S OSME OSME was founded in 1978 as the successor to the Ornithological Society of Turkey. Its primary aims are: @ To collect, collate, and publish data on all! aspects of the birds of the Middle East. # To promote an interest in ornithology and bird conservation throughout the Middle East. & To develop productive working relationships with other governmental and non-governmental organisations with an interest in conservation and/or natural history in the region. MEMBERSHIP OSME is open to all, and its membership spans over 40 countries. ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP Individual £15 (UK address) £20 (Europe) £20 (Surface mail outside Europe) £25 (Airmail outside Europe) Institutions £30 (Add £5 for Airmail) Write to the Membership Secretary at the address below for a membership form detailing methods of payment and also rates for Family, Supporting and Life membership. For any other information on the Society, write to the Secretary at the same address. ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST PUBLICATIONS OSME publishes a scientific journal, Sandgrouse, containing papers, news and features on all aspects of Middle Eastern ornithology. Published twice yearly, it is issued free to members. Further copies are available for sale from OSME. MEETINGS = An Annual General Meeting is held in London at which guest speakers provide new perspectives on ornithology in the region. There are also occasional special meetings, some taking place outside the UK. PROJECTS OSME organises field expeditions to collect data on birds in little-known parts of the region and in areas where OSME can assist by teaming up with local groups. The Conservation & Research Committee grants funds to valuable field projects and desk studies which further knowledge and conservation of birds in the region. Grants have been awarded to over 30 projects since the Conservation & Research Fund was set up in 1982. VICE PRESIDENTS: Prof. Abdulaziz H. Abuzinada Sherif Baha El Din Shaika Noora Bint Isa Bin Sulman Al Khalifa B. Behrouzi-Rad Dr Saeed Mohamed Anis Mouasher _ Dr Omar Al-Saghier Dr Yossi Leshem Richard Porter COUNCIL AS AT FEBRUARY 2000: C. G. Bradshaw D. Moore Conservation & Research Publicity S. Busuttil A. J. Morris A. Colston secretary R. Daniel SE Librarian O. Roberts P. Davidson Membership Information Officer H. I. Scott (co-opted) A Greve Publications Officer Chairman F. E. Warr (co-opted) Dr D. Harvey Sales & Mailing Features Editor, Sandgrouse A. J. Warr Treasurer R. P. Martins (co-opted) Turkey Bird Report IE I I ETD I ES TE IES IT ELIE LEE ETE © 2000 Ornithological Society of the Middle East ISSN 0260-4736 Registered charity no 282938 c/o THE LODGE, SANDY, BEDFORDSHIRE SGI? 2101; Eile OSME WEs sITE - http://www.osme.org Sandgrouse 22(1) Erratum Due to unforeseen circumstances, 2 Ogies go to the photographers and authors concerned. the photographs on 72 and 79 (Plate 2) were inadvertently reversed SANDGROUSE Volume 22 (1) as this volume went to press. Our sincerest apol Guy M. Kirwan, Editor mittee ir, | J igs, rtins, ininger — xn Newton Editor y duction tt Consultants haw, an den Berg dge h: ‘cinerea, Jens Eriksen Ww sponsorship. tural History e cost of printing the : inside this issue. Contents 2 OSME NEWS 2 NEWS AND INFORMATION 5 REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION 6 10 1 Why has Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala invaded Cyprus? VIC COZENS, PETER STEWART AND DEREK POMEROY Jezreel Valley, Israel—more than just raptors HADORAM SHIRIHAI AND JAMES P. SMITH PROFILE Dr Omar Al-Sagheir DEREK HARVEY 13. TURKEY BIRD REPORT 1992-1996 36 a4 50 Do Edited by G. M. KIRWAN AND R. P. MARTINS A baseline survey of Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni in south-east Kazakhstan, April-May 1997 STEPHEN J. PARR, SERGEI SKLYARENKO, SERGEI BROKHOVICH, JANE BROOKHOUSE, PAUL N. COLLIN AND BORJA HEREDIA Is Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala displacing Cyprus Warbler S. melanothorax in Cyprus? DEREK POMEROY AND FRANK WALSH Range expansion and current breeding distribution of River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis in Bulgaria DIMITAR N. NANKINOV The status of Great Bustard Otis tarda in Iran HAMID AMINI TAREH 61 PHOTOSPOT 64 67 68 69 7A 74 Dead Sea Sparrow in Turkey G. M. KIRWAN AND R. P. MARTINS The impact of drought conditions on the winter distribution and population of Syrian Serin Serinus syricaus in south-west Jordan DR FARES KHOURY The first Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris in Egypt and the Western Palearctic RICHARD HOATH The first Namaqua Dove Oena capensis in Cyprus CHRIS AND DENISE LAMSDELL The first Common Mynah Acridotheres tristis in Egypt LINDA MILLINGTON Interesting ornithological observations from Yemen in spring 1998 PHIL HANSBRO AND DAVE SARGEANT The limits of the Western Palearctic MAGNUS ULLMAN 76° REVIEWS & RECENT LITERATURE 78 AROUND THE REGION Compiled by Curis G. BRADSHAW ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCTRTY OF THE MIDDI OSME OSME was founded in 1978 as the successor to the Ornithological Society of Turkey. Its primary aims are: @ To collect, collate, and publish data on all aspects of the birds of the Middle East. #@ To promote an interest in ornithology and bird conservation throughout the Middle East. @ To develop productive workiig relationships with other governmental and non-governmental organisations with an interest in conservation and/or natural history in the region. MEMBERSHIP OSME is open to all, and its membership spans over 40 countries. ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP Individual £15 (UK address) £20 (Europe) £20 (Surface mail outside Europe) £25 (Airmail outside Europe) Institutions £30 (Add £5 for Airmail) Write to the Membership Secretary at the address below for a membership form detailing methods of payment and also rates for Family, Supporting and Life membership. For any other information on the Society, write to the Secretary at the same address. PUBLICATIONS _ CCU OSME publishes a scientific journal, Sandgrouse papers, news and features on all aspects of Mic ornithology. Published twice yearly, it is issuec members. Further copies are available for sale { MEEFUINGS — An Annual General Meeting is held in London speakers provide new perspectives on ornithol region. There are also occasional special meetir taking place outside the UK. PROJECIS 2200650 ee OSME organises field expeditions to collect dat little-known parts of the region and in areas wl assist by teaming up with local groups. The Conservation & Research Committee gran’ valuable field projects and desk studies which knowledge and conservation of birds in the re¢ have been awarded to over 30 projects since thy & Research Fund was set up in 1982. VICE PRESIDENTS: Prof. Abdulaziz H. Abuzinada Dr Saeed Mot Sherif Baha El Din Anis Mouash« Shaika Noora Bint Dr Omar AI-S. Isa Bin Sulman Al Khalifa Dr Yossi Lesh B. Behrouzi-Rad Richard Porte COUNCIL AS AT FEBRUARY 2000: C. G. Bradshaw D. Moore Conservation & Research Publicity S. Busuttil A. J. Morris A. Colston Secretary R. Daniel S. Parr Librarian O. Roberts P. Davidcoa Membership Information Officer H. I. Scott (co- A Giheve Publications Chairman F. E. Warr (co- - Dr D. Harvey Sales & Mat Features Editor, Sandgrouse A. J. Warr Treasurer R. P. Martins (co-opted) Turkey Bird Report © 2000 Ornithological Society of the Middle East ISSN 0260-4736 Registered charity no 282938 c/o THE LODGE, SANDY, BEDFORDSHIRE SG19 ZBI Gig OSME WEs SITE - http://www.osme.org Contents SANDGROUSE Volume 22 (1) Editor Guy M. Kirwan Features Editor Derek Harvey Assistant Editor lan J. Andrews Editorial Committee Michael Blair, Paul Goriup, Ben Hoare, Mike Jennings, Rodney Martins, Peter L. Meininger & Dr Stephen Newton Photographic Editor Paul Doherty Design & Production Harry |. Scott Identification Consultants C. G. Bradshaw, Arnoud B. van den Berg & Steve Madge Cover Photograph: Grey Heron Ardea cinerea, taken by Hanne & Jens Eriksen at Al Ansab, Oman. OSME is grateful for sponsorship from Greentours Natural History Holidays towards the cost of printing the colour photographs inside this issue. 10 12 13 36 +4 50 5D 61 64 67 68 69 71 74 76 78 OSME NEWS NEWS AND INFORMATION REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION Why has Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala invaded Cyprus? VIC COZENS, PETER STEWART AND DEREK POMEROY Jezreel Valley, Israel—more than just raptors HADORAM SHIRIHAI AND JAMES P. SMITH PROFILE Dr Omar Al-Sagheir DEREK HARVEY TURKEY BIRD REPORT 1992-1996 Edited by G. M. KIRWAN AND R. P. MARTINS A baseline survey of Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni in south-east Kazakhstan, April-May 1997 STEPHEN J. PARR, SERGEI SKLYARENKO, SERGEI BROKHOVICH, JANE BROOKHOUSE, PAUL N. COLLIN AND BorJA HEREDIA Is Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala displacing Cyprus Warbler S. melanothorax in Cyprus? DEREK POMEROY AND FRANK WALSH Range expansion and current breeding distribution of River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis in Bulgaria DIMITAR N. NANKINOV The status of Great Bustard Otis tarda in Iran HAMID AMINI TAREH PHOTOSPOT Dead Sea Sparrow in Turkey G. M. KIRWAN AND R. P. MARTINS The impact of drought conditions on the winter distribution and population of Syrian Serin Serinus syricaus in south-west Jordan DR FARES KHOURY The first Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris in Egypt and the Western Palearctic RICHARD HOATH The first Namaqua Dove Oena capensis in Cyprus CHRIS AND DENISE LAMSDELL The first Common Mynah Acridotheres tristis in Egypt LINDA MILLINGTON Interesting ornithological observations from Yemen in spring 1998 PHIL HANSBRO AND DAVE SARGEANT The limits of the Western Palearctic MAGNUS ULLMAN REVIEWS & RECENT LITERATURE AROUND THE REGION Compiled by Curis G. BRADSHAW Sandgrouse 22 (1): 2000 OBITUARY J. S. (Simon) M. Albrecht Following his recent illness, Simon’s death saddened all those who had hoped the treatment he had decided to undergo would restore him to health. Simon’s enthusiasm for ornithology and Turkey were well known. After graduating from Southampton University, he became a teacher, a profession that gave him scope to impart to a younger generation his love of the natural world. From October 1976 to June 1978 he taught in Eresli, Turkey, where the results of his birding activities were to grace the pages of the OST and OSME Bulletins and Sandgrouse. NEL 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. J _dUpenmideinel: Simon soon returned to Turkey (Borcka) as a member of one of the teams that studied the north-east Pontics raptor migration route. In 1980 he joined OSME Council and devotedly served as the Society’s Sales Officer for ten years. Simon’s decision, in 1983, to lead a small party to make a preliminary survey of the breeding birds of Thrace immediately attracted my interest. Unfortunately we fell foul of the military government's regulations and were detained for almost two months. Only seven years later were we finally cleared of the charges brought against us. On his return to England Simon opted for self-employment, but his eventual acceptance of a teaching post in Kent was unsurprising given his obvious vocation. In the years that followed Simon contributed a number of notes on Turkish birds that highlighted the meticulous nature of his fieldwork in the Black Sea region in the late 1970s. In addition to his position as Sales Officer, Simon also compiled the News & Information section of OSME Bulletin and subsequently Sandgrouse. Above all, however, my recollection of Simon will always be as a family man with his bravely supportive wife, Stephanie, and his daughters, Kuthaya (named after a Turkish town famous for its fine ceramics), Rachael and Bethany. Dennis K. Buisson INFORMATION compiled by Derek Moore GENERAL The Northern Bald Ibis reintroduction workshop report has just been published, entitled ‘International workshop on a strategy for the rehabilitation of Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita’, the workshop was held in Agadir in March 1999. The 34 participants came from nine countries, and included all the main specialists in Bald Ibis ecology and rehabilitation. The workshop brought together experience of all previous unsuccessful attempts to release birds, and by combining this with what is known for wild birds, criteria were developed for site selection, release ~ News & Information methods, the source of birds for release, post- release and veterinary procedures and success criteria. The gaps in current knowledge were highlighted for the next stages of developing a release method with precautions for making sure that such work does not jeopardise the remaining wild birds, whose conservation remains the highest priority. Copies of the 50- page report are available by e-mail from: Chris.Bowden@rspb.org.uk. (Source: Chris Bowden in litt. July 1999.) Wheatears book A new work by Panov, Wheatears of the Palearctic: ecology, behaviour, evolution, has been published by KMK Scientific Press, Moscow. Unfortunately, for most OSME members, the book is entirely in Russian. The monograph’s 342 pages examine the systematics, habitats, annual cycle and nesting period, social behaviour, breeding biology, moult and departure to winter quarters, and biological remarks for 15 species: Oenanthe isabellina, O. oenanthe, O. xanthoprymna and O. chrysopygia (the author considers these two forms to constitute a superspecies), O. moesta, O. finschit, O. lugens, O. picata, O. alboniger, O. leucopyga, O. leucura, O. hispanica, O. pleschanka (with a very full discussion of this species’ hybrid zones), O. ~ monacha and O. deserti. The author argues that Oenanthe is a comparatively young group of species, which permits the study of initial and subsequent stages of species-formation and divergence in morphological, ecological and behavioural terms. (Source: Jevgeni Shergalin in litt. November 1999.) IRAN The Greater Flamingo ringing project at Lake - Urmia, in the north-west of the county was initiated in August 1970, when 242 moulting adults were ringed using conventional leg: rings and 2000 pulli. were fitted with blue neck-bands. By the end of the 1998 breeding season, a total of 26,318 pulli and 680 adults had been ringed. A total of 214 recoveries (0.74%) from 27 countries has been reported. Of these, only five involved birds with blue neck-bands. The recoveries range from Morocco, in the west, east to Sudan, India and Sri Lanka, and demonstrate the very wide post-juvenile dispersal by Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber. Adults from the Lake Urmia colony, however, appear to winter almost entirely in Fars (central Iran) and on the Persian Gulf coast. (Source: Jevgeni _ Shergalin in litt. October 1999.) JORDAN Threat to Aqaba Sewage Works Reports have been received that the proposed new interna- tional airport planned for Aqaba will lead to the closure of the town’s sewage works. Reports also suggest that a new works may be constructed in the mountains/Wadi Yutum east of the town. The sewage works adds considerable variety to the region’s biodiversity as it contains small pools, reedbeds and plantations, as well as more formal sludge lagoons. Exciting species are regularly recorded at Aqaba sewage works, including the first Cotton Teal Nettapus coromandelianus for Jordan. (Source: Fares Khoury, RSCN.) KUWAIT The Ornithological Society of Kuwait (OSK) was recently inaugurated. It aims to place ornithology in Kuwait on a modern basis and to this end has initiated the following projects. Daily Bird Record Sheets are available for use and all records from 1 January 2000; however common, “are requested in order that an annual report can be produced. Secondly, new Rare Bird Description Forms should now be available and the society also intends to undertake a review of previous rarity records. To this end, documentation for past reports is requested for all species with fewer than ten records in the country, even if already published or submitted elsewhere. Correspondence concerning the society should be addressed to CG. Gregory, Acting Secretary, OSK, K. ‘E. S., P. O. Box 8640, Salmiya 22057, Kuwait. (Source: G. Gregory in litt. September 1999). SAUDI ARABIA British Vulture Conservation Society (BCVS) was launched at the World Conference on Birds of Prey, held in South Africa in 1998. The BVCS is now involved in a collaborative project with the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD) in Saudi Arabia that aims to determine the present distribution and status of Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus, Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus and Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus within the country. Fieldwork, designed to survey the formerly known ranges of these species, identify nesting areas, discover causes of mortality and estimate current population sizes, was set fo commence im late 1999.” For more Sandgrouse 22 (1): 2000 information concerning the BVCS contact: Martin Foulds, Director, British Vulture Conservation Society, Linton Zoological Gardens, Hadstock Road, Linton, Cambridge CB1 6NT, U.K. SOCOTRA The birds and plants of Socotra is a new, 48- page, booklet that provides an introduction to and illustrations of some of the common/key species that occur within the archipelago. The accompanying text, which provides a basic introduction to the conservation ethic, is in English and Arabic. The booklet will serve as an important tool within the Socotra education programme, part of the ongoing four-year biodiversity project funded by the Darwin Initiative (see Sandgrouse 19: 86), and was written by Tony Miller and Richard Porter. A range of organisations, including GEF, UNDP and UNOPS, were involved in its production. (Source: Richard Porter in Iift. December 1999.) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Contact Numbers in Dubai Due to widespread changes in telephone numbers from six-digit to seven-digit throughout the United Arab Emirates, Colin Richardson of the Emirates Bird Records Committee has advised that his new numbers are as follows: tel: 009714 347-2277, fax. 347-2276. For any birdwatching inquiries or record submissions he can also be contacted on e-mail at: colinr@emirates.net.ae. Harrier slaughter A number of visiting birdwatchers were horrified to find over 40 Shot harriers (Pallid Circus macrourus, Montagu’s C. pygargus and Marsh C. aeruginosus) at one of the country’s top birding sites this autumn. The corpses were left hanging as trophies from sprinkler heads in the vast grass meadows inside the Al Ain camel track. These fields are renowned for attracting 1000s of migrants as they either end or commence their journey across the Empty Quarter to the south. The shooting of harriers has been taking place in the fields for several years, but rarely with such intensity and, on instructions from the highest level. A number of contacts were made with the authorities and we are assured that the shootings will not occur again. Any similar activities will be investigated, if reported to the Managing Director, Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA), P. O. Box 45553, Abu Dhabi. (Source: Colin Richardson.) . Inauguration of Al Wathba Nature Reserve HRH Prince Charles of Great Britain, who was on an Official visit to the United Arab Emirates, formally inaugurated the Al Wathba Nature Reserve (formerly known as Al Ghar Lake), Abu Dhabi’s prime wetland site, in mid-November. The reserve, which is managed by the Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA) covers several dozen hectares of sabkha (salt flats), flooded through discharge of treated effluent from a nearby sewage plant and with saline water recycled after irrigating the nearby Al Wathba Camel Track (another key UAE site). The lake is surrounded by sand dunes with exposed low aeolianite fossil sand dunes, while fencing to exclude livestock has permitted a rapid recovery of the indigenous flora. Approximately 40 km east of Abu Dhabi Island, Al Wathba Lake has a site list of over 200 species. It holds regionally important breeding populations of Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus and Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus, is the only breeding locality in the Emitates for Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta and in winter 1998-99 was the site of the first successful breeding in Arabia of Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber. It also has the largest numbers of wintering ducks and grebes in the Emirates, as well as 1000s of wintering waders. A key aspect of the ERWDA management plan, besides continuing scientific research, is the role Al Wathba Lake can play as a centre for the promotion of environmental awareness, while a system to permit easy access by local and visiting birders is planned. OSME Chairman, Andrew Grieve, was among the consultants involved by ERWDA in planning for the reserve, as well as local OSME members. (Source: Peter Hellyer.) Requests for Information Gamebird surveys in Jordan The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), Jordan, is undertaking extensive surveys to estimate the current distribution and numbers of gamebird species in the country. The Research and Survey Section at RSCN requires voluntary workers with experience of Middle Eastern bird species. Volunteers must be prepared to spend up to three weeks in Jordan and will have the opportunity. to visit different habitats and archaeological sites, and observe typical and rare birds. For further information, please contact Dr Fares Khoury, Research and Survey Section, Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, P.O. Box 6354, Amman 11183, Jordan. Tel. 009626 9337931/2. Fax. 009626 5347411. E-mail: research@rscn.org jo. South Turkey: request for sightings of colour-ringed Kentish Plovers T. Székely and his team have ringed nearly 3000 Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus at Tuzla Gélii, Cukurova Delta, between 1996 and 1999. Many were individually marked with colour rings. The flanks and belly of a few birds were also dyed yellow. If you have any information about these plovers, please contact Tamas Székely, School of Biological - Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland khoad, Bristol BS8 1UG, U:.k: E-mail: t.szekely@bristol.ac.uk. Colour-ringed Cormorants and Great Black- headed Gulls from the Black Sea Almost 1500 fledeling. Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo were colour-ringed during the 1999 breeding season at different colonies in the Sivash, a major wetland between the Black and Azov Seas. The ringing expedition, jointly undertaken by the Azov-Black Sea Ornithological Station (Melitopol, Ukraine) and the Italian Wildlife Institute (INFS, Ozzano Emilia), was funded by the Fishery Directorate of the Italian Ministry: of Agricultural Policies, within a project aimed to assess the origin and trend of the Central Mediterranean wintering population of Cormorants. A by-product of the expedition was the colour ringing of 50 Great Black- headed Gulls Larus ichthyaetus. We do not plan to repeat Cormorant ringing in the near future. Therefore, it is extremely important to obtain as many sightings and readings as possible right from the start of the post-natal dispersal. Mauve-pink rings were used on Cormorant and yellow on Great Black- headed Gull; both ring types are engraved with a combination of black letters. All birds were also fitted with metal rings (Moscow or Bologna). According to existing recoveries, it is most likely that the majority of the Cormorants will migrate to the Middle East and east Mediterranean coasts, possibly as far west as Italy and Tunisia. Please report any rings you may observe / read to Nicola Baccetti (INFS, via Ca Fornacetta 9, I-40064 Ozzano 7 -Umilia BO, Italy; e-mail: infszumi@iperbole.bologna.it). FOREIGN BIRDWATCHING | REPORTS AND | INFORMATION SERVICE Organised by STEVE WHITEHOUSE FBRIS is a Central Database of Topical Information inciuding | Recent Trip Reports and Amateur Site Guides from the Middle East and the rest of the world. So, if you are Planning a Trip; Give STEVE WHITEHOUSE a call on - 01905 454541 or send £ 1. 20p For the NEW Millenium 2000 Catalogue: Steve Whitehouse, 6 Skipton Crescent, Berkeley Pendesham, Worcester, WR4 OLG. Email: jwhiteh107@aol.com Sandgrouse 22 (1): 6-9 2000 Why has Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala invaded Cyprus? VIC COZENS, PETER STEWARE AND DEREK POMEROY So species of Sylvia occur in the Western Palearctic, of which 11 are regular on Cyprus and one other, Desert Warbler Sylvia nana, is a vagrant (Flint & Stewart 1992). However, only three species breed: the endemic Cyprus Warbler Sylvia melanothorax, Spectacled S. conspicillata, and, only recently, Sardinian Warbler S. melanocephala (Snow & Perrins 1998). So why has Sardinian Warbler remained to breed, while nine others occur only on passage? This is strange as some, such as Orphean Warbler S. hortensis and Lesser Whitethroat S. curruca, are very common migrants, and breed in mainland countries adjacent to Cyprus, such as Turkey. In fact, a number of Sylvia warblers have increased their ranges this century, including eight of the 11 species in Table 2. hevexceptions are Cyprus and Ruppell’s Warblers S. rueppelli and Whitethroat S. communis which have undergone range contractions, usually ascribed to habitat loss (Cramp 1992, Snow & Perrins 1998). Several of these extensions have been northward, suggesting favourable climatic changes. The spread of Sardinian Warbler has been more dramatic than most species, but again principally northward. It has been suggested that Sardinian Warbler’s arrival and expansion as a breeding species, on Cyprus, may be negatively affecting the endemic Cyprus Warbler (Pomeroy & Walsh 2000). If this is confirmed, a parallel within the genus Sylvia may exist: on Menorca, Dartford Warbler S. undata appears to have displaced Mamora’s Warbler S. sarda. Elsewhere, as far as is known, the expansion of one Sylvia species has not negatively impacted on any others. In passing, we note that Sardinian Warbler is not the only recent invasive species on Cyprus. Greenfinch Carduelis chloris arrived several decades ago and has since spread rapidly throughout the island, and Collared Dove Streptopelia 6 decaocto and Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti have greatly increased their ranges in the past 20-30 years (Flint & Stewart 1992). This is suggestive of a pattern, perhaps of habitat change; but these taxa do not appear to be threatening any other species, certainly not either of the endemics. SOME BIOMETRICS One apparent advantage that male Sardinian Warbler has is that it is heavier—and in that sense larger—than Cyprus Warbler, but all but two of the other nine Cypriot Sylvia are heavier than both species (sometimes signifi- cantly so), the exceptions seine Spectacled and Subalpine Warblers S. cantillans. The weight differences between Cyprus and Sardinian Warblers are most marked in the all-important breeding season (Fig. 1, Table 1), but are also observable at other times of year (t = 3.386, P < 0.01), when males of both species, averaging 11.2 and 11.9, are heavier. Curiously, while female Sardinian is heavier than female Cyprus Warbler, in the non-breeding season, taken as July—March (P < 0.001), there is no such difference in their breeding season weights (P > 0.1). While female Cyprus Warbler is much heavier than the male in Vic Cozens, Peter Stewart and Derek Pomeroy Why has Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala invaded Cyprus? the breeding season (see Table 1), this difference is not found at other times of year?(P >! 0.1). .Finally, in. Sardinian Warbler, females are again significantly heavier in the breeding season (P < 0.01), whereas among non-breeding birds, females are heavier than males in January—March (P < 0.05) but not in July-December (P > 0.1). Among many organisms, including most mammals, heavier individuals are much more likely to win contests than lighter rivals. Perhaps Sardinian Warbler would have an edge over the lighter Cyprus Warbler in interspecific contests. However, as yet, no such contest has been witnessed. There are also very few data on reproductive outputs of these species. Their clutch sizes are similar (Sardinian, 3.9, Cyprus Warbler 4.0: Cramp 1992), but it is unknown how many broods either species has on Cyprus, or how successful they are (Snow & Perrins 1998). -Wing lengths in Cyprus Warbler exceed those for Sardinian: the differences are small but highly significant in a statistical sense (as seen in Fig. 2 and Table 1 for breeding birds) and these differences are also observable in the non-breeding season, with males of both species always having longer wings than females. These differing proportions—long, slim Cyprus Warblers versus short, fat Sardinian Figure 1. Weight class frequency distribution curves for males during breeding periods. 35 Sardinian | = 2 =e Cyprus | L 30 25 20 Frequency 15 10 16 Weight class (g) Table 1. Key statistics* for Cyprus Sylvia melanothorax and Sardinian Warblers S. melanocephala in the breeding season, taken to be April-June (although some breed a little earlier (Flint & Stewart 1992, pers. obs.). The complete data set, from which those in this table were taken, was for various months in the years from 1980-1985 (PS) and March to May in 1995, 1997 and 1998 (VC). Males Females Cyprus Sardinian Cyprus Sardinian Mean weight (g) 10.62 32" 341.,4 11.9 11.9 Mean wing-length (mm) 59.1 *** 57.8 58.4." 57.2 Mean? sample size 21 82 21 59 Notes. a: stars separate pairs of means for which *** = P < 0.001 and ** = P < 0.01 (two-tailed t-tests). b: the sample sizes vary slightly between the data sets for weights and lengths because a few individuals lacked data for both. Table 2. The 11 regularly occurring Sylvia warblers on Cyprus, grouped according to how the mean weights for males compare to those of females. Data from Cramp (1992), except for Cyprus S. melanothorax and Sardinian Warblers S. melanocephala, and for these species, year-round means were taken. Trinomials are presented for non-nominate races of polytypic species. Sample sizes varied, but in no case were less than ten for each sex, except for Spectacled Warbler S. conspicillata, where Cramp only gives data for four males and one female. Males > 5% lighter Cyprus S. melanothorax Barred S.nisoria Males 3-5% lighter Sardinian S. melanocephala Lesser Whitethroat S. curruca Both sexes similar Subalpine S. cantillans albistriata [differences <3%] Ruppell’s S. rueppelli Orphean S. hortensis crassirostris Whitethroat S. communis Blackcap S. atricapilla Maies 3-5% heavier Garden S. borin Males >5% heavier (Spectacled) S. conspicillata Figure 2. Wing length distribution curves for males during breeding periods. 25) ral sali = ae 20 ae oO Frequency = jo) 53)°. 54° 55 560° (67... 58. 59° -60- 61 62 ° 63 Wing length (mm) Sardinian | Vic Cozens, Peter Stewart and Derek Pomeroy SS Sandgrouse 22 (1): 2000 Warblers—could suggest the latter is less migratory. Comparable differences in shape and migratory pattern occur in Iberian Blackcaps S. atricapilla (Telleria & Carbonell 1999). However, there are thought to be migratory and sedentary populations in both Cyprus and Sardinian Warblers, yet the proportions of migrants and their mean migratory distances, are unknown (P. Flint pers. comm.). It is possible that those Sardinian Warblers that breed on Cyprus are also non-migratory, as is the case with the species’ populations on other Mediterranean islands (Cramp 1992). Further analyses of more detailed data may help resolve these questions, along the lines of recent studies by Copete et al. (1999) for Reed Bunting “Emberiza schoeniclus,. which alsoihas. both migratory and sedentary populations. SIZES OF MALE AND FEMALE SYLVIA WARBLERS In both of these species, the females are usually heavier than the males. Although not apparently relevant to the ‘invasion’ of Cyprus, it is unusual in birds, other than raptors and a few others, for females to be larger than males; so for comparison, the situation for all of the 11 Cypriot species is presented in Table 2. Although the differences between the weights of the species with heavier males are not large, even in the very large Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria, mean weights are 23.7 for males and 26.4 g for females, they are significant in the case of both Cyprus and Sardinian Warblers, at least seasonally (see above). In contrast to these varying patterns for weights, mean wing lengths are consis- tently longer in males than females for all 11 species; this in itself is significant (sign test, P = 0.01). Ringing data also suggest that for all 11 of these species, numbers of males caught are always higher than for females: the ratios for Cyprus and Sardinian Warblers, males to females, are 69 : 45 and 137 : 112. These figures mask seasonal differences; in the breeding season, equal numbers of each sex of Cyprus Warbler were caught (Table 1), whereas the opposite was true for Sardinian Warbler, where non-breeding ringing totals contained an approxi- mately equal sex ratio. CONCLUSIONS There are a number of unanswered questions arising from these data. In summary: m@ Why has Sardinian Warbler only recently started to breed on Cyprus, while eight other Sylvia species migrate regularly across Cyprus without remaining to nest—especially as several of these are expanding their ranges elsewhere? @ What are the underlying causes— climatic change, changes in land use by man, others? @ Is the expansion of Sardinian Warbler in some way at the ‘cost’ of Cyprus Warbler, and if so, does the fact that Sardinian Warbler is heavier than Cyprus: \ Warblers provide an advantage? ™ How do the two species differ in shape (as they must, having opposite trends in wing lengths and weights), and is this significant? @ Why, for these two (and three other Sylvia species), are the females heavier than the males? ™ Are males commoner than females in all of these species; or is this an artefact of mist-netting, or of males migrating earlier, or some other factor? Cyprus Warbler is a SPEC 4 (Species of European Conservation Concern) (Tucker & Heath 1994), despite being relatively abundant at present. It is clearly time’ that ityreceived™ mone attention, for its scientific interest as well as its future prospects in the face of the spread of Sardinian Warbler. Vic Cozens, Peter Stewart and Derek Pomeroy Why has Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala invaded Cyprus? ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to Polycarp Mwima for data analyses, and to Peter Flint and Peter Lack for helpful comments on a draft of this article. REFERENCES COPETE, J. L., MARINE, R., BIGAS, D. AND MARTINEZ- VILALTA, A. (1999) Differences in wing-shape between sedentary and migratory Reed Buntings Emberiza schoeniclus. Bird Study 46: 100-103. CRAMP, S. (ED.) (1992) The birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. 6. Oxford University Press. FLINT, P. AND STEWART, P. (1992) The birds of Cyprus. B. O. U. Check-list No. 6. Second edition. British ~ Ornithologists’ Union, Tring. POMEROY, D. E: AND WALSH, F. (2000) Is Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala displacing Cyprus Warbler S. melanothorax in Cyprus? Sandgrouse 22: 44 -49. SNow, D. W. AND PERRINS, C. M. (1998) The birds of the Western Palearctic. Concise edition. Oxford University Press. Areas in Egypt by Sherif Baha El Din NOW AVAILABLE Directory of Important Bird “The most important book published on the birds of Egypt in the past ten years.’ Of interest to birders, conservationists & environmental consultants alike! TELLERIA, J. L. AND CARBONELL, R. (1999) Morphometric variation of five Iberian Blackcap Sylvia aticapilla populations. J. Avian Biol. 30: 63-71. TUCKER, G. M. AND HEATH, M. F. (1994) Birds in Europe: their conservation status. BirdLife International (BirdLife International Conservation Series no. 3), Cambridge. Vic Cozens, 9 Dendys, Hemingford Grey, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE18 9EU, U. K. Peter Stewart, 10 Digby Road, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 6BW, UL. K. Derek Pomeroy, Makerere University Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, P.O.Box 7298 Kampala, Uganda. DIRECTORY OF IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS IN EGYPT BY Suen M. Bara Et Din ’ Publisher: The Palm Press, 34 El Mansour Muhammad St., Zamalek, 11211, Cairo, Egypt Tel: 202-341-5458, 340-9867. Fax: 202-3409868 email: palmprss @ritsecl.com.eg Vic Cozens, Peter Stewart and Derek Pomeroy Sandgrouse 22 (1): 10-11 2000 Jezreel Valley, Israel—more than just raptors HADORAM SHIRIFIAI AND JAMES P. SMII he Jezreel Valley spans the northern third of al from the Carmel mountains to the Jordan Valley at Bet Shean. It is an immensely fertile region, being consequently heavily cultivated. The warm air thermals rising off the valley floor aid the migration of large soaring birds and it is here that the systematic counts of the annual international raptor migration survey are concentrated. After some political unrest in the late 1980s, the famous Kfar Qassem survey was relocated north to the Jezreel Valley and by the early 1990s had become a well- organised cross-country survey of the tens of thousands of pelicans, storks and raptors that pass through northern Israel during the autumn. Not ‘only is the Jezreel Valley an exceptional place to observe raptor migration, but it holds the largest wintering concentration of White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala in Israel along with impressive, albeit fluctuating, numbers of Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris, both species being found at Tishlovit Reservoir. It is true that you will require exceptional good fortune to find all the species mentioned within a day, but it can be done by timing your visit for late September or early October. You may find Red-footed Falcons Falco vespertinus and Lesser Kestrels Falco naumanni hunting over the fields surrounding the reservoir at this season. Tishlovit Reservoir, the Jezreel Valley and raptor watchpoint at Ginnegar Accessing Tishlovit Reservoir is not easy and the area is best approached on Route 73 between Haifa and Afula. The reservoir is actually situated north-west of Afula, but must be accessed from the dirt track heading due south from kibbutz Ginnegar. Once on the dirt track, drive due south before crossing a bridge over a drainage canal after one km. Continue straight ahead over a gentle rise in the fields for some two km. You then reach a crossroads with a white stone dirt track, where you must turn right. Drive this track for another one km, before looking for a factory on your right. At the factory, turn left on a dirt track. In the distance you will notice the raised embankment of Tishlovit Reservoir and after a further 0.5 km you reach the fence of the reservoir. It is impossible to view the water from here and you must continue to drive, turning right at the fence to the main gates of the reservoir. Park here, walking through the gate if it’s open. If the gates are closed, climb through the nearest gap in the fence-=