SANDGROUSE
1991 Volume 13 Part 2
ay
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SANDGROUSE 0istume 13 part2 191
Editor Editorial Committee
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Contents
58 NADAV LEVY AND YORAM YOM-TOV
Activity and status of Cranes Grus grus wintering in Israel
73 REUVEN YOSEF
Breeding biology of the Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta in Israel
80 B. PAMBOUR AND A. R. A. AL KARRAIRY
Notes on the birds of the eastern Rub’ al Khali, Saudi Arabia
92 M. P. FRANKIS
Krtiper’s Nuthatch Sitta krueperi and Turkish pine Pinus brutia: an
evolving association?
Notes
98 PETER L. MEININGER
Range extension of Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus in northern
Egypt
101 VINCENT VAN DEN BERK
Visible migration of Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus and Penduline
Tit Remiz pendulinus in southern Turkey
102 JOHN TEMPLE LANG AND MARK COCKER
A nest of Caucasian Black Grouse Tetrao mlokosiewiczi in Turkey
104 STEVEN M. GOODMAN AND C. VANCE HAYNES JR.
A Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea in the Egyptian Western
Desert
106 PER ALSTROM
A Radde’s Accentor Prunella ocularis from Oman reidentified as
Black-throated Accentor P. atrogularis
108 ERIK HIRSCHFELD
First record of Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta in Bahrain
110 ERIK HIRSCHFELD AND TADEUSZ STAWARCZYK
First record of Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola in Bahrain
ISSN 0260-4736
© Ornithological Society of the Middle East
Sandgrouse (1991) 13: 58-72.
Activity and status of Cranes Grus grus
wintering in Israel
NADAV LEVY and YORAM YOM-TOV
Summary The known wintering population of Cranes Grus grus in Israel has grown from several hun-
dred in the 1960s to 4,000-7,000 now, in seven areas. The increase appears due to improved
food supplies through agricultural changes, also to reduced hunting and improved conser-
vation. Birds have wintered in Emeg Yizreel since at least the 1940s and numbers reached
1,700 in 1984-5. In Emeq Hefer on the central coastal plain wintering started in 1968-9 and
1,050 were present in 1991-2. The populations of Emeq Hefer and Emeg Yizreel were stud-
ied especially in 1984-5 and 1987-8. Main arrivals are from mid-October, numbers peak from
early December to early February, and most leave by late March. First-years comprised 15-2%
of birds. Through one winter, birds’ activity was classified into movement, sociality, resting,
preening, foraging, or vigilance: more time was spent moving in December and March and
less preening, possibly due to the lower rainfall then and to restlessness at the beginning and
end of winter; time spent in other activities did not differ significantly between months. At
roosts, 74% of birds left within 15 minutes either side of sunrise and 70% returned between
sunset and 90 minutes later. Birds were followed up to 35 km from roosts to feeding sites;
mean air speed was 41-7 km per hour; most birds loafed at the roost around midday, so
apparently flew out to feed twice per day. Predation by Spotted Eagles Aquila clanga appar-
ently occurred.
E EXISTENCE of wintering populations of Cranes Grus grus in Israel (for-
merly Palestine) was first documented in the nineteenth century (Tristram 1866,
1873, 1884). From at least the 1940s wintering occurred in Emeq Yizreel (the Yizreel
valley) in the north of the country (Bodenheimer 1953; Meinertzhagen 1954; Smoli
1968), including the Ta’anach district which is now one of the main Israeli winter-
ing areas, and since the mid-1960s birds have wintered also in Emeq Hefer in the
central coastal plain (Levy 1985), as well as in other regions of Israel (Paz 1986;
Levy 1989; see Figure 1). Since about 1967-8 the numbers in Israel have increased
Table 1. Changes in the size of the wintering population and in the number of wintering sites
of Cranes Grus grus in Israel.
Estimated winter No. of winter- | Source
population ing sites
End of 19th century Dozens or more 1-2 Tristram (1866, 1873, 1884)
1900 to 1940s Dozens or more 2 Meinertzhagen (1954)
Mid-1960s Several hundred 3 Suaretz (1975), Levy (1985), Mendelssohn (1975)
Mid-1970s c. 1,000 5 Suaretz (1975), Levy (1985), Paz (1986)
Early 1980s c. 2,000 5-6 Levy (1985), Paz (1986)
1984-5 c. 2,500 7 Levy (1985)
1985-6, 1986-7 2,500-—3,000 ef This study
1987-8, 1989-90 3,000-3,500 ii This study
1990-1 c. 4,000 7 This study
1991-2 6,000-7,000 at least 5 This study
58
Sandgrouse 13 Cranes Wintering in Israel
considerably (Tables 1-3). The decline from a peak of 1,700 in Emeq Yizreel in
1984-5 was followed by growth elsewhere, particularly in Emeq Hula which is
now the main wintering area. NL estimated the total Israeli winter population in
1984—5 to be about 2,500 and it is now at least 4,000-7,000 (Figure 2, Table 1). With
the increase in numbers has come a spread to previously unoccupied parts of Is-
rael, and from 1979-80 about 2,000 have wintered annually in the plains and val-
leys of central and northern parts of the country (Levy 1985) where they feed in
cultivated areas (Mendelssohn 1975; Suaretz 1974, 1975).
&
LEBANON?C
| Emeq
@&
=e \ ae Hula
Nand
MEDITERRANEAN Northern Golan
Coastal Heights
Plain
LAKE
TIBERIAS
Emeq
Yizreel
Emeg
Hefer
Shfelat
Yehuda
e@
Jerusalem
Western
Negev
O
Figure 1. The seven major wintering areas of Cranes Grus grus in Israel.
oF
N. Levy and Y. Yom-Tov
Sandgrouse 13
Table 2. Development of the wintering population of Cranes Grus grus in Emeq Yizreel (Is- —
rael). Further data have been reported by Mendelssohn (1975) and Levy (1986a, 1986b, 1989).
1936-60
1942
1946
1964-5
1967-8
1973-4
1977-8
1981-2
1984-5
1985-6
1986-7
1987-8
1988-9
1990-1
1991-2
Peak no. Date of peak
wintering observation
Present —
Present —
Present _
49 —
500 —
100 —
800 —
1,200 December
1,700 January
800 December
500-760 Dec—Jan
700 Dec-—Jan
650-950 Dec—Jan
500 —
500 —
Source
M. Zaharoni in litt.
E. Smoli pers. comm.
Meinertzhagen (1954)
Paz (1986)
Paz (1986)
Suaretz (1975)
Paz (1986)
NL
Levy (1985), Paz (1986)
This study
This study
This study
This study
This study, Nov—Dec only
This study, Nov-Dec only
Table 3. Dates of first, last, and peak observations of wintering Cranes Grus grus in Emeq
Hefer (Israel), 1966-7 to 1991-2. Records involve only birds apparently wintering, not pas-
sage migrants.
60
1966-7
1967-8
1968-9
1969-70
1970-1
1971-2
1972-3
1973-4
1974-5
1975-6
1976-7
1977-8
1978-9
1979-80
1980-1
1981-2
1982-3
1983-4
1984-5
1985-6
1986-7
1987-8
1988-9
1989-90
1990-1
1992
First Peak no.
observation wintering
— 0
— 0
1 Nov 19
14 Oct 35
18 Nov 68
14 Oct 10
20 Dec 18
3 Nov i
4 Dec 35
21 Nov 120
20 Oct 185
23 Oct 156
25 Oct 440
21 Oct 625
24 Oct 550
5 Nov 100
5 Nov 150
15 Oct 240
15 Oct 630
19 Oct 500
9 Oct 300
15 Oct 760
28 Oct 550
18 Nov 700
29 Oct 360
24 Oct 1,050
Date of peak Last
observation observation
8-15 Feb 1 Mar
Oct-Feb 27 Feb
10 Jan 28 Jan
Oct-Dec 31 Mar
16 Jan 07 Apr
12 Jan --
7 Dec 28 Jan
Jan-Feb 15 Mar
9 Feb 28 Mar
12 Jan 8 Mar
17 Jan 15 Mar
19 Jan 19 Mar
4 Jan 31 Mar
19 Jan 6 Mar
12 Feb 28 Feb
14 Jan 24 Mar
9 Feb 21 Mar
18-30 Jan 28 Feb
18 Jan 28 Mar
~ 30 Jan 6 Apr
14 Jan 19 Mar
15 Jan 24 May
22 Feb 22 Mar
4 Jan 3 May
Sandgrouse 13 Cranes Wintering 1n Israel
This paper describes the activities and status of two populations of Cranes, now
totalling roughly 2,000-2,500 birds, that winter in Emeq Hefer on the central coastal
plain and at Ta’anach in Emeq Yizreel.
STUDY AREAS
Emeq Hefer, formerly a wetland but now drained, covers about 75 km?, whereas
Emeqg Yizreel occupies about 300 km*. Both areas are composed mainly of orchards
and agricultural fields, where wheat, legumes, and chickpeas are grown in the
winter, and cotton, corn, onions, peanuts, and tomatoes from spring to autumn.
The climate in Emeq Hefer is mild: mean winter temperatures range from 15°C in
October to about 11°C in January; rainfall occurs only in winter (October—April),
with a mean annual precipitation of 63 cm, and an average of 56 rainy days per
year. Emeq Yizreel has a similar winter climate, but rainfall varies from 40 cm in
the eastern part to 60 cm in the west. The climate is similar in most other Israeli
wintering areas which have been checked, mainly in the winter of 1987-8. Day
length in winter is 10-12 hours.
METHODS
Investigations were conducted mainly from mid-September to April 1984-5 and
November—April 1987-8. Additional data come mainly from regular observations
carried out by NL at Emeq Hefer over 25 consecutive winters from 1966-7 to 1991—
2, and in Emeg Yizreel mainly from 1980-1 to 1991-2, as well as occasional obser-
vations from Emeq Hula in upper Galilee, the Golan Heights, and the western
300
Western Negev eg EA
M Emeg Hula ZZ BZ ZB
Age
ona tJ Emeq Hefer Z Z ee,
= CL] Emeg Yizreel ZB BZ
O ;
cS 450 (0 Golan Heights
g
100
50
sho bo Il HL 2
Nov Dec Jan Apr
1987
Figure 2. Accumulated numbers of Cranes Grus grus in the five main Israeli wintering areas,
1987-8. Observations at all sites were made on the same dates.
61
N. Levy and Y. Yom-Tov . Sandgrouse 13
Negev from 1984-5 to 1991-2. From 1968 onwards observations were continued
for two or three additional weeks after the Cranes had apparently left, in order to
confirm the date of departure.
In 1984-5 observations to count and to determine the age and activity of the
birds in Emeq Hefer and Emeq Yizreel were carried out over 12 full days (from
before dawn until after sunset) and 28 partial days, totalling 149-7 hours when
Cranes were present; partial days involved 1-8 hours of observations (1-5 hours in
other years). Approximately 85% of this fieldwork was done in Emeq Hefer. All
observations were made with the aid of 10x40 binoculars and a 24x80 telescope
from a parked vehicle and sometimes also with 20x120 binoculars from selected
observation points. The group of Cranes under observation was scanned at inter-
vals varying from five to 20 minutes, each individual being categorized according
to its age and its behaviour at the instant of observation. Behaviour was allocated
to one of six mutually exclusive categories: (1) movement, including flight and
walking short distances after landing, but excluding walking during foraging; (2)
sociality, including various displays such as stalking, wing-flapping, jumping, stick-
tossing, bowing, and playing (Cramp and Simmons 1980; Johnsgard. 1723); (3) rest-
ing, including sleeping (with head and bill tucked under the back feathers while
standing on one leg or lying on the ground); (4) preening, including comfort move-
ments such as scratching and shaking the legs to remove mud; (5) foraging, in-
cluding drinking; (6) vigilant watching, including standing in an upright posture
with neck stretched. First-year birds are easily identifiable in winter; first-summer
plumage is acquired at the end of the winter but even at this time there is no
difficulty in recognizing first-years.
oe ee
2 2 eT
Reems oo" Eames:
Bee | 7 s
AS ME ©
Bee mae 600 ©
Be, | 2 ©
ZA Ze
me ZZ L400 2
PAPA |
A 100 *
| Ad 200 7
227
Zee !
AZ
y hea TS? \
Hp ff \Nestern Negev
7 YL / =meq Hula
v ad i Zz
FF Fined Yizreel
i 7, ve aay coy ih
Lp, A
YZ i IFT Golan Heights
Saat ion ao ease Jan oe Tee mer
1987 1988
Figure 3. Numbers of Cranes Grus grus at the five main Israeli wintering areas, 1987-8. Ob-
servations at all sites were made on the same dates.
62
Sandgrouse 13 Cranes Wintering in Israel
2 ni ,
Plate 1. Cranes Grus grus in peanut field, Emeq Hefer (Israel), February. (Ofer Bahat)
During November-—April 1987-8, with help from birdwatchers and local people,
we conducted 85 further such counts in the seven Israeli wintering areas (results
from the five main areas are shown in Figures 2-3). This fieldwork took place on
two or three days each month, all seven areas being covered on the same days
simultaneously.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Wintering numbers and timing of movement
Surveys conducted in the seven regular wintering areas in Israel (Figure 1) since
1984-5 reveal a continuing gradual increase in wintering Cranes, from about 2,500
in 1984-5 to about 6,000-7,000 in 1991-2 (Table 1). The growth in the size of the
wintering population as a whole has been attributed to an increase in irrigated
agriculture (Langer 1982), the introduction of new crops such as peanuts and chick-
peas, the creation of water reservoirs, and increased protection from illegal hunt-
ing (Levy 1985). More thorough counts by the Society for the Protection of Nature
in Israel and by the Nature Reserves Authority have probably also contributed to
the apparent increase.
Emeq Hula in the north has become the main wintering area in Israel only since
1987, but there is no exact explanation of this as yet, except for a possible decrease
in or cessation of illegal hunting in the surrounding wetlands of Hula National
Reserve, an area which is now managed for conservation (by the Nature Reserves
Authority) more effectively than the other wintering regions in Israel. In terms of
their extent, the cultivated fields and open areas of the western Negev have the
greatest potential as wintering regions for Cranes in Israel, but the birds roost there
_in sand dunes which are difficult of access, and so the size of that population has
not yet been properly gauged.
Some flocks seem to move between different wintering areas. Thus, data from
simultaneous counts at the five main wintering sites during 1987-8 (Figure 3) sug-
63
N. Levy and Y. Yom-Tov , Sandgrouse 13
gest that interchange between Emeq Hefer and Emeq Hula may well take place,
birds moving to the more northern site during the latter part of the winter. That
movement between the wintering areas does take place was demonstrated in 1985
by the appearance of an adult bird with a red wing-tag which was seen in Emeq
Hefer from 19 to 28 February and then in Emeq Yizreel on 7-8 March (Levy 1985).
Crane migration through Israel takes place during April and September, when
the birds fly over without landing except on very rare occasions. The wintering
birds generally arrive from mid-October (Tables 3-4), some not until December.
They presumably belong in the main to the European nominate subspecies, and
Table 4. Months of arrival, peak numbers, and departure of Cranes Grus grus wintering in
Emeg Hefer (Israel), 1968-9 to 1991-2 (summarizing data in Table 3).
Month of Month with peak Month of
arrival number of birds departure
(frequency) (frequency) (frequency)
October 15 :
November 7 1
December 2 2
January 15:5 2
February 55 3
March 14
April 2
May 2
No. of years for 24 24 23
which data exist
the wing-tagged adult mentioned above had probably been marked near Moscow
(International Crane Foundation director, G. Archibald pers. comm.), though it is
possible that some are from the Turkish population of lilfordi.
The wintering population peaks from early December to the beginning of Febru-
ary, and the return of wintering birds probably begins in January, with numbers
then decreasing rapidly through mid-February; most or all Cranes have disappeared
Table 5. Proportion of first-years in the wintering population of Cranes Grus grus in Emeq
Hefer (Israel), 1984-5 to 1991-2. For each winter, the proportion has been calculated using
the sum of all counts from December to February (following Fernandez-Cruz 1981).
Percentage of No. of days of Sum of all counts
first-years observations of all birds
1984-5 13.6 31 6,560
1985-6 14.9 18 1,988
1986-7 15.8 6 981
1987-8 16.4 12 1,724
1988-9 12.0 4 234
1989-90 26.1 7 889
1990-1 16.3 4 264
1991-2 15.0 8 1,739
Total 15.2 90 14,379
64
Sandgrouse 13 Cranes Wintering in Israel
by the end of March (Bodenheimer 1935; Langer 1982; Dovrat 1984; Levy 1985; Paz
1986; see Tables 3-4). In a single day at the end of March 1990 about 5,000 Cranes,
presumably passage migrants through the country, were seen in the Kibbutz Dan
area of Emeq Hula near Mount Hermon (O. Amir pers. comm.), and on very rare
occasions birds are seen even as late as May.
Only once was a Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo observed by NL (and later
also by several others) in winter, the first Israeli wintering record (Shirihai in press):
a subadult bird with several hundred Cranes in Emeq Yizreel, from 6 to 15 De-
cember 1986. The species is otherwise very rare in the country, occurring only in
spring.
Flock size and composition
Average flock size in Emeg Hefer and Emeq Yizreel during the 1984-5 study was.
141 (range 10-1,700). Since then, several flocks in Israel have reached peaks of
about 1,500-5,000 birds, all in Emeq Hula. Recent years have seen larger
aggregations than ever before on the central coastal plain and particularly in Emeq
Hefer, where the Cranes winter in a flock of up to 1,050 individuals (Table 3). The
flock in Emeq Yizreel has been up to 1,700 birds (Table 2) and about 1,500—2,000
occur in the western Negev (NL unpubl. data, Nature Reserves Authority data).
The mean proportion of first-year birds in the wintering population of Emeq Hefer
between 1984—5 and 1991-2 was 15-2% (Table 5), similar to that found for winter-
ing Cranes and other Grus species in other countries (Table 6).
Diurnal activity patterns
Feeding areas were mostly peanut, wheat, and cotton fields in Emeq Hefer, and
chickpeas, cotton, corn, and wheat in Emeq Yizreel, but sorghum, tomato, and
65
N. Levy and Y. Yom-Tov | Sandgrouse 13
Table 6. Proportion of first-years in various wintering pepulaeas of Cranes Grus grus in
Europe and elsewhere.
Percentage of Total no. Source
juveniles of birds
Germany 12-00 5,805 Libbert (1969)
Spain 11.42 17,240 Fernandez-Cruz (1981) |
Sweden 5.0-6.7 in ? Swanberg (1981)
various years
Mainly Eurasia and 13.5 ? Johnsgard (1983)
North America (various
(Grus spp combined)
even avocado and olive plantations were also visited. Only very rarely did the
birds visit reservoirs to drink. Foraging activity tended usually to be highest dur-
ing the morning, though this pattern was not evident in the January data (Figure
4). Especially in mid-afternoon the birds tended to spend their time resting at day-
loafing sites (see below), and most birds preened or sometimes slept. Preening also
occurred during the morning and in the evening at night-roosts.
Over the four months of the 1984-5 study there was no significant change in the
proportion of birds resting at any one time during daylight (monthly range 6-2-
8-1%) or engaged in vigilant behaviour (18-4-20:2%) (Table 7, Figure 4). The monthly
average proportion of birds foraging varied from 27-1% to 43-5%, and on average
fewer than 6% of birds were engaged in sociality at once. The proportions of birds
December aay
0. [=] Movement
ie Sociality
NW Resting
Preening
ml Foraging
= Watching
AN Fy
ww N
Wi Z
nS y
a XX.
il
a
al
5 i Oi (SS yale O47 5 if fc) 1B. 15cm AD
Time of day (hrs)
alt
7
\
]
Percentage of Cranes engaged in various activities
no data
lh
Figure 4. Daily activities of Cranes Grus grus wintering in Emeq Hefer and Emeq Yizreel
(Israel), December—March 1984-5.
66
Sandgrouse 13 Cranes Wintering in Israel
Table 7. Daily activities of Cranes Grus grus wintering in Emeq Hefer and Emeq Yizreel
(Israel), December—March 1984-5. Figures are mean percentages of birds engaged in each
activity (with standard deviations) and summarize data presented in Figure 4. See text for
details of data collection.
Activity December January February March
Movement 37.8411.3 15.2+6.5 6.0+3.2 31.5+10.0
Sociality 2.3+1.3 2.3+1.3 5.5+3.4 0.5+0.5
Resting 6.8+1.5 8.1+3.9 6.7+2.1 6.2+4.5
Preening 7.6+2.5 11.3+1.6 23.6+6.3 8.343.7
Foraging 27.149.1 43.5+10.7 38.0+11.4 34.8+9.0
Watching 18.4+4.9 19.6+2.8 20.2+4.2 18.7+6.5
Total time (hours) 30.8 45.6 Oral 36.2
covered by observations
moving and preening showed contrasting trends, with more moving in December
and March, and fewer during January and February, while the opposite was true
for preening (Table 7). For both activity categories the differences between Decem-
ber and March on the one hand and January-February on the other were signifi-
cant (t-test, P<0-05). The number of rainy days was only four in December and
three in March, but ten in January and 13 in February, the rainier period perhaps
forcing the Cranes to spend more time preening and thus less time moving. Also,
the proportion of time spent moving may reflect restlessness after arrival (in De-
cember) and before leaving (in March), or may result from the flight activity of
newly arrived or passage birds during late autumn and early spring migration.
On 11 dates in 1984-5, mainly during the second half of the winter, using vehi-
cles and with the help of several assistants, we followed the early morning flights
by Cranes in Emeq Hefer from their roosts to their feeding sites. The flights ranged
from 17 to 32 km and were always to the south. The average ground speed, from
Plate 3. Cranes Grus grus in peanut field, Emeq Hefer (Israel), January. (Nadav Levy)
67
N. Levy and Y. Yom-Tov Sandgrouse 13
departure to landing, was 18-8 km per hour, and average air speed (i.e. allowing
for wind speed and direction, measured at ground level) was 41-:7+SD6-4 km per
hour (similar to measurements by Alerstam 1975 on Cranes migrating in southern
Sweden). Foraging birds were recorded as far as 30-35 km from known night roosts
(from 1985 to 1992), and foraging ranges of up to about 35 km from the night
roosts were also noted by van der Ven (1979, 1981) and Deppe (1978, 1981a, 1981b)
for Cranes on autumn migration stopover in Europe.
At the start of the season the birds flew only to nearby fields to feed, later to
more distant ones as those close at hand were exhausted (Levy 1985; Alonso et al.
1989). Food availability could thus be a limiting factor for Cranes whose wintering
was restricted to one area, and this may provide a reason for the movements which
it seems probably occur, during the whole winter, between the different major
Israeli wintering areas (see above). We suggest, therefore, that for a new wintering
region to develop in Israel, it must contain more than one potential foraging area.
The increase in the number of wintering regions in Israel does appear to be linked
to an increase in foraging areas, but it is still difficult to say whether the improved
conservation measures intended to benefit Cranes in Israel in recent years have
also contributed to the increase in wintering numbers.
Roosting
There was one main night roost in Emeg Hefer and one in Emegq Yizreel, but some
birds occasionally roosted at additional sites. In Emeq Hefer there were two other
sites, 7 km from the main roost and 2 km from each other. Emeq Yizreel contained
a total of four roosts, about 2-5 km from one another, the three additional ones
being used mainly after rainfall.
Two of the night roosts in Emeq Hefer were observed in the 1984-5 winter in
order to determine times of departure and arrival relative to sunrise and sunset.
Because the pattern found at both roosts was similar, data from them were com-
bined (Figure 5). On 11 dates from 15 December to 6 March birds were counted
while leaving the roosts, and of the 2,827 individuals recorded on these occasions,
xe 40 3 40
(©) [@))
Ss S
S =
oO =
o@ o
i n=2,827 % n=7,722
2 Q
2 20 2 20
re) ey
= (‘Ss
= i)
rs) rs)
Q Q.
2 ©
mec 0
S0= 15 @ 15. 30°. 45 - 60 210 180 150 120 90 60 30 0 £30
Minutes before/after sunrise Minutes before/after sunset
Figure 5. Timing of departure from and arrival at night roosts of Cranes Grus grus in Emeq
Hefer and Emegq Yizreel (Israel) during the winter of 1984-5 (see text).
68
Sandgrouse 13 Cranes Wintering in Israel
2,103 (74%) left between 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after sunrise. This con-
flicts with the statement in Cramp and Simmons (1980) that most Cranes leave
night roosts half an hour before dawn. Occasionally, substantial numbers departed
much later than was typical: thus 44% of 620 birds on 9 February and 23% of 183
birds on 19 February left 45 minutes or longer after sunrise. Our observations in-
dicate that in mid-winter, due to the shorter days and reduced food supply, the
birds depart earlier relative to dawn, but even at this time of year departure can be
delayed until about 90 minutes after sunrise, and in thick fog it can be even later
(Suaretz 1975; Levy 1985; Alonso et al. 1989). Thus on 29 December 1984 in Emeq
Yizreel, due to fog, the departure of about 1,500 Cranes from the roost was not
completed until about two hours after sunrise, though it had started 40 minutes
before sunrise.
During 7 December to 23 February 1984-5, on 13 evenings in Emeq Hefer and
two evenings in Emeq Yizreel, 7,722 Cranes were counted arriving at roosts, 5,405
(70%) arriving between sunset and 90 minutes earlier (Figure 5). Cramp and
Simmons (1980) and Johnsgard (1983) stated that the evening arrival is after sun-
set.
Birds usually progressed to the final night roost site through one or two pre-
roosts, these always lying within 2 km of the actual roost site. Cramp and Simmons
(1980) and Johnsgard (1983) noted that these arrivals are accompanied by excited
calls and dancing-displays, but we found this to apply only to the pre-roost areas,
the silent flight to the actual roost being quite probably an adaptation to reduce
predation (Lack 1968).
Throughout the whole of every winter in Emeq Hefer and Emeq Yizreel most
Cranes visited day-loafing sites during the middle of the day (11.00-15.30 hrs).
These are on the same areas as the night-roosts, or nearby, and it appears that the
birds thus fly twice a day to feeding grounds up to about 7-21 km away. Day-
loafing sites and night roosts were almost always in open fields, and on very rare
occasions in shallow water of flooded fields or reservoirs, though day-loafing sites
were always very close to open water of some sort. The occurrence of day-loafing
sites was also noted by Cramp and Simmons (1980) and Johnsgard (1983), and
several explanations for this habit are apparent: (1) the gatherings (and night roosts)
may act as ‘information centres’ for food finding, etc. (Ward and Zahavi 1973); (2)
they may decrease individuals’ risk of predation (Lack 1968); (3) they may facili-
tate social bonding (Levy 1985, 1986b, 1989). Cranes could be heard calling at any
time during the day, but vocal activity peaked just prior to departure for, and on
arrival at, day-loafing sites and night pre-roost areas.
Predators
There are reports of various species of crane being killed by large raptors such as
Aquila eagles (Makatsch 1970; Cramp and Simmons 1980; Johnsgard 1983; Levy
1985), and similar attacks by raptors on wintering Cranes were observed regularly
in this study (Levy 1986c, 1989), mainly by Spotted Eagles A. clanga. Each year 10-
15 Spotted Eagles winter in Emeq Hefer and 3-5 in Emeq Yizreel, and they are
commonly seen in the vicinity of Crane flocks throughout the winter; they may
69
N. Levy and Y. Yom-Tov Sandgrouse 13
thus represent a major threat. During the
1984-5 winter we observed 52 cases in
which Spotted Eagles appeared near
Cranes, but only in three instances did
the eagles dive and (unsuccessfully) at-
tack them. In the winter of 1985-6, how-
ever, we found three Spotted Eagles
feeding on a dead juvenile Crane. On
examination the corpse proved still to be
warm, and this was therefore probably
a genuine case of predation by Spotted
Eagle. Other raptors seen during this
study to act aggressively towards Cranes
were Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus
and Peregrine Falco peregrinus (very
rarely observed). Black Kite Milvus
-migrans, harriers Circus, Buzzard Buteo
buteo, Osprey Pandion haliaetus, and Kes-
trel Falco tinnunculus were often seen
near Cranes but without any observed
interaction (Levy 1985, 1986c). Informa-
tion on possible terrestrial predators of
wintering Cranes has been discussed by
Johnsgard (1983) and Alonso et al. (1989).
The Cranes’ calling rose in intensity
a Bee Sug when raptors such as eagles and Long-
Plate 4. Spotted Eagle Aquila ae immature, legged Buzzards were present. Attacks
Ein Gedi (Israel). (Eyal Bartov) by raptors directed at Cranes on the
ground or even in the air cause synchro-
nized mobbing of the predator (Moll 1963; Levy 1985, 1986c; Alonso et al. 1989;
this study), but such dense gatherings sometimes also happened, in the apparent
absence of any predator, just before the flight to roost and at feeding sites, day-
loafing sites, and pre-roosts, so it is possible that this behaviour also has a social
function (Levy 1986c).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are extremely grateful to Prof. H. Mendelssohn, Dr E. Geffen, Mr Y. Leshem, Mr
A. Erez, Mr I. Sidis, Mr G. Bernadsky, Mr R. Rado, Mr O. Bahat, Mr H. Segev, Mr Y. Langer,
Mr S. Suaretz, and Mr A. Gisis for their assistance and their valuable advice in this study, to
all the birdwatchers who helped in the fieldwork, to Ms N. Paz for editing and typing the
first drafts, and to anonymous referees for their comments on the manuscript.
REFERENCES
ALERSTAM, T. (1975) Crane, Grus grus, migration over sea and land. Ibis 117: 489-95.
70
Sandgrouse 13 Cranes Wintering in Israel
ALONSO, J. C., ALONSO, J. A., AND LEvy, N. (1989) Okologie der Uberwinterung. In: Prange,
H. (ed.) Der Graue Kranich, 145-51. Ziemsen, Wittenberg Lutherstadt.
BODENHEIMER, F. S. (1935) Animal Life in Palestine. Sefer, Tel Aviv.
BODENHEIMER, F. S. (1953) The Animal Life in Eretz-Israel [in Hebrew]. Dvir, Tel Aviv.
CRAMP, S. AND SIMMONS, K. E. L. (eds) (1980) The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. 2. Oxford
University Press.
DepPE, J. H. V. (1978) Zum Herbstzug das Kraniche (G. grus) im Mecklenburgischen
Binnenland. Vogelwarte 29: 159-78.
DepPE, J. H. V. (1981a) Zur Geschichte des Naturschutzgebietes am Ostufer der Muritz in
Mecklenburg. Vogelwelt 102: 1-15.
DepPeE, J. H. V. (1981b) Beobachtungen an Kranichrastplatzen in Mecklenburg. Orn. Mitt. 33:
95-104.
DOvVRAT, E. (1984) Storks, Pelicans and Cranes in Flight. Raptor Migration: an instruction booklet
for observation [in Hebrew]. Society for Protection of Nature in Israel, Tel Aviv.
FERNANDEZ-CRUZ, M. (1981) La migracion y invernada de la grulla comuin (Grus grus) en
Espana. Resultados del Proyecto Grus. Ardeola 26-7: 1-164.
JOHNSGARD, P. A. (1983) Cranes of the World. Croom Helm, London.
LACK, D. (1968) Ecological Adaptations for Breeding in Birds. Methuen, London.
LANGER, J. (1982) Die Uberwinterung das Kraniche Grus grus, in Israel. Luscinia 44: 341-3.
Levy, N. (1985) Ecological aspects of wintering populations of cranes, Grus grus, in two re-
gions in Israel, 1984/5. B.Sc. dissertation, Dept. Zoology, Tel Aviv University.
Levy, N. (1986a) A report on the wintering cranes, Grus grus, in two regions in Israel. Crane
Information Newsl. 7: 19-24.
Levy, N. (1986b) Wintering cranes in Israel. Israel Land Nat. 12: 19-23.
Levy, N. (1986c) Mutual relations between cranes and raptors [in Hebrew, English summary].
Torgos 11: 19-27, 108.
Levy, N. (1989) Zug, Rast und Uberwinterung im Nahen Osten (Israel). In: Prange, H. (ed.)
Der Graue Kranich, 210-11. Ziemsen, Wittenberg Lutherstadt.
LIBBERT, W. (1969) Uber das Verhalten der Kraniche (Grus grus) auf Rast- und Sammelplatzen.
Beitr. Vogelkunde 14: 388-405.
MAKATSCH, W. (1970) Der Kranich. Ziemsen, Wittenberg Lutherstadt.
MEINERTZHAGEN, R. (1954) Birds of Arabia. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh.
MENDELSSOHN, H. (1975) Report on the status of some bird species in Israel in 1974. ICBP
Bull. 12: 265-70.
MOLL, K. H. (1963) Kranichbeobachtungen wahrend des Kranichzuges im Muritzgebiet.
Unpubl.
Paz, U. (1986) Plants and Animals of the Land of Israel Vol. 6 Birds [in Hebrew]. Ministry of
Defense, Tel Aviv.
SHIRIHAI, H. (in press) Birds of Israel. Unipress, Herzlia.
SMOLI, E. (1968) Birds in Israel [in Hebrew]. Massada, Tel Aviv.
SUARETZ, S. (1974) The population of Cranes, Grus grus, in Emeq Yizreel [in Hebrew]. Nature
Reserves Authority of Israel Rep., Jerusalem.
SUARETZ, S. (1975) Cranes feeding on chickpea plants [in Hebrew]. Teva Va-aretz 17: 63-6.
SWANBERG, P. O. (1981) Notes on the population of common crane in Scandinavia and Fin-
land: a preliminary survey. In: Lewis, J. C. and Masatomi, H. (eds) Crane Research around
the World: Proc. Int. Crane Symp. Sapporo Japan 1980, and Papers from World Working Group
on Cranes ICBP, 184-5. Int. Crane Foundation, Baraboo.
TRISTRAM, H. B. (1866) Notes on the ornithology of Palestine. Ibis (2) 4: 204-15, 321-55.
TRISTRAM, H. B. (1873) The Natural History of the Bible. Soc. Promoting Christian Knowledge,
London.
TRISTRAM, H. B. (1884) The Fauna and Flora of Palestine. Palestine Exploration Fund, London.
VAN DER VEN, J. A. (1979) Trekkende Kraanvogel. Lepelaar 60: 40-3.
Al
N. Levy and Y. Yom-Tov ; Sandgrouse 13
VAN DER VEN, J. A. (1981) Common cranes (Grus grus) in Europe. In: Lewis, J. C. and Masatomi,
H. (eds) Crane Research around the World: Proc. Int. Crane Symp. Sapporo Japan 1980, and
Papers from World Working Group on Cranes ICBP, 181-3. Int. Crane Foundation, Baraboo.
WARD, P. AND ZAHAVI, A. (1973) The importance of certain assemblages of birds ¢ as ‘informa-
tion centres’ for food finding. Ibis 115: 517-34.
Nadav Levy and Yoram Yom-Tov, Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat
Aviv, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel.
72
Sandgrouse (1991) 13: 73-9.
Breeding biology of the Desert Finch
Rhodospiza obsoleta in Israel
REUVEN YOSEF
Summary Breeding of Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta was studied in the Negev desert of Israel. First
clutches were laid from late April to mid-May, second clutches in the third week of June.
Nests were in trees, 2-4 m up. Courtship feeding preceded nest building, and copulation
was noted from ten days before until eight days after laying started. Size of main clutches
was 4-5, of replacements 3-4, overall average 4-4. Incubation averaged 13-8 days; young
were fed in the nest by the male alone, apparently only on crop milk, for 14-16 days, and
fledged young accompanied their parents for a further 14-16 days. Overall hatching success
was 60%, highest in the earliest clutches of the season. Infertility accounted for 39% of egg
loss. Measurements are given of adult birds, eggs, and nests.
HE DESERT FINCH Rhodospiza obsoleta is a little-studied species with a range
extending from south-east Turkey, the Levant, and north-west Arabia to cen-
tral Mongolia. It inhabits semi-arid plains with scattered bushes and trees and eats
mainly seeds, but has also been observed eating leaves and buds and, during the
breeding season, insects. Desert Finches are gregarious all year round, with flocks
of 20-25 individuals often seen in flight or feeding together. They nest in loose
associations and are usually double-brooded. (Vorobiev 1980; Paz 1986, 1987.)
In Israel, the Desert Finch is a winter visitor and an erratic breeder (Paz 1986,
1987). Aharoni (1942) reported breeding at a site in the Vale of Sharon in the 1920s,
but the species subsequently disappeared from there. In 1958 a small population
was discovered in the northern Negev desert and since then breeding has appar-
i ee
/ ;
r [de
>
Se
Be
ea eh
Plate 1. Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta, Sede Boger (Israel). (Eric Hosking)
73
R. Yosef | Sandgrouse 13
ently spread in that region, though local breeding groups are of no more than 20-
30 pairs (Paz 1987) and there are few data on their location and density. Other
breeding areas are reported occasionally, but the ivegev remains the species’ Is-
raeli stronghold. |
No detailed research has been done on the Desert Finch’s breeding biology,
though a variety of observations has been published, mostly in Russian (e.g.
Kovshar’ 1966, Umrikhina 1970, Vorobiev 1980). Hence, during the 1988 breeding
season I collected life history information on this species at one of the occupied
sites in the Negev: Midreshet Sede Boger, where it is a summer visitor.
STUDY AREA
Sede Boger (30°52°N 34°47°E, 475 m above sea level) is situated on a flat loess
plain in the Negev desert highlands. The region is considered an arid zone
(UNESCO 1977), having 250-300 days per year with neither rain nor dew and a
precipitation to evaporation ratio of less than 0-2. Rainfall occurs in winter and
averages 90 mm a year, but there are large variations in the total annual amount
which falls and in its temporal and spatial distribution. The annual average rela-
tive humidity at 14.00 hrs is 39% (Zangvil and Druian 1980, 1983). The predomi-
nant perennial plants are the shrubs Artesmia herba-alba, Hammada scoparia, Noaea
mucronata, Raemuria negevensis, Zygophyllum dumosum, and Atriplex halimus, and a
variety of herbs also occurs (Danin et al. 1975). The study was conducted within
the settlement of Midreshet Sede Boger, which is surrounded by a fence 5 m high;
the area involved maintains the ungrazed natural vegetation, though a variety of
ornamental trees has been planted.
METHODS
Using mist nets, as many as possible of the adult population (23 birds) were trapped
and colour-ringed; sex, measurements, and weight were recorded before the birds
were released (Table 1). Colour-ringing facilitated individual identification of pairs
Table 1. Biometrics of adult Desert Finches Rhodospiza obsoleta trapped at Sede Boger (Israel),
March—May 1988. Values are mean + standard deviation.
Male Female
Wing (mm) 86-342-3 75-5+1-8
Tail (mm) 61-0+1-0 59-4+4.3
Weight (g) 23-841-3 26-4+6-6
Sample size 16 U
and permitted the verification of attempted second broods. Weekly searches were
conducted for nests in each of the stands of trees in which activity was discovered,
and observers working in pairs followed the activity of given breeding pairs for
long periods through the day, averaging nine hours. Fertility of suspected infertile
eggs was determined by candling with an optical fibre light.
74
Sandgrouse 13 Breeding Biology of Desert Finch
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Timing of events in the reproductive
cycle
The earliest flocks observed were of
mixed sex and arrived between 2 and 6
March. Courtship behaviour, including
courtship feeding, was observed almost |
immediately, and three big flocks, each \
of 25-30 individuals, split into numer- \
ous smaller groups of 4-10. The settle- =
ment has numerous stands of trees \» ~
covering areas of 10-45 m’, and the
finches nested within these, each stand
forming a discrete breeding group. The
weekly census of the number of active
nests showed that there were two peaks
during the breeding season, one soon
after the birds’ arrival, from the end of DS et ae fg i
March to mid-April, anda second from * “EE ,
the end of June to mid-July. Many pairs Plate 2. Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta, Sede
were found to be double-brooded. First- Pde (Israel). (Eric Hosking)
brood nests were completed towards the end of March, and eggs were laid be-
tween 27 March and 14 April. After an incubation period of 13-15 days, the young
were in the nest for the next 14-16 days before fledging, and then accompanied
their parents for a further 14-16 days until they dispersed. Dependent young and
parents usually returned to the nesting tree for the night and roosted together.
During the second half of May, pairs that had successfully fledged young en-
gaged in further courtship feeding, while pairs that had re-nested because of pre-
dation or bad weather were completing their first nesting. In the second week of
June, another frenzy of nest building was observed in preparation for the second
brood. Second clutches were laid in the third week of June, young hatched in mid-
July, and fledging occurred by the end of the month. Parents cared for young until
the end of July, after which all birds left the area. No further Desert Finches were
observed during August and most of September, though at the end of September
big flocks were seen once again for short periods of two or three days. None of the
colour-ringed birds was observed in these flocks which were evidently migrants
or nomadic birds from elsewhere.
Nest building
Nests were built 2-4 m above ground in planted trees—Eucalyptus, Pinus, and Acacia.
Although Umrikhina (1970) reported that only males built nests, females in the
present study were observed bringing nest material and helping with the building,
most obviously when the inner cup was in place and the female shaped it by sit-
ting in it and twisting around. The nests were ellipsoid in shape (as also found by
7D
R. Yosef : Sandgrouse 13
Kovshar’ 1966, Umrikhina 1970, and Sagitov and Bakaev 1980), and usually lined
with a mixture of feathers and various annual plants. New nests were built for
second broods, and males stripped material from old nests for use in these, but the
lining was usually new. Second-brood nests were smaller in size (Table 2): cup
Table 2. Measurements of nests of Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta at Sede Boger (Israel). |
Values are mean + standard deviation, in mm.
1st brood 2nd brood
(March-April) (June-July)
Outer diameter 91-9+9-5 83-9+4-9
Overall height 54-1493 45.9+3-9
Width of cup 22:343-1 23:2+4-1
Depth of cup 39:6+2:6 39-6+3-4
Sample size 15 15
size did not differ significantly between broods, but both the outer diameter and
overall height of second-brood nests were found to be significantly smaller than
those of first broods (t-test, P<0-01).
Pair formation and copulation
It was difficult to determine the existence of pairs within large flocks, and they
could be identified only after smaller groups had formed. The mean time between
the latter stage and the completion of the nest and start of laying was 16:8+SD7-9
days (n=22). Males were observed feeding seeds to their females before building
started.
Using only data gathered during first broods and from pairs which were suc-
‘Mean no. of copulations per day
10 8 6 4 2 Ors 2 4 6 8
Days before/after start of laying
Figure 1. Copulation frequency relative to female’s laying date in Desert Finch Rhodospiza
obsoleta at Sede Boger (Israel). Data relate to copulatory behaviour for first clutch during March-
April only. Error bars indicate actual range of data, with sample sizes.
76
Sandgrouse 13 Breeding Biology of Desert Finch
cessfully followed through a whole day, from first light to last, a pattern emerged
of the number of copulations per day relative to a female’s laying date (Figure 1).
Over the ten days before laying started, the copulation rate rose fairly steadily
from about twice a day to about 19 times per day; it then declined until, by day six
after the female had laid her first egg, it was seldom seen.
Egg laying and incubation
The eggs were oval. A few had black dots on one end, but all were otherwise
completely white. Average dimensions were 18-7x13-9 mm (n=34) and the average
initial weight (within six hours of being laid) was 2:174+SD0-13 g (n=21). Average
clutch size for first and second broods combined (excluding replacement layings)
was 4-7+SD0-5 (n=51): 34 clutches (67%) comprised 5 eggs, and 17 (33%) four eggs.
All re-layings due to egg loss produced clutches smaller than those which they
replaced: of 16 such clutches, seven had three eggs, and nine had four (Table 3).
More nests with clutches of five eggs were found during the first peak of nesting
(78%, March-April) than during the second peak (54%, May-June); fewer nests
had clutches of four eggs during the early nesting period (Table 3).
Eggs were laid at 24-hour intervals, and in all of 37 nests in which it was re-
Table 3. Clutch size and hatching success in Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta, Sede Boger
(Israel).
1st brood 1st brood 2nd brood All nests
(Mar-Apr) replacements (May-Jun)
Mean clutch size (+SD) 4.8+0.4 3.6+0.5 4.5+0.5 4.4+0.7
Clutch size frequency:
3 eggs 0 rf 0 Fj
4 eggs 1 9 11 26
5 eggs 21 0 13 34
No. of eggs hatched 81 (63%) 35 (61%) 62 (57%) 178 (60%)
No. of infertile eggs 21 (16%) 4( 7%) 21 (19%) 46 (16%)
No. lost to other causes 27 (21%) 18 (32%) 26 (24%) 71 (24%)
Total no. of nests 27 16 24 67
Total no. of eggs 129 oF 109 295
corded, incubation began with the laying of the second egg; it lasted an average of
13-8+SD1-1 days (n=22). These observations concur with those of Rustamov (1958)
in Turkmenistan and Sagitov and Bakaev (1980) in Uzbekistan. Only females were
observed to incubate, as was also found by Klimanis (1987) and Paz (1987).
Hatching and the nestling period
All eggs from the same brood hatched within a period of 48 hours. Infertility ac-
counted for 39% of the total egg losses, and a greater proportion were found to be
infertile in the first- and second-brood main clutches than in the replacement nest-
ing attempts (Table 3). The replacements suffered relatively greater loss through
other causes, however, and their overall hatching success was not significantly
different from that of either of the main clutches (t-test, P<0-05). Hatching success
77
R. Yosef | Sandgrouse 13.
Plate 3. Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta, Turkmeniya, May. (Marc Raes)
was highest of all in the earliest of the first-brood clutches. Causes of egg failure
other than infertility were predation, inclement weather, and desertion following
human disturbance, together accounting for 61% of the total loss.
Of 17 nestlings in which it was recorded, all opened their eyes three days after
hatching, as described by Sagitov and Bakaev (1980). Feather growth was rapid,
and by 7-8 days of age nestlings were fully feathered. Because of the asynchro-
nous hatching which occurred in most nests, big differences in development were
seen among siblings: at the same time as freshly hatched young weighed on aver-
age 1-7+SD0-2 g (n=22), their siblings 6-48 hours older averaged 11:3+SD1-72 g
(n=53); such differences were found also by Rustamov (1958) and Vorobiev (1980).
A comparison of the weight of freshly hatched young and freshly hatched eggs
(see above), allowing for eggshell weight (0-12 g, n=120: Schonwetter 1980-4), gives
an average egg mass loss through incubation of 16:1%.
Behaviour of adults at the nest
Males fed their mates at the nest and were vigilant in its immediate vicinity, keep-
ing away conspecific birds both during incubation and after hatching. Right up to
fledging, males fed the nestlings on a milky fluid mixed with seeds or green veg-
etation, probably young shoots; no other type of food was seen to be fed to them.
Newton (1972) indicates that, in European species at least, such secretions (pre-
sumably crop milk) are not otherwise known in Carduelinae. The adult females
were always present and attentive at the nest (e.g. removing _ faecal sacs) but were
never seen to feed the nestlings.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Mrs Sonia Rosen translated Russian literature. Yaniv Naor, Miki Dangur, Ragefet Rahman,
and Yuval Kalev, students at thé Environmental High School, helped in day-long observa-
tions. Berry Pinshow and Danny Afik reported the locations of many nests. David and Mrs
78
Sandgrouse 13 Breeding Biology of Desert Finch
Dorothy Hosking kindly provided photographs taken by the late Eric Hosking. Mike Wilson
of The Birds of the Western Palearctic and Michael Walters of the British Museum (Natural
History) supplied me with some of the literature cited, and helpful comments on improving
the MS were provided by T. C. Grubb Jr. and the Editor. To all I express my sincere appre-
ciation. This is contribution no. 137 of the Mitrani Center for Desert Ecology.
REFERENCES
AHARONI, J. (1942) Change of dwelling place of some birds in Palestine and an experiment in
the reasoning power of Cinnyris osea Bonaparte. Bull. Zool. Soc. Egypt 4: 13-19.
DANIN, A., ORSHAN, G., AND ZOHARY, M. (1975) The vegetation of the northern Negev and the
Judean desert of Israel. Israel J. Bot. 24: 118-72.
KLMANIS, A. (1987) Meine Zucht des Weissflugelgimpels. Gef. Welt 111: 184-6.
KOvVSHAR’, A. F. (1966) Ptitsy Talasskogo Alatau. Alma-Ata.
NEWTON, I. (1972) Finches. Collins, London.
Paz, U. (1986) Plants and Animals of the Land of Israel Vol. 6 Birds [in Hebrew]. Ministry of
Defense, Tel Aviv.
Paz, U. (1987) The Birds of Israel. Ministry of Defense, Tel Aviv.
RustaMov, A. K. (1958) Ptitsy Turkmenistana Vol. 2. Ashkhabad.
SAGITOV, A. K. AND BAKAEY, S. B. (1980) Ekologiya Gnezdovaniya Massovykh Vidov Ptits Yugo-
zapadnogo Uzbekistana. Tashkent.
SCHONWETTER, M (1980-4) Handbuch der Oologie Vol. 3. Akademie, Berlin.
UMRIKHINA, G. S. (1970) Ptitsy Chuyskoy Doliny. Frunze.
UNESCO (1977) Map of the world distribution of arid lands. MAB Tech. Note 7. Paris.
VOROBIEV, K. A. (1980). Biological data on some birds of the Tedzhen (southern Turkmeniya)
[in Russian]. Ornitologiya 15: 194-6.
ZANGVIL, A. AND DRUIAN, P. (1980) Measurements of dew at a desert site in southern Israel.
Geogr. Res. Forum 2: 26-34.
ZANGVIL, A. AND DRUIAN, P. (1983) Meteorological data for Sede Boger. Desert Meteorol. Pap.
(A) 8.
Reuven Yosef, Mitrani Center for Desert Ecology, Department of Biology, Ben-Gurion
University, Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, 84993 Sede Boger, Israel.
(Presently at: Department of Zoology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210,
USA.)
79
Sandgrouse (1991) 13: 80-91.
Notes on the birds of the eastern Rub’ al
Khali, Saudi Arabia
B. PAMBOUR and A” R.A. AL RARKAIRY.
Summary During an NCWCD expedition to the eastern Rub’ al Khali (Saudi Arabia), from 12 February
to 13 March, 49 bird species were recorded including nine proven or probable breeders (six
within the sands proper). The most common species were Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes
and Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis (resident) and Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti
and Desert Warbler Sylvia nana (wintering). A probable breeding site for Moorhen Gallinula
chloropus was found, and a Crab Plover Dromas ardeola was seen, suggesting an overland
passage. Open sandy areas with a good cover of bushes form the habitat used by most spe-
cies. Extreme aridity and the absence of trees and annual plants are probably the major fac-
tors limiting diversity and density of species.
UE TO obvious logistical problems, the avifauna of the great sand sea of south-
ern Arabia, the Rub’ al Khali (also known as the Empty Quarter or the Sands)
has never been properly assessed, and only scattered notes have been published
on the subject (Ticehurst and Cheesman 1925; Kinnear 1931, 1934; Philby 1933;
Thesiger 1950, 1959). During February and March 1990, with logistical support
provided by the Frontier Forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an expedition to
the Urugq al Mu’taridah area in the eastern part of the Rub’ al Khali was carried
out by the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, with
the aim of investigating the biological resources of the area. This offered a unique
opportunity to study the region’s birdlife.
Plate 1. High crescentic dunes in Urug al Shaybah (Saudi Arabia), February, after heavy rain.
Relatively small underlying sabkhas are exposed, and the one shown here is partly inun-
dated. (Bruno Pambour)
80
Sandgrouse 13 Birds of Eastern Rub’ al Khali
ha One
ARABIAN
ITED ARAB
Route followed
State border
al Kid.
Frontier Force station
‘Khawr
Hamidan 1}
Figure 1. Route followed by the NCWCD expedition to the eastern Rub’ al Khali (Saudi
Arabia), 12 February to 13 March 1990.
81
B. Pambour and A. R. A. Al Karrairy ae. | Sandgrouse 13
Plate 2. Star dunes, the predominant form in the south-east of Uruq al Mu’taridah (Saudi
Arabia), here to the north of Sahmah station. Exposed substrate (sabkha and gravel plain) is
more extensive than the sands. (Bruno Pambour)
STUDY AREA
The Rub’ al Khali is a sedimentary basin elongated in a SW-NE direction across
the Arabian Shelf, falling over a distance of about 1,000 km from an elevation of
about 800 m in the south-west almost to sea level in the north-east. It is the largest
continuous expanse of sand desert on earth and occupies about 640,000 km’, more
than the area of France. The Uruq al Mu’taridah, the south-eastern part of the sand
sea, includes some of the most variable and spectacular dune topography on earth.
The region surveyed represents a vast, lowland, inwardly draining basin, with
immense numbers of wind-driven dunes on a level substrate of sabkhas (salt flats)
at 80-100 m above sea level. Ten natural habitat types can be distinguished, based
on geomorphological features:
e Sabkha: unvegetated flat ground with evidence of salt.
e Gravel plain: fairly flat plain; no vegetation.
e Eroded gravel plain: some relief apparent due to drainage (small wadis with
vegetation), underlying rock appearing in some places.
e Vegetated gravel plain.
e Flat sandy plain.
e Ripples: gravel plain or sabkha with small wave-like dunes.
e Sand sheet: thick continuous layer of sand over sabkha or gravel.
e Low dunes: less than 5 m high. |
e Larger dunes.
e Wetlands.
82
Sandgrouse 13 Birds of Eastern Rub’ al Khali
The four stations of the Frontier Forces which were visited as part of the expedi-
tion (Al Khoshum, Shabita, Ahda, Sahmah: Figure 1) have also to be considered as
a separate habitat type. They are all permanent settlements, each occupied by an
average of 20 people and containing a few small trees. Water and fuel are supplied
to them by huge army trucks which cross the desert throughout the year.
The major dune types can be summarized as follows (for more details see the
excellent synthesis by Llewellyn 1988).
e Large simple crescentic (barchan) dunes. Up to 300 m high, lying along a
WNW-ESE axis. Their flanks are covered by smaller crescentic dunes. Small
underlying sabkhas are exposed (see Plate 1). Present mainly in the north, west,
and central part of the area (Al Kidan, Urug al Shaybah).
e Complex crescentic dunes. Arranged in linear chains on a sabkha substrate,
with exposed sabkha tending to cover a greater area than do the dunes them-
selves. Star dunes on their crests represent the transition zone between
crescentic and true star dunes. Occur in the eastern parts of the Uruq al
Mu’ taridah.
e Small simple crescentic dunes. Underlying substrate completely covered ex-
cept for a few relict lake beds. These characterize the north and north-west
margin of the area (Al Liwa).
e Star dunes. Exposed substrate (sabkha and gravel plain) is generally more ex-
tensive than the dunes (Plate 2). Predominant in the south-east of the region.
e Linear dunes. Found on the western margin of the Urug al Mu’taridah (Hamarir
al Kidan, Urug Musa).
Plate 3. Cornulaca bushes on low dunes in the south-east of Uruq al Mu’taridah (Saudi Ara-
bia), February. (Bruno Pambour)
y:
Weather data (two years’ records) are available from the station of the Meteoro-
logical and Environmental Protection Agency in the Shaybah area at 22°21’N
54°03’E. For February these show average daily minimum and maximum tempera-
tures of 16 and 28°C, and an absolute minimum and maximum of 9 and 37°C. The
83
B. Pambour and A. R. A. Al Karrairy 2 Sandgrouse 13
eastern Rub’ al Khali is subject to morning and evening fogs and heavy dews in
the cool season. Average rainfall is very low (less than 50 mm a year) and erratic.
Despite the extreme aridity of the Rub’ al Khali, vegetation within the dunes is
almost omnipresent, and unique in kind and composition; the sands of the region
are more densely vegetated than the other less hyperarid rock deserts and gravels
plains of the Kingdom. The shrub-dominated vegetation is very diffuse but is well
distributed on the open sandy areas, interrupted by sterile interdune floors (Plate
3). The limitation of moisture to fogs, dews, and erratic rain showers has, how-
ever, restricted the botanical diversity: the expedition recorded only 20 perennial
species within the main body of the sands, half of which were rather abundant; 17
additional species were recorded from the margins of the Rub’ al Khali. Many of
the species found to comprise the major perennial components of the vegetation
(given here with their Arabic names) were endemic: the shrubs Calligonum arabicum
(abal), Cornulaca arabica (haad), Tribulus arabicus (zahr), and Zygophyllum mandavillei
(harm), and the herb Limeum arabicum (burkan); other more widespread perennials
present included sedge Cyperus conglomeratus (aandab) and the shrubs Halothamnus
(tahmah), Salsola cyclophylla (araad), and Seidlitzia rosmarinus (shanaan). The low
rainfall means that annuals are, as a rule, absent from the region, and grasses are
represented in very restricted habitats only by the two annual species Stipagrostis
plumosa (nasee) and Centropodia forskalti (hojain). Trees are virtually absent from
the inner sands, though a few Tamarix pycnocarpa up to about 2-3 m tall are present
where water is available near the ground surface. (Mandaville ee 1990;
Chaudhary and Al-Juwayed 1990.)
In the south-eastern part of the Urug al Mu’taridah, at 20°41°N 54°42’E, we dis-
covered a natural spring-fed wetland not marked on existing maps. This site (re-
ferred to here as the unnamed wetland) comprised large pools and reedbeds of
Phragmites and covered over 40 ha (Plate 4).
Plate 4. Large pool with resdued of Phragmites in the Gnnemed natural wetland in the cue
al Mu’taridah (Saudi Arabia), February. (Bruno Pambour)
84
Sandgrouse 13 Birds of Eastern Rub’ al Khali
METHODS
Field work was carried out by two observers for five hours per day from 12 Feb-
ruary to 13 March 1990, most observations being made from a moving vehicle or
during long walks (Figure 1). Some records of birds of prey were made from an
NCWCD aircraft. Two long vehicle transects were carried out, driving at a speed
of 40 km per hour.
Itinerary
12 February. Al Khoshum to Shabita.
13 February. To Ahda.
14 February. To Sahmah, and on to es-
tablishment of first main camp, north
of Sahmah (20°45°N 54°44’).
21 February. To Ahda.
24 February. Establishment of second
main camp, near Shabita.
6 March. To Al Kidan area.
7-8 March. To Ra’s al Mihrad area.
9 March. To Shabita.
10-11 March. To Al Khoshum.
22-23 February. To Shabita (after heavi-
est rainfall for 20 years, over 100 mm
in 12 hours).
SYSTEMATIC LIST
Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus. Part of a skull found near the unnamed wetland
was identified as this species by P. Bayle after comparison with a reference collec-
tion. Evidently a passage migrant.
Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus. Six single individuals seen hunting on sand dunes
and gravel plains from 12 February to 7 March: two near Shabita, two in Al Kidan,
one in Shaybah, and one north-west of Sahmah.
Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus. Ten widely distributed records, including one
of two birds together, from open sandy areas, sabkha, and gravel plains: 22°47°N
59, 005E,22°08'N 54°20°E, 21°26°N 54°12°E, 22°14°N 53°20°E, 21°42°N 51°58°E,
ZASAOON: 51°20°E, 20°02 N.54°35°E,. 22°08°N 54°52°E, 22°08°N 54°07°E, 22°28°N
53°38°E. This raptor probably breeds at very low densities, though it may be lim-
ited by a lack of nest sites and birds from outside the Rub’ al Khali may disperse
into the region during the winter.
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis. One seen from an aircraft at 21°26°N 53°43E (J.
Grainger). An unidentified eagle in the Ghanim area on 20 February was also be-
lieved to be this species.
Kestrel Falco tinnunculus. Recorded in open sandy areas and gravel plains. One
pair was established around Shabita station, and another pair at 21°30°N 55°10°E.
Single birds were also seen at 22°08’N 54°20’E, 22°40°N 53°31°E, 22°52°N 52°32’E,
22°29°N 53°46’E, and 20°45’N 54°44’E. Presumably a resident breeder at very low
densities.
Lanner Falco biarmicus. An escaped falconer’s bird with jesses was hunting wag-
tails at Shabita station on 3 March.
85
B. Pambour and A. BR. A. Al Karrairy : Sandgrouse 13 |
Water Rail Rallus aquaticus. At least five different birds were heard calling in
reedbeds at the unnamed wetland. It seems most likely that this is a wintering
population; breeding would not be impossible but would be remarkable. The nearest
known breeding site, and apparently the world’s most southerly, is 700:km north-
west at Hofuf (Cramp and Simmons 1980; Bundy et al. 1989).
Mootrhen Gallinula chloropus. At least four different birds were seen or heard in
reedbeds at the unnamed wetland. It seems likely that this is an isolated breeding
site, as populations exist in many (though mainly coastal) regions of Arabia.
Crab Plover Dromas ardeola. One bird was found very unexpectedly on the edge of
a large inundated sabkha at 22°08’N 53°33’E, about 220 km from the Arabian Gulf
coast, on 2 March (J. Grainger). This suggests the possibility of a previously unsus-
pected overland movement across south- :
ern Arabia. Inland records of the species
seem to be otherwise unknown.
Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus. A few
birds appear to winter in open sandy ar-.
eas. One was seen on 28 February at
22°28'N 53°36’E, and several tracks were
found in different areas.
Herring Gull Larus argentatus. One flying
north over Sabkha Mutti at 23°22°N
52°02°E, 70 km from the coast, on 11
March.
Sandgrouse Pterocles. A Frontier Force sol-
dier at Shabita reported that unidentified Plate 5. Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus,
sandgrouse occur each winter. Spotted eastern Rub’ al Khali (Saudi Arabia), Feb-
Sandgrouse P. senegallus is the most likely ‘ary. (Bruno Pambour)
to occur.
Palm Dove Streptopelia senegalensis. At least two pairs nesting in wooden boxes at
Shabita station; present all year according to the soldiers.
Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri. A group of five flying north at Ra’s al
Mihrad (22°52°N 52°32’E) on 10 March.
Eagle Owl Bubo bubo. One resting in a Cornulaca bush in low dunes at 20°45°N
54°44’E on 18 February. This record, together with the first for the Rub’ al Khali
(about 900 km to the west, on Jabal Abu Shidad, 18°22’N 46°30°E: Mandaville 1982),
indicates that the species does inhabit the region.
Little Owl Athene noctua. Two records in open sandy areas confirm the presence of
this sedentary owl, presumably as a resident breeder. One was seen in Khawr
Hamidan at 20°45°N 54°44’E (H. Tatwani) and another in the Ghanim area. Pellets
found in an empty water tank at Ra’s al Minrad (22°52’N 52°32’E) were also thought
to belong to this species.
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops superciliosus. A group of five, presumably on pas-
sage, at Ra’s al Mihrad (23°00°N 52°00’E) on 10 March.
86
Sandgrouse 13 Birds of Eastern Rub’ al Khali
Hoopoe Upupa epops. One bird, presumably on passage, was at Sahmah station on
5 March.
Black-crowned Finch Lark Eremopterix nigriceps. Present at seven sites, all in open
sandy areas with good vegetation cover; evidently rather uncommon. Flocks of up
to 15 were in Khawr Hamidan (20°45°N 54°44’E), nine including a singing male
were seen at 20°38°N 54°27’E on 18 February, and five were recorded south of
Ahda (20°41°N 55°03’E). Breeding in the region is certainly possible for both this
species and the next, but, given their propensity for nomadism (e.g. Jennings 1980,
Bundy et al. 1989), it cannot be assumed.
Dunn’s Lark Eremalauda dunni. One on a gravel plain at Al Khoshum (23°18’N
52°15°E) on 11 March.
Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes. The commonest of the resident small passerines,
occurring in all open sandy areas and gravel plains with a good growth of bushes
covering at least several dozen hectares. Over 20 records, in all areas visited, mainly
singing and displaying males.
Crested Lark Galerida cristata. One on sandy ground near the expedition camp in
the Al Kidan area (22°40’°N 53°31’E) on 9 March.
Swallow Hirundo rustica. Single migrants were at Shabita station on 4 March and
Al Khoshum station on 11 March. Also, one was found dead in an empty water
tank at Ra’s al Mihrad (23°18°N 52°15’E).
Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica. Singles recorded on 25 February and 5
March at Shabita station, and on 28 February in Al Kidan.
House Martin Delichon urbica. One was seen on 24 February at Shabita station.
Another was found dead in the empty tank at Ra’s al Mihrad.
Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris. One at Al Khoshum station on 11 March.
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis. At least three individuals were seen at the un-
named wetland on 17 February.
Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta. Two were with Meadow Pipits at the unnamed
wetland on 17 February.
Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava. Two migrants at the expedition camp in the Al
Kidan area (22°40°N 53°31’E) on 9 March.
Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba. Six records of up to four birds in open sandy areas,
gravel plains, wetlands, and human settlements. Recorded from 17 February to 11
March, at the unnamed wetland and in the Shabita and Al Kidan areas.
Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros. A male of the subspecies phoenicuroides at the
expedition camp in the Al Kidan area (22°40’N 53°31’E) on 9 March.
Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina. Four records of single birds, probably
winter visitors, from open sandy areas and gravel plains: Shabita station on 13
February and 5 March, at 22°40°N 53°31’E on 2 March, and Al Khoshum station
on 11 March. Also, two were found dead in the empty tank at Ra’s al Mihrad.
Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe. Two migrants at the expedition camp in the Al Kidan
87
B. Pambour and A. R. A. Al Karratry . Sandgrouse 13 | |
area (22°40°N 55°31°E) on 9 March.
Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka. Four
records of migrants in open sandy areas
and gravel plains of the Shabita and Al
Kidan areas from 28 February to 4 March.
Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti. The
commonest species seen, with 33 records,
plus one found dead in the empty tank at
Ra’s al Mihrad. Widespread in open sandy
areas, sabkha, and gravel plains, its num-
bers being greatest where the density of
bushes was highest. About half the records
were of pairs, and single males were sing-
ing at 20°38°N 54°27°E on 18 February and
at Shabita station on 4 March. The eastern
Rub’ al Khali is, however, about 800 km
south of the known breeding range (in
Iran), so all records are presumably of
winter visitors or migrants.
Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe xantho- Plate 6. Male Pied Wheatear Oenanthe
prymna. One at Shabita station on 3 March. pleschanka on a Cornulaca arabica bush, east-
: ern Rub’ al Khali (Saudi Arabia), February.
Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens. Four (gyuno Pambour)
records, presumably of winter visitors, in
open sandy areas of the northern fringe of the Urug al Mu’taridah, and one in the
Ghanim area, all in February.
Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha. One female, presumably a winter visitor, at
a large sabkha (20°41°N 54°42’E) on 21 February.
Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius. Three at Al Khoshum station on 12 Febru-
ary were probably on passage given the non-rocky habitat.
Desert Warbler Sylvia nana. Widespread in open sandy areas and gravel plains
with relatively dense vegetation (especially Calligonum bushes) in good condition;
23 records. The only Sylvia wintering in the Rub’ al Khali.
Desert Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca minula. One at the expedition camp in
Sabkha Muiti on 11 March. The absence of trees explains the lack of further records.
Whitethroat Sylvia communis. One found dead in the empty tank at Ra’s al Mihrad.
Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita. Three single migrants uasouele from 28 February
to 4 March in the Shabita area.
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata. One found dead i in the empty tank at Ra’s al
Mihrad.
Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus. One at the unnamed wetland on 17 February.
Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor. Found in six open sandy localities: Shabita
station (where one was singing on 24 February), Al Kidan (22°14’N 53°20°E and
88
Sandgrouse 13 Birds of Eastern Rub’ al Khali
22°40’N 53°31°E), west of Shaybah (22°30°N 53°40°E), Khawr Hamidan (20°45’N
54°44’E), and Ghanim (20°02’N 54°35‘E). It is not possible to say whether the records
relate to resident breeders or to winter visitors.
Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator. One migrant at 22°29°N 53°46’E on 27 February.
Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis. Fairly common resident of open sandy ar-
eas and gravel plains, recorded from 12 localities distributed all over the surveyed
area. A a Seed large group of ten birds was seen at 20°38°N 54°27°E on 18
: — February. On 13 February two nests were
found, both in marker posts—empty
drums raised 3 m above ground on poles
(Plate 7); they were 30 and 60 km east of
Shabita and held 5 and 6 eggs.
House Sparrow Passer domesticus. A small
breeding population of at least 20 individu-
als was established on buildings at Shabita
station; birds were seen carrying nest ma-
terial.
Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus. A
group of ten birds, presumably winter visi-
tors, on gravel plains at Ramlat al Ghafah
(20°58°N 55°21°E) on 14 February.
Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra. Five were
found wintering on open sandy areas and
gravel plains near Shabita on 13 February.
Plate 7. i meee of Brown nceled Rech
Corvus ruficollis in a marker post, 30 km east
of Shabita (Saudi Arabia), February. (Bruno
Pambour)
DISCUSSION
The extreme aridity of the Rub’ al Khali, its low ecological diversity, and the ab-
sence of annual plants and sizeable trees explain the low numbers of both species
and individuals recorded. Altogether 49 bird species were identified during the
expedition, but, given the shortness of the study period, its timing (late winter /
early spring), and the paucity of other data from the region, it is impossible to be
certain of the status of many of the species. However, nine can be classed as known
or probable resident breeders (Long-legged Buzzard, Kestrel, Moorhen, Palm Dove,
Eagle Owl, Little Owl, Hoopoe Lark, Brown-necked Raven, House Sparrow) and a
further five as possibly breeding (Water Rail, Black-crowned Finch Lark, Dunn’s
Lark, Crested Lark, Great Grey Shrike). Excluding the waterbirds and species
commensal with man, the study found only six probable and four possible resi-
dents of open sandy habitat. The breeding bird community of the Wahiba Sands in
Oman includes all these ten species apart from Eagle Owl and Crested Lark
(Gallagher 1988). Some typical desert birds which were expected to occur in the
Rub’ al Khali were not found; these included Houbara Chlamydotis undulata, Spot-
ted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus (but see p. 86), and Bar-tailed Desert Lark
89
B. Pambour and A. R. A. Al Karrairy Sandgrouse 13:
Ammomanes cincturus, absences perhaps due mainly to the lack of annual plants.
Bar-tailed Desert Lark was recorded by Kinnear (1931) at the edge of the sands at
Al ’Ain, south of Ghanim.
The species assumed to be resident occurred almost always in well vegetated
habitats with a relatively high density of bushes and where it had evidently been
raining during the last few years. Good numbers of hares, small rodents, reptiles, —
and invertebrates such as scorpions and insects were also found at these sites. In
areas which seemed to have suffered extended periods of drought and where most
of the bushes were dead, no birdlife at all was found. Data from driven transects
(Table 1) give a crude indicatign of the low density of birds, though the results are
biased against the smaller and more terrestrial species: the two most common spe-
cies, Desert Wheatear and Desert Warbler, are winter visitors, present only during
the time of year when food availability is at its highest.
Table 1. Bird densities from driven transects in the eastern Rub’ al Khali (Saudi Arabia),
February 1990. Shaybah area: high crescentic dunes with small sabkhas, 203 km, 13 February.
Ramlat al Ghafah area: gravel plains and sabkhas predominant, with star dunes, 160 km, 22
February. Figures are numbers of individuals per 100 km.
Shaybah Ramlat al Ghafah
Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus 0-5 0
Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus 0-5 0:6
Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 1-0 0-6
Black-crowned Finch Lark Eremopterix nigriceps 0-5 0
Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes 1:5 1:3
Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina 0-5 0
Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti 3-4 5-6
Desert Warbler Sylvia nana 2:0 1-9
Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor 0 0:6
Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis 2:0 1-9
Passage migrants figured prominently in the species seen, even though the study
period covered only the early part of the spring migration. Numbers and diversity
of migrants would undoubtedly have been greater if the survey had been extended
further into the passage season.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This expedition was made possible by the logistic and financial support of the National Com-
mission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, and we thank especially its Secretary
General Dr Abdulaziz Abuzinada.
REFERENCES
BUNDY, G., CONNOR, R. J., AND HARRISON, C. J. O. (1989) Birds of the Eastern Province of Saudi
Arabia. Witherby, London.
CHAUDHARY, S. AND AL-JUWAYED, A. A. (1990) Natural History of Saudi Arabia: an introduc-
tion. Ministry Agric. Water, Riyadh.
CRAMP, S. AND SIMMONS, K. E. L. (eds) (1980) The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. 2. Oxford
University Press.
90
Sandgrouse 13 Birds of Eastern Rub’ al Khali
GALLAGHER, M. D. (1988) Birds of the Wahiba Sands of Oman. J. Oman Stud. Spec. Rep. 3:
415-36.
JENNINGS, M. C. (1980) Breeding birds in central Arabia. Sandgrouse 1: 71-81.
KINNEAR, N. B. (1931) On some birds from central south Arabia. Ibis (13) 1: 698-701.
KINNEAR, N. B. (1934) On the birds seen or collected by Mr H. St. J. B. Philby during his
expedition to cross the Rub’ al-Khali. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 37: 675-80.
LLEWELLYN, O. (1988) The Urug al Mu’taridah area: some considerations for protected area
planning. NCWCD Rep.
MANDAVILLE, J. P. (1982) Notes on birds. Dharan Group Rub’ al Khali Expedition. ARAMCO
Rep.
MANDAVILLE, J. P. (1986) Plant life in the Rub’ al Khali (the Empty Quarter), south-central
Arabia. Proc. Royal Soc. Edinburgh 89B: 147-57.
MANDAVILLE, J. P. (1990) Flora of Eastern Saudi Arabia. Kegan Paul, London.
PHILBY, H. ST. J. B. (1933) The Empty Quarter. Constable, London.
THESIGER, W. (1950) Desert borderlands of Oman. Geogr. J. 116: 137-71.
THESIGER, W. (1959) Arabian Sands. Longman, London.
TICEHURST, C. B. AND CHEESMAN, R. E. (1925) The birds of Jabrin, Jafura and Hasa in central
and eastern Arabia, and of Bahrain Island, Persian Gulf. Ibis (12) 1: 1-31.
Bruno Pambour, National Wildlife Research Center, PO Box 1086, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
(Presently at: Le Grand Manusclat, Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France.)
Abdul Rhaman Abdullah Al Karrairy, National Commission for Wildlife Conservation
and Development, PO Box 61681, 11575 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
pail
Sandgrouse (1991) 13: 92-7.
Krtiper’s Nuthatch Sitta krueperi and Turkish
pine Pinus brutia: an evolving association?
Meer SE ReANIKIS: =
Summary In south-west Turkey, cones from a small proportion of Turkish pines Pinus brutia appear to
open only incompletely, so that the seeds do not fall out unaided but have to be pulled out.
These trees probably rely for propagation on seeds being extracted by Kriper’s Nuthatch
Sitta krueperi and stored in sites suitable for their germination. Comparisons with the more
highly developed associations between other pine species and nutcrackers Nucifraga are
made, and the almost complete coincidence of the ranges of P. brutia and Krtiper’s Nuthatch
is noted. Notes on the feeding behaviour and distribution of Krtiper’s Nuthatch are given.
N AUTUMN 1989 I made a botanical study trip to south-west Turkey to collect
material of conifers, particularly the Turkish or Calabrian pine Pinus brutia which
occurs commonly at altitudes of 200-1,200 m in this area. Bird observations were
made at the same time, among which Kruper’s Nuthatch Sitta krueperi figured
prominently as a common species in P. brutia forests. My studies of this pine
indicated a hitherto undescribed variant in seed dispersal, which may be associated
with the feeding behaviour of Krtiper’s Nuthatch.
SEED DISPERSAL OF PINUS BRUTIA
The cones of P. brutia, 6-10 cm long, mature in April (Shafiq 1978) and crack open
under the heat of the sun or grass fires through the next one or two summers;
then, in autumn and winter, rain softens the scales and allows them to open fully
on subsequent re-drying, whereupon the winged seeds normally fall out and are
dispersed by wind. At the first stage of opening, the seeds are unable to fall out
(preventing the seeds from falling onto dry soil or a still-smouldering grass fire),
though it is possible to extract them forcibly with tweezers or similar implements.
For all the cones collected in this study, the natural process was imitated by
warming the cones to crack the sealed scales partly open, and then soaking and
re-drying the cones to allow them to open fully. A small proportion of trees—four
out of about 80 or 100 studied—were found to have cones in which this process of
artificial wetting and re-drying did not open the scales sufficiently to allow the
seeds to fall out freely, whether the cone was freshly opened, or whether it had
already been partly open on the tree when picked. In normal-coned trees of P.
brutia, as in all other wind-dispersed pines, a single wetting and drying allows the
scales to open fully, but in one cone of this variant, repeated experimental wetting
and drying on six occasions, using both warm and cold water, still failed to release
the seed. The seed from this cone, and similar ones, could however be extracted
by force as in the case of unsoaked partly open normal vones. Where wind dispersal
is relied on, these trees would be unable to reproduce, as their seed cannot blow
out of the cone, and they would therefore quickly be eliminated by natural selection.
92
Sandgrouse 13 Kriiper’s Nuthatch and Turkish Pine
OBSERVATIONS ON KRUPER’S NUTHATCH
Observations were made between 25 September and 2 October: at the entrance
area to Termessos National Park, 25 km north-west of Antalya, at 300-400 m
altitude; on the east and south slopes of Ak Dag, 25-35 km north of Kas and 100
km WSW of Antalya, at 900-2,000 m; and on the valley slopes of tributaries of the
Esen Cay (river), 0-10 km south-west of the previous site, at 200-900 m altitude.
Kruper’s Nuthatches were seen in all of the more extensive areas of P. brutia forest,
mostly in small groups of two to five birds, probably family parties and failed
breeding pairs, and also more rarely in coniferous forest composed of other species.
Feeding behaviour observed included searching the foliage and bark for inverteb-
rates, but also, more significantly, taking seeds from the cones of P. brutia on several
occasions. The strong, tweezers-like bill was inserted between the scales of partly
open cones (probably including both normal cones and ‘fully’ open abnormal cones,
as they cannot be distinguished before wetting), and the seeds pulled out, taken
to bark crevices, and hammered open in the same manner as employed by the
Nuthatch S. europaea. Kriiper’s Nuthatch, like other nuthatches, feeds largely on
invertebrates in the breeding season and switches to a diet of oily vegetable food
in the autumn and winter (Cramp in press); in the largely pure P. brutia forests the
oily seeds of this pine constitute the only such food available in large amounts and
must contribute heavily to the bird’s winter diet.
sa ; ae oe oe é 4 a, Osi bie
Plates 1-2. Habitat of Krtiper’s Nuthatch Sitta krueperi in autumn: Turkish pine Pinus brutia
forest at about 1,000 m, north of Kas (south-west Turkey), September. Note crop of cones in
tree-tops. (M. P. Frankis)
93
M. P. Frankis | Sandgrouse 13
NUTHATCHES AS DISPERSAL AGENTS
The Nuthatch is well known to store food for future use (e.g. Simms 1971), and
although I did not specifically observe this for Kruper’s Nuthatch it is known that
this species also does so (Lohr! 1988). Kriper’s Nuthatch can only extract seeds
from the cones when they are at least partly open; in wet weather (frequent in the
winter in Turkey) the cone scales temporarily close fully and the nuthatch must
then rely either on other, possibly limited, food sources, or on stored food.
As, apparently, the only means by which the seed of the abnormal variant of P.
brutia can be dispersed, I suggest that Krtiper’s Nuthatch is storing them under
conditions which are at least sometimes suitable for their germination—on the
ground in soil crevices, and in quantities exceeding the birds’ actual requirements.
These seeds could then germinate and thus perpetuate the abnormal, non-wind-
dispersed variant of the pine. Many seeds from normal cones, taken before they
fall naturally during autumn and winter, will be dispersed similarly.
The seeds of the pine are also taken by the thick-billed east Mediterranean race
of the Crossbill Loxia curvirostra guillemardi and the Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos
syriacus, but as these species do not cache the seeds, they will not have any influence
on this form of seed dispersal.
SIMILAR ASSOCIATIONS
The Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes and Clark’s Nutcracker N. columbiana have
been demonstrated to be of vital significance in the dispersal of a number of pines,
notably Swiss or Arolla pine P. cembra in Europe, Siberian pine P. cembra sibirica
and Korean pine P. koraiensis in northern Asia, and whitebark pine P. albicaulis in
North America (Goodwin 1976; Tomback 1981; Lanner 1982). Similar associations
probably also exist between the Pinyon Jay Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus and the
Pinyon pines P. edulis and P. monophylla in the western USA, and between the
Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus and the stone pine P. pinea in the Iberian
peninsula (Goodwin 1976). In all of these cases the relevant pines have large seeds
which have completely lost the potential for wind dispersal, having only vestigial
wings and being unable to disperse effectively from the cones without avian
assistance. The wing on the pine seed, which aids wind dispersal, is an impediment
to avian dispersal, its presence making the seed more difficult to grasp, a factor
which has encouraged the loss of the wing in the more highly developed nutcracker
associations (Lanner 1982). Also of importance in these associations is the large
size of the seeds, providing a larger amount of food for the same amount of work
by the bird (Lanner 1982). This reduction of wings and increased seed size is not
found in P. brutia, suggesting its association with Kriiper’s Nuthatch is of recent
development and not yet well evolved. In P. brutia the seed, at 50 mg, is not as
heavy as those in the nutcracker associations, but is distinctly larger than those of
its closest relative, Aleppo pine P. halepensis, at 20 mg. This seed size difference is
one of the most important features distinguishing these two pines (Nahal 1962,
1983) which are otherwise similar and even considered conspecific by some
authorities (e.g. Dallimore and Jackson 1966).
94
Sandgrouse 13 Kriiper’s Nuthatch and Turkish Pine
DISTRIBUTION OF PINUS BRUTIA AND KRUPER’S NUTHATCH
These two species have very nearly coincident ranges (Figure 1). The range of
Kruper’s Nuthatch is inadequately recorded: earlier maps (e.g. Voous 1960,
Harrison 1982) show an extensive range in eastern Turkey and the Caucasus outside
the range of the pine, but this is not shown by more recent texts (Flint et al. 1984;
Hollom et al. 1988; Cramp in press). The distribution of the abnormal variant of P.
brutia is not yet known; besides occurring in the area visited in this study, I have
also found it in cultivated P. brutia grown from seed of Crimean origin. This
occurrence is of interest as Krtiper’s Nuthatch is not known from the Crimea,
suggesting the possibility that it has either been overlooked there—as it was until
recently on the Greek island of Lesbos off Turkey (Lohrl 1965)—or that it may have
become extinct there in recent times (the pine occurs only in small populations in
the Crimea). P. brutia is found at altitudes between sea-level and 500 m in northern
Turkey; in southern Turkey it occurs most commonly between 200 and 1,200 m,
sometimes down to sea-level and rarely up to 1,400 m (Isik 1986; pers. obs.).
Figure 1. Distribution of Kriiper’s Nuthatch Sitta krueperi (within solid line, after Cramp in
press), Turkish pine Pinus brutia (solid black), and Aleppo pine P. halepensis (within dotted line,
after Critchfield and Little 1966). The outlying popuiations of P. brutia in northern Iraq,
Azerbaijan, and the Crimea are small.
_Kruper’s Nuthatch breeds from sea-level to 1,700-—2,000 m, but mostly over 1,200 m
(Lohrl 1965, 1988; Harrison 1982; Hollom ef al. 1988); my own observations in
autumn showed it to be most abundant in P. brutia forest at 200-1,200 m, with about
20 seen and several others heard, but also in small numbers (two or three scattered
individuals only) in forests of black pine P. nigra and cedar of Lebanon Cedrus libani
99
M. P. Frankis 7 Sandgrouse 13
at 1,000-2,000 m. The cones of both the two latter species open in late winter and
drop their seeds more rapidly than P. brutia, reducing the availability to Kriiper’s
Nuthatch. This suggests the possibility of a degree of migration to lower altitudes
outside the breeding season, when the birds are feeding on seeds and utilizing the
higher availability in P. brutia forest, and also of movement to higher altitude Cedrus
and fir Abies forest when breeding, and feeding on invertebrates (Abies and Cedrus
are closely related and have similar seeds, though Abies seed is shed in autumn).
In its Soviet Union range, Kruper’s Nuthatch is cited by Flint et al. (1984) as
occurring in forests of Caucasian fir A. nordmanniana (misidentified by Flint et al. as
European silver fir A. alba, synonym A. pectinata), where it is ’not numerous’, which
accords with my finding of only small numbers in Cedrus libani forest. Kriper’s
Nuthatch is also found in winter between Loo and Adler on the eastern Black Sea
coast (Neufeldt and Wunderlich 1984, cited by Cramp in press), where it is not
reported as breeding by Flint et al. (1984), giving a further suggestion of altitudinal
migration. There is an outlying population of P. brutia at this locality (Critchfield and
Little 1966).
It should be noted that nowhere does Krtiper’s Nuthatch occur within the range
of P. halepensis, which is found to the south of the range of P. brutia (coastal Syria,
Israel, and Libya) and to the west (to Morocco and Spain), nor in the extensive areas
of Abies forest north-west of the range of P. brutia (Bulgaria, Yugoslavia), suggesting
that the presence of P. brutia is the most crucial factor in the species’ ecology, with
other Pinus species, Abies, and Cedrus taking a second place.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My studies were carried out whilst on a holiday run by Explore Worldwide Holidays, whose
tour leader, Mike Belton, was very helpful at all times. I am greatly indebted to Duncan Brooks
for suggesting this paper and assisting with some difficult literature, to the Editors of The Birds
of the Western Palearctic for a preview of the Kruper’s Nuthatch text in preparation, and to Dr
Chris Page, Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden, for encouragement of and financial help with
my conifer studies on this trip.
REFERENCES
CRAMP, S. (ed.) (in press) The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. 7. Oxford University Press.
CRITCHFIELD, W. B. AND LITTLE, E. L. (1966) Geographic distribution of the pines of the world.
United States Dept. Agric. Forest Service Misc. Publ. 991.
DALLIMORE, W. G. AND JACKSON, A. B. (1966) A Handbook of Coniferae and Ginkgoaceae. Arnold,
London.
FLINT, V. E., BOEHME, R. L., KosTIN, Y. U., AND KUZNETSOV, A. A. (1984) A Field Guide to
Birds of the USSR. Princeton University Press.
GoopwiIn, D. (1976) The Crows of the World. British Museum (Natural History), London.
HARRISON, C. (1982) An Atlas of the Birds of the Western Palaearctic. Collins, London.
HOLLoM, P. A. D., PORTER, R. F., CHRISTENSEN, S., AND WILLIS, I. (1988) Birds of the Middle
East and North Africa: a companion guide. Poyser, Calton.
Isik, K. (1986) Altitudinal variation in Pinus brutia Tenore: seed and seedling characteristics.
Silvae Genetica 35: 58-67.
LANNER, R. M. (1982) Adaptations of Whitebark Pine for seed dispersal by Clark’s Nutcracker.
Canad. J. Forest Res. 12: 391-402.
LOHRL, H. (1965) Zur Vogelwelt der griechischen Insel Lesbos (Mytilene). Vogelwelt 86: 105-12.
96
Sandgrouse 13 Kriiper’s Nuthatch and Turkish Pine
LOHRL, H. (1988) Etho-ekologische Untersuchungen an verschiedenen Kleiberarten (Sittidae).
Bonner Zool. Monogr. 26.
NAHAL, I. (1962) Le pin d’Alep (Pinus halepensis Miller): étude taxonomique, phytogéog-
raphique, écologique et sylvicole. Anales Ecole Nat. Eaux Foréts 19.
NAHAL, I. (1983) Le pin Brutia (Pinus brutia Tenore). Forét Méditerr. 2: 165-72.
SHAFIQ, Y. (1978) Studies on the cones and seeds of Pinus brutia Tenore. Mesopot. J. Agric. 13:
79-84.
SIMMS, E. (1971) Woodland Birds. Collins, London.
TOMBACK, D. F. (1981) Notes on cones and vertebrate-mediated seed dispersal of Pinus
albicaulis (Pinaceae). Madrorio 28: 91-4.
-Voous, K. H. (1960) Atlas of European Birds. Nelson, London.
Michael Frankis, 21 Jesmond Park West, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7BU, UK.
oF
NOTES
Range extension of Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus in
northern Egypt
PETER L. MEININGER
ETWEEN mid-December 1989 and late June 1990 a wide-ranging ornithological
project was carried out in Egypt (Meininger et al. 1990; Meininger and Atta in
prep.). Attention was focused mainly on wetlands and waterbirds, but systematic
notes were made of all bird species observed during our extensive coverage. A
striking phenomenon was the relatively common occurrence of Black-winged Kites
Elanus caeruleus in many parts of the Nile delta and the Suez canal area. Compared
to the breeding distribution mapped by Goodman and Meininger (1989), which
showed the situation in 1970-87, a considerable range extension seems to have
taken place in the northern part of the country.
In winter and spring 1990 Black-winged Kites were frequently observed in many
places throughout the Nile valley, the Faiyum oasis, the cultivated parts of the
Suez canal area (south to Suez), and in the entire Nile delta, including newly re-
claimed and irrigated areas west of Ismailiya and south of Alexandria. During the
mid-winter waterbird counts 180 Black-winged Kites were seen in the Nile delta,
and all localities in northern Egypt where the species was observed in winter and
spring 1990 are shown in Figure 1. The species breeds almost throughout the year
in Egypt, where no significant migratory movements are known (Goodman and
Meininger 1989), and most birds observed are presumed to be local breeders. From
March to June 1990 birds displaying or carrying nest material were seen at several
places around Lake Manzala and in the Suez canal area; high densities were fre-
quently noted in extensive agricultural areas, but birds were not restricted to such
habitats and small numbers were regularly observed in marshy areas of Lake
Manzala, including areas almost devoid of trees along the Ismailiya—Port Said road.
These observations in unsuitable breeding habitat do suggest that some dispersion
occurs, mainly in winter.
On 16 January 1990 one was seen by Hans Riehmann at Dakhla oasis (c. 25°30°N
29°E), and on 17 March 1990 one was at Wadi el Natrun. These records, together
with that of a single bird seen on 27 June 1989 at Sadat City, near Wadi el Natrun
(Evans 1990), are the first recent records from the Western Desert (Goodman and
Meininger 1989).
In the nineteenth century the species was extremely common in the Nile delta
(Adams 1864), but uncommon in the Nile valley south of Qena, c. 26°N (Shelley
1872; Gurney 1876). By the turn of the century, however, it may have extended its
range southward along the Nile valley, for Quinet (1904) found it common all
through Egypt and Meinertzhagen (1930) considered it fairly well distributed in
the 1920s. This apparent variability in population size and distribution has contin-
ued even in recent decades. In the early 1980s the species was common in the Nile
98
Sandgrouse 13 Notes
31° 32°
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
4g:
as
A lake Manzala> =e Port Said
R 3 -
rg Y age
élsmailiya
ee TERE é oS “>
es, \ q
os XN T
=
e-\
ei
Wadi e! Natrun at aes
Beni Suef
>s
Figure 1. Records of Black-winged Kites Elanus caeruleus in northern Egypt during winter
and spring 1990; each dot represents an observation locality, often involving more than one
bird. Shaded areas are irrigated; hatched area is known breeding range in 1970-87 (after
Goodman and Meininger 1989); dashed lines are routes travelled during the study.
99
Notes Sandgrouse 13
valley from Sohag (c. 26°30°N) south to Aswan, but uncommon between Sohag
and Cairo, except for the surroundings of Beni Suef and in the Faiyum oasis where
it was fairly common. It had decreased markedly in the Nile delta, where it oc-
curred only locally in the southern part (Mullié and Meininger 1985). In the mid-
1980s, numbers increased again, with the species occurring throughout the Nile
valley, the Faiyum oasis, and in parts of the Nile delta, though in 1987 it was still
absent from the coastal areas. The only two observations then known from the
Suez canal area were in 1944 (Goodman and Meininger 1989). The increase of Black-
winged Kites in the Nile delta has apparently continued after 1985, and now al-
most the entire delta has been recolonized, including Lake Burullus, Lake Manzala,
and the Suez canal area.
Some regional reduction in numbers, as noted in the past, appears to have been
related to the local heavy use of pesticides, particularly insecticides in cotton fields,
and rodenticides (Mullié and Meininger 1985), although there is only circumstan-
tial evidence for this since no residue analysis has been carried out (Goodman and
Meininger 1989). Rodent populations reached an exceptional peak in the late 1970s
and were successfully controlled with various rodenticides. Acute poisons (e.g.
zinc phosphide) were used initially, and later on less dangerous chronic poisons
(Burgstaller et al. 1990). The recent range extension and increase in numbers of
Black-winged Kite may well have been the result of a decrease in the use of certain
pesticides, although this is to a great extent speculative.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Egyptian Wetland Project 1989/90 was a joint project of the Foundation for Ornithologi-
cal Research in Egypt, the International Waterfowl and Wetlands Bureau, and the Egyptian
Wildlife Service. It would not have been possible without the grants of the National Geo-
graphic Society (grant 4031-89), the Swiss Office Féderal de l’Environnement, des Foréts et
du Paysage through the Ramsar Bureau, and the Foundation Tour du Valat. All 22 partici-
pants, in particular our colleagues of the Egyptian Wildlife Service, were instrumental in the
success of the project.
REFERENCES
ADAMS, A.L. (1864) Notes and observations on the birds of Egypt and Nubia. Ibis (1) 6: 1-36.
BURGSTALLER, H., ZEESE, W., ALI HASSAN, M. M., AND HOZAYEN, A. K. (1990) Biological
control of field rats in Egypt with special consideration of native predators. 3rd Int. Conf.
on Plant Protection in the Tropics, 20-23 March 1990. Kuala Lumpur.
EVANS, D. A. (1990) Behaviour and status of Black-winged Kite in Egypt. Orn. Soc. Middle
East..Bull..25:. 28-9:
GOODMAN, S.M. AND MEININGER, P.L. (eds) (1989) The Birds of Egypt. Oxford University Press.
GURNEY, J. H. (1876) Rambles of a Naturalist in Egypt and Other Countries. Jarrold, London.
MEINERTZHAGEN, R. (1930) Nicoll’s Birds of Egypt. Rees, London. .
MEININGER, P. L. AND ATTA, G. A. M. (eds) (in prep) Ornithological studies in Egyptian
wetlands 1989/90. WIWO Rep., FORE Rep., Zeist / Middelburg.
MEININGER, P. L., SORENSEN, U. G., PETERSEN, I. K., AND ESTES G. A. M. (1990) Egyptian
wetlands on the verge. IWRB News 4: 1-2.
MULLIE, W. C. AND MEININGER, P: L. (1985) The decline of bird of prey populations in Egypt.
In: Newton, I. and Chancellor, R. D. (eds) Conservation studies on raptors. ICBP Tech.
Publ. 5: 61-82. Cambridge.
100
Sandgrouse 13 Notes
QUINET, D. (1904) Considérations sur les oiseaux d’Egypte. Ornis 12: 1-74.
SHELLEY, G. E. (1872) A Handbook to the Birds of Egypt. Van Voorst, London.
Peter-k. Meininger, Foundation for Ornithological Research in Egypt, Belfort 7, 4336 JK
Middelburg, Netherlands.
Visible migration of Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus and
Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus in southern Turkey
VINCENT VAN DEN BERK
ROM 11 to 17 October 1988 a wader and waterfowl count was conducted in
the Cukurova coastal wetlands of southern Turkey, roughly between Yumurtalik
and Mersin. For details of the area, see Aukes et al. (1988) and van der Have (1989).
This note describes the visible migration of two species observed in significant
numbers during this period, while some other aspects of autumn birdlife in the
area have been described by van den Berk (1991).
Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus. Movements of this raptor were prominent in mid-
October, starting about 06.00 hrs at all of our various observation sites around the
coast and peaking between 08.00 and 10.00 hrs when a steady stream of low-flying
single birds passed eastwards, parallel to the shore. Visible movements tailed off
around midday and only a few birds were noted in the afternoon. On 15 and 16
October, between 06.00 and 13.00 hrs, counts from a vantage point covering some
kilometres of the dunes between the sea and Akyatan GOolti recorded, respectively,
74 and 68 Sparrowhawks. No systematic notes were made on the sex or age of the
birds, but the majority was thought to be female. Strength of the passage over this
mid-October period appeared to be much the same every day, both west and east
of Karatas (i.e. within and outside the Gulf of Iskenderun), and autumn visits in
1982, 1985, and 1990 revealed the same picture. It thus seems that, over the entire
migration period of this species, which extends from early September to early
November, good numbers must pass here, and the Cukurova coast may be one of
the few known areas in the east Mediterranean where the autumn movement of
Sparrowhawks is concentrated (see Bijlsma 1987). The flight direction of birds
observed in the mornings indicates that they are then flying around the Gulf of
Iskenderun, but the near-absence of visible movements in the second half the day
at Cukurova may well not be a real one. At the Bab-el-Mandeb straits in Djibouti,
the autumn migration of Sparrowhawks continues from dawn to dusk (Welch and
Welch 1988), and in the afternoon birds may be approaching the Cukurova coast
much higher than earlier in the day, to cross the Gulf on a broad front—behaviour
that was noted there for other raptor species (van den Berk 1991).
Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus. The eastward passage of low-flying groups, par-
allel to the shoreline, was noted commonly along the entire Cukurova coast, espe-
cially in the early morning hours. It was often difficult to get the calling flocks into
101
Noies Sandgrouse 13
view, but several groups were seen and heard between 11 and 14 October at Camlik
and Yelkoma Goltu. On 15 October, low-flying groups of 15, 30, and 35 were seen
before 09.00 hrs over the dunes bordering Akyatan Golii; several more groups were
heard but not seen, and some hours later many calling groups passed unseen around
Tuzla Golu. Similar observations were made at Akyatan Golii again the following
day, and on 17 October six groups totalling 77 birds flew low along the beach
between the Berdan and Seyhan river mouths.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to thank Wouter Helmer, Naomi Stuiver, and René Vos for taking part in this autumn
survey.
REFERENCES
AUKES, P., VAN DEN BERK, V. M., CRONAU, J. P., VAN Dorp, D., OZESMI, U, AND VAN WINDEN,
A. C J. (1988) The Cukurova deltas: geomorphology, hydrology, climate, biotopes and
human impact. In: van der Have, T. M., van den Berk, V. M., Cronau, J. P., and Langeveld,
M. J. (eds) South Turkey project. WIWO Rep. 22: 13-31. Zeist.
BILSMA, R. G. (1987) Bottleneck areas for migratory birds in the Mediterranean region. ICBP
Study Rep. 18. Cambridge.
VAN DER HAVE, T. M., VAN DEN BERK, V. M., CRONAU, J. P., AND LANGEVELD, M. J. (1989)
Importance of the Cukurova deltas, southern Turkey, for migrating waders and other
waterbirds in spring. Sandgrouse 11: 76-88.
VAN DEN BERK, V. (1989) Impressions of autumn migration in mid-October along the Cukurova
coast, near the Belen pass, southern Turkey. Orn Soc. Middle East Bull. 26: 16-19.
WELCH, G. AND WELCH, H. (1988) The autumn migration of raptors and other soaring birds
across the Bab-el-Mandeb straits. Sandgrouse 10: 26-50.
V. van den Berk, Noordereind 3+, 4012 BT Kerk Avezaath, Netherlands.
A nest of Caucasian Black Grouse Tetrao mlokosiewiczi in
Turkey
JOHN TEMPLE LANG and MARK COCKER
N 6 July 1991, while accompanied by a local man familiar with the species, we
found a nest of Caucasian Black Grouse Tetrao mlokosiewiczi in north-east Tur-
key. Such nests are rarely found (this was the first that our companion had seen),
and there appear to be conservation conclusions to be drawn.
The nest, located when the female flew directly off it at about 30 m from us, was
on a north-west facing 35-40° slope in a small side valley at about 2,800-3,000 m
near Sivri Kaya in Dogu Karadeniz Daglari. It was within about 3 ha of low scrub
dominated by the white dwarf rhododendron Rhododendron caucasicum, not yet in
bloom. The area of scrub was the least accessible of the patches we examined and
was denser, taller (about 1 m high), and more tangled than the others. It also held
102
Sandgrouse 13 Notes
singing Quail Coturnix coturnix, Water
Pipit Anthus spinoletta, Marsh Warbler
Acrocephalus palustris, Mountain Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus sindianus, and Scarlet
Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus. The nest
was concealed in the scrub, in a saucer
formed by the branches of a stump of
rhododendron, about 5 cm above the
ground. It was about 20 cm in diameter,
shallow, and composed mostly of dry
grass but containing several dry rhodo-
dendron leaves. It held five eggs, almost
but not quite oval, of sandy-beige ground
colour, with small indistinct light brown
spots around the middle. —
Neither the scrub area in which the nest Plate 1. Nest o Caucasian Black Grouse
was situated nor the floristically rich [e790 mlokosiewiczi, Sivri Kaya (Turkey),
meadows around it showed any signs of JY 1991 -(o pert Senipe Sates)
having been grazed that year. The side valley was deserted, and the summer vil-
lage about 3 km away seemed empty. We found no other black grouse, and all the
other rhododendron we saw was either in small patches or in larger areas divided
by grazed grassy paths, and was surrounded by grazed meadows. Only the area
where the nest was found corresponded to Johnsgard’s (1984) description of the
nesting habitat as dense scrub. Rhododendron is the only source of fuel at this
altitude, and we saw it being cut and stored as firewood for the summer village.
So, in addition to the threat to the habitat from grazing, mentioned by Cramp and
Simmons (1980), it seems likely that there is a threat to the habitat of this grouse
in Turkey as long as firewood is needed in summer in the nesting areas. Perhaps
an alternative fuel can be provided to relieve the pressure on the rhododendron
scrub—a policy which has been effective in reducing the cutting of trees for firewood
which threatened the habitat of the Algerian Nuthatch Sitta ledanti (Ledant et al.
1985).
REFERENCES
CRAMP, S. AND SIMMONS, K. E. L. (eds) (1980) The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. 2. Oxford
University Press.
JOHNSGARD, P. A. (1984) The Grouse of the World. Croom Helm, London.
LEDANT, J.-P., Jacoss, P., OCHANDO, B., AND RENAULT, J. (1985) pene es de la forét du
7
Mont Babor et préférences écologiques de la Sittelle kabyle Sitta ledanti. Biol. Conserv. 32:
231-54.
John Temple Lang, ave. P. Hymans 113, bie 19, 1200 Brusells, Belgium.
Mark Cocker, 23 Harford Manor Close, Ipswich Rd, Norwich NR2 2LW, UK.
103
Notes Sandgrouse 13
A Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea in the Egyptian
Western Desert
STEVEN M. GOODMAN and C. VANCE HAYNESJR.
INERTZHAGEN (1930) considered Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea
a vagrant to Egypt and cited only two records from the Mediterranean coast,
but in recent years there has been an increasing number of reports of it from both
the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts of the country. Records of the species from
these waters are of migrants or winter visitors which are generally noted between
mid-August and December, although it has been found throughout the year
(Goodman and Meininger 1989). Also, flocks of up to 20 birds have been noted
with some regularity in the Gulf of Aqaba (Paz 1987). All of these records are from
coastal areas, however, and it is for this reason that the discovery of a Cory’s
Shearwater in the Egyptian Western Desert is of interest.
In 1989 we were members of a geological expedition to the Darb el Arba’in area
of the Western Desert, one of the more hyperarid areas of the eastern Sahara
(Haynes 1982), and on 13 February, while traversing an area of barren sand sheet,
we found a mummified Cory’s Shearwater at 22°51°N 28°06’E, 390 km south-west
of Kharga and approximately 800 km west of the Red Sea coast. The bird was
partially buried and the exposed portion of the body was abraded by the action of
blowing sand. The bones were completely ossified. Enough of the wing feathers
remained intact to determine that the bird had prominent white markings on the
inner web of the primaries, a feature characteristic of the nominate Mediterranean
subspecies (Cramp and Simmons 1977). The wing feathers and the skeleton are
now housed in the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (specimen number
227828).
What the bird was doing away from the coast, let alone in such a remote desert
area, is enigmatic.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The research project was supported by grant EAR-8820395 from the National Science Foun-
dation to C. V. Haynes.
REFERENCES
CRAMP, S. AND SIMMONS, K. E. L. (eds) (1977) The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. 1. Ox-
ford University Press.
GOODMAN, S. M. AND MEININGER, P. L. (eds) (1989) The Birds of Egypt. Oxford University
Press.
HAYNES, C. V., JR. (1982) The Darb El-Arba’in Desert: a product of Quaternary climatic change.
In: El-Baz, F. and Maxwell, T. (eds) Desert Landforms of Southwest Egypt: a basis for compari-
son with Mars. NASA, Washington DC.
MEINERTZHAGEN, R. (1930) Nicoll’s Birds of Egypt. Rees, London.
Paz, U. (1987) The Birds of Israel. Helm, London.
Steven M. Goodman, Department of Zoology, Field Museum of Natural History, Roosevelt
Rd at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605, USA.
104
Sandgrouse 13 Notes
C. Vance Haynes Jr, Departments of Anthropology and Geosciences, University of Arizona,
Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA.
W. R. P. Bourne has commented as follows.
Cory’s Shearwater appears to be one of the seabirds currently flourishing because
it has taken to feeding behind fishing boats. Until about thirty years ago it was
only known to occur regularly in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic, although
it has since been realised that it normally winters in the South Atlantic, extending
well round into the Indian Ocean, where it has now been reported off Somalia (J.
S. Ash, Scopus 7: 54-79), Oman (G. Bundy, Sandgrouse 7: 29-42), and at the head of
the Arabian Gulf (D. M. Simpson, Sea Swallow 36: 16)—as well as around the head
of the Red Sea and even part-way along the Suez Canal in the Great Bitter Lake (P.
Meeth, Sea Swallow 36: 38); these records are mainly between June and December.
It seems unlikely that such birds are vagrants from the Mediterranean because
few winds blow in that direction. They might be migrants, especially young birds,
from the Mediterranean trying to reach their winter quarters overland, but this
seems unlikely to be a general explanation, as some occur in late summer before
the chicks fledge and the birds start to move south in October and November. So
they seem most likely to be inexperienced immatures, which appear to disperse
most widely and return last, trying to return home from their winter quarters up
the wrong side of Africa.
There are several considerations here. If such birds started north at the normal
time for adults (about February) they would find the south-east trade winds ex-
tending far south in the southern Indian Ocean (Figure 1) and these would guide
WINTER SUMMER
Figure 1. Prevailing winds in the western Indian Ocean during the northern winter and sum-
mer. + Record of Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea.
105
Notes Sandgrouse 13
them back into the Atlantic; if, despite this, they should move north within the
Indian Ocean they would be delayed by the north-east monsoon in the Arabian
Sea. On the other hand, waiting until the westerlies move north later in the year
would tend to drift birds into the Indian Ocean where their passage would now be
assisted first by the south-east trades and then the development of the south-west
monsoon. If a bird from the west Mediterranean then headed home from about
Somalia it might well end up in the Egyptian desert.
A Radde’s Accentor Prunella ocularis from Oman
reidentified as Black-throated Accentor P. atrogularis
PER ALSTROM
N 1975 a bird identified as Radde’s Accentor Prunella ocularis was seen on Masirah
island (Oman) from 2 November until collected on 22 November (Rogers 1988)
(the year was wrongly given as 1976 by Gallagher and Woodcock 1980). The speci-
men is kept in the British Museum (Natural History), Tring (BMNH number
1976.1.13), and would constitute the only record of that species for Oman.
I have examined the specimen, and in my opinion the bird is clearly not a Radde’s
Accentor but a Black-throated Accentor P. atrogularis—still a first record for Oman
(and Arabia). This reassessment has been endorsed by P. R. Colston of the BMNH,
M. D. Gallagher, and the Oman Bird Records Committee.
The bird in question shows an all-pale throat (with only very little blackish on
the feather bases) and is thus not a typical Black-throated Accentor, which, as
implied both by its English and scientific names, usually shows a black bib. Rarely,
however, the black bib is very indistinct, and in the field it may exceptionally even
seem to be lacking (only on first-winter females?). The Masirah bird is virtually
identical to a specimen of Black-throated Accentor in the BMNH collected in Gilgit
(Pakistan) on 9 January 1979 (BMNH number 97.12.10.1085).
The following characters, described and illustrated in Alstrom (1990), identify
the Masirah bird as a Black-throated Accentor.
e The buffish colour of the breast is deeper than in the average Radde’s and
extends onto the side of the throat which is otherwise unmarked (in Radde’s,
the throat is entirely whitish or very pale buffish except, often, for fine dark
spots on the side, forming a fine dark malar stripe).
e The supercilium is buffish, especially above and behind the eye (whitish or, in
fresh plumage, very pale buffish in Radde’s).
e The ear-coverts are rather pale with dark edges (in Radde’s the ear-coverts are
normally rather uniformly dark with a small pale spot at the rear). Black-
throated usually has ear-coverts much as Radde’s, but my examination of skins
shows that birds with little black on the throat generally have rather pale-
centred ear-coverts, as in the Masirah specimen.
106
Sandgrouse 13 Notes
The Arabian Accentor P. fagani (considered by some, e.g. Dementiev and Gladkov
1954, to be a race of Radde’s Accentor) is resident in western Yemen but could
possibly straggle to Oman. However, in Arabian Accentor there is a dark-spotted
malar stripe, and the entire breast is (at least sometimes) distinctly streaked, unlike
in Black-throated Accentor, including the Masirah bird (Brooks et al. 1987, Plate 7;
Cramp 1988; Hollom et al. 1988; personal studies of BMNH specimens).
The Masirah bird is a female according to the label and most likely a first-winter
due to the very reduced amount of black on the throat.
Black-throated Accentor breeds in the Urals and in the mountains of western
China, western Mongolia, and neighbouring parts of the USSR, and winters mainly
from Afghanistan to north-west India (e.g. Cheng 1987, Cramp 1988). Stragglers
have reached Israel (January—March 1982: Hovel 1987; Paz 1987), Finland (October
1987: Hario et al. 1988), and Sweden (June 1988: Edenius and Giesler 1990).
Plate 1. Top: Black-throated Accentor Prunella atro- Plate 2. Radde’s Accentor Prunella ocu-
gularis, (first-winter?) female, Masirah (Oman), _ laris, Turkey, August. (Marc Raes)
November 1975. Bottom: Kadde’s Accentor P. RE =
ocularis, male, Elburz (Iran), April. Specimens, Brit-
ish Museum (Natural History). (Duncan Brooks)
Plates 3-4. Black-throated Accentor Prunella atrogularis with pale throat, Finland, October.
(Pekka Komi)
107
Notes ; Sandgrouse 13
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |
Thanks to P. R. Colston for assistance at the BMNH and to M. D. Gallagher for comments on
the manuscript.
REFERENCES
ALSTROM, P. (1990) Jarnsparvar—en bildserie. Var Fagelvarld 49: 73-6.
BROOKS, D. J., EVANS, M. I., MARTINS, R. P., AND PORTER, R. F. (1987) The status of birds in
North Yemen and the records of OSME Expedition in autumn 1985. Sandgrouse 9: 4-66.
CHENG, T-S. (1987) A Synopsis of the Avifauna of China. Parey, Hamburg.
CRAMP, S. (ed.) (1988) The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. 5. Oxford University Press.
DEMENTIEV, G. P. AND GLADKOV, N. A. (eds) (1954) Birds of the Soviet Union Vol. 6 [in Rus-
sian]. Moscow. (English translation 1966-70, Jerusalem.)
EDENIUS, L. AND GIESLER, R. (1990) Svartstrupig jarnsparv Prunella atrogularis for forsta gangen
antraffad i Sverige. Var Fagelvarld 49: 71-7.
GALLAGHER, M. AND WOODCOCK, M. W. (1980) The Birds of Oman. Quartet, London.
HARIO, M., NUMMINEN, T., AND PALMGREN, J. (1988) Rariteettikomitean hyvaksymat vuoden
1987 harvinaisuushavainnot. Lintumies 23: 186-201.
HOLLoM, P. A. D., PORTER, R. F., CHRISTENSEN, S., AND WILLIS, I. (1988) Birds of the Middle
East and North Africa: a companion guide. Poyser, Calton.
HOVEL, H. (1987) Checklist of the Birds of Israel. Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel,
Tel Aviv.
Paz, U. (1987) The Birds of Israel. Helm, London.
Rocers, T. D. (1988) A New List of the Birds of Masirah Island Sultanate of Oman. Oman Bird
Records Committee, Muscat.
Per Alstrom, Kungsgatan 3, 462 33 Vanersborg, Sweden.
First record of Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta in
Bahrain
ERIK HIRSCHFELD
N THE afternoon of 16 May 1991 Patrick Murphy and I visited Dumistan
(26°08°N 50°29’E) in the north-west of Bahrain for a count of migrants. The
temperature was close to 40°C, and after two weeks of north-westerlies there was
a light east wind. This change in direction had caused many passage birds to resume
migration, and my morning excursion that day had produced the lowest numbers
of migrants for several weeks. The Dumistan site is a fenced-off wasteland, ap-
proximately 750x500 m. To the north is cultivated land and to the south-east is
Nakhl Lawzi, a saline lake. In the southern part of the site is a poultry farm which
regularly dumps large amounts of chicken waste on the open ground where it
dries in the sun, attracting large numbers of fly larvae and, with them, birds such
as Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis, Collared Pratincoles Glareola pratincola, gulls Larus,
Collared Doves Streptopelia decaocto, Turtle Doves S. turtur, wagtails Motacilla,
wheatears Oenanthe, and shrikes Lanius. It is also the best place in Bahrain to en-
counter large flocks of coastal species such as Sanderling Calidris alba and Turnstone
108
Sandgrouse 13 Notes
Arenaria interpres as well as Curlew Sandpiper C. ferruginea, Ruff Philomachus pugnax,
and other waders, which sometimes roost on the shores of Nakhl Lawzi.
As we arrived at the site at about 15.45 hrs a flock of seven stints drew our
attention. I thought they looked a bit long-legged and long-necked through bin-
oculars (7x42) and when I viewed them in the telescope (20-40x77) I could see
yellowish legs. I immediately suspected they were Long-toed Stints Calidris
subminuta and took the following description from a distance of about 60 m.
Dumistan and Nakhl Lawzi were searched the next day but the birds were not
found again.
Size. As Little Stint C. minuta (several were nearby).
Head. The birds’ plumage was determined to be intermediate between winter and summer.
All had a dark reddish-brown cap which reached the base of the upper mandible and was
bordered by a whitish supercilium. Two birds had quite a dark lore, while in the rest it was
less dark but still emphasized the supercilium. The ear-coverts and nape were plain reddish-
brown, the nape contrasting with the darker cap.
Upperparts. A fairly prominent whitish V was noticeable on the back of every bird; on one
it seemed to consist of two rows of rather indistinct round spots, while the others showed it
as two lines on the inner edge of the scapulars. Scapulars had blackish centres with rufous-
brown margins, and the tertials of all individuals also had wide rufous-brown edges. At least
two birds had grey, winter-type median coverts while the rest had mostly replaced them
with blackish feathers fringed reddish-brown and greyish-white. A whitish wing-bar was
apparent in flight.
Underparts. Whitish, the breast streaked on the sides but less so in the centre. Throat and
centre of upper breast unmarked.
Bare parts. Bill blackish, with no pale base visible; thin and slightly drooping towards the tip
but not strikingly different from Little Stint. Compared to Little Stint the legs were remark-
ably long, and in flight the toes projected visibly beyond the tail. Two birds had completely
yellowish legs, four of them had mud or dirt on the lower part of the legs so that yellow was
only visible on the tibia, and one showed yellow from halfway along the tarsus upwards.
The middle toe of one bird was seen and noted to be strikingly long.
Voice. No calls were heard.
Behaviour. The birds were quite shy and we could not approach them closely. Every time
we flushed them they landed together in a small group and did not mix with the other c. 250
Turnstones, 25 Sanderlings, 50 Curlew Sandpipers, and ten Little Stints that were nearby.
Mostly they stood inactive, presumably watching us, but we also saw them feed a few times.
No difference in feeding action from Little Stint was noticed.
Of the three pale-legged species of stint, Temminck’s C. temminckii could easily
be ruled out by its plumpness, short legs, and plain plumage. Least Sandpiper C.
minutilla, which would be an unlikely though not impossible visitor to the Gulf
from the Americas, differs in its short-necked appearance, shorter legs that do not
project obviously beyond the tail in flight, normally less bright rufous fringes to
the tertials, and supercilia that usually join over the bill. The strong sunlight made
it very difficult to determine shades of colours exactly, and might also have been
the reason why we did not note the pale bill-base which is usually present on
Long-toed Stint—though it is often restricted and indistinct (R. F. Porter pers.
comm.). I am familiar with Long-toed Stint from the breeding grounds in Siberia.
This record is the first for Bahrain, though the species is known from neighbour-
ing countries. In Saudi Arabia, Jennings (1981) listed a record from Riyadh, and a
109
Notes — Sandgrouse 13
bird was at Abqaiq in the east from 28 August to 4 September 1977 (Bundy et al.
1989). A small influx took place in the United Arab Emirates in autumn 1990: one
at Ramtha tip on 14 September, one at Dubai fish farm from 28 September to 2
November, three at Al Wathba on 1 October, and at least two at Ghar lake on 1-
5 October (Richardson 1990, 1991). It is a scarce passage migrant and winter visitor
in Oman from August to May (Oman Bird Records Committee 1990). Long-toed
Stint breeds across southern Siberia, and the main wintering range lies from Aus-
tralia to southern and eastern India, but the passage records in Arabia suggest the
existence of a small wintering population in East Africa (Wallace 1974; Hayman et
al. 1986).
REFERENCES
BUNDY, G., CONNOR, R. J., AND HARRISON, C. J. O. (1989) Birds of the Eastern Province of Saudi
Arabia. Witherby, London.
HAYMAN, P., MARCHANT, J., AND PRATER, T. (1986) Shorebirds: an identification guide to the
waders of the world. Croom Helm, London.
JENNINGS, M. C. (1981) The Birds of Saudi Arabia: a check-list. Jennings, Whittlesford.
OMAN BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE (1990) Oman Bird List 3rd edn. OBRC, Muscat.
RICHARDSON, C. (1990) Emirates Bird Rep. 13.
RICHARDSON, C. (1991) Emirates Bird Rep. 14.
WALLACE, D. I. M. (1974) Field identification of small species in the genus Calidris. Brit. Birds
67: 1-17.
Erik Hirschfeld, clo IAL, PO Box 144, Manama, Bahrain.
First record of Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola in
Bahrain
BRIK- HIRSCHFELD and TADEUSZ STAWARCZNK
THE late morning of 13 September 1991 we were birding at Ghalali, close to
the airport at Muharrag in Bahrain. The area consists of fields with crops such
as sorghum and grass, ditches with (in summer) dried-out reeds, and lines of small
palm trees along the tracks between the fields. It is the most north-easterly farm-
land in Bahrain and regularly attracts large numbers of migrants in both spring
and autumn. As we walked along one of the tracks a brownish warbler was flushed
from a palm tree close to us and settled for a while in another palm further down
the track. With 10 x 42 and 10 x 50 binoculars and a 20-40 x 77 telescope we ob-
served it there for about five minutes at distances down to 30 m, though it was
partly concealed by palm leaves for some of this time. After that it flew into dense
cover among Sesuvium and Zygophyllum bushes, and when flushed from there it
quickly took cover again so that thereafter we only managed to see it in flight.
Size. Judged to be about the same as Whitethroat Sylvia communis (by which it was chased
among palm leaves on one occasion).
Head. Dark eye-stripe below a long, distinct, fairly wide, whitish supercilium extending well
110
Sandgrouse 13 Notes
beyond the eye. The upper border of the supercilium was darker brown, in turn bordering a
greyish-brown crown.
Upperparts. Unstreaked warm brown with a rufous tinge, contrasting slightly with the crown
and nape which were more greyish-brown. The wing-tip either reached the tip of the uppertail-
coverts or fell slightly short of this, but due to the bird’s nervous behaviour we were unable
to gauge the exact primary spacing; another reason for this was the bird’s habit of keeping its
tail slightly fanned and cocked upwards at about 30° to the horizontal, thus obscuring our
view of the primaries which rested on top of the uppertail-coverts. Undertail-coverts were
typical Acrocephalus, long and fluffy. Tail all-dark, rounded.
Underparts. Whitish, with slightly buffish flanks.
Bare parts. Iris looked dark, possibly deep reddish-brown, but the sunlight was very strong
and it was difficult to assess exact shades. The bill looked of typical Acrocephalus length, with
a pale lower mandible (no dark tip was noted) and a dark upper. Bill shape was distinctive:
deeper, especially at the base, than in Reed Warbler A. scirpaceus and looking stouter, though
not as stout as that of Great Reed Warbler A. arundinaceus.
Voice. When it sat openly for a short while in the bushes it was heard calling a couple of
times: a soft ‘tjick’, with the last letter somewhere between ‘g’ and ‘k’. Such a call from an
Acrocephalus was new to both of us.
TS’s first impression was of Rufous Bushchat Cercotrichas galactotes because of
the strong facial pattern and the cocked tail, while EH thought it was an Acrocephalus
due to the brownish upperparts, size, and warbler-like movements (looking around
in all directions, and frequent nervous bobbing of the whole body). The head pat-
tern made us suspect Paddyfield Warbler A. agricola quite early, and after consult-
ing literature at home we confirmed the identification. Reed Warbler and Blyth’s
Reed Warbler A.dumetorum were excluded by the distinctive supercilium with dark
upper margin, short wing, stout bill, and call, and Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata
was ruled out by upperpart colour, tail shape, long undertail-coverts, and face
pattern. We are both familiar with Blyth’s Reed Warbler in good numbers from
Poland, Sweden, India, and the USSR, as well as with Marsh Warbler A. palustris
and Reed Warbler from the field and ringing. EH has seen Paddyfield in the USSR
and Pakistan and is familiar with both nominate caligata and rama Booted War-
blers from UAE, Pakistan, and the USSR.
Paddyfield Warbler breeds from the northern Black Sea and north Caspian re-
gions east across south-central Asia, wintering mainly in the Indian subcontinent
(Cramp 1992). The nearest breeding populations to Bahrain are in north-east Iran
(Hollom et al. 1988), but as the species is recorded during the breeding season in
eastern Turkey (M. Ullman in litt.) there is a possibility of other, unknown breed-
ing areas in (e.g.) Iran and Iraq. The only previous Arabian records are from Oman,
where a bird was found dead on Masirah island on 6 November 1979 and one was
recorded in the south of the country on 13 October 1984 (Oman Bird Records
Committee 1990); there is also a record from Eilat in October 1990 (Brit. Birds 1991,
84: 233-4).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are most grateful to Col. Darby of Airport Security for allowing us access to the fields.
TS’s stay in Bahrain was part of the Bahrain Wader Study and was possible thanks to the
generous support of Lufthansa German Airlines, DHL Express, International Aeradio plc,
111
Notes Sandgrouse 13
BAPCO, Budget Rent-a-car, Jawads Cold Stores, Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research,
Bahrain Norwich Winthertur Insurance Company, and Capt. R. J. Taylor.
REFERENCES
CRAMP, S. (ed.) (1992) The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. 6. Oxford University Press.
HOLLomM, P. A. D., PORTER, R. F., CHRISTENSEN, S., AND WILLIS, I. (1988) Birds of the Middle
East and North Africa: a companion guide. Poyser, Calton.
OMAN BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE (1990) Oman Bird List 3rd edn. OBRC, Muscat.
Erik Hirschfeld, c/o IAL, PO Box 144, Manama, Bahrain.
Tadeusz Stawarczyk, Museum of Natural History, Wroclaw University, Sienkiewicza 21,
50-335 Wroclaw, Poland.
112
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telephone 0442-890125 (office) or 081-5203943 (home).
SANDGRO LUISE Volume 13 Part 2
Contents
58 NADAV LEVY AND YORAM YOM-TOv
Activity and status of Cranes Grus grus wintering in Israel
73 REUVEN YOSEF
Breeding biology of the Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta in Israel
80 B. PAMBOUR AND A. R. A. AL KARRAIRY
Notes on the birds of the eastern Rub’ al Khali, Saudi Arabia
92 M. P. FRANKIS :
Krtiper’s Nuthatch Sitta krueperi and Turkish pine Pinus brutia: an
evolving association?
Notes
98 PETER L. MEININGER
Range extension of Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus in northern
Egypt
101 VINCENT VAN DEN BERK
Visible migration of Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus and Penduline
Tit Remiz pendulinus in southern Turkey
102 JOHN TEMPLE LANG AND MARK COCKER
A nest of Caucasian Black Grouse Tetrao mlokosiewiczi in Turkey
104 STEVEN M. GOODMAN AND C. VANCE HAYNES JR.
A Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea in the Egyptian Western
Desert
106 PER ALSTROM
A Radde’s Accentor Prunella ocularis from Oman reidentified as
Black-throated Accentor P. atrogularis
108 ERIK HIRSCHFELD
First record of Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta in Bahrain
110 ERIK HIRSCHFELD AND TADEUSZ STAWARCZYK
First record of Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola in Bahrain
ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
OF THE MIDDLE EAST
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