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ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST,

CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA

OSME

OSME was founded in 1978
as the successor to the
Ornithological Society of
Turkey. Its primary aims are:

To collect, collate, and publish
data on all aspects of the birds
of the Middle East.

# To promote an interest in ornith-
ology and bird conservation
throughout the Middle East.

To develop productive working
relationships with other govern-
mental and non-governmental
organisations with an interest in
conservation and/or natural
history in the region.

OSME CORPORATE
SPONSORS

Sunbird

WildSounds ‘m

www.wildsounds.com *. 4

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

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 = EEE EEE
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 92.0 eee Eee
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 45 projects since the Conservation
& Research Fund was set up in 1982.

MEBirdNet Email Discussion Group 9 ——= = ee eee
This is an e-mail mailing list (moderated by OSME) that
discusses birds and birdwatching in the Middle East, Caucasus
and Central Asia. Subjects include research, conservation, bird
news, recent records, identification, requests for information
and exchange of information. To join the mailing list, send an
empty e-mail to: MEBirdNet-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

VICE PRESIDENTS:

Imad Atrash Dr Saeed Mohamed
B. Behrouzi-Rad Dr Omar Al-Saghier
Dr Ghassan & Mrs Mona Dr Yossi Leshem

Ramadan-Jaradi

COUNCIL AS AT AUGUST 2005:

Dawn Balmer Chris Harbard
Vice Chair, Publicity & Displays — Sjarif Jbour

John Bartley - secretary@osme.org Colin Richardeen
Secretary.

2 ae a David Murdoch

a a ey er osme.crg
Conservation & Research Mark Thomas - ads@osme.org
Advertising

Keith Betton - chairman@osme.org

Chairman Effie Warr - sales@osme.org

Sales & Distribution (co-opted)

John Warr - treasurer@osme.org
Treasurer & Membership

Andrew Grieve
Website

© 2005 Ornithological Society of the Middle
East, Caucasus and Central Asia

ISSN 0260-4736 Registered charity no 282938

cjo THE LODGE, SANDY, BEDEORDSHIRE sGi? Z0i7AUr
OSME WEs sITE - http://www.osme.org

SANDGROUSE
Volume 27 (2)

Editors
Michael Blair - ed @osme.org

Features Editor
Situation Vacant

Assistant Editor
Dawn Balmer

Editorial Committee
Paul Goriup
Mike Jennings
Simon Aspinall
Peter L. Meininger
& Dr Stephen Newton

Photographic Edttor
Paul Doherty

Design & Production
Harry |. Scott

Identification Consultants
C. G. Bradshaw
Arnoud B. van den Berg
& Steve Madge

Cover Photograph:
(Greater) Spotted Eagle
Aquila clanga taken by
Hadoram Shirihai at Hola,
Israel, October 2002.

O77,

98

99

104

126

139

147

148

149

150

152

ILSYE

160
162

163

164

165

168
170

Contents

EDITORIAL
OSME News
NEWS AND INFORMATION

A long-term bird survey in the central Syrian desert (2000-2004):
Part 2 - a provisional annotated checklist G. SERRA, G. AL QAIM,
M. S. ABDALLAH, A. KANANI & A. K. ASSAED

Recent changes in the status and distribution of birds in Libya J. GASKELL

The Birds of Kralkizi Dam (Diyarbakir), Southeast Turkey R. KARAKAS
& A. KILIC

The first Black-billed Wood Doves Turtur abyssinicus in Yemen and the
Middle East D. B. STANTON

An early specimen of Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi from Syria?
G. M. KIRWAN

An unusually-coloured White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa and its
offspring: a case of colour inversion? S. JAVED & S. KHAN

Wintering Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria in southeastern Anatolia
R. KARAKAS & M. BiRICIK

Breeding success of Brown-necked Ravens Corvus ruficollis in the Mahazat
as-Sayd Protected Area, Saudi Arabia M. SHOBRAK

On the distribution of Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe chrysopygia (de
Fillipi, 1863) in Armenia V. ANANIAN & M. GHASABIAN

Heron breeding records in Cyprus 2003-2004 D. J. WHALEY & J.C. DAWES

Plumage deviation in the left wing of Common Swift Apus apus
U. TicGEs & Y. CORNFELD

First record of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata for Egypt since 1917?
I. WASCHKIES, C. SCHMIDT & J. DJERF

Photographs of Namaqua Dove Oena capensis (a first for Turkey) and
Pallid Scops-Owl Otus brucei. S. & F. VEYRUNES

Second clutches by Common Kestrels Falco tinnunculus breeding on
buildings in Israel M. CHARTER, A. BOUSKILA & Y. LESHEM

REVIEWS & RECENT LITERATURE

AROUND THE REGION DAWN BALMER AND KEITH BETTON

EDITORIAL

With the support of OSME Council, I have revised the
Guidelines for Authors for Sandgrouse. These are located inside
the back cover and will apply from issue 28 (1) onwards. I feel
the revision is worthwhile on two main grounds: firstly, the
predominant use of e-mail between the editor, authors and
referees should be reflected in the Guidelines and secondly, the
previous general rules concerning abbreviations and how they
are presented, though of established pedigree, had not kept in
step with changing practice elsewhere (Indeed, many
submitted papers accorded more with modern practice). My
main aim was to reduce the complexity for authors, partic-
ularly for those whose first language is not English.

Mike Blair

97

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 98-99 2005

CORRIGENDA

Sandgrouse 26 (2)

On p. 147, the caption to Plate 1 erroneously
stated that the Cape Gannet Sula capensis was
photographed on 14 March 2003, when the
correct date was 14 March 2004 (as stated in
the text). On p. 150 it was stated that the
specimen of Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris,
shot by Harms in March 1901, had not been
located in the Berlin museum. In fact, a more
thorough search for the specimen (amongst
all Calidris species) in that institution, by F.
Steinheimer (in litt October 2004), has
subsequently failed to locate the bird. It is
plausible that the specimen is held at one of
several other museums, in Bonn, Moscow, St
Petersburg or Tartu, all of which hold
material from either Harms or his travelling
companion, Zarudny. Thus far, it is has not
been possible to check further for the C.
tenuirostris specimen.

Sandgrouse 27 (1)

The following reference, ‘David, N. and
Gosselin, M. (2002). The grammatical gender
of avian genera. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 122:
257-282’ inexplicably was incorrectly phrased
as ‘Normand, D. and Gosselin, M. (2002)....’
not once but twice, both in the texts and in
the reference lists on pages 73 and 82. The
editor’s apologies of course not only go to the
authors of the papers, ‘Ornithological
observations from the Lebanon’ and
‘Phenology and behaviour of the Common
Swift Apus apus in Israel, but also in abject
form to Normand David for presuming to
call him David Normand.

SUMMER MEETING 30 JULY 2005

Despite recent events in London, around 30
members, including the redoubtable Stan
Howe, made the OSME Summer Meeting a
great success. All the talks were excellent,
Chris Bowden opening this session by
updating us on about the tiny remnant
population of Northern Bald Ibis near
Palmyra in Syria. He explaimed that
permission had now been given to fit some of
the five remaining birds with radio
transmitters in order to locate their wintering
grounds, but so far the birds had managed to
avoid being caught by the project team! Chris
also showed a segment from a BBC World TV
documentary about the Syrian birds and
conservation in Syria. Richard Porter gave a
short update on his work in training Iraqi
conservation staff. The courses had taken
place in Jordan and Syria with the backing of

_ BirdLife International as part of a wider

conservation initiative planned for when

political stability returns to Iraq. Then Jose

Tavares spoke eloquently about research in
Turkey into the Caucasian Black Grouse, a
data-deficient species, one of only two such in
Europe. The sandwich lunch gave plenty of
time for conversation and the chance to buy
books and recordings from the WildSounds
stand. After the Annual General Meeting,
Mike Jennings gave an update on the
forthcoming Arabian Breeding Bird Atlas. In
particular he spoke about recent fieldwork
that he had undertaken in Yemen. After this,
Tim Loseby gave an excellent talk on an
autumn visit to Jordan. Finally most people
remained for a refreshing drink and more
conversation.

2006 SUMMER MEETING DATE
ANNOUNCED

The next OSME Summer Meeting will be held
on Saturday 29 July 2006. Full details and
Central London venue will be announced in
the spring.

COUNCIL CHANGES

After ten years of service Tony Morris has
stood down from Council. A familiar
personality on our stand and at the Summer
Meeting, Tony served as our Secretary from
1995-2001 and has since been an ordinary
member of Council. We thank him for a
decade of dedication! 7

98

Keith Betton

NEW COUNTRY CONTACTS

_ We are pleased to welcome the following
people who have agreed to act as country
contacts where they live. They are happy to
hear from visiting OSME members.

Georgia: Ramaz Gokhelashvili, Georgian
Centre for the Conservation of Wildlife,
Ambrolaury Street 4/2, 380060 Tbilisi,
Georgia. e-mail ramaz@gccw.org, website
http://www.gccw.org

Kuwait: Brian Foster, The English School,
Fahaheel, PO Box 7209, 64003 Fahaheel,
Kuwait. e-mail Brian_Foster_uk@yahoo.co.uk

APPLICATIONS FOR PROJECT
SUPPORT ARE INVITED

OSME welcomes applications for grants of up
to UK£500 from its Conservation and Research
Fund, to support research projects in the region.
Projects should be directed to one or more of
the following ornithological subject areas:

NEWS

The aim of this section is to inform readers about
events in the OSME region. It relies on members
and others supplying relevant news and
information. If you have anything concerning birds,
conservation or development in the OSME area
please send it to News and Information, OSME, c/o
The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, 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.

ARABIA

Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia

The ABBA project is nearing completion but
information on the distribution and breeding
birds throughout the Arabian Peninsula is still
sought. Information on breeding birds is
especially sought for the more remote corners

of Arabia and for little known species but data

on even the most common birds is still

INFORMATION

compiled by Dawn Balmer & Guy M. Kirwan

OSME News

i) Investigating the status of threatened or
near-threatened species.

ii) Attempting to further knowledge of
existing Important Bird Areas by
undertaking work such as breeding
censuses and out-of-season visits for
systematic counts.

iii) Investigating potential new Important Bird
Areas or little-known areas.

iv) Conducting ecological studies of little-
known species.

v) Educational projects.

Priority will be given to projects involving
nationals from the region. Applicants are
required to write up the results of their project
for possible publication in Sandgrouse. For
further information contact Mrs Pat Bartley
via the contact address at the bottom of the
front inside cover or by e-mail using the
following email address: grants@osme.org

Keith Betton

welcome. Notes on habitat, food taken in
Arabia are also much needed. The atlas will
also have an historical context so old records
not yet reported are especially welcome. Those
visiting the Arabian Peninsula or are resident
there are asked to submit details of their
observations to the project. The most
interesting reports of the year will be
mentioned in the next issue of the project
newsletter the Phoenix (ISSN 0268-487X), due
out in January 2006 and new breeding species
fot Arabia will be written up. in
detail. Information on what details are
required and how to submit records, including
the relevant forms, can be obtained from the
ABBA website (http //dspace.dial.pipex.com/
arabian.birds/). Records can be sent in at any
time but preferably by the end of summer,
when most species will have completed
breeding. After publication of the atlas it is
intended that the ABBA database and the
Phoenix will continue indefinitely, providing a

Dawn Balmer

99

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 99- 101 2005

resource to anyone needing information on
Arabian birds and their habitats. (Source: Mike
Jennings)

AZERBAIJAN

Fieldguide to birds of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan Ornithological Society (AOS),
BirdLife International affiliate in Azerbaijan,
has recently published the first colour
fieldguide for birds in Azerbaijan “Birds of
Azerbaijan”. This book includes more than 150
colour illustrations including some 120
commoner species and the 23 rare and endemic
species. Birds are grouped by habitat. This
‘easy-to-read field guide gives a short
descriptive text for each species, as well as
information on the country’s Important Bird
Areas (IBAs), the BirdLife International
programme in Azerbaijan (with a small map
and brief description of 52 national IBAs), and a
description of the most important habitats in
the country. The text is written in Azeri, with
bird names also given in Russian alongside
their scientific name. Publication of this 76 page
(A6 sized) book was made with the generous
support of the RSPB (UK), Dutch Ministry of
Agriculture, Nature Management and
Fisheries, Directorate for Nature Management
through the PIN/MATRA Funds of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA,
UK), NABU (Germany), BirdLife Switzerland
and sponsored by European Division of
BirdLife International. AOS is distributing the
book free to local birdwatchers, biologist,
students and relevant organizations in
Azerbaijan. (Source: Nigar Agayeva)

BAHRAIN

Website change

The Bahrain Bird Report has now moved to
http://www.hawar-islands.com/. The Bird
Report has been integrated into a larger site
covering the Islands of Hawar.

CYPRUS

Cyprus Breeding Bird Atlas

Birdwatchers visiting Cyprus next spring can
help with Atlas fieldwork. BirdLife Cyprus
members, Judy Dawes and David Whaley,
have been collecting breeding bird data for
many years and recently published an atlas,
complete for the Paphos District and some

100

=

other areas, but by no means complete for the
whole island. The Committee and the
Recorder urges birdwatchers to submit
breeding records to the Society. For most
species the breeding season is taken to be from
March to June but there are exceptions such as
early and late breeding raptors, and adult
birds seen feeding juveniles late in the year.
Ideally, birdwatchers are asked to survey one
or more 5km squares two or three times
during the breeding season recording all the
species breeding within it, noting the breeding
evidence code (see below). But if this is not
possible, all casual breeding records are
useful, if the locations and breeding criteria
are accurately given. It is a record of the
species breeding in each square, not the total
populations, that is being sought at present.
Breeding records or more details of the survey
can be obtained from Colin Richardson
(Richar@cytanet.com.cy) or David Whaley
(email: whaleydawes@spidernet.com.cy).

IRAQ

Lesser White-fronted Goose moves from
Russia to Iraq for winter.

Birdlife International has recently published
interesting news of a tagged Lesser White-
fronted Goose, which has returned to it
breeding grounds in the Polar Urals in Russia
after wintering near Baghdad, Iraq. For further
details visit the website: http://www.birdlife.
org/news/news/2005/06/lwfg.html (Source:
World Birdwatch June 2005).

JORDAN

Khaled Irani, CEO of the Royal Society for the
Conservation of Nature (RSCN) in Jordan has
just been made Minister of State for the
Environment. Khaled has been CEO of RSCN
for some 8 years and is the Middle East
member on BirdLife’s World Council. He
helped to establish BirdLife’s Middle East
conservation programme and office in Jordan.
(Source: Richard Porter).

OMAN

Qatbit Resthouse improvements

Qatbit resthouse in southern Oman has long
been known as a useful stopover site on the
desert road south to Salalah. Over the years
the lush gardens have attracted birds and
birdwatchers alike in an otherwise treeless
area of desert. The management at the

Dawn Balmer

resthouse have been keen to make the area as
_ attractive to birds as possible. A glance of the
recent check list for Oman (No. 6) illustrates
how this is truly an oasis for birds with second
sightings for the country of White-throated
Bee-eater Merops albicollis and Cretzschmar’s
Bunting Emberiza caesia and third records of
Dusky Thrush Turdus naumanni and Black
Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus among the
highlights in recent years.

The latest development has been the provision
of a small pool close at the back of the motel
that is proving to be very attractive to visiting
birds. Recent sightings have included Golden
Oriole Oriolus oriolus, Upcher’s Warbler
Hippolais languida, Masked Shrike Lanius
nubicus, Ortolan Bunting E. hortulana, White-
breasted White-eye Zosterops abyssinica and
Yellow-throated Sparrow Petronia xanthocollis,
many seen using the new pond. There are
plans to provide a larger pool in due course
and perhaps a screened site for close up views
of drinking and bathing birds. It is not
necessary to book rooms except in July and
August; otherwise you can drop in any time
and stay for a night to fully appreciate this
haven for birds in the middle of the vast desert
of southern Oman. The manager, Islam,
welcomes birders and it helps with his work if
birders can show appreciation for what is
being done there. Qatbit Resthouse is on the
Salalah-Muscat Highway Tel: (00) 986
99085686 (Source: Andrew Grieve.)

SYRIA

Iraqi biologists trained in Syria

In January 2005, BirdLife’s Middle East office
organised a one-week training course in Syria
for ten Iraqi wetland biologists. The focus of
the training was on wetland survey methods,
with special emphasis on the identification
and censusing of waterbirds. Two major
wetlands were visited during the week: Bahrat
Homs, a large freshwater lake near the city of
Homs; and Sabkhat Al-Jabbul, a Ramsar site
near Aleppo. Overall almost 87,000 waterbirds
of 52 species were recorded: 67,000 birds of 29
species at Bahrat Homs, 18,000 birds of 45
species at Sabkhat Al-Jabbul, and 1,000 birds
of 17 species at three other sites. A total of 725
White-headed Ducks Oxyura leucocephala were
found at Sabkhat Al-Jabbul; such numbers
were previously unknown at this site.

Dawn Balmer

News & Information

Eight of the Iraqi biologists are now carrying
out surveys of wetlands in the south of Iraq,
particularly in the area of Basra marshes. The
course was part of an Environmental Training
Programme provided by the University of
Waterloo (Ontario) and Environment Canada
under the Canada-Iraq Marshlands Initiative.
(Source: World Birdwatch June 2005).

TURKEY

KusBank: An Internet Based Citizen Science
Project for Bird Conservation

KusBank is an internet based databank where
the bird watchers can store their bird
observation data. KusBank Project is executed
by Doga Dernegi and Erciyes University with
the support of RSPB (The Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds). KusBank is a part of the
Kagu — World Birds Project which is carried
on by BirdLife and RSPB. Previously it was a
very difficult and time consuming process to
enter data that was in notebooks and to share
it with other observers and it was almost
impossible to collect data in a usable format
and to share them with others. With KusBank,
records can be instantly stored and shared
with all other users.

Birds are one of the important indicator
species, which show the changes in the
environment and their habitats. KusBank will
allow negative trends or improvements in the
number and distribution of the bird species in
Turkey to be monitored. KusBank is a
national bird data bank that is based on the
internet. Entering data into KusBank is done
through a series of screens: observation time,
observation date, names and surnames of the
bird watchers, the number of bird watchers,
place of observation, species which are seen
(number of species and their reproduction
behaviour), habitat and notes.

The first product of this Project will be the
report ‘Turkey Birds 2004’, which will be
prepared based on the data entered into
KusBank in 2004. The data from the ‘Turkish
Breeding Bird Atlas’ will be gathered and
entered into the KusBank database as well. To
fad out more: visit thes--website
www.kusbank.org. (Source: Esra Per).

Dawn Balmer

101

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005 :

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103

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 104-125 2005 :

A long-term bird survey in the central
Syrian desert (2000-2004): Part 2
- a provisional annotated checklist

GIANLUCA SERRA’, GHAZY AL QAIM’*, MAHMUD SHEISCH ABDALLAH’,
AHMED KANANI* AND ABDUL KHALEK ASSAED°

A thorough bird survey of the central Syrian desert (CSD) was conducted
during 2000-2003 within the framework of a UN Italy-supported biodiversity
conservation project - additional data were collected, more opportunistically,
until June 2004. This central area (known as al Badia) has had even less bird
survey work done than anywhere else in Syria. Not unexpectedly, our new
records (in preparation) for the area outnumber our new records for the rest of
the country by three times, and included the rediscovery of three bird species
after 50-70 years (Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita, Red-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax and Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus). The results
of our survey show that the surveyed area is transitional zoogeographically and
is probably a crossroad for poorly-known migratory flyways for Russian and
Eastern European breeders. The conservation relevance of the area was critically
assessed in Part 1 of this paper in Sandgrouse 27 (1)*, revealing at least 5 restricted-range bird species, 9 globally
threatened species (two ‘critically endangered’ and 7 ‘vulnerable’), 2 globally near-threatened species, and some 15
regionally and locally threatened or declining species. A total of 260 species has been reliably identified during the
survey, out of >4300 records (extracted from a database containing >6000 records), while 8 are hypothetical identifications
and 6 are classified as ‘anecdotal’ (those reported by reliable intensively-trained local observers and subsequently
stringently assessed). The following claimed records from this survey are in preparation for separate publication, and
subject to scrutiny, comprise 14 first records for Syria, 50 relative to just the CSD, two first breeding records for Syria and
9 relative to the CSD; there are also 5 first wintering records for Syria and one for the CSD. * Serra et al (2005)

‘ Conservation Biologist and Ecologist (corresponding author), via Giambologna 20, 50132 Florence,
Italy. e-mail: abunug@aruba.it (www.gianlucaserra.com) * Head Ranger, Al Talila Reserve, Ministry of
Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (MAAR, Syria ° Ranger, Al Talila Reserve (MAAR) # Director, Al
Talila Reserve (MAAR) ° General Manager, Palmyra Al Badia Reserves (MAAR)

LTHOUGH THE AVIFAUNA of Syria is predominantly Western Palearctic, its

location on the southeastern border of this somewhat arbitrary zoogeographic
area makes it an interesting transitional zone (Martins & Hirschfeld 1998), as is the
entire Arabian Peninsula. Regional political history since the 1950s and a scarcity of
local ornithological expertise have made the Syrian avifauna one of the least-known in
the Middle East, especially in the central Syrian desert (Baumgart 1995). As access to
Syria became easier from the 1990s, participation in Syrian birdwatching began to
flourish (eg Fierant & Hofland 1994, Wester 1998, Vandemeutter & Soors 2001,
Murdoch 2002, Le Croissette & Wheeler 2002, Showler & Farrow 2002, Murdoch 2003,
Persson in litt, Murdoch et al 2004, Hannes Uhlig pers comm), being recently
accelerated by the discovery of a relict colony of critically endangered Northern Bald
Ibis Geronticus eremita breeding in the central Syrian desert (Serra 2003, Serra et al 2003).

At present, Baumgart (1995) provides the only available comprehensive review of
Syrian ornithology - now also available as an OSME English translation. The present
study aimed to integrate and reinforce Baumgart’s work, by filling gaps in knowledge
of bird distribution and status in the area of the Syrian central desert. For the
purposes of this study, we define ‘Central Syrian Desert’ (CSD) as that part of the
Syrian desert (known to them as ‘al Badia’ in Arabic) centred on Palmyra oasis
(34°33.196’N, 38°17.15’E), and extending radially for 100-130km (limits determined by
geography). For details of the survey area and the methods employed and for
discussion of the work, see Serra et al (2005), Part 1 of this paper.

104 Gianluca Serra, Ghazy al Qaim, Mahmud Sheisch Abdallah, Ahmed Kanani & Abdul Khalek Assaed

A long-term bird survey in the central Syrian desert (2000-2004): Part 2 - a provisional annotated checklist

Plate 1. Bedu tent in typical pastures of the central Piate 2. Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita
Syrian desert 2003. © Gianluca Serra foraging 2002. © Mahmud Abdallah

Plate 3. Saker Falcon Falco cherrug. 2002. © Plate 4. Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus.
Gianluca Serra 2002. © Mahmud Abdallah

FORMAT

The annotated bird checklist of the CSD provides for each species identified:
information on evidence of breeding, the actual or most likely habitat of occurrence,
the monthly occurrence noted throughout the year, the total number of sightings or
Random Detections over the 2000-2003 period (Ran Det 2000-3), and a brief comment
on the zoogeographic and conservation significance of each sighting. Random
detections were defined as those made during project survey work (2000-03) and
include a few validated reports from hunters. Species actively searched for, such as
Northern Bald Ibis, or those trapped by hunters, by definition are not random
detections. The checklist also provides an estimate of the Relative Likelihood of
Detection (RLD) for each species (RLD = number of random detections for each
species divided by the number of total detections obtained [n= 4337]). Frequency of
Occurrence throughout the year is shown thus: If = high, [x] = medium, L] = low. R=
Resident. CSD = Central Syrian Desert. {| = First records (These are being prepared
separately for scrutiny before submission, and are identified in the Checklist by {]). In
the month columns, 1, 2 etc refer to the number of sightings in that month. e~ppendix
1 summarises the hypothetical and anecdotal records.

ANNOTATED BIRD CHECKLIST

Gianluca Serra, Ghazy al Qaim, Mahmud Sheisch Abdallah, Ahmed Kanani & Abdul Khalek Assaed 105

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

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Gianluca Serra, Ghazy al Qaim, Mahmud Sheisch Abdallah, Ahmed Kanani & Abdul Khalek Assaed

106

A long-term bird survey in the central Syrian desert (2000-2004): Part 2 - a provisional annotated checklist

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Gianluca Serra, Ghazy al Qaim, Mahmud Sheisch Abdallah, Ahmed Kanani & Abdul Khalek Assaed

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Gianluca Serra, Ghazy al Qaim, Mahmud Sheisch Abdallah, Ahmed Kanani & Abdul Khalek Assaed

108

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Gianluca Serra, Ghazy al Qaim, Mahmud Sheisch Abdallah, Ahmed Kanani & Abdul Khalek Assaed

1.

A long-term bird survey in the central Syrian desert (2000-2004): Part 2 - a provisional annotated checklist

Plate 5. Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens. 2002. Plate 6. Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata
© Mahmud Abdallah chick. 2002. © Gianluca Serra

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Plate 7 (left). Adeeb Assaed and Mahmud Scheisch Abdallah. © Gianluca Serra Plate 8 (mid-left). Anmed Jeber
Abdallah. © Gianluca Serra Plate 9 (mid-right). Talal Fayud, Gianluca Serra, Mahmoud Mohammed and Ahmed
Jeber Abdallah. © Gianluca Serra Plate 10 (right). Gianluca Serra and Ghazy al Qaim. © Gianluca Serra

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are grateful to the Italian Cooperation Programme (Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Food and the
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian
Reform for providing this study opportunity. We are also thankful to the Bedouin nomads and the
Palmyran hunters for their patience and hospitable attitude.

PRIMARY REFERENCES

AHARONI, J. 1931. [Breeding biology in the Syrian desert and Lebanon]. Vogel 7: 161-166, 222-226. (In German).

BaumGanrrt, W. 1995. Birds of Syria. M. Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg (English version published by OSME
in 2003).

Goopsopy, J.G. 1945. Records of birds seen in the Tell Tamer area, NE Syria, May-July 1945. Meb. Sch. Bull.
2:1-8.

KINZELBACH, R. 1986. The White-cheeked Bulbul, Pycnonotus leucogenys, a resident of the Palmyra Oasis,
Syria. Zoology in the Middle East 1: 73-74.

MACFARLANE, A.M. 1978. Field notes on the birds of Lebanon & Syria 1974-77. Army Bird-watching Society
3: 47-94.

MARTINS, R.P. AND E. HIRSCHFELD. 1998. Comments on the limits of the Western Palearctic in Iran and the
Arabian Peninsula. Sandgrouse 20 (2): 108-134.

Murbocu, D., I. ANDREWS AND R. HOFLAND. 2004. The Syrian Wetland Expedition: a summary. Sandgrouse
26(2): 94-104.

PETERS, J.L. 1956. Birds from Station T-3, Syria. In: Peabody Museum Vol XLVI n. 2: 78-79, Cambridge,
Massachusetts, USA.

SERRA, G. 2003. Discovery of Northern Bald Ibises in Syria. World Birdwatch 25(1): 10-13.

SERRA, G., M. ABDALLAH, A. ABDALLAH, G. AL QAIM, T. FAYED, A. ASSAED AND D. WILLIAMSON. 2003.
Discovery of a relict breeding colony of Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita in Syria: still in time to save
the eastern population? Oryx 38 (1): 1-7.

SERRA, G., M. ABDALLAH, A. ASSAD, G. AL QAIM AND A.K. ABDALLAH. 2005. A long-term bird survey in the
central Syrian desert (2001-2003) — Part 1. Sandgrouse 27 (1): 9-23.

Gianluca Serra, Ghazy al Qaim, Mahmud Sheisch Abdallah, Ahmed Kanani & Abdul Khalek Assaed 123

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

SECONDARY REFERENCES

FIERANT, S. AND R. HOFLAND. 1994. OSME Trip Reports: http://www.osme.org /osmetrip /syria2.html
Tucn. 2004. [UCN Red List of Threatened Species: www.redlist.org

Le CROoISsSsETTE, D. AND M. WHEELER. 2002. OSME Trip Reports: http://www.osme.org/osmetrip / syriaé. html
Murpocu, D. 2002. OSME Trip Reports: http://www.osme.org/osmetrip/syria5.html

Murpocu, D. 2003. OSME Trip Reports: http://www.osme.org/osmetrip /syria7.html

SHOWLER, D.A. AND D.S. FARROW. 2002. http://www.shortwing.co.uk/pages/tripDetails.asp?id=31
VANDEMEUTTER, F. AND J. Soors. 2001. OSME Trip Reports: http://www.osme.org/osmetrip /syria4.html
WESTER, J. 1998. OSME Trip Reports: http://www.osme.org/osmetrip /syrial.html

APPENDIX 1

The following notes mostly summarise more general comments in Serra et al (2005), Part 1 of
this survey. They are included in the expectation that future observers in the CSD will find
at least a few of the species below. The OSME convention is that hypothetical information is
enclosed in bold square brackets and anecdotal information in bold braces.

Hypothetical records

[Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus. On several occasions we believe we have detected
individuals of this species (on 25—29.05.2000, 14-15.03.2001, 03.04.2001, 02.05.2001, 09.05.2001,
20.03.2002, 07.05.2002, 12.05.2002, 19.10.2003), either alone or, more often, intermixed with
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo, Steppe Buzzard B.b. vulpinus and Long-legged Buzzard B. rufinus
during migration. Particularly because of the risk of confusing this species with B. vulpinus
juveniles when views were less than perfect, our identification has always remained uncertain.

Dark Chanting Goshawk Melierax metabates. Adeeb Assaed (a local Palmyran hunter) reported
sighting a singleton in the Hamad desert during the 1995-96 winter, about 40km south of
Palmyra, emphasising its ‘very long legs’ when the bird was on the ground, when comparing it
to Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis with which he is familiar, having trapped and trained
one for hunting before.

Black-winged (-shouldered) Kite Elanus caeruleus. Adeeb Assaed saw one in the Hamad desert
in November of 1997 or 98, attracted to ground bait intended to trap small falcons (typically, the
trap is a small cage with nooses on top and a live rodent inside). The bird watched the bait for a
while, but flew away. Adeeb Assaed describes it as a very small raptor, with a ‘slower’ flight
than a falcon, and almost completely white. Another hunter, known to be reliable, related a
similar account for 1996 in the same area.

Sooty Falcon Falco concolor. We made three observations within the CSD (April 2000, December
2000 June 2001) of a medium-sized falcon, apparently uniformly dark-coloured, but insufficient
detail made our identifications uncertain.

Black Tern Chlidonias niger. An individual Chlidonias was spotted on 28.09.2001 flying on a
reservoir, and apparently showing a light-coloured underwing. Because of distance and
unfavourable weather conditions the identification could not be regarded as certain.

Sylvia sp resembling Dartford or Marmora’s Warbler S. undata or S. sarda. A single bird
resembling one of these two species was seen on 16.10.2001 on large Tamarisk Tamarix sp trees
at the entrance of al Talila reserve; its compact shape, its predominantly grey-blue plumage and
its cocked tail being the sole features seen before it moved away.

Green Warbler Phylloscopus (trochiloides) nitidus. Seen on 05.04.2002 in the vicinity of Palmyra.
Its compact shape (rather like Chiffchaff P. collybita), its clear pale supercilium, its slim, longish
and relatively light-coloured mandible, its longish primary projection, and its pale green body
and evident yellowish throat, were indicative of P. nitidus, but Willow Warbler Phylloscopus
trochilus could not be ruled out.

124 Gianluca Serra, Ghazy al Qaim, Mahmud Sheisch Abdallah, Ahmed Kanani & Abdul Khalek Assaed

A long-term bird survey in the central Syrian desert (2000-2004): Part 2 - a provisional annotated checklist

Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris. We detected many Acrocephalus birds engaged in early-
morning territorial singing on 25 July 2000 in Phragmites reedbed at a reservoir close to Palmyra
(Sed Wadi Abiad). We assessed them as being Marsh Warblers from comparing the territorial
song to Roché’s reference recordings (1993). One bird even responded to the Roché calls played
as a lure from the car; it came from the reeds to perch close to the vehicle. Because cross-species
responses are known within the Acrocephalus genus (Mike Blair pers comm), and because
Lubomir Peske identified breeding European Reed Warbler A. scirpaceus at the same site few
years later, our identification remains hypothetical.]

Anecdotal records

{Sand / See-See Partridges Ammoperdix heyi / A. griseogularis. Adeeb Assaed reports seeing six
together (one was killed) in the Hamad desert in 1996. He states that it is resident in certain
Hamad desert habitats, especially in stony wadis. It is not clear whether these partridges are very
rare or simply overlooked.

Great Bustard Otis tarda. Adeeb Assaed advises that this bird, usually seen in flocks, was still
very common until about 1994 in the Palmyran al Badia, as given in Evans (1994), its favourite
habitats being stony and barren undulating fields and wadis. One morning Adeeb Assaed found
a recently abandoned roost, identified as such by the tracks and the soil scratches, of several
birds. Local people reported that it had been seen on at least 3 occasions during the 2003-2004
winter (groups of 16, 3 and 2 birds) in an area some 40-50 km northeast of Palmyra.
Accompanied by Adeeb Assaed, Team C of the OSME-supported 2004 Expedition surveyed the
same area in late February, but without success.

Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus. Adeeb Assaed regards it as resident in the Palmyran al
Badia, occurring within both the Hamad desert and the vicinity of Sukhna (a village 80km
northeast of Palmyra). It favours flat plains possessing shrubs and volcanic rocks. He usually
identifies it by its diagnostic call. Supposedly, it occurs in smaller flocks (fewer than 20-30
birds) than Pin-tailed Sandgrouse P. alchata. Adeeb Assaed last saw this species in the Hamad
desert in autumn 2003.

Barn Owl Tyto alba. Adeeb Assaed saw a Barn Owl leaving a well at Tarfa oasis, some 30 km
northwest of Palmyra, in about 1984. Other old sightings recalled by locals were of small to
medium-sized white owls occurring at Palmyra oasis. No Barn Owls were seen or heard during
the study period, indicating that the species may no longer occur in the CSD.

Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus. During the 42 months of the project survey, we received several
reports from falcon trappers about rare sightings and captures of a very large white falcon
(called locally ‘al abiad’, ‘the white one’). From quite a number of reports, possibly the most
reliable are: Adeeb Assaed describing chasing an individual by car in the Hamad desert in
autumn 1980, but the bird crossed into Iraq; Adeeb Assaed examining an individual captured
alive in 1997 in the desert some 30 km west of Palmyra and lastly, the trapping of a bird in
1998-99 in the desert east of the Euphrates, for which $160,000 US was reportedly paid by Gulf
falconers. Our present knowledge of Gyrfalcon movements makes a natural explanation
unlikely of sightings of such a high-latitude raptor species particularly when these refer only to
the morph prized by falconers. Unless any kind of corroborative information can be obtained,
such as photographs, we treat the species as escapes, pro tem.

Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca. Mahmud Scheisch Abdallah found one perched on top of
scaffolding in small hangar in the desert about 50 km west of Palmyra in the winter of 1981.
He watched it at close range before catching it after climbing the scaffolding slowly and
taking it by surprise from behind. He described it as an owl, about Eagle Owl Bubo bubo in
size, but completely white. Although Porter et al (1996) report that 1st-year Snowy Owls have
been recorded in northeast Iran in winter, it is likely that this bird was an escape, because it
was so unwary.}

Gianluca Serra, Ghazy al Qaim, Mahmud Sheisch Abdallah, Ahmed Kanani & Abdul Khalek Assaed = 125

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 126-138 2005

Recent changes in the status and distribution
of birds in Libya

JEREMY GASKELL

The opportunity to study the bird life of Libya for a sustained period rather
than for just a few weeks has presented itself again with the gradual easing of
United Nations economic sanctions against the country. The observations
summarised below are not those of a scientific expedition, nor are they intended
to be a review of the country’s avifauna, but are simply the results of the regular
observation of a number of sites over a period of months, together with a
number of observations made during excursions of limited duration.
Notwithstanding this non-systematic approach to the collection of data, it is
evident that there have been significant changes in the populations of a number
of resident and migratory species of birds since the 1970s when ornithologists
were last able to roam throughout the country at will. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
and White Stork Ciconia ciconia now breed and Black-winged Stilt Himantopus
himantopus continues to increase in numbers as a breeding species. Water Rail Rallus aquaticus is resident at one site in
Cyrenaica, eastern Libya and Little Crake Porzana parva a regular spring migrant. Perhaps Libya is the only country
where Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis has spread from the margins of the desert to occupy territory already
inhabited by Common Raven C. corax; in the south of the country the Fan-tailed Raven C. rhipidurus has been recorded in
Libya for the first time. Among the small passerines, European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris has established itself as a rare
breeding species. There is new evidence of migratory raptors, including Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus, Steppe
Buzzard B.b. vulpinus, European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus and possibly Booted
Eagle Aquila pennatus using a migratory route via Crete and Cyrenaica. Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae and Merlin F.
columbarius appear to occur more regularly than previously thought. Species that were formerly very scarce in Libya but
which have been recorded in substantial numbers in winter are Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Tufted Duck A. fuligula,
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus, Mediterranean Gull L. melanocephalus and Siberian Gull L. fuscus heuglini. In
addition Armenian L. armenicus, Caspian L. cachinnans and Great Black-headed Gulls L. ichthyaetus were recorded for
the first time in Libya in the winter of 2004-5, when Benghazi’s lagoons hosted, among other species, modest numbers of
Little Gulls L. minutus, Whiskered Terns Chlidonias hybrida, ‘White-spotted’ Bluethroats Luscinia svecica and Eurasian
Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus. In the south of the country Eurasian Reed Warbler of the eastern race fuscus was
observed on migration and a description of its appearance in fresh plumage is included here.

Jeremy Gaskell, c/o GECOL Contract, Bell-International, Red Cross Lane, Cambridge, UK CB2 2QX.
e-mail: impennis44@yahoo.co.uk

INTRODUCTION

OST OF THE OBSERVATIONS contained in this paper were made in two areas of

Libya, coastal Tripolitania, mainly from mid-June to late August 2004, and
Cyrenaica, mainly between September 2004 and March 2005. Also included are a small
number of observations made from March 20-23 2005 at the Al Kufra oasis, which lies
some 900km (560 miles) south east of Benghazi. The records are principally those that
indicate that significant change of status has taken place in Libya’s avifauna since the
publication of the British Ornithologists’ Union first national checklist (Bundy 1976).
Accordingly, all reference to a small number of rare and local species, whose
ascertained ranges in Libya are well-documented, has been omitted.

The birdlife of Cyrenaica, whose capital Benghazi lies nearly 700km (440 miles) east of
Tripoli, differs from that of Tripolitania especially as regards the migratory birds that pass
through en route to and from south-eastern Europe. For the purposes of recording birds,
Bundy (1976), whose definition is followed here, excluded from Cyrenaica the areas of
true desert south of 30° N, confining the term instead to the skull-shaped protruberance
that lies between the Gulf of Sirte and Egypt’s Western Desert, together with the semi-arid
regions immediately to the south. The dominant topographical feature of this area is the
Jebel Akhdar (‘Green Mountain’), a juniper-clad highland plateau 700m (2200ft) in
altitude that falls away to the Mediterranean coast in a series of dramatic escarpments.

126 Jeremy Gaskell

Recent changes in the status and distribution of birds in Libya

SPECIES

Podicepididae - Grebes
Three Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus discovered on a lagoon in the As Sabri
district on the north side of Benghazi in the second week of January remained until the
last week of March. All previous wintering records in Libya have been from Tripolitania.

Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Phoenicopteridae - Herons, egrets, storks,
spoonbills and flamingos

Numbers of Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis, a species previously regarded as a scarce and
irregular passage visitor to Cyrenaica, peaked at cl100 in Benghazi on 10 October,
thereafter declining to 26 by 3 November. A flock of 18, flying in V-formation, on 10
November following storms was the last substantial autumn count. A pair with bills
flushed crimson, near a site where breeding could have been possible, was observed
on the north side of Benghazi on 16 February. 15 birds were observed at rest or
feeding at old Al Marj on 18 February, the site of a town at the foot of the Jebel
Akhdar whose population was relocated after an earthquake in 1963. On 25 May 2005
some 6 Cattle Egrets were observed feeding in a field near Zlitan, 120km east of
Tripoli. A small breeding population consisting of an estimated 25 pairs was first
noted on 30 May 2005 in a lightly wooded suburb of the capital. There are no
published breeding records of the species from either Tripolitania or Cyrenaica.
Evidently a significant range extension of the species has already taken place in North
Africa, a process likely to continue. Small numbers of Great Egrets Ardea [Egretta] alba,
previously considered a very rare visitor to Libya (Bundy 1976), wintered from early
October until the second week in March at two sites in Benghazi.

On 18 February c20 pairs of White Stork Ciconia ciconia were observed, some of them
already at their nests, on the outskirts of old Al Marj, Cyrenaica. The largest concen-
tration comprised five nests in a dead tree with three or more nests in adjacent conifers.
Subsequently 8 adult birds were observed foraging in floodwater on the rich agricultural
land between Al Marj and Tolmeta. The species’ range has expanded significantly in
recent years. It was considered by Bundy (1976) possibly to be a casual breeder in Libya.

Two Eurasian Spoonbills Platalea leucorodia observed in Benghazi on 1 October were the
first noted. From January to March parties of up to 24 were frequently observed at two
sites on the edge of the city. A party of 14 was present at one of these two sites on 4 July
2005. Small family parties of Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus [ruber] roseus were
observed in Benghazi on 15 and 25 September. A flock of 30 was observed on 10 October
on a lake south west of the city centre. On 24 February c70 were observed in flight over
extensive lagoons some 50km north of Benghazi where Williams (1963) stated that up to
100 wintered from December to February. Over 50 immature birds were seen on
Benghazi’s largest lagoon on 4 March 2005, and modest numbers of non-breeding birds
were regularly observed there in the late spring and summer (G. Haigh pers comm).

Anatidae - Wildfowl

A party of six Gadwall Anas strepera, three males and three females, observed as they
alighted on a large lagoon on the south west side of Benghazi on 17 February, was
the second record for Cyrenaica. Despite wintering in Greece, the Gadwall has only
rarely been recorded in Libya. Only three species of dabbling ducks - Common Teal
A. crecca, Northern Pintail A. acuta and Northern Shoveler A. clypeata — were found to
be common winter visitors in Cyrenaica.

Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris is listed as an accidental visitor to Libya by
Snow and Perrins (1998) following Bundy (1976). However, since there are

Jeremy Gaskell 127

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

significant breeding populations in Tunisia (M. Smart in litt) the sighting of a bird on
19 August flying west along the shore-line at Janzour, 13km west of Tripoli, is less
remarkable than the occurrence of an immature among substantial numbers of other
wildfowl on a lagoon in Benghazi on 8 November after a storm. The latter is the first
record of the species in Cyrenaica.

As regards diving ducks, small numbers of Common Pochard Aythya ferina, a species
previously unrecorded in Cyrenaica, were first observed in the As Sabri district of
Benghazi on 1 October. This number increased to c50 in November and counts of
more than 100 were made at the same site in January and February. A single female
was still present on 3 July 2005. At the same site on the north side of Benghazi,
numbers of Tufted Duck Ay. fuligula increased from five after storms in early
November to peak at 35 in January. There is only one previously published record
(Bundy 1976) from Cyrenaica. Two Ferruginous Ducks Ay. nyroca were also observed
here on 29 October. The highest single count of the species, comprising six
individuals, was made on 4 November, four days prior to the onset of winter storms.
On 2 April 2005, at Labdah (Leptis Magna) cl00km east of Tripoli, two Ferruginous
Duck were located on a shore lagoon where breeding was strongly suspected judging
by the manner in which one of the pair, after alighting, kept watch from a position
half hidden at the edge of the reeds (cf Cowan 1983, 1985). At Benghazi on 31 May
four birds, thought to be non-breeders, were observed on open water.

Two Red-breasted Mergansers Mergus serrator, an adult female and an immature
male, were observed not far from the sea at As Sabri in Benghazi from 8-10
November following storms. There are no previously published records of this
species from Cyrenaica.

Accipitridae and Falconidae - Raptors

A Eurasian Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus was observed over the corniche 3km north
of Benghazi port, just after it had come in off the sea on 7 September, becoming the
second record for Cyrenaica. Another individual, thought to have been a sub-adult
male, was observed at Janzour, Tripolitania, on 30 May 2005. It seems probably to be
the case that this species is better classified as a scarce passage migrant in Libya,
rather than as accidental.

A Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus was observed coming in from the sea making for
the port area of Benghazi on 7 September 2004. A second bird, a juvenile was observed
using precisely the same flight line on 9 September. Since the North African population
of Long-legged Buzzards of the rather small race cirtensis is non-migratory (Snow and
Perrins 1998) - although they may disperse southwards in winter (Bundy 1976, cf
Cowan 1982) - it is submitted that these observations constitute the first evidence of the
Crete-Cyrenaica migration route being used by nominate rufinus Long-legged Buzzard,
the majority of which follow the Nile Valley. The existence of a migratory route for
raptors via Crete was postulated by Vagliano (1985) and confirmed by observations
made by Massa (1999). Steppe Buzzard B.b. vulpinus appears also to use the route via
Crete, for on 29 and 30 March two dark-morph Steppe Buzzards, were observed
separately at Shahhat (Cyrene), which lies southwest of the largest of the Greek islands.

Short-toed Eagles Circaetus gallicus were observed on the following dates: one migrant
carrying a snake on 16 September at Tolmeta (Ptolemais), Cyrenaica; one certain, and four
very probable distant individuals, on 29 March inland from Susa (Apollonia), which lies
on the coast some 18km from Shahhat; another on the same date perched on a pylon near

128 Jeremy Gaskell

Recent changes in the status and distribution of birds in Libya

Shahhat and three together on 30 March south of Al Bayda near the Wadi al Kouf in the
_ heart of Cyrenaica’s Jebel Akhdar, one of which, with legs outstretched, was vocally
attempting to drive off another while the third remained indifferent. Meininger et al (1996)
observed two pairs of Short-toed Eagles at the mouth of this large wadi in July 1993.

A single Black Kite Milous migrans, a very rufous-bellied individual, was observed on
the morning of 22 March scavenging along the airport road as it migrated northwards
at at Al Kufra. Since the characteristically rufous populations breed to the east in
Egypt and beyond, it is remarkable that this observation occurred more than 1000km
west of the Nile Valley. Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus is a well-known migrant
through North Africa. However, a small wintering population, numbering 3-6 birds,
regularly frequented the large lagoons south west of Benghazi city centre in January
and February and were also observed flying to and from their roost to the north of the
city. A migrating Marsh Harrier was observed at Al Kufra on 22 March 2005.

Two Booted Eagles Aquila pennatus, one dark-morph and one light-morph, were
observed separately circling over the Wadi al Kouf on 30 March. A party of Italian
ornithologists observed a light-morph bird at Shahhat on 26 April (M.Visentin in litt).
This species was previously considered as an irregular passage visitor to Libya
(Bundy 1976). A first-winter Osprey Pandion haliaetus was observed at July 23rd Lake,
contiguous with Benghazi port, on 21 October. Although distribution maps show the
species to be a broad-front migrant across North Africa, Bundy (1976) knew of only
three recorded sightings, all made in spring, from eastern Cyrenaica.

Three sightings of Merlin Falco columbarius in January, including two birds seen on the
same occasion hunting on the north side of Benghazi, suggests that this raptor is not
an accidental visitor but winters in small numbers in Cyrenaica. This was suggested
as a possibility by Bundy (1976) who alluded to the wintering population in
neighbouring Egypt. Eleonora’s Falcon F. eleonorae is also listed only as accidental in
Libya. However, a neighbouring population, presumably southern Italian, appears to
hunt along the coast of Tripolitania. One being mobbed by Pallid Swifts Apus pallidus
was seen heading eastwards on 22 July at Janzour, and on 27 July at the same site a
pair hunting co-operatively was observed heading westwards. Both sightings were
made in the early morning. A male Peregrine F. peregrinus was observed on 6
February harrying an immature female Lanner F. biarmicus as the latter passed
southwards over the July 23rd Lake, Benghazi.

Phasianidae - Partridges

Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara, which is quite commonly encountered in
Tripolitania, was conspicuous by its apparent absence from many parts of Cyrenaica
where it was a popular game bird only 45 years ago (Williams 1963). Two individuals
were observed by a party of ornithologists from Italy on 24 April between Tolmeta and
Ras al Hillel, a distance of c130km by road across the Jebel Akhdar. (M. Visentin 71 litt)

Rallidae — Rails, crakes and coots

Water Rail Rallus aquaticus, whose status in Snow and Perrins 1998 is given as migrant
breeder in the environs of Benghazi, was present in low numbers from January to
March and in July 2005 on the largest lagoon south west of Benghazi city centre. This
suggests that the species is resident in small numbers in Cyrenaica. Four Little Crakes
Porzana parva were observed at As Sabri in Benghazi on 25 March indicating that the
species is not a rare visitor but a regular passage migrant. A Baillon’s Crake P. pusilla
that had evidently just made landfall was observed flying along a shingle beach and

Jeremy Gaskell 129

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

subsequently located hiding under a stone on 11 November. Bundy (1976) knew of no
records from Cyrenaica. A Coot Fulica atra, normally a locally common winter visitor,
was observed with a single downy chick close to a small reed bed on 31 May in As
Sabri, Benghazi. This is the first breeding record from Cyrenaica (cf Cowan 1983, 1985).

Recurvirostridae, Scolopacidae, Charadridae and Burhinidae - Waders and Stone-curlews
(All the wader records relate to Benghazi and its environs unless otherwise stated.) Black-
winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus is a common passage migrant on Benghazi’s lagoons
where modest numbers remain to winter. During a visit to one such site on 31 May 2005
three of us were frequently escorted by anxiously calling Black-winged Stilts, and an
incubating bird was observed on an islet. Meininger et al (1996) first recorded the species
breeding in Cyrenaica at Ain Zayana just north of Benghazi on the road to Aquriya (Tocra).

Small parties of Curlew Sandpipers Calidris ferruginea were observed on 14 and 17
September. Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus, Marsh Sandpiper T. stagnatilis, Green
Sandpiper T. ochropus and Little Stint C. minuta all proved to be regular autumn migrants
on Benghazi’s lagoons, Spotted Redshanks being noted in early July 2005 when still in
breeding plumage. In addition, 30 Little Stints and a few Temminck’s Stints C. temmincki
were also observed in January and February on the north side of Benghazi where both
species winter on extensive, well-vegetated salt flats that hold excess rainfall in winter.

Throughout the winter Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola, Ringed Plover Charadrius
hiaticula (in very small numbers), Redshank T. totanus, Turnstone Arenaria interpres and
Sanderling C. alba frequented the tideline and shore lagoons. In Tripolitania, at Janzour
west of the capital, a flock of cl0 Sanderling, first observed on 15 July 2004, remained
on the coast until 19 August at least. Wood Sandpipers T. glareola were found
wintering at one site in Benghazi where counts of from 10-20 were made regularly.
Green Sandpiper, common enough in autumn, proved to be a scarce winter visitor.

There is little habitat to suit the Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus in Cyrenaica. One that
resettled quickly after being flushed from a mud patch on the edge of an extensive
reed-bed south west of Benghazi city centre on 28 January was the only record. A
Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus on 7 October was the second record for
Cyrenaica. A party of 7 Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa observed on 28 January and
again on 17 February at different sites in Benghazi were the only ones encountered.

Stone-curlews Burhinus oedicnemus were heard at night on four occasions between 17
February and 3 March on the northern edge of Benghazi. On 4 July 2005 one was
heard on suitable breeding habitat southwest of Benghazi. Two Little Ringed Plovers
Ch. dubius, an uncommon passage migrant in Cyrenaica, were observed at close range
on 29 March at Susa (Apollonia), on the province’s north coast, feeding on the tideline
with other waders. Small parties of Whimbrels Numenius phaeopus were noted on the
coast west of Janzour, Tripolitania, from 22 July 2004 onwards.

Laridae - Gulls

The first Siberian Gull Larus fuscus heuglini of the winter was observed sitting on a
rock just offshore at Benghazi on 11 November. There appear to be no previously
published records of this form from Libya. From January to March modest numbers,
including individuals with peach-coloured legs ascribable to the race taimyrensis, were
present. There was a noticeable passage of Siberian Gulls in association with Lesser
Black-backed Gulls L.f. fuscus through Benghazi from 11 to 18 March.

130 Jeremy Gaskell

Recent changes in the status and distribution of birds in Libya

Black-headed Gulls L. ridibundus now winter in considerable numbers in Benghazi,
where flocks numbering several thousand fly southward to roost at dusk while many
others fly out to sea on a north-west bearing and return on the opposite bearing
shortly before sunrise. Approximately 500 Mediterranean Gulls L. melanocephalus also
winter in Benghazi, the bulk of them in the north of the city. The great majority do not
arrive until mid-November at the earliest.

Slender-billed Gull L. genei was formerly a very rare visitor to Cyrenaica (Bundy 1976).
Now it is not uncommon as passage visitor to Benghazi in September and October but
occurs only very sparingly in winter. Three sub-adult birds were observed on 31 May
and two of indeterminate age on 4 July 2005. Audouin’s Gull L. audouinii has
traditionally been regarded as a winter visitor to Tripolitania from August onwards
(Bundy 1976). Perhaps on account of the population increase in the Western
Mediterranean, juveniles and adults were quite common on the coast near Janzour from
the second half of June 2004 onwards. However, in 2005 despite occasional sightings as
early as mid-May, inexplicably there were virtually no sightings in June or early July.
Small numbers of first summer Audouin’s Gulls were observed at sea off Tripoli’s hotel
district in early April. Accordingly, it is now theoretically possible to observe this
species in the west of the country in greater or lesser numbers all year round.

Two Great Black-headed Gulls L. ichthyaetus, both of which were photographed (Plate
4), frequented the coast on the north side of Benghazi from 12 January, or earlier, until
19 January. This species, which was reported from elsewhere in Libya at about the same
time (M. Smart in litt), has never previously been recorded in the country. Caspian
(Pontic) Gulls L. cachinnans (nominate cachinnans), one of which was photographed
(Plate 5), were present in small numbers in Benghazi from late January through to late
March. This form, numbers of which were also reported from elsewhere in Libya at
about the same time (M. Smart in litt), has never previously been observed in Libya.

An adult Armenian Gull L. armenicus, associating with nominate fuscus Lesser Black-
backed Gulls and Yellow-legged Gulls L. cachinnans michahellis, was observed at close
range on a beach and adjacent rubbish dump just north of Benghazi on 19 January.
There are no previous records of this form from Libya.

_ Description based on Field Notes

Range 70m through 30x telescope; bright sunshine, windy (but observation position
sheltered). Upper parts slate grey, a shade darker than Yellow-legged Gull; primaries black
with white tips visible at rest, the white tips less conspicuous in flight than those of Yellow-
legged Gull; when overhead the secondaries appeared grey. Legs yellow; bill rich yellow,
stubby, blunt; the bill tip: red, black and whitish (the last only at the very tip); Nostril
distinctly bulbous-shaped, broadening distally, tapering towards forehead; head white with
distinctive dark iris. The pattern of the bill, it may be added, was precisely like that illustrated
in Shirihai and Christie (1996).

The occurrence in January of two Common Gulls L. canus, a first winter at As Sabri
lake and an adult at at Qar Younes beach, which lies south-west of Benghazi, indicates
that this species is a scarce, rather than accidental, visitor to Libya. These are the first
records of the species from Cyrenaica. Low numbers of Little Gulls L. minutus were
present continuously from January to March on Benghazi’s lagoons.

Sternidae - Terns
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia proved to be a regular autumn passage migrant in
Cyrenaica, visiting lagoons daily at As Sabri in the north of the city until 19 October.

Jeremy Gaskell 131

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

Plate 1. Black-crowned Night Herons Nycticorax Plate 2. Mediterranean Gulls Larus melanocephalus
nycticorax at Al Kufra, Libya. March 2005. ©Jeremy and Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis, Benghazi,
Gaskell. Libya. February 2005. © Jeremy Gaskell.

ZZ LZ
AA
Az

Plate 3. Jebel Akhdar, Cyrenaica, Plate 4. Great Black-headed Gull Plate 5. Caspian Gull Larus
Libya. March 2005. © Jeremy Larus ichthyaetus, Benghazi, Libya. cachinnans, Benghazi, Libya.
Gaskell. January 2005. © Jeremy Gaskell. January 2005. © Jeremy Gaskell.

LZZZZ2

a = —.....—”Cti‘ié«~@ P@ilatte@?:«S 7«.:« Blacck-wirngeed Stilts Himantopus
Plate 6. Date plantation below escarpment, Al himantopus in floodwater, Benghazi, Libya, March
Kufra, Libya. March 2005. © Jeremy Gaskell. 2005. © Jeremy Gaskell.

Plate 8. Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus Plate 9. Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis,
and Grey Herons Ardea cinerea, Benghazi, Libya. Tolmeta, Cyrenaica, Libya. February 2005. ©
March 2005. © Jeremy Gaskell. Jeremy Gaskell.

132 Jeremy Gaskell

Recent changes in the status and distribution of birds in Libya

A few individuals on passage or dispersing after the breeding season were observed
offshore at Janzour, Tripolitania, in late June 2004.

Small numbers of Lesser Crested Terns S. bengalensis were observed off the coast at
Janzour and at Sabratha, Tripolitania, in June 2004 and 2005 respectively. In Cyrenaica
a solitary Lesser Crested Tern was observed flying south past Benghazi on 25
February. In late May and early July 2005, adult birds were observed returning with
small fish to a breeding colony of over 50 pairs on an island in one of Benghazi’s
lagoons which they shared with breeding Little Terns S. albifrons. Family parties of,
and occasional individual, Gull-billed Terns S. nilotica flying east were noted at
Janzour in late June 2004 and early July 2005. Unless it flies high overland this species
must pass along the north coast of Cyrenaica en route for the Nile delta. However, it
has seldom been recorded in the east of the country. The only Gull-billed Terns seen
in the autumn were a single bird passing over a lagoon in Benghazi on 25 October,
and two birds offshore 3km north of Benghazi port on 5 November 2004. Sandwich
Tern S. sandvicensis proved to be a winter visitor in modest numbers to the coast near
Benghazi. Bundy (1976) knew of few records from Cyrenaica.

Whiskered Terns Chlidonias hybrida, which never used to be recorded from Cyrenaica
at all, are now a common passage migrant in autumn from late September onwards.
Counts of up to 50 were made daily in autumn and more than 85 seen at a roost on 5
November. The species is also a winter visitor in modest numbers. One bird
photographed on 12 January was already in breeding plumage. Small numbers of
Black Terns C. niger were also encountered irregularly in autumn on passage in
Benghazi until 28 October; a single bird was found on a lagoon on the north side of
Benghazi associating with wintering Whiskered Terns on 6 February after strong
southerly winds. A single White-winged Tern C. leucopterus on 6 October at the same
site in Benghazi is the first autumn record from Cyrenaica where the species is a
regular passage migrant in spring (Bundy 1976).

Columbidae - Pigeons

Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur observed at Al Kufra 20-23 March were distinctly
paler than those observed under similar light conditions in the north of Libya, and
appeared also to have less prominent rufous edging to their scapular feathers. Both
populations are usually attributed to a single race, arenicolor

Psittacidae - Parakeets

Up to three Ring-necked Parakeets Psittacula krameri were frequently observed during
the late autumn and winter flying to roost from the date palm plantations on the north
side of Benghazi where they fed. It is probably too early to say whether a feral
population of this species has become established in Libya.

Apodidae - Swifts

On 20 February two Pallid Swifts Apus pallidus were heard screaming as they dashed
at rooftop height along one of Benghazi’s main streets. Although small numbers (max
15) were occasionally encountered over lagoons in January, it seems preferable to
regard this species as a migrant breeder occasionally overwintering in Cyrenaica
(Bundy 1976; Snow and Perrins 1998) rather than a resident species as indicated by the
distribution map in Mullarney et al (1999). The last observation of Pallid Swifts in
Benghazi in the autumn was a party of six on 26 September. A single bird with a full
crop, perhaps of nesting material, was observed flying up to the underside of a
concrete water tower at Al Kufra on 22 March. This species was not included by

Jeremy Gaskell 133

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

Misonne (1974) in his list of the birds of Kufra. A dead chick found on a Benghazi
pavement on 12 June 2005 was well-feathered and almost fully-grown.

Small numbers of Common Swifts A. apus were observed during the summer at Janzour,
Tripolitania. A single Little Swift A. affinis was observed at the village of Taghma in the
Jebel Nafusa, Tripolitania, in the early morning of 24 June 2005. This species has been
described as a ‘passage visitor’ in the Jebel from February until June (Bundy 1976). Since
many of the Pallid Swifts seen on the same occasion were clearly passing through, it
seems more likely that most of the Little Swifts observed in spring and summer are on
wide ranging foraging expeditions from their nearest breeding grounds further west. The
Little Swift is a resident species in north-west Africa, migratory in the Levant.

Alcedinidae, Meropidae, Coraciidae and Upupidae - Kingfishers, bee-eaters,
rollers and hoopoes

European Kingfishers Alcedo atthis were much more common on Benghazi’s lagoons
and along the shore from September to November than they were from January to
March. A strong passage of Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters Merops persicus was observed at
Al Kufra from 21-23 March (cf Misonne 1974). A juvenile Roller Coracias garrulus was
observed at Janzour, Tripolitania on 6 August.

A resident breeding population of Hoopoes Upupa epops has established itself in
Benghazi where the distinctive song was heard in January. The courtship behaviour of
pairs of Hoopoes at Al Kufra from 20-23 March, and the observation of an individual
inspecting a disused building, indicated that not all birds at the oasis were on passage.
One bird was heard to give a high sibilant call during a period of intensive,
presumably territorial, interaction involving three birds.

Alaudidae - Larks

A male Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes was observed displaying west of the airport
road at Al Kufra on 22 March. This is the first record of this widely distributed species
in the area. The occurrence of Short-toed Larks Calandrella brachydactyla in ones and
twos at Al Kufra 20-23 March was similar to that observed in April 1968 by Cramp
and Conder (1970). A migrating party of c7 birds was observed among weeds at Susa,
on the coast of Cyrenaica on 29 March.

Hirundinidae - Swallows and martins

The only Crag Martin Hirundo rupestris observed away from the species’ stronghold in the
Wadi al Kouf in the Jebel Akhdar was one on 10 February 2005 feeding at very low
altitude 80km to the west of Tolmeta on the coastal plain below the jebel. A census of this
species in Libya would reveal a low population density. Up to seven House Martins
Delichon urbicum were regularly observed in loose parties during the early mornings at
Janzour, Tripolitania in May and June flying along the shore in the company of Barn
Swallows Hirundo rustica. As they never paused to feed it was assumed they were on
foraging excursions from their breeding grounds further west. Whether or not the species
breeds in the far west of Libya remains unascertained. Two Red-rumped Swallows H.
daurica in a mixed party of hirundines were observed moving ahead of a weather front at
Benghazi on 5 November. These constitute the first autumn records in Cyrenaica.

Motacillidae - Pipits and wagtails

Three Tawny Pipits Anthus campestris observed together on 2 November in Benghazi
were the first autumn record for Cyrenaica. A Tree Pipit A. trivialis seen as it flew
northwards calling on 18 January was the first record in winter in Libya. However, in the
light of the fact that the first House Martins were observed on 2 February, this

134 Jeremy Gaskell

Recent changes in the status and distribution of birds in Libya

observation could relate to an exceptionally early spring migrant rather than to a
- wintering individual. Searches for Water Pipits A. spinoletta in suitable habitat on the
north side of Benghazi in January proved inconclusive and the only certain records were
of one on 17 February and three on 11 March. Three distant birds considered likely to
have been Water Pipits were observed on 3 November. It is possible that Water Pipit is a
passage migrant through Cyrenaica rather than a winter visitor as indicated by Snow
and Perrins (1998). Bundy (1976) emphasized the lack of any records from the region.

Most migrating Yellow Wagtails Motacilla flava showed features of more than one race
but certain individuals showed characteristics of the race feldegg or the flava-feldegg
intergrade, dombrowski. A few very bright individuals evidently belonged either to the
race flavissima or lutea. The majority, but not all, of the contact calls heard were the
harsh, rasping calls of eastern populations. One such bird, considered from its
behaviour to have been an early migrant, was observed on 4 July 2005 on the margin
of one of Benghazi’s lagoons (cf Meininger et al 1996). Grey Wagtails M. cinerea were
observed on two dates only - two birds in Benghazi on 21 October and one near Al
Marj, Cyrenaica on 18 February.

Turdidae - Chats and thrushes

A European Robin Erithacus rubecula observed feeding in a well-shaded park in Tripoli
on 8 July 2005 is the first-ever record in summer of a species known as a regular winter
visitor to both Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. Three Common Nightingales Luscinia
megarhynchos, a species listed by Bundy (1976) as of uncertain status, were heard at
Labdah (Leptis Magna), Tripolitania, on 2 April. Bluethroats Luscinia svecica (white-
spotted morph) were observed at four locations in Benghazi from January to March.

The sole record of Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus was the discovery of the
fresh corpse of an accidentally killed male in Benghazi on 11 November. Common
Stonechats Saxicola torquatus of both the Western group rubicola and the Eastern group
maurus (‘Siberian’ Stonechat) were observed from early November to early March on
both cultivated and uncultivated terrain in Benghazi. According to Urquhart and
Bowley (2002), who split Common Stonechat into three species on the basis of DNA
classifications, the latter are considered to be the armenicus subspecies.

A female Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe was observed on 2 March at Benghazi.
There was a marked passage of Isabelline Wheatears O. isabellina and Northern
Wheatears through Al Kufra oasis on 20 March. On 29 March two Isabelline
Wheatears together were observed among the ruins at Susa, on the north coast of
Cyrenaica. A single Black-eared Wheatear O. hispanica of the eastern race was
observed on 20 March at Al Kufra. Collectively these records of different wheatears
constitute the earliest for the oasis.

Song Thrushes Turdus philomenos, which are very shy winter visitors in Libya, were
observed near Al Marj on 18 February, and on 3 March near Qasr Libya, which lies
mid way between Al Marj and Al Bayda. A party of four Mistle Thrushes Turdus
viscivorus was also observed near Qasr Libya on the same date. Two calling Fan-
tailed (Zitting) Cisticolas Cisticola juncidis were observed at Labdah (Leptis Magna)
on 2 April (cf Meininger et al 1996).

A Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon was observed at close range on 28
January in a reed bed on one of the lakes south west of Benghazi city centre. A bird
with a cocked tail seen as a shadow through reeds in bright sunlight on an adjacent
lake on 10 October which appeared too small to be a Bluethroat was probably of the

Jeremy Gaskell 135

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

same species. A single Eurasian Reed Warbler A. scirpaceus was observed on
migration on 23 September on the north side of Benghazi. Small numbers of wintering
birds were heard in song and then observed on 28 January, and subsequently, in
reedbeds that border the lakes south-west of Benghazi city centre.

On 20 March at Al Kufra a Reed Warbler of the eastern race fuscus (‘Caspian Reed
Warbler’) was observed at close range for twenty minutes feeding at close range on
insects infesting a carcass; another Reed Warbler considered to have been of this race was
observed while in song on 21 March. The song of this individual was striking for having
similarities to of the songs of nominate scirpaceus and the Sedge Warbler A. schoenobaenus.

Description based on Field Notes

Broadly similar to nominate scirpaceus but distinctly olive-toned. Tail prominent, dark;
rectrices faintly tipped olive-white. Faint buff wash on flanks, otherwise underparts off-white,
but showing faint grey ‘tramlines’ on breast, creating the impression of a miniature eastern
race Great Reed Warbler A. arundinaceus. Remiges with slightly rufous edging; faint panel on
secondaries. Approximately 7 closely bunched primaries visible; tertials with darker olive
centres; dark alula with ochre-buff edging. Rump and uppertail-coverts warmer but not as
warmly-coloured as on nominate scirpaceus. Long, pale under-tail coverts. Pale periocular
ring; supercilium prominent in front of eye only, appearing to kink upwards slightly towards
forehead. Lores pale. Slightly pinkish tint on entire lower mandible was more prominent at
base; upper mandible dark, tarsi ditto. Orange gape. Call - a quiet ‘churr’.

Eastern Olivaceous Warblers Hippolais pallida of the race elaeica were in song at Al
Kufra. A single bird of the same race was observed on 30 March in the Wadi al Kouf.
A female Orphean Warbler Sylvia hortensis of indeterminate race was observed at Al
Kufra on 20 March. This is the first record of the species for the oasis.

Scrub Warbler Scotocerca inquieta. At least five belonging to the local subspecies saharae
were found on 24 June 2005 on the lower slopes of the Jebel Nafusa north of Yefren at
a spot which lies due south of Surman on the coast cl00km from the Tunisian border.

A Chiffchaff showing characteristics of the race abietinus and two showing character-
istics of the putative race fulvescens were observed on 5 November in allotment
gardens on the north side of Benghazi. An unidentified Phylloscopus warbler showing
a pronounced supercilium was also observed briefly on the same occasion.

Paridae — Titmice

Blue Tits of the race cyrenaicae - one of six races of the teneriffae group found south of
the Straits of Gibraltar - were observed not only in the species’ stronghold, the Wadi al
Kouf in the Jebel Akhdar, but also at much lower population density, 25km to the
north in pine woods at Shahhat.

Laniidae - Shrikes

Southern Grey Shrikes Lanius meridionalis of the race algeriensis observed in Cyrenaica
were indistinguishable from those observed in Tunisia in early September. On the coast
of Tripolitania, both east and west of Tripoli, the species is represented by a paler form.
As regards the populations in Tunisia and Tripolitania, this pattern of distribution would
appear to confirm the statement in Snow and Perrins 1998 that variation is clinal with the
palest birds occurring in the south, the darkest in the north. However, with regard to the
race algeriensis in Cyrenaica, there proved to be a considerable degree of plumage
variation within the population observable in the environs of Benghazi, some birds being
much darker on the under-parts than others. The consistently paler birds that

136 Jeremy Gaskell

Recent changes in the status and distribution of birds in Libya

predominate in Tripolitania and showed a very narrow grey-white line above the facial
~ mask predominate in Tripolitania. These appear to be ascribable to the race elegans. A
very small number of birds of this type were observed near Benghazi in late winter.

Corvidae - Crows

Attention was drawn by Massa (1999) to the northward expansion of Brown-necked
Raven Corvus ruficollis to the arid zones of coastal Libya. The spread of this species has
continued into the Jebel Akhdar where both Common Raven C. corax and Brown-
necked can be encountered. A pair of Brown-necked Ravens perched on a tree was
observed near Shahhat on 30 September 2004; another bird was seen briefly at close
range on 10 February 2005 feeding on a roadside carcass near Al Abiar. Several other
ravens seen in flight from a moving vehicle shortly after this observation were
considered likely also to be Brown-necked; a single bird in flight, identified by call
and tail-shape as Brown-necked Raven, was observed near the Wadi al Kouf, where
Common Ravens were breeding, on 30 March.

A Fan-tailed Raven C. rhipidurus, a species never previously recorded from Libya, was
observed on the escarpment east of Al Kufra on 20 March.

Description based on Field Notes.

Attention was drawn by the sound of a distinctly Raven-like double call emanating from a
bird that was not immediately visible flying southwards along the west-facing edge of the
escarpment that overlooks Al Kufra town some two kilometres away. However, the quality of
the call was not as barking as the call of Common Raven Corvus corax (whose commonest call
in Cyrenaica’s Jebel Akhdar is a triple ‘quark’). On the other hand, this call was quite unlike
the more crow-like call of C. ruficollis - the species that replaces Common Raven in arid areas
of Africa and Arabia. The bird, when located as it was moving away from where I was
standing, seemed smaller than the Common Raven, noticeably broad-winged and relatively
small-headed in appearance. The most striking feature was the presence of a very short tail.
The central feathers were marginally shorter than the outer rectrices, thereby creating a slight
concave tip to the tail when not fully spread. If this feature is consistent with the moult
sequence of a first summer bird it would correlate with the documented ‘wanderlust’ of first
year birds which sees them prospecting congenial habitat beyond the confines of their
traditional range. Nominate rhipidurus occurs from the Horn of Africa westwards in a broad
swathe across sub-Saharan Africa including the Tibesti Mountains which mark the southern
limit of the Western Palearctic, and separate Libya from Chad.

Passeridae - Sparrows

The population of House Sparrows Passer domesticus in Tripolitania is evidently derived
from interbreeding between House and Spanish Sparrows P. hispaniolensis and appears
similar to the ‘ x italiae’ (‘Cisalpine’ or ‘Italian’) Sparrow found in Italy. They are distin-
guishable from Spanish Sparrows primarily by the smaller black bib and much reduced
streaking on the flanks, although some adult males show a few flecks of grey on a
chestnut-brown background above the bill. House Sparrows in Cyrenaica, attributable
to the race tingitanus (Bundy 1976), seem similar to House Sparrows elsewhere but for a
narrow, off-white semi-collar. These birds appear to hybridise with Spanish Sparrows
only occasionally. Their usually bizarre-looking offsping share characteristics of both
parents in equal measure. One such bird observed on 4 July 2005, however, appeared
identical to the dominant type of italiae Sparrow found in Tripolitania but for the
presence of the semi-collar and a broad grey strip on the crown and nape.

The continued existence of Spanish Sparrows in Tripolitania is a little mysterious.
While discrete populations occur on farms as might be expected, the species also
occurs in Tripoli, notably on the old fortified harbour wall near the hotel complex on

Jeremy Gaskell 137

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

the north side of the old city. More surprisingly, a small, apparently unmixed
population of Spanish Sparrows was found breeding in modern buildings alongside
House Sparrows at Janzour tourist village to the west of the capital city. In Benghazi
fairly small, local populations of Spanish Sparrows were observed in reedbeds and
date plantations on the edge of the city.

Fringillidae - Finches

A male Greenfinch Carduelis chloris in song was observed in pines at Janzour,
Tripolitania, on 29 June 2004 and breeding was confirmed the following year when a
single fully-fledged juvenile was observed on 3 June. At least three singing males
were present in the area in 2005. In Cyrenaica, single wintering Greenfinches were
observed southwest of Benghazi city centre on 14 January and 17 February. A solitary
bird was observed feeding in a field at Shahhat (Cyrene) on 29 March. In Tripolitania,
4 juvenile Linnets C. cannabina were observed feeding on thistles at Taghma in the
Jebel Nafusa on 24 June 2005. A singing male was heard at Soffet, also in the Jebel
Nafusa, on 11 June. The sighting of birds of the year effectively adds a third discrete
breeding population in Libya to those already known in eastern Tripolitania and in
eastern Cyrenaica, as indicated by the distribution map in Mullarney et al (1999).

Two unidentified estrildrid-type finches were observed in a stand of tamarisk at Al
Kufra on 23 March. They were very fast flying, siskin-sized, olive-grey in colour but
with conspicuous white either in the tail feathers or in the posterior of the bird. It is
possible that these birds were introduced artificially by one of the many economic
migrants to the area, but they behaved as if wild, plunging into the tamarisk tops so as
to be invisible when feeding. :

Emberizidae - Buntings

Small numbers of Reed Buntings Emberiza schoeniclus winter in suitable habitat in
Benghazi (cf. Mullarney et al 1999). Bundy (1976) highlighted the absence of records of
the species from Cyrenaica.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many thanks to Dr Peter Cowan for obliging me throughout the year with answers to numerous queries on
the status of of individual species in Libya and also for his valuable comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

REFERENCES

BuNby, G. 1976. The birds of Libya. BOU Checklist No 1. London. UK.

Cowan, P.J. 1982. Birds in west Central Libya 1980-81 Bull. BOC. 102: 32-35.

Cowan, P.J. 1983. Birds in the Brak and Sabha regions of central Libya 1981-82. Bull. BOC. 103: 44-47.

CowaAN, P.J. 1985. Birds in the central Fezzan, Libya 1982-83. Gerfaut 75: 211-218.

CRAMP, S. AND P. CONDER. 1970. Notes on birds at the Kufra oasis in April 1968. Ibis 112: 261-263.

Massa, B. 1999. New and less known birds from Libya. Bull. BOC. 119 (2): 129-133.

MEININGER, P.L., P.A. WOLF, D.A. HADOUD AND M.F.A. ESSGHAIER. 1996. Notes on the coastal birds of
Libya, July 1993. Sandgrouse 18 (1): 53-60.

MISONNE, X. 1974. Les Oiseaux de Kufra et du Jebel Uweinat. Gerfaut 64: 41-73.

MULLARNEY, K., L. SVENSSON, P.J. GRANT AND D. ZETTERSTROM. 1999. Collins Bird Guide. HarperCollins.
London. UK.

SHIRIHAI, H. AND D.A. CHRISTIE. 1996. The Macmillan Birder’s Guide to European and Middle Eastern Birds.
Macmillan. London. UK.

SNow, D.W. AND C.M. PERRINS. 1998. The Birds of the Western Palearctic: Concise Edition. OUP. Oxford. UK.

URQUHART, E. AND.A. BOWLEY. 2002. Stonechats: a guide to the genus Saxicola. Helm. A&C Black. London. UK.

VAGLIANO, C. 1985. The continental and island migration route of the southeast Mediterranean: problems
and propositions. ICBP Technical Publications 5: 263 — 269

WILLIAMS, G.E. 1963. Green Mountain: An informal guide to Cyrenaica and its Jebel Akhdar. Faber. London. UK.

138 Jeremy Gaskell

The Birds of Kralkiz1 Dam (Diyarbakir), Southeast Turkey

The Birds of Kralkizi1 Dam (Diyarbakir),
Southeast Turkey

RECEP KARAKAS & AHMET KILIC

The birds of Kralkizi Dam, which is 80km north of Diyarbakir, were studied
from February 2000 to February 2002. During the observation period, 140 bird
species were recorded, amongst them being 50 confirmed as breeding, 35
probably or possibly breeding and 53 migrant or wintering species. Two
species are globally threatened. Two species had not previously been recorded
in Diyarbakir: Greater Sand-plover Charadrius leschenaultii and Eurasian
Siskin Carduelis spinus. Several other species, little-studied in this region,

< a
Y) A
were also recorded including Black Stork Ciconia nigra, Meadow Pipit Anthus
4 pratensis and Fire-(Red-) fronted Serin Serinus pusillus. Selected species
[Ss _ =

ae

accounts are appended. The accurate determination of bird species’ numbers
and distribution will help to evaluate and define future changes in the area’s
bird fauna, by establishing a data ‘baseline’.

Dr. Recep Karakas & Dr. Ahmet Kilic, Dicle University, Science Faculty, Biology
Department, TR-21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey. e-mail
rkarakas@dicle.edu.tr, ahmetk@dicle.edu.tr.

URKEY’S VARIABLE CLIMATE and topography provide a great diversity of

habitats. The ornithological importance of Turkey has long been recognized, but
despite much individual effort by local and international researchers (eg Murphy 1984,
Beaman 1986, Martins 1989, Eames 1990, Kasparek 1992, Ayvaz 1993, Kirwan &
Martins 1994 & 2000, Biricik 1996, Kilic 1999 & 2001, Karakas & Kilicg 2002) systematic
and detailed distribution, breeding and passage data are lacking, not least because of
the size and remoteness of much of the country. Turkey is rich in bird species, but
there is little standardisation of approach between ornithological studies across the
country (Yarar & Magnin 1997). The southeastern region of Anatolia is important
because many of its species occupy semi-arid or fresh water ecosystems, but detailed
knowledge is lacking, because until recently, there had been no systematic field
studies, apart from atlas work that in part monitored the effect of the many dams
constructed here as part of the GAP project (Giineydogu Anadolu Projesi — Southeast
Anatolia Project) since the 1970s; these reservoirs now are important for some species,
albeit at the expense of others (Welch 2004). Most bird records from the region are
opportunistic, from individuals travelling through. Doubtless many visitors have not
passed on their records. However, there have been a few, more formal records.

Diyarbakir and its environs in southeastern Anatolia possess the near-continental
climate of steppe-lands amid hills, providing varied breeding and foraging habitats
for birds. After the GAP project has been completed, it is expected that the region will
undergo large-scale changes in agriculture and flora composition and distribution,
partly reflecting past conditions (Unlii et al 1997).

We have used the latest distribution maps (Welch in prep) and so this present study
will go some way to filling the gaps in our knowledge for birds in southeast Anatolia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Between February 2000-2002, systematic observations were made of the bird species of
Kralkizi Dam and its environs, comprising 62 sets of line transects (Table 1); the
fieldworkers used binoculars and telescopes and some photography was undertaken. Bird
species were identified in the field or by reference to the standard ornithological literature

Recep Karakas & Ahmet Kilic¢ 139

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 139-146 2005

(Harrison 1975, Cramp & Simmons 1978 & 1983, Heinzel et al 1998 and Mullarney et al
1999). For the systematic list of birds, Kirwan et al (1998) has been followed. Breeding
status was determined by applying the EBCC criteria (Hagemeijer & Blair 1997) to our
observations of courtship, behaviour and whether eggs, chicks or nests were found.

Table 1. Number of transect sets

Months

Years Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Totals

2000 1 3 4 4 4 2 1 3 4 2 3 31

2001 2 2 3 4 4 3 1 2 2 2 1 2 28

2002 1 2 3

Totals 3 5 6 8 8 7 3 o 5 6 3 5 62
STUDY AREA

Kralkizi Dam at 38°20’N, 40°01’E is approximately 80km north of Diyarbakir city
centre and is 6km from the province of Dicle. It was constructed on the Maden River
in 1998 to provide both irrigation and energy (Figure 1). The reservoir covers 5770ha
and is at 750m asl. The water level varies according to seasonal rains. The main study
area comprises the shores and littoral of the reservoir and the marshes below the dam.
Above the dam are wooded slopes, the hinterland being steep and rocky. A landfill tip
northwest of the Kralkizi bridge is a regular foraging site for some species.

The region has a typical steppe climate, the annual average temperature being 16°C,
mean maximum being 44°C and minimum being minus -2.86°C (July and January
respectively). Precipitation primarily occurs in winter and spring, averaging 457 mm
annually, comprising snowfall in winter, sometimes between November and March. All
these data are from the Turkish State Meteorological Service at Diyarbakir Station.

BINGOL

ELAZIG

Kralkizt oR
SS Dicle Dam

Cermik Silvan BATMAN

~~

DIYARBAKIR

MALATYA

ADIYAMAN __Bismil

SANLIURFA

MARDIN

DIYARBAKIR

Kralkizi Dam

Figure 1. Map of the study area, x indicating fixed observation points.

140 Recep Karakas & Ahmet Kili¢

The Birds of Kralkizi Dam (Diyarbakir), Southeast Turkey

In the region, altitude and topography determine the different vegetation communities.
Important trees include two species of oak (Quercus), two species of hawthorn
(Cratageus), mastic Pistacia sp, almond Amygdalus orientalis, fig Ficus carica and juniper
Juniperus sp. However, there are some bush-like plants, such as Christ’s thorn Paliurus
spina-cristi, yellow jasmine Jasminum fruticans, dog-rose Rosa canina, bramble Rubus sp
and tamarisk Tamarix sp. Over-grazing and over-use of the land has affected the natural
environment. Cattle- and sheep-grazing are widespread and the area is subject to
hunting pressure, especially during winter below the dam and on the mountainsides.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Table 2 gives a list of bird species and maximum numbers observed at Kralkiz1 Dam
and its environs. 140 species were recorded, 35 being resident, 52 summer migrants, 23
winter visitors and 28 passage migrants. The seasonal status of two species was not
defined fully. 50 species were confirmed breeders, 35 are probable or possible breeders
and 52 were winter visitors or passage migrants. Among the total of 78 endangered
species, Mute Swan Cygnus olor, European Kingfisher Alcedo atthis and Pied Kingfisher
Ceryle rudis are defined within Europe by BirdLife International (Burfield & van
Bommel 2004) as ‘Non-SPEC Secure, SPEC 3 Depleted and SPEC 3 (Critically
Endangered)’ respectively. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca is Near Threatened (NT)
(BirdLife International (BLI) 2004a) while Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni, a local breeder,
is evaluated as Vulnerable (VU) (BLI 2004b), (Hilton-Taylor, 2000). Ferruginous Duck
probably breeds in the study area. However, according to national criteria, the recently-
published Red Data Book of The Birds of Turkey (Kilig & Eken 2004) gives Ceryle rudis
as Critically Endangered (CR) and Aythya nyroca as Endangered (EN); 9 species are
listed as Vulnerable (VU) and 12 as Near Threatened (NT) (see Table 2).

We compared this study with other similar locality studies carried out in the region
(Biricik1996, Kilic 2001, Karakas & Kilig 2002). We note that Anseriformes had
decreased, only 6 of 13 expected species being found. We speculate that hunting
pressure has played its part, but changes in land-use probably have been the major
influence. Further studies are needed. {Local people commented that Chukar Alectoris
chukar had been seen previously until recent years, but we did not find it.} In spite of
this decline, many bird species occur, especially in spring (Figure 2).

90
a0 4
70 -
60 4
50
404
30 +7
20 +-
10

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun. duly Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Months

Figure 2: Number of bird species at Kralkizi Dam each month

Recep Karakas & Ahmet Kilic¢ 141

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

Table 2. List of bird species recorded in the study area, with maximum numbers counted each month. (** = breeds
in the region; * = probably or possibly breeds in the region; + = numbers not counted; (1) = one probably seen).

Species Months
i ils il iv Vi Vil Vill IX XxX XI Xi
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis** 2 | 4ii 1 6 |
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus* 6 4 62 2 13
(Great) Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 3 2 29
Little Bittern xobrychus minutus*
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides* 4
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Little Egret Egretla garzetta™* 2
Great Egret Egretta (Ardea) alba 9 2
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea*™ 2 8 if 7
1
1
22
1

Nn =

No
N

21 A 3s

—_ —t

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea

Black Stork Ciconia nigra*

White Stork Ciconia ciconia™* 2
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

Mute Swan Cygnus olor 1
Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope 2
Common Teal Anas crecca 9

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos* 12 45 6&6 Ss 1
Common Pochard Aythya ferina 3

Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca™ a1 1°44 2 8B
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus
Black Kite Milvus migrans 1
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus**

Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus 1 1
Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis 1

Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus* 1 1 2
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo** 1 2 Al
Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus™ 1. 1
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos* 1
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus® 1
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni*

European Kestrel Falco tinnunculus** 1 = #1i1=£3 24
Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

Spotted Crake Porzana porzana

Eurasian Coot Fulica atra® 32
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus*

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius** 19 13 38 df 2

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula 2

Greater Sandplover Charadrius leschenaultii 1

Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus 41 9 15 13
Common Redshank Tringa totanus 1
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 2 1 2
Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus 1 3 1 2s | 2
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos*™* 2 14 10 3 6 F£ 2 4 2 i
Great Black-headed Gull Larus ichthyaetus 29

Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus* 2a 17 if7 if 1 48
Common Gull Larus canus 35 35

Armenian Gull Larus armenicus” 281 630 424 258 1 18 42 218 420 995 870
Gull-billed Tern Sterna [Gelochelidon] nilotica 8

Common Tern Sterna hirundo* 18 2

Little Tern Sterna albifrons* 3 6

White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus* 5

Rock Dove Columba livia** 334 203 80 43 32 30 15 35 262 599 367 355
Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto” Ss 10 9 17

European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur* 5 10 2 +f i2 Ji

Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis** 4 4 6 2 6 £ 2 4 6 ££ G2 SG
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus* 1

Little Owl Athene noctua** 1 @ Ss 2 1 222

European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus” 1

Common Swift Apus apus** 40 52 45 52 27 3

Common (European) Kingfisher Alcedo atthis* 4 1 ~-14C~O- CO 1

Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis** 1 2 14 +1 2 4 2
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster™ be 98 +16 19 47

European Roller Coracias garrulus** 16 21 4 25 5

(Eurasian) Hoopoe Upupa epops** 3 1

Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus** 1 1224

NeNMO-R MNO

A

ONO
ay
NAS

— 0 —NWNY
—h
™

-A=NAS
nm
a
om

26 35

— WN
NM

142 Recep Karakas & Ahmet Kilic

The Birds of Kralkiz1 Dam (Diyarbakir), Southeast Turkey

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor:
Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra** 120 430
Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata**

Lesser Short-toed Lark Calandrella rufescens*

Crested Lark Galerida cristata™* 57 49
Skylark Alauda arvensis**

Sand Martin Riparia ripana*™

Eurasian Crag Martin Hirundo rupestris*

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica™*

Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica™

House Martin Delichon urbicum™* @

Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris*

Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis

Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta 3
Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava**

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea

White Wagtail Motacilla alba** 42 31
(Winter) Wren Troglodytes troglodytes 2
Rufous Bush Robin Cercotrichas galactotes*

European Robin Erithacus rubecula

Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros 2 1
Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus**

Whinchat Saxicola rubetra

Stonechat Saxicola torquatus ®

Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina™* 2
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe**

Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka™

Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica*

Desert Wheatear Oenanthe desert

Finsch’s Wheatear Oenanthe finschil"*

Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius**

European Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus*
Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida®

Upcher’s Warbler Hippolais languida**

Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum

Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca®

Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis*

Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla

Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita*

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata

Great Tit Parus major

Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta neumayer™* 1 6
Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria

Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus*™*

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio**

Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor

Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator™

Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius 6 2
Magpie Pica pica** 4A 5S
Eurasian Jackdaw Corvus monedula™* 450 110
Rook Corvus frugilegus - 10 35
Hooded Crow Corvus [corone] cornix** 85 52
Common Raven Corvus corax* 141 50
European Starling Sturnus vulgaris 30
Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus™*

House Sparrow Passer domesticus** + +
Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis**

Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia*™*

Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs 47 Al
Fire-(Red-) fronted Serin Serinus pusillus

European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris

European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis** 25 3/7
Eurasian Siskin Carduelis spinus 5
Linnet Carduelis cannabina*

Rock Bunting Emberiza cia

Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana*

Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus 250 150
Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala**

Corn Bunting Emberiza [Miliara] calandra™ 39

e David & Gosselin (2002)

1
45
12

78
17

-—of N

KR NOM

13

+ O1 NG

10

69
46

36
23

16

23 58 63 3/ 23

4 20
20 150

40 54

23 83

—k

10 &

—"s
>)
Re)
SN cow

54

35

28

120

100

Ory Gg Me

250

Recep Karakas & Ahmet Kilic

oO

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

We compared published distributional data (distribution areas and maps) for bird
species recorded in our study. (eg Roselaar 1995, Kasparek & Bilgin 1996, Porter et al
1996). We also noted that the commonality of species between our study and various
earlier sources often was quite low; some we have not observed, and others we had
seen were not listed elsewhere. This is scarcely surprising, given the vast area of
Turkey and the relatively low level of coverage of even the most intensive work. We
believe that our records of Black Stork Ciconia nigra, Greater Sand-plover Charadrius
leschenaulti, Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis, Fire-(Red-) fronted Serin Serinus pusillus
and Eurasian Siskin Carduelis spinus are the first records for Diyarbakir (cf Beaman
1986, Martins 1989, Eames 1990, Kasparek 1992, Ayvaz 1993, Kirwan & Martins 1994
& 2000, Biricik 1996, Kasparek & Bilgin 1996, Kilig 2001, Karakas & Kilig 2002, and
Kirwan et al 2003). We confirmed Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus as breeding,
but unlike Murphy (1984) east of Diyarbakir, we failed to find the globally-threatened
Great Bustard Otus tarda in the Diyarbakir-Ergani-Egil triangle (see Fig 1), where
suitable habitat exists. Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka probably breeds in our
study area and we assess Eurasian Crag Martin Hirundo rupestris and Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybita as probably breeding (Table 2).

Further to Weich (in prep), we note that we recorded some additional species, due in part
perhaps to the study periods being different: Mute Swan Cygnus olor, Eurasian Wigeon
Anas penelope, Common Teal A. crecca, Spotted Crake Porzana porzana, Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula, Greater Sand-plover, Great Black-headed Gull Larus ichthyaetus,
Common Gull L. canus, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor, Skylark Alauda
arvensis, Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta, (Winter) Wren Troglodytes troglodytes, European
Robin Erithacus rubecula, Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti, Wallcreeper Tichodroma
muraria, Fire-(Red-) fronted Serin and Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus.

A possible reason for raptor populations diminishing could be the widespread and
indiscriminate use of pesticides in intensive agriculture following the GAP, which
may lead to water pollution. Although quantitative data are lacking on the accumu-
lation of pesticides in plant and animal tissues, we noted that species that require clear
and productive water, such as European and Pied Kingfisher remain present. Species
that use river banks and cliffs, such as Sand Martin Riparia riparia, House Martin
Delichon urbicum (David & Gosselin 2002), European Roller Coracias garrulus and
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster may lose some prime nesting habitat as the dam
water levels rise. Our study helps establish baseline data upon which systematic
monitoring of indicator bird species can be implemented, to ensure that pollution
levels are tracked and countermeasures proposed so that the region can maintain
healthy and stable populations of its resident and migrant bird species.

SELECTED SPECIES ACCOUNTS

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Observed in the study year-round, except in January and February, usually on the dam
shoreline and nearby muddy areas. In late March, pairs formed. On 28 Apr 2000, one
pair was observed making display-flights, calling vigorously in the air and then
perching together, accompanying each other in territorial and feeding activity.
Similarly, on 22 Apr 2001, one of a pair with neck outstretched pursued the other in a
chase, before behaving as above. We assessed this as evidence that they probably bred.

European Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
The study area contains areas of suitable breeding habitats, some of which were
inaccessible due to restrictions. We often saw this species perched on lakeside tree

144 Recep Karakas & Ahmet Kili¢

The Birds of Kralkizi Dam (Diyarbakir), Southeast Turkey

branches or plants, or flying close to the water surface. We assess this species as
_ possibly breeding.

Common Stonechat Saxicola torquatus
Observed on a hill slope on stones and herbaceous plants on 23 March 2001, a maximum
of two pairs, male and female together. This species uses the region during passage.

Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschenka

On 28 Apr 2000, 5 males and one female were observed on a rocky hillside. One of the
males hunted insects by swooping down from a rocky perch, returning to the same
place to sing. The female was seen emerging from a cavity in the same rock to
accompany the male up the hillside. On 9 Jun 2000, a female was seen to be carrying
possible nesting material. Kirwan & Martins (1994) gave the species’ status as
uncertain; they believed it had formerly been an uncommon passage migrant, mainly
through eastern two-thirds of Turkey. They also cited records from 20km south of
Sanliurfa on 19 Apr 87 and from Devegecidi Baraj1 on 26 May 90.

Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti |

We have one probable record from 12 May 2000 of a male on a poorly-vegetated
hillside. During flight, the black on its wings was prominent, but we could discern the
white speckle. Karakas & Kilic (2002) recorded three males at Gdksu Dam on 1 April
1999 and Kirwan et al (2003) one at Cizre on 13 Jun 1999.

Olive-Tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum

We obtained a single record of two individuals on 26 May 2000, on a thorny bank of a
small river-bed. Beaman (1986) regarded it as a rather local and generally uncommon
summer visitor to Thrace, western Anatolia and the southern coastlands. Martins (1989)
agreed and included a record for Birecik on 8 Jul 86. Kirwan & Martins (1994) note records
for 2 individuals at Birecik on 10 Aug 89 and one 18km east of Bingél on 20 May 89.

Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla

On 6 May 2001, two individuals were observed moving from an oak Quercus sp tree toa
Neapolitan medlar Crataegus azarolus tree. The male was ‘wagging’ his tail laterally. The
observations are insufficient to fulfil the EBCC requirements for ‘possibly breeding’.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research was supported by Research Foundation of Dicle University (Project No: DUAP-2000-FF-
411). We are grateful to the Turkish State Meteorological Service at Diyarbakir Station. We would also
like to thank Engin Gem for his help with the map of the study area and Mike Blair for his patience with
the preparation of the manuscript.

PRIMARY REFERENCES

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BEAMAN, M. 1986. Turkey Bird Report 1976-81. Sandgrouse 8:1-41.

Biricik, M. 1996. Birds of Kabakli Reservoir, Diyarbakir. Tr. J. Zool. 20: 155-160.

BURFIELD, I. AND F. VAN BOMMEL. 2004. Birds in Europe: Population Estimates, Trends and Conservation Status.
Birdlife Conservation Series 12. BirdLife International. Cambridge. UK

CRAMP, S. AND K.E.L. SIMMONS. 1978 and 1983. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vols I & Il. OUP. Oxford. UK.

Davin, N. AND D. GOSSELIN. 2002. The grammatical gender of avian genera. Bull. BOC. 122 (4): 257-282.

EAMES, J. 1990. Selected bird observations from Turkey: Spring and Summer 1987. OSME Bulletin. 23: 6-13.

HAGEMEJER, E.J.M. AND M.J. BLAIR. 1997. (Eds). The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds; their distribution
and abundance. T&AD Poyser. London.

HARRISON, C. 1975. Jungvdgel Eier und Nester Aller Végel, Europas, Nordafrikas und des Mittleren Ostens. Verlag
Paul Parey. Hamburg und Berlin. Germany.

HEINZEL, H., S.R. FITTER AND J. PARSLOW. 1998. Birds of Britain & Europe, with North Africa & The Middle East.
Harper Collins. London. UK.

Recep Karakas & Ahmet Kilic¢ 145

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005 -

HILTON-TAYLOR, C. 2000. (Compiler). 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN/SSC, Gland,
Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

KARAKAS, R. AND A. KiLic. 2002. Birds of Gdksu Dam (Diyarbakir) and new records in south-east pee
Sandgrouse 24 (1); 38-43.

KASPAREK, M. 1992. Die Vogel der Tiirkei. Max Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg. Germany.

KASPAREK, M. AND C.C. BILGIN. 1996. Kuslar (Aves), In: KENCE, A. AND C.C. BILGIN. (Eds). Tiirkiye Omurgalilar
Tiir Listesi., Tiibitak. Ankara. Turkey.

Kitic, A. 1999. The Birds of Karapinar (Konya) Region, Tr. J. Zool. 23 (1): 91-97.

Kitic, A. 2001. Giineydogu Anadolu Bélgesi Avifaunasi Uzerine Bir Lokalite Calismasi. IV. Ulusal Ekoloji
ve Cevre Kongresi, 5-8 Ekim, Bodrum. Turkey.

Kitic, D.T. AND G. EKEN. 2004. Tiirkiye Kuslari Kirmizi Listesi [Red Data Book of the Birds of Turkey], In:
Tiirkiye‘nin Onemli Kus Alanlar1 — 2004 Giincellemesi [Turkey's Important Bird Areas — 2004 Update]. Doga
Dernegi, Ankara. Turkey.

KIRWAN, G. AND R.P. MARTINS. 1994. Turkey Bird Report 1987-91. Sandgrouse 16: 76-117.

KIRWAN, G. AND R.P. MARTINS. 2000. Turkey Bird Report 1992-1996. Sandgrouse 22 (1); 13-35.

KIRWAN, G., R.P. MARTINS, G. EKEN AND P. DAVIDSON. 1998. A checklist of the birds of Turkey. Sandgrouse
Supplement 1: 1-32.

Kirwan, G., M. OZEN, B. KuRT AND R.P. Martins. 2003. Turkey Bird Report 1997-2001. Sandgrouse 25 (1): 8-31.

MARTINS, R.P. 1989. Turkey Bird Report 1982-86. Sandgrouse 11: 1-41.

MULLARNEY, K., L. SVENSSON, P.J. GRANT AND D. ZETTERSTROM. 1999. Collins Bird Guide. HarperCollins,
London. UK.

Murpny, C. 1984. Recent Trips to Eastern Turkey, OSME Bulletin 13: 8-12.

PortTER. R.F., S. CHRISTENSEN AND P. SCHIERMACKER-HANSEN. 1996. Field Guide to the Birds of the Middle
East. T&AD Poyser. London. UK.

ROSELAAR, C.S. 1995. Songbirds of Turkey. Pica Press. Robertsbridge. UK.

UNLU, E., C. OzBay, A. Kitic, Y. COSKUN AND R. Sesen. 1997. GAP’in Faunaya Etkileri. In: GAPin Ekolojiye
ve Tarima Etkileri. Turkiye Cevre Vakfi Yayin1, Ankara. Turkey.

WELCH, H.J. (in prep). (Ed). GAP Biodiversity Research Project 2001-2003 / project data set. DHKD (Dogal Hayati
Koruma Derne@i). Istanbul, Tiirkiye {Includes all species’ distribution maps}.

WELCH, H.J. 2004. (Ed). GAP Biodiversity Research Project 2001-2003 / Final Report. DHKD (Dogal Hayati Koruma
Derne@i). Istanbul, Tiirkiye. {Includes comments on such as dam construction}.

Yarar, M. AND G. MAGNIN. 1997. Tiirkiye’nin Onemli Kus Alanlart. Dogal Hayati Koruma Derne®i,
Istanbul. Tiirkiye.

SECONDARY REFERENCES

BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL. 2004a. Species Factsheet: Aythya nyroca. www.birdlife.net 4 Feb 2005.
BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL. 2004b. Species Factsheet: Falco naumanni. www.birdlife.net 4 Feb 2005.

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146 Recep Karakas & Ahmet Kilic¢

Notes

The first Black-billed Wood Doves Turtur
abyssinicus in Yemen and the Middle East

DAVID B. STANTON

David B. Stanton, P.O. Box 2002, Sana’a, Yemen (email: yos@y.net.ye)

LESSED WITH A WEEK OFF for Eid al Fitr, 1 invited Dwight Taylor, a keen birder and my
wife Sharon’s interim boss, for a few days of birding before his impending departure from
Yemen. Sharon, though not a birder herself, was able to join us at short notice.

On November 12th 2004 our itinerary took us from Sana’a to Jebel Bura’ and thence to Al Urj on
the 13th, where the coastal mudflats possess a small stand of mangroves, both interesting
habitats. At about 0845 on the 14th, having overwhelmed Sharon at the mudflats with a broad
array of waders, gulls, and terns, we all headed for the mangroves, expecting to see some of the
more secretive herons.

I spotted a pair of small doves nestled close together on a dead branch, about 15 metres away.
The sun was behind us and the birds were fully exposed in good light. Assuming them to be
Palm Doves Streptopelia senegalensis, | trained the scope (Kowa, 20x) on them so that Sharon
could get a good view of the birds and add them to her rapidly expanding list. The tails were
‘normally’ proportioned, lacking the long tail of Namaqua Dove Oena capensis, a species I know
well and had last seen the previous October. As I focused the scope, I noted several characters
that Palm Doves do not exhibit.

Description

The birds were proportioned like rather small Palm Doves. They were generally paler and more
uniformly coloured than Palm Doves, being predominantly pale grey above blending inconspic-
uously to an even paler grey, almost white, below. The birds’ necks were devoid of any markings
whatsoever. The most striking feature which was clearly visible on the closer bird was a pair of
irregular iridescent purple spots in the vicinity of the greater coverts and scapulars. The wings were
slightly lowered revealing two parallel sooty bands across the middle back. A similarly coloured,
though narrower, band could be seen at the base of the tail.

I recognized the birds as being similar to the Emerald-spotted (Turtur chalcospilos) and Blue-
spotted (T. afer) Wood Doves with which I am familiar from southern Africa, but I knew of no
allied species with purple spots on its wings. As I commented on the unusual characteristics of
the doves they flew away before we could get them in view in our binoculars. We were unable to
relocate them. I took detailed notes and made a sketch of the characters that we had observed,
however, and later compared these with illustrations in van Perlo (1995) and Williams and Arlott
(1988). Finally, a quick search of Google images under ‘Turtur abyssinicus’ left me in no doubt
that we had found the first pair of Black-billed Wood Doves for Yemen and the Middle East.

It is interesting to speculate about the future status of the species in Yemen, given that there
were two birds only about 100 miles from their known range in Eritrea across the Red Sea, in a
direct line with the Zubair island group. Given the Black-billed Wood Dove’s very superficial
resemblance to the widespread and common Palm Dove, the paucity of observers in Yemen
may have led to abyssinicus being overlooked.

REFERENCES

VAN PERLO, B. 1995. IIlustrated Checklist of the Birds of Eastern Africa. Harper Collins, London.
WILLIAMS, J.G. AND N. ARLOTT. 1988. The Collins Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa. The Stephen Greene
Press, Lexington, Massachusetts.

147

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005 :

Plate 1. Specimen of Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi from ‘Syria’. (Guy M. Kirwan, © Natural History Museum, Tring)

An early specimen of Richard’s Pipit
Anthus richard from Syria?

“GUY M. KIRWAN

Guy M. Kirwan, 74 Waddington Street, Norwich NR2 4JS, U. K.

ICHARD’S PIPIT Anthus richardi is an uncommon winter visitor and or passage migrant to

srael, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and southern Arabian Gulf (Porter et al 1996). The
same authors considered it to be a vagrant in Kuwait and Syria (but did not mention Turkey,
where it is increasingly recorded; Kirwan et al in prep). Baumgart et al (1995) listed the only
Syrian record as being one at Sukhne, north-east of Palmyra, on 13 April 1993.

While examining specimens of the species held in the Natural History Museum (Tring), in
particular searching for any previously overlooked examples from Turkey, I discovered an
individual (BM 87.2.1.2969) simply labelled ‘Syria’ that had previously been incorporated within
the Hume collection, although a search of the appropriate specimen register revealed that the
bird was a Tristram specimen. It is a classic Richard’s Pipit, as evident from Plate 1. Tristram
collected extensively in Palestine and Syria between the early 1860s and early 1880s, but I have
been unable to find any mention of this specimen in his publications (Tristram 1882, 1884) and it
is not included in the catalogue of his own collection (Tristram 1889). His particular motives for
passing the specimen to Hume are unknown, but Canon Tristram was well known for ‘friendly
exchanges and the judicious sale of duplicates’ in order to minimise the cost of acquiring a large
collection (Mearns & Mearns 1998). That precise locality information or a date is unavailable for
the Richard’s Pipit is unsurprising; many of Tristram’s specimens in Tring lack detailed data
(pers. obs.). Without such information, it is obviously impossible to be certain that the specimen
is from Syria. Kirwan (2004) discussed the difficulties of identifying whether pre-1940s
specimens were collected within the boundaries of modern-day Syria or Lebanon, and during
Tristram’s time, the possibility that the specimen was taken in south-east Turkey, where the
borders of ‘Syria’ extended north to Gaziantep, must also be borne in mind. There is but one
record of A. richardi for Lebanon, from the mid-20th century (Ramadan-Jaradi & Ramadan-Jaradi
1999), but it is clearly interesting to record the existence of the NHM specimen, which appears to
have gone unmentioned in the previous literature and is potentially the earliest ever Middle
Eastern record (cf. Kirwan et al in prep, Shirihai 1996, F. E. Warr unpub ms).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It is always a pleasure to thank members of staff at the Natural History Museum (Tring) for their invaluable
and patient assistance: Mark Adams, Robert Prys-Jones and Effie Warr. I am most grateful to Moira & Roy
Hargreaves for their generous hospitality during my periods at the museum.

148

Notes

REFERENCES

BAUMGART, W., M. KASPAREK AND B. STEPHAN. 1995. Die Vogel Syriens. Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg.

KIRWAN, G. M. 2004. A Syrian record: the case of Aharoni’s Thick-billed Larks Ramphocoris clotbey. Bull.

- Brit. Orn. Club 124: 227-232.

KIRWAN, G. M., K.A. Boyt, P. CASTELL, B. Demirci, G. EKEN, M. OZEN AND H. WELCH. (in prep.) The
birds of Turkey: a study of the distribution, taxonomy and breeding of Turkish birds.

MEARNS, B. AND R. MEARNS. 1998. The bird collectors. Academic Press, London.

PORTER, R. F., S. CHRISTENSEN AND P. SCHIERMACKER-HANSEN. 1996. Field guide to the birds of the Middle
East. T. & A. D. Poyser, London.

RAMADAN-JARADI, G. AND M. RAMADAN-JARADI. 1999. An updated checklist of the birds of Lebanon.
Sandgrouse 21: 132-170.

TRISTRAM, H. B. 1882. Ornithological notes of a journey through Syria, Mesopotamia and southern
Armenia in 1881. [bis (IV) 6: 402-419.

TRISTRAM, H. B. 1884. Fauna and flora of Palestine. Palestine Exploration Fund, London.

TRISTRAM, H. B. 1889. Catalogue of a collection of birds belonging to H. B. Tristram. Privately published, Durham.

An unusually-coloured White-cheeked Tern
Sterna repressa and its offspring: a case of
colour inversion?

SALIM JAVED AND SHAHID KHAN

Salim Javed and Shahid Khan, PO Box 45553, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Terrestrial Environment Research
Center, Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency.

N 20TH JUNE 2004, while conducting a breeding seabird survey on Jarnein Island

(24.92767 °N, 52.85323 °E) in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, three birds, an adult and two
chicks, with unusual plumage coloration drew our attention. They were resting in the shade of
a tree, about 10-15m from nearby nesting White-cheeked Terns Sterna repressa. Jarnein is
important because it holds the largest breeding colonies of Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon
aethereus, Sooty Gull Larus hemprichii, Swift (Crested) Sterna bergii, Lesser Crested Sterna
bengalensis and Bridled Sterna anaethetus Terns in the country. Given its importance for breeding
seabirds, regular population surveys have been carried out on the island since the mid-1990s.

or

Plate 1. Unusually-coloured terns: an
© Salim Javed.

149

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005 ;

The adult bird was dark brown with a white cap and white on the wings, while the two chicks
were sooty-coloured (See photo). The bare parts were also dark brown. A similar bird had been
photographed in the summer of 1998 on the same island (Simon Aspinall, pers. comm.). The
adult bird resembled a Common Noddy, but closer examination of the photos confirmed it to
be a White-cheeked Tern with inverted plumage colours, dark for white and white for dark, the
normally plumaged adult having a prominent black cap, a white band across the face and an
ash-grey back and underwing; its bill and feet are red.

The unusual colouration might be a case of genetic inversion where a mutation type has an
inverted DNA sequence of nucleotides, called chromosomal inversions, and are visible in the
chromosome structure. Such chromosomal inversions protect epistatic interacting genes from
recombination, so that the gene in an inversion behaves as a ‘supergene’, and segregates. The
1998 record of similar birds suggests that the inverted genes may have been passed on to
subsequent generations. The adult photographed in 1998 had no white on its back, unlike the
2004 adult, so they may be different individuals.

Genetic polymorphism (also a result of chromosomal inversion) and its effects on plumage (and
behaviour) in birds is well known, particularly in buzzards, eagles and the Ruff Philomachus
pugnax (Blank, 2002; Johnson et al 1993). However, colour inversion in White-cheeked Tern is
sporadic, because there are no described morphs as individuals or populations.

Albinism, the absence of pigments, is not applicable here (Gross 1965, Forrest and Naveen
2000). Albinism, melanism and inversion may be disadvantageous adaptations, rendering
individuals more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation, more noticeable to predators, affecting
display and mating behaviour and increasing antagonistic behaviour in colonies from normally
plumaged birds. We noted the last-named when our three birds were chased away by the
normal White-cheeked Terns nesting nearby.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are grateful to H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of
ERWDA Governing Board and H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the
Governing Board and owner of Jarnein Island. We thank H.E. Mohammed Al Bowardi, Managing Director
of ERWDA, Mr. Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of ERWDA and Dr. Fred Launay, Assistant Secretary
General of ERWDA for their support. We also thank Mr. John Newby, Director TERC, and Mr. Thabit
Abdessalam, Director MERC for their support and Dr. Christophe Toureng for his comments.

REFERENCES

BLANK, D.B. 2002. Diverse processes maintain plumage polymorphism in birds. Journal of Avian Biology. 33:
327-330.

FORREST, S.C AND R. NAVEEN. 2000. Prevalence of leucism in Pygoscelid penguins of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Waterbirds, 23:283—285.

Gross, A.O. 1965. The incidence of albinism in North American birds. Bird Banding. 36:67—71. 87-588.

JOHNSON, A., F. CEZILY AND V. Boy. 1993. Plumage development and maturation in the Greater Flamingo
Phoenicopterus ruber roseus. Ardea 81:25-34.

Wintering Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria
in southeastern Anatolia

RECEP KARAKAS AND MURAT BIRICIK

Dr. Recep Karakas & Prof. Dr. Murat Biricik, Dicle University, Science and Art Faculty, Biology
Department, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey. E-mail: rkarakas@dicle.edu.tr mbiricik@dicle.edu.tr.

HE “GEOGRAPHY .OF | past aeD ae
SOUTHEASTERN Sten 2 al a seen |
ANATOLIA is’ mainly Oe he . ‘foe Soa
lowland steppe in character. aac ree be
The southeastern Taurus, ¥ f ee
mostly around 2000m asl, ah cag ora
constitutes a natural Ww

boundary unlike the political

border to the south with se

Syria, where both the Figure 1. Dots are Wallcreeper winter records, around the Kralkizi and
Euphrates and Tigris flow. Dicle dams and in Hasankeyf province.

Turkey holds the largest

population of Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria of all the countries of the western Palearctic (see
Cramp 1998 and Kilig & Eken 2004). The species breeds in wilderness areas of the Turkish
highlands mostly at 1000-3000m asl and often higher, particularly in the Taurus chain in
southern Turkey, in the mountains of the Black Sea coast to the northeast, and in the eastern
and southeastern mountains (Beaman 1986, Roselaar 1995, Cramp 1998, Grant et al 1999,
Kusbank 2004). Although largely an altitudinal and short-distance migrant, a proportion of the
population regularly disperses further afield in winter, right down to sea-level, individuals
even reaching Cyprus (Beaman 1986, Cramp 1998).

During numerous ornithological trips we have undertaken in the region, mostly in winter and
spring from 2000 onwards, all as part of research projects that focus particularly on the birds of
reservoir areas of various dams along the two river systems, we regularly encountered the
Wallcreeper as it searched for food on sheer limestone cliffs, usually near water. Such sites are
at 500 to 700m asl, just on the edge of the steppe area. Altogether, we recorded 19 birds, earliest
and latest records being 17th November and 1st April respectively: the majority were seen in
December at the northernmost site in Figure 1. The Wallcreeper was seen mostly on perpen-
dicular rock faces, whereas potential competitors such as Western Rock Nuthatch Sitta
neumayer, Eastern Rock Nuthatch S. tephronota and Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
occurred mainly on rocky outcrops, stony and earthen slopes, and even in open woodland. In
this vast area of suitable but inaccessible habitat, it is likely that Wallcreeper occurs more
widely outside the breeding season than records suggest (Beaman 1986). The size of the
breeding area and population may also have been underestimated.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We made our observations of Wallcreeper during current projects supported by the United Nations
Development Programme/Global Environment Facility - Small Grant Programme (TUR-01-11) and by the
Research Fund of Dicle-University (DUAPK-02-FF-24). We would like to thank Engin Gem and Esra Per for
providing us with additional Turkish observations.

REFERENCES

BEAMAN, M. 1986. Turkey Bird Report 1976-81.— Sandgrouse 8:1-41.

CRAMP, S. 1998. The Complete Birds of the Western Palearctic. CD-ROM. OUP, Oxford.

Kiic, D. T. AND G. EKEN. 2004. Tiirkiye Kuslar1 Kirmizi Listesi [Red Data Book of the Birds of Turkey].
—In: Tiirkiye’nin Onemli Kus Alanlari — 2004 Giincellemesi [Turkey’s Important Bird Areas 2004 Update].
Doga Dernegi, Ankara. In Turkish with English captions.

KusBANK. Dec 2004. Bird Databank: www.kusbank.org (Erciyes University, RSPB, Birdlife International
& Doga Derne?i),

MULLARNEY, K., L. SVENSSON, P. J. GRANT AND D. ZETTERSTROM. 1999. Collins Bird Guide. HarperCollins,
London.

ROSELAAR, C. S. 1995. Taxonomy, Morphology and Distribution of the Songbirds of Turkey: An Atlas of
Biodiversity of Turkish Passerine Birds. Harlem, GMB. Netherlands.

151

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005 :

Breeding success of Brown-necked Ravens
Corvus ruficollis in the Mahazat as-Sayd
Protected Area, Saudi Arabia

MOHAMMED SHOBRAK

As part of the ornithological monitoring programme in the Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area,
nests of Brown-necked Raven were recorded during 2001 and 2002. The location of the
nesting tree, species of tree used, height of the tree, and height from the ground of the nest
were recorded. In addition nests were monitored to determine the incubation period, nesting
success and factors affecting the breeding success. During this study, 12 nests were found in
2001 and six in 2002, with the majority of nests built in umbrella thorn Acacia tortilis trees.
The nesting tree was the tallest in the area, located mostly in a small depression.
Hatchability overall was 30% and the proportion of chicks that hatched and reached
fledgling stage was 30%.

Dr Mohammed Shobrak, The National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development,
National Wildlife Research Center, P. O. Box 1086 Taif, Saudi Arabia. Shobrak@nwrc-sa.org.

ESPITE BEING A COMMON SPECIES on the Arabian Peninsula, the Brown-necked Raven

Corvus ruficollis is poorly known in Saudi Arabia (Jennings 1995). Apart from Cramp et al
(1994) who reviewed data on the species’ breeding biology in the Western Palearctic, I am aware
only of the observations by Jennings in Arabia (1981, 1986, 1987 & 1998); and Harvey et al in
Yemen (1992). This paper presents information on the breeding season, breeding success, nesting
sites and nest description of Brown-necked Ravens in the Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area (in
central western Saudi Arabia) where it is considered a common breeding resident (Newton and
Newton 1993). The species has been recorded as a predator to a number of ground-nesting bird
species in the reserve (Shobrak 1996, Joseph B. Williams pers comm); other studies showed that its
predation is an important cause of mortality among newborn sand gazelles Gazella subgutturosa
and Red-necked Ostrich Struthio camelus camelus hatchlings (Haque & Smith 1996, Ismail 2001).

Plate 1. Black-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis Plate 2. Black-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis nest
fledglings in an acacia tree nest in the Mahazat as- _ lined with rags obtained from outside the Mahazat as-
Sayd Protected Area. 2002. © Mohammed Shobrak. Sayd Protected Area. 2002. © Mohammed Shobrak.

152

Notes

Study area

The study was carried out during 2001 and 2002 at Mahazat as-Sayd, a 2244km7* fenced protected
area, located on the arid Nadj plains of western Saudi Arabia, 170km north-east of Taif, the area
having been established specifically to provide a save haven for reintroduced captive bred Arabian
oryx Oryx leucoryx, sand gazelles, Asian Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii and Red-necked
Ostrich (Greth & Schwede 1993, Haque & Smith 1994, 1996). A perimeter fence erected in 1989 has
kept livestock out, allowing the vegetation inside the protected area to recover from overgrazing
and has discouraged illegal hunting. The larger part of the reserve comprises sandy gravel plains
with open vegetative cover. Acacia tortilis is the commonest tree species, Fagonia indica and
Indigofora spinosa the commonest herbs, and Panicum turgidum and Stipagrostis sp. the commonest
grasses (Seddon 1996, Shobrak unpub).

The climate is tropical and arid, the mean monthly minimum and maximum ambient temper-
atures ranging between 9-25°C in winter and 21-46°C in summer. The maximum air
temperature of 48°C was recorded in July (Shobrak 2001, Williams et al 1999). Rainfall is
sporadic and unpredictable but showers are more frequent between November and April,
annual precipitation ranging from 15-240 mm (Seddon 1996, Shobrak 2001).

Study methods

During regular visits to active nests of Lappet-faced Vultures, Torgos tracheliotus I would search
for Brown-necked Raven nests by driving randomly throughout the protected area. For each
nest, I recorded the tree location, the tree species, the height of the tree and the height of the
nest above ground level. The nest position in the tree relative to the upper, middle or lower
third of the crown (categorized as up, central or low) was noted. Nests were monitored every
two to three days during 2001 and every seven to 15 days during 2002 to estimate the
incubation period and nesting success. If the nest contents had disappeared prematurely, |
would check the tree and its surroundings for tracks or evidence to try and identify of the
predator. In both years of the study in April, migrating raptors were counted during a transect
of the area. The relative abundance of these raptors was calculated by dividing the number of
birds seen by the distance driven (Toureng et al 2005).

Results

Nesting sites: During the study period, I found 18 active raven nests, 12 in 2001 and 6 in 2002.
In addition, the sites of 10 nests from previous years were selected to obtain tree species and
height and nest height above ground. The results showed that 24 of these nests were in Acacia
tortilis, and three in maerua Maerua crassifolia trees. The mean height of the Acacia nest trees was
3.7m (SD=+0.6, n=24), whereas the mean height of Maerua nest trees was 5.1m (SD=+1.8, n=3).
The mean height above the ground of Acacia tree nests was 3m (SD=+0.5, n=24), while for
Maerua tree nests it was 3.8m (SD=+0.51, n=3). However, the number of nests found in Maerua
trees was too small to be significant.

Visual assessment of each nesting tree suggested that the ravens usually selected the tallest in
the area, the majority being not in wadis but located in small open depressions where tree
densities were highest (Shobrak unpub). Most nests (91%) were in the upper crown, 9 % were in
the central crown and none were in the lower crown. )

Nest description: The nest is a cup structure built with Acacia sp. sticks, lined with sheep and
goat hair, grasses and often with conspicuously-coloured (eg pink, red or black) cloth
fragments. The inner mean diameter of the nests was 22.2cm (SD=+1.94, n=20), with a mean
outer diameter of 45cm (SD=+2.55, n=5). The mean inner depth was 11.3cm (SD=+1.45, n=11),
the mean outer depth being 24.2cm (SD=+2.28, n=5).

Egg sizes and laying dates: (See Table 1 and Figure 1). The majority of eggs were sub-elliptical, one
in each clutch often being elongated. The colours ranged from blue to greenish, with black or
brownish spots. The mean egg-length was 43.79mm (SD=+3.19, n=51), the mean width being

153

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

29.68mm. (SD=+0.99, n=51). The mean clutch size was 3.4 (SD=+1.63, n=17), the clutch size range
being one and six respectively. The earliest laying date was 10 February (2001) and the latest was 22
April (2002), this latter possibly representing a second clutch: this nest held six eggs in early March.

Table 1. Number of nests, eggs laid and hatched and chicks fledged during 2001 and 2002.

Year Nests Eggs !aid Eggs hatched Fledged chicks
2001 12 43 12 3
2002 6 24 8 )
Total 18 67 20 6

Hatching and nesting success: During the incubation period, eggs disappeared from 8 of the
12 nests monitored in 2001, but the remaining 12 eggs all hatched, overall hatchability being
28%. However only 25% of the chicks became fledglings. The overall ees of the 12
nests was only 7%.

Due to time limitations in 2002, I was not able to monitor all six nests as systematically as in
2001. However, the following data were obtained: from three nests the eggs disappeared during
incubation and from a fourth nest the chicks disappeared few days after hatching. Only three
chicks (Plate 1) fledged from the remaining nest, overall hatchability being 33.3% and the
fledging rate from the hatched eggs was 38%. Figure 2 shows growth rate for the nestlings over
the first eight days after hatching, but the chicks’ weight data comprised too small a sample size
to allow significant body mass analysis.

At only one of the unsuccessful nests did I find possible evidence of a cat Felis sp as the
predator. Thorough searches at the other unsuccessful nests and their environs drew a blank as
to the predators’ identity. However, other work in Mahazat as-Sayd (Joseph B. Williams pers
comm) indicates that raptors do take eggs and chicks from nests. The raptor transect counts I
conducted in Mahazat as-Sayd may include the Brown-necked Raven’s nest predator. The
relative abundance of raptors was 1.7 birds per km driven in April 2001 and 0.4 birds per km
driven in April 2002. Commonest were European Kestrel Falco tinnunculus and Pallid Harrier
Circus macrourus. Three other harrier species were recorded in the reserve during the raven
study, Western Marsh, Hen and Montagu’s (C. aeruginosus, C. cyaneus and C. pygargus respec-
tively). According to Cramp et al (1994) the Brown-necked Ravens starts incubation after laying
the second egg, which example I followed to calculate the incubation period, which varied from
20 to 23 days. New hatchlings were blind, featherless and had a body mass of 13-17gm
(Mean=15gm, SD=+2.8, n=2); they have pinkish orange skin, their down being long but sparse
on the centre of the back, forming tufts on each shoulder.

id 300
9 270
8 240
j
Z % = 20
g 6 = 180
5S 5 2 150
= = 120
3 2 00
z oo
1
30
Q
January February March April 4 1 + 3 4 5 6 7 8
Months Age (days)
Figure 1.The numbers of first eggs laid per month. Figure 2. The growth rate of Black-necked Raven

Corvus ruficollis chicks.

Notes

Discussion

Breeding season: In Egypt, Goodman and Meininger (1989) give Brown-necked Ravens as starting
egg-laying in late February to early March and in Israel Shirihai (1996) gives mid-February to early
March. In the Arabian Peninsula, the first eggs are laid in January, the main laying period
occurring between February and early March (Jennings 1995). In the Eastern Province of Saudi
Arabia, Bundy et al (1989) have the first eggs being laid at the end of January and the last in March.
However, in eastern Saudi Arabia breeding has also been recorded in November (Cramp et al
1994). While surveying the Saudi Red Sea coast from Tabuk to the Farasan archipelago, Jennings
(1986) found that the majority of nests had eggs in February and young in March.

The above study suggests that the Brown-necked Raven’s breeding phenology at Mahazat as-Sayd
is similar to that found elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula and in neighbouring countries. The
species may select this time of the year because rainfall may lead to increased food availability, a
circumstance that correlates with many bird species starting to lay (eg Lack 1971, Perrins and
Birkhead 1983). Additionally, the relatively cool ambient temperature during the incubation period
(February to March) minimises thermal stress on eggs, chicks and incubating birds.

Nests and nesting sites: Lappet-faced Vultures are breeding residents in the Mahazat as-Sayd
Protected Area (Shobrak 2004), and Brown-necked Ravens sometime nest below them. The
sheep and goat hair lining the Ravens’ nests probably comes either from Lappet-faced Vulture
nests or from vulture pellets lying around the nest or roost trees. The ravens probably adopt
this method as a low energy strategy. However, some of the cloth and carpet fragments in raven
nests must come from outside the protected area, actions demanding an increased energy
expenditure. This additional energy outlay may be offset by the rags acting as a heatshield for
eges, chicks and incubating birds. Twice I have found rags covering the eggs (See Plate 2).

In Arabia, the Brown-necked Raven prefers Acacia trees for nesting (Jennings 1987), in Mahazat
as-Sayd Protected Area the commonest species being Acacia tortilis , especially in wadis. A.
tortilis also grows in the open, sandy, gravel and basalt stony plains. Whereas Maerua is
common in the east of the reserve, there are only a few trees scattered throughout central and
western parts (Shobrak unpub, Seddon 1996). Acacia provides a dense thorny barrier that
discourages human and animal predators, something that the Brown-necked Raven has
probably learnt. The notable exception to this rule, given by Ticehurst & Cheesman (1925), was
the nest they found in Saudi Arabia in a thornless and leafless Calligonum Calligonum spp bush,
only 1.5m tall, but the bush was 80km from the nearest tree.

Causes of mortality: For many bird species, predation is the major cause of egg and chick losses
(Newton 1998). During the breeding season Brown-necked Ravens are territorial, defending a
nest site against other birds (Goodwin 1976, Cramp et al 1994), but in the Mahazat as-Sayd
Protected Area the main predators of their eggs and nestlings are possibly migrating raptors
and cats (feral cat Felis catus or sand cats F. margarita).

Nest predation increases with increasing aridity and causes higher nestling mortality in desert
birds, eg Tieleman et al (2003) showed that the probability of jark nestlings surviving until
fledging in a hyper-arid environment is about 2%. The results of my study support this finding.
However, future studies in the reserve must determine the predators of Brown-necked Raven
before any conclusions can be drawn about the large losses of the eggs and chicks that they
incur. These studies need to test at least three hypotheses:

1. Nest predation is influenced by the female’s nutritional status, which may affect how long
she spends away from the nest or how vigorously she tackles predators (Newton 1986). The
recent drought in the Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area lasted three years, affecting adversely
most animal species (Shobrak & K. Ismail 2000, unpub). Reduced food availability forced the
raven parents to spend more time foraging, which meant that nests were unprotected for
longer periods than normal. I noted that on several nest visits to measure and weigh chicks,

155

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

even for newly-hatched chicks the parents were absent, although the adult birds mostly
returned before I was through. I noted also that nests where both parents were present when
I visited contained chicks whose growth rate was the fastest I recorded.

2. The alternative prey hypothesis suggests that at times of reduced food availability, not only
resident mammalian carnivores, but also migrating raptors have to find alternative food
supplies. The recent drought produced noticeable reductions in insect and rodent
populations in reserve, and hence may have put at risk Brown-necked Raven eggs and chicks.
This pattern has been documented elsewhere; for example Northern European grouse species
numbers fluctuate in synchrony with rodent numbers (Ranta et al 1995, Newton 1998) and
annual nest predation rate for Norwegian Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus varied between
10% and 63% (Myrberget 1984), occurring in inverse proportion to annual rodent numbers.

3. Even in periods of drought the effective protection inside the protected area ensures higher
densities of prey and thus also of predators than outside the protected area. Studies on
reptile and rodent populations showed that the density of these populations were signifi-
cantly higher inside the protected area when compared to populations outside the protected
area (Abdul Muhsin Alqfari in litt 2002, N.J. Wells in litt 1999). Studies on the fox
populations have shown similar trends (Danny Lenain in litt 2000). This may attract
migrating raptors to roost and feed in the reserve.

REFERENCES

CRAMP, S., C.M. PERRINS. AND D.J. BROOKS. 1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and North
Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol. VIII. OUP. Oxford. UK.

GOODMAN, S.M. AND P.L. MEININGER. 1989. (Eds). The Birds of Egypt. OUP. Oxford. UK.

GoopDwin, D. 1976. Crows of the World. British Museum. London. UK.

GreTH, A. AND G. SCHWEDE. 1993: A brief history of the reintroduction of the Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx in
Saudi Arabia. Int. Zoo Yearbook. 32: 73-81.

HAQuE, M.N. AND T.R. SMITH. 1994. Re-introduction of Red-necked ostriches in Saudi Arabia. Re-
introduction News 9: 5.

HAQUE, M.N. AND T.R. SMITH. 1996. Reintroduction of Arabian sand gazelle Gazella subgutturosa marica in
Saudi Arabia. Biol. Cons. 76:203—207

Harvey, D. AND M. Harvey. 1992: Breeding observations on the brown-necked raven in Sana’a, Republic of
Yemen. Phoenix 9:16-17.

IsMAIL, K. 2001. Status of the red-necked ostrich Struthio camelus camelus introduced into Mahazat as-Sayd

Protected Area. NWRC. Annual Report.

JENNINGS, M.C. 1981. The birds of Saudi Arabia, a checklist. Jennings. Cambridge. UK.

JENNINGS, M.C. 1986. Progress so far: brown-necked raven. Phoenix 3. M.C. Jennings (Compiler, ABBA

Coordinator).

JENNINGS, M.C. 1987. Progress so far: brown-necked raven. Phoenix 4. M.C. Jennings (Compiler, ABBA

Coordinator)

JENNINGS, M.C. 1988: Progress so far: brown-necked raven. Phoenix 5. MC. Jennings (Compiler, ABBA

Coordinator). Sponsored by NCWCD.

JENNINGS, M.C. 1995: An interim atlas of the breeding birds of Arabia. NCWCD, Riyadh.

Lack, D. 1971: Ecological Isolation in Birds, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. USA.

MYyRBERGET, S. 1984: Population dynamics of illo Grouse Lagopus lagopus on an island in north Norway.
Fauna Norv. Ser. C. Cinclus 7: 95-105.

NEWTON, I. 1998. Population Limitation in Birds. Academic Press. London. UK.

NEWTON, I. 1986. The Sparrowhawk. T&AD Poyser. Calton.UK..

PERRINS, C.M. AND T.R. BIRKHEAD. 1983: Avian Ecology. Blackie & Son Limited. Glasgow.

RANTA, E., J. LINDSTROM AND H. LINDEN. 1995. Synchrony in tetraonid population dynamics. J. Anim. Ecol.
64: 767-776.

SEDDON, P. 1996. Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area master management plan. NCWCD Protected Area Advisory
Group. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

SHIRIHAI, H. 1996. Birds of Israel. Academic Press. London. UK.

SHOBRAK, M. 1996: Ecology of the lappet-faced vulture Torgos tracheliotus in Saudi Arabia, Unpublished PhD
thesis. Glasgow University. Glasgow.

SHOBRAK, M. 2001. Posturing behaviour of Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotus chicks on the nest plays
a role in protecting them form high ambient temperatures. Asian Raptor Bulletin 2.

156

A. Abrahamian) is in the

Notes

SHOBRAK,, M. 2004. Parental investment of the lappet-faced vulture during the breeding. In: Chancellor,
R.D. and B —-U. Meyburg. (Eds). Raptors Worldwide. WWGBO/ Hancock House May. pp111-125.
TICEHURST, C.B. AND R.E. CHEESMAN. 1925. Birds of Central and Eastern Arabia. [bis 12 (1): 1-31.

‘TIELEMAN, L., J.B. WILLIAMS AND H. VIsseER. 2003. Energy and water budgets of larks in a life history

perspective: is parental effort related to environmental aridity? J. Ecol. 85 (5):1399-1410.
TOURENQ, C., O. COMBREAU, M. LAWRENCE, S.B. POLE, A. SPALTON, G. XINJI, M.AL BAIDANI, AND F. LAUNAY.
2005. Alarming Houbara Bustard population trend in Asia. Biol. Conser. 121: 1-8.

On the distribution of Red-tailed Wheatear
Oenanthe chrysopygia (de Fillipi, 1863)
in Armenia.

VASIL ANANIAN AND MAMIKON GHASABIAN

Vasil Ananian, 179 Bashinjaghian Street, Apt. 23, 375078, Yerevan, Armenia. Mamikon Ghasabian,
16th Block/30, Apt. 126, 375115, Yerevan, Armenia.

LTHOUGH IT HAD LONG BEEN SUGGESTED that Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe

chrysopygia be regarded as an independent species (Zarudny 1896, Dement’ev 1937,
Ivanov 1940, Panov 2005), in recent lists it is treated as a subspecies of the Rufous-tailed
Wheatear O. xanthoprymna chrysopygia (see, eg Sibley & Monroe 1990). However, here we retain
the view that the Red-tailed Wheatear should remain an independent species, considering it a
member of a superspecies comprising two good species, Oenanthe chrysopygia and O. xantho-
prymna (For the detailed arguments in favour of this approach see Panov 2005). The
superspecies’ breeding range covers the Middle East and parts of the Central Asia (namely Turkey,
Iran, NE Afghanistan and 5 Tadzhikistan). In its NW range, in Transcaucasia it could be found
only in a restricted area confined until recently to the southernmost foothills of the Zangezur
Mountains, a minor part of the Caucasus range, in the central Arax valley. Most of these sightings
and specimens came from Naxcivan territory (previously Nakhichevan or the Nakhichevanskaya
ASSR), an Azerbaijanian exclave SW of Armenia bordering Turkey and Iran. As regards the
species’ occurrence in Armenian territory proper, prior to our recent observations only four
specimens had been collected in 1965 and 1968; from then, nothing until 1995, since when there
have been a few observations at irregular intervals (Ayrumian & Movsesian 1987, Adamian &
Klem 1999, VA & MG pers. obs); | 7
the 1965-8 specimens (taken by | j

Armenian Institute of-Zoology in
Yerevan). It should be stressed
that all these data were obtained
to the east of and around the
town of Meghri (Syunik
Province), which is quite close to
the species’ main breeding sites
in SE Naxcivan (not far from the
towns of Ordubad and Jolfa).

a \ Ni
i AN
ae

oe

This paper deals with new
i
: 2

records from an area some 160km
north-west of the species’
previously known breeding sites

: ‘ is i A
on both sides of the border plate 1. Red-tailed Wheatear Oenanthe chrysopygia singing, Urts
between SE Naxcivan and Mountains, 15 June 2005. Armenia. © Vasil Ananian

7

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005 :

Map 1. General map of the Arax basin, where Vasil Ananian and Mamikon Ghasabian recorded Red-tailed
Wheatear Oenanthe chrysopygia breeding in 2004. © Vasil Ananian

Armenia. We documented O. chrysopygia breeding in central-south Armenia, namely in Ararat
Province adjoining NW Naxcivan. In October 2002 MG informed VA that on 18 October, he and
colleagues had observed one Red-tailed Wheatear in a gorge in the Urts Range, not far from the
border with Naxcivan and Turkey. We were unable to revisit the gorge that autumn, but it
appeared to be a possible breeding site. On 9 June 2003 together with N. Kazanjian we returned to
that gorge and located one bird (possibly two). Two weeks later there were two or three birds,
including a juvenile whose remiges and rectrices were not fully grown (Plate 1). We gained
positive proof of breeding in the area in 2004. On 24 and 26 June we saw 3-4 individuals carrying
food and noted two singing males, one of which had been attracted to a loudspeaker broadcasting
the species’ advertising song — the bird landed adjacent to the loudspeaker, adopting poses
characteristic of territorial conflict and uttering specific aggressive vocalizations (qu Panov 2005).
On 1 July we found a nest (but did not inspect it) in a small fissure on a vertical surface of a large
crag massif; adult birds were regularly bringing food to the nest. On 20 July, we observed three
fledglings, possibly from this brood, perched in a bush at the bottom of the gorge being fed by
their parents. Subsequently, we observed breeding activity at this site from 3 April 2005.

Discussion

The first time Red-tailed Wheatear O. chrysopygia was found breeding in Transcaucasia was in
June 1929 near Jamaldin village, c30km north of the town of Jolfa in southern Naxcivan, when
G.V. Sosnin collected an adult male and a juvenile from a family group (Lyaister & Sosnin 1942).
The other specimens obtained by the same authors and also originating from Naxcivan were
collected in late July-early August 1935 from the outskirts of Nusnus village, cl0km north of the
town of Ordubad, the southeasternmost part of the republic. Lyaister and Sosnin thus authors
failed to find the species within the Armenian borders (though they did stress that it probably
occurred). In their species account, they noted an erroneous statement by Dement’ev (1937) that
Red-tailed Wheatear had been found in 1929 by Sosnin in the outskirts of Yerevan in Armenia.
Later, Gladkov (1954) amended Sosnin’s original account (though mentioning an adult female
rather than the male being collected) but makes another baseless error, possibly with reference to

158

Notes

Ivanov (1941), attributing Worobiev as reporting a bird in the outskirts of Yerevan. Worobiev
(1934) had written about the species in Armenia, where had examined Sosnin’s specimens from
Naxcivan, describing them as being ‘found in Armenia in 1929’ and collected on 11 June near
Jamaldin (correct) some ‘24km southeast of Yerevan town’ (wrong). Jamaldin, being in Naxcivan,
is c150km southeast of Yerevan. The error was compounded by being repeated by Roselaar (1995)

Both complete lists of Armenian birds (Dahl & Sosnin 1947, Dahl 1954) include the species, but
we found no factual evidence as to its occurrence in Armenia until the documented collection of
specimens in late May 1965 by A. Abrahamian near Meghri. Both the above lists obscurely
ascribe the Red-tailed Wheatear’s Armenian distribution to the semi-desert areas of the Arax
river valley without supporting comment. Dahl (1954) indicated also that the Red-tailed
Wheatear in Armenia is found between 550 and 860m asl. In Armenia habitat within these
elevation limits suitable for the species exists only in the Meghri area. We therefore conclude
that no one had found the species before we did in the upper Arax basin. We would point out
that not only the newly discovered breeding site but also the Urts Range as a whole had been
thoroughly investigated by Sosnin (Lyaister & Sosnin 1942) and Dahl (1944). Had the Red-tailed
Wheatear been overlooked there by these authors, or has it recently colonised the area?
Notwithstanding the above, further investigation of all suitable habitats of the Urts Range and
in the Arpa river basin is clearly a priority (See Map 1). ;

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank John Barnett, Chris Batty, Lee Evans, Andrew Holden, Nerses Kazanjian and Tom
Lowe for their company in the field and for funding some of the site visits and Michael Blair for editorial
assistance. We are particularly indebted to Dr Evgeniy Panov for taking the time to review the draft and for
his extensive comments and sound additions to the note. The first author is grateful to Jean-Marc Pons,
Nigel Redman and Michael Wilson for their help with obtaining some references.

REFERENCES

ADAMIAN M.S. AND D. KLEM Jr. 1999. Handbook of the Birds of Armenia. American University of Armenia.
Oakland. California. USA.

AYRUMIAN, K.A. AND S.O. MOVSESIAN. 1987. (Eds.) Red Data Book of the Armenian SSR. ‘Hayastan’ Press.
Yerevan. Armenia.

Daut, S.K. 1944. [Vertebrates of Saraybulagh [Urts] Range]. National Academy of Sciences of the Armenian
SSR. Zoologicheskiy Sbornik [Zoological Digest] 3. [In Russian].

Dau, S.K. 1954. [Fauna of the Armenian SSR. Vol. 1: Vertebrates]. Academy of Sciences Press. Yerevan,
Armenia. [In Russian].

DAHL, S.K. AND G.V. SOSNIN. 1947. [Identification Guide to the Birds of the Armenian SSR]. Acad. Sci. Press.
Yerevan. Armenia. [In Russian].

DEMENT’EV, G.P. 1937. Passeriformes. In: Buturlin, S.A. and G.P. Dement’ev [A complete guide to the birds of
the USSR 4]. Moscow- Leningrad. [In Russian.].

GLADKOV, N.A. 1954. Genus Oenanthe Vieillot, 1816. In: Dement’ev, G.P. and N.A. Gladkov. Eds. [The birds
of the Soviet Union 6.) Moscow. [In Russian]. pp493-522. (1968 English translation, pp570-603. Israel
Program for Scientific Translations. Jerusalem).

Ivanov, A.I. 1940. [The birds of Tadzhikistan.] (Trudy Tadzhik. Bazy Akad. Nauk SSSR 10.)
Moscow-Leningrad. [In Russian].

Ivanov, A.L. 1941. [Oenanthe chrysopygia de Fil. and O. xanthoprymna Hempr. & Ehrenb.] (Izv. Akad. Nauk
SSSR) 3: 381-384. [In Russian].

LYAISTER, A.F. AND G.V. SOSNIN. 1942. Materials on the ornithofauna of the Armenian SSR. ARMFAN.
Yerevan. Armenia. [In Russian].

PaNov, E.N. 2005. Wheatears of the Palearctic. Ecology, Behaviour, Evolution of the genus Oenanthe. Pensoft.
Sofia. Bulgaria. Moscow. Russia.

ROSELAAR, C.S. 1995. Songbirds of Turkey: an atlas of biodiversity of Turkish passerine birds. Pica Press,
Mountfield. UK. GMB. Haarlem. Netherlands.

SIBLEY, C.G., AND B.L. MONROE JR. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. New Haven. Yale
University Press. USA.

Worobicv, C.A. 1934. Sur la Distribution Géographique des Oiseaux en Transcaucasie. L’Oiseau et la Revue
Francaise D’ Ornithologie 4: 155-159.

ZARUDNY, N.A. 1896. [The bird fauna of the Transcaspian region (northern Persia, the Transcaspian area, Khiva
oasis and Bukhara plains).] Mat. Poz. Fauny Flory Ross. Imp. Otd. zool. (Moscow) 2: 1-555. [In Russian].

159

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

Heron breeding records in Cyprus 2003-2004

DAVID J. WHALEY AND JUDY ©. DAWES

David J. Whaley and Judy C. Dawes PO Box 66 Goudi, 8850 Paphos, Cyprus.
e-mail whaleydawes@spidernet.com.cy

FTER FIVE YEARS OF DROUGHT, and the subsequent lowering of the water table and

levels in dams (reservoirs) in Cyprus, the winter of 2001/2 saw a wetter period followed
by high rainfall in 2002/3 and in 2003/4. As a result, wetlands extended and dam levels were at
their highest for many years, some overflowing for the first time. We believe this, perhaps
aided by restrictions on shooting since the last wet period, was the main reason we were able to
confirm breeding for the first time in Cyprus during 2004 by three heron species and record
breeding by two other rare breeding herons.

Three sites were involved. Close to the western suburbs of Famagusta, the Nicosia road bisects a
large flooded area, known as Fresh Water Lake or Canakkale Lake. The area south of the road is
full of large and half submerged tamarisk trees/bushes Tamarix tetragyn. To the north lies
flooded agricultural land, including citrus orchards. Near Limassol, Polmidhia Dam forms a
reservoir whose shallow end is in a quiet, hidden valley. The tamarisks standing in water make
the site safe and unapproachable by man or other predators. Phasouri Reedbed (Livadhi
wetlands) on the Akrotiri Peninsula recovered rapidly after a major fire 1999 and for the first
time since the early 1980s has remained flooded since 2003. We visited Canakkale Lake for the
first time in July 2004 to discover a large flock of egrets, mostly Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis, nesting
in an area of flooded tamarisk, young being present. Squacco Herons Ardeola ralloides were also
nesting. We informed Peter Flint (PRF), then living near Kyrenia. He and Karen Flint visited the
site several times. We continued to visit Polmidhia Dam and Phasouri Reedbed regularly.

Little Bittern [xobrychus minutus

At Phasouri Reedbed on 27 June 2004 high water levels flooded the stands of reeds Phragmites
australis and Arundo donax. At least three males, probably 5, some with bright red bills, were
seen prominently at different locations. From less than 40m range we had good views of a
juvenile in a clump of Phragmites australis from which a male had flown. The juvenile then
followed the male and later returned to the reed clump. At the same location on 1st July 2004
we recorded 11 Little Bittern sightings. From these positions and the flight patterns we
estimated that there were at least seven individuals — once they were in the cover of the reeds
they could move without being detected. These observations correspond to confirmed breeding
categories C12 and C13 (Hagemeijer & Blair 1997).

Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides

At Polmidhia Dam on 1 July 2004, whilst watching the Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax colony
we saw a Squacco Heron settle, as if incubating, deep among the flooded tamarisk. On 10 July
2004 we were excited to find that the Squacco was indeed sitting on at least two downy chicks,
probably less than a week old. Another adult was nearby. Also on 10 July 2004 at Canakkale
Lake, we saw three Squacco Herons, one of which was incubating. PRF visited the site on 13 July
2004, finding at least 6 adults. Two were on nests, one with at least one egg, the other with three
well-grown but unfledged juveniles. On 4 August 2004 PRF revisited the site, recording 19
fledged and 4 unfledged juveniles in two nests. Adults were dispersed around the lake. Clutch
size is usually 4-6 (Cramp & Simmons 1977) suggesting that at least 6 pairs bred successfully.

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

At Canakkale Lake on 10 July 2004 we found many Cattle Egrets on nests. Accurate counting
was impossible because of the thick growth of tamarisk, but we estimated a total of 25, of which
three were certainly juveniles. On visiting the site on 13 July 2004, PRF counted some 30 adults

160

Notes

Plate 1. Juvenile Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis, Plate 2. Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides incubating,
Cannakale (Fresh Water) Lake, Cyprus July Cannakale (Fresh Water) Lake, Cyprus July 2004 ©
2004. © Peter Flint Peter Flint

Plate 3. Flooded tamarisk Tamarix sp, Cannakale (Fresh Water) Lake, Cyprus July 2004 © Peter Flint

and juveniles, and at least six nests. By 4 August 2004 PRF counted some 55, of which perhaps
30 were fledged juveniles. At least one nest still held two unfledged juveniles. From these
numbers we believe that about 12 pairs bred successfully. PRF had recorded the species at this
site in spring 2004, and had noted flocks there for several years, mainly in winter.

Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

In May 1994 at Polmidhia Dam, prior to the drought, we saw an adult and five immature Night
Herons and assumed that the immature birds‘had flown in with adults (Flint & Stewart 1992).
There had been one confirmed Cyprus breeding record, at Phasouri Reedbed in 1982 (COS ’57
Annual Report 1982). On 26 July 2003, we saw 4 adults with 5 fledged and three unfledged
juveniles, and two nests. The nests, small platforms of loose twigs, were less than 1m across,
mostly built towards the tops of the well-grown flooded tamarisk in an area of clha. On 9
August 2003 we found a third nest with two downy juveniles and 5 fledged juveniles of two

ages. These sightings comprised the second confirmed breeding record for Cyprus (Cyprus
Breeding Birds Atlas 2003).

Night Heron increased in numbers in 2004, in June and July 13 adults and up to 18 juveniles
being seen. We believe that there were at least 7 successful nests. The unfledged birds, being
short of nest space, were climbing and perching on the surrounding foliage. Near the north-east
shallows of Kouris Dam, 5km north of Polmidhia, we saw an adult on 15 June 2004 but there
was no evidence of breeding. During June and July, individuals were seen at Phasouri Reed
Bed, numbers rising to 12 by 19 July 2004. We assumed that they had come from Polmidhia,
only 12km away but by 12 August 2004, the total had risen to 43 adults, aged from second
calendar-year (2CY) to mature, and 14 juveniles. Five of the juveniles still with extensive down,

161

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

and associating with 4 adults in two family groups were judged to have been too young to fly
into the site from Polmidhia Dam. These figures, especially taking into account the 2CY birds
that had not been recorded at Polmidhia Dam, suggest that Phasouri Reedbed had held a
second breeding colony. At Canakkale Lake PRF had seen a first calendar-year juvenile on 29
July 2004 and 4 adults on 4 August.

Little Egret Egretta garzetta

On 10 July 2004 we found three well-grown juvenile Little Egrets among the Cattle Egret colony
at Canakkale Lake. On his 4 August visit, PRF found a Little Egret nest containing 4 half-grown
juveniles. At least 14 adults were present and 15 or more flew in to roost at dusk. From the
number of adults present it seems likely that more than two pairs bred. This is the fifth
breeding record for Cyprus (Cyprus Breeding Birds Atlas 2003).

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Although we saw Grey Heron regularly during the summers, neither we nor PRF had any
confirmed breeding records, according with its assessed status (Flint & Stewart 1992). However,
as this paper was being prepared, we received from Michael Miltiadou (Conservation Officer,
BirdLife Cyprus) his previously unpublished notes of breeding by this species. On 4 June 1993
he had flushed two adults before noticing 5 juveniles hiding in tamarisk bushes by the east side
of Kiti Dam. Some were recently fledged and could scarcely fly. The smallest had many feathers
in pin, exposing its body skin, could not fly and was restricted to jumping from branch to
branch in the tamarisk.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are very grateful for the help of Peter and Karen Flint in following up our initial observations in the
north. Michael Miltiadou kindly allowed us to use his unpublished notes. Botanical information came
from Yiannis Christofides.

REFERENCES

CYPRUS ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 1957. (COS’57) Annual Reports 1970 — 2002

CRAMP, S AND K.E.L. SIMMONS. 1977. (Eds).The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. I. Oxford University Press.
Oxford. UK

FLINT, P.R. AND P.F. STEWART. 1992. The Birds of Cyprus. British Ornithologists’ Union Check-list No. 6 (2nd
Edition). Tring, UK.

HAGEMEJER, E.J.M. AND M.J. BLAIR. 1997. (Eds). The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds. T&kAD
Poyser. London. UK.

WHALEY, D.J. AND J.C. DAWES. 2003. Cyprus Breeding Birds Atlas. Cyprus.

Plumage deviation in the left wing
of Common Swift Apus apus

ULRICH TIGGES AND YOSEF CORNFELD

Ulrich Tigges e-mail swift@gmx.org

HE COMMON SWIFT has 10 primary feathers on each wing, but one bird in Jerusalem

apparently lacks two primaries (probably Nos 6 and 7) in the left wing (see Plates 1 and 2). It
was first seen in 2001 entering a hole in the Western Wall of the Temple Mount and was noted
there until 2003. It seems to have overcome any handicap and be a successful parent without
obvious problems. Why the feathers should be missing is not known, but we can speculate that an
accident or a growth defect was responsible. The only other known plumage deviation (apart from
colour) in the Common Swift was of a bird with twelve rectrices, described by de Roo (1967).

162

Notes

Plate 1. Silhouette of Common Swift Apus apus lacking Plate 2. Seen against the backdrop of the Western
primary feathers in the left wing. This individual Wall in Jerusalem, this Common Swift Apus apus
completed at least two outward and two return _ lacking primary feathers in the left wing, survived
migrations from 2001 to 2003 despite this apparent at for least three years. © Ulrich Tigges

handicap. © Ulrich Tigges

REFERENCE
DE Roo, A.E.M. 1967. A Swift, Apus a. apus, with twelve rectrices. Bull. B.O.C. 87: 141-142.

First record of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse
Pterocles alchata for Egypt since 1917?

INGO WASCHKIES, CONNY SCHMIDT AND JOAKIM DJERF

Ingo Waschkies e-mail ingo@math.unice.fr

IN-TAILED SANDGROUSE Pterocles alchata occurs in a variety of arid, flat, treeless desert or

semi-desert areas in several disjunct populations in SW Europe, N Africa and the Middle
East, where it is described as resident or nomadic (Madge & McGowan 2002). Furthermore there
is a strongly migratory population breeding centred in Turkestan and supposed to winter
principally in Iran (loc cit). Some movements are also apparent in the Middle East as winter
numbers are boosted for instance in Jordan and Central Arabia. Apart from the European
populations, all birds belong to subspecies caudacutus whose closest breeding grounds to Sinai lie
in southern Israel, where it is reported as declining (loc cit) but also as a ‘quite common local
resident, to some extent nomadic, also common locally during winter, all chiefly in northern
Negev’ (Shirihai 1996). It seems thus surprising that the sighting of a female near Naama Bay on
December 18th 2004 (and again five days later) is the first record of this species for Egypt since
one was collected at Rafa on November 14th 1917 (Goodman & Meininger 1989, Dawn Balmer
pers comm) and indeed Shirihai claims it to be ‘uncommon in winter and apparently an irregular
local breeder in Northern Sinai, also very rare elsewhere in lowlands of the peninsula’. The Pin-
tailed Sandgrouse was found at the sewage ponds 3km northwest of town where, on both days,
it was in a small group of Crowned Sandgrouse P. coronatus that came between 0800 and 0900 to
drink at the lower pools (Plate 1). Like the Crowned Sandgrouse, it was wary, but not partic-
ularly shy and allowed excellent telescope views from closer than 20m range in perfect light.

The bird observed was a female in its striking plumage, which included its long, easily-visible
pintail feathers, making the identification straightforward: white belly with pale brownish breast,
framed by black lines above and below, upperparts heavily marked brownish-greenish-black in a
wavelike pattern, some greyish parts in the flight feathers, the face uniformly warm orange-yellow
with black lores and its black eye framed by a blue-grey patch; its whitish throat was framed below
by a black bar-line and the upper head and nape were heavily and densely marked, like the
upperparts. In addition, it was slightly bigger and clearly heavier in built (especially apparent in its
thicker neck and stronger bill) than the surrounding Crowned Sandgrouse, making it obvious to

163

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

Plate 1. Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles Plate 2. Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata
alchata associating with Crowned Sandgrouse lagging behind a scurrying flock of Crowned
P. coronatus. Digiscoped © Ingo Waschkies. Sandgrouse P. coronatus. (See text). © Conny Schmidt.

PHOTOSPOT

- Images from Turkey

Photospot Plate 1. Female Namaqua Dove Oena capensis May 2005, in the gravel pits north of Birecik
(west bank of the Euphrates), a first record for Turkey. © Sidonie Veyrunes. Photospot Plate 2 (inset).
Pallid (Striated) Scops-Owl Otus brucei May 2005, in Birecik tea-gardens. © Frédéric Veyrunes.

164

Notes

pick out even at a distance against the light. Although associating with the 15-strong Crowned
Sandgrouse group and adapting its general rhythm, the Pin-tailed Sandgrouse reacted slowly to
the other sandgrouse, often lagging slightly behind them when they moved, or wandering off a
few metres when feeding (Plate 2). In contrast, it merged well with the group in flight.

REFERENCES

GoopMAN, S.M. AND P.L. MEININGER. 1989. (Eds). The Birds of Egypt. OUP. Oxford. UK.
MADGE, S AND P. McGowan. 2002. Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse. A&C Black. London
SHIRIHAI, H. (1996). The birds of Israel. Academic Press, London.

Second clutches by Common Kestrels Falco
tinnunculus breeding on buildings in Israel

MOTTI CHARTER, AMOS BOUSKILA AND YOSSI LESHEM

Motti Charter and Yossi Leshem, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Zoology, Tel
Aviv University, IL-69978 Tel Aviv, Israel. E-mail: charterm@post.tau.ac.il; Amos Bouskila,
Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel

OUBLE BROODS have been recorded for rodent-hunting raptors, such as American

Kestrels Falco sparverius (Toland 1985), White-Tailed Kite Elanus leucurus and Harris’
Hawks Parabuteo unicinctus (Newton 1979). The reproductive success of Common Kestrel (F.
tinnunculus; hereafter Kestrel) has been studied throughout most of its range (eg Korpimaki
1984, Village 1990, Kostrzewa & Kostrzewa 1997) but laying second clutches after rearing a first
brood successfully has been observed in the field only in Spain (Sanchez 1990, Fargallo et al
1996) and South Africa (van Heerden et al 1994). Fargallo et al (1996) reported that three out of
11 Kestrel pairs began possible second clutches. Kestrels in captivity, under designated
photoperiods, have produced second clutches (Meijer 1989, Meijer et al 1992). We report three
instances of Kestrels laying second clutches that were started before or after first broods were
raised during the 2004 breeding season in three locations in Israel.

Methods and results

_ During the 2004 breeding season, three out of 40 breeding Kestrel pairs (being monitored as

part of a yearly survey in Israel of breeders in buildings) started potential second clutches after

the first had fledged. None of the three pairs were ringed or otherwise marked, but we

adjudged that the same pairs had laid two clutches from our field observations, the timing of
laying between clutches, and the same nests being used continuously. Pair A nested in Rishon
L’Zion, pair B in Tel Aviv and pair C in the Kibbutz Merom Golan. All three pairs nested in
flowerpots on building window sills. Pairs A and B nested in densely populated urban areas
and pair C ina village.

Table 1 summarises the following paragraphs. Pair A started its first clutch on the 11th floor of
a 15-storey building on 13 March 2004, laid five eggs, two nestlings hatching and fledging. The
2nd clutch — comprising four eggs — was laid in the same flowerpot starting on 19 May. This
date was only five days after the first brood had flown the nest, but. They kept returning to the
flowerpot to sleep at night while the adult female incubated the second clutch, which the male
would incubate when the female went off to feed. After three weeks’ incubation, the female
abandoned the clutch, at which time the first brood stopped sleeping there.

Pair B nested in two different flowerpots on separate buildings, 35m apart. The first nest was
started on 23 March on the top floor of an 8-storey building; from 5 eggs, 3 nestlings hatched

165

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

and later fledged. The second nest was on the 10th floor of an adjacent 15-storey building. It
was begun on 15 May 2004, 7 days before the first brood’s nestlings began to fledge (22 May).
Both male and female visited both nests. The female stopped hunting about a week before
beginning to lay in the second nest, staying in close proximity to the first nest, but starting to
visit the second flowerpot. The male supplied all the food for the first brood and his mate. On
21 May 2004, the female began incubating the second clutch, but continued to feed the first
brood in the first nest when the male brought prey. After fledging, the young would visit the
second nest frequently, but when the young approached too closely, the female would chase
them away. As for the first clutch, the male incubated the eggs when the female left the second
nest to eat the prey he had supplied to the first nest. The female continued to incubate the eggs
for 30 days round the clock; she then continued for 7 nights before abandoning the eggs. The
clutch was found to be infertile.

Pair C nested in a flower pot on a window sill of a single-storey house in Ramt HaGolan, laying
6 eggs, all of which hatched and later fledged on 25 May. On 26 July, the same nest held three
nestlings, estimated to be around 23 days old. Their hatching date probably was 3 July and the
laying date 6 June, some 12 twelve days after the first brood had fledged.

Discussion

From direct observation, we know Pair B comprised the same two adults involved with both
nesting attempts. We believe that the second nesting attempts by pairs A and C were likewise by
the unchanged pairs that had raised the first broods, because Kestrel fledglings stay close to the
nest after fledging and the parents feed them in that vicinity. Sometimes the fledged brood use
their nest to sleep in. All three pairs laid their second clutches within 12 days of fledging their
first brood. Indeed, one pair started before the brood fledged. It is unlikely that Kestrel parents
would allow another pair to use their nest so soon after the first brood fledged. Furthermore, the
female ceases hunting and remains near the intended nest before starting to lay, an unlikely
event if the intended nest was already was occupied by a another pair with nestlings.

For Kestrels, the dates of the breeding season and initiation of laying become later as latitude
increases (Fig 1). Replacement clutches are less frequent and clutch size is larger at higher
latitudes (Newton 1979). Fargallo et al (1996) suggested that prey abundance and latitudinal
trends allowed Kestrel pairs to lay second clutches in Spain. It seems no coincidence that our
study, like most reported cases of Kestrel double clutches (Sanchez 1990, Fargallo et al 1996),
involves Mediterranean populations.

Figure 1. Relationship between laying date (1= 150
1 January) and latitude for Common Kestrel 142
Falco tinnunculus. Data Taken from 16 different 129
studies*. Pearson’s r=0.60, n= 17, P=< 0.05 120

*Cavé 1968; Bonin & Strenna 1986; Korpimaki 100
1984; Village 1986; Village 1990; Aparicio 1994; 90
Pikula et a/ 1984; Plesnik & Dusik 1994; Gil- 89
Delgado et a/ 1995; Kostrzewa & Kostrzewa

1997; Korpimaki & Wiehn 1998; Avilés & Sanchez ;
2000; van Zyl 1999; Salvati 2002, Charter 2005. Latitude

The adults faced the conflicting requirements of continuing to feed the first-brood fledglings
and of incubating the second clutch in different ways. The female from Pair A allowed her first-
brood fledglings to visit the nest during second-clutch incubation, but the female from Pair B
frequently chased away her first-brood fledglings.

Further studies in similar latitudes and other locations (preferably including marked
individuals) would be needed to determine the frequency of Kestrel double brooding and the
conditions that permit it.

166

Notes

Table 1. Second clutches recorded during the 2004 breeding season in Israel

1st clutch Laying Date Ciutch Size Brood Size No Fledged
PairA 11 March 5 2 2

Pair B 23 March 5 3 3

Pair C 31 March* 6 6 6
Mean 17 March 5.30 3.67 307
2nd clutch

Pair A 19 May 4 0 0

Pair B 15 May 8) 0 0

Pair C 06 June NK NK 3
Mean 17 May 3:50 0.00 1.00

*Approximate laying date determined by subtracting the average incubation of 28 days (Cramp & Simmons 1980) from
the hatching date (determined from nestling age). NK=Not Known

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to the Blau family, Omer Werner, and Yael Zlotnick for their assistance during the research.

REFERENCES

APARICIO, J.M. 1994. The seasonal decline in clutch size: an experiment with supplementary food in the
Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus. Oikos 71: 451-458

AVILES, J.M, AND J.M. SANCHEZ. 2000. Breeding biology of the Eurasian Kestrel in the steppes of
southwestern Spain. J. Raptor Res. 34 (1): 45-48.

BONIN, B. AND L. STRENNA. 1986. Sur la biologie du faucon créderelle Falco tinnunculus en Auxois. Alauda
54:241-262.

CAVE, A.J. 1968. The breeding of the Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) in the reclaimed area Oostelijk Flevoland.
Neth. J. Zool. 18:313—407.

CHARTER, M. 2005. Aspects of the breeding biology of Common Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) in Israel. MSc
Theses, Tel Aviv University.

CRAMP, S. AND K.E.L. SIMMONS. 1980. (Eds). The birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol 2. OUP. Oxford. UK.

FARGALLO, J.A., G. BLANCO, AND E. SOTO-LARGO. 1996. Possible second clutches in a Mediterranean
mountain population of the Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). J. Raptor Res. 30 (2): 70-73.

GiL-DELGADO, J.A., J. VERDEJO AND E. BARBA. 1995. Nestling diet and fledgling production of Eurasian
Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) in eastern Spain. J. Raptor Res. 29 (4): 240-244.

KORPIMAKI, E. AND J. WIEHN. 1998. Clutch size of Kestrels: seasonal decline and experimental evidence for
food limitation under fluctuating food conditions. Oikos 83:259-272.

KorPIMAKI, E. 1984. Population dynamics of birds of prey in relation to fluctuations in small mammal
populations in western Finland. Ann. Zool. Fennici 21: 287-293.

KOSTRZEWA, A. AND R. KOSTRZEWA. 1997. Breeding success of the Kestrel Falco tinnunculus in Germany:
results 1985-1994. J. fiir. Orn. 138: 73-82.

MEVER T., S. DAAN AND C. DYKSTRA. 1992. Ege- laying and Photerefractoriness in the Eurasian Kestrels
Falco tinnunculus. Orn. Scand. 23: 405-410.

MEIER T. 1989. Photoperiodic control of reproduction and moult in the Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus. J. Biol.
Rhythms 4: 351-364.

NEWTON, I. 1979. Population Ecology of Raptors. Buteo Books. Vermilion. South Dakota. USA.

PIKULA, J., M. BEKLOVA AND V. KuBik. 1984. The nidobiology of Falco tinnunculus. Acta Sc. Nat. Brno 18 (4): 1-55.

PLESNik, J. AND M. Dusik. 1994. Reproductive output of the Kestrel Falco tinnunculus in relation to small
mammals dynamics in intensively cultivated farmlands. In: Meyburg, B.U. and R.D. Chancellor. (Eds).
Raptor Conservation Today. 61-65.

SALVATI, L. 2002. Spring weather and breeding success of the Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) in urban
Rome, Italy. J. Raptor Res. 36 (1): 81-84.

SANCHEZ. J.M. 1990. Noticiario Ornitologico. Ardeola 37: 335.

TOLAND, B.R. 1985. Double brooding by American Kestrels in central Missouri. Condor 87: 434-436.

VAN HEERDEN, P., A. ELLMANN AND B. VAN ZYL. 1994. Multiple breeding by Rock Kestrels in the Tygerberg
Residential Area. Birding in SA 6: 119-122

VAN ZYL, A.J. 1999. Breeding biology of the Common Kestrel in southern Africa (32°S) compared to
studies in Europe (53°N). Ostrich 70:127-132.

VILLAGE, A. 1990. The Kestrel. T& AD Poyser Ltd. London. UK.

VILLAGE, A. 1986. Breeding performance of Kestrels at Eskdalemuir, south Scotland. J. Zoo. Lond. 208: 367-378.

167

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 168-169 2005

BRM MM eFature

The Birds of Azerbaijan. Michael Patrikeev.
2004. Pensoft Publishers. Sofia. ISBN 954-642-
207-X. 380pp. €68.80 + p&p (Pensoft), £69.50
(WildSounds) or £65.00 + p&p (NHBS).

There is relatively little available literature on
the ornithology of Azerbaijan and as Simon
Aspinall’s paper in Sandgrouse 27 (1) showed,
there is still much to learn about bird distri-
bution in the country. This book is invaluable as
the first full description of the birdlife of
Azerbaijan in English although Napier Shelton
produced a site guide in 2001 entitled Where to
watch birds in Azerbayan.

An introduction to the geography of the country
and a history of its bird studies is followed by an
analysis of the avifauna and discussion of conser-
vation issues. Details of Important Bird Areas are
included with several maps. The main section
consists of accounts of the distribution, migration
and population of 372 species that the author lists
for the country. The research is deep, much of this
information coming from the 19th and early 20th
centuries. Maps are included for regular breeding
and wintering species. These display a lot of
information such as former and current wintering
range, recent and historical breeding sites, other
possible breeding records and migration routes
for both spring and autumn. These are useful as
similar maps in some recent field guides have
been shown to be inaccurate for Azerbaijan.
Unfortunately the decision has been made to
combine some species on the same maps which
causes confusion, although thankfully this has not
been done often. For each species the published
distributional information is summarised by
geographical area, but these do not relate directly
to the areas described in the book’s introductory
pages. Several appendices give extra information
on mixed colonies of cormorants, herons, egrets
and ibises, wildfowl hunting and the impact of
cold winters and oil pollution and a glossary. The
reader gets a real feel for the landscape and its
history. There is also a list of references — mainly
Russian — which are helpfully translated into
English. Twenty-six pages of colour photographs
show a range of habitats and some of the more
familiar species. Mike Wilson’s editing touch
makes this a most readable book.

Keith Betton

168

Birds of Kuwait — a portrait. Abdullah F.
Alfadhel. 2005. Kuwait Environment
Protection Society. ISBN 99906-76-77-1. 304pp.
$40 US.

This is a very impressive book with quite
outstanding photographs, all of which were
taken by the author during 2003 and 2004. The
text is in Arabic with each species also captioned
in English with the scientific name. An
introduction in English includes a checklist of
358 species and a description of 34 of Kuwait's
best birding sites. In total 151 species are
illustrated with over 400 photographs. These are
mainly of passerines with particularly good
images of larks, wheatears, warblers and shrikes.
This book makes a huge impact and deserves a
wider audience than it is likely to get - in fact it’s
one of the best books of bird photography I’ve
seen for years. To see a range of images from it
take a look at http://www. kuwaitbirds.com,
where details are given on how to order a copy,
but without details of the price, which is given
above. An edition with more English text may be
produced.

Keith Betton

Birds of the Western Palearctic Interactive
(BWPi). DVD-ROM. Birdguides and OUP.
£199,

This single DVD-ROM provides multimedia
coverage of 953 species. It includes all the texts
from the 9-volume Birds of the Western Palearctic
(BWP), the two-volume Concise BWP, the first
two volumes of BWP Update, supplementary
texts to take account of recent splits, 2300 video
clips providing over ten hours of footage relating
to over 830 species, and in excess of 1000 sound
recordings featuring songs or calls (or both) of
over 580 species.

For those with the necessary hardware, it
effectively makes the books redundant, because
the information can be accessed so easily. Once
you have installed the programme, it looks a bit
mind-boggling at first, but a few minutes with
the instructions and you won’t look back. Each
species can be readily found in a drop-down
menu, from which all the available media can be

Reviews & Recent Literature

seen. By clicking on the thumbnail icon, they can
be arranged in a rectangular grid, from where
any can be selected to be enlarged (drawings
-and maps) or played (video clips and sound
recordings). Different pieces of information for
each species can be displayed side by side, and
similar species can also be compared on a split
screen. The drawings, taken from BWP Update,
have been made all the more useful by the
addition of individual annotations: in green to
point out how to identify the particular species,
and in purple to point out the characteristics of a
particular plumage.

But how does BWPi stand up as a resource for
research on birds breeding in the OSME
region? The area covered by BWPi includes
Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq
and the Caucasus, but excludes most of the
Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Central Asia.
Most species get either a Western Palearctic
distribution map, or one for the world, but not
both. So some species which breed both within
and outside the WP only get a WP map, eg
Red-fronted Serin and Desert Sparrow,
whereas others only get a world map, eg Fan-
tailed Raven. It is unfortunate that not all the
range maps from the original books have been
included. Of the three species mentioned
above, Desert Sparrow and Red-fronted Serin
have good quality video clips and recording of
their calls. Fan-tailed Raven has only a poor
quality video clip but calls can be heard on it.
Clearly, this type of content is presumably
limited by that available to Birdguides; the
more extralimital the species range in the
Western Palearctic, the less likely there is to be
suitable material available.

Six recently-split warblers which occur in the
OSME area get their own Split Supplement texts,
which have been compiled by extracting the
relevant information from the original books
and updating it. All six get a WP map, but only
four get video clips, three get recording of calls
and two recordings of song.

As stated earlier, this is a superb resource, and is
especially useful and good value to anyone
without easy access to a library. However, for
someone resident in the non-WP parts of the
OSME area, they will find it frustrating because
inevitably the information for some species is
incomplete and other species are omitted.
Clearly it is time for some enterprising soul to
put together a similar package for our whole
area!

John Clark

The Good Bird Guide. Keith Marsh. 2005.
Helm. ISBN 0-7136-6848-2. Pbk. £16.99.

Despite the blurb about finding ‘Europe’s best
birds’, this book includes Morocco, Algeria and
Tunisia and several countries in the OSME
region, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Egypt,
Israel, Jordan, Syria and Turkey. The first 380
pages contain some 435 species accounts: these
cover succinctly ‘Range’ and ‘Tips’, separated
where applicable by ‘Subspecies’, and then
follows the raison d’étre of the book, a listing of
sites where best to find each species by country
or region. Hence Brown-throated (Plain) Sand
Martin Riparia paludicola is listed for Morocco
only, but at four sites all rated 3-star (75%
chance or better of seeing it), whereas Eurasian
Crag Martin Hirundo (Ptyonoprogne) rupestris is
listed for 27 countries and dozens of sites.
Essentially, this is a listing of best ‘European’
sites for British, not European birders. The
remaining 220 pages comprise a country (or
region) by country summary of the best national
sites for finding birds.

The author writes well within the very narrow
constraint of the space available for two such
monumental tasks. The nomenclature is pretty
up to date, incorporating many recent splits,
although some BOU name changes don’t make
it. The species claimed for each site are reliably
assessed, from my own experience of a random
selection of those I have visited, Turkey partic-
ularly so since that entry had been vetted by
Guy Kirwan! This is a monumental effort, but I
have to question the publisher’s view that ‘a
birder can efficiently target those particular
species he (?) wishes to see’, because if a birder
has a destination, then consulting the country
account in this book simply gives very much
less information than the ‘Where to Watch...’
series. I see this more of a reference and
reminder volume for the peripatetic birder,
who will leave this none-too-sturdy volume at
home, taking perhaps only a photocopy of the
applicable bits. OSME readers will appreciate
generally good accounts for the 8 countries of
interest, but inevitably the opening up of
places such as Syria will date these accounts
sooner rather than later. The author probably
could not have done better in 600 pages, but
two companion volumes of 400 and 300 pages
would have allowed justice to the subjects
tackled. I am taken with the life in Marianne
Taylor’s species illustrations.

Mike Blair

169

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 170-176 2005

—_ —_—

AVOLUNG the
IR C0191.

yy

oe

compiled by
Dawn Balmer and Keith Betton

Records in Around the Region are published for interest
only; their inclusion does not imply acceptance by the
records committee of the relevant country. All records

relate to 2005 unless otherwise stated.

Records and photographs for Sandgrouse 28 (1)
should be sent by 15 December to: Around the Region,
OSME, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL,

UK; or to aroundtheregion@osme.org

Dawn Balmer, 39 Station Road,
Thetford, Norfolk IP24 1AW, U.K.
Keith Betton, 8 Dukes Close, Folly Hill,
Farnham, Surrey GUI ODR, U.K.

Sa
—-=

sone

Bee-eaters
Merops apiaster
by D. Powell

170

BAHRAIN

An Egyptian Goose Alopochen
aegyptiaca seen at Dumistan Ponds
on 21 June will be the Ist record
for Bahrain if accepted.

Correction: sightings listed in
Sandgrouse 27 (1) from the Inland
Sea (Khor-al-Udeid) refer to Qatar
and not Bahrain. Apologies.

CYPRUS
On 15 April 21 Bittern Botaurus
stellaris flew past Paphos

lighthouse — quite an amazing
sight! A Greylag Goose Anser
anser at Mavrokolymbos Dam on
24 April was a very late record. A
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus was
reported at Aspro Dam 6-10 April
and will be the 4th record if
accepted. A Baillon’s Crake
Porzana pusilla was at Sotira Pools
from 9-20 April. A Demoiselle
Crane Grus [Anthropoides] virgo
was at Akrotiri Salt Lake on 4
April. An obliging Cream-
coloured Courser Cursorius cursor
was at Mandria on 31 March and
one at Paphos Lighthouse from
9-11 April and then possibly the
same bird at Kouklia on 16 April.
A Black-winged Pratincole
Glareola nordmanni was _ at
Asprokremos on 8 April, four
were reported at Akhna Dam
20-23 April and six were at
Mandria on 22 April. A Kittlitz’s
Plover Charadrius pecuarius at
Spiro’s Beach on 29 March, will be
the 5th record if accepted and a
Caspian Plover C. asiaticus at
Lady’s Mile on 17 April was the
16th record. The 16th record of
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus
for Cyprus was at Larnaca
Sewage Works on 14-20 April
with two Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus tricolor there 14-17
April. A second year Great Black-
headed Gull Larus ichthyaetus was
at Kermia Beach, Cape Greco on 7
April. On 22 April two Little
Swift Apus affinis were at Cape
Andreas and will be the 9th
record if accepted. There were
several reports of Bimaculated
Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata
from mid March, with a
Maximum: “of- 13 sdb seape
Drepanum on 29 March. A

Dawn Balmer and Keith Betton

Temminck’s Horned _ Lark
Eremophila bilopha was reported at
Tomb of the Kings in Paphos on

2 xpi, the 1st record if

accepted. Single Siberian
Stonechats Saxicola torguatus
maurus were at Akrotiri Salt Lake
om: 20, March and Paphos
Lighthouse on 17 April; the 7th
and 8th records. A late Finsch’s
Wheatear Oenanthe finschii was at
Paphos Headland on 5 April and
was either a late departing bird or
a passage migrant.
Female Hooded Wheatear O.
monacha were reported from
Amathous Hill on 29 March,
Baths of Aphrodite on 15 April
and at Cape Greco 19-20 April
and will be the 9th to 11th records
if accepted. A White-crowned
Black Wheatear O. leucopyga was
at Mandria on 13 April and will
be the 6th record if accepted. A
Savi’s Warbler Locustella
luscinoides was singing at Cape
Drepanum on 30 March and an
Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina
was at Paralimni Pools on 16
April. The 10th record of Asian
Desert Warbler Sylvia nana was at
Mazotos on 7 April and at
Asprokremnos Dam a Barred
Warbler Sylvia nisoria was seen on
23 April. Wallcreeper Tichodroma
muraria apparently wintered but
records came late in the winter;
one at Avgas Gorge 6 March, one
at Pissouri Bay 11 March and one
ab ootira cliff, on l6 March.
Isabelline Shrikes Lanius
isabellinus near Cape Drepanum
on 27 March and one at Mandria

on 12 April were the 15th & 16th

necords for Cyprus. The 4th
record of Steppe Grey Shrike L.
pallidirostris involved a bird at
Paralimni Lake on 9 April. On 5
April a Trumpeter’ Finch
Bucanetes githagineus was at
Kouklia and a male Cinereous
Bunting Emberiza cineracea was at
Paphos Lighthouse on 28 March.

EGYPT

At least 400 Ferruginous Duck
Aythya nyroca were counted along
the Nile on the 27 January. Four (3
adults and 1 juvenile) Common
Crane Grus grus were seen
coming into roost at Naama Bay

Dawn Balmer and Keith Betton

Around the Region

sewage ponds on 18 Dec 2004,
and were seen again flying on 23
Dec 2004; a scarce bird in winter.
Fourteen Painted Snipe Rostratula
benghalensis on Elephantine Island
(8 on one side, 6 on the other) on 1
January was a large count for the
Luxor area. On 27 January two
Kittlitz’s Plovers Charadrius
pecuarius were at Abbassa fish
ponds NE of Cairo. A female Pin-
tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata
near Naama Bay on 18 December
2004 (and again five days later) is
the Ist record (this issue) of this
species: in -Beypt since , one
collected at Rafa on 14 November
1917. A Senegal Coucal Centropus
senegalensis and several White-
breasted Kingfishers Halcyon
smyrnensis were at Abbassa fish
ponds on 22 January. A Cyprus
Pied Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca
was seen at a regular wintering
site at Abu Simbel on 30 Dec 2004.
More unusually, up to two
Fieldfare Turdus pilaris were at
Naama Bay sewage ponds on 18,
23 and 24 Dec 2004; a rare species
in south Sinai.

GEORGIA

On 19 January, 220 Pygmy
Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmaeus
were at Jandari Lake, SE Georgia
and c500 were at Dalis Reservoir
on 21 February; both good counts
for this species. A White-tailed
Eagle dHaliaeetus albicilla at
Vartsikhe Reservoir, Imereti
region on 13 February is a rare
winter visitor. Four Greater
Spotted Eagles Aquila clanga were
at Kolkheti National Park on 29
January and are the first to be
noted to winter in Georgia for two
years and constitutes the 6th or
7th winter records for Georgia.
Between 3-7 May, 33 Steppe
Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpines were
recorded in the Kazbegi area and
Truso George. On 6 February, 41
Greater Black-headed Gulls
Larus ichthyaetus were at Lake
Kumisi, with a record count of 92
there on 9 February and at Lake
Jandari 12 were recorded on 13
February. It is possible that bad
Weather) caused. them 7to
congregate on Lake Kumisi. A
single Green Woodpecker Picis

viridis was in gardens in Rokithi
village in Baghdathi district 7—9
January; this is a rare visitor to the
area, last recorded about 25 years
ago. Waxwings Bombycilla
garrulus from the invasion that
occurred across western Europe
strayed as far as Georgia with the
first two small flocks of around
20-25 birds each, recorded on 29
January in Rokiti village, Imereti
region, Western Georgia. On 4
February a flock of 120-150
individuals was watched in a
garden in Mtskheta and the
biggest flock, consisting of
150-200 birds, was watched on 11
February in vineyard near Abisi
village. Four, or probably five
Red-rumped Swallows Hirundo
daurica were observed for several
minutes on 28 March at Dali
reservoir in eastern part of the lori
river valley, SE Georgia and four
were seen together on 27 April in
Kutaisi, Imereti region, Western
Georgia; the 4th and 5th records
for Georgia. Five Common
Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
samamisicus were recorded
between 3-7 May in the Kazbegi
area & Truso George. At least
nine Great Rosefinch Carpodacus
rubicilla were between Gudauri
and Jvari pass on 7 February; a
rare winter location for this
species. A flock of 250 was
recorded at Kazbegi on 4 May
after heavy snowfall.

IRAN

A pair of Chestnut-bellied
Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus with
three chicks was seen east of Jask
near Soorgalm village in June.
Four Oriental White-eye
Zosterops palpebrosus were in
Khalasi mangrove at end of
June and six Great Stone Plover
Esacus recurvirostris were seen in
Khalasi with a further four at
Azini near Gaz in June.

ISRAEL

The 5th record of Red-throated
Divers Gavia stellata involved two
off Eilat North Beach on 22 April.
Two Black-throated Divers G.
arctica were at Eilat until at least
15 January. A_ Red-billed
Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus was

AVAL

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

off Eilat North Beach on 8 March
and again on 5 June, and at the
same site a Lesser Frigatebird
Fregata ariel was seen on 16 April,
the 4th for Israel if accepted. Two
Bewick’s Swan Cygnus
columbianus were at Hama’apil
coastal plains between 8-15
January. A good count of Smew
Mergellus albellus involved nine at
Bnei Yisrael Reservoir, Golan
Heights 7-15 January. A Red-
breasted Merganser Mergus
serrator was off Eilat North Beach
on 6 May.

At least eight Crested Honey
Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus
passed over the Eilat Mountains
28 April-21 May. A Black-winged
Kite Elanus caeruleus of the race
vociferous was at Gal’on from 13
January into February; the 7th
record for Israel. A count of
roosting Black Kites Milvus
migrans was made at Karey
Naaman-Acre reserve on 28
January and 11,558 birds were
counted; twice the number ever
counted before in Israel at a roost
site. On 9 May a Verreaux’s Eagle
Aquila verreauxii was over the Eilat
Mountains. Seventeen Little
Bustards Tetrax tetrax were at Bnei
Israel Reservoir, Golan 14-20
March. A female Lesser Sand-
plover Charadrius mongolus was
found on 17 April at Kibbutz
Gesher fish pond. Three Dotterel
C. morinellus were at Ramat Serin,
BE Galilee 6-7 April. The-2nd
record of Herring Gull Larus
argentatus was reported from
Ma’agan Michael on 15 January.
An African Collared Dove
Streptopelia roseogrisea was
trapped and ringed at Eilat on 17
April. On 17 March four Thick-
billed Larks Ramphocoris clotbey
were at Hiyyon plains, South
Negev and four were in the Eilat
Mountains on the same day.
There was an exceptional count of
c250 Bimaculated Larks
Melanocorypha bimaculata at
Samar, South Arava 17-19 March
and 40 near Dimona on 22 March.
At least six Alpine Accentor
Prunella collaris were at Alrom,
Golan Heights during January.
Three Black Bush Robins

172

Cercotrichas podobe were recorded
during the spring; one Eilat 31
March, one Yahel, central Arava
8-9 April and one trapped at Eilat
21 April. Fifteen River Warblers
Locustella fluviatilis at Yotvata on
15-16 May with seven at Sede
Boker on the same date were
exceptional counts. On 10 April
two Goldcrests Regulus regulus
were recorded at Jerusalem 10
April and one was at Ne’ot
Smadar, S Arava on 10 May. A
Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula
parva at Lotan between 1-19
March was the first winter record
for this species. A single Common
Mynah Acridotheres tristis was
seen flying north above km19 on
18 April. At Ramat Sirin, E Galilee
Red-fronted Serins Serinus
pusillus were recorded: on 18
January and 5 March and a
summer-plumaged male Rustic
Bunting Emberiza rustica was at
Samar on 25 March.

JORDAN

Two Sooty Shearwater Puffinus
griseus were off Agaba on 15 April
and the first Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnus for Jordan, an
adult, was at Azragq on 20 January.
An adult Greater Spotted Eagle
Aquila clanga was seen 15km west
of Azraq on 16 January. Over 700
White-winged Tern Chlidonias
leucopterus were seen in the Agaba
area on 19 April including a
group of c650 on the sea front. On
14 April three Hume’s Tawny
Owl Strix butleri were heard
calling at Siq George, Petra and
four Egyptian Nightjars
Caprimulgus aegyptius were
singing at Azrag on 12 April.
Around 15 White-cheeked
Bulbuls Pycnonotus leucogenys
were seen in the Azrag area on 20
January and again 11-13 April. A
Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata
was in the Aqaba allotments on
the 7-8 April.

KAZAKHSTAN

A pair of Slavonian Grebe
Podiceps auritus was at a possible
breeding site at Sorbulak on 20
May. A flock of 45 Crested Honey
Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus
migrated over Tamgaly on 21

May with two more over Taukum
Desert on 22 May. On 4 May an
adult Pallas’s Fish Eagle
Haliaeetus leucoryphus was seen at
Sorbulak and an adult White-
tailed Eagle H. albicilla was at
Atyrau on the Ural River-north
Caspian Sea on 5 February. A pair
of Egyptian Vulture Neophron
percnopterus was at Kokpek Pass
May-June and a Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneus was seen on 5
February at Atyrau. A Shikra
Accipiter badius was in breeding
habitat at Taukum desert lakes
and Sorbulak during May. A
female Lesser Kestrel Falco
naumanni was seen at Atyrau on 5
February. An amazing record
concerns 73 paits of Sociable
Plover Chettusia gregaria
attempting. to breed in Kurgalgin
reserve during the spring. A
Striated Scops Owl Otus brucei
was found in a daytime roost
Turanga grove on 22 May. Three
pairs of White-winged Lark
Melanocorypha leucoptera were on
the southern shore of Alakol Lake
on 31 May and two pairs were in
the Taukam Desert 21 May with
23 birds there on 5 June. Also at
Alakol Lake two singing male
Small Skylark Alauda gulgula
were heard on 29 May. A probable
female Eyebrowed Thrush Turdus
obscurus was at Almaty Great Lake
onl4 May and will be the Ist
record if accepted. Four Crimson-
winged Finch Rhodopechys
sanguinea were in the Surguty
Valley on 23 May and four Desert
Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta were at
Kurlgagin on 1-2 June; a rare
species at this location. Huge
numbers of Mongolian Finch
Bucanetes mongolicus were in the
Surguty Valley during late spring
with c150 on 23 May and c1000 on
7 June.

KUWAIT

A Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus
crispus was at Jahra East Outfall
on 6 March. On Bubiyan Island on
10 February two Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea nests with three eggs
and two with two eggs were
found; this is the earliest egg-
laying yet recorded in Kuwait.
Nineteen White Storks Ciconia

Dawn Balmer and Keith Betton

ciconia were perched on a bridge
on the road to Abdally during late
March, this is the largest number
of White Storks seen in Kuwait
since 1967. On 5 February three
White-fronted Geese Anser
albifrons were seen over Ras
Subiya and a Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna ferruginea was at East
Doha 28-29 January with three in
Kuwait Bay during March. A
Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis
ptilorhynchus was found long dead
near Al-Abrag Al-Khabari on 7
January. A Spotted Crake Porzana
porzana was singing at Jahra Pool
on 24 February and a Baillon’s
Crake P. pusilla was at Abraq Al-
Khabari on 27 March. The Ist
record of Arctic Tern Sterna
paradisaea for Kuwait was of a bird
near Jahra East Outfall on 22 May.
Forty-three Lapwing Vanellus
vanellus at Kadb on 24 January
was a record count. A female
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
Pterocles exustus at Sabah Al-Salem
on 4 March was the 2nd record for
Kuwait. At least five Egyptian
Nightjars Caprimulgus aegyptius
were at three wintering sites
during February and six were
recorded at Kadb on 17 March.
Four Dunn’s Lark Eremalauda
dunni were in Sabah Al-Ahmed
Natural Reserve on 24 March, two
Thick-billed Lark Ramphocoris
clotbey were near Wadi AlI-Batin
on 8 March and two Small
Skylark Alauda gulgula were at
Sabah Al-Ahmed NR on 31
January. The first Buff-bellied
Pipit Anthus rubescens for Kuwait
_ was at East Doha on 11 February
and a Hume’s Wheatear Oenanthe
alboniger at Sabah Al-Ahmed NR
on 11 February was about 5th
record. During February a Ring
Ouzel Turdus torquatus was at
Jahra Pools and is also about the
5th record for Kuwait. Ten House
Crows Corvus splendens were at
Shuwaikh on 8 February and a
Brown-necked Raven C. ruficollis
Was seen on, 25 March at
Sulaibikhat Nature Reserve.

LEBANON

Records from the Aammiq
Marshes late 2004 include a
maximum of six Cattle Egrets

Dawn Balmer and Keith Betton

Around the Region

Bubulcus ibis on 1 November. Up
to 100 Night Herons Nycticorax
nycticorax in September was the
highest number ever seen at this
site. A huge flock of 800 White
Pelicans Pelecanus onocrotalus was
above Lake Qaaroun on 5
October. Ninety-five Common
Cranes Grus grus headed south
over Khirbet Qanafar in the Bekaa
Valley on 27 October. A White-
breasted Kingfisher Halcyon
smyrnensis was present from July
and two were recorded on 2
October. Four Wigeon Anas
penelope were rare visitors to the
area on 13 December as were four
Pintail A. acuta on 14 October. A
Pallid Harrier Circus macrouros
was present from mid-October
until December. A Lesser Kestrel
Falco naumannii was at Khirbet
Qanafar on 23 September and a
Steppe Grey Shrike Lanius
[meridionalis] pallidirostris on 16
September just south of Aana.
Finally a Scrub Warbler Scotocerca
inquieta was near Khirbet Qanafar
on 30 August. The species is rare
in Lebanon.

OMAN

A record count of 4556 Persian
Shearwaters Puffinus (lherminieri)
persicus was made at Ras Janjari
on 6 January. Four White
Pelicans Pelecanus onocrotalus
were at East Khawr on 22
February - the 6th record. A
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus
crispus was at Shinas on 10-11
January was the lst record for
Oman. Two further records at
Qurayyat on 11 and 17 February
are under review. A record count
of 6200 Cormorants Phalacrocorax
carbo was made at Barr al Hikman
on 11 January. A new record
count of 62 Little Bitterns
Ixobrychus minutes at Khawr
Tagah on 2 May lasted for just 24
hours, as an incredible 157 were
seen there the next day! At least
400 White Storks Ciconia ciconta
were at Raysut on 11 February.
Two Sacred Ibises Threskiornis
aethiopica (one of which was
ringed) were at Al Ansab Lagoons
on 21 March, being joined by a
third bird the next day. Two were
also seen at Sohar Sun Farms on 4

mpril, ~All are. currently
considered to be escapes. An
African Spoonbill Platalea alba
was at East Khawr on 29 March
and at nearby Khawr Rawri on 1
April. Two Egyptian Geese
Alopochen aegyptiaca were reported
from Safah on 3 February and are
accepted as the 3rd record. Three
Crested Honey-buzzards Pernis
ptilorhynchus were seen at Khasab
on 21 April and a single was at
Salalah Lagoons on 2 May. A
Black-winged Kite Elanus
caeruleus was at Jarziz Farm on 10
February and would be the 8th
record if accepted. Amur Falcons
Falco amurensis were seen at Jarziz
Farm, Salalah from 4 January-10
February with a peak of three on
22 January, while a single was at
Sahnawt Farm on 8 January. A
Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata
was at Salalah Bird Sanctuary on
21 April and 4 May and would
Fepresent the 4th record if
accepted. A Great Stone Plover
Esacus recurvirostris was at Shinas
from 1-23 January. Two Sociable
Plovers Vanellus gregarius were at
Sohar Sun Farms from 26
December 2004-5 January. Six
were at Sahnawt Farm on 10
Febuary. Five Caspian Plovers
Charadrius asiaticus were at
Salalah Nature Reserve on 12
February. A single Dotterel
Charadrius morinellus was at Sohar
Sun Farms from 25 December
2004, being joined by a second
bird from 2 January, and both
remaining until 7 February (the
5th record). A Long-billed
Dowitcher Limnodromus
scolopaceus at Salalah Sewage
Farm on 5 March has yet to be
reviewed. Two Long-toed Stints
Calidris subminuta were at Sohar
Sun Farms on 26 December 2004,
and a single was at Khawr Taqah
on 21 April. Two Common Gulls
Larus canus were at Mina al Fahl
on 19 December, followed by
singles at Qurayyat on 6 January
and Khawr Tagah on 1 April and
3 May. Lesser Black-backed Gull
L fuscus of the race fuscus (known
as Baltic Gull) was at Khawr Dirif
on 21 January. The species is a
common winter visitor and
passage migrant but the race

173

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

heuglini is normally seen. Rufous
Turtle-doves Streptopelia orientalis
were at Al Hijj on 11 January,
Khawr Tagah on 10 Febuary and
Raysut on 22 April. The February
record was of the race meena.
Koels Eudynamys scolopacea were
at Qatbit (up to two on four dates
between 18 December—20 January
and singles on 14 February and 29
April), and Hilf (seven on 11
January and eight the next day),
plus singles at Sohar Sun Farms
on 26 December), Al Beed Farm
on 11 January, Sunub (calling) on
22 March and Suwaygq on 11
April. A Grey-headed Kingfisher
Halcyon leucocephala was on the
north coast of Masirah on 24 May
- well away from its normal
breeding range south of the
Dhofar mountains. An estimated
300-500 Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters
Merops persicus were at Sohar Sun
Farms on 14 April. Two Small
Skylarks Alauda gulgula were at
Sohar Sun Farms from 13
January-18 February and
represent the 8th record. Two
Pale Martins Riparia diluta
(sometimes considered as an
eastern race of Sand Martin R.
riparia) were at Sohar Sun Farms
on 28 December. These are the 3rd
record. A Brown-throated Sand
Martin R. paludicola was at Sohar
Sun Farms on 18 February and
would be the 6th record if
accepted. A total of 300 African
Rock Martins Ptyonoprogne
fuligula was at Sohar Sun Farms
on 26 December 2004. Single
Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis
were at Qatbit on 4 and 18
January and 9 February, and at
Sohar Sun Farms on 22 January
and 7 February. Two Buff-bellied
Pipits Anthus rubescens were at
Sohar Sun Farms on 26 December
2004, with a single then on five
further dates until 18 February.
This is the 3rd record. A Grey
Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus
was at the Ghaftayn Motel on 8
February and 27) were at
Thumrayt on 23 February. There
are now a number of records from
the central Desert and Thumrait
areas which might point to a
small wintering population. A
Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus at

174

Sayh on 29 December 2004 was
the 6th record. An Eye-browed
Thrush Turdus obscurus at Al Beed
Farm on 11 January will be the 4th
record if accepted. A new record
count of Song Thrush T.
philomelos was ten at Sayh on 5
January. Also there was a Blyth’s
Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus
dumetorum on 28 December 2004
and 6 February (the 2nd record if
accepted). A significant count of
Marsh Warblers A. palustris was
480 at Oatbit on 6 May. Two
Hume’s Lesser Whitethroats
Sylvia (curruca) althaea were at Ar
Rawdah on 20 December and a
single was at Al Ghaftayn on 28
February (these will be the 3rd
and 4th records is accepted). A
new record count of Rufous
Bush-chat Cercotrichas galactotes
was 162 at Najd Research Station
on 29 April. A Pied Stonechat
Saxicola caprata was at Sayh on
21-22 April (the 4th record).
Single Mourning Wheatears
Oenanthe lugens were at Ar
Rawdah on 20 and 30 December,
Wadi Bih on 20 December and
Sall Ala on three dates from 27
December-7 January (the 9th and
10th records). A female Cyprus
Pied Wheatear O. cypriaca was
reported from Mabr Farm on 27
February (the 2nd record if
accepted). A Black-eared
Wheatear O. hispanica was at
Dawkah on 29 March would be
the 10th record if accepted). Single
Bay-backed Shrikes Lanius
vittatus were at Ar Rawdah on 7
April, Sayg Plateau on 12 April
and sail’ Ala on 23 Apmi A
Magpie Pica pica was at Ras al
Hamra on 4 January and is
considered to be the same bird as
that reported from Qurm in
October 04. Its origins are not
clear, but is considered likely to
be ship-assisted. A female Rustic
Bunting Emberiza rustica was
reported from Sayh on 21
February - the 3rd record. A male
Little Bunting E. pusilla in
breeding plumage was reported
from Sayq Plateau on 11 March
was the 4th record. Eight Siskins
Carduelis spinus were at Qatbit on
4 January, and eight were also at
Sayq Plateau on 11 March. A

count of 85 Yemen Serins Serinus
menachensis at Tawi Atayr on 5
January is a record count for this
uncommon resident. Record
counts of Trumpeter Finches
Bucanetes githagineus were 213 at
Sall Ala on 27 December and 300
at Jabal Qatar on 4 February.

QATAR

An impressive fall of migrants
occurred on the morning of 8
May. In three hours one observer
recorded the following in a
normally quiet area near Doha: at
least 45 European Bee-eaters
Merops apiaster, three Rufous
Bush-chats Cercotrichas galactotes,
a Grasshopper Warbler Locustella
naevia, two Sedge Warblers
Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, four
Olivaceous Warblers Hippolais
pallida, an Upcher’s Warbler H.
languida, three Barred Warblers
Sylvia nisoria, five Lesser
Whitethroats S. curruca, at least
twelve Common Whitethroats S.
communis, at least 50 Willow
Warblers Phylloscpous trochilus, 20
Chiffchaffs P. collybita, at least
ten Spotted Flycatchers Muscicapa
striata, more than ten Isabelline
Shrikes Lanius isabellinus and 15
Red-backed Shrikes L. collurio,
two Lesser Grey Shrikes L. minor
a Woodchat Shrike L. senator and
a Black Redstart Phoenicurus
ochruros. Everything passed
through quite quickly and three
days later it was very quiet again.

SYRIA

A four-day visit (20-24 April)
resulted in a list of 185 species,
including the 1st Syrian record of
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos medius at Slenfe on 23
April and five Northern Bald Ibis
Geronticus eremita at the breeding
site near Palmyra on 21 April. A
trip from 30 April to 9 May to
follow up the 2004 Wetland
Expedition resulted in some
interesting breeding observations.
Rapid visits to Sabkhat al-Jabbul
on 3-4 May and 8-9 May and to
Lake Tishreen on 5-6 May
revealed large numbers of
waterfowl in suitable breeding.
habitat. The most exciting
observation was of several

Dawn Balmer and Keith Betton

hundred Pygmy Cormorants
Phalacrocorax pygmaeus at Lake
Tishreen on 5 May with at least

_ 2500 flying south past Jerablus on

the Euphrates on the morning of 6
May; these birds were roosting
just into Turkey and feeding on
Lake Tishreen in the day with,
presumably, a huge breeding
colony in Turkey. Records from
Jabbul included hundreds of
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps
cristatus, a flock of 25 Black-
necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis,
eight species of heron, eight
White Pelicans Pelecanus
onocrotalus, a colony of at least 50
pairs of Spoonbill Platalea
leucorodia (1st breeding record for
Syria), 7500 — 15000 Greater
Flamingo Phoenicopterus [ruber]
roseus; five Greylag Goose Anser
anser; hundreds of each of
Shoveler Anas clypeata, Garganey
Anas querquedula, Marbled Duck
Marmaronetta angustirostris,
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca
and Red-crested Pochard Netta
rufina (breeding proven; Ist
breeding record for Syria), and at
least 25 White-headed Duck
Oxyura leucocephala. At Tishreen,
there were about 20 Great Crested
Grebe, 2 White Pelicans, six
species of heron, 400 Wigeon A.
penelope, five Pintail A. acuta and
about 40 Ferruginous Duck. Most

of these species have rarely or

never been recorded breeding in
Syria. It is clear that both sites are
of international importance with
significant breeding populations
of internationally threatened

“waterfowl. A report is in

preparation. A colony of Griffon
Vulture Gyps fulvus near Palmyra
was visited on 21 April. Several
species of eagle including Great
Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga flew
over the Halabbiyah gorge on 22
April. Colonies of Lesser Kestrel
Falco naumannii were noted near
Palmyra on 21 April and at
Halabbiyah gorge on 22 April.
Three See-see Partridge
Ammoperdix heyi were in the
Halabbiyah Gorge on 22 April;
this may well be a reliable site for
this species. A Corncrake Crex
crex was at Sed Wadi Abied on 21
April. At Jabbul, there were

hundreds of Purple Swamphen
(Gallinule) Porphyrio porphyrio
with many chicks, a colony of 5
pairs of Avocet Recurvirostra
avosetta (1st proven breeding
record for Syria), two nests of
White-tailed Plover Chettusia
leucura, a range extension of over
100km, and huge numbers of
migrant waders including tens of
thousands of Little Stints Calidris
minuta and Ruff Philomachus
pugnax. Seven Red-necked
Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus were
at Mheimideh on 22 April. Six
species of tern were at Jabbul
with Gull-billed Sterna nilotica,
Common S. hirundo, Little S.
albifrons, Caspian S. caspia and
Whiskered Chlidonias hybrida
showing evidence of breeding.
Little Swifts Apus affinis were
over the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor
on 22 April. The 1st Syrian record
of Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos medius was of a pair
photographed in _ suitable
breeding habitat at Slenfe, on 23
April; a territorial male was seen
at the Cedar-Firs reserve 5km
away on 2 May. A Dunn’s Lark
Eremalauda dunni was near
Palmyra on 21 April, a Citrine
Wagtail Motacilla citreola at Wadi
Sed Abied on 22 April, and a
Cyprus Wheatear Oenanthe
cypriaca near Palmyra on 21 April.
A pair of Scrub Warblers
Scotocerca inquieta at Tel Maraga
on 9 May was well north of the
recognised range. Savi’s
Warblers Locustella luscinioides
were singing at Jabbul and
Tishreen; there is perhaps one
previous Syrian breeding season
record. Two singing Olive-tree
Warblers Hippolais olivetorum
west of Slenfe on 2-3 May were
also a significant range extension.
A Semi-collared Flycatcher
Ficedula semitorquata was at Talila
on 21 April. An Iraq Babbler
Turdoides altirostris feeding young
in the reed beds north of Lake
Tishreen on 6 May is by far the
most northerly breeding record of
this species — and less than 5 km
from Turkey. The 2nd Syrian
record of Yellow-throated
Sparrow Gymnoris xanthocollis
was of a pair in a Deir ez-Zor

Dawn Balmer and Keith Betton

Around the Region

garden on 22 April. A pair of
Syrian Serins Serinus syriacus was
at. Bloudan - on. .24 - April.
Significant breeding range
extensions were recorded for a
large number of passerines
including Red-rumped Swallow
Hirundo daurica, Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatus and European
Serin Serinus serinus.

TURKEY

Three claims of Ist records were a
Fan-tailed Raven Corvus
rhipidurus at Belen Pass on 22
March (northernmost record
ever), a Pectoral Sandpiper
Calidris melanotos at Kulu Goli on
9-10 May and a female Namaqua
Dove Oena capensis at gravel pits
north of-Birecik on 23-24 May
(also perhaps northernmost
record ever). A Bar-tailed Desert
Lark Ammomanes cincturus was at
the Gdksu Delta on 21 May (3rd
record). A male Tree Sparrow
Passer montanus was at Birecik on
22 May (the species has only
recently been discovered to occur
in south-east Anatolia in the
breeding season), and two
Paddyfield Warblers
Acrocephalus agricola were singing
downstream, near the Syrian
border on 23 May. A pair of
Siskins Carduelis spinus at Akseki
on 26-27 May (not previously
definitely -recorded in the
summer in the Taurus), and also a
Grey-faced Woodpecker Picus
canus was there on 27 May. A
female Black Francolin
Francolinus francolinus was just
east of Manavgat on 27 May. The
species is rare in west of its range
in Turkey. The 4th record of Grey
Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius
involved one photographed at
Sodali G6lti on 25 May. As in
2004, Plain Leaf Warblers
Phylloscopus neglectus were found
singing in late May from a
sparsely vegetated sloping
hillside south of Van on the Catak
road cl km south of the junction
with the road to Bahcesaray. A
Dotterel Charadrius morinellus
was at the Kizilirmak Delta on 9
April and seven were at Kulu
Golti on 18 May. The 4th modern
record of Snow Bunting

175

Sandgrouse 27 (2): 2005

Plectrophenax nivalis was at Kulu
Golu: jon) 12) February 24
Corncrake Crex crex at Posof, Kars
on 21 June is possibly indicative of
breeding. A count of 204 Knot
Calidris canutus at the Kizilirmak
Delta is the highest-ever for the
Black Sea coastlands. A count of
22 Common Mynas Acridotheres
tristis at Kartal, Istanbul on 16
April) -is <the largest ever:
Following the recent decline in the
species, a total of 14 Griffon
Vultures Gyps fulvus at Uzundere,
Erzurum, is significant. A Red-
breasted Goose Branta ruficollis on
29 January was at Balikdami,
Eskisehir. 150 Broad-billed
Sandpipers Limicola falcinellus
were at Adana, Yumurtalik on 9
May. A Goosander Mergus
merganser was at Egirdir Lake on
20 January and three were at
Kazilirmak Delta on 15 January. A
Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus
was at Meric Delta, Edirne on 16
January (17th record).

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

A Brown Booby Sula leucogaster
was at Fujairah 18 January—7
March (first arrived on 1
December 2004) and one was at
Ras Diba on 6 May, (11th and 12th
records). A White-fronted Goose
Anser albifrons was at Sharjah tip
for several days from 9 February
(16th record). An Imperial Eagle
Aguila heliaca was at Khor Dubai
and Wimpey Pits from 18
January—15 February. A Goshawk
Accipiter gentilis was at Ghantut
Polo Club on 15 February (8th
record). A Merlin’ Falco
columbarius was at Al Wathba
Camel Track on 15 January. Two
White-breasted Waterhens
Amaurornis phoenicurus were at the
Emirates golf course on 23
February (20th record). Two
Sociable Plovers Vanellus

gregarius were at the Dubai Pivot
Fields from 4 January—4 March
(20th record). A reported Lesser
Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes at
Wimpey Pits on 21 April will be
the 1st record if accepted — and
only the 3rd for the OSME region).
A Black Tern Chlidonias nigra was
at the Ghantut Polo Club on 25
February and another was at the
Fujairah breakwater 7 April (9th &
tOth cecords): —A_- reported
Common Noddy Anous stolidus at
Ras Dibba on 25 February will be
the 9th record if accepted. Single
Rufous Turtle-Doves Streptopelia
orientalis were at the Emirates golf
course on 20 February and at
Dibba on 7 March (10th and 11th
records). A count of 155 Pin-tailed
Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata
observed coming to a waterhole
near the new Bab Al Shams Desert
Resort Hotel, inland of Dubai on 9
April is the highest number
recorded of this species which is
rarely reported. Reports of Koels
Eudynamys scolopacea were from
Dibba on 18 February and 11
March (different birds) and near
Dhaid on 25 March (8th-10th
records if accepted). Up to two
Sykes’s Nightjars Caprimulgus
mahrattensis were reported at Al
Wathba camel track fields between
14 January—6 March (4th record).
The two wintering Long-eared
Owls Asio otus were still present in

Mushrif Park, Dubai, to 18
January, one remaining 19
February (12th record). A

Calandra Lark Melanocorypha
calandra was still present Al
Wathba Camel Track on 14
February, having been observed
first on 25 November 2004 (6th
record). Two Buff-bellied Pipits
Anthus rubescens first discovered
on 24 December 2004, remained at
the Dubai Pivot fields 13 January,
and one remained until 27

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

February. Another was reported
for about two weeks at Umm on
Nar golf course, Abu Dhabi until
27 February (11th and 12th
records). A Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flava of the race
leucocephala (often known as
White-headed Wagtail) was in
Abu Dhabi’s Bateen Park from
25-26 March (2nd record). A
Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus
indicus was in Abu Dhabi,
opposite the GMC showroom on
12 March, after which two were
present on 13 March. The only
report of Grey Hypocolius
Hypocolius ampelinus was a single
in Ghantut plantation on 25
February. A Mistle Thrush Turdus
viscivorus was at the Dubai Pivot
Fields on 26 February (15th
record). A Dusky Thrush Turdus
naumanni was still at Ghantut
Hotel garden until 27 February—26
March (2nd record). A Hume’s
Yellow-browed Warbler
Phylloscopus humei was in the
wood at Al Wathba Camel Track
on 25 February and another one
was in Bateen Park on 25 March.
A River Warbler Locustella
fluviatilis was in Mushref Palace
Gardens on 8 May (11th record).
An Icterine Warbler Hippolais
icterina was at Khalidiyah on 9
May (14th record and first since
April 2001). A Long-tailed Shrike
Lanius schach was at Jebel Dhanna
on 2 May (4th record). A Linnet
Carduelis cannabina was at Al
Wathba Camel Track on 15-22
April (4th record and first since
1987). Three Grey-necked
Buntings Emberiza buchanani were
reported at Al Wathba Camel
Track on 22 April and will be the
1st record if accepted). Away from
its breeding range the species has
only been reported from Oman
where there have been two
records.

The following assisted in the compilation of this review: Alexander Abuladze, A. Alsirhan, Dr Svetlana
Annenkova, Vaughan Ashley, Dawn Balmer, Andrew Bailey, Jamie Buchan, Mark Chichester, Tom Coles, Judy
Dawes, Jeff Delve, Hugues Dufourny, Pekka Fagel, Peter Flint, Brian Foster, Ramezanali Ghaemi, George
Gregory, Nader Hamidi, Tomas Haraldsson, Peter Kaestner, Brendan Kavanagh, Abolghasem Khaleghizadeh,
Howard King, Guy Kirwan, David Murdoch, Khaled al Nasaralla, Uzi Paz, Yoav Perlman, Kalle Raino, Colin
Richardson, Nir Sapir, Dave Sargeant, Michael Schulz, Marius Teeuw, David Whaley, Ingo Waschkies, Frédéric
Vanhove, Frédéric Veyrunes, Laurent Veyrunes, Sidonie Veyrunes, Peter Wilson and Siireyya Ysfendiyaroglu.

176

Dawn Balmer and Keith Betton

SANDGROUSE GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS

The Sandgrouse Editorial Committee will consider for publication
original papers that contribute to the body of information about birds of
the Middle East and related zoogeographical regions; subject categories
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OSME is undertaking a review of bird species and current nomenclature.
The result is likely to comply generally with the IOC recommendations
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Layout
Author addresses will now appear at the start of papers after the summary;
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General

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Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, in which a prey species, say, Chaffinch, is
named, if Chaffinch does not have a species account in the paper, then
Fringilla coelebs should appear after the English name.

Summaries of full-length papers should be brief (less than 300 words),
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