds” said H E Eng Khaled _ Trani, Minister of Environment of Jordan. The Jordan Rift Valley—-Red Sea flyway is recogn- ised as the most significant corridor for bird migration in the world. However, many parts _ of the flyway are undergoing a period of rapid development. At the migration bottlenecks, expanding urban, industrial, agricultural and tourism developments are creating hazards to birds in areas where previously no threats existed. More than two-thirds of the migra- tory soaring bird species which use the Jordan Rift Valley and Red Sea flyway have an unfavourable conservation status. Hazards include direct threats from development, hab- itat alteration, pollution, and the construction of barriers such as power lines that obstruct the flyway resulting in fatal collisions. Soaring birds are also directly threatened by illegal and unsustainable hunting. (Source: Birdlife International) Wildlife Middle East News Wildlife Middle East News volume 3 issues 3 and 4 have been published in the last few months and PDFs can be downloaded from www.wmenews.com. The editors are request- ing articles for future issues particularly from Iran, Syria, Jordan, Bahrain, Turkey, Palestine, Kuwait, Iraq and Oman. Please contact the editors (editors®wmenews.com) with any ideas that you may have. Workshop on Sociable Lapwing An International Species Action Plan workshop on the Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius was held at Almaty, Kazakhstan, from 30 March to 1 April. The Sociable Lapwing is a Critically Endangered species that has undergone a large population decline. Initial estimates put the world’s breeding population as low as 200-600 breeding pairs. However, recent exciting discoveries would suggest that this estimate was too pessimistic, but that the species’ status remains precarious. Recent research efforts for Sociable Lapwings have been targeted at the breeding grounds in Kazakhstan, as recommended by the AEWA International Species Action Plan published in 2004. However, it now seems likely that the magnitude of the recent population decline cannot be wholly explained by the observed levels of breeding success. The workshop was organised by AEWA, CMS, RSPB, Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan (ACBK) and the Committee for Forestry and Hunting, Kazakhstan. The aim of the workshop was to review progress made under the first Species Action Plan Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 205 and to present the findings of work under- taken as part of the Darwin Initiative project Conserving a flagship steppe species: the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing. The workshop was attended by Sociable Lapwing research- ers and Government representatives from a number of countries including Kazakhstan, Russia, India, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Germany and the UK. The workshop reported excellent progress on determining the causes of population decline in the Sociable Lapwing. Research on the breeding grounds in central Kazakhstan from 2004-2008 found that nest survival is generally high but varies from year to year and that chick survival tends to be high in most years. This coupled with low return rates of colour-ringed individuals suggests that factors away from the breeding grounds may be responsible for the reported decline of the species. Presentations by Birdlife partners highlighted how the increased collaboration across range states in recent years has led to the discovery of several large flocks of Sociable Lapwings in south-west Russia, south-east Turkey and northern Syria. The largest flock located to date was that of c3200 individuals in Ceylanpinar, Turkey, in October 2007. This flock was located partly due to the relocation of a satellite tagged bird that subsequently migrated to Sudan, the first record there for more than 50 years. In addition, a survey by the Sudanese Wildlife Society in January 2009 confirmed the presence of a number of flocks totalling 150 birds. Representatives from Syria and Iraq outlined recent work in their respec- tive countries, including worrying reports of hunting being targeted at Sociable Lapwings. The Action Plan is currently being drafted for consultation but some of the key recom- mendations include urgent work in Syria and Iraq to determine the extent of hunting and to work with Government Agencies and local people to limit hunting where possible. Further work is also required in India to determine the number and distribution of Sociable Lapwings occurring there. Increased collaboration between Birdlife partners will be required in the coming years to undertake co- ordinated counts across the species’ range to get a robust population estimate and to further increase our knowledge of Sociable Lapwing migration routes and wintering areas. 206 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) The workshop ended with a presentation by Andreas Pittl, who outlined Swarovski Optik’s commitment to Sociable Lapwing conservation through Birdlife International’s Preventing Extinctions programme through which they are joint Species Champion with the RSPB. Swarovski optical equipment was presented to a number of the researchers to help the survey effort across the Sociable Lapwing’s range. Further information can be obtained from Rob Sheldon at robert. sheldon@rspb.org.uk or Maxim Koshkin at maxim.koshkin@acbk.kz. (Contributed by Rob Sheldon) REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION Information on Semi-collared Flycatcher OSME has received a request from Kostadin Georgiev from Birdlife Bulgaria for unpublished information on the Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata. BirdLife International has created a group of Single Species Action Plans (SSAP) for threatened species in the European Union. The Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) is responsible for the development of the SSAP for the Semi-collared Flycatcher. Unpublished records of Semi-collared Flycatchers in the Middle East (with date, location, count) are required. Information on where the borderline is between migrating and breeding Semi- collared Flycatchers and the most southerly recorded breeding pair is_ particularly welcomed. Details should be sent to Kostadin Georgiev, BSPB/BirdLife Bulgaria, PO Box 50, BG-1111 Sofia, Bulgaria or kostadin.georgiev@ bspb.org. Rollers in Iran Records of European Roller Coracias garrulus from Iran are required to help assess the sta- tus of the species. European Roller is listed as Near Threatened by BirdLife International. Records including date, place, number and breeding status should be sent to Abolghasem Khaleghizadeh at akhaleghizadeh@yahoo. com. OBITUARY Steen Christensen Steen was one of Denmark’s cutting-edge birders. Not given to convention in any way, when I met him in the late 60’s he was a birding hippy; and he died one. He trained as a brick- layer, but after a few months refused to work (he was disillusioned with the standards!) and was granted state benefit. He never worked again, and devoted his life to birds (Plate 1). The famous ‘bird-huse’ in Copenhagen ~ was Steen’s first home, along with several other young Danish birders, including Niels Krabbe, Uffe Gjol Sorensen, Hans Meltofte and Klaus Malling Olsen. Although he led a penniless, frugal, existence, through marriage and relationships he fathered four children. Steen was one of the first Danes to produce high class ID papers, which were regularly published in Feltornitologen. Being extremely critical, he was often feared and could be very brusque when dealing with birders who did not have the same high identification stand- ards. But to the few he allowed into his circle, he was an inspiring ‘guru’ for a whole genera- tion in the 70’s and 80’s. His achievements were many: the first Cyprus checklists; the first comprehensive counts of spring raptor migration in Israel (in 1976-77), published in Sandgrouse; the first raptor migration counts in Lebanon; the first papers on the identification of the buzzards culminating in Flight Identification of European Raptors in 1974 (which went into 8 languages). Latterly his books included Birds of the Middle East and North Africa (1988) and Birds of the _ Middle East (1996). Plate I. Steen Christensen (right) with Per Schlutter, Israel 1976. © RF Porter We used to exchange letters regularly —he didn’t use email—his carefully crafted hand- writing giving daily accounts of what he’d been seeing in his beloved Skagen, Denmark’s migration Mecca, where he died, age 65, in November 2008. He lived for birds, his family and his guitar. Richard Porter Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 207 AROUND THE REGION Dawn Balmer & David Murdoch (compilers) 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 records refer to 2009 unless stated otherwise. Records and photographs for Sandgrouse 32 (1) should be sent by 15 December to atr@osme.org. BAHRAIN The 5th Sooty Gull Larus hemprichii for Bahrain, an immature, was at the Novatel area on 26 Feb. Two Pied Kingfishers Ceryle rudis were at Adharri on 31 Jan and there was a peak of c50 Hypocoliuses Hypocolius ampe- linus on 26 Dec 2008. The first Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata since 1997 was at Hamalah on 14 Mar and a Dark-throated Thrush Turdus atrogularis was at Adharri on 31 Jan. Burri produced a couple of excellent sightings on 31 Jan with two, possibly three, Common Chaffinches Fringilla coelebs which was the 8th record and eight, possibly 10, Common Linnets Carduelis cannabina which was the 3rd accepted country record. CYPRUS An exceptional count of 22 Ruddy Shelducks Tadorna ferruginea flew over Larnaca airport pools (south) on 3 Jan. Three White-headed Ducks Oxyura leucocephala were at Haspolat water treatment plant, Nicosia, on 10 Jan and one was at Larnaca sewage works until 3 Jan (from 13 Dec 2008). On 10 Jan there were 29 Ferruginous Ducks Aythya nyroca at Haspolat which was a high count. A Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator was seen at the mouth of the Potamos Liopetri, west of Agia Napa, on 18 Jan which is a regular known site for this rare winter migrant. An immature Northern Gannet Morus bassanus was at the offshore fish farm at Potamos Liopetri on 1 Feb, with singles off Cynthiana Beach hotel, Paphos, on 12 & 17 Apr; the first records since March 2007. On 10 Mar a Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos was at Mavrokolymbos dam which was possibly the 3rd record. Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla are less than annual on Cyprus; one at Aspro pools on 26 Mar 208 Sandgrouse 31 (2009) and one at Ezousas pools on 22 Apr was a good showing. It was also a good spring for Cream-coloured Coursers Cursorius cur- sor with three at Mazotos 9-20 Mar, one at Akrotiri gravel pits on 9 Mar and one at cape Drepanum on 10 Apr. A Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni was reported at Larnaca sewage works on 17 Apr and one was at Akhna dam on 28 Apr; there have been no records since 2004. A Eurasian Dotterel Charadrius morinellus at Mandria 24-25 Jan was the first ever January record, and this was followed by one at Larnaca desalination plant fields on 20 Mar, four at Paralimni lake on 1 Apr and one at Mazotos 3-5 Apr and these comprise the 5th—8th records since 2000. A total of three Caspian Plovers Charadrius asiaticus were recorded during the spring with a female at Spiros pools on 26 Mar, a female at Mandria 13-14 Apr and a male at the same location 15-23 Apr. A Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus was reported off Paphos at Cynthiana Beach hotel on 16 Apr which will be the 3rd record if accepted and Arctic Skuas Stercorarius parasiticus were off Petounta point on 3 Apr and one off Phaethon Beach hotel, Paphos, on 30 Apr. The 4th—6th records of Black-legged Kittiwake involved one at the Paphos lighthouse on 31 Jan, one at Meneou pools, Larnaca, on 27 Feb, with two present on 28 Feb and one remaining to 6 Mar. A Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orien- talis at Karpas peninsula on 3 Apr was the 5th record since 1992. There was a Laughing Dove Stigmatopelia senegalensis at Sotira, near Paralimni lake, 8-25 May which was possibly the 3rd record if considered to be a genuine wild bird. Over 100 Pallid Swifts Apus pal- lidus were feeding over Oroklini marsh 15-19 Feb which was an exceptional count. A very early Common Swift Apus apus was seen _— -\ =n eae ae Ee oe an Weniieds WR at Oroklini marsh on 29 Jan and was the first spring record in Europe this year. Little Swifts Apus affinis at cape Andreas on 29 Apr and up to three cape Greco on 30 Apr were the 10th—13th records for Cyprus. On 11 Apr a White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrn- ensis was at Karpas peninsula, near Apostolos Andreas, and was the 15th record. A Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris at Mandria on 14 Apr will be the 4th country record if accepted and an Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni at cape Greco on 31 Mar was the 4th record. Rufous-tailed Bush Robins Cercotrichas galactotes are less than annual so one at Baths of Aphrodite on 1 May was notable. Caspian Stonechats Saxicola maurus variegatus were recorded at Agia Napa sew- age works area on 24 Mar, one at Phasouri reedbeds on 25 Mar and at least two Paphos lighthouse area on 29-31 Mar; there have only been eight previous records of this taxon. On 1 May there was an Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum at cape Greco. The 12th and 13th records of Asian Desert Warbler Sylvia nana included one in salt scrub at Larnaca airport pool (south) 2-19 Jan and one at Paphos lighthouse area on 14 Apr. A Yellow-browed Warbler Piyjlloscopus inorna- tus was at Drouseia 4-6 Apr and will be the 9th country record and the first since March 2000 if accepted and a Turkestan Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus phoenicuroides at the Tomb of the Kings, Paphos on 12 Apr was the 15th record since 2000. It was an excel- lent spring for rare shrikes with a Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis at Mandria 8 Mar and one at cape Greco on 24 Mar (the 5th & 6th Cyprus records) and a Steppe Grey Shrike L. meridionalis pallidirostris was at cape Andreas on 13 Mar which was the 6th Cyprus record. A Rook Corvus frugilegus on farmland west of Fresh Water lakes near Famagusta, present from Oct 2008, remained until 23 Mar and was only 5th record in last 10 years. On 2 Apr a Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githag- ineus was at cape Andreas, Karpas peninsula; there have been 11 records since 1996 and on 14 Apr a Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus was reported at cape Drepanum and will be the 7th record if accepted. The 11ith-13th records since 1999 of Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea included one at cape Drepanum 19-25 Mar, two at Anarita park on 24 Mar and one at Paphos lighthouse area on 30 Mar. EGYPT Three Yellow-billed Storks Mycteria ibis were at Abu Simbel 15-16 Apr and a total of 56 Black Storks Ciconia nigra were circling around Ras Sukheir on 16 Apr and two sec- ond year birds were at Ain Sokhna marshes on 2 May. Two Goliath Herons Ardea goliath were at Wadi Lahami on 1 Mar. On 28 Feb two Lappet-faced Vultures Aegypius trachielo- tos were seen 5 km north of Berendice and at least eight were seen at Al Shalaten. On 26 Apr a Corncrake Crex crex was seen at Wadi Dome resort. Possibly the first records of White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus in the Western Desert involved seven at Dakhla oasis on 2 Mar and five the following day. Two Collared Plovers Charadrius tricollaris were at Tut Amon, Aswan, on. 30 Apr, the 2nd Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus for Egypt was at El Gouna golf course 9-13 May Plates | & 2. Second Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus for Egypt, 9-13 May 2009, El Gouna golf course. © Margit & Kalle Kasiuk Sandgrouse 31 (2009) 209 (Plates 1 & 2) and at least three Black-winged Pratincoles Glareola nordmanni were also at the golf course on 9 Apr. A Pharoah Eagle Owl Bubo ascalaphus was at Karnack temple on 21 Apr and a House Crow Corvus splen- dens was seen just south of Sehel island in the Nile valley at Aswan on 25 Mar which was well away from the known populations largely around the Suez canal. On 2 Mar a first-winter or female Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus was present at Wadi Gimal and a Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanop- ogon was at Dakhla oasis on the same date which was away from known areas. Greater Hoopoe-Larks Alaemon alaudipes were record- ed at Zafarana on 8 Apr and 25 km E of Cairo on 4 May. A male Rufous-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna was at El Gouna 23-26 Feb and an adult male Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis was at Wadi Dome on 6 Apr and a 2nd-year male was at El Gouna golf course on 13 Apr. A Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata was recorded at Wadi Dome resort 6-7 Apr and two pairs of African Pied Wagtails Motacilla aguimp were at Abu Simbel 15-16 Apr. IRAN A sub-adult Masked Booby Sula dactylatra was photographed from a boat 1 km off- shore at Khoore-e-Silikie, west of Jask, on 15 Jan and was the 2nd for Iran. A flock of 29 Socotra Cormorants Phalacrocorax nigrogularis was seen at Mobarak, Homozgan, on 23 Jan which is unusual for the time of year and two Chinese Shrikes Lanius arenarius were photo- graphed at Bib Shirvan, Golestan, on 19 Jan. Nine White-winged Larks Melanocorypha leu- coptera were photographed north of Gomishan, Golestan, on 25 Jan and two males and a female White-winged Grosbeak Mycerobas carnipes were in the Almeh valley, Golestan, on 22 Jan where there have been no reports in recent decades. IRAQ | At Al Asad airbase and surrounds a Northern Goshawk