= ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST BULLETIN 32 SPRING 1994 OSME Bulletin 32 Spring 1994 Editor: H.D.V. Prendergast Designer H.I. Scott All records in this Bulletin are subject to acceptance by the relevant records committees of the country concerned. Any articles, announcements or requests to do with birds in the Middle East are welcome, and may be published free of charge, subject to the discretion of the Editor. Accompanying photographs and line-drawings are welcome. Bird names generally follow those of Birds of the Middle East and North Africa. Contributions to the next Bulletin should be received by 15 July 1994. They should preferably be double-spaced and typed. Articles on disk (3.5 or 5.25 inch only please) are welcome. Please include both formatted and ASCII files and a paper copy as well. Illustrations We are grateful to the following artists for the illustrations used in this Bulletin: R Hume: Sooty gulls (Cover) H K Mienis: Long-eared Owl 21; Spur-winged Plover 21; landsnail 21 per R.S.P.B. J Busby: Roseate Tern 43; Siskin 44; Dottere! 45; Reed Bunting 47 — Birds of the Tihamah coastal plains of Saudi Arabia Asad R. Rahmani, Mohammed Y. Shobrak & Stephen F. Newton Introduction Only during the last decade have check-lists (e.g. Jennings 1981, Stagg 1985, 1987), notes and papers (e.g. Green 1984, Stagg 1984a, 1984b, Gasperetti & Gasperetti 1981, Gallagher 1986, Symens 1988a, 1988b, Palfrey 1988), and books (e.g. Bundy et al. 1989) appeared about the avifauna of Saudi Arabia. Asa result of the establishment of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD), we hope that a better picture of the distribution and status of birds will gradually emerge. Except for the checklist of Stagg (1985) and some unpublished reports by P. Symens of NCWCD, we could find no other works specifically on the birds of southwest Saudi Arabia. Lees-Smith (1986) analyzed the composition of the avifauna of south-western Arabia (including Saudi Arabia and Yemen), whilst that of North Yemen has been studied by Cornwallis & Porter (1982), Phillips (1982) and Brooks et al. (1987) (also see papers in Sandgrouse volume 9). The Red Sea coastal plains of Saudi Arabia, known as the Tihamah, extend as a narrow belt from Khalij Al Aqabah to the northern border of Yemen. There is a transitional zone between the plains and the high escarpment mountains of Hejaz and Asir. The plains are very narrow in the north but widen to a varying extent in the south, with a maximum width of 40 km near Jizan. The low foothills of the escarpment which fringe the plain can be considered as a distinct physiographic sub-region, the hilly Tihamah. During studies on the highly endangered Arabian Bustard Ardeotis arabs from 1987 to 1992, the first two authors travelled extensively in the Tihamah coastal plains, mainly between Jeddah and Jizan, and made notes onall species of birds. Since most visits were in winter, we have few data on spring and autumn migration, or on summer breeders. Brief summer visits were made by the second author, with a concentration of observations near Kiyad, 20 km from Al Quz (Fig. 1), referred to as “our study area”. Observations made during the course of other fieldwork by the third author help to clarify the status of certain species. The sequence of species follows the order of Hollom et al. (1988). 1 RECYCLED & PAPER. Observations With the exception of very common species such as Black Kite or House Sparrow, we noted details each time a species was seen. The following scale of abundance Common. Usually found on each visit in suitable habitat was used: A = Abundant. Easily found in suitable habitat (& = U = Uncommon. Found after search | Cone Locally common R = Rare. Less than 10 sightings I = Indeterminate status ? Identity not fully confirmed or status unknown For abundant and common birds, dates and site names are generally not given, except when present at important or less known waterbodies (e.g. Wadi Alahssahbah) and in exceptionally large congregations. See Figure 1 for area map. Systematic list LITTLE GREBE Tachybaptus ruficollis C Probably resident on most permanent and semi-permanent pools and pits. Two ina stagnant pool in Wadi Dahaban 13 March 1989. One onasmall pit, withno vegetation, near Kamis Harb village 8 January 1992. Nearly 30, mostly paired, calling frequently, Malaki Dam near Jizan 8 February 1992. BROWN BOOBY Sula leucogaster C Fairly common, breeding on outer islands. Seen sitting on piers and rocky outcrops near sea shore (e.g. Al Qunfidhah 5 January 1992). Six birds continuously followed the ferry from Jizan to the Farasan Islands for titbits 10 February 1992. CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo U About 60 roosting on tree stumps in Malaki Dam 8 February 1992. WHITE PELICAN Pelecanus onocrotalus R Erratic winter visitor, perhaps becoming less frequent on the Tihamah. Six fishing in the sea near At-Tarfa 28 October 1987 and one on Malaki Dam 8 February 1992. Stagg (1985) found it tobe commonin the Muhayil area of Wadi Hali, but we did not see many in our area probably due to lack of large waterbodies. Meinertzhagen (1954) reported it to be common on both sides of the Red Sea in winter and Cornwallis & 2 Porter (1982) saw one over Bajil; Brooks et al. (1987) failed to record any during OSME Expedition in North Yemen. PINK-BACKED PELICAN Pelecanus rufescens C Seen in small groups (5-10) all over the Red Sea coast, the Farasan Islands and many inland waterbodies (e.g Malaki Dam, Wadi Alahssahbah, Wadi Hali). Stagg (1985) reported that it is only a summer visitor but we found it in all winter months or whenever we visited the coast. Jennings et al. (1982) discovered a breeding colony on islets off the coast near Qunfidhah and Al Lith. Other colonies are known in the Farasan Islands. BITTERN Botaurus stellaris U Perhaps reasonably common in suitable localities butits secretive nature makes it difficult to locate. Two sightings, both from Typha- fringed watercourse in Wadi Alahssahbah 8 March 1989 and 6 January 1992. NIGHT HERON Nycticorax nycticorax U Three records: heard coming in to water at night near Wadi Rim 8 January 1990; one adult and one immature in Al Kuffayrah December 1991; seven roosting among Tamarix in the backwaters of Malaki Dam 9 February 1992. AS SUFFAH KIYAD MAKHSHUSH HABIB BANI DEEP AD DARB WADI SEBLAL @ AL BARZAH _ SAUDI ARABIA OJEDDAH -” RS iw © MAKKAH Ma WP = WADI QUANONAH WADI QUARNAYN WADI HUMWAN WADI ARAMRAM WADI JANDALAH WADI SHESIA WADI DAHABAN WADI AL KUFFERAH WADI MISHRIF & DEHAN | WADI ALAHSSAHBAH eT-zXroa mmoaow»wp WADI AL LiTy AL LITHS. ; -WADIILYAB SAL BAHA AL MIKHWAH AL WASQAH )” AL MUZAYLIF@ : SABT AL JARAH Wabi AL QUNFIDHAH * KAMIS HARB ® VILLAGE a ee Oo CITY vary oe Fas RED SEA SAEEDHA® SH” +O MUHAYIL AMO ®& KAMIS MUSHAYT G. RAYDAH @ ALBIRKS 7 » WADI SHAHDAN * SaByA ‘ABU ARISH MALAKI DAM ° o Tene WADI JL SUWA t~) ZX ~ G oS, a a oe Qo FARASAN ISLANDS Figure 1. Map of the Tihamah coastal plains of Saudi Arabia. GREEN-BACKED HERON Butorides striatus C Apparently common in suitable wetlands but difficult to see due to secretive nature. One on the coast near Al Birk 8 January 1990 and one on the Farasan Islands 11 January 1992. SQUACCO HERON Ardeola ralloides C Numerous around Malaki Dam area 24-25 October 1987 and 8-9 February 1992 and a minimum of three in Wadi Alahssahbah 6 January 1992. Stagg (1985) reported it to be mainly an autumn migrant but our records indicate that many birds spend the whole winter in the Tihamah. CATTLE EGRET Bubulcus ibis A Ubiquitous, with flocks of 50-80 on rubbish dumps around villages. WESTERN REEF HERON Egretta gularis C Both colour phases commonly seen on the Red Sea coast. One dark individual seen with three white primaries at Al Birk 23: October 1987. Phillips (1982) reported one intermediate form from Yemen. Often inland at fresh water. One with 40 Little Egret in Wadi Quanonah 7 January 1992, about 20 km inland, another with flocks of Glossy Ibisin Malaki Dam 8 February 1992. LITTLE EGRET Egretta garzetta C Seenin most waterbodies. Fortyin Wadi Quanonah, with one Western Reef Heron. One individual seen in Al Kuffayrah from December 1991 to February 1992. Common in the backwaters of Malaki Dam 8-9 February 1992. GREY HERON Ardea cinerea C More than 90 sightings. Perhaps more easily observed than Purple Heron, so appears to be more .common. A nest with five chicks in Al Kuffayrah 15 April 1990. One carrying nest material in bill in Wadi Alahssahbah 6 January 1992; a Black Kite tried unsuccessfully to steal it, the heron finally resting in a large tree. Eight birds about 7 km from Al Qunfidhah on 4 May 1990, and up to 10ina small areain the backwaters of Malaki Dam 10 February 1992. Two on an islet in the Farasan Islands 11 February 1992. PURPLE HERON Ardea purpurea U Ten sightings, although probably more common than these indicate. One immature in Wadi Alahssahbah 6 January 1992 and another in Wadi Quanonah 7 January 1992. GOLIATH HERON Ardea goliath U Onein mangroves near Amgq 2 September 1992. Breeding has been recorded on the Farasan Islands (Jennings 1988). HAMERKOP Scopus umbretta C More than 50 sightings. Likely to be found in all suitable permanent or semi-permanent water bodies, sometimes within 100 m of human habitation (e.g. Wadi Humwan). Invariably nests near water. One nest seen on Doum Palm in Wadi Dahaban 13 March 1989. Two nests side by side on a rocky ledge overlooking a recently dried up pool in Wadi Qarnayn 2 January 1992. One nest was probably old and collapsed, while the other appeared new, with side entrance and a large roof. An old nest was found on a ledge in Al Kufferah, again over a permanent pool. A pair of Hamerkop was seen near the nest December 1991 but on three occasions a pair of Barn Owl was flushed from it. From 1 January 1992, the same pair of Hamerkop was seen building a new nest, about 200 m from the old one. One bird was on thenest continuously while the other collected nest material. BLACK STORK Ciconia nigra R Uncommon but regular winter visitor to the Tihamah. Generally single or in twos and threes. Eleven birds sitting on a hillock near Al Lith 15 October 1989. Three, with five Spoonbills and some waders, in a watercourse in Wadi Rim 8 January 1990. Single seen in Wadi Ilyab, about 30 km from the coast, between Al Lith and Al Wasqah 29 November 1991. WHITE STORK Ciconia ciconia U Regular Winter visitor, generally unmolested by hunters, hence quite tame. Seventeen, one with broken leg, on rubbish dump near Abu Arish 26 October 1987. Up to 100 at the same site on 8 February 1992. Next day, at 1230h, up to 300 flew from the rubbish dump and started soaring over Malaki Dam, about 10 km away. GLOSSY IBIS Plegadis falcinellus C Frequent in all sorts of waterbodies (e.g. Makkah waste water river, Alahssahbah and Hali) but 200-400 in the backwaters of Malaki Dam 8-9 January 1992 feeding on the standing crop of Sorghum. Due to good rains, water from the dam had inundated nearby crop fields. According to local residents, this bird does substantial damage to maize. Stagg (1985) found it to be a rare winter visitor and present only in the extreme southwest of the Tihamah of Saudi Arabia, but we found nearly 350 at a good feeding site. SPOONBILL Platalea leucorodia C More than 50 sightings. Seen in small parties all over the Red Sea coast and in any suitable inland wetland. More than 35 in a flock at Malaki Dam 8 February 1992. GREATER FLAMINGO Phoenicopterus ruber C More than 200 sightings on the coast of the Red Sea and also around the Farasan Islands. In Jizan, feeding on coast close to human habitation 25 October 1987 and about 200 in three flocks 26 November 1988. RUDDY SHELDUCK Tadorna ferruginea U Thirteen at Malaki Dam 9 February 1992; perhaps more elsewhere on the reservoir. Stagg (1985) did not record this species in the Tihamah, but Jennings (1981) did, near Jeddah in February. Brooks et al. (1987) recorded iton the Hodeidahsewagelagoons in Yemen. SHELDUCK Tadorna tadorna U Regular winter visitor to the Tihamah. Three on the coast near Saeedha 31 December 1991, and 21 loafing on bare, salt flats (sabkha) 7 km from Amgq 7 February 1992. Up to 50 estimated in the backwaters of Malaki Dam 8-9 February 1992; seen on every part of the reservoir. WIGEON Anas penelope U Seven at a stagnant pool in Wadi Dahaban 13 March 1989, 10-12 in Wadi Rim 8 January 1992 and nine in a temporary pool near Kiyad town 4 February 1992. Four pairs in the backwaters of Malaki Dam9 February 1992, probably more as the whole area could not be surveyed. COMMON TEAL Anas crecca C Fairly common in Alahssahbah 6 January 1992; 6 to 10in Al Kufferah December 1991-January 1992, and more than 50 on Malaki Dam 8-9 February 1992, perhaps many more because the whole backwater of the dam could not be surveyed. MALLARD Anas platyrhynchos C Regularly seen solitarily, in pairs or small flocks at many waterbodies. Seven (two males, five females) in Alahssahbah 8 March 1989. One female ona pool near the coast 31 December 1991, and another female in Al Kufferah 9 January 1992. PINTAIL Anas acuta C One of the most common ducks in Arabia. More than 1000 in Alahssahbah 6 January 1992, and similar numbers on Malaki Dam 8-9 February 1992. Small flocks on other waterbodies. GARGANEY Anas querquedula U Records from three sites: four birds found in all five visits to Al Kufferah between December 1991 and February 1992; one pair on a temporary pool close to Kiyad in Wadi Halli 4 February 1992; and up to ten, perhaps more, at Malaki Dam 9 February 1992. SHOVELER Anas clypeata C Occurs on both fresh and brackish waters. More than 50 sightings. About 100 scattered over the backwaters of Malaki Dam 8-9 February 1992. Up to 50 coming to roost in brackish pool adjoining sea wall in Jizan 9 February 1992; many more with Greater Flamingo in shallow seawater. POCHARD Avyihya ferina U Irregular winter visitor. One male and two females seen five times in December 1991 and January 1992 at Al Kufferah and five at Malaki Dam 9 February 1992. Stagg (1985) recorded this species only in December and Brooks et al. (1987) recorded it in January- February in Yemen Tihamah. FERRUGINOUS DUCK Aythya nyroca R Our only sighting was of two in Wadi Dahaban 13 March 1989. Symens (1987) saw 64 on2 November 1987 at Malaki Dam. TUFTED DUCK Aythya fuligula C Scarce winter visitor. A male on a small roadside pool between Ad Darb and Abha 21 December 1989, and another male in a brackish pool 9kmsouth of Al Birk 8 January 1990. Two pairs in Al Kufferah 9 January 1992 and more than sevenin the backwaters of Malaki Dam 9 February 1992. BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE Elanus caeruleus U We made two sightings of this conspicuous and easily recognized raptor, one ona telegraph wire near Wadi Shahdan 3 September 1991, and another hovering over a maize field near Malaki Dam 9 February 1992. Notreported by Stagg (1985), Cornwallis & Porter (1982), Phillips (1982) and Brooks et al. (1987). BLACK KITE Milvus migrans A Most ‘common raptor of the Tihamah. Sometimes hundreds seen on rubbish dumps (e.g. Al Guz). Roost of 150 counted on a pylon. Nests commonly seen on electricity poles. Breeding commences from the end of January. PALLAS’S FISH EAGLE Haliaeetus leucoryphus R Uncommon winter visitor. Two sightings only, one near Malaki Dam 25 October 1987 and another near Al Fareiq village, about 5 km from coast, between Kiyad and Amq 12 January 1992. EGYPTIAN VULTURE Neophron percnopterus A Most common vulture of the Tihamah. Hundreds of sightings. An oldnest located onJabal Asnamin Banideep area in December 1990. GRIFFON VULTURE Gyps fulvus C Common, but perhaps declining. Fewer noticed during the winter of 1991-92 than 1989-90 in our study area near Habib Banideep. One found paralyzed two days after spraying of pesticide on 25 July 1990. The population trend of this dimers needs monitoring. (BLACK VULTURE ? Aegypius monachus R) A bird, possibly of this species, soaring with two Griffons near Al Kufferah wetland 9 January 1992. Much larger and darker, with wedged-shaped tail. Jennings (1981) 6 considered it to be rare winter migrant to North Hejaz and Central Arabia, with only one record from Jeddah. Not reported by Stagg (1985) or Brooks et al. (1987). SHORT-TOED EAGLE Circaetus gallicus C More than 50 sightings during the course of the winter. Stagg (1985) reported that itis primarily a spring and autumn migrant, with substantial numbers passing in October, but added thatitisregularinsome areas although not seen in December. We have seen this bird more than 20 times in December in our study area, some individuals staying in the same area for many weeks. In one day in January 1992 we counted three eagles in a 10 km drive. BATELEUR Terathopius ecaudatus U Four sightings, including a pair in Wadi Rim. Brooks et al. (1987) found fiveindividuals at four sites in Yemen Tihamah. MARSH HARRIER Circus aeruginosus U Distribution restricted due to absence of suitable marshland in the Tihamah. However, regularly seen in winter in the backwaters of Malaki Dam and Wadi Alahssahbah. One immature female in the sabkha on Farasan Kabir 11 February 1992. (HEN HARRIER ? Circus cyaneus R) A female, possibly of this species, near Malaki Dam 20 March 1989. PALLID HARRIER Circus macrourus U Five sightings at four sites: one male in Wadi Al Lith 5 March 1989; onein Sabr Hali 12 March 1989; one 26 January 1990, anda male and female 29 January in Wadi Hamwan,; one male flying over sabkha near Saeedha 31 December 1991. DARK CHANTING GOSHAWK Melierax metabates C A common raptor of the Tihamah. Occasionally caught by local people ina mistaken belief thatitisa ‘falcon’ which can bring them a good price. On 30 January 1990 one bird with a small prey item (bird) was chasedby two Steppe Eagles. It released the prey, which flew away apparently unharmed. Both eagles tried to catch the bird butit escaped inasmall bush. GABAR GOSHAWK Micronisus gabar R Only a single sighting of a juvenile in Wadi Juwa 25 July 1991. According to Stagg (1985) it prefers thick vegetation and is therefore easily overlooked. Wadi Juwa is relatively well vegetated. BUZZARD Buteo buteo C? One definitely identified near Malaki Dam 24 October 1987. According to Brooks et al. (1987), North Yemenisanimportant flyway for this species in autumn. Between 14 October and 3 December 1985 they recorded 862 over or near the Tihamah foothills. LONG-LEGGED BUZZARD Buteorufinus C Frequently seen in the Tihamah. More than 30 sightings. One pair possibly nesting in Wadi Sablal 2 March 1989. SPOTTED EAGLE Aquila clanga U Uncommon winter visitor, possibly due to lack of suitable marshlands. Twice seen near Malaki Dam, 25 October 1987 and 8 February 1992: TAWNY AND STEPPE EAGLE Aquila rapax and A. nipalensis A Individuals of these species were not differentiated in our surveys. The former is a scarce breeding resident and the latter a common migrant winter visitor to all areas. They are the most common Aquila species in the Tihamah. Ten to fifteen frequently seen around garbage dumps where sheep/ goat carcasses are often _ left by local shepherds. IMPERIAL EAGLE Aquila heliaca U Perhaps common during autumn and spring migration but less than five sightings in winter. Two at different locations in Al Kufferah 2 February 1992, one scavenging with Brown-necked Raven and Black Kite on a goat carcass. This species was not reported by Stagg (1985) from the Tihamah plains. VERREAUX’S EAGLE Aquila verreauxii R A pair seen in Wadi Qarnayn 28 December 1991. Rock Hyrax Procavia syriaca, its main prey (Steyn 1982), locally abundant. Perhaps breeds in the area although we could not locate the nest. Reguiar breeding recorded in Wadi Turabah (Eichacker 1990), about 300 km north of Qarnayn. OSPREY Pandion haliaetus C Common at the coast and seen on every trip to sea. Nest found on an easily approached cliff ledge on Farasan Kabir 12 February 1992; neither egg nor chick was seen. A bird that had been sitting on the nest called and circled during its inspection. KESTREL Falco tinnunculus C The most common falcon on the Tihamah. More than - 100 sightings during winter months. Seen every day, sometimes 3-4ina10km transect drive. HOBBY Falcosubbuteo U Onenear Malaki Dam after sunset with prey 25 October 1987. Not reported by Stagg (1985), Phillips (1982) and Cornwallis & Porter (1982) but Brooks et al. (1987) reported a total of 23 individuals in North Yemen, mostly over the Tihamah, between 23 and 28 October 1985. SOOTY FALCON Falco concolor U Two records, one on Farasan Kabir 10 October 1990 and one on the coast near Al Lith September 1990. Gaucher et al. (1988) found three active nests and two old nests on a small island about 0.5 km from the mainland near Al Lith. LANNER Falco biarmicus C? Perhaps the most common large falcon on the Tihamah, and possibly also breeds. Single birds were recorded on five occasions during winter. One in Al Hussaini area of Farasan Kabir about 500 m from sea 12 February 1992. SAKER Falco cherrug C? The most sought- after bird by falconers. Large numbers caught near coast during autumn migration. Trapping banned on the Farasan Islands but still practiced on the mainland. The birds are taken to markets in Riyadh and Jeddah. PEREGRINE Falco peregrinus U Uncommon winter visitor. Only two records from our study area: one, possibly a male, in Sabr Hali 22 January 1990 and an immature sitting on Acacia in Al Guz 17 January 1991. One caught by falconers near Wadi Sirr 24 November 1988. BARBARY FALCON Falco pelegrinoides C Generally found in wadis near water. On 15 December 1989 one came flying just above the ground from about akilometre to attack a party of 11 Cream-coloured Coursers. The coursers crouched and remained motionless for more than30minutes, whilst the falcon was in the vicinity. ARABIAN RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE Alectoris melanocephala U A pair near the escarpment between Al Baha and Al Mikhwah 1 September 1991 . SAND PARTRIDGE Ammoperdix heyi C Most common partridge on the Tihamah. More than 50 sightings, mostly in pairs. In Wadi Sablal 8-10 pairs seen separately on rocky ledges 2 March 1989. InWadi Qarnayn five pairs in about 1 km 26 December 1991, one male chasing another for 300 m. Male displaying in Wadi Kheyam 13 March 1989. Two pairs about 10 m from each other in Wadi Shesia near Sabt Al Jarah area 8 January 1992. COMMON QUAIL Coturnix coturnix C Becomes more common once maize and millet grains start ripening by mid January. Regularly flushed, sometimes three or four together, from crop fields. Presence elsewheremuch dependent on local rainfall. From 28 January to 6 February 1992, after good rains, regularly flushed from a wadi in our study area. HELMETED GUINEAFOWL Numida meleagris C Locally commonin WadiJuwa, near Yemen border, due to protection by local people. Reported to beincreasing since NCWCD prohibited egg collection in 1987. Expanding into nearby areas. Ten seen ‘resting under bridge at 11.00h 26 July 1991 at the entrance of Wadi Juwa. Fifty-four seen in one morning on 26 July 1991 and 30 located in 12 km drive 8 February 1992. Six foraging 150 m from a busy school! MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus U Seenin all reed-covered waterbodies such as Alahssahbah 8 March 1989 and 8 January 1992 and Malaki Dam 9 February 1992. Very wary due to hunting pressure. COOT Fulicaatra U More widespread than Moorhen andalso seenon temporary pools. Numerous in Wadi Alahssahbah 18 March 1989 and 8 January 1992 but very wary, dashing into tall Typha at the slightest disturbance. Six on a stagnant pool in Wadi Dahaban 13 March 1989, and one in Al Kufferah from 17 to 23 December 1991. Three on a temporary pool, with about 30 ducks, in Wadi Hali near Kiyad in Hali 4 February 1992. COMMON CRANE Grus grus U Fairly regular winter visitor. One in flight over a stream north of Wadi Al Lith 7 March 1989. Hundreds of tracks of cranes (possibly this species) in open sandy area at Al Habira 12 March 1989; the flock had possibly stopped for a rest during migration. For 10 days in January 1992, four cranes, including a juvenile, were seen foraging near a recently abandoned bedouin camp in Sabr Hali (c. 10 km from Al Habira) near Wadi Hali. The birds were feeding on spilt barley grains (livestock feed). Calling was heard near Wadi Ilyab 26 November 1991 and 6 km north of Amq 31 December 1991. On two consecutive days 80 - 100 were counted in the backwaters of Malaki Dam February 1992. DEMOISELLE CRANE Anthropoides virgo U_ According to Jennings (1981) it is a common migrant on the Red Sea and Northern Hejaz. We saw one on Makkah waste water river 26 September 1990. HOUBARA Chlamydotis undulata R Fairly regular winter visitor in very small numbers. Birds or tracks seen each winter. Requires complete protection in the country. Precise locations are not given for security reasons. ARABIAN BUSTARD Ardeotis arabs R Extremely rare; population declining every year (Shobrak & Rahmani 1991). Still heavily persecuted. Needs urgent protection on the whole Tihamah. Five individuals seen in the winter of 1989-90 in our study area near Hali but none in the winter of 1991-92 (Rahmani & Shobrak 1992). We have also recorded bustards near Ad Darb and Al Lith. OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus ostralegus C Not uncommon on coast. Generally . solitary or in small groups. Regularly sighted in winter near Al Birk, Saeedha, Dahaban, Al Qunfidhah and Amq. BLACK-WINGED STILT Himantopus himantopus C Frequently seen in all types of waterbodies, even temporary pools formed after localized rains. A pair nesting near a temporary pool 7 km from Al Qunfidhah 4 May 1990. AVOCET Recurvirostra avosetta U Six foraging ina temporary pool on4 February 1992 near Kiyad in Wadi Hali; seven, possibly more, in the backwaters of Malaki Dam 9 February 1992. CRAB PLOVER Dromasardeola C Common resident (Stagg 1985), sighted onall visits to the Red Sea coast. STONE CURLEW Burhinus oedicnemus C More than 50 sightings. A flock of 100 seen roosting on a plateau near Qarnayn 28 December 1991. SPOTTED THICK-KNEE_ Burhinus capensis U A pair among Acacia in Al Lith 5 March 1989. A chick caught by local boys in Wadi Juwa 25 July 1991 and three seen in the same area 28 July 1991. A pair in the Saeedha area 1 January 1992. CREAM-COLOURED COURSER Cursorius cursor C Commonin groups of 5- 10 during winter. Roosts regularly among stony lavaareas. They appear tobe nomadic in our study area. For example, between 28 November 1991 and 14 January 1992 we made more than 11 sightings but, when we resumed studies 28 January, none were seen before we departed 14 February 1992. LITTLE RINGED PLOVER Charadrius dubius C Found by all sorts of pools and running streams. More than 50 sightings. Notrecorded by Cornwallis & Porter (1982) from Yemen Tihamah but Brooks et al. (1987) recorded 32 between 13 October and 2 December 1985. RINGED PLOVER Charadrius hiaticula C More common on coast, but a few seen inland also (e.g. Al Kufferah 23 December 1991). Stagg (1985) foundit tobe particularly common in winter. He saw flocks of more than 50 throughout November at wetlands in the highlands of Kamis Mushayt. KENTISH PLOVER Charadrius alexandrinus C Very common in sabkha. Flocks of up to 50, many resting beside Suaeda bushes on Farasan Islands 10 February 1992. LESSER SAND PLOVER Charadrius mongolus C Winter visitor. All 20 sightings on the coast. Four foraging in sabkha near Amg 7 February 1992. | GREATER SAND PLOVER Charadrius leschenaultii R One, with Lesser Sand Plovers, on the coast near Al Birk 8 January 1990 and another near Dahaban 9 January 1990. Stagg (1985) found it to be very common on the coast throughout the year. GREY PLOVER Pluvialis squatarola C Common in small numbers on the coast in winter. More than 50 sightings. SPUR-WINGED PLOVER Hoplopterus spinosus C More than 50 sightings. From 19 - 25 December 1991 up to 40 seen under Acacia trees within Kiyad town. Stagg (1985) found it to be rare but we found it be fairly common all over the Tihamah near watercourses. Cornwallis & Porter (1982) saw up to 10 together in the Hodeidah area in the Yemen Tihamah and Brooks et al. (1987) considered it to breed there; breeding is also suspected on certain parts of the Saudi Arabian Tihamah. WHITE-TAILED LAPWING Vanellus leuacurus U Uncommon due to lack of marshlands. Three in Wadi Alahssahbah 6 January 1992, but perhaps could be many more because the whole length of this long wadi was not surveyed. Up to seven in a small part of inundated crop fields on Malaki Dam 8-9 February 1992. Brooks et al. (1987) recorded it mostly on flooded areas of cultivation on the Yemen Tihamah. LITTLE STINT Calidris minuta C Very common on the coast, less so on inland waters. Seen with Temminck’s Stint and other smaller waders. TEMMINCK’S STINT Calidris temmincki C Less common than the Little Stint. CURLEW SANDPIPER Calidris ferruginea C Fairly common on most parts of the coast. Numerous on Farasan Kabir, with Dunlin, stints and Turnstone 11 February 1992. DUNLIN Calidris alpina C? In winter generally found on coasts but we saw 10-15 on the backwaters of Malaki Dam 25 October 1987. Stagg (1985) also recorded it inland over protracted periods. RUFF Philomachus pugnax U Apparently a common winter visitor. The earliest record is 4 September 1991 near Amq. Hundreds in the backwaters of Malaki Dam 8-9 February 1992. Stagg (1985) considered ita common passage migrant but scarce winter visitor. We suspect that it winters on the Tihamah insuitable habitats suchas Malaki Dam. JACK SNIPE Lymnocryptes minimus U Restricted mainly due to lack of suitable habitat. One definitely seen on a marshy area on Malaki backwaters 8 February 1992. SNIPE Gallinago gallinago U Probably more common than the previous species. Also found at non-marshy sites, such as Al Kufferah where one or two always seen during December 1991 and January 1992. Other records from Wadi Alahssahbah 6 January 1992 and Malaki backwaters 8-9 February 1992. BLACK-TAILED GODWIT Limosa limosa A Locally abundant. Seen both inland and on the coast. Up to 30 in a loose flock on the coast between Amq and Al Birk 7 February 1992. More than 350 feeding on Sorghum, with Glossy Ibis, in thebackwaters of Malaki Dam 8-9 February 1992. Stagg (1985) reported that it winters in small numbers, and Brooks et al. (1987) also found it to bea 10 scarce winter visitor and passage migrant on the coast and inland waters of Yemen. BAR-TAILED GODWIT Limosa lapponica C Common winter visitor on the coast. WHIMBREL Numenius phaeopus C Common everywhere on the coast, especially near Jeddah, Al Birk and on the Farasan Islands. More than 50 sightings, mainly of single birds. Frequently chased off by Curlew. CURLEW Numenius arquata C Very common all along the coast. Highly territorial, frequently seen chasing each other and displacing Whimbrel. REDSHANK Tringa totanus C Very common winter visitor to all sorts of waterbodies, but especially common on the coast. More than 100 sightings. Sometimes seen in temporary rainwater pools in the middle of the desert. MARSH SANDPIPER Tringa stagnatilis C Common by freshwater in winter, generally in twos or threes. More than 50 sightings. Likely to occur at any running stream or pool. More than 10 seen in Malaki backwaters 8 February 1992. GREENSHANK [Tringa nebularia C Common on both fresh water and at the coast. More than 100 sightings. GREEN SANDPIPER Tringa ochropus U Twonear Jizanin newly irrigated crop fields 20 March 1989, one in Wadi Alahssahbah 6 January 1992 and three in the backwaters of Malaki Dam 8-9 February 1992. Not recorded from the coast. WOOD SANDPIPER Tringa glareola U One in a stream in Wadi Alahssahbah 8 March 1989 and anotherinanewly irrigated crop field near Jizan 20 March 1989. TEREK SANDPIPER Xenus cinereus C Common on the coast of Farasan Kabir. Up to 15 , with Curlew Sandpiper, stints, and Turnstone, at Masilah near Wadi Baysh 11 February 1992. COMMON SANDPIPER Tringa hypoleucos C More seen at coast than fresh water. Common and widespread winter visitor. More than 50 sightings. TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres C Very common on the mainland coast and on Farasan Kabir. Very common in winter on Jeddah sea coast near Corniche, possibly attracted to food left by picnickers. SOOTY GULL Larus hemprichii A Abundant along the coast, especially near fishing villages. Noisy, confiding and bold, often coming to within 1 m of people. Hundreds at the garbage dump of Al Birk. WHITE-EYED GULL Larus leucophthalmus C Common but less so than the Sooty Gull in the Al Birk area where there were more than 600 Sooty Gulls and about 150 White- eyed Gulls 8 January 1990. GREAT BLACK-HEADED GULL Larus ichthyaetus R Only two records, both from Al Birk, 22 October 1987 and 13 March 1989. Stagg (1985) recorded a single bird from Kamis Mushayt, and Cornwallis & Porter (1987) saw two adults and two immatures near Hodeidah in Yemen. BLACK-HEADED GULL Larus ridibundus A Common winter visitor to all sorts of waters, but mostly on sea shores. Seventy sitting on damp ground near asmall pool of water, 1 km from Amq 29 December 1991. Two groups (114 and 150+) roosting near a lagoon in Jizan 9 February 1992. Abundant on Farasan Kabir 10 February 1992. Stagg (1985) noticed that, with the increase in inland waters, there is a noticeable movement away from the coast and a tendency for sedentary winter occupation of favoured inland haunts. SLENDER-BILLED GULL Larus genei U Uncommon, five birds at Jizan 10 February 1992. Stagg (1985) found it in the extreme southwest of Saudi Arabia. It was reported by Phillips (1982) Cornwallis & Porter (1982) and Brooks et al. (1987) from Yemen. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus fuscus C Acommon winter visitor all along 11 the coast. Bold and tame. Many followed ferry between Jizan and Farasan Islands 10 February 1992. GULL-BILLED TERN Gelochelidon nilotica U Mainly seen on fresh waters, such as Malaki backwaters where five 9 February 1992. CASPIAN TERN Sterna caspia C Fairly common on the coast, uncommon inland. Resident, augmented by migrants in winter. Recorded in January, February, July, October and December. SWIFT TERN Sterna bergii C Another common tern of the Red Sea coast. Very common near A] Birk 22 October 1987. LESSER CRESTED TERN Sterna bengalensis C Very common on the coast but none seen at inland waters. BROWN NODDY Anous stolidus C 100 flying together near Amgq 31 July 1991. LICHTENSTEIN’S SANDGROUSE Pterocles lichtensteinii U Generally seen in pairs or small parties of 5-6 individuals, maximum nine. Seven out of 12 sightings were of pairs. A pair with two juveniles in Wadi Aramram 17 March 1989. Stagg (1985) found it to be a breeding resident in the foothill region only. We regularly saw this species in the wadis of Sabr Hali near Kiyad, about 10 km from the hills, and suspect that it breeds on the Tihamah coastal plains. CHESTNUT-BELLIED SANDGROUSE Pterocles exustus A The most common sand grouse of the Tihamah. More than 100 sightings, generally in flocks of 10 to 50 individuals. Tracks of two chicks with parents, and one nest with three eggs and male incubating at 17.45 h 10 March 1989. Roost found on bare lava in Sabr Hali area. Flocks coming from all directions to roostat 17.07 h 2 January 1990. Remained at roost evenafter sunrise. Go to water around 09.00 h (e.g. Wadi Alahssahbah and Al Kufferah). ROCK DOVE Columbia livia C Common near mountains. AFRICANCOLLARED DOVE Streptopelia roseogrisea A Abundantaround settlements, feeding on fallen barley grains around shepherds’ houses. Perhaps increasing due to spread of cultivation and subsidized barley. On 14 March 1989, flocks of 40 to 100 birds, perhaps of this species, came from mangrove and flew towards mountains. Three flocks of >20 birds near Wadi Rim 18 March 1989. Display seen from first week of January. Nest foundin Ziziphus spina-christi. RED-EYED DOVE Streptopelia semitorquata U Onerecord from the well-vegetated Wadi Dehan 25 October 1987. Brooks et al. (1987) recorded it in the better vegetated areas of the Yemen Tihamah. TURTLE DOVE Streptopelia turtur U One sighting only between Wadi Rim and Wadi Jandalah 2 November 1987. PALM DOVE Streptopelia senegalensis A Another abundant species of the Tihamah. Very common in Tamarix and Prosopis groves around Malaki Dam 8-9 February 1992: NAMAQUADOVE Oena capensis C Found throughout the Tihamah plains. YELLOW-BELLIED GREEN PIGEON Treron waalia U Perhaps uncommon on the Tihamah due to scarcity of fruiting trees. Only four sightings, allin dense, leafy trees. Common in Wadi Juwa; a pair seen on top of Salvadora and another bird collecting nest material froma fallen Dobera tree 8 February 1992. Nest was in a dense Ziziphus spina- christi. RING-NECKED PARAKEET Psittacula krameri U Twosightings: seven near Wadi Fatima inan orchard 3 March 1989, andone near Al Lith 5 March 1989. Certainly escapees but now reported to be well established and breeding in the wild. JACOBIN CUCKOO Clamator jacobinus U One of typical type 29 July 1991 in Wadi Juwa. 12 GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO Clamator glandarius U Asingle record on 2 February 1990 from our study area. According to Jennings (1981) it is an uncommon migrant inthe westernregion, butpossibly breeding as summer visitor in the Asir. and Hejaz. Stagg (1985) mentionedasinglerecord from the foothills of Wadi Hiswainearly August. WHITE-BROWED COUCAL Centropus superciliosus LC Common in Wadi Juwa and Wadi Dehan. In 12 km drive in Wadi Juwa 8 February 1992 we saw/heard four birds and on thesame day birdswere heard / seen in four different spots around Malaki Dam. Prefers dense vegetation. Frequently heard in Tamarix and Prosopis thickets. BARN OWL Tyto alba U A pair was flushed from a Hamerkop’s nest in Al Kufferah on three occasions January- February 1992. Onebirdin Wadi Qarnayn2 February 1992. All birds were of the white- breasted race. SPOTTED EAGLE OWL Buboafricanus U Two adults and three juveniles in Al Kufferah 27 July 1990. One flying at 18.45 h among Salvadora clumps in Saeedha area 31 December 1991 and a pair in dense canopy in a shaded portion of Wadi Qarnayn 2 February 1992. NUBIAN NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus nubicus C? Often flushed from Panicum clumps in wadis. Five times flushed from the same spot in December and January. Seen from November to February in our study area. Stagg (1985) consideredita summer visitor, breeding in the lowland areas of the region. Meinertzhagen (1954) found it resident on the Red Sea coast, Ash (quoted by Cornwallis & Porter 1982) recorded it in Yemen Tihamah in December, and Beaman & Madge (1980) in April. We think that it winters in small numbers on the Tihamah. EGYPTIAN NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus aegyptius U? One found crushed on vehicle track in our study area 26 December 1991. ALPINE SWIFT Apus melba C Rather erratic occurrence, sometimes seen for three or four days in the study area, flying over crop fields in loose flocks of 30-40 birds, then disappearing for a week or fortnight. WHITE-RUMPED SWIFT Apus caffer R One record only from our study area 22 March 1989. First recorded from Arabia by Cornwallis & Porter (1982). Not seen by Stagg (1985), Phillips (1982) or Brooks et al. (1987). LITTLE SWIFT Apus affinis C Found around settlements in many parts of the Tihamah. Stagg (1985) found to it be a localized breeding resident throughout the region but most numerous in the highlands of Asir. PALM SWIFT Cypsiurus parvus C Locally common e.g Wadi Rim 18 March 1989, Wadi Mishrif near Wadi Juwa 20 March 1989, Saeedha 31 December 1991 where Doum Palm Hyphaene thebaica present. GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER Halcyon leucocephala U One in Wadi Juwa 27 July 1991 and five separately in a small waterbody in Wadi Dehan near the Yemen border 27 July 1991. WHITE-THROATED BEE-EATER Merops albicollis U Common in Wadi Juwa 25-30 July 1991, frequently following foraging Guineafowls to catch flushed insects. Not recorded during winter in Juwa. Cornwallis & Porter (1982) reported breedingin Yemen Tihamah. Stagg (1985) found it to be locally common, nesting in colonies of 20-30 pairs. LITTLE GREEN BEE-EATER Merops orientalis C The most common bee-eater, seen in all months. Only cyanophrys subspecies noted. Generally found near wadis, but move into deserts following the rains. Large numbers congregate when migratory dragonflies are passing. Nest hole excavation noted 21 December 1991. BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER Merops superciliosus U Uncommon. Three sightings: one in Habib Banideep 10 March 1989, one near Jizan 20 March 1989 and one ina large 13 maize field near Al Guz 8 January 1992. Stagg (1985) found it to bea spring passage migrant, often in very large numbers, but our sightings suggest overwintering. Brooks et al. (1987) thought that a few individuals of the nominate East African race may winter in southwest Arabia. ROLLER Coracias garrulus U Spring and autumn passage migrant in small numbers (Stagg 1985). Recorded 24-25 October 1987 in the Jizan and Abu Arish areas. ABYSSINIAN ROLLER Coracias abyssinicus C Very common in cultivated areas of Tihamah. Between Kiyad and Hali (3 km) five or six seen on telegraph lines December - February 1992. HOOPOE Upupa epops C More than 50 sightings. Display calls heard and birds seen chasing each other in January. Mating seen 7 March1989. Although resident, there aresome local movements. Generally found in vegetated wadis. GREY HORNBILL Tockus nasutus C More than 50 records. Mostly seen in wooded Wwadis, sometimes within settlements. Twelve around fruiting Capparis decidua in Kiyad town29 December 1991. A pair found feeding on grubs from a goat carcass near Habib Banideep village 1 February 1992. In the backwaters of Malaki Dam, three eating ripe Sorghum grains from semi-prostrate plants. WRYNECK Jynx torquilla U Only one record, feeding on the ground ina Prosopis thicket near Malaki Dam 9 February 1992. Not recorded by Stagg (1985) from the Tihamah plains, although Cornwallis & Porter (1982) founditin the Yemen Tihamah 12 March. ARABIAN WOODPECKER Dendrocopus dorae U Uncommon on the plains. Only one confirmed record from a small wadi near Wadi Rim among Acacia 1 November 1987. Small circular holes, possibly made by this species, seen in many dead and living Doum Palms in Wadi Rim 1989. Mainly a highland species. SINGING BUSH LARK Mirafra cantillans U Five to ten singing near crop fields near Malaki Dam 9 February 1992. Stagg (1985) did not record this species, but Brooks et al. (1987) had 131 records from the eastern Tihamah of Yemen, generally from agricultural fields. Most were singing males. Cornwallis & Porter (1982) also found many in crop fields. BLACK-CROWNED FINCH LARK Eremopterix nigriceps A Most common resident lark of the Tihamah. Moves in large numbers with the rains. Display noticed from January onwards, depending on rainfall pattern. After winter rains and greening of ground cover, large flocks of up to 100 individuals. Chicks found in our study area on 18 May 1990. Seen on the Farasan Islands 10-11 February 1992. DESERT LARK Ammomanes deserti U Six in gravel area near Ad Darb 2 November 1987 and one on a rocky hillock in a wadi near Sabt Al Jarah 8 January 1992. HOOPOE LARK Alaemon alaudipes U A bird typical of very dry regions. On the Tihamah present only in extremely arid and desolate areas e.g. Al Lith. Fairly common near Ad Darb 2 November 1989. Active in the hottest part of the day. Present on the Farasan Islands, where it appears to be darker thaninland of the Asir mountains, with more streaks on the breast thanshown in Hollom et al. (1988). BIMACULATED LARK Melanocorypha bimaculata U Passage migrant. Five to ten seen with 100-150 Lesser Short-toed Larks on 5 March 1989 in Wadi Al Lith. Not recorded by Stagg (1985), Phillips (1982) or Cornwallis & Porter (1982). Brooks et al. (1987) reported two at Taizz sewage lagoon in Yemen 19 November 1985. Symens (1987) reported many from the Jizan area in October - November 1987. LESSER SHORT-TOEDLARK Calandrella rufescens U? A flock of 100-150 in Al-Lith5 March 1989 foraging on a bare area near bedouin camps with some spilled water present. Many unidentified larks on passage were possibly this species and/or Short- 14 toed Larks C. brachydactyla. Stagg (1985) found asustained passage southwards past Amgq for two days in March. CRESTED LARK Gealerida cristata C Common throughout the Tihamah especially in cultivated areas but rarely found in very dry areas. Not seen in Banideep area during October - November but they appeared with the rains and the start of cultivation in December, at first in small numbers but by the end of January they were common in most fields. Always found in Saeedha area where there are some permanent crop fields. SAND MARTIN Riparia riparia U On migration 13 March 1989 in Wadi Dehan. Not recorded by Stagg (1985). SWALLOW Hirundo rustica C Irregular sightings in winter. Six flying east 6 February 1992 in our study area. On 11 February 1992 on Farasan 15 flying just above ground near six Egyptian Vultures feeding on a donkey carcass. RED-RUMPED SWALLOW Hirundo daurica U Tento12 near Ad Darb 18 March 1989 and 12-15 flying over open fields near Malaki Dam 9 February 1992. Stagg (1985) found them mainly in the Asir highlands but Brooks et al. (1987) found them both present on the Yemen coast and in the highlands. TAWNY PIPIT Anthus campestris A Very common in open sandy areas, especially where Dipterygium and Heliotropium were growing. LONG-BILLED PIPIT Anthus similis C Common, with similar habitat preference to the Tawny Pipit. YELLOW WAGTAIL Motacilla flava U Prefers edges of water so distribution restricted in the Tihamah but found wherever suitable damp areas present, e.g. irrigated fields. Mainly feldegg subspecies observed. Up to 20 in a stream in Sablal 2 March 1989; also recorded at Al Lith and Alahssahbah in the same month. GREY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea C Common winter visitor. In our study area 25-30 foraging in a dry Sorghum field on insects disturbed by farmers 11 January 1990. WHITE WAGTAIL Motacilla alba C More than 50 records. Likely to be seen in all suitable habitats in the Tihamah. One on the Farasan Islands 11 February 1992. YELLOW-VENTED BULBUL Pycnonotus xanthopygos A Very common throughout the Tihamah and generally seen in pairs. Up to 15 noticed around fruiting Salvadora and Capparis bushes. One pair on the Farasan Islands 10 February 1992. GREY HYPOCOLIUS Hypocoliusampelinus U In our study area about 30 in one flock sitting and calling on top of tall (>3 m) Euphorbia bushes 18 December 1991. The area had >50 Euphorbia bushes but practically no ground cover. All flew off south together. RUFOUS BUSH ROBIN Cercotrichas galactotes U Only two records from the coastal plains, Wadi Rim 17 March 1989 and Habib Banideep 20 April 1989. Recorded on all of four days spent in Abha (altitude 2,000 m) August 1991. BLACK BUSH ROBIN Cercotrichas podobe C Common throughout the Tihamah near thickets, vegetated wadis and bushes in the study area. One pair building a nest 17 July 1991. On the Farasan Islands one bird among Salvadora bushes in an abandoned farm in Al Hussaini area 12 February 1992. Most birds were paired even during winter. BLACKSTART Cercomela melanura A Very common throughout the Tihamah. More than 100 sightings. Most records from vegetated wadis and foothills, not found in open areas. WHINCHAT Saxicola rubetra U One bird Wadi Alahssahbah 8 March 1989. Not seen in winter. According to Stagg (1985) it is a passage migrant and scarce winter visitor. STONECHAT Saxicola torquata C Five records between December and March. A pair foraging together in Wadi Alahssahbah 6 January 1992; male and female seen in the same area at Malaki Dam 8-9 February 1992. ISABELLINE WHEATEAR Oenanthe isabellina C Seen in varying numbers throughout the winter. Three records in March in different areas. RED-BREASTED WHEATEAR Oenanthe bottae U Four records: Wadi Sablal 2 March 1989; Wadi Hali 21 March 1989; one 5 km from Banideep September 1989 and another in our study area 14 December 1989. Not recorded by Stagg (1985), Cornwallis & Porter (1982) and Phillips (1982) from the coastal Tihamah region as this species generally lives in highlands, although our records show thatsomeindividuals may be wintering at low elevations. BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR Ocenanthe hispanica R Black-eared morph: recorded at Wadi Hali 22 March 1989 and east of Banideep 18 December 1991. Black-throated morph: four records: Al Lith 5 March 1989, Wadi Al Ghall 7 March 1989, Alahssahbah 8 March 1989 and our study area 22 March 1989. Passage migrant. DESERT WHEATEAR Oenenthe deserti C The most common wheatear in winter on the Tihamah. Hundreds of sightings. One male on the Farasan Islands 11 February 1992. An adult and a juvenile male seen fighting 5 January 1992; two females in the vicinity. RED-TAILED WHEATEAR Oenanthe xanthoprymna chrysopygia U Two in Wadi Al Lith near the foothills at500m 13 January 1992. According to Jennings (1981) it is an uncommon winter visitor to all areas except Asir, the Tihamah and southern Red Sea, but Stagg (1985) founditan extremely scarce winter visitor to the highlands of Asir. MOURNING WHEATEAR Oenanthe lugens persica U A highly territorial male seen 26 December 1989, foraging actively on bare, rocky hillside and frequently 15 chasing pipits. SOUTH ARABIAN WHEATEAR Oenanthe lugens lugentoides U Uncommon resident and winter migrant on the coastal plains, though common in the mountains. Onein Wadi Hali 22 March 1989, another in the Al Hussaini area of the Farasan Islands. HOODED WHEATEAR Oenanthe monacha S Sixrecords, allin March, indicating spring passage. WHITE-CROWNED BLACK WHEATEAR Cenanthe leucopyga S One record from Wadi Hadda Al-Sham near Al Barzah 2 March 1989. BLUE ROCK THRUSH Monticola solitarius C Common winter visitor. Three seen in 3 km in Wadi Qarnayn 2 January 1992. Ten other records, all from hillsides with boulders. FAN-TAILED WARBLER Cisticola juncidis C Commoninagricultural areas. Numerous sightingsin Wadi Dehannear Yemenborder 29 August 1991. Four malesseen displaying near the backwaters of Malaki Dam 8-9 February 1992. GRACEFUL WARBLER Prinia gracilis C Fairly common in mesic wadis (e.g. Alahssahbah, Mishrif, Malaki Dam) and around cultivated fields with hedges and thickets. Males displaying above Typha beds in Wadi Alahssahbah 5 January 1992 and numerous singing males in crop fields in the backwaters of Malaki Dam8-9 February 1992. One among thicket on Farasan Kabir 10 February 1992. SCRUB WARBLER Scotocerca inquieta C Common among Tamarix thickets in Wadi Al Lith; many males displaying 5 March 1989. Frequently seen in wadis with low vegetation. DESERT WARBLER Sylvia nana nana C Common on the Tihamah. Two seen on the Farasan Islands 11-12 February 1992. ARABIAN WARBLER Sylvia leucomelaena C Seven sightings, three in March, four between November and January, mostly in wooded wadis. 16 LESSER WHITETHROAT Sylvia curruca curruca U One Wadi Alahssahbah 8 March 1989, one in our study area 5 January 1992. DESERT LESSER WHITETHROAT Sylvia curruca minula U One near Jandalah 3 November 1987. WHITETHROAT Sylvia communis U One on the Farasan Islands 10 February 1992. CHIFFCHAFF Phylloscopus collybita U Only confirmed record from Wadi Juwa 26 October 1987. Phylloscopus spp. Many Phylloscopus warblers were seen during the surveys but were not identified to species. SPOTTED FLYCATCHER Miuscicapa striata U One inside a large roadside hotel near Al Muzalif hawking insects attracted to light 4 November 1987; one in Wadi Alahssahbah 8 March 1989. ARABIAN BABBLER Turdoides squamticeps C Common in vegetated wadis and cultivated areas throughout the Tihamah. More than 100 sightings. Flock size varied from three to 12 individuals. Flocks appear tobelargerin more mesic habitats e.g. Wadi Juwa and Malaki Dam area. NILE VALLEY SUNBIRD Anthreptes metallicus A Most common sunbird on the Tihamah. Hundreds of sightings. Display seen from December. Two chicks in Wadi Juwa 8 February 1992. SHINING SUNBIRD Nectarinia habessinica C Fairly commonaround flowering Capparis decidua and Aloe. Stagg (1985) stated that it isa common but localized breeder between 600-1500 m, while Brooks et al. (1987) found it to be common from 100-2,200 m. We regularly saw it in winter on Capparis in Kiyad at 120 m elevation. ORANGE-TUFTED SUNBIRD Nectarinia osea U Only two records: a pair on Acacia flowers in Wadi Sablal 2 March 1989 and another near Wadi Al Lith 6 March 1989. Common breeding resident above 1,500 m, scarce at lower levels (Stagg 1985). Brookset al. (1987) recorded 314 from the Tihamah foothills to the highland plateau (250-2,800 m) in Yemen. ISABELLINE SHRIKE Lanius isabellinus C Frequently seen in Acacia wadis in winter. Hundreds of records from our study area. RED-BACKED SHRIKE Lanius collurio U Tworecords, one from Jandalah3 November 1987, and another from our study area 20 April 1990. According to Stagg (1985) itis a spring and autumn passage migrant. BAY-BACKED SHRIKE Lanius vittatus S One record in April 1989. First record from the Tihamah. Other Arabian Peninsula records are from the Batinah of Oman 29 April 1979 (Gallagher & Woodcock, 1980) and from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (Richardson, 1990). Jennings (1981) ‘mentioned an unconfirmed record from Dhahran. The first author is very familiar with this bird in India. GREAT GREY SHRIKE Lantus excubitor A The most common shrike of the Tihamah. Prefers more open areas than the Isabelline Shrike, especially open Acacia woodlands. Hundreds of records. MASKED SHRIKE Lanius nubicus U One record from winter and six from spring. One male in Wadi Shesia, sitting inside branches of Ziziphus near a running stream in a wooded wadi. INDIAN HOUSE CROW Corvus splendens C Now common and a great nuisance in Jeddah. BROWN-NECKED RAVEN Corvus ruficollis C Common all over the Tihamah especially around bedouin settlements. Frequently seen scavenging at carcasses along with vultures and kites. AMETHYST STARLING Cinnyricinclus leucogaster U Seen only in spring and autumn on migration. First sighting of a male, repeatedly calling, in Wadi Aramram 17 March 1989. From 25 August to 1 September 1991 it was seen every day in Wadi Juwa. 17 COMMON MYNAH Acridotheris tristis U One, possibly witha nest, in Makkah city on traffic light February 1989. Certainly an escape. Well established in Jeddah with the population increasing every year. HOUSE SPARROW Passer domesticus A Common throughout the Tihamah. ARABIAN GOLDEN SPARROW Passer euchlorus A Abundant in all agricultural areas of the Tihamah. Moving with rains and growth of crops, especially maize and millet. Mixed species flocks of 100-300 Arabian Golden and House Sparrows seen around Habib Banideep on ripening crops by January. Small, untidy, globular nest in Acacia. Sometimes one tree may have up to 10 nests. By March most males are in full breeding plumage although some males can be seen in breeding plumage by early February. It is abundant in the Yemen Tihamah (Bowden 1987). RUPPELL’S WEAVER Ploceus galbula A Hundreds of sightings. Abundant around cultivated fields in the Tihamah. Extremely common around the backwaters of Malaki Dam 8-9 February 1992. Mixed flocks with Arabian Golden Sparrows. Nesting depends on local conditions but may start as early as mid January. Nesting colonies invariably near water. However, may nest near crop fields after good rainfall e.g. January 1992, when males building nests on Acacia near crop fields in Habib Banideep; no standing water for many kilometres. Nest seen on Dobera, Hyphaene thebaica, Ziziphus or any tree, not necessarily on thorny species, with a few nests even on Salvadora. Fledgling seen 8 March 1989. AFRICAN SILVERBILL Euodice cantans C Another common small passerine of cultivated regions of the Tihamah. Most sightings around agricultural fields but often in wooded wadis feeding on 'seeds' of Panicum and Pennisetum grasses. HOUSE BUNTING Enmberiza striolata C Fairly common in wadis and on rocky hillocks but less common than the next species. CINNAMON-BREASTED ROCK CRETZSCHMAR’S BUNTING Emberiza BUNTING Enmiberiza tahapisi A Very caesia R Cne male positively identified in common in suitable rocky areas, e.g. Wadi Wadi Sablal 2 March 1989. Stagg (1985), Quarnayn and Wadi Juwa. Generaily seen Cornwallis & Porter (1982) and Brooks et ai. in pairs. In Wadi Juwa and around Malaki (1987) have not reported this species from Dam nest material being gathered2January the Yemen Tihamah, but Hollometai. (1988) 1992, and by 8-9 February 1992 all birds _ stated that itis a rare migrant to southwest either singing or collecting nest material. Arabia. Acknowledgements Our deep gratitude goes to HRH Prince Saud Al Faisal and Dr. Abdulaziz Abuzinada (Secretary General NCWCD) for their encouragement and supportat all stages of this work. We wish to thank all the staff at NWRC and the villagers of Habib Banideep fox their help and cooperation. Finally, we wish to acknowledge the help of C. Abdul Rahman, Mohammed Basheer and Mohammed Kunhi of NWEC for help in the production of this paper and of Anne Newton for editing and revising earlier versions of the manuscript. References BEAMAN, M. AND MADGE, S.C. (1980) Check-list of Birds seen in North Yemen during April 1980, on an Expedition organized by Sunbirds Holiday Ltd. Cyclostyled manuscript. BOWDEN, C. G. (1987) The Arabian Golden Sparrow in North Yemen. Sandgrouse 9: 94-97. 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. BUNDY, G., CONNOR, R. J. AND HARRISON, C. J. O. (1989) Birds of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. H. F. & G. Witherby, London. CORNWALLIS, L. AND PORTER, R. F. (1982). Spring observations on the birds of North Yemen. Sandgrouse 4 : 1-36. EICHACKER, X. (1990) First breeding record of Verreaux’s Eagle Aquila verreauxi in Saudi Arabia. Sandgrouse 12: 53-54. GALLAGHER, M.D. AND WOODCOCK, M..W. (1980) The Birds of Oman. Quartet Books, London. GASPERETTI, J. AND GASPERETTL, P. (1981) Birds of Saudi Arabia : A note of Arabian ornithology. Two endangered species. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 3 : 435-440. GAUCHER, P., PETIT, T. AND SYMENS, P. (1988) Notes on the study of the Sooty Falcon (Falco concolor) during its breeding season in Saudi Arabia. Alauda 56: 277-283. GREEN, A. A. (1984) The avifauna of the Al Jawf Region, Northwest Saudi Arabia. . Sandgrouse 6 : 48-58. HOLLOM, P. A. D., PORTER, R. F., CHRISTENSEN, S. AND WILLIS, I. (1988) Birds of the Middle East and North Africa. T & A. D. Poyser, Calton. JENNINGS, M. C. (1981) The Birds of Saudi Arabia: a Check-list. Jennings, Whittlesford. 18 ee — ee i... —_—_—__——_—— JENNINGS, M. C. (1988) A note on the birds of the Farasan Islands, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 9 : 457-467. JENNINGS, M. C., FRYER, R. N. AND STAGG, A. J. (1982) Birds of Saudi Arabia: first breeding record of the Pink-backed Pelican, Pelecanus rufescens Gmelin, from Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 4 : 478-482. LEES-SMITH, D. T. (1986) Composition and origins of the South-west Arabian avifuana: a preliminary analysis. Sandgrouse 7 : 71-92. MEINERTZHAGEN, R. (1954) Birds of Arabia. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh and London. PALFREY, J. (1988) Observations on the behaviour of the White-crowned Black Wheatear in Eastern Arabia. Sandgrouse 10: 1-25. PHILLIPS, N. R. (1982) Observations on the birds of North Yemen in 1979. Sandgrouse 4 : 37-59. RAHMANIL, A.R. AND SHOBRACK, M. (1992) The Arabian Bustard Ardeotis arabs in Saudi Arabia. Final Report, N.C.W.C.D., Riyadh. RICHARDSON, C. (1990) The Birds of the United Arab Emirates. Hobby Publication, Dubai and Washington. SHOBRACK, M. AND RAHMANT, A.R. (1991) Notes on the Arabian Bustard Ardeotis arabs in Saudi Arabia. Sandgrouse 13 :14-23. STAGG, A. J. (1984a) Birds of Saudi Arabia. A note on the breeding birds of Kutambil Island on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 6 : 546-548. STAGG, A. J. (1984b) Birds of Saudi Arabia. A note on the White-collared Kingfisher Halcyon chloris. A new species for Saudi Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 6 : 549-550. STAGG, A. (1985) Birds of S. W. Saudi Arabia: an annotated Check-list. 2nd edition. Stagg, Saudi Arabia. STAGG, A. (1987) Birds-of Riyadh Region: an annotated Check-list. Stagg, Saudi Arabia. STEYN, P. (1982) Birds of Prey of Southern Africa. David Philips, Cape Town. SYMENS, P. (1987) Report of the Trip to the Wadi Jizan Area. 42-54. Mimeographed Annual Report of N.W.R.C., Taif. SYMENS, P. (1988a) Birds of Umm Al Gammari. 38-42. Mimeographed Annual Report of N.W.R.C., Taif. SYMENS, P. (1988b) Breeding Birds of the Raydah escarpment. 43-50. Mimeographed Annual Report of N.W.R.C., Taif. Asad R. Rahmani, Mohammed Y. Shobrak and Stephen F. Newton, National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, c/o National Wildlife Research Center, P.O. Box 1086, Taif, Saudi Arabia. 19 A case of ‘pseudopredation’ on landsnails by the Long-eared Owl Asio otus Henk K Mienis During a comparative study of the food of three resident owl species in Kibbutz Netzer Sereni, Israel, an interesting pellet of the Long-eared Owl Asio otus was collected on 8 June 1991. It was conspicuous not only through its size, some 82mm in length, but also through its contents. An almost complete skeleton of a charadriid species and a leathery pouch, which turned out to be the dried-up stomach of the predated bird, was extracted from the pellet. On soaking the stomach in tap-water, I found inside eight landsnails, the remains of a dung beetle (Scarabaeidae) and parts of a small centipede Strongylosoma syriacum, all common ground dweiling invertebrates in the fields of the kibbutz. The eight landsnails belonged to a single species Euchondrus aff. ovularis (see note below). The remains of the bird turned out to belong to a Spur-winged Plover Hoplopterus spinosus, a common species in the neighbourhood of thenesting-site of the owl. Itis known to feed mainly on small invertebrates (Paz 1987), including landsnails (Mienis 1985 & 1989). However, so far Euchondrus aff. ovularis has not been recorded as a prey of the Spur- winged Plover. The pellet was therefore composed of a mixture of the remains of the owl's prey (the plover) and the food consumed by the plover (the snails, the dung beetle and the centipede). Recently a similar case was described in which a pellet of a Barn Owl Tyto alba erlangeri contained a small landsnail Monacha haifaensis. It was not the Barn Owl, however, that had preyed on the snail, but a White-toothed Shrew Crocidura suavolens, whose remains were present in the same pellet (e.g. Mienis 1992). Clearly one needs to differentiate between true predation and ‘pseudopredation’. Note: The nomenclature of the landsnail is not yet settled. Material identified from Israel in the past as Euchondrus ovularis does not seem to be conspecific with true E. ovularis from Turkey. References MIENIS, H. K. (1985) Predation on landsnails by Spur-winged Plovers in Israel. Levantina 56: 629-630. MIENIS, H. K. (1989) Additional cases of predation on landsnails by Spur- winged Plovers Hoplopterus spinosus, in Israel. De Kreukel 25:98. 20 MIENIS, H. K. (1992) Additional notes concerning predation on landsnails by White-toothed Shrews in Israel. Malakologiai Tajekoztato 11: 47-49. PAZ, U. (1987) The Birds of Israel. The Stephen Greene Press, Lexington. Addendum WANTED: I would be grateful to receive for identification remains of molluscs, in particular land - and freshwater snails, found in pellets or faeces of birds in the Middle East. Henk K Mienis, Mollusc Collection, Zoological Museum, Berman Building, Department of Evolution, Systematics & Ecology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel. , Predator Predation @ Pseudopredation vi - Nga enes . a. Predator e Predation fi Prey Figure 1. Predation and pseudopredation of landsnail prey. 21 Could the Kingfisher Alcedo atthis nest in western Arabia? Brian S Meadows The Kingfisher Alcedo atthis is a regular winter visitor and passage migrant along the Red Sea coast of the Arabian Peninsula, at least as far south as Jeddah (pers. obs.). At Yanbu al-Sinaiyah (23° 54-59'N, 38° 11- 18'E) it has been seen in all months of the year including, rather surprisingly, several times in June and July (Baldwin & Meadows 1988). Summer records are puzzling and they raise the possibility that the odd pair may occasionally be nesting in western Arabia. In this connection observations in 1993 at permanent freshwater springs 35km inland from Rabigh (22° 08'N, 38° 04'E) are pertinent. The springs in Wadi Rabigh forma lake along the wadi floor thatis fringed with Typha swamp vegetation. Fish are abundant. On each of three visits to the springs on5 and 26 March 1993 and 16 April 1993, one or two Kingfishers were seen in a restricted area of the springs which was close to a possible nesting bank. Thenext visit took place on 14 May. During the intervening period the bank had been completely submerged by floods after abnormally heavy rains through much of the central Hijaz during late Apriland early May. No Kingfishers were seen either then or ona further visit on 23 July. In southern Britain, where there is a local migration of the mobile component of the Kingfisher population from inland rivers to the coast in winter, such birds are back at their breeding areas by mid-March (pers. obs.). Counts of Kingfishers that I made almost weekly over two years along seven km of shoreline at Yanbu al-Sinaiyah, which is on the delta of Wadi Farrah, showed that passage continues well into April and May (see Appendix). In southern Russia, a probable source area for some Red Sea birds, Kingfishers do not arrive back in their territories until late April or May. Late April and May birds in Saudi Arabia could, therefore, still be in, or close to, their winter quarters. On the other hand, although there are no breeding records for the Arabian Peninsula, the species has bred - in 1982 - as close as the Sinai (Cramp 1985). 22 References BALDWIN, P. J. AND MEADOWS, B. S. (1988) Birds of Madinat Yanbu al Sinatyah and its Hinterland. Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Riyadh. CRAMP, S. (ed.) (1985) The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol IV. Oxford University Press. Appendix Counts of Kingfishers in the delta of Wadi Farrah Year 1984 1985 1986 Month July August September October November December . January February March April May June July August September October November December January February March April May June July No. of visits/ Kingfishers present 2/0 4/1 4/4 4/4 oy 2 3/1 4/4 3/2 5/5 3/3 3/2 3/0 3/0 1/0 4/4 3f3 4/4 4/3 3/3 4/3 4/4 2/2 2/0 3/1 2/0 Max. count on any one day — SOrPCrRNKHE UNM NOCCOCOWRN TAHA KY KP Wr ! re NO * *29 June Brian S Meadows, 9 Old Hall Lane, Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex CO14 8LE, England 23 Interaction between Wood Sandpipers and Diced Water Snake in Egypt Richard Hoath On 15 March 1993 I was birdwatching at Gebel Asfar, just east of Cairo and about 10km north of the Cairo - Ismaileya road. The area is characterised by orchards and farmland fertilised by the city’s sewage, and by numerous irrigation canals, ditches and shallow ponds. It was late afternoonand I was watching beside one of these ponds. It was very shallow with areas of exposed mud and surrounded mainly by reeds Phragmites. Redshank Tringa totanus and Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola were feeding in the shallows. A ripple in the water alerted me toa snake crossing the open water from left to right. The head and parts of the body were visible above the water and I identified it as a Diced Water Snake Natrix tessellata. This was confirmed later by a colleague present, Sherif Baha el Din, an expert on Egyptian reptiles. The snake headed towardsa group of three to four Wood Sandpipers and I expected the birds to flush or at least to move away from the snake. Instead the birds stayed not only close but actively followed it, wading through the water, some just a few centimetres away and within easy striking range. Furthermore, as the snake progressed, other Wood Sandpipers flew in until there were at least 14 birds following it closely and flying up only when collision with the snake seemed inevitable. The numbers involved were later confirmed from photographs. For its part, the snake kept a straight course and appeared to take no notice of the birds. When it reached the reeds flanking the pond it left the water for cover. This enabled the snake’s identification to be confirmed. The sandpipers gathered round the point where the snake had left the water and looked at where it had disappeared, some craning their necks into the reeds. Atno point did the Redshank present show any interest in the . snake or the Wood Sandpipers. While snakes do take adult birds from the water (Willock 1992), there are no published records of the Diced Water Snake doing so. Wood Sandpipers and Diced Water Snakes cannot be considered prey and predator. The former is preyed upon by various raptors, gulls, foxes and dogs (Nethersole-Thompsonand Nethersole-Thompson 1986) while the latter’s 24 diet consists mainly of amphibeans and occasionally fish (Arnold and Burton 1978). Therefore itis unlikely that the behaviour of the sandpipers could be interpreted as that of potential prey making themselves known to a nearby predator, especially as the encounter was so close. Neither can the behaviour be construed as mobbing, a fear-aggression response, since there was no harassment. The sandpiper did not behave as though threatened i.e. by holding their heads low, by bobbing and by raising their back feathers (Cramp and Simmons 1983). Rather they appeared to be craning their necks in order to get a closer look. Other accounts of birds mobbing snakes have described considerable agitation amongst the mobbing birds and the birds may themseives be attacked (Ginn 1986 and Short 1987). A probable explanation of the sandpipers’ response to the snake is that they were exhibiting exploratory behaviour towards an object with which they were unfamiliar. Certainly, nonpredatory interaction between . birds and reptiles is rarely observed. Exploratory behaviour is typified by the desire to approach and also to withdraw, and can be seen as a conflict between curiosity and the novelty and fear of the unfamiliar (MacFarland et al. 1981). References ARNOLD, E. N. AND BURTON, J. A. (1978) A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibeans of Britain and Europe. Collins, London. CRAMP, S. AND SIMMONS, K. E. L. (eds) (1983) The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol If. Oxford University Press. GINN, P. J. (1986) Birds and the hunting strategy of the Boomslang. The Honeyguide 32:45. MACFARLAND, D. ET AL. (eds) (1981) The Oxford Companion to Animal Behaviour. Oxford University Press. NETHERSOLE-THOMPSON, D. AND NETHERSOLE-THOMPSON, M. (1986) Waders, their breeding Haunts and Watchers. Poyser, Calton. SHORT, L. L. (1987) Black mamba takes Northern Crombec from mobbing bird group. Scopus 11 : 53-54. WILLOCK, C. (1982) The Waterhole. Survival Anglia for Channel 4. Survival Anglia Ltd. (Television documentary.) Richard Hoath, The American University in Cairo, 113 Kasr el Aint, Cairo, Egypt. ‘Pied’ Brown-necked Ravens on the Farasan Islands, Saudi Arabia Peter Symens The Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis is the only member of the corvid family that occurs on the Farasan Islands in the southern Red Sea off Saudi Arabia. It isa widespread breeding bird on Farasan Kebir and Segid, the two main islands of the archipelago, where pairs and small flocks commonly scavenge around the villages (Jennings 1988; pers. obs.). Over large parts of the islands trees are extremely scarce or completely lacking and road signs and traffic boards are the only available elevated roosting sites. These are frequently shared with _ Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus and Ospreys Pandion haliaetus. On the evening of 24 March 1990 I noticed froma moving car asmall flock of seven ravens preparing to roost on two road signs alongside the main road on Farasan Kebir. Amongst these were two strikingly coloured birds, having alargeamount of whitish on the breast extending inacollar around the neck. They flew off as the car stopped and disappeared in the darkness. The next morning this small flock was relocated near Al- Hesen, a small settlement on the southwest side of the island, and was _ Observed in more detail. Both ‘aberrant’ coloured birds showed an identical and sharply defined amount of white on the breast and collar, the extent of which was remarkably similar to the black and white pattern of the Pied Crow Corvus albus, a species which is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal, Sudan, northern Ethiopia and Somalia southwards (Goodwin 1986). Morphologically, the Pied Crow closely resembles the Brown- necked Raven, with similar long wings, legs and bill, a ‘raven-type’ strongly decurved culmen and a rounded tail. However, the Farasan birds differed from this species by having the white collar and underparts interspersed and bordered by creamy and brownish feathers (see Fig. 1). Additionally, Hollom et al. (1988) considered the Pied Crow to be generally smaller than the Brown-necked Raven, but both birds on the Farasans did not distinctively differ in size with the other five Brown- necked Ravens in the small flock, although one of the aberrant birds was noticeably smaller than the other. They also showed no differences either in general shape, length, curvature and depth of bill, or in behaviour from the other Brown-necked Ravens. However, Goodwin (1986) noted that the Brown-necked Raven shows much individual variation in size and still more so in length, curvature and depth of the bill. These characteristics probably overlap and are of very little value in separating the two species in the field. 26 Goodwin (1986) also mentioned that in Ethiopia, along the Eritrean coast and on the Dahlak Archipelago interbreeding is known to occur between Pied Crows and ‘black crows’ that are either an all-black morph or race of Pied Crows or are Brown-necked Ravens C. ruficollis edithae. These ‘hybrids’ show a variable amount of black streaking and/or brownish, creamy feathers in the white parts, very similar to the two birds on the Farasan Islands. The northeasternmost border of this ‘hybridization zone’ is only 200km southeast of the Farasan Islands. There is also evidence that the Pied Crow is at least partially migratory in Africa (Goodwin 1986), and it has occurred as a vagrant outside its normal range, e.g. in northern Africa (Hollom et al. 1988). However, in the absence of any records of Pied Crows in Arabia or of indications of dispersion of corvids across the Red Sea, and considering the scarcity of this form of interbreeding in Africa, I conclude that the chance of African origin ‘hybrids’ occurring on the Farasan Islands is very remote, although it can not be entirely excluded. Furthermore, the limited knowledge of field characteristics of these possible ‘hybrids’, the similarities in general morphology between Pied Crow and Brown-necked Raven, and the degree of individual variation in both species make it questionable whether these hybrids can be identified in the field. I therefore identified these birds only tentatively as aberrant coloured Brown-necked Ravens, based on the lack of pure whitish body parts. Aberrant colouration, regularly noticed in the Corvidae, is often a result of ‘inbreeding’ that can be expected to occur more frequently in isolated populations such as those found on islands. I would appreciate any comments or further information which might facilitate the correct identification of these unusual ‘pied’ Brown-necked Ravens on the Farasan Islands. References 2 GOODWIN, D. (1986) Crows of the World. 2nd edition. British Museum of Natural History, London. HOLLOM, P. A. D., PORTER R. F., CHRISTENSEN, S. AND WILLIS, I. (1988) Birds of the Middle East and North Africa. T & A D Poyser, London. JENNINGS, M. C. (1988) A note on the birds of the Farasan Islands, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 9: 457-467. Peter Symens, National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, P O Box 61681, 11575 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Present address: Wildlife Sanctuary for the Gulf Region, P O Box 11071, 31961 Jubail, Saudi Arabia. 27 Some notes on the breeding of Greater Flamingo Phoenticopterus ruber and White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus in Turkey Gernant Magnin and Murat Yarar Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber Eregli Marshes Kirwan (1992) briefly summarized the status of the Greater Flamingo in Turkey and reported the discovery on 1 June 1991 by Guy Kirwan and Gernant Magnin of a flamingo colony in Eregli Marshes, a chiefly fresh- water marsh in Central Anatolia. Of 217 newly constructed nests, 68 contained one egg each. This was the first documented breeding record of flamingoes away from saline wetlands. An aerial survey of the areaon 13 June 1991 revealed that the colony had been abandoned. There is no information on whether flamingoes bred at Ere®li during 1992. On 16 and 17 June 1993, the authors visited the Eregli Marshes and counted a total of 1,500 flamingoes; most birds were in the eastern and central part of the marsh complex. Birds sitting on what looked likenests were discovered in roughly the same area as in 1991, but breeding could not be verified due to the large distance and heat-haze. Subsequently the site was visited by boat and breeding was confirmed at the 1991 location. In 1991, only one of the three islands with nests also had breeding flamingoes, but in 1992 four islands had birds on eggs. Inorder to reduce disturbance, only two islands were visited quickly and nests counted. One island measured 1x5m, was sparsely vegetated with Phragmites and held 14 nests of which four had eggs, eight had young and two were empty. The second island visited was only 10m away from the first, measured c. 4x15m, was also sparsely vegetated with Phragmites and held some 90 flamingo nests: 25 held chicks, 50 contained one egg, and c. 15 were empty. All young were more or less the same size and were estimated to be at most one week old. The third and fourth islands, not visited, were some 75m to the east of the others and were estimated to hold some 100 nests each; on one of them eggs and young could be seen. All birds started returning to their nests just minutes after our departure from the site. About 300 pairs of flamingo are estimated to have bred at the Eregli Marshes during 1993. There were no further visits to the site later in the 28 breeding season, so it could not be established whether the young birds we saw eventually fledged. The Eregli Marshes are rapidly drying up after some of its major tributaries were recently intercepted and diverted. The water level was about one m lower than it had been in 1991, and it is assumed that the brackish water areas as described by Kirwan (1992) are increasing in size and salinity; this might explain the increasing suitability of the area for breeding and feeding flamingoes. Other flamingo breeding sites Dijksen and Kasparek (1988) stated that irregular breeding could not be ruled out at Aci Golii, a highly saline lake in western Turkey. On4 June 1993, Yarar and Ozesmi (pers. comm.) located a group of flamingoes and strongly suspected breeding. During a follow-up visit on 23 June 1993, the authors were able to approach the suspected breeding site well enough to confirm breeding and to estimate the maximum number of pairs as 100. The colony was at the fringes of the extensive saltworks along the northern shore of the lake. Remarkably, in spite of recent rainfall, the colony was accessible overland, albeit through heavy mud. Other breeding species here included Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta, Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus, Slender-bilied Gull Larus genet (c. 50 pairs), Common Tern Sterna hirndo and Little Tern Sterna albifrons. In Turkey the Greater Flamingo is now known to breed at five sites: Tuz Golt (11,000 nests and 4,500 chicks in 1991, 14,000 chicks in 1992 [Johnson etal. in prep.]), Camalti Saltpans (c. 600 pairs in 1993, smaller numbers in previous years [Siki, pers. comm.]), Seyfe Goll (previously suspected breeding [see Husband and Kasparek 1984], confirmed breeding of 2,000 pairs in 1992 [Yarar and Ozesmi pers. comm.], and breeding again confirmed during 1993 by the first author), Aci G6lU and Eregli Marshes. Breeding, or breeding attempts, elsewhere have been reported in the past (e.g. at Sultan Marshes [Kasparek 1985]) and, considering the fact that flamingoes seem to be relatively flexible and not very traditional in the selection of their breeding sites, it seems likely that new sites may be discovered in coming years. At present the total Turkish population is probably about 17,000 pairs. White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus An interesting addition to the discovery of the breeding flamingoes at Eregli Marshes was a small colony of White Pelican, on the second island described above. Twenty three nests, each with two eggs, were located amidst the flamingo nests. The nests were c. 40cm high, about twice as highas the surrounding flamingonests, and were composed of Phragmites stems. Breeding of White Pelicans at Eregli Marshes has not been confirmed since 1971 when at least 420 pairs nested: prior to 1971 up to 29 perhaps 1,200 pairs nested (for an overview of old breeding records see Kagi-Hubmann 1992). The presence of White Pelicans during the breeding season has often led to the presumption of breeding. There is a large number of records from May (see Kagi-Hubmann 1992 for records mainly up to 1986) and recent observations include 600 on 18 May 1987 (erroneously included as P. crispus in Ertanet al. 1987),275 birds observed by the first author and G Kirwan on 1 June 1991 and 250 birds in 1993, of which only 23 pairs were breeding. It had been assumed that the White Pelican had not bred in Turkey since 1974 (Crivelli et al., 1991), but Kagi-Hubmann (1992) published the details of a colony consisting of 30-50 pairs at Karapinar Ovasi in 1985, with no birds there during 1987 and 1991. At present, the Eregli Marshes _are the site of the second known Turkish colony in addition to that at Seyfe Gélii (discovered in 1992 by DHKD and Alan Johnson, with 155 chicks counted on 26 June 1992 [Yarar and Ozesmi pers. comm.], and breeding was again confirmed in 1993 by the first author. Acknowledgements Dr Alan Johnson (Biological Station Tour du Valat, France) started, and organised funding for, the aerial surveys in 1991 and 1992 that provided much new information on the status of the Greater Flamingo. Weare grateful to Guy Kirwan and Alan Johnson for their comments on an earlier version of this paper. References : CRIVELLI, A. J., LESHEM, Y., MITCHEV, T. AND JERRENTRUP, H. (1991) Where do palearctic Great White Pelicans Pelecanus onocrotalus presently overwinter? Rev. Ecol. (Terre Vie) 46:145-171. ERTAN, A., KASPAREK, M. AND KILIC, A. (1987) Results of the survey of the Eregli Marshes in 1987. 24 pp. Unpublished manuscript. DIJKSEN, L. J. AND KASPAREK, M. (1988) The birds of Lake Aci. Birds of Turkey 7. Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg. HUSBAND, C. AND KASPAREK, M. (1984) The birds of Lake Seyfe. Birds of Turkey 2. Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg. KAGI-HUBMANN, L. (1992) Ein neues Brutvorkommen des Rosapelikans Pelecanus onocrotalus in Zentralanatolien. Zoology in the Middle East 7:5-9. KASPAREK, M. (1985) Die Sultanssiimpfe. Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg. KIRWAN, G. (1992) A freshwater breeding record of Greater Flamingo Phoneicopterus ruber in Turkey. Sandgrouse 14: 56-57. | Gernant Magnin (BirdLife International) and Murat Yarar (DHKD), c/o | DHKD, Pk 18, 80810 Bebek-Istanbul, Turkey. | | | | 30 OSME News Hew Prendergast (East Sussex, UK) has taken on editorship of OSME Bulletin. To ease the production of future issues of OSME Bulletin, contributors of articles should make every effort to conform to the house style as in this issue, especially with regard to references. Failure to do so will, | am afraid, lead to the return of manuscripts and to possible delay in publication. Over to you! OSME Vice-President honoured In the British New Year’s Honours List Major Michael Gallagher, an OSME Vice- President since 1987, one of the leading ornithologists in Oman and joint author of The Birds of Oman, was awarded an MBE for his services to Natural History in the Middle East. This isa fitting tribute for all of the hard work Major Gallagher has put in over the years to the study and conservation of the birds of the region and Council is sure that members will join us in expressing our congratulations to him. OSME Summer Meeting This year’s meeting will again be at the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London on Saturday 9 July - see enclosed programme for full details. The afternoon’s talks will cover Birds in North Africa, Zoogeography of North Africa, the Middle East Important Bird Areas project and the Caucasian Blackcock in Turkey. Additionally there will be a range of birding sales stands and displays. The afternoon will also include the Sixteenth Annual General Meeting. OSME Members’ Survey At the time of writing (17 February) nearly 200 forms have been returned - an extremely encouraging and informative response. Council felt that members might appreciate clarification of two questions in the survey. 1 Availability of the membership list: Under the Data Protection Act, OSME is not at liberty to distribute names and addresses of the Society's members without prior consent and Council would like to assure members that membership details will be made available only to enable members to contact others active in the region. Under no circumstances will the list be made available for commercial purposes. 2 Expanding the Region: Several members have expressed concern that, if OSME’s region were expanded to cover North Africa, there is potential for conflict with the recently formed African Bird Club (ABC). From the outset OSME has had close discussions with ABC over this issue and, whilst ABC will officially be covering the whole of the continent, they are pleased at OSME’s desire to involve those countries north of the Sahara whose avifauna is closely associated with that of the Middle East. 31 Council is confident that the two organisations will be able to work together to forward our knowledge and understanding of the birds of the region. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those members who have completed the survey form - your assistance in helping to shape OSME’s future is greatly appreciated. A summary of the results of the survey and the name of the winner of the Middle East IBA book will appear in Bulletin 33. The book is to be launched at the BirdLife International 21st World Conference in Germany in August. An advance copy will beavailable for perusal and orders taken at the OSME summer meeting in July. : : Geoff Welch, Chairman of Council Requests for Information The ecological roles and socio-economics of sandgrouse. Although knowledge of the behavioural and physiological ecology of sandgrouse ~ is fairly well developed, there is little recent documentation of their demography, ecological roles or value as a sustainable natural resource. Sandgrouse can occur at very high local densities. Meinertzhagen (1954) reported that huge flocks of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles. alchata caudacutus darkened the Arabian skies early this century, and Baker (1912) speculated that this species was the “quail” provided for the wandering Israelites. Baker (1912) and Lynn-Allen (1951) described the great value placed on sandgrouse hunting at their traditional watering sites and in conjunction with falconry, and their importance as a source of protein for indigenous peoples in east Africa and India. Ali and Ripley (1969) told of ‘prestige’ shoots of Black-bellied Sandgrouse P. orientalis for entertaining British viceroys, Governors and miscellaneous notables. Witherby (1902) was probably the first to report that “sandgrouse shooting at many points along the banks of the White Nile affords such sport that millionaires would give untold gold it for were it to be had in England or Scotland”. Recently, commercial shooting of Namaqua P. namaqua and Spotted P. burchelli Sandgrouse has been offered at R450 ($150) per hunter per morning hunt in the northern Cape Province, South Africa. Although this embryonic industry supplements agriculture in that semi-arid environment, we believe that the full commercial value of this resource is underestimated and that the resource itself is under- utilized. Research is required to understand the value of sandgrouse in terms of their ecological roles as consumers and dispersers of seed, and as a source of food and recreation. This knowledge will help the local populace dependent on the productivity of these arid areas, either from hunting of wildlife, or through agricultural activities. Furthermore, a knowledge of the key biotic and abiotic factors which control sandgrouse abundance, annual productivity and dispersion could contribute to understanding the key environmental factors which drive these ecosystems. 32 Information required Although any information (published or unpublished) on the ecology of sandgrouse, particularly in terms of their ecological roles as consumers and dispersers of seed, and asa source of food and recreation for humans, is welcome, we specifically require answers to the following questions. 1. Whereare high population density nucleilocated for each species of sandgrouse? 2. What are the sizes of these populations? 3. What are the limiting factors of these populations (e.g. habitat destruction for agriculture, human predation, etc.)? 4. Are these populations (species specific) utilized for human food or recreation (hunted, trapped, netted, etc.)? 5. If so, how many birds are ‘hunted’ each hunting season / year? 6. Is this utilization for subsistence, socializing or commerce? 7. What are the values of these bags as substitutes for traditional protein sources or as commercial (paid) hunting? Please specify sandgrouse species, specific locality, country, or general region relevant to the information wherever possible and send information or addresses of any biologists, hunters, conservationists, farmers, etc. who might have such information to: Dr R. M. Little or Prof. T. M. Crowe, Gamebird Research Programme, FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7700, South Africa. References ALI, S. AND RIPLEY, S. D. (1969) Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan. Oxford University Press, London. BAKER, E. C. S. (1921) The Game-birds of India, Burma and Ceylon. The Bombay Natural History Society and John Bale, Sons & Danielsson, London. LYNN-ALLEN, B. G. (1951) Shot-gun and Sunlight: the Game Birds of East Africa. Batchworth Press, London. MEINERTZHAGEN, R. (1954) Birds of Arabia. Oliver & Boyd, London. WITHERBY, H. F.(1902) Bird hunting on the White Nile. The Office of “knowledge”, London. Mammals of Abu Dhabi All records of free-living mammals observed in Abu Dhabi at any time are needed for incorporation ina species-by-species review of thestatus of mammals. This will be part of an environmental profile of the emirate. Contributors will be fully acknowledged in the work, which will bea baseline of available information for all future biologists surveying or observing in the region. Records (including those of roadkills), accompanied by as many details of locality and date as possible, should be sent to: Dr J. W. Duckworth, Abu Dhabi mammal records, East Redham Farm, Pilning, Bristol BS12 3JG, U.K. 33 Birds of Greece This book, to be published in the UK, will be the first to cover the past and present - status and distribution of birds in Greece and will include information on habitats, birdwatching and conservation. The compilers, G.I. Handrinos and Dr T. Akriotis, requestrecords from observers; all contributions will be acknowledged. Write to: G. Handrinos, El Venizelou 44, 16675 Clyfada, Greece. — Birds of Jordan A book on the birds of Jordan is currently being prepared by Ian Andrews based mainly on the three years he recently spent in that country. Although some additional information has already been sent to Jorg Wittenberg and himself, the author is keen to make the book as comprehensive a summary as possible. Any records will be gratefully received and acknowledged. Please send Jordanian records (old or recent) to: Ian Andrews, 39 Clayknowes Drive, Musselburgh, Midlothian EH21 6UW, U.K. News and Information January 1994 Compiled by Simon Albrecht The aim of this section is to inform readers about events in the OSME region. It relies on members and others supplying relevant news and information. If you have anything concerning birds, conservation or development issues in the OSME area please send it to News and Information, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, U.K. : This section is not intended as a definitive report or write up of the projects concerned. Many of the projects are sponsored; such support is appreciated but is not generally given acknowledgement here. CYPRUS | Akama Peninsula - Plans for a national park on the Akama Peninsula received a set back when the Cyprus government gave permission for tourist facilities to be built on virgin private land near the turtle nesting beaches of Lara and Toxeftra. After protests, work was halted pending a report from the World Bank. Friends of Akama Peninsula held a conference last March attended by representatives of the governmentand the World Bank. We await to hear the final outcome. (Source: Oryx 27.) Around 2,000 waterbirds are believed to have been shot at Kanlikoy Reservoir in North Cyprus, following reports that birds had been eating villagers’ crops. Protests have been sent to the local authorities. (Source: World Birdwatch 15:5.) 34 Spring shooting took place again in 1993 following the lifting of the ban by the President, Glafkos Clerides. Many conservationists have written to the President in protest. EGYPT A survey of all Egyptian wetlands, carried out between December 1989 and June 1990, produced the remarkable total of 52,769 Little Gulls Larus minutus wintering in the Nile Delta lakes. Over 47,000 were recorded at Lake Manzala in early January 1990. Until recently, the species was considered a scarce winter visitor to Egypt but this survey shows that a considerable proportion of the world population may use the eastern Mediterranean at least in some years. (Source: British Birds 86: 407-410.) ISRAEL Israel has recently signed the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance subject to ratification. It joins Jordan, which has also ratified the Convention, as the second signatory in the Middle East. We hope to be able to report on other countries signing up to this important Convention in due course. (Source: IWRB News July 1993.) Plans for the huge Voice of America radio transmitter in the Arava Valley, which were revived in 1992 (see OSME Bull. 30), have finally been scrapped. The transmitter would have affected millions of migratory birds. JORDAN The ancient “rose-red” city of Petra has recently been designated a World Heritage Site and there are plans to protect the area as a national park. The site will also be listed in the forth-coming Important Bird Area Directory of the Middle East. (Source: Geographical Magazine 65(1).) LEBANON Lebanon's first government nature reserves were declared in March 1992. The two reserves are Ehden Forest Park, a forest of cedar, oak and fir in the north of the country, and Palm Islands Park, a group of islands off Tripoli which formally held Mediterranean Monk Seal Monachus monachus and nesting Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii. Protection may lead to recolonisation by the gulls as wellas other seabirds. There is a glossy colour booklet on the Palm Islands Park. It is available in English, French, German and Arabic from The Committee for Environmental Protection, BP 341, Tripoli, Lebanon. (Source: World Birdwatch 15:5.) OMAN Hunting banned - Thehunting, trapping and shooting of animals (including birds) has been banned throughout Oman. Anyone caught breaking the law may be fined or imprisoned for up to three months. Collecting for scientific or educational purposed is allowed subject to the issue of a permit from the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Environment. (Source: Oman Daily Observer 19 July 1993.) TURKEY On 28 December 1993 Turkey ratified the Ramsar Convention on the Protection of Wetlands of International Importance, and declared the country’s first five 35 Ramsar sites - the Goksu Delta; Seyfe Gli; Manyas Golt; the Sultan Marshes and Burdur G6élu. The Turkish Government is to be congratulated on this action which marksa milestone in the conservation of T urkey’s internationally important wetlands. However, ratification is overshadowed somewhat by current developments on the shores of Burdur Gélti (see below). DHKD has been active for some time trying to get work on the developments suspended but to no avail. OSME members may like to express their concern as individuals over the lack of an environmental impact assessment by writing to the Turkish authorities: Her Excellency, Mrs Tansu Cuiller, Prime Minister, Basbakanlik, Ankara, Turkey, and His Excellency, Mr Riza Akgcali, Minister of the Environment, Cevre Bakanligi, Istanbul cad. No: 88, Iskitler - Ankara 06060, Turkey. National Park status for Menderes Delta and Bafa Lake. We have previously reported on the important work DHKD (the Society for the Protection of Wildlife) has done in campaigning for the protection of this important wildlife resource (e.g. OSME Bull.29:27). The future of the Menderes Delta and Bafa Lakenow seem considerably brighter following the Turkish Ministry of Forestry’s announcement to designate the area a National Park. The Menderes Delta has one of the largest known breeding populations of Dalmatian Pelicans Pelecanus crispus (42 pairs in 1989). Other breeding birds include Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola, StoneCurlew Burhinus oedicnemus and Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus. In winter the area holds hundreds of thousands of wintering waterfow] and waders and up to 400 Dalmatian Pelicans. Threats to the area have included drainage, large-scale land-claim of salt flats, excessive use of agro-chemicals and uncontrolled tourist development. In addition to declaring 36,000 ha a National Park, the authorities have promised to remove some of the hydrological works that were causing Bafa _ Lake to dry up. DHKDhas been asked to preparea management plan for the park. (Source: World Birdwatch 15: 3.) Kazlant’s turtles - In 1992 DHKD was involved in saving hatchlings of the Green Turtle Chelonia mydas at Kazlani. Factory lights were turned off and other lights screened to ensure that hatchlings were not disorientated and reached the sea safely. Photopollution was not entirely eliminated and volunteers manned a barrier behind the beach to retrieve hatchlings and return them to the sea. (Source: Oryx 27: 202.) Burdur Golii ecological study - Burdur Golii holds most of the world’s population of the White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala in winter. An ecological study of the lake and the White-headed Ducks was carried out in February and March 1993 by DHKD, The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (based in Great Britain) and Burdur Municipality. Numbers of the duck were very low with a peak count of 3,010 compared with 11,000 in 1991. This is thought to be due partially to poor breeding success in recent years because there was a much lower proportion of young birds. However, low numbers are due also to illegal hunting pressure which was much higher than expected with an estimated 500 to 2,000 being shot in the 1992-93 winter. White-headed Ducks are much easier to shoot than other species and many hunters are unaware that they are protected. The alkaline and 36 saline closed-basin lake has a relatively low diversity of invertebrates but very high numbers of chironomid larvae which are the major food of the ducks and a likely important reason for White-headed Ducks being so numerous. Industrial development and resulting pollution of the lake is a major potential threat. Burdur Glu straddles the border between the provinces of Isparta in the north and Burdur in the south. While the authorities of Burdur are very committed to the conservation of the lake and its ducks, such commitment has yet to be shown by the Isparta authorities. (Source: IWRB News July 1993.) STOP PRESS! World Birdwatch 15 December 1993 reports that Burdur Golti has now been declared a Waterfowl Protection Area. Two expeditions to Turkey financed in 1993. In addition to the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni expedition to western Anatolia (OSME Bull. 31:8-10) there was a further survey of Caucasian Blackcock Tetrao mlokosiewiczi in the Kackar area of the Pontic Mountains in north east Turkey in the spring of 1993. Both expeditions were awarded money from the 1993 BP Conservation Expedition Competition organised with Birdlife International. A total of 134 males from 6 sites were located. BLACK SEA BASIN The Black Sea Basin Wetlands Workshop was held in Odessa, Ukraine, from 18 to 24 October 1993. The aim was to promote regional cooperation for the improved management of wetlands and waterbirds in the Black Sea Basin. IWRB/AWB AFFILIATION The International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau and the Asian Wetland Bureau have agreed to become linked with AWB representing IWRB in the Asia/Pacific region. We understand that IWRB will continue to coordinate South-West Asia including the Middle East region. BIRD CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL Bird Conservation International is a quarterly journal focusing on the major conservation issues affecting birds - especially globally threatened species - and their habitats. The journal, founded in 1991 by Birdlife International (formerly ICBP), is available from Cambridge University Press, The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 1BR, England. MARBLED TEAL The Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris is a globally threatened species with an increasingly fragmented distribution and a small world population. IWRB have recently published a report on The Status and Conservation of the Marbled Teal. The current world wintering population is given as at least 33,000 of which about 1,000 occur in the eastern Mediterranean, 25,000 in Iran and 5,000 in Pakistan. The population has declined by more than 50% this century and possibly by more than 90%. Loss of breeding habitat and hunting pressure in the breeding season (both of which continue) are the probable major causes. Some 140 wetlands of current importance for Marbled Teal are identified. Of these 61% arecompletely unprotected and manyare severely threatened. Further information on the report (IWKB Special Publication No. 23) is available from IWRB, Slimbridge, Gloucester GL2 7BX, U.K. 37 WHITE-HEADED DUCK - RUDDY DUCK HYBRIDS The North American Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis became naturalised in Great Britain in the 1950s by escapes from waterfow] collections. The population has increased exponentially at about 10% per year witha projected population in January 1991 of 3,400. The species spread to Europe in the 1960s and has been recorded in Spain, Portugal and Morocco and as far east as Switzerland and Italy but with a recent unconfirmed report from the Ukraine. It now threatens the survival of the White-headed Duck O. leucocephala because the Ruddy Duck is socially dominant to White-headed Duck and rapes White-headed Duck females. This has led to the production of fertile hybrids in the wild in Spain. An international workshop held in Great Britain in March 1993 agreed the following goal for urgent implementation: “To stop and reverse the population and range expansion of the introduced Oxyura jamaicensis in the Western Palearctic, in order to safeguard populations of the globally threatened Oxyura leucocephala.” We hope that the goal is achieved and that the Ruddy Duck does not spread to the OSME region. SIBERIAN CRANE The Western and central Asian populations of the Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus are on the brink of extinction, having been reduced to about 20 birds. The bird’s range includes Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In June 1993 a Memorandum of Understanding on conservation measures for the affected populations was signed by a number of states including Pakistan. The Iranian Department of the Environment has requested the text for review. Hopefully they will feel able to sign it in due course. BALD IBIS Following the demise of the wild Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita at Birecik, Turkey in 1989 (see OSME Bull. 24: 22) there have been a number of reports of the species elsewhere in the Middle East although no other breeding site has yet been reported. In 1992 Saudi Arabia’s National Wildlife Research Centre recorded 25 in about 8 km’ in the south-west of the country. A research programme is now underway to discover the conservation status of the Bald Ibis in Arabia. OSME will pass on any relevant information or sightings to the relevant authorities. DIARY DATES 20-25 August 1994. 21stInternational Ornithological Conference. Vienna, Austria. Further information from IOC Interconvention, Friedrichstrasse 7, A-1043 Vienna, Austria. UAE The first meeting of the newly formed Emirates Bird Records Committee (EBRC) was held on 17 October in Abu Dhabi under the chairmanship of Erik Hirschfeld. Other Committee members are Colin Richardson (Secretary), Simon Aspinall, John Bannon and Steve James. | The duties of the Committee will include the assessment of rare bird reports in the United Arab Emirates and the reviewing of anumber of old reports. The most recent list of UAE species (Richardson and Richardson 1991 in Tribulus 1) will continue as the country’s official bird list. It is the intention to publish all newly accepted records and updates to the country list in the Emirates Bird Report 38 (published annually) or in Tribulus (published bi-annually by the Emirates Natural History Group). Observers, including short-stay visitors to the U.A.E., should in any case submit all their sightings to the Bird Recorder for assessment and inclusion in the annual bird report and central bird records: Secretary /Bird Recorder, Emirates Bird Records Committee, PO Box 50394, Dubai. Tel/Fax Dubai (+9714) 313378 ANNOUNCEMENT - COMING SOON Important Bird Areas in the Middle East, compiled by M. I. Evans and which OSME has helped sponsor, will be published by BirdLife International in August, and launched at their World Conference in both English and Arabic editions. It will cover 400 sites, identified because of their importance for bird conservation for holding globally or regionally threatened species, large concentrations of seabirds or waterfowl, or species wholly or largely restricted to the Middle East. For each site details of species, habitat, conservation measures and threats are given. This project would not have been possible without the help of country co- ordinators, many of whom are members, or at least, friends of OSME. Unfortunately, we do not yet know the price of the book, nor details of any pre- publication offers. However, anyone wishing to be kept informed should register their interest with Richard Porter at BirdLife International, Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge CB3 0NA, U.K. Fax: 0223-277200. RECENTLY PUBLISHED Mid-winter waterfowl census Turkey January 1990 by Lieuwe Dijksen and Anne-Marie Blomert. This is the most recent winter wildfowl count report published by WIWO- further details on availability from WIWO, Driebergseweg 16c, 3708 JB Zeist, The Netherlands. Birds of Turkey 10, C61 Golii by Sithendan Karauz Kirac. This is the latest volume in the series of booklets on birdwatching sites in Turkey published by Max Kasparek. It follows the well established format with a general description of the area, access and species list. The next volume planned will cover Uludag. Copies available through the OSME Sales Officer. These items have been received by the Library and will be of interest to OSME members: 1993 Emirates Bird Report. Includes colour photos, line drawings and various short papers - e.g. ‘Birding in the Emirates, then and now: 1969-1992’ and “Do skuas overfly the Rub Al Khali on spring passage to the Arabian Gulf?’ Copies available from: Colin Richardson, Emirates Bird Group, PO Box 50394, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Tel/Fax: Dubai (9714) 313378. Price: £6 Sterling (including p&p). Jennings, M.C. (1993). Systematic list of birds observed during ABBA Surveys 1014: 1985-1993. Privately published/typescript. Chantler, P. (1993). Identification of Western Palearctic Swifts. Dutch Birding 15: 97-135. This review deals with seven Apus species and four non-Apus species. It is fully illustrated, with seven colour plates and 18 line drawings by Gerald Driessens and 14 black and white photographs. Copies of the issue cost NLG 39 10.00 and can be ordered by paying this amountinto Dutch giro account 01 50697 in the name of Dutch Birding Association, Amsterdam, The Netherlands or by sending the amount in cash to: Dutch Birding Association, Postbus 75611, 1070 AP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Stirling, D. (1993). Some bird observations from Tunisia. Typescript. List of 78 species seen and counted from 28 March - 11 April 1991 in several localities. TO THE EDITOR OF OSME BULLETIN Max Kasparek (Sandgrouse 14:3) gives an interesting list of records of the Sociable Plover Chettusia gregaria in Turkey. It may be of interest to add a couple of alleged but questionable records of the breeding of the species in that country. In the collection of the Natural History Museum, Tring, are two clutches of eggs ascribed to this species from “Asia Minor”. These were part of the Stuart Baker Collection. The first was a clutch of four taken on 3 July 1895. No other information accompanies this clutch, nor is any collector identified, though his handwritten slip is pasted into Baker’s manuscript catalogue. The second was a clutch of four collected on 19 May 1901 by someone called Bianchi, from whom . Baker obtained it in exchange. Bianchi is quoted as saying “No nest, eggs laid in a footprint and lined with moss and weeds”. Fraud or error can by no means be ruled out in these cases. The eggs of C. gregaria are not distinguishable from those of Vanellus vanellus (though they are larger and slightly darker than those of C. leucura). However, I feel that it may be useful to place on record this information, however doubtful. Michael Walters, Bird ae Natural History Museum, Tring, Hertfordshire TAPZ SOAP AU Reviews Robinson, D. and Chapman A. (1992). Birds of Southern Arabia. Motivate Publishing, EXXON (The Arabian Heritage Series): pp. 104; no price . Obtainable from Motivate Publishing, London House, 26/40 Kensington High Street, London W8 2PF. In this nicely produced volume, the authors celebrate their several years of birding together in the UAE by presenting intimate colour photos of abouta third of the 370 spp. on the appended UAE check-list. The text takes us ona tour of the various habitats of south eastern Arabia - Islands and Heathlands, Seashore and Shoals, Mangroves and Lagoons, Parks and Gardens, Cultivations, The Desert, and Mountains and Wadis. In doing so, it vividly captures the thrill to be had of getting really close to birds (mainly migrants, but including some of the steadily growing number of residents) apparently fearless of man in their Arabian setting. 40 The experienced Arabian birdwatcher will be hard-pressed to select a favourite species from the wealth of photographs; each is so evocative of a time and a place in our collective memories. It is useful, though, to be able to see an Eastern Pied Wheatear alongside a Hume’s and to contrast the sheen of their plumages. | doubt if anyone has had a finer view, let alone photo opportunity, of the famed intrusive White-collared Kingfisher Halcyon chloris of Khor Kalba, Fujaira. Well done Dave and Adrian, and best of birding in your new haunts (respectively _ Northumbria and Hong Kong)! Stan Howe Kasparek, M. (1992). Die Vogel der Tiirkei. Max Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg: pp.128; no price. ISBN 3-925064-12-5. This well-prepared and attractive booklet is the first of a new series of annotated guides to birds of countries in the Middle East. Three volumes to follow are for Jordan, Syria and Yemen. Although the book is in German, the species account which comprises its bulk is probably easy to understand for anyone familiar with annotated bird guides. The book is essentially an interim report rather than a definitive work on the birds of Turkey, acting as a tribute to all who provided records, and as a stimulus for them to continue. The resulting provisional systematic bird list is best compared with an update of the Bird Report 1970-1973 published by the Ornithological Society of Turkey in 1975. Almost half of the introductory 14 pages is dedicated to the four levelled classification of Turkey by Oguz Erol. This most consistent and practical system deservesa wider application. Another four pages cover the Important Bird Areas and the remainder consists of brief items such as subspecies and rarities, and why no proper references and sources are listed (which is unfortunate). Next comes the 114 page species list containing 441 species, 315 of which are breeders or probable breeders. Five species have become extinct this century. The proportion of rarities, 56 species with less than ten records each, is strikingly low but typical for a country with a relatively thin network of observers. For each species there are concise data on status, distribution and timing of passage with more cursory data on subjective quantitative assessments. Some species are dealt with more thoroughly. Descriptions never exceed 22 lines. For 21 species the text is supported by maps and figures, illustrating issues like distribution, recoveries, migration profiles or a trend. The figures are updated versions of the author's earlier publications. Since the Bird Report 1970-1973, the list of Turkey has grown. Kasparek’s new list, by contrast, does not reveal any major breakthrough in ornithological research. The enormous growth in the number of observers has not been matched by progress in knowledge about the Turkish avifauna. The kind of birdwatching intensified but largely remained the same. But there is one exception. Since 1987 the Turkish Society for the Protection of Nature (DHKD) has initiated or endorsed systematic and organised studies on ornithological 41 themes which have revealed much new information. Surprisingly, neither this shift in attitude towards ornithological initiatives, nor DHKD, is mentioned atall by Kasparek. The bird list must be based upon numerous checklists sent in to the author and upon a network of contacts. Having said that, I cannot avoid mentioning DHKD again. For conservation campaigning, they too need copies of the data and records from visiting birdwatchers. One can imagine their frustration about the unknown but probably substantial amount of information that never reaches them (see e.g. OSME Bull. 28:37-38). The moment has surely arrived for a closer liaison between the information networks of Max Kasparek and DHKD like the _ one between OSME and DHKD. The book also illustrates the problems of different observers using different recording techniques for bird numbers and having different objectives and expectations. Here are examples of where Kasparek’s interpretation of records differs from the systematically gathered data of projects by DHKD and other organisations (et al.). * Timing of migration. Kasparek: spring passage of Marsh Harrier selee in late April and early May. DHKD et al.: in the Giksu Delta on the south coast substantial passage in 1992 occurred in March, peaked around mid March and was over by the end of that month. Passage in April consisted of immature birds only. * Breeding population trend (indicated for White Stork only). Kasparek: breeding population crashed by about 60 per cent over the past 30 years. DHKD et al.: accurate counts from three coastal regions (n=c. 570 pairs), that are comparable with counts over the past 30 years, indicate no decline at all and, in one case, even an increase. * Numbers. When numbers or quantitative assessments are indicated by Kasparek, they generally differ markedly from systematically gathered density data from the projects of DHKD et al. Despite these shortcomings Die Vogel der Tiirkei does provide a fine foundation for filling in gaps and will also aid the work currently being undertaken by the DHKD and OSME. [am convinced this annotated bird list will be the best there is for years to come and therefore recommend it for all those concerned with the future of ornithology in Turkey. Vincent van den Berk 42 . Around the Region Records in Around the Region are published for interest only, and their inclusion does not imply acceptance by the records committee of the relevant country. To submit records for OSME Bulletin 33, covering mainly the period September 93 to February 94, please write to Around the Region, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, U.K. Compiled by Guy Kirwan Records refer to single birds unless otherwise stated. BAHRAIN Allrecordsby M. Skakuj andT. Stawarczyk. Crab Plover Dromas ardeola four, ASRY, 27 August 1993; one, Bahrain Fort, 12 September 1993; two, BAPCO, 22 September 1993. Armenian Gull Larusarmenicustwo adults, Ras Tubli, 27 August 1993; adult, Ras Tubli, 3 September 1993. Second and third records. Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata two adults anda juvenile, Umm Nassan, 26 August 1993. First record. Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii adult, Janabiyah reeds, 11 September 1993. First record; rare in the Arabian Gulf region. 43 African Collared Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea two, Hamalah Farm, 6-29 September 1993. Second record. Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola one, Janabiyah reeds, 27 September 1993. Second record. Yellow-throated Sparrow Petronia xanthocollis male, Hamalah Farm, 6-8 September 1993. Second record. Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus sixrecords during September. Previously overlooked passage migrant. Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola female, Ras al Barr, 22 September 1993. First record. EGYPT Goliath Heron Ardea goliath one, Abu Mingar Island, Hurghada, 31 December 1993. G Engberg. Black Vulture Aegypius monachus one, 80km north of Aswan, 28 December 1993. Rare winter visitor. P Vossen. Hume’s Tawny Owl Strix butleri one, north of Aswan, 23 December and 2 January 1994. A Schaftenaar, P Vossen. Small Skylark Alauda gulgula one, Sharm- el-Sheikh, 15 December 1993. A Schaftenaar. Richard’s Pipit Anthus novaeseelandie three, Sharm-el-Sheikh, 15 December 1993. A Schaftenaar. Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna male, 40km south of Taba, 29 December 1993. Scarce winter visitor. G Engberg. Siberian Rubythroat Luscinia calliope first- winter female, Hurghada, 9-12 November 1993. First record for Egyptand the Middle East. G Driessens. Menetries’ Warbler Sylvia mystacea two males, Wadi Hagul, west of Saq, 27 November 1993. T Gullick. Red Avadavat Amandava amandavua pair, Luxor, 3 December 1993. Southerly range extension. T Gullick. Siskin Carduelis spinus two males and one female, 90km west of Safaga, 30 November 1993. Unusually far south, scarce winter visitor. T Gullick. ISRAEL Bewick’s Swan Cynus columbianus three, Hola Valley, north Israel, January (exact dates uncertain). Per H Shirihai. Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus six (latterly two), Eilat, 23 November-January (exact dates unavailable); eight Jezrael Valley, north Israel, December-January (exact dates unavailable). Fourth and fifth records. H Shirihai. Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata 384, INRA western Negev count, November. B Shat. Kittlitz’s Plover Charadrius pecuaris two, Ma’agan Mikhael, all winter. H Shirihai. Sociable Plover Chettusia gregaria 32, Ufrim, western Negev, 9 November. B Shai. Great Black-headed Gull Larus ichythaetus at least 1000, Bet She’an valley, all winter. H Shirihai. Striated Scops Owl Otus brucei one or two, Eilat, December. B de Langhe, A Schaftenaar. White-cheeked Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis one, Eilat, 20 October. Third or fourth record. A Howes. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Meropssuperciliosus three, Eilat, 6 December. Unusual date. B de Langhe. Black Lark Melanocorypha yeltonensis one, Eilat, late October (exact dates unavailable). First record. A Howes. Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe xanthoprymna one, En Netaphim, 21 November. B Shai. Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis 7:35). Seventh record (that previously Bull 31:42). Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata one (of the race rama), Eilat, January (exact dates unavailable). Eleventh record. H Shirihai. Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola one, Eilat, late October (exact dates unavailable). B Shai. 44 trapped, Niv David, 18 June (Birding World reported as first was sixthrecord cf. OSME JORDAN All records by D. W. Waitzbauer. Verreaux’s Eagle Aquila verreauxii pair, Wadi Rum, 28 April 1993, adult, 15km north-east of Aqaba, 30 April 1993. Hume’s Tawny Owl Strix butleri calling, Wadi Rum, 26-27 April 1993. Arabian Warbler Sylvia leucomeleana several, 15km north-east of Aqaba, 30 April 1993. Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata pair and several singing males, near Gerasa, 18 April 1993. Male, Kerak, 23-24 April 1993. | Blue Tit Parus caeruleus four, including two singing and several others heard only, Ajloun, 19 April 1993. 5 SAUDI ARABIA Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus four (including pair at nest), al Aruma escarpment, February 1993. Only one previous record from eastern Saudi Arabia. M Jennings. Golden Eagle Aquila heliaca three, Madrakah, c. 100km north of Jeddah, 11- 12 November 1993. B Meadows. Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo 260 flying south (in two flocks), Wadi Rabigh, 17 September 1993. B Meadows. Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni four, Yanbu al-Bahr, 1 October 1993. First record for the area. B Meadows. Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus 53 (in three groups), south of ad Dahna, 18-19 February 1993. M Jennings. Dotterel Charadrius morinellus 319, Ad Dibdibah, 12 February 1993 with groups of 15 at Summan and 37 on the Sayhad Munif. Total numbers wintering in this part of northern Arabia may be as highas 10-12,000. M Jennings. 45 Palm Dove Streptopelia senegalensis one, Khurais, 7 February 1993. New, remote locality. This species is still spreading throughout Eastern province and Riyadh area. M Jennings. African Collared Dove Steptopelia roseogrisea one, Bayda, 120km north-east of At Wedj, 8 October 1993. Northermost record from Arabian Peninsula. B Meadows. Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus one, Sayhad Munif, 19 February 1993. Scarce winter visitor inland. M Jennings. Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla 1000+, Yanbu al-Bahr, 1 October 1993. B Meadows. Grey Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus female, Hindinyah, 4 February 1993, with pair there 5 February 1993. ] O Hedin, K Rannikko. Pied Stonechat Saxicola caprata one, Al Khobar, 17 October 1993. First record; only previous record in Arabia was in Oman in 1984. G Ramsay. Cyprus Pied Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca two 20 September, one 24 September 1993, Yanbu al-Sinaiyah. Only one previously in this area, in spring. B Meadows. White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga one, north of Sarrar, 20 February. Possibly the most north-easterly occurrence in Saudi Arabia. M Jennings. pou m eh x Hs OG Nits LES ae sy ht ‘ o' OQ fie . x . ss Va a << S oe: zs SM ea geb an oS Brace z ‘TB. Ga e, Wiaie ; Arabian Warbler Sylvia leucomaleana one, Jebel Figrah, 15 October 1993. New locality. B Meadows. Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva one 25 October and 3 November 1993, Yanbu al-Sinaiyah. First published record from western Arabia was in 1985, but now recorded almost annually in this area. B Meadows. Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus pair, north of Sarrar, 20 February. Possibly the most north-easterly record in Saudi Arabia. M Jennings. TURKEY Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus one, Kulu Golt, 16 April 1993. Fifth record, and the latest everin spring. P Collin etal. White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leycopyga one, near Pinarbasi, 12 August 1993. First record. A Scorace. Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata one, Mersin, 25-26 April 1993. P Collin. One, Rize harbour, 8 August 1993. F Stuhmer. Former is documented, latter constitutes third recent record without description. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Records were compiled by Colin Richardson on behalf of UAE Bird Records Comittee. Bittern Botaurus stellaris one, Al Wathba, 4- 6 November 1993. Tenth record. Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus two, Nad al Shiba golf course, late December 1993 - February 1994. First record. White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons four, Abu Dhabi, late November 1993 at least. Third record and first since 1986 . Cotton Teal Nettapus coromandelianus female, Emirates Golf Course, 27 November 1993. Third record. Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina one, Hamraniyah, 27 December 1993. Third record. Sooty Falcon Falcoconcolor fivenests, island off Abu Dhabi, 18 September 1993. New breeding site for this scarce species. Common Crane Grus grusone, Al Aincamel track, 3 January-late February 1994; one, Dibba, 11 February. Fourth and fifth records. Little Pratincole Glareola lactea one, Khor Dubai, 11 December 1993; one, Nad al Shiba, 25 January-early February 1994. Fifth and sixth records. Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva 105 overwintered Emirates golf course. Highest numbers ever recorded. Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricara one, Al Wathba, 31 October-late November 1993. First confirmed record. White-tailed Plover Chettusia leucura 13, Ramtha,26 December 1993. Highnumbers of an uncommon passage migrant. Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris 282, Murawah, 10 November 1993. Highest ever numbers in UAE and Arabian Gulf region. Knot Calidris canutus four, Murawah, 9 November. Second record, first was in 1978. Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta one, Al Wathba, 9 November. Sixth record. Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura 27, Emirates Golf Course, 2 September 1993. Highest ever count in Arabia. Great Snipe Gallinago media one, Emirates Golf Course, 18 and 25 September 1993. Only the second record since 1987. Woodcock Scolopax rusticola one, Emirates Golf Course, 13 November 1993. Seventh record. Woodpigeon Columba palumba one, Dubai fish farm, 2 January 1994. Fifth record. 46 Koel Eudynamys scolopacea female, Emirates Golf Course, 13 November 1993. Third record. Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata 40, Al Ain, 3 January 1994. Highnumbers of a very rare passage migrant. Small Skylark Alauda gulgula two, Dibba, 4 January. Eighth record and the first for the east coast. Blyth’s Pipit Anthus godlewskii three, Abu Dhabi, 12 October-November 1993; another three, Al Wathba, 4 November 1993 atleast. First records for UAE, Arabia and Middle East. Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni at least two in the country, 15-17 October 1993. Ninth and tenth records. Grey Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus 14, Emirates Golf Course, 1 November 1993; one, Al Wathba, 3 November 1993; one, _ Dubai, 16 November 1993. Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti one, Ruwais, 22 October 1993. First record for UAE and Arabia. Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides one, Das Island, 9 November- 7 December 1993. First record of the nominate race. Pallas’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus one, Das Island, 9 November 1993 at least. First record for UAE and Arabia, and second for the Middle East. Hume’s Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus humei one, Emirates Golf Course, 25 December 1993 - early January 1994. Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla one, Jebel Ali, 25 November 1993. Sixth record. Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus one, Al Wathba, 19 November 1993. Fourth record. YEMEN Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus two, off Al Mukallah, 28 October 1993. Very few previous records. N Redman. Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes at least four, Al Mukallah, 28 October 1993. First record from Yemen coast. N Redman. Jouanin’s Petrel Bulweria fallax one, between Al Khawkhaand Al Mokha, 26 November. Few records from shore. D Farrow et al. White-breasted Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo lucidus one, AlJashaih, 29 November and 1 December 1993. First confirmed record. D Farrow et al. Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopica three, Hodeidah, 22 November 1993. Eighth record. D Farrow et al. Lesser Flamingo Phoenicopterus minor maximum of 500, Hodeidah, 24 November 1993. Highest ever numbers in northern governates. D Farrow et al., N Redman, M Ullman. Verreaux’s Eagle Aquila verreauxii one, Tarim, 24 October 1993. First record for former PDRY. N Redman. Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus pair, south of Ta’izz, 28 November 1993. Scarce resident. D Farrow et al. Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar juvenile, Al Madafin, 15 November 1993; adult, Wadi Siham, 16 November 1993; adult, east of Al Qutay, 17 November 1993; two, near Al Mansuriyah, 23 November 1993. Status poorly understood, fewer than 20 records. D Farrow et al., M Ullman. Harlequin Quail Coturnix delorgorguei four seen and eight heard, near Khalifah, 31 October 1993. Very scarce, status uncertain in Yemen. N Redman. Little Button Quail Turnix sylvatica one, Wadi Jahr, 27 March 1993; one heard, near Khalifah, 31 October 1993. Fifth and sixth records. OSME/N Redman. Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor seven, near Al Khawkha, 26 November 1993. Scarce winter visitor. D Farrow etal. Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta one, Wadi Siham, 17 November 1993. Third record, but two previous are undocumented (cf Brooks et al. 1987). M Ullman. Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura one, Hodeidah sewage lagoons, 2 November 1993. Fourth record. N Redman. Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata one, between Al Khawkha and Al Mokha, 26 November 1993; at least 20, off Al Mukallah, 28 October 1993. Very rare in Yemen. D Farrow et al., N Redman. Dunn’s Lark Eremalauda dunniatleastthree, 150 km east of Marib, 13 January 1994. _ Few previous records. D Farrow. Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha female, near Tarim, 25 October 1993. First record for former PDRY. N Redman. Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica up to ten recorded in November, previously known as a scarce winter visitor. D Farrow et al., M Ullman. White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga adult, Marib, 9 November 1993; 48 one, Marib, 12 January 1994. Fourth and fifth records. D Farrow, M Ullman. African Reed Warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus one, Al Urj, 18 November 1993. Probably a local breeding bird in mangroves, but this is first published record from Yemen. M Ullman. Orphean Warbler Sylvia hortensis one, Kawkaban, 7 November 1993. Sixth record, fifth was at Wadi al Biryan during OSME expedition in 1993. M Ullman. ~ Bonelli’s Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli one, Hajjah, 20 November 1993. First record. D Farrow et al. Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus pair, 150km east of Marib, 23 December 1993. Third known locality in Yemen. D Farrow. I would like to thank the following for their help in compiling this review; Arnoud B van de Berg (Dutch Birding), Duncan Brooks, Paul Collin, Dave Farrow, Steve Gantlett (Birding World), Jan Olov Hedin, Erik Hirschfeld, Mike Jennings (ABBA), Rod Martins, B\S Meadows, Graham Ramsay, Nigel Redman (Birdquest), Colin Richardson, Dietrich Ristow, Iain Robertsen (African Bird Club), Alexander Schuster, Alberto Sorace, Magnus Ullman (AviFauna) and Richard Webb (African Bird Club). ISSN 0959-6739 Ornithological Society of the Middle East c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, U.K. The Ornithological Society of the Middle East was formed in April 1978 as a successor to the Ornithological Society of Turkey. Its aims are as follows: To collect, collate and publish ornithological data on the birds of the Middle East. To encourage an interest in and conservation of birds of the Middle East. To develop a mutually beneficial working relationship with all environmental and conservation bodies and natural history societies in and concerned with the Middle East. Membership is open to all and spans over 40 countries. Membership subscriptions are: £10 individual, £15 family; airmail supplement £1.50 Europe, £3 rest of the world. Life membership £200. Publications Sandgrouse is the Society's journal and contains scientific papers on all aspects of the ornithology of the Middle East. The OSME Bulletin, issued twice yearly to all members, covers all aspects of birdwatching and conservation within the Middle East. For further details, please write to: The Secretary, OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, LK. } Charitable registration number 282938. Advertising rates: Full page £60; half page £40; quarter page £25. Inserts from £75. Contents 40 43 Birds of the Tihamah coastal plains of Saudi Arabia Asad R. Rahmani, Mohammed Y. Shobrak and Stephen F. Newton A case of ‘pseudo predation’ on landsnails by the Long-eared Owl Asio otus Henk K. Mienis Could the Kingfisher Alcedo atthis nest in western Arabia? Brian S. Meadows Interaction between Wood Sandpipers and Diced Water Snake in Egypt Richard Hoath ‘Pied’ Brown-necked Ravens on the Farasan Islands, Saudi Arabia Peter Symens Some notes on the breeding of Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber and White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus in Turkey Gernant Magnin and Murat Yarar OSME News OSME Vice-President honoured OSME Summer Meeting OSME Members' Survey Requests for Information News and Information Compiled by Simon Albrecht Reviews Birds of Southern Arabia Die Vogel der Tiirkei Around the Region Compiled by Guy Kirwan OSME C/O THE LODGE, SANDY, BEDFORDSHIRE SG19 2DL, Uj —