ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST y), Cc THE CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST So OSME OSME was founded in 1978 as the successor to the Ornithological Society of Turkey. Its primary aims are: e To collect, collate and publish data on all aspects of the birds of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. e To promote an interest in ornithology and bird conservation throughout the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. e To develop productive working relationships with governmental and non-governmental organizations with an interest in conservation and/or natural history in the region. PUBLICATIONS OSME publishes a scientific journal, Sandgrouse, containing papers, news and features on the ornithology of the OSME region. MEETINGS An Annual General Meeting is held at which guest speakers provide new perspectives on ornithology in the region. 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THE CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA VICE PRESIDENTS (AS AT JUNE 2010) Imad Atrash (Palestine) Dr Ghassan Ramadan-Jaradi (Lebanon) Mona Ramadan-Jaradi (Lebanon) Ali bin Amer Al Kiyumi (Oman) Sherif Baha el Din (Egypt) Ramaz Gokhelashvili (Georgia) Dan Alon (Israel) Dr Akram Eissa Darwish (Syria) Dr Sergey Sklyarenko (Kazakhstan) Dr Ali Adhami Mirhosseyni (Iran) Azzam Alwash (Iraq) COUNCIL (AS AT JUNE 2010) Michael Blair Richard Bonser Ian Harrison « Secretary secretary@osme.org Sharif Al Jbour Guy Kirwan Chris Lamsdell ¢ Advertising ads@osme.org Richard Prior « Publicity publicity@osme.org Colin Richardson Dr Robert Sheldon AbdulRahman A\I-Sirhan ¢ Website management (co-opted) Effie Warr ¢ Sales & Distribution (co-opted) sales@osme.org John Warr ¢ Treasurer & Membership (co-opted) treasurer@osme.org Geoff Welch ¢ Chairman chairman@osme.org ¢ Conservation & Research Fund crf@osme.org OSME CORPORATE MEMBERS Avifauna Greentours NHBS Rockjumper Birding Tours Sarus Bird Tours Sunbird Registered charity no 282938 ©2010 Ornithological Society of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. www.osme.org SANDGROUSE 106 ALi} 120 134 136 141 147 149 iil 156 163 167 VOLUME 32 (2) 2010 The birds of Wadi Rima: a permanently flowing mountain wadi in western Yemen revisited after 20 years. PauL SCHOLTE Distribution, habitat and differentiation of the poorly-known black morph of Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens lugens in Jordan. FARES KHourRY, Marc | FORSCHLER, MOHAMMED JANAYDEH, MANSOUR ALIABADIAN & ABDEL-RAZZAQ AL-HmMouD New Important Bird Areas in Lebanon—a research and community conservation project March 2005-February 2008. Nasit H KHAIRALLAH & COLIN CONROY First confirmed breeding record of Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius for Lebanon, 2009. SHAD! INDARY Eradication of the House Crow Corvus splendens on Socotra, Yemen. AHMED SAEED SULEIMAN & NADIM TALEB On the validity of the ‘Steppe Grey Shrike’ as an independent species. Evceniy N PANov & ANNA A BANNIKOVA First record of Wilson’s Phalarope Steganopus tricolor in the United Arab Emirates. Oscar CampseLt First record of White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga for Iraq. MUDHaFAR SALIM Shikra Accipiter badius breeding in Armenia. VasiL ANANIAN, KAREN AGHABABYAN, SIRANUSH TUMANYAN, GRIGOR JANOYAN & KEITH BILDSTEIN Breeding ecology of the White Stork Ciconia ciconia in two localities of Turkey. CaGri GOcek, AYSEGUL CirT¢l, MEHMET Siki & PioTR TRYJANOWSKI Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca, a new breeding species for Egypt in a temporary artificial wetland near Aswan. Dick Hoek, HAITHAM IBRAHIM & KHALED Nosy Western Rock Nuthatches Sitta neumayer feeding their nestlings bread, Armenia. Rotr NeEssinG 168 169 170 176 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Reviews. OSME News. Georr WELCH News & Information. DAWN BALMER (COMPILER) Around the Region. DAWN BaALmerR & DAvID MuRDOCH COMPILERS) Photo above: Thick-billed Lark Ramphocoris clotbey Arava valley, Israel, 20 March 2010. © Amir Ben Dov Cover photo: Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea Eilat, Israel, 30 April 2010. © Amir Ben Dov 105 The birds of Wadi Rima: a permanently flowing mountain wadi in western Yemen revisited after 20 years PAUL SCHOLTE In September 2007 and February 2008, I carried out systematic counts and observations where I had conducted similar counts in and around Wadi Rima downstream of Medinat ash Shirg in 1988-1990. The numbers of birds dependent on the wadi bed, Hamerkops Scopus umbretta, egrets, herons, waders and wagtails, were well within their 1988-90 range. The degradation of the Commiphora kataf-Berchemia discolor woodland, hitherto protected by its remoteness, suggests that without (community) conservation measures this vegetation and the African Grey Hornbills Tockus nasutus, Hamadryas Baboons Papio hamadryas and Verreaux’s Eagles Aquila verreauxu that depend on it, will disappear. High counts of wadi-dependent birds, the discovery of three bird species new to the area and an impressive passage of Steppe Buzzards Buteo buteo vulpinus testify to the continuing ornithological importance of the area. Despite the dramatic social and demographic changes that occurred in Yemen during the 20 years that had elapsed, the cultivated parts of Wadi Rima and their avifauna had remained remarkably intact. INTRODUCTION From January 1988 through January 1990, I carried out systematic, almost monthly, bird counts along a 25 km stretch of Wadi Rima, western Yemen (Figure 1), and made observations in surrounding mountain areas (Scholte 1992). In September 2007 and February 2008, I had the opportunity to revisit the area, allowing comparison with those counts and observations of twenty years earlier. Yemen underwent profound changes in the 20 years that had elapsed. In May 1990, four months after the end of my counts, the former North and South Yemens united. Despite this, Yemen encountered various turbulent moments. In the aftermath of the first Gulf War (1991), hundreds of thousands of Yemeni guest workers returned, many of whom settled in rural areas. Possibly the most significant change of the period was the doubling of Yemen’s rapidly growing human population. I was particularly interested to know if after all these changes, Wadi Rima still offered the “paradise-like aspect with trees and sparkling water, completed by the occurrence of egrets, waders, pigeons, waxbills and many similarly unexpected birds” that I had previously described (Scholte 1992). STUDY AREA AND METHODS Passing the town of Medinat ash Shirg (Figure 1) through the sparsely vegetated ‘Medium Altitude Mountains’ (Scholte et al 1991), I was once again struck by the green valley of Wadi Rima with its sparkling water and lush vegetation dominated by Cordia abyssinica trees shading maize, coffee and other crops. The cultivated areas of Sug al Ithnein (transect section III, 12-14 km downstream of Medinat) and Sug al Khamis (section V, 15.5—20 km downstream), with broad wadi beds and extended cultivated wadi terraces, strongly resembled their appearance of 20 years previously. The ‘Gorge’, where Wadi Rima passes beside ‘Baboon Hill’ (section VI, 20-25 km downstream), used to be lined by a riverine vegetation of Breonadia salicina, Tamarindus indica and Ficus salicifolia. Their density has decreased because of (excessive) pruning and aging without regeneration. The loss of tree cover on the surrounding mountain slopes along the transect was striking, particularly in section VI that used to be dominated by open Commiphora kataf-Berchemia discolor woodland (Scholte et al 1991) and now only carries some scattered low shrubs. 106 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Madinat AE y ash Shirq igh Neat LF" usabisat O km oOo K-44 ————~ _ Main water divide ——- _ Wadi catchment divide <=> Tihamah boundary —"—--—-. Geohydrological province boundary 1 4 Wadi-Surdud ; oS 4 km - International boundary Hodeidaht ie) 50 km d F t2. <¢-——— _Madinat ash Shirq Ss 2 Dhamar NS / zy Hn 2 = \ \ ES 12 km— Sie _X Wadi Zabid) ONS I Biss a SS , s * Ithnein Se ee \ ee tI pa meee: 5 pS 14 km— } ¢ . Ne / \ : i € of IV Wadi Rasyan py) \ \ ) hoa rales) past ( SS ¢ T~ 155 km \ a Geerreah \ vad, = ae / | ee A Nepes ae f Khamis o SE ANS iia | ~ Se \ fo ‘ \SG Vv aN ae 2 ~ aoy Pie SFA GULF AN Pree pk fois 20 km 7 coy a fe NN OF ADEN Baboon SE: ae . Baa aoa Hill eof ms Figure |. Location of the west-flowing Wadi Rima, Yemen, and map of the transect route in the wadi (from Scholte 1992): The construction ofanasphaltroad that follows Wadi Rima, but above its wadi bed, for 12 km downstream of Medinat ash Shirq has caused the abandonment of about the first half of the former wadi-bed track, le sections I (0-4 km downstream), Il (4-12 km downstream) and the first 0.7 km of section III. The new counts and comparisons in the present paper therefore deal with the second, lower, half of the 1988-1990 transect only, where the track passes through sections IN-VI, te: 12.7-25 km downstream of Medinat (Figure Plate 1. Until recently, wadi beds in Yemen constituted the most IPiare 1) convenient passage for traffic, allowing relatively quick bird counts that could be repeated over time (photo taken in Wadi Rima I counted, this time assisted by © section VI, February 2008). © Paul Scholte my family, by driving at a speed of c5 km/h following the wadi stream, while noting numbers and location (distance from Medinat) of each bird observed (for count dates and period of the day see Table 1). Below, I compare the findings of these recent four counts with the 35 day and 10 night counts conducted 1988-1990. In addition, observations were made outside the transect, concentrating on the Gorge and Baboon Hill 20-25 km downstream of Medinat, as in the late 1980s. Sandgrouse 32 (2010) — 107 - As in Scholte (1992), I present findings for each of three categories of birds, which utilise the wadi bed differently: 1. Birds foraging in and around the wadi stream and bed: herons, egrets, waders and wagtails, covered by the transect only. 2. Biras especially attracted by the lush vegetation of the wadi bed, staying there for a con- siderable part of the year: pigeons, bee-eaters, hornbills, flycatchers, weavers, waxbills, etc, covered by the transect and additional observations. 3. Birds from the neighbouring mountain areas visiting the wadi stream for drinking and washing only: doves, several raptor species, ravens etc, covered by the transect and — additional observations. Numbers indicated (categories 2, 3) are the highest number observed for the area indicated, often surveyed during both late afternoon and early morning of the two consecutive days of either September 2007 or February 2008. Species observed only once, and of single individuals, 1988-1990, have been omitted. RESULTS SEPTEMBER 2007/FEBRUARY 2008 Category 1. Birds foraging in and around the wadi stream and bed Of the four species previously present year-round, Grey Heron Ardea cinerea and Hamerkop Scopus umbretta (Plate 2) | were observed in all four counts whereas the nocturnal Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax and Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis were, as expected, not recorded (Table 1). All regularly observed species in the 1988-1990 day counts were observed again and in numbers toward the higher end of their 1988- 1990 range. Of those species observed more than once 1988-1990, only Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea was not seen, despite its prominent presence in September 1989. However, Yellow : Plate 2. Hamerkop Scopus umbretta remains the most conspicuous Wagtails Motacilla flava were much bird in the well-watered parts of Wadi Rima, Yemen (section IV, more prominent this time (Table 1). September 2007). © Paul-Scholte Category 2. Birds attracted by the lush vegetation along the wadi Below are those species observed September 2007 and/or February 2008, with their status 1988-1990 (Scholte 1992) in [ ]. Dusky Turtle Dove Streptopelia lugens. Common in Ficus trees Sep 07, four Gorge, section VI Feb 08 [only in winter]. Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata. Several Sep 07 and Feb 08 [most common dove, present all year]. Laughing Dove Stigmatopelia senegalensis. Several Sep 07 [common all year]. Bruce’s Green Pigeon Treron waalia. One, Gorge, section VI, 8 Feb 08 [regular especially near Gorge]. Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis. Not observed [rather common resident Baboon Hill]. 108 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Table I. Numbers of observed birds of category | (dependent on the wadi stream and bed for foraging, see Methods). The 2007—2008 counts covered only half of the transect length of the 1988-1990 counts. Species Count dates and periods Range in numbers 27Sep 28Sep 7Feb 8 Feb observed /mean over 2007 2007 2008 2008 2 peay Counts 1988-1990 mid-day morning mid-day morning Eurasian Teal Anas crecca 0 0 0 0 0-9/0.4 Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus | 0 0 0 0/0 Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 0 0 0 0 3-26/10.9 night counts only Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides 0 0 | 0 0—2/0.2 Cattle Egret Bubulcis ibis 0 0 16 3 0—25/4.7 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 4 2 3 | I—10/1.9 Little Egret Egretta egretta 0 | 0 5 0-25/7.8 Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis 0 0 0 0 0-2/0.2 Hamerkop Scopus umbretta ) 2 8 4 1—24/5.8 Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis 0 0 0 0 0-41 .3 night counts only Common Snipe Gallinago galinago 0 0 0 0 0-2/0.2 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 0 0 0 | 0-8/0.4 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus 0 | II 10 0—25/5.5 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 4 7 | 0-8/2.0 Grey-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala Z 0 0 0—-15/1.0 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava 12 4 Z 0-4/0.3 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 0 0 0 0-9/1.0 White Wagtail Motacilla alba 0 0 16 10 0—32/6.0 African Grey Hornbill Tockus nasutus. Six individuals recorded Gorge Sep 2007, three Gorge Feb 2008 [very common resident]. African Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis. One Gorge, section VI, 8 Feb 08 [3 observa- tions of 1-2 birds close to Tributary Wadi]. White-spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos. Present Sep 07, Feb 08 [very common all year]. Arabian Babbler Turdoides squamiceps. Not observed [not uncommon]. Abyssinian White-eye Zosterops abyssinicus. One Tributary Wadi, end of section VI, Feb 08 [common in wadi trees]. Shining Sunbird. Cinnyris habessinicus. One in Gorge, section VI, Feb 08 [common resident on slopes]. Ruppell’s Weaver Ploceus galbula. Present Sep 07 [summer breeder]. Arabian Waxbill Estrilda rufibarba. Group of 30, Feb 08 [resident breeder]. African Silverbill Lonchura cantans. Five along wadi Sep 07 [five in Feb 1989]. Category 3. Birds visiting the wadi for drinking and washing Below are species observed September 2007 and/or February 2008, with their status 1988— 1990 (Scholte 1992) between [ ]. Arabian Partridge Alectoris melanocephala. Three, Sep 07 Baboon Hill. Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 109 Black Kite Milvus migrans. 20, Sep 07 and 25, Feb 08 [common all year]. Eurasian Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus. Feb 08, four above Gorge, section VI, colony 40 km upstream from Medinat again occupied and eight individuals seen there [regularly seen around Baboon Hill. The upstream colony with an estimated 30 nests had been abandoned in 1989}. Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar. One observed Sep 07, section VI [single, Tributary Wadi 23 June 1989]. Shikra Accipiter badius. Not observed [probably resident breeder, five times observed]. Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus. >1000 birds in Sep 07, 6 in Feb 08 [After a visit to the area 26 Sep 1989 I concluded that this part of Wadi Rima appears to not have an important autumn passage of Steppe Eagle or Steppe Buzzard]. Steppe Eagle Aguila nipalensis. Single Sep 07 and one Feb 08 [present but scattered in December, tens in October 89]. Verreaux’s Eagle Aquila verreauxti. Not observed despite camping close to its former nest- ing site [one resident pair commonly seen in the 20—25 km section downstream of Medinat, with confirmed breeding in 1989-1990]. Booted Eagle Aquila pennata. One on migration Sep 07 [not observed]. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus. One Sep 07 and one Feb 08 [probably resident breeder in higher mountains]. Rock Dove Columba livia. Some 30 drinking in wadi Sep 07 and again Feb 08 [common resident]. Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba. Not observed [common in summer]. Little Swift Apus affinis. Not observed [common in summer]. Fan-tailed Raven Corvus rhipidurus. Observed Sep 07 and Feb 08 [present all year]. Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula. Present Gorge, section VI, Feb 08. Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica. Present Gorge, section VI, Sep 07 [several observed only 23 June 1989]. Tristram’s Starling Onychognathus leucogaster. Common in the Gorge, section VI, Sep 07, seen entering crevice Feb 08 [present all year, juvenile fed 23 June]. Arabian Wheatear Oenanthe Iugens lugentoides. Only observed in higher mountains (Sep 07) [common resident in the higher parts]. Blackstart Cercomela melanura. One, Gorge, section VI, and three counted along wadi transect Feb 08 [common resident]. Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis. One Sep 07 [not observed]. Cinnamon-breasted Bunting Emberiza tahapisi. Three, Gorge, section VI, Feb 08 [common in Tributary Wadi]. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The continuing construction downstream of the road that bypasses the upper wadi bed suggests that soon the second half of the original Wadi Rima transect will no longer be used by vehicular traffic and become impassable, as upstream. This was probably the last occasion that (parts of) the transect could be surveyed using the 1988-90 methodology (Plate 3). This situation also arose when I attempted to resurvey the Yemen-wide raptor transects of Thiollay and Duhautois (1976) in 2007 but had to abandon because many wadi- bed tracks had been replaced by (asphalt) roads. IG Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Plate 3. A road is being carved out of the mountainside (background) and will soon take over from the wadi bed track of the second, lower, half of the Wadi Rima transect (foreground), Yemen, (section V, September 2007). © Paul Scholte Plate 4. With only aging trees remaining in the wadi bed and a much reduced Commiphora kataf-Berchemia discolor tree cover on the slopes, the non-cultivated parts of Wadi Rima, Yemen, have lost some of their avifauna, including African Grey Hornbill Tockus nasutus and Verreaux’s Eagle Aquila verreauxii (section VI, September 2007). © Paul Scholte Three species, the migratory Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus and Booted Eagle and the resident Long-billed Pipit were newly observed, showing that this inventory is not yet exhaustive. The impressive migration on 27 September 2007, with a thousand Steppe Buzzards observed in only an hour of adequate view, refuted my earlier conclusion (see above). The comparison between four diurnal counts in 2007-08 and the 35 day and 10 night counts in 1987-1989 can only give an impression of changes in avifauna in and around Wadi Rima. Yet counts of birds depending on the wadi bed showed numbers were well within, and sometimes in the upper part, of the range of their numbers in 1988-90 (Table 1). Black- crowned Night Heron and Spotted Thick-knee were exclusively nocturnal in 1988-1990, and their absence in the 2007-08 day counts was expected. The absence of Grey Wagtail was countered by a strong presence of Yellow Wagtail, both migratory species. With the exception of Verreaux’s Eagle, Green Bee-eater and Arabian Babbler, all regularly observed resident species occurring in the wadi vegetation or higher up the mountain were resighted. For Verreaux’s Eagle, I attribute this to the decline in numbers of Hamadryas Baboons Papio hamadryas hamadryas, its main prey in the area (see below), whereas for the absence of the latter two the decline of Breonadia salicina and Ficus salicifolia trees in the wadi bed may be a (partial) explanation (Plate 4). The abundance of observed birds in. 2007-08 seems to be rather comparable with 1988-1990, with the exception of African Grey Hornbill that used to be much more common. | attribute this to the degradation of the Commiphora kataf-Berchemia discolor open woodland on the slopes of the surrounding mountains. Despite its limited timber and charcoal value, the decline in number of trees is likely caused by cutting (Plate 4), whereas grazing pressure seems to have remained relatively low. In the late 1980s Wadi Rima was found to have, together with Jabal Bura, further west, the best example of this open woodland in a Yemen-wide survey (Scholte et al 1991). This beautiful orchard-like vegetation with its high African Grey Hornbill and baboon densities, is now only found in Jabal Bura protected area (Hall et al 2008). It is, however, possible that with the diversion of the traffic out of the wadi bed, this area will regain its ‘remoteness’ and, if reinforced by (community) conservation, its protection. Sandgrouse 32 (2010) — 111 In contrast to birds, the area has witnessed a notable decline of its Hamadryas Baboon population over the last 20 years. The only observation I made this time was on 28 September when I observed a small group of some five baboons in the most inaccessible part of the Gorge. In 1988-1990, when I estimated the population at some 10 groups of 20-30 individuals, there was not a single day that I had not seen or at least heard baboons. An inhabitant of Tributary Wadi, who did not recognize me, related that baboons had become rare whereas “20 years ago they used to be abundant, luring a European from Dhamar to regularly pass by to look for them”. Although the area is still not densely inhabited by people, it is likely that increasing crop damage has led inhabitants to shoot any baboon approaching their fields. The baboon decline may have had an impact on Verreaux’s Eagle, concerning which I had earlier noted that “A local farmer reported that young baboons are the main food, being knocked from the cliffs” (Scholte 1992). The near-absence of Hyrax Procavia capensis in the area, often the exclusive prey of Verreaux’s Eagle (Gargett 1990), already hints at this explanation. Further circumstantial evidence has been provided by Zinner & Pelaex (1999) who reported alarm behaviour of Hamadryas Baboons towards Verreaux’s Eagle in Eritrea, differing markedly from its behaviour towards the smaller Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax and Black Kites. They postulated that baboons up to three years old, with a weight of less than 5 kg, similar to that of Hyrax, are especially vulnerable (Zinner & Pelaex 1999). Two bird inventories in wadis south of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were conducted in the early 1990s (Newton et al 1994, Felemban 1996). Largely descriptive, they spanned a much larger altitudinal range than the Wadi Rima transect, but showed a striking resemblance in avifauna with Wadi Rima. It would be fascinating to repeat their surveys to understand changes in land use and their impact on the avifauna of the otherwise largely comparable wadi environment. The comparable count results of wadi-dependent birds, species found new to the area and the impressive passage of Steppe Buzzards testify to the continuing ornithological importance of the Wadi Rima area. The decline in Commiphora kataf-Berchemia discolor open woodland shows, however, that Wadi Rima’s remoteness no longer protects this special habitat of African Grey Hornbill, Hamadryas Baboon and Verreaux’s Eagle, calling for community conservation actions. Despite all the major changes that occurred in Yemen over the 20 years, the cultivated wadi parts and their avifauna have remained remarkably intact. REFERENCES Felemban, HM. 1996. The Birds of Major Wadis in the Tihama Area South of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15: 407-418. Gargett, V. 1990. The Black Eagle. John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Johannesburg. Hall, M, AW Al-Khulaidi, AG Miller, P Scholte & AH Al-Qadasi. 2008. Arabia’s Last Forests under Threat. Plant Biodiversity and Conservation in the Valley Forest of Jabal Bura’a (Yemen). Edinburgh Journal of Botany 65: 113-135. Newton, SF, AV Newton & H Winkler. 1994. The Avifauna of Wadi Turabah: Status, Distribution and Habitat Associations. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 14: 442-454. Scholte, P. 1992 ('1994’). The birds of Wadi Rima, a permanently flowing mountain wadi in western Yemen. Sandgrouse 14: 93-108. Scholte, P, AW al Khuleidi & JJ Kessler. 1991. The Vegetation of Yemen, English / Arabic with 1:500,000 coloured vegetation map. DHV Consultants, Amersfoort in collaboration with Environmental Protection Council, Sana’. Thiollay, JM & L Duhautois. 1976. Notes sur les oiseaux du Nord Yemen. L’Oiseau et RFO 6: 261-271. Zinner, D & F Pelaez. 1999. Verreaux’s Eagles (Aquila verreauxi) as potential predators of Hamadryas Baboons (Papio hamadryas hamadryas) in Eritrea. American Journal of Primatology 47: 61-66. Paul Scholte, Kitabi College of Conservation and Environmental Management, Rwanda, c/o Nieuwe Teertuinen 12C, 1013 LV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. PaulT.Scholte@gmail.com 12 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Distribution, habitat and differentiation of the poorly-known black morph of Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens lugens in Jordan FARES KHOURY, MARC I FORSCHLER, MOHAMMED JANAYDEH, MANSOUR ALIABADIAN & ABDEL-RAZZAO AL-HMOUD The black morph of Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe |. lugens was studied in Jordan and compared with the typical nominate form during 2007-2009. The extremely low density of black morph Mourning Wheatears and the presence of unpaired adults during the breeding season in our study area suggests that this morph, which occurs only in the basalt desert of northeast Jordan and southern Syria, is highly endangered and probably at the edge of extinction, at least in Jordan. The two forms of nominate Mourning Wheatear barely overlap in their geographical distribution in Jordan. The black morph occurs exclusively in black lava desert during the breeding season. Both forms choose similar structural habitats that include rock boulders, rock piles and cliffs, steep slopes or man-made vertical structures. With the exception of coloration, the morphology of both is generally the same, suggesting rather low taxonomic differentiation of the black form. Nevertheless, differences in plumage coloration between the two morphs are also present at the juvenile stage as demonstrated by photos of a black morph juvenile. INTRODUCTION The Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens has a distribution ranging from northwest Africa to Iran and is generally split into three distinctive subspecies. Populations inhabiting North Africa belong to the subspecies Oenanthe lugens halophila, those inhabiting Egypt and the Near East, including Jordan, are assigned to the nominate subspecies O. I. lugens and birds which live on the Iranian plateau are O. I. persica (Panov 2005). In most of its range, the Mourning Wheatear is an inhabitant of semi-deserts or deserts, where it prefers steep rocky and stony, often barren, hillsides (Panov 2005). In Jordan, it is a typical member of the bird community found along the Rift margins. It is also found breeding locally in the sandstone mountains of the Rum desert and along limestone escarpments in the eastern desert of Jordan (Andrews 1995, Figure 1). However, in northeast Jordan and southern Syria, a rare and poorly known but distinctive and endemic black morph of Mourning Wheatear is restricted to the black lava desert at least during the breeding season, suggesting colour adaptation to local conditions. This black form was assigned to Mourning 35°O0E 35°30'0E 30 0"E 36°30'0"E 37°00'E 37°30°0°E 38°0'0"E 38°30'0°E 32°0'0"E AAI-Wala ° S - ” = S ° ~” N ” 2 > 2 nN o 2 S 5 ro) b = S S a 2 S ° cr ° > 2 S 2 o Ss) = S r=) > > ra 29°0'0"N 29°30'0"N — 30°0'0"N =: 30°30'0"N — 34°0'0"N —-31°30'0"N = 32°0'0"N —- 32°30'0"N =. 33°0'0"N —-33°30'0"N [A StudySites Wheatear O. I. lugens by L Cornwallis oo ae senna cen nee : 5 |____ Distribution of Normal Morph (in Cramp 1988) based on the ‘typical ZZ) Distribution of Black Morph . i . Oenanthe lugens lugens wing pattern’ ET ee ae (_] Intemational Border 35°00 35300CE S600E 36300EF STOVE 37°300E 38°00"E 35°300°E 39°0 0"E after formerly being believed to be O. picata opistholeuca (Wallace 1983b). The — Figure 1. Breeding distribution of Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe status of true geographic subspecies |. lugens in Jordan. The black morph breeds only in the Harra basalt desert of northeast Jordan, where the typical/normal ye oanet supported by Tye (1994) due morph has been recorded only occasionally, mainly outside the to reports that stated a broad overlap _ breeding season (after Andrews 1994, modified). Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 113 Plate 1. Adult normal morph Mourning Wheatear Plate 2. Adult black morph Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe |. lugens, east of Wadi Mujib, west Jordan, Oenanthe |. lugens, east of Safawi, northeast Jordan, June August 2007. © M Forschler 2008. © M Janaydeh in the ranges of the black and typical forms, occasional inter-breeding and the absence of intermediates (Wallace 1983a, Cramp 1988). However, the limited geographic range and habitat of the black form and the absence of observations of mixed pairs other than Cornwallis’ evidence suggests that interbreeding is rare and in conflict with the argument for morph status (Andrews 1994). In this study we compared habitat variables and morphological measurements of both forms in Jordan with the aim of describing the possible distinctiveness of the black morph and providing further data that may contribute to clarifying its status. Furthermore, we give an update on the current distribution of the black form in Jordan and on possible threats for this locally endemic bird in the future. METHODS Study species The typical form of Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe I. lugens is a small insectivorous passerine (weight 22-28 g, Plate 1) that is fairly widespread in Jordan in arid areas. These areas vary in rainfall and productivity. It is a typical bird of the Rift margins of western Jordan and is also found locally on low limestone escarpments and wadis in the eastern desert of Jordan. In contrast, the black morph (Plate 2) in Jordan is restricted at least during the breeding season to the undulating basalt desert landscape of the northeast (Plate 3) where it inhabits areas with wadis, road cuttings and boulder piles (Andrews 1994, 1995). In nominate /ugens there is no obvious sexual dimorphism (Panov, 2005). Although considered a resident bird in Jordan (Andrews 1995), the Mourning Wheatear is not strictly sedentary there (FK pers obs): most individuals carry out seasonal movements, some apparently moving to slightly higher areas in June—August, ie after the breeding season, and many usually move to lower areas for the winter. Breeding territories are usually occupied by March and the breeding season extends to June. Study areas Field observations were carried out at four study sites, along the Rift margins and in the eastern desert (Figure 1). The regions inhabited by normal morph birds have differing rainfall (National Atlas of Jordan 1984) and vegetation (Alberts et al 2004). The northwest-facing slopes above Wadi al-Wala (c31° 30’ N 35° 43’ E, 415-625 m asl) have a mean annual precipitation of c250 mm falling mainly November—March. Vegetation cover is moderate, dominated by various dwarf shrubs, and with a relatively rich annual 114 ~— Sandgrouse 32 (2010) cover during spring. The vegetation is generally a mosaic of Mediterranean-type (semi- steppe batha) and Irano-Turanian Artemisia steppe. Grazing pressure is high during winter and spring when the study site is used as rangeland for goats and sheep by semi-nomadic Bedouins and locals from a nearby village. Only typical morph birds are found breeding in this area. The arid mountains of Dlaghah and Jebel Mas’uda (c30° 12’ N 35° 27' E, 990-1600 m asl), south of Petra, have an annual precipitation in the range 120-200 mm. Rain (and snow) falls in this area mainly November—March. The vegetation on the stony and rocky mountain slopes is sparse, dominated by dwarf shrubs. Grazing pressure is high, and most of the area is densely populated during the winter by nomadic Bedouin who own large sheep herds. Again, only normal morph birds are found breeding in this area. Al-Dahek (31° 34’ N 37° 09’ E, 500-550 m asl), in the eastern desert of Jordan, is a limestone escarpment where a population of 5-10 pairs of typical morph Mourning Wheatears breed. The wheatears here hold their breeding territories along barren limestone slopes and cliffs that border on an open flood plain that is covered with large patches of dry salt marsh dominated by low Tamarix sp shrubs. The mean annual precipitation is c50 mm, falling November—May. The second study area in the eastern desert is located in the undulating Al Harra basalt desert near Safawi (32° 10’ N 37° 30’ E, 670-700 m asl), where black morph birds dominate numerically over normal morph birds. The mean annual precipitation is c80 mm, falling mainly November—March. Vegetation is scarce in the black basalt desert and dominated by dwarf shrubs that are usually confined to small depressions and wadi beds. Grazing pressure by sheep is rather high along the wadis. Field methods Breeding habitats were described for territories of pairs and occasionally of single foraging birds during the breeding season, April—early June 2008 and 2009. Habitat description included of structural features (presence of rock boulders, rock piles, slopes, cliffs, water runnels and wadis) and the estimation of substrate variables related to vegetation and overall stone and rock cover within the territories of pairs and territorial males or to a distance of 100 m from foraging birds if territory boundaries were not determined. Rock coloration was classified as 1 for pale rocks (e¢ limestone), 2 for intermediate or mixed pale—dark and 3 for very dark rocks as in basalt lava rocks (Plate 3). Habitat descriptions for the normal morph were carried out in the two study areas along the Rift margins (16 territories) and in the eastern desert at al-Dahek (5 territories). Habitat descriptions for the black morph were carried out for 1 pair and 4 single birds that were either territorial or using a particular area for feeding during the breeding season. This was carried out in the basalt desert, mainly around Safawi. Morphology Mourning Wheatears were trapped for morphological measurements using clap nets and mealworms as bait (permission granted by RSCN-Jordan). After handling and ringing, the birds were released at the capture site. Typical form birds were trapped in western Jordan, from Wadi Wala south to Wadi Rum, during the summers of 2007 and 2009 and black morph birds in the basalt desert east of Safawi 2007 and 2008. In addition to measurements taken from live birds, some morphological data for black morph birds collected in Jordan were obtained from the literature (Andrews 1994) and from two specimens in the collection of the Natural History Museum at Tring, England (collection numbers 1947.14.214 and 81.5.1.933). Sandgrouse 32 (2010) iis) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Distribution and current status of the black morph Most (c80%) of the Mourning Wheatears recorded during this study in the basalt desert were of the black morph. During extensive studies March-June 2008, we recorded the black morph of the Mourning Wheatear only in two areas of the basalt desert: east of Safawi between Safawi and Wadi Rajel along the main road to Ruweished and Iraq (one pair, later with two fledged juveniles, and three single adult birds), and at the village of Mithnat Rajel (Jawa) near the Syrian border (1 single adult bird). The breeding pair and one territorial male were constantly present in their territories east of Safawi late March—early June 2008. Later, these birds apparently dispersed elsewhere. Although most of the basalt desert north of the main road to Ruweished was covered by driving a total off-road distance of 300 km March—May 2008, no Mourning Wheatears of either form were found in the interior, fairly undisturbed, areas of mainly featureless, rolling, boulder fields. Even the major wadis and areas of moderate relief in the basalt desert covered, eg Wadi Salma, Tal El-Abed, Wadi Suwei’ed (Wadi Al-Awsaji), Wadi Ghussein and Burqu’, did not harbour black morph birds, although normal-type (probably wintering) birds occurred singly at the latter two sites. Wheatears are usually conspicuous birds and less conspicuous bird species were recorded frequently along the wadis eg the dark form of Sand Partridge Ammoperdix heyi, Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti annae, Bar- tailed Desert Lark Ammomanes cinctura, Thick-billed Lark Ramphocoris clotbey, Temminck’s Horned Lark Eremophila bilopha and Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus. Two other wheatear species also breed in the basalt desert of Jordan, where they are more common than Mourning Wheatear. The Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti is usually present in flat areas and wide wadi beds with sandy patches and some low scrub vegetation. The White- crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga has recently spread into the basalt desert (Andrews et al 1998) and was frequently recorded during 2008, mostly as pairs along wadis including Wadi Suwei’ed where L Cornwallis (lan Andrews pers comm) recorded black morph Mourning Wheatears in the 1980s. The lack of observations in large parts of the basalt desert in this study suggests a severe decline of the black morph popmiedon of Mourning Wheatear at least in Jordan. Breeding habitats of both morphs The Mourning Wheatear in Jordan generally inhabits arid areas where mean annual precipitation is in the range 50-250 mm. Mountains, hills and escarpments with steep rocky sides and stony areas are preferred for breeding, but shrubby, flat areas may be included within the territories and are often used for foraging (eg at Al-Dahek). There are differences between forms in some substrate habitat variables (Table 1). Although the basalt desert landscape is generally flat or undulating (Plate 3), black morph habitats had significantly higher overall rock cover than normal morph habitats (Table 1). The small patches of ground that were not covered by basalt rocks and stones, were often used for foraging. All black morph habitats were located in areas with very dark lava rocks and always contained large rock boulders, stone and rock piles (Plate 3, Table 1, Figure 2). Additionally, the territories/feeding habitats of black morph birds always contained man- made vertical structures that were frequently used by the birds for perching and as singing posts; these structures included telephone poles, bridges, road signs and barriers, fences and even at one site, a small house at the edge of a village (Mithnat Rajel). These vertical structures possibly compensated for the lack of steep slopes and cliffs available to typical morph birds (Figure 2). Additionally, black morph birds often foraged along the sides of tarmac roads where there were open spaces, not covered by the usual stones and rocks, 116 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Table !. Means (+ SD) of substrate variables in the breeding habitats of normal (black and white) morph and black morph Mourning Wheatears Oenanthe I. lugens in Jordan. typical morph black morph t-test/U-test statistic N 2| 5 Rock (%) 34:9: 219.9 570+£4.5 t=48 p<0.00l Stone (%) 229 ETeD. 24:0. 4.5.5 t=0.3 p=0.74 Soil/Gravel (%) 4) 42°97 19:0-£:7.4 t= 5.0 p<0.001 Colour of rocks 14+0.6 2:8 + 0:4 U=4.0 p<0.001 Total vegetation* (%) 23:7 £: 14-3 8:4 + 4.2 t=2.3 p=0.03 * total vegetation cover = cover of herbaceous plants + dwarf shrubs + shrubs and where productivity (due to run- off) and prey abundance appeared to man-made structure . : : boulders be higher than in the surroundings. rock piles mma Morphological differentiation of the gente slope morphs steep slope Table 2 summarizes the main cliffs morphological measurements of both forms. There were no significant differences in the length of wing, tail, bill and tarsus. Numerous other Bereenizacettenitenesenidicd measurements of the black morph black morph @normal morph were within the Seana of those taken Figure 2. Presence of structural habitat features of normal and fOr e the typical morph (data not black morph Mourning Wheatears Oenanthe |. lugens during the shown). Black morph juveniles have breeding season in Jordan. been described as having ‘smoky’ plumage (Cramp 1988). Indeed, coloration of most of the body plumage is quite different between juveniles of the two morphs (Plates 4 & 5). In contrast to the dark juveniles of the black morph, juveniles of the normal morph have very pale juvenile body feathers even in those parts that are mostly black in the adults, ie throat, mantle, scapulars and wing coverts (Plate 5). The weak sexual dichromatism in the adults of black morph birds is equivalent to what is known for the normal morph. In the field the slight shallow runnel wadi 0 20 40 60 80 100 hae : 3 : Plate 3. Breeding habitat of black morph Mourning dichromatism is obvious only when male Wheatear Oenanthe | lugens, east of Safawi, northeast and female are observed together: females Jordan, April 2008. © M Janaydeh have slightly paler/more brownish primaries than males and this was noted for a black morph pair during prolonged observation. Conservation and future studies of the black morph Currently, the very low population density and the presence of unpaired males (possible Allee effect, ie low chance of pairing due to extremely low density) indicate that the population of the black morph of the Mourning Wheatear in Jordan is highly endangered. Andrews (1994) mapped the distribution of the normal morph of Mourning Wheatear Sandegrouse 32 (2010) 117 Table 2. Means (+ SD) of selected morphological measurements (mm) taken for typical (black and white morph) and black morph Mourning Wheatears Oenanthe |. lugens from Jordan. Number of samples in brackets. normal morph black morph t-test statistic Wing length 93.0 = 1.1 (10) 95.6 + 3.4 (8) t=1.l p=0.3 Range 88-99 92-100 Tail lengtn 64.6 + 3.7 (10) 66.9 + 3.9 (7) t=12 p=0.3 Bill length* EDs) OF/a(9)) 20.5 + 1.6 (7) t= 1.8 p=0.1 Tarsus length 25:7 + 0.9-(9) D9! E0577) t=07 p=05 * to skull Plate 4. Juvenile black morph Mourning Wheatear Plate 5. Juvenile normal morph Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe I. lugens, east of Safawi, northeast Jordan, June Oenanthe |. lugens, near Wadi Al-Wala, west Jordan, June 2008. © M Janaydeh 2009. © M Janaydeh in west/southwest Jordan and indicated locations of records of both forms outside that area. Records of the black morph came mostly from the road east of Safawi. There are a few large wadis in the basalt desert in Jordan that appear to be suitable habitat for black Mourning Wheatears. However, during our study, most of these areas were either vacant or occupied by White-crowned Black Wheatears. The latter species has expanded into this area in the last two decades (Andrews et al 1998). One reason for the rarity or total absence of black morph Mourning Wheatears in the few major wadis (except for Wadi Rajel) with apparently suitable habitat in the basalt desert, might be the prolonged drought in the last 5 years combined with overgrazing that may have led to a decrease in plant biomass and thus arthropod density. In our study the few records came from areas with human impact (roadsides, borders of a village), most likely because these sites had sufficient food due to higher productivity (run-off along roads) and excreta of livestock that attracted insects. Further, there might be some impact by the White-crowned Black Wheatear, which may be better adapted to the increasingly harsh desert conditions. Due to its larger size this species would be expected to be dominant over the Mourning Wheatear and might therefore easily exclude the black morph from breeding sites and food places. However, during observations that lasted for up to 5 hours, aggressive interactions were not recorded between a black morph male that defended a territory and an adult White-crowned Black Wheatear with overlapping territory. In Syria, five black morph birds including a pair were recently observed during one day within an area of 50 km diameter (Nico Martinez pers comm, see two photos by Martinez in Balmer & Murdoch 2009). These birds were in the basalt desert east of Jebel Druz, the extension of the Harra basalt desert of northeast Jordan. Martinez’s records suggest that the black morph in southern Syria may currently be more common than in Jordan, perhaps due to somewhat higher rainfall and associated productivity that 118 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) generally increase towards the north. A study of the distribution of the two morphs in Syria would be of especial interest. The results of the present study suggest that black and normal morphs of the Mourning Wheatear select breeding habitats that differ in rock cover and colour. However, both choose habitats that have certain features in common: rock boulders and piles are usually included, combined with steep slopes, cliffs, and/or man-made vertical structures; these structures are used as song and foraging perches. There was a significant difference in rock coloration, normal morph birds selected habitats that vary in rock coloration, but the breeding sites of the black morph were confined to areas with very dark basalt rocks (Table 1). As an adaptation to this difference in habitat selection, we confirm that the overall dark coloration of the black morph is not only found in adult birds, but also in juveniles, evidence that the melanism of the black form is an adaptation to the dark environment. In contrast, juveniles of the normal morph have very pale juvenile body feathers even in those parts that are mostly black in the adults (Plate 5). The similarity of other morphological features suggests that the two forms are close in body structure and ecology. We suggest that the so-called black morph might be better treated as having an independent taxonomic status from the typical morph of nominate /ugens. Future research has to test how long the two forms have diverged from each other or if regular gene flow occurs. Additionally, behavioural experiments with dummies and playback might reveal if a prezygotic reproduction barrier exists. Given the rarity of the black morph at least in Jordan we suggest a breeding survey be carried out urgently in the basalt desert of southern Syria followed by regular monitoring in both countries. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank Natalia Boulad from the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, Jordan, for her assistance in preparing the map. We also thank lan Andrews who provided information collected by L Cornwallis about the black morph and Nico Martinez who kindly shared his notes on the black morph in southern Syria. We are also grateful to Alan Tye for his comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. REFERENCES Albert, R, A Petutschnig & M Watzka. 2005. Zur Vegetation und Flora Jordaniens. In: Waitzbauer, W, R Albert, B Petutschnig, G Aubrecht (eds). Reise durch die Natur Jordaniens. Biologie Zentrum der Oberosterreichischen, Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria, pp133-220. Andrews, IJ. 1994. Description and status of the black morph Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens in Jordan. Sandgrouse 16: 32-35. Andrews, IJ. 1995. The Birds of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Andrews, Musselburgh, UK. Andrews, IJ, F Khoury & H Shirihai. 1998. Jordan Bird Report 1995-1997. Sandgrouse 21: 10-35. Balmer, D & D Murdoch. 2009. Around the Region. Sandgrouse 31: 208-222. Cramp, S. 1988. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol 5. Oxford University Press, UK. National Atlas of Jordan. 1984. Climate and Agriclimatology. Jordan National Geographic Center, Amman. Panov, E. 2005. Wheatears of the Palearctic. Ecology, behaviour and evolution of the genus Oenanthe. Pensoft Publishers, Sofia. Tye, A. 1994. A description of the Middle Eastern black morph of Mourning Wheatear from museum specimens. Sandgrouse 16: 28-31. Wallace, DIM. 1983a. The breeding birds of the Azraq oasis and its desert surround, Jordan, in the mid- 1960s. Sandgrouse 5: 1-18. Wallace, DIM. 1983b. The first identification of the Eastern Pied Wheatear in Jordan. Sandgrouse 5: 102-104. Fares Khoury & Mohammed Janaydeh, Department of Biological Sciences, The Hashemite University, PO Box 150459, Zarqa 13115, Jordan. avijordan2000@yahoo.com Marc Forschler, Institute of Avian Research, ‘Vogelwarte Helgoland’, 26411 Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Mansour Aliabadian, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. Abdel-Razzaq Al-Hmoud, Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, PO Box 1215, Jubeiha 11941, Amman, Jordan. Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 19 New Important Bird Areas in Lebanon—a research and community conservation project March 2005—February 2008 NABIL H KHAIRALLAH & COLIN CONROY In the three years between March 2005 and February 2008, staff from two Lebanese environmental organisations visited 31 sites in different parts of Lebanon and carried out surveys of resident and migratory bird populations. As a result eleven of these sites have now been designated as Important Bird Areas by BirdLife International. This brings the IBA total for Lebanon to 15. Reasons for the designation of sites included congregations of soaring birds on migration, assemblages of biome- restricted breeding species and breeding species of global conservation concern or restricted-range. In addition, important first steps have been made towards the protection of these sites, including formation of Local Conservation Groups and the training of local people in bird identification and monitoring. At each site surveyed the major threats to bird life were assessed. Uncontrolled hunting of birds was identified as the major threat in the majority of sites and it is suspected that the long history of hunting pressure in Lebanon is one of the main reasons for sites not qualifying as IBAs. Although we conclude that this project has been a success in terms of satisfying its original objective, it is argued that the system of IBAs for the identification of sites important for bird conservation, based on international criteria, should be augmented by a national scheme that develops national biodiversity criteria for the designation of sites as important for protection on a national rather than international basis. In the absence of such a scheme, the conservation approach known as the Hima concept has been applied to sites that met IBA criteria and those sites that failed to reach IBA status but were deemed important for national bird conservation. INTRODUCTION : A Rocha Lebanon and the Society for Higa Ror AY, ae © Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL, iB caecedieneellecction the BirdLife International partner for Lebanon) initiated a study to identify new Important Bird Areas (IBA, www. 7 tm aonnan esr birdlife.org) in Lebanon during the years rescan yd) epineeteonemetee 2005-2008. Prior to that, Lebanon had only & Tannourine Cedar Nature Reserve four sites designated as IBAs by BirdLife ihe ne ee Wrabai Moussa Mountain Baalbek® International (Evans 1994): Palm Islands Nature Reserve (NR), Shouf Cedar NR, @ Rim-Sannine Mountain Horsh Ehden NR and Aammigq Wetlands. a~ 29H 3 ° ore Beirut)River Valley fanaayel Pondfand Monaster These four sites are of significance to the Lower Damour River, ° Feamiiet Valey Jd jina Anjar-K’far Zabad biodiversity of the country, containing a broad cross-section of habitats. However, it was believed by many, in particular those studying birds in Lebanon that these four ee eed sites did not.render a full representation Of | """"7Posoxuaos | ° the diverse habitat mosaic of the country, since many more potential IBA sites exist in Lebanon worthy of conservation, the ultimate goal of this designation. Thus the main aim of this project was to identify new IBAs in Lebanon that would Figure I. Map of Lebanon showing location of the lI : : ‘ new IBAs. Sites not surveyed (Table 2) or that failed provide a more comprehensive reflection designation (Table | excluding sites of Table 4) are also of its varied habitats and broad biodiversity shown. Yanta® § Deir el Aachayere@ fe Saida> wali River Lake Qaraaoun Rachaya-AihaO. Jabal Rihan @ Ain HourcheO. Khallet Khazem @ Legend (New |BAs Sites Surveyed but Failed Designation OHasbani River, Sites Not Surveyed Mansouri/ Bayada/ Naqoura Rivers 120 = Sandgrouse 32 (2010) aiding in its preservation. The project consisted of two components; ornithological field research and a community-based outreach programme. The latter included setting up Local Conservation Groups for each site, training local representatives from each new IBA on bird identification, introducing conservation and site monitoring, the forming of site management committees, putting forward site management statements that mitigate threats affecting the site, and preparing an updated checklist of the birds of Lebanon. Unlike the 1999 checklist (Ramadan-Jaradi & Ramadan-Jaradi 1999) and its subsequent update (Ramadan-Jaradi et al 2008), the new list does not include detailed status notes, but does include species’ names in three languages and the scientific name. METHODOLOGY Site investigation 42 sites (Figure 1), representing the majority of the eco-geological zones of the country, were selected for study during the project period, March 2005-February 2008. Of these, 31 sites were surveyed (Table 1) but 11 could not be, due to change of use or for security Table |. Sites surveyed 2005-2008 with brief habitat statement, Lebanon. Year | Anjar-K’far Zabad Wetland, woodland Lake Qaraaoun Reservoir Rim-Sannine Mountain High mountain site Tannourine Cedar Nature Reserve Cedar forest Ebel es-Saqi Pine woodland, olive groves Ain Hourche Open mountain slope Lower Beirut River Valley Lowland river valley, mixed forest Ras Chaqaa Coastal headland, oak forest Cheikh Zennad Coastal saltpans Nahr el Kabir Lowland river valley Rachaya-Aiha High mountain site Tanaayel pond and monastery Man-made pond, farmland Year 2 Semi Deserts of Ras Baalbek Semi-desert Upper Beirut River Valley Mixed woodland, cliffs, river Bentael Forest Nature Reserve Mixed forest, cliffs Ramlieh Valley Pine forest, orchards Jisr el Qadi Pine forest, shallow river Lower Damour River Scrub, agriculture, river mouth Tyre Beach Nature Reserve Coastal sand dunes Awali River Scrub, agriculture, woodland Hasbani River Agriculture, woodland, river Yammouneh High plateau, agriculture, scrub Year 3 Upper Mountains of Akkar-Donnieh: Qammouaa Montane forest, scrub Fnaideq Oak woodland Mechmech Cultivated terraces, woodland, scrub Wadi Jouhanam Jabal Moussa Mountain Deep valley, mixed forest, scrub Mixed montane forest, scrub, terraces Jabal Aalmat Mixed montane forest, scrub, terraces Nahr Ibrahim Mixed forest, agriculture, cliffs, river Zibdeen Scrub, cultivated terraces Qadisha Valley Lower Damour River Rocky gorge, mixed woodland, scrub, cedar forest Scrub, agriculture, river mouth Sandgrouse 32 (2010) and safety reasons following the 2006 war Table 2. Sites not surveyed 2005-2008 with very brief (Table 2). Each surveyed site was visited at HOSEHH| Tat Ny er" CAUSE. least 6 times during the year, but 8 visits was the norm. Every effort was made to carry {hallet Khazem Converted into a quarry out visits in the breeding and spring and Orontis River Valley Security reasons autumn migration seasons; judgement was ‘ower Litani River SSSIIG/ Tease used to decide if certain locations required 2" SSSTS) WRSOTS more visits. Deir el Aachayer Security reasons Site visits did not follow any systematic Jabal Rihan Security reasons survey methodology, but were of an Khiam ele, reasons opportunistic nature to attempt to record Chebaa Security reasons Mount Hermon Security reasons the maximum possible number of birds inhabiting and overflying the area. However, transect lines and point count locations were Mansouri/ Bayada/ Nagoura Intensive military activity Wadi Khaled Security reasons Table 3. IBA criteria for sites in the Middle East (www.birdlife.org). A: Important Bird Areas—Global importance Al. Species of global conservation concern The site regularly holds significant numbers of a globally threatened species, or other species of global conservation concern. A2. Restricted-range species The site is known or thought to hold a significant component of the restricted-range species whose breeding distributions define an Endemic Bird Area (EBA) or Secondary Area (SA). A3. Biome-restricted species The site is known or thought to hold a significant assemblage of the species whose breeding distributions are largely or wholly confined to one biome. A4. Congregations i. The site is known or thought to hold, on a regular basis, 2 1% of a biogeographic population of a congregatory waterbird species. ii. The site is known or thought to hold, on a regular basis, 2 1% of the global population of a congregatory seabird or terrestrial species. iii. The site is known or thought to hold, on a regular basis, 2 20 000 waterbirds or 2 10 000 pairs of seabird of one or more species. iv. The site is known or thought to be a ‘bottleneck’ site where at least 20 000 storks (Ciconiidae), raptors (Accipitriformes and Falconiformes) or cranes (Gruidae) regularly pass during spring or autumn migration. B: Important Bird Areas—Middle Eastern importance Bl: Regionally important congregations The site may qualify on any one of the three criteria listed below: i. The site is known or thought to hold 2 1% of a flyway or other distinct population of a waterbird species. ii. The site is known or thought to hold 2 1% of a distinct population of a seabird species. iv. The site is a ‘bottleneck’ site where over 5000 storks, or over 3000 raptors or cranes regularly pass on spring or autumn migration. B2: Species with an unfavourable conservation status in the Middle East The site is one of the five most important sites in the country/territory for a species with an unfavourable conservation status in the Middle East (threatened or declining throughout all or part of their range in the region) and for which the site-protection approach is thought to be appropriate. B3: Species with a favourable conservation status but concentrated in the Middle East The site is one of the five most important sites in the country/territory for a species with a favourable conservation status in the Middle East but with its global range concentrated in the Middle East, and for which the site- protection approach is thought to be appropriate. 122 = Sandgrouse 32 (2010) established in many cases as a basis for future monitoring. Birds were noted as observed although some extrapolation of results was used in a few cases of soaring bird migration to allow for the fact that visits can usually only be made to any one site on a fraction of all the days that birds are passing through. Interruption of field work by war, civil disturbances and other events resulted in the postponement of some site visits to the following year or being deleted altogether. Site designation Data from possible sites were forwarded to BirdLife International to be scrutinized for IBA designation based on their internationally adopted criteria (Table 3). IBA definition and criteria IBAs are “key sites for conservation—small enough to be conserved in their entirety and often already part of a protected-area network. They do one (or more) of three things: e Hold significant numbers of one or more globally threatened species. e Are one of a set of sites that together hold a suite of restricted-range species or biome- restricted species. e Have exceptionally large numbers of migratory or congregatory species.” In the Middle East there are two levels of IBAs, which distinguish between sites of Global Importance (A-level sites) and those that do not meet the criteria for Global Importance but which nonetheless are of Middle Eastern Importance (B-level sites). The criteria for both levels of IBA are shown in Table 3. Local Conservation Groups (LCGs) During the scientific field assessments, contacts with interested individuals from the community were established. Upon the official declaration of the new IBAs, those affiliates were approached asking them to nominate representatives from their sites to attend the IBA community workshop, preparing them for the stewardship of the newly assigned area. Community Training Workshops Two or more individuals were selected from each designated IBA, based on the recommendation of the site contacts. A two-day training workshop was organized, which included on the first day an introduction on birds, their importance, bird ecology and bird identification skills. The second day covered an explanation of the IBA programme, international criteria, and conservation issues. Further, the IBA monitoring procedure was clarified to the participants to facilitate initiatives at their sites to identify new threats and determine the success of conservation measures. The workshop techniques covered both theoretical presentations coupled with a birdwatching session in the field on the first day, and exercises on IBA assessment, stakeholder analysis, and IBA monitoring on the second day. - Site Management Committee Community work included forming management committees with representatives from the municipal council and community leaders in the region. The main role of this committee is the setting of a management plan for the conservation of the [BA-declared site in order to mitigate threats affecting it. Sandegrouse 32 (2010) 123 Site Management Statement ; This was a brief document presenting a site description, its importance for birdlife and biodiversity, conservation objectives and key management issues, all based on field findings and threats encountered. Updated Checklist for the Birds of Lebanon Ramadan-Jaradi et al (1999) was the only bird checklist for the country, but since that time many advances have taken place in ornithology in Lebanon mostly facilitated by the termination of civil hostilities affording safer access into the field and increased interest in the avifauna. This called for an updated reference to rely on. This update was based on Ramadan-Jaradi et al (1999) and other published and unpublished ornithological data for the country, and incorporated the findings of the present study. Unlike the 1999 checklist and the subsequent update, published since the end of this project (Ramadan-Jaradi et al 2008), this list does not include detailed species status notes but does include names in three languages (English, French and Arabic) as well as scientific names. Arabic names were Table 4. List of the eleven newly designated IBAs for based on the standardized nomenclature of the Lebanon. | the BirdLife partners in the Arabic-speaking region as adopted in Porter et al (2006). Global Hima Anjar-K’far Zabad | Lake Qaraaoun RESULTS Rim-Sannine Mountain The names of sites surveyed, with a very Tannourine Cedar Nature Reserve brief habitat statement, are listed in Table 1. Hima Ebel es-Saqi Sites not surveyed, for various reasons, are Beirut River Valley listed in Table 2. Site locations are shown in Figure 1. The eleven newly designated IBAs are presented below and their names listed in Table 4. Coordinates generally refer to the entrance or point-of-access of the site. Hima Anjar-K’far Zabad (Plate 1) BirdLife IBA Criterion Al—Species of global conservation concern 33° 45! 09.45" N, 35° 57' 23.30" E; 865 m asl; 326 ha. Located in the eastern Bekaa valley at the foot of the arid Anti-Lebanon mountain range, the Anjar-K’far Zabad IBA consists mostly of freshwater wetland with some mixed wood- land and cultivated fields. There is open scrubby hillside and several commercial fish farms in the southern half of the site. At least 15 pairs of Syrian Serins Serinus syriacus breed in the woods at the southern end of the site. This species is classified as Vulnerable in the 2008 IUCN Red List and is also a restricted range species, found mostly in the Levant, with its breeding stronghold in Lebanon and nearby areas of Jordan and Syria (www.birdlife.org). Although the IBA designation of the site is due to the Syrian Serins, the wetland habitats are included [igaieagy because of their importance in national pyate 4. Semi Deserts of Ras Baalbek Upper Mountains of Akkar-Donnieh Jabal Moussa Mountain Regional Bentael Forest Nature Reserve Ramlieh Valley Different habitat types in Hima Anjar-K’far terms. The reedbeds and grassland hold Zabad IBA, April 2008. © Jiro Ose 124 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) good numbers of breeding wetland birds and reedbed warblers. Many other birds use the IBA as a migration stopover site or wintering ground. Various species of soaring birds occur on migration, including storks and pelicans in moderate numbers, while raptors are usually relatively few. Marsh Harriers Circus aeruginosus and Long-legged Buzzards Buteo rufinus are regularly seen outside the migration seasons although neither is confirmed as breeding. The farmland, woods and hillside at the periphery of the site hold a broad range of typical commoner species, both on migration and breeding. Conservation and threats The northern half of the site has been protected since 2004 by the municipality of K’far Zabad, which has banned hunting (previously a problem of immense significance here) and carried out various habitat restoration activities with the help of SPNL. The northern half is designated as a Hima, a traditional Arabian system of community-led management, which is being promoted by SPNL in several sites around Lebanon. The southern half of the area, which previously had no formal protection, was added to the Hima in 2008. The biggest threat to birds in the IBA is hunting, which is a very popular national pastime. However, with the declaration of the Hima, work is ongoing to promote positive attitudes to conservation and to discourage hunting. Other threats include disturbance to birds, water abstraction, agricultural intensification, grazing and eutrophication. Lake Qaraaoun (Plate 2) BirdLife IBA Criterion A4iv— Congregations Somo4o2.25° N,.35° 41° 10.32” E; 850 m asl; 1190 ha. Lake Qaraaoun is a man-made reservoir, created by the damming of the Litani river. Surrounding the lake itself are woodland, orchards, and low-growing scrub. The water levels fluctuate severely in the course of the year and there is little or no submerged or emergent vegetation. Qaraaoun lake is the largest body of freshwater in Lebanon and located at the southern end of the Bekaa valley (a continuation of the Great Rift val- ley, a well-documented flyway for raptors and other soaring birds: Frumkin et al 1995, Yeshem & Yom-Tov 2008). Observations Plate 2. Lake Qaraaoun IBA viewed from Saghbine, June suggest that over 20 000 soaring birds, 2005. © Marius Teeuw including raptors, storks, pelicans and oth- ers pass over the lake annually (CC pers obs). Several species of conservation concern (2008 IUCN Red List) have been recorded here in recent years such as Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca, Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus, Great Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga, Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca and Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius on migration. It is also the most important site in Lebanon for wintering waterfowl (CC pers obs, Ramadan-Jaradi et al 2008). Conservation and threats Currently there is no formal protection or conservation management for any part of the IBA. The site falls under several different municipalities and multiple private ownership. However, local people have been trained through the IBA programme, and ongoing efforts with the key municipalities have been initiated. Indiscriminate hunting is a major threat as is water pollution coming into the lake from upstream. Disturbance to birds from the Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 125 extensive recreational activities and the high level of grazing by sheep and goats on the lake shore are a cause for concern and it is possible that the latter is one of the factors leading to the lack of marginal vegetation. Rim-Sannine Mountain (Plate 3) BirdLife IBA Criteria A3 and A4iv—Biome-restricted Species and Congregations 33° 53’ 20.40” N, 35° 51’ 43.20” E; 1470 m asl; 244 ha. This site consists of mountain slopes and rocky valleys on the southern slopes of Lebanon’s second highest mountain, mount Sannine, in the west Bekaa. In most years there is snow on the ground November—May. At least 5 Biome-restricted Species from the Mediterranean biome breed on site: Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicilla- ta, Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala, Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica, Cretzschmar’s Bunting Emberiza caesia and Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocepha- la, as well as one from the Irano-Turanian Highlands biome: Western Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer. Records from 2004 and 2005 indicate that well in excess of the required 20 000 soaring birds pass over the site in spring and autumn. These include White Stork Ciconia ciconia and 19 species of bird seis of prey the most numerous being European Plate 3. Rim-Sannine mountain, Rim-Sannine Mountain Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus and Lesser !BA, March 2005. © Richard Prior Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina. Conservation and threats Currently there is no formal protection. The IBA is mostly under the ownership of a private water company, with whom discussions about proposed conservation measures are still at an early stage. However, the proprietors have initiated some positive measures including tree planting and access restriction. The site has suffered much degradation from overgrazing and off-road vehicles, which has led to soil erosion. The biggest threat to birds is indiscriminate Plate 4. A Cedar of Lebanon in the Tannourine Cedar hunting, as evidenced by the presence of NR IBA, May 2005. © Marius Teeuw large numbers of spent cartridges. Tannourine Cedar Nature Reserve (Plate 4) BirdLife IBA Criteria Al and A4iv—Species of Global Conservation Concern and Congregations 34° 12’ 28.34” N, 35° 56’ 01.93” E; 1790 m asl; 600 ha. Tannourine Cedar NR is part of the largest remaining cedar forest in Lebanon (www. moe.gov.lb/protectedareas) and is situated on the western flanks of the Mount Lebanon range, just to the south of the famous Qadisha valley. The forest is dominated by Cedar of Lebanon Cedrus libani but is mixed with a good range of other broad-leaved and coniferous species, and with more open areas of sparse scrub and some rocky cliffs. A seasonal stream 126 = Sandgrouse 32 (2010) forms the northern boundary of the reserve. A very high breeding density of Syrian Serins was reported here in 2001 and 2002 (Ramadan-Jaradi & Ramadan-Jaradi 2002). At least 15 species of soaring bird are known to migrate over this site including large flocks of White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus. The Biome-restricted White-throated Robin Irania gutturalis, which is known to breed at only three other sites in Lebanon, has bred for several years on the boundaries of the reserve. Conservation and threats The area is protected as a nature reserve, with guards employed to prevent hunting and other unauthorised uses of the site. Sign-boards and footpaths are in place for education and awareness raising. Although hunting is forbidden inside the reserve, soaring birds are still at risk from hunting outside the boundaries of the protected area. Fire is also a major threat, as in other forested areas of Lebanon. Hima Ebel es-Sagqi (Plate 5) BirdLife IBA Criteria Al, A3 and A4iv—Species of Global Conservation concern, Biome- restricted Species and Congregations 38 91mA7.67° N, 35° 37° 50.40” E; 720 m asl; 219 ha. Located in south Lebanon north of the Hasbani river, Ebel es-Sagi IBA consists of a mix- ture of habitats, with olive groves, arable agriculture, scrub and pine woodland. Like the Anjar-K’far Zabad IBA, this site has been declared a hima by the municipality. The count of c60 000 Common Cranes Grus grus over a 72 hour period in February 2005 was enough to qualify the site as an IBA but good numbers of White Storks in spring and 21 raptor species in autumn, the most abundant being European Honey-buzzard, show that the site is an important migration bottleneck for other species too. A number of globally and regionally threatened bird species pass through on migration, such as Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni, Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus, Pallid Harrier, Greater Spotted Eagle Eastern Imperial Eagle and Corncrake Crex crex, which stresses the importance of this site for conservation. Four Mediterranean Biome-restricted Species— Masked Shrike Lantus aire eB Ee ‘i ase : e “cts. hs , SF oon PEN ee : coat ae % 5 iNet Bae Plate 5. A general view of the hima terrain in Hima Ebel es-Sagi IBA, September 2004. © Nabil H Khairallah Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 127 nubicus, Sardinian Warbler, Cretzschmar’s Bunting and Black-headed Bunting —breed on- site as well as one Irano-Turanian species, Upcher’s Warbler Hippolais languida. Conservation and threats Following the declaration of the site as a hima, hunting was officially banned, grazing restricted and a management plan put in place for the IBA. However, hunting continues to be a serious threat to birds on the peripheries of the site. This area has a high human population which is the source of other problems, the main ones being dumping of domestic garbage, agricultural intensification and overgrazing. Beirut River Valley (Plate 6) BirdLife IBA Criterion A4iv—Congregations 33° 50’ 50.57” N, 35° 38° 07.34” E; 95-1520 m_asl; 8096 ha. This site is a deep river valley carved by the Beirut river, extending 20 km eastwards from the outskirts of Beirut on the western slopes of the Mount Lebanon range. The river itself is shallow and fast flowing, and lined with tall deciduous trees and dense undergrowth. The northern slopes are dom- inated by pine woodland while the southern slopes are mostly scrub and cultivated land with a number of scattered settlements. High rocky cliffs dominate the eastern end. The Beirut River Valley IBA, and particu- ee ee larly its upper reaches, is undoubtedly One Plate 6. The lower valley slopes with soaring bird cliffs of the most important locations for raptor and roosts, Beirut River Valley IBA, April 2005. © Nabil migration in Lebanon. Over 70 000 soaring Bh Spataltat birds of 33 different species were counted over Bhamdoun (33° 48’ 33.72” N, 35° 39’ 35.22” E; 1080 m asl) during the 2006 autumn count alone. This included 51 000 European Honey-buzzards and over 5000 each of Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes, Common Buzzard Buteo buteo and Lesser Spotted Eagle. Ten records of Crested Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus will be the first for the country if accepted by the Lebanese Rare Birds Committee. It is also important for soaring birds in the spring, with White Stork and White Pelican being the major species recorded (c8000 and 3500 respectively recorded in spring 2006). Other migrants, principally European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus, European Bee-eater Merops apiaster and Barn Swallow Hirundo rusti- ca also pass through in large numbers. Nine species with unfavourable conservation status have been recorded here on migration: Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus, Lesser Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus, Saker Falcon Falco cherrug, Red Kite Milvus milvus, Egyptian Vulture, Pallid Harrier, Greater Spotted Eagle and Eastern Imperial Eagle. Conservation and threats : The IBA stretches across several municipalities and currently does not have any formal protection. While hunting has an obvious direct effect on birds, there are many other threats which pose a potential or actual risk to the habitats in the IBA. These include fire, urban development, deforestation, water pollution and overgrazing. Semi Deserts of Ras Baalbek (Plate 7) BirdLife IBA Criterion A3—Biome-restricted Species 34° 17’ 55.30” N, 36° 25’ 31.02” E; 760-1200 m asl; 7814 ha. 128 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) This IBA is situated in the northeast of the country in the Bekaa valley, just north of the village which gives it its name. It consists of flat or gently undulating stony arid land extending up into the Anti-Lebanon moun- tain range. A small proportion of the land is used for arable agriculture although the exact extent varies from year to year. Ten Biome-restricted Species, mostly from the Saharo-Sindian Desert biome breed here: Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor, Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cinctura, Desert | Soci: Lark Ammomanes deserti, Temminck’s Lark Plate 7. Wadi Mrah Rafi in the Semi Deserts of Ras Ereprophila bilopha, Scrub. Warbler Scotocerca .Baalbek IBA, May 2006. © Richard Prior inquieta, Spectacled Warbler, Western Rock Nuthatch, Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens, Pale Rockfinch Carpospiza brachydactyla and Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus. Of these species, 7 are rare or unknown as breeders elsewhere in Lebanon. Several other species breed here commonly which are also scarce or rare breeders elsewhere in the coun- try (Prior & Conroy 2009). 7 Conservation and threats The area currently has no formal protection. The biggest threats to wildlife are excessive hunting and probably overgrazing but the latter has yet to be thoroughly assessed. Upper Mountains of Akkar-Donnieh (Plates 8a—d) BirdLife IBA Criteria Al, A2 and A3—Species of Global Conservation Concern, Restricted Range Species and Biome-restricted species 34° 26 55.62” N, 36° 12’ 27.66” E; 665-1890 m asl; 5270 ha. Located at the northern extremity of the Mount Lebanon range, The Upper Mountains of Akkar-Donnieh IBA is made up of four adjoining sites: Qammouaa, Fnaideq, Mechmech and Wadi Jouhanam. It is mostly mountainous with a broad range of habitats. Fir Abies cilicica, Cedar and Juniper Juniperus spp forests dominate the higher elevations giving way to Turkey Oak Quercus cerris and other oak species, with Calabrian Pine Pinus bru- tia found at the lower altitudes. There are also cultivated lands interspersed with mixed woodland, scrub and open grassland. At the highest altitudes, a sub-alpine community is found, while permanent fast flowing streams run through Wadi Jouhanam. There is a healthy breeding population of Syrian Serins and several other globally-threatened species have been recorded here on migration. Thirteen breeding Biome-restricted Species breed here: Tawny Owl Strix aluco, Masked Shrike, Sombre Tit Poecile lugubris, Upcher’s Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Western Rock Nuthatch, White-throated Robin, Black-eared Wheatear, Finsch’s Wheatear Oenanthe finschit, Pale Rockfinch, Syrian Serin, Crimson-winged Finch Rhodopechys sanquineus and Black-headed Bunting as well as very healthy populations of many commoner species. Although there is apparently little soaring bird migration in the _ spring, the site is more important in the autumn when large flocks of White Stork, White Pelican, Levant Sparrowhawk and Common Crane have been seen passing over. Conservation and threats Although there is currently no formal protection the site is part of a proposed new national park and various awareness-raising campaigns have been carried out to try to encourage interest in environmental protection among the local populace, who are mostly very poor. Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 129 tes » hte Bae ou eer. ) Plate 8a. Juniper trees and overview of the Qammouaa Plate 8b. The Turkey Oak wooded area in Fnaideg, section in the Upper Mountains of Akkar-Donnieh IBA, Upper Mountains of Akkar-Donnieh IBA, May 2007. © March 2007. © Assad Serhal Nabil H Khairallah Plate 8c. Mechmech terraced farmland, Upper Plate 8d. Wooded river valley in Wadi Jouhanam, Mountains of Akkar-Donnieh IBA, October 2007. © Upper Mountains of Akkar-Donnieh IBA, September Nabil H Khairallah 2007. © Nabil H Khairallah As well as the ubiquitous hunting, problems include deforestation and high levels of grazing which together have led to soil erosion in some parts of the area. Jabal Moussa Mountain (Plate 9) BirdLife IBA Criterion A4iv—Congregations 34° 03’ 05.94” N, 35° 45’ 54.80” E; 1100 m asl; 3787 ha. This site consists of a mountain extending westwards from the main Mount Lebanon chain south of Nahr Ibrahim. It is mostly covered by wood and scrublands with a limited cultivated area. This site is most important for soaring migratory birds, with extrapolated numbers exceeding the 20 000 threshold. White Storks are the most com- mon in spring while birds of prey dominate autumn passage. Conservation and threats Much of the mountain is now protected Tae Plate 9. Southern slope of Jabal Moussa, Jabal Moussa by a local NGO (The Association for the Mountain IBA. Oct 2007. © Colin Conroy 130 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Protection of Jabal Moussa)—hunting, tree felling and quarrying are banned therefore. However, there is evidence of overgrazing/browsing, deliberate persecution of birds, hunt- ing, quarries, tree felling and occasional wood cutting for charcoal production around the periphery of the protected area. Bentael Forest Nature Reserve (Plate 10) BirdLife IBA Criterion Bliv—Regionally Important Congregations 34° 08’ 18.00” N, 35° 41’ 41.00” E; 550 m asl; 150 ha. The IBA at Bentael is steep-sided valley mostly covered with dense oak and pine for- est with some steep cliffs and caves located northeast of Beirut in the hills above the town of Jbeil on the Mediterranean coast. The southward passage of raptors in autumn over this site exceeds 3000 (based on extrap- olation of the data from 2007), most common of which are European Honey-Buzzards and Levant Sparrowhawks. Conservation and threats About one third of the IBA, on the northern Se Ob tae valley, ig “Lebanon's “smallest Plate 10. Bentael valley from the west, Bentael Forest protected area, Bentael Forest NR sensu \p |Ba, March 2007. © Colin Conroy stricto, where damaging activities such as hunting and charcoal burning are banned. However, in the rest of the site there is no protection and deforestation and dumping of garbage are serious threats to the ecosystem. Ramlieh Valley (Plate 11) BirdLife IBA Criterion Bliv—Regionally Important Congregations 33° 44’ 49.20” N, 35° 39’ 00.00” E; 660 m asl; 928 ha. Ramlieh is a wide upland valley in the Shouf region of the Mount Lebanon range southeast of Beirut. It is part of the Safa river valley, and contains pine woodland, terraced orchards, low scrub and some bare rocky cliffs. The village of Ramlieh falls entirely within the site. There is an estimated annual passage of raptors exceeding 3000, most significant of which are European Honey- Buzzards, Levant Sparrowhawks, Common Buzzards and Lesser Spotted Eagle. Conservation and threats ee : eo The site is currently unprotected although — ptate 11. A view north from el Mechrefe, Ramlieh Valley the organisation AFDC (Association for IBA, October 2007. © Helen Demopoulos Forest Development and Conservation) have carried out various community-based projects aimed at the conservation and restoration of the natural habitats in the area, and are also encouraging the development of eco-tourism. One of the biggest threats is fire, as there have been several extensive or serious forest fires in nearby areas and even within the Ramlieh valley in recent years. Human activities, notably hunting, quarrying and uncontrolled development, are also serious threats. Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 131 Eleven Local Conservation Groups (LCGs) were identified, one for each of the new IBAs and at least two key members from each LCG were trained in basic bird identification skills, site monitoring, site management and conservation advocacy. Key contacts and/ or management committees were identified in the 11 declared IBAs, one group for each site. A detailed report containing a brief description of the site, list of bird species of significance found there, existing and potential threats and some basic conservation objectives was prepared for each newly designated IBA. The new checklist containing 376 bird species known to have occurred in Lebanon was produced and can be accessed on the SPNL website (www.spnl.org). DISCUSSION Although the main purpose of this paper is to list and describe the new IBAs designated as a result of the joint SPNL/A Rocha Lebanon project, there are some comments to be made about the project, its results and the usefulness of the BirdLife IBA designation procedure to small overcrowded countries such as Lebanon. 1) This project has increased our knowledge of the avifauna of Lebanon and has led to the recognition of eleven new sites as being important for avian conservation. This in turn has led to significant first steps being made towards the protection of these sites. However, of the sites which did not qualify as IBAs, there are some which would still be judged to be worthy of protection using other criteria. Some of these sites, notably the coastal ones, may never qualify as IBAs owing to the bias in the IBA criteria towards migrating soaring birds and Globally Threatened/Biome Restricted breeding Species. However, the primary importance of most coastal sites in Lebanon is for migratory species of passerines and waders and winter congregations of gulls, while the largest numbers of soaring birds pass further inland during spring and autumn. While it might never be appropriate for these sites, such as the saltpans at Cheikh Zennad or the wooded headland at Ras Chekka, to be designated as IBAs, it was felt that there should be some system for the declaration of sites of national importance for nature conservation in Lebanon. This led to the revival of the ‘Hima’ concept through the involvement of the local community in conserving such sites. The Hima is a traditional approach for the conservation of natural resources. It was initiated within the tribal system in order to maintain a sustainable use of natural resources. SPNL is reviving this community-based conservation approach through collaboration with municipalities and local authorities, thus ensuring the conservation of significant sites that have failed to reach IBA status or to augment designated IBAs. 2) Hunting of birds was identified as a threat of either critical or major significance in 9 of the 11 newly declared IBAs, and in 20 out of the 31 sites surveyed during the three years of the project. It seems likely that many more species of birds, particularly raptors, waterbirds and colourful species such as bee-eaters and rollers, bred in Lebanon in the past. Hunting is the most likely cause for the loss of many of these as breeding species and until it is controlled, the chances of successful and lasting recolonisation, particularly by large raptors, is low. Without this factor it is possible that several more sites would have qualified as IBAs on the basis of breeding birds of conservation concern. 3) There are still gaps in our knowledge of the routes taken by soaring birds, particularly to the south of the bottleneck site at Bhamdoun in the Beirut River Valley IBA. None of the sites visited in that area (Ramlieh, Jisr el Qadi and Awali river valley) had anything like the volume of raptor passage in the autumn that might have been expected given the size of the passage over Bhamdoun in 2006. It could be that the birds pass by a different route which is not visible from any of those watch points, or it could be that it was just sampling error that the bulk of the passage did not coincide with the days when surveys were being 132 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) undertaken. In either case, more research is needed to establish the routes taken by the birds in spring and autumn. 4) Political instability and security issues severely limited the sites that could be visited and several very promising sites had to be abandoned or not included in the first place. Follow-on projects to the areas missed would be desirable although many of the above discussed problems are likely to carry on for some time to come. CONCLUSIONS The main aim set for this three-year study was met and 11 new IBAs were internationally designated for Lebanon. Most sites worthy of preservation appear to have been identified, threats to each location were outlined, protection in a number of areas was instigated, and awareness was dissipated among the local communities all leading to the advancement of nature conservancy. However, two significant, yet independent outcomes were highlighted. 1) Hunting was recognized as the single most destructive threat to bird life in Lebanon, although urban sprawl and disturbance to birds is not insignificant. Here it should be clarified that the government issued a new anti-hunting law in February 2004 advocated by SPNL and conservation NGOs; however; this is yet to be made effective through the development of application decrees. 2) It is recognized that the IBA global and regional criteria provide an excellent base for the designation of a suite of sites that need to be conserved in the country. However, certain sites important at national level for the conservation of biodiversity fall outside of this designation procedure. Therefore, it is argued that a set of national biodiversity criteria should be developed. Currently, the revival of the Hima concept has been applied for the conservation of important biodiversity rich sites that meet global or regional IBA criteria and those that do not but are recognized to be important nationally. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank the MAVA Trust, who provided the funding which made this project possible. We are extremely grateful to Jacqueline Salloum, Bassima Khatib and Assad Serhal of SPNL and Chris Naylor, Richard Prior and Helen Demopoulos of A Rocha Lebanon who were all important in different aspects of the project, and Karim Farah for graphic design. We also offer our sincere thanks to all the volunteers who took part in the fieldwork. REFERENCES Evans, M. 1994. Important Bird Areas in the Middle East. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. Frumkin R, B Pinshow & S Kleinhaus. 1995. A Review of Bird Migration over Israel. Journal of Ornithology 136: 127-147. Leshem Y & Y Yom-Tov. 2008. Routes of migrating soaring birds. [bis 140: 41-52. Porter, RF, S Christensen & P Schiermacker-Hansen. 2006. Field Guide to the Birds of the Middle East. SPNL, Beirut. [In Arabic, translator Saed Abdullah Mohammad, editor Assad Serhal] Prior, R & C Conroy. 2009. The Ras Baalbek semi-desert: Lebanon’s aridland area and its birds. Sandgrouse 31: 140-145. Ramadan-Jaradi, G & M Ramadan-Jaradi. 1999. An updated checklist of the birds of Lebanon. Sandgrouse 21: 132-170. Ramadan-Jaradi, G & M Ramadan-Jaradi. 2002. Population size of the Syrian Serin Serinus syriacus and other ornithological records from Lebanon. Lebanese Science Journal 3 (1): 27-35. Ramadan-Jaradi, G, T Bara & M Ramadan-Jaradi. 2008. Revised checklist of the birds of Lebanon 1999-2007. Sandgrouse 30: 22-69. Nabil H Khairallah, 37 South Drive, St Catharines, Ontario, Canada L2R 4V1. nhk1812@idm.net.lb Colin Conroy, A Rocha UK, 13 Avenue Rd, Southall, UB1 3BL, UK. colintheconroy@yahoo.co.uk Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 133 First confirmed breeding record of Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius for Lebanon, 2009 SHADI INDARY The first documented record of Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius in Lebanon was in 1875 by Van Dyck (Kumerloeve 1962). It is considered a common species in Lebanon during spring migration, but scarce in summer and autumn (Ramadan-Jaradi et al 2008). Its’ breeding has been confirmed in the nearby countries of Cyprus, Israel, Turkey and Syria (Hué & Echecopar 1970, Porter et al 1996, Kirwan et al 2008, Murdoch & Betton 2008) but it has not been recorded breeding in Lebanon (Ramadan-Jaradi et al 2008). In Lebanon, Little Ringed Plovers can be seen in many coastal locations, particularly where there are shallow ponds or salt-pans but it can also be seen on migration at inland sites including Aammigq, Tel el Akhdar and Qaraoun lake. Also, a male was seen in display flight at Cheikh Zennad, April 2007 (Richard Prior pers comm). On 23 June 2009 while checking salt ponds in the region of Enfeh, north Lebanon, I saw a chick running along the shore of one of the ponds. As I-came closer the chick sat still, allowing me to take several mobile-phone photos (Plate 1). At the same time, two adults were flying around and were very vocal, with one of them being only 3 m away from me. Its yellow eye ring and lack of white wing bar allowed confirmation of identity as Little Ringed Plover. The area is located to the north of the town of Enfeh, and consists of several salt ponds surrounded by fallow land and colonized by riparian shrub species. Insects, mainly mosquitoes, flourish in the area, especially in the muddier parts of the ponds where the chick was seen. At Enfeh salt ponds the following day, two adults were seen and were initially relatively quiet, until one of the birds started using the broken-wing display 20 m away from the observers. Several further visits followed but chicks were not found. Fresh tracks and droppings from dogs and goats were seen in the area. The chick had pee died due to these animals. - Several areas in Lebanon show great potential as possible breeding sites for the Little Ringed Plover. More observations are required to ascertain the actual status of this species in Lebanon. Plate |. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius chick, Enfeh, north Lebanon, 23 June 2009. © Shadi Indary 134 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Karen Wade, Pamela Williams and Mike Orr who helped monitor the site. Richard Prior provided personal observations and A Rocha Lebanon gave access to their library and references. REFERENCES Hué, F & R Etchecopar. 1970. Les oiseaux du Proche et du Moyen Orient. Boubee, Paris. Kirwan, GM, KA Boyla, P Castell, B Demirci, M Ozen, H Welch & T Marlow. 2008. The Birds of Turkey. Christopher Helm, London. Kumerloeve, H. 1962. Notes on the birds of the Lebanese Republic. Iraq Natural History Museum. Murdoch, DA & KF Betton. 2008. A checklist of the birds of Syria. Sandgrouse Supplement 2. Porter RF, S Christensen & P Schiermacker-Hansen. 1996. Field Guide to the Birds of the Middle East. T & AD Poyser, London. Ramadan-Jaradi, G, T Bara & M Ramadan-Jaradi. 2008. Revised checklist of the birds of Lebanon 1999-2007. Sandgrouse 30: 22-69. Shadi Indary, Indary Bldg, Kalaa Street, Bziza, El Koura, Lebanon. shadi_indary@yahoo.com Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 135 Eradication of the House Crow Corvus splendens on Socotra, Yemen AHMED SAEED SULEIMAN & NADIM TALEB The House Crow Corvus splendens is an invasive species which has caused severe ecological and economic damage in areas where it has become established outside its native range. The year of its arrival on Socotra is uncertain but was probably 1994 aboard a ship travelling from Aden. A small colony became established near the capital and the population reached at least 15 individuals. In 1999 an eradication programme was started but first attempts failed. Then, between 2002 and 2008, the numbers of adults were successfully controlled by financially rewarding children for taking young from the nests and bringing them to conservation staff to be killed. In April 2009 two professional snipers were hired to kill all the adults and this was accomplished in one week and hopefully ends the story of this alien crow on Socotra. The total cost of the control and eradication programme, excluding time, was USS 20 500. INTRODUCTION Situated in the Arabian sea, some 350 km south of the Yemen mainland, the Socotra archipelago is famed for its unique flora and fauna. Over 350 species of plants, 21 species of reptiles and 10 species of birds are endemic (Cheung & DeVantier 2006, Porter & Suleiman in prep). This high degree of endemism ranks Socotra among the top ten oceanic islands in the world for biodiversity. The biological richness of the islands encouraged UNESCO to declare Socotra a World Heritage Site in 2008. However, the biodiversity of the archipelago faces a number of threats, and in 1998 the Socotra Biodiversity Project, supported by GEF/UNDP, started a research and conservation programme to help address them. One such threat was that posed by the House Crow Corvus splendens (Plate 1) and the following year BirdLife international, who were guiding the islands’ breeding bird research and survey programme, recommended that the Environmental Protection Authority of Yemen (EPA) take immediate action to | 000 1:600, Kilometers 20 is 5-45 Figure |. The breeding distribution of the House Crow Corvus splendens on Socotra, 1999-2009. Courtesy SCDP/ BirdLife International (Porter & Suleiman in prep) 136 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) ie Plate 1. House Crows Corvus splendens, Yemen © RF Plate 2. Wadi Hadibu, Hadibu, showing the habitat of Porter the House Crow Corvus splendens on Socotra. © AS Suleiman eradicate it from the island, because of the serious threat it posed —_ Table 1. Highest counts to the native wildlife. of adult and fully fledged House Crows Corvus splendens at the Hadibu HISTORY OF THE HOUSE CROW IN ARABIA colony 1999-2009, The House Crow’s native range extends throughout the Indian Socotra. No count 2005. subcontinent from Sri Lanka north to Nepal, west to southern Iran The highest count in and east to Yunnan. Since the mid 1800s it has spread to much of ens the Indian ocean rim including the Arabian peninsula, eastern and southern Africa, some Indian ocean islands and parts of southern ses af Asia. Much of the spread has almost certainly been ship assisted. aan 2 The first records of House Crows in Arabia were in Aden, where 2002 74 they were probably introduced deliberately in the 1840s. The crow 5993 2 is now a common and increasing resident in many coastal cities, 4994 14 towns and settlements along the gulf of Oman and Arabian gulf, — 2096 [5 more sparsely along the southern Arabian coast, with a large 2007 14 population in Aden, and also along the Red sea coast from the — 2008 12 Bab al-Mandab to the gulf of Aqaba (Ryall 2010). In many places in 2009 3 Yemen it has reached pest proportions. In the Aden area an eradication programme in the 1980s, although ultimately unsuccessful, succeeded in destroying an estimated 250 000 birds but made little impact on the overall population. Despite this the Yemen population in the early 2000s was estimated at 350 000 pairs (Ryall 2010). The story goes that.in April 1994 (though there is some debate that this might have been 1996) a ship belonging to the Yemenia Ports Company arrived at Hadibu, the capital of Socotra, after a four day journey from Aden (see acknowledgements). It was loaded with foodstuffs for the National Home Company (Socotra branch) and aboard were two adult House Crows and a nest with eggs or young which the parents attended. On arrival at Hadibu the crows flew from the port to nearby Wadi Hadibu at the edge of the capital. Here the 7-12 m high palm trees along the wadi provided good nesting sites, while the nearby settlements and fishing beach meant there was a ready supply of food including dead fish and animals (Plate 2). This breeding and feeding habitat proved ideal and by 2000 the population had reached at least 15 birds. Interestingly, the crow was only seen once away from Wadi Hadibu, at nearby Wadi Sirhan, a distance of less than 2 km and where there were no settlements. It took up its residence at the edge of the capital, close to the Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 137 Table 2. The number of fledgling House Crows Corvus splendens collected by childrén on Socotra, 2002—2007. 2002-2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 January 0 0 0 0 February 0 0 0 0 March 15 U/ 2 13 April 4 3 15 8 May 12 / 0 23 June i 6 3 2 July 14 0 0 9 August 0 z. 5 4 September 0 0 0 0 October 0 0 4 0 November 0 0 0 0 December 0 0 0 0 Udi 52 25 29 59 Total 242 sea and remained there during its 15 years as an island alien (Figure 1). It is unclear what damage they caused to the native wildlife but crows were seen to take young Southern Grey Shrikes Lanius meridionalis from the nest, and also to harass the local chickens and to take chicks from hens. The population of crows was counted regularly by the Socotra Conservation and Development Programme ( EPA) and BirdLife International and the highest annual counts are shown in Table 1. THE CONTROL AND ERADICATION PROGRAMME In 1999, under the guidance of the SCDP and BirdLife International, an eradication programme was started. Five attempts were made, the first three were unsuccessful, the fourth succeeded in controlling the population, and the fifth achieved the goal of eradication. _ The first attempt deployed Larsen traps which were shipped by BirdLife to Socotra from the UK. The Larsen trap is a humane, wire-mesh trap with two compartments, one to hold a decoy bird, the other with a trap door into which hopefully a crow could be attracted with food. The plan was to trap three House Crows to use as decoys (one in each trap) then place the traps at the edge of Hadibu where House Crows were known to feed. Unfortunately it proved impossible to catch any House Crows to use as decoys and so this attempt was abandoned. The total cost of this failed project, excluding time, was approximately US$1500 (cost of traps and shipping costs). The second attempt was equally unsuccessful. In 2000 a crow trap was built using a design from the UK (Plate 3). This large wooden-framed trap was baited with fish and other food items to attract crows through its funnel-like roof, any bird caught then being humanely dispatched. The trap was sited on a roof near to the coast in Hadibu where House Crows were known to breed and feed. Again, after five months of trying not a single crow was caught! It is worthy of mention that three fledging crows were put in the trap as decoys but even that failed to entice any birds. The cost of this failed project was c$700 for material for constructing the trap. Following these failures attempts by army officers to shoot the birds were also unsuccessful. Four soldiers worked for four days in the wadis but without success. House 138 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Plate 3. Crow trap on a roof top in Hadibu, Socotra, Plate 4. Nadim Taleb and Ahmed Saeed Suleiman after in 2000; it failed to catch any House Crows Corvus receiving young House Crows Corvus splendens from splendens. © RF Porter children, Socotra. © AS Suleiman. Crows are very canny birds and even the sight of a gun causes them to fly and hide in the palm trees. The cost of this third failed attempt was approximately $800. For the fourth attempt it was decided to try to simply keep the population under control by encouraging schoolchildren to search for nests and rewarding them for bringing nests and young birds to be humanely dispatched by SCDP or EPA staff. At first the children brought nests with eggs and during 2000 and 2001 a total of 161 eggs were collected. However it was soon apparent that taking eggs only resulted in the crows laying again and so this practice was stopped and the children were asked to collect only nests with fledglings (Plate 4). As a reward for bringing these young birds to SCDP the children were given 1000-1500 Yemeni Riyals (c$6—9) for each crow, depending on its age; and 2000 Riyals (c$12) for an adult . During 2002-2007 a total of 242 young House Crows were collected and killed by the SCDP/EPA team (Table 2). This control programme, which cost a total of $2500 in reward payments, was successful in keeping the population under control and below 15 birds by the time it was fully operating (Table 1). In addition to control of crow numbers, analysis of the data in Table 2 shows that the breeding season was at least from March to August with the highest number of young in May. Despite the successful control programme, it was still necessary to eradicate the remaining adults. Thus it was decided in 2008 to engage InGrip-Consulting & Animal Control (Germany) with funding from the UNDP Small Grants Program (SGP) through its coordinator, Dr Omar Al-Saghier. In April 2009 Peter Haverson, a professional sniper, and Guntram Meier from InGrip arrived on the island to kill the birds following the approval and permission of H.E. Abdulrahman Al-Eryani Minister of Water and Environment and the Minister of Interior. Working closely with the SCDP/EPA team, nine birds were shot in the first day and three in the next few days. After a week the team from InGrip flew _back to Sana’a. However, monitoring continued and it was discovered that a single bird still remained; so Peter Haverson flew back to Socotra to dispatch it. This final successful effort to eradicate the House Crow cost $15 000 and brought to an end a potentially serious threat to Socotra’s wildlife. Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 139 CONCLUSIONS j The removal of any alien invasive species can be a long and costly exercise. Not only in terms of finance and man-power, but also the government and international input that is necessary. We therefore strongly recommend much greater security and checking at air and seaports to ensure that no alien organisms—be they animal or plant—arrive on Socotra. There are important lessons here for local communities and young conservationists, not only in Socotra, but elsewhere in the world. Now that the House Crow has been eradicated from Socotra it is important that any stow-away birds on ships travelling to the island are not allowed to come ashore. Such mistakes could easily happen due to the lack of environmental education and awareness, and a programme about the dangers of alien invasive species is urgently needed for this World Heritage Site and is currently under discussion. We know, for example, that there are 65 alien plant.species in Socotra, mainly being grown by people in home gardens, and of these 21 have the potential to become invasive. Most of the mammals that have been introduced to Socotra are domesticated, controlled and provide an important food resource, but four that are alien and invasive (to a greater or lesser extent) are the domestic cat, lesser Indian civet cat Viverricula indica, the black rat Rattus rattus and the Norway rat Rattus norvegicus (Banfield et al 2010). The most serious threat to birds, especially breeding seabirds is that posed by rats. The extent of this is not known, but is a priority for investigation under an invasive alien species programme. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank Richard Porter of Birdlife International for encouraging us to write this paper, helping with its editing and supporting our bird conservation efforts. We also express our gratitude to H.E. Abdul-Rahman F Al-Eryani, the Minister of Water and the Environment, to Omar Al-Saghier for initiating the final eradication under the UNDP Small Grants Programme, and to the EPA for their support. Our thanks also go to Ahmed Mohamed Qasim, Abdooh Suliman Shamsan and Khalid Al-Haj Qaid for provid- ing the account of the arrival of the crows on Socotra in 1994, to Abdullatif Saed Amer for translation and the team who worked with us on Socotra including Fhmy ba Hshuan, Ahmed Issa and Salim Dahq Ali. We thank Paul Scholte and his wife Stephany for their support and in helping with an initial draft. REFERENCES Banfield, L, A Miller, E Neubert, R Porter, S Ali Saleh & K Van Damme. 2010. Invasive species: the dangers of introducing alien animals and plants to Soqgotra. Tayf 7. Cheung, C & L DeVantier. 2006. Socotra- A Natural History of the Islands and their People. Odyssey Books and Guides, Hong Kong. Porter, RF & AS Suleiman. In prep. The population and distribution of the breeding birds of Socotra. BirdLife International/SCDP. Ryall, C. 2010. Species account: House Crow Corvus splendens. In: Jennings, MC (ed). The atlas of breeding birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia, Frankfurt & King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology, Riyadh, pp491-493. Ahmed Saeed Suleman & Nadim Taleb, Socotra Conservation and Development Programme (Environment Protection Authority), Socotra, Yemen. gqamhem@yahoo.com 140 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) On the validity of the ‘Steppe Grey Shrike’ as an independent species EVGENIY N PANOV & ANNA A BANNIKOVA The large grey shrikes inhabiting northeastern Iran, Kazakhstan and the Central [Middle] Asian republics of the former USSR, northern Mongolia and northwestern China are regarded by Lefranc & Worfolk (1997) as belonging to the eastern population of the polytypic Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis, representing the geographical race L. m. pallidirostris (Figure 1). The same status is assigned to the taxon in the review of true shrikes, Laniidae, in volume 13 of Handbook of the Birds of the World (Yosef 2008). Both sources support the view presented in earlier fundamental works, in particular The Birds of the Western Palearctic (Roselaar in Cramp & Perrins 1993) and a number of others. At the same time, one may readily find numerous publications on the Internet where the taxon is presented under the name Steppe Grey Shrike L. pallidirostris (eg www.birds.kz, www. oiseaux.net). How did this view of these birds as an independent species arise and to what extent are species status and the imposed name supported? Although it is difficult to trace the very first step in assigning species status to the taxon, we suppose that it would be the Checklist of the Birds of Eurasia compiled by BF King in 1997 (King 1997). It is important to note that there is no explanation in that work of the author’s reason for elevating the taxon from subspecies to the rank of independent species. It can only be assumed that the decision by King was based on differences in the external morphology of pallidirostris compared to other subspecies of the Southern Grey Shrike (in particular, in their colour patterns). At the same time, it should be pointed out that these differences are often overestimated, largely because the bird is not well known to western ornithologists. Within the framework of zoological systematics, it is difficult to justify separating the form pallidirostris as an independent species as it interbreeds freely with its more westerly counterpart L. m. aucheri, so that an intermediate population has been formed in the northeast of Iran Soe 1954, Vaurie 1955, 1959, see also Dubois 2000 and Figures Dame’ 3): ee | ee 0 AS pallidirostris 113 Se pu: S : ao) DJ ZEN qe oe a =a we a oo = aie e 29,0 koenigi 101 Figure |. Range of the Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis. Figures denote mean wing length (mm) in males. The different shading style at the top shows southern parts of the Great Grey Shrike’s Lanius excubitor range (after Panov 2010). Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 141 EVIDENCE FROM MOLECULAR STUDIES Other sources for the treatment of pallidirostris as a full species derive from comparative molecular studies, the reliability of the inferences from which needs examination. The first notion of assigning the rank of full species to pallidirostris was in a short paper by Hernandez et al (2004). This proposed splitting the Southern Grey Shrike L. meridionalis into at least two independent species: a western one composed of the subspecies meridionalis (Iberian peninsula) and koenigi (Canary islands), and an eastern one including the races aucheri (Middle East) and _ pallidirostris. Later, two papers appeared almost simultaneously! in which this topic was discussed on the basis of other molecular markers. Where the validity of L. m. pallidirostris as a full species is discussed from the molecular point of view (eg Hernandez et al 2004, Gonzalez et al 2008), a problem arises from the proposed genetic paraphyly of L. meridionalis and Great Grey Shrike L. excubitor though the case for two taxa ; A @elegans B @ aucheri paraphyly itself seems far from clear. @ eucher O patlicirostris Indeed, one can see that in all trees, both | Qf.” _ gins) mitochondrial and nuclear, the subspecies of Southern Grey and Great Grey Shrikes Figure 2. Distribution of the Southern Grey Shrike are intermixed with each other and the Lanius meridionalis in the Middle East and western Asia. American Loggerhead Shrike L. Indovicianus. A—from Lefranc and Worfolk 1997; B—from Mansoori 2001 and Dubois 2000. In B—shaded area depicts range On the tree based on the nuclear introns odc of ‘residents’ (Mansoori 2001). meridionalis, ‘, ; See A Sea aN WY aon P apallidirostris pes = Ge & i TAG 2 koenigi oe ee aucheri (7 elegans eeenl apse ES \ a ae a | AAD TN SC — ae ( a at = = ‘a f oy , y leucopygos Soe 4 puryi_ ee ee aarti _. = uncinatus “ yebelmarrae” i i. Figure 3. Clinal geographical variation in the range of the Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis. Intermediate (hybrid) populations at boundaries of subspecies’ ranges are denoted by names in quotation marks or are labelled ‘unnamed’ (after Panov 2010). ' Gonzalez et al (2008): ms received 6 June 2007, published online 8 March 2008; Klassert et al (2008): ms received 28 February 2007, available online 16 March 2008. 142 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) and myo, L. m. meridionalis forms a group with the nominate race of the Great Grey Shrike L. e. excubitor, though the bootstrap support for this grouping is, in fact, very low. At the same time, other forms with a vulnerable molecular phylogenetic position, such as L. e. imvictus, L. m. algeriensis and L. ludovicianus, were not examined by nuclear markers and are absent from the tree. As for the clustering of L. m. meridionalis with the American race of the Great Grey Shrike L. e. invictus, this is, for the time being, also a result of mitochondrial studies only (Gonzalez et al 2008, Klassert et al 2008). On the mitochondrial trees (Gonzalez et al 2008, Klassert et al 2008), L. m. algeriensis and L. m. koenigi form a single group with a very low level of molecular differentiation, which is in good agreement with the geographical proximity of their ranges. The association of the clade L. m. algeriensis + L. m. koenigi with L. e. excubitor from Poland, on the other hand, is obscure, taking into account the obvious spatial distance between both. In any case, the distribution of the taxa studied in the trees discussed clearly contradicts zoogeographical considerations of these taxa, including the firmly established fact that the Great Grey and Southern Grey Shrikes are independent species and completely isolated reproductively in the zones of contact and overlap of their ranges (eg Panov 1995, 2010, Lefranc 1999). An apparent discordance between the biological species boundary of the Great Grey and Southern Grey Shrikes and the mtDNA genotype might be attributed to ancient introgressive hybridization preventing molecular divergence. The invasion of ‘foreign’ mtDNA genotypes through hybridization is well known in animals and birds in particular (eg Irwin et al 2009). However, the potential probability of this phenomenon was not taken into account by the authors of the papers analysed. To sum up, the limited number of reconcilable DNA results and the lack of concordance with biological species boundaries is easily explained by the limitation of geographical samples and restricted local samples (down to just 1 specimen), which may have resulted in a strong bias of the phylogenetic signal when studying widely distributed and seasonally migrating taxa. The recent molecular study by Olsson and co-workers (2010) dealt with the same genetic loci as Gonzalez et al (2008) and Klassert et al (2008). This paper differs in a positive way from those discussed above. Firstly, a wider range of taxa and populations was studied, and almost all specimens examined were collected at or near their breeding places. A large number of museum specimens was used, which gives confidence in the correctness of their specific and subspecific identifications. Secondly, the possibility is admitted that ancient hybridization may have influenced the molecular divergence revealed. And, finally, there is some important discussion concerning the question of correctness and objectivity of results. In particular, Olsson et al (2010) emphasize the danger of relying on a single molecular marker, such as mtDNA, in taxonomic revisions though they contradicted this philosophy in the abstract to the paper by concluding that: ” . . . the Lanius excubitor complex may be divided into at least six species, L. borealis, L. elegans, L. excubitor, L. lahtora, L. meridionalis, and L. uncinatus” ie the Southern Grey Shrike discussed here is proposed as comprising four independent species—L. meridionalis, L. elegans, L. uncinatus and L. lahtora (= lahtora+ pallidirostris). It should be mentioned, however, that the authors ended their suggestion in the abstract by saying that ‘other taxonomic treatments are also possible’. FURTHER OBJECTIONS TO THE ARGUMENTATION PRESENTED IN MOLECULAR STUDIES To return to the question of the possibility of assigning the rank of full species to some subspecies of Southern Grey Shrike (and the race pallidirostris in particular), there are further contradictions. Based on mtDNA tandem repeats, Hernandez et al (2004) recognized Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 143 a pair of southern European and African subspecies (L. m. meridionalis + L. m. koenigi) and a pair of Asian subspecies (L. m. pallidirostris + L. m. aucher1). Later, however, Gonzalez et al (2008) were unable to confirm the inference about the closeness of L. m. meridionalis and L. m. koenigi. They found instead that these forms ‘differed significantly’. At the same time, Gonzalez and co-authors did not find evidence to distinguish the Canarian subspecies, L. m. koenigi, from L. m. algeriensis on the African mainland (Tunisia). Jt was suggested that these races together correspond to a separate species, other than L. meridionalis sensu stricto from the mainland. Klassert et al (2008) suggested that L. m. meridionalis should be elevated to species status, while L. m. koenigi, L. m. algeriensis, L. m. auchert and L. m. pallidirostris ‘should be reviewed and assigned to different species’. This latter suggestion appears ambiguous. Should all these forms be assigned to any one species, or is the idea to distinguish several species (two to four)? From what is known by ornithologists to date about interrelations of the forms L. m. algeriensis, L. m. aucheri and L. m. pallidirostris, it can be inferred that all of them are interconnected through a chain of intermediate (hybrid) populations (Meinertzhagen 1954, Vaurie 1955, 1959, Roselaar in Cramp & Perrins 1993, Shirihai 1996, Figure 3). In other words, geographical! variation in the section of the Southern Grey Shrike’s range covering North Africa, the Middle East and part of Central Asia is strongly clinal. Bearing this in mind, any attempt to divide this apparently genetically unified whole into two or more species seems to make no zoological sense. . Moreover, we do not believe that the category ‘species’ is so simple that it may be based only on mitochondrial genetic distances. Especially in so far as there is no rational and careful taxonomic synthesis on this topic for birds, unlike that already implemented by a number of studies for mammals (eg Bradley & Baker 2001, Baker & Bradley 2006). Caution in proposing new species of shrikes based on cytb genetic distances is especially relevant because of limited information on nuclear sequences for some crucial forms in the present studies. The same important idea is clearly expressed (though see above) by Olsson et al (2010). They highlight the possible danger of relying on a single molecular marker, eg mtDNA, in taxonomic revisions and phylogenetic inference, as the following quotation explains: “Since the mitochondrial gene tree deviates substantially from the (non-cladistic) interpretation of relationships based on morphological and ecological characteristics, and there are indications that the gene tree might not fully conform with the organismal phylogeny, any proposed taxonomy is uncertain”. Besides, taking into account the complexity of subspecific identification and a limited range of samples from different geographical areas, one must be careful about accuracy in any general conclusions. For unbiased comments about the relationships between shrikes of the L. excubitor/L. meridionalis species group one needs an extensive sample of their geographical races*. In other words, treating L. m. pallidirostris as a separate species (L. pallidirostris) on the basis of the molecular studies published so far cannot be justified. NOMENCLATURAL ASPECTS The history of distinguishing Southern Grey Shrike as an independent species is portrayed by Klassert et al (2008) as follows: “ ... Lanius meridionalis has been proposed and accepted at international level as a separate species (British Ornithologists’ Union, *As Gonzalez and co-authors (2008) wrote “” ... only one sample of L. m. algeriensis was available and, due to shortage of DNA, we could only sequence the cytochrome b gene. Consequently, in order to validate these results, further sampling will be necessary especially in North African populations. The systematic relationships of other African populations that possibly are closely related, for instance, L. m. elegans and L. m. leucopygos, remain unknown, and they may represent key taxa [the italics are ours] in this issue”. 144 = Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 1997)”. What needs to be made clear is that statements and decisions in the BOU Records Committee Report (July 1996) referred to here (British Ornithologists’ Union 1997) were based on a review of the relevant recent literature, including the first (Isenmann & Bouchet 1993, Panov 1993, 1995) to propose that “the excubitor and meridionalis groups of races are better treated as separate species”. It should be noted that in the two 1993 papers cited, the Southern Grey Shrike was erroneously named Lantus elegans (after the North African race elegans). However, as P Isenmann informed ENP later, the correct name of the taxon is meridionalis, since Swainson proposed the name elegans in 1831, ie 11 years after Temminck’s work (1820, in which a subspecies meridionalis had been described as the first representative of this species). And then, Klassert and co-workers wrote: “Furthermore, Harris and Franklin (2000)° and Hernandez et al (2004) have suggested the existence of three species (L. excubitor, L. meridionalis and L. pallidirostris)”. We have shown above that the evidence put forward by Hernandez et al in favour of L. pallidirostris as an independent species simply lacks weight. Even if one accepts these proposals, a new eastern polytypic species (‘Steppe Grey Shrike’)? cannot be named pallidirostris, as the order in which the subspecies were described is as follows: uncinatus 1881, leucopygos 1828, elegans 1831, lahtora 1832, algeriensis 1839, pallidirostris 1852, aucheri 1853, buryi 1901. So, even from this point of view, the name L. pallidirostris is invalid. Olsson et al (2010) introduced a necessary correction in their paper. They assigned to the pair of forms meridionalis and lahtora, similar in respect of cytochrome b,asecond name lahtora, which corresponds to the rule of taxonomic priority and so makes use of the name Lanius pallidirostris (‘Steppe Grey Shrike’), as often encountered now in publications on the Internet, inappropriate. And, finally, turning to the vernacular name ‘Steppe Grey Shrike’ of L. (m.) pallidirostris. Although not all those who use ‘Steppe Grey Shrike’ also treat it as an independent species, this nevertheless leads to still more confusion. As said above, the name, now widely used in many publications (in particular, on the Internet), is misleading since there may be confusion with L. excubitor homeyert, called Steppe Grey Shrike by Dement’ev & Gladkov (1968: 38). In the latter book (p45), the common name for L. meridionalis [then excubitor] pallidirostris is Desert Grey Shrike (Lanius pallidirostris Cassin, 1852, originally described from wintering individuals in northeast Africa). In reality, pallidirostris is rather a desert than a steppe bird (eg Panov 2010). We should like to touch on two points in conclusion. First, if each population or a local cluster of them is considered as a species because of its differences from other large local populations (as in the paper by Olsson et al 2010), the main pragmatic aspect of classification of the lower-level taxa (in particular, an idea of their hierarchical arrangement) will be lost. And, secondly, it is unfortunate that changes tend to be proposed not by local researchers carrying out thorough studies on a given taxon, but by people who are prepared to make judgements ‘from a distance’. There is evidence of this in the case under discussion; for a similar example in shrike systematics see Panov (2009). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We greatly appreciate the help given by Mike Wilson, who kindly edited an early draft of this paper and improved our English. We also wish to thank the two anonymous reviewers of the ms. °As M Wilson kindly informed us, Harris and Franklin (2000) stated only: “ .. . the race pallidirostris, or ‘Steppe Grey Shrike’, deserves greater attention . . .” because of differences in its vocal/behavioural repertoire. ‘Although the BOU in 1997 used the name ‘Steppe Shrike’, most other authors, including more recently, appear to favour ‘Steppe Grey Shrike’. Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 145 REFERENCES . Baker, RJ & RD Bradley. 2006. Speciation in mammals and the Genetic Species Concept. journal of Mammalogy 87: 643-662. Bradley, RD & RJ Baker. 2001. A test of the Genetic Species Concept: cytochrome-b sequences and mammals. Journal of Mammalogy 82: 960-973. British Ornithologists’ Union. 1997. Records Committee: Twenty-third Report (July 1996). Ibis 139: 197-201. Cramp, S & CM Perrins (eds). 1993. Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (The Birds of the Western Palearctic). Vol 7. Oxford University Press, UK, pp433-552. Dement’ev GP & NA Gladkov. 1968. Birds of the Soviet Union. Vol 6. Israel Program for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem. [English translation of the 1954 Russian original: Ptitsy Sovetskogo Soyuza. Sovetskaya Nauka, Moscow. ] Dubois, PJ. 2000. Trip Report: Iran, February 20— March 7. www.osme.org/osmetrip/iran2.html Gonzalez, J, M Wink, E Garcia-del-Rey & G Delgado Castro. 2008. Evidence from DNA nucleotide sequences and ISSR profiles indicates paraphyly in subspecies of the Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis). Journal of Ornithology 149: 495-506. Harris, T & K Franklin. 2000. Shrikes and bush-shrikes. Christopher Helm, London. Hernandez, MA, F Campos, F Gutiérrez-Corchero & A Amezcua. 2004. Identification of Lanius species and subspecies using tandem repeats in the mitochondrial DNA control region. [bis 146: 227-230. Irwin, DE, AS Rubtsov & EN Panov. 2009. Mitochondrial introgression and replacement between yellowhammers (Emberiza citrinella) and pine buntings (Emberiza leucocephalos) (Aves: Passeriformes). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 98: 422-438. Isenmann, P & M-A Bouchet. 1993. L’aire de distribution frangaise et le statut taxinomique de la pie-grieche grise méridionale Lanius elegans meridionalis. Alauda 61: 223-227. King, BF. 1997. Checklist of the Birds of Eurasia. Ibis Publishing, Vista, California. Klassert, TE, MA Hernandez, F Campos, O Infante, T Almeida, NM Suarez, J Pestano & M Hernandez. 2008. Mitochondrial DNA points to Lanius meridionalis as a polyphyletic species. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 47: 1227-1231. Lefranc, N. 1999. Les pies-grieches Lanius sp. en France: répartition et status actuels, histoire récente, habitats. Ornithos 6(2): 58-82. Lefranc, N & T Worfolk. 1997. Shrikes: a guide to the shrikes of the world. Pica Press, Sussex, UK. Mansoori, J. 2001. A Field Guide to the Birds of Iran. Nashr Zehn Aviz, Tehran. [In Persian] Meinertzhagen, R. 1954. Birds of Arabia. Oliver & Boyd, London. Olsson, U, P Alstrom, L Svensson, A Mansour & P Sundberg. 2010. The Lanius excubitor (Aves, Passeriformes) conundrum—taxonomic dilemma when molecular and non-molecular data tell different stories. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 55: 347-357. Panov, EN. 1993. Superspecies of shrikes of the former USSR. International Shrike Symposium. Archbold Field Station, Lake Placid, Florida. Program and Abstracts: 12. Panov, EN. 1995. Superspecies of shrikes of the former USSR. In: Yosef, R & FE Lohrer (eds). Shrikes (Laniidae) of the World: Biology and Conservation. Proc. Western Foundation Vert. Zool. 6(1): 26-33. Panov, EN. 2009. On the nomenclature of the so-called Isabelline Shrike. Sandgrouse 31: 163-170. Panov, EN. 2010. True Shrikes (Laniidae) of the World. Ecology, Behavior, Evolution. Pensoft, Sofia- Moscow. In press. Shirihai, H. 1996. The birds of Israel. Academic Press, London. Temminck, CJ. 1820. Manuel d’Ornithologie. Ed 2(1): 143. Vaurie, C. 1955. Systematic notes on Palearctic Birds. 17 Laniidae. American Museum Novitates 1752: 1-19. Vaurie, C. 1959. The birds of the Palearctic fauna. Passeriformes. HF & G Witherby, London. Yosef, R. 2008. Family Laniidae. In: del Hoyo, J, A Elliott & DA Christie (eds). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol 13. Penduline Tits to Shrikes. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, pp732-796. Evgeniy N Panov, Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences. panoven@mail.ru Anna A Bannikova, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Moscow University. hylomys@mail.ru 146 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) First record of Wilson’s Phalarope Steganopus tricolor in the United Arab Emirates OSCAR CAMPBELL Al Wathba wetland reserve comprises a large saline lake some 40 km east of Abu Dhabi city. It is managed by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) and is the single most important non-estuarine site in the United Arab Emirates for waterbirds, regularly holding in excess of 10 000 waders, ducks, Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber and roosting gulls in mid-winter. On the afternoon of 3 January 2010 during one of my regular visits to the main lake I found a Wilson’s Phalarope Steganopus tricolor. With perseverance, I managed to get some quite close (but rather brief) views before it flew out into the middle of the lake to join a party of swimming Ruff Philomachus pugnax. The following field-notes were made immediately after the sighting: General structure and appearance: compared to (memories of) both Red-necked Phalaropus lobatus and Grey Phalaropes P. fulicarius, plumage much greyer and less contrasty than either and bill longer and even thinner than Red-necked. Compared to Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis, rather smaller; probably a little smaller than Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea. Bill as long as Marsh Sandpiper’s but even thinner and finer. Plate 1. Wilson’s Phalarope Steganopus tricolor, January Plate 2. Wilson’s Phalarope Steganopus tricolor, January 2010, Al Wathba WR, United Arab Emirates. © Graham 2010, Al Wathba WR, United Arab Emirates. © Graham Talbot Talbot Plate 3. Wilson’s Phalarope Steganopus tricolor, January Plate 4. Wilson’s Phalarope Steganopus tricolor, January 2010, Al Wathba WR, United Arab Emirates. © Steve 2010, Al Wathba WR, United Arab Emirates. © Steve James James Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 147 Short legged; in flight very little leg extension but structure otherwise similar to Marsh Sandpiper, ie rather long winged and much more relaxed and bigger than the calidrid-like Red-necked (or Grey) Phalarope. Plumage in flight: obvious large, seemingly square, white rump patch; tail seemingly rather pale too. No white slash up back. Wings plain, no wingbar but there seemed to be a diffuse, thin, paler trailing edge to inner secondaries. Plumage on the water: Definite ‘phalarope-mark’ on head te eye patch present and clear but grey, not black and not striking or contrasty at long range. Also, crown marking rather extensive and dark grey; hence rather narrow pale line between crown and eye patch. From behind, neck extensively shaded grey, hence seemed all grey from crown to saddle; not exhibiting a white nape with narrow blackish central line as on Red-necked or Grey Phalaropes. Saddle and wings rather uniform grey. Bare parts: bill all dark. Legs only seen briefly and at longish range; seemed olive or greenish and certainly rather pale; similar in tone to adjacent Marsh Sandpipers. The relative brevity of the views and the fading light meant that a thorough analysis of feather detail was not possible. The following afternoon I returned to the lake with several other observers but the phalarope proved very elusive and was only seen briefly and distantly. However, on 9 January EAD kindly granted access to the site for all UAE birdwatchers and reasonable views were obtained by some 15 observers. Although the bird remained generally unpredictable and somewhat distant, some photographs were obtained (Plates 1-4). The bird was last seen on 10 January; despite being in active primary moult, intense coverage over the following weeks failed to relocate it. The bird proved impossible to age. Views and photos were insufficient to detect any worn, retained juvenile wing feathers (if present). Unusually for a migratory wader from the northern hemisphere, the majority of first-winter Wilson’s Phalaropes have a complete moult in their wintering quarters, which is generally completed in January—March (Cramp & Simmons 1983). This makes any birds in active wing moult in winter unageable (at least on this character) as all adults follow the same strategy. Wilson’s Phalarope breeds across the interior of North America, from southwestern Canada east to Ontario and south to Kansas and northern California. Breeding populations appear to be declining, perhaps as a result of changes in land use. They are long-distance migrants, spending the winter in Peru and Argentina. The species has a history of far-flung vagrancy, appearing annually in western Europe and has reached southern Australia, the Falkland islands and even Antarctica (Cramp & Simmons 1983). It has been recorded on four previous occasions in the Middle East, most recently in 1997. There are two records each from Turkey (Kirwan et al 2008) and Oman (Jens Eriksen pers comm). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank EAD, and in particular Salim Javed, for arranging public access to the site once the bird had been discovered. Steve James and Graham Talbot provided useful reference photographs and Jens Eriksen supplied details on the Omani records. REFERENCES Cramp, S & KEL Simmons. 1983. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol 3. Oxford University Press, UK. Kirwan, GM, B Demirci, H Welch, K Boyla, M Ozen, P Castell & T Marlow. 2008. The Birds of Turkey. Christopher Helm, UK. Oscar Campbell, PO Box 4001, British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. ojcampbell25@yahoo.com 148 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) First record of White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga for Iraq MUDHAFAR SALIM During the 2010 winter survey of the Key Biodiversity Areas project of Nature Iraq, the team was surveying Sawa lake (31° 19’ 03.6” N, 44° 59’ 35.9" E, Figure 1), Muthanna governorate, Iraq, on 19 February 2010. Sawa lake is a small, closed, brackish lake with neither water inlet nor outlet, as it is fed by underground water. It looks like a large oasis but with no plant cover at its margins save for surrounding desert shrubs and neighbouring palm groves. While birding there that day with Kadhum Jawad and Mohammed Turki, | spotted a black-and-white wheatear that I first thought was a dark morph Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens. As it flew Inoticed that the bird did not have the black terminal tail band of most wheatears. The bird was observed for about ten minutes, from a vehicle and whilst following it among rocks. The bird was not easily approached and was observed from cl5—50 m away. Photos were taken (Plates 1 & 2). The weather during the observation was clear and sunny, and with no wind. During the observation, the bird was shy, very restless and cautious of any sudden or close movements, and silent as well. It was a comparatively large-sized wheatear with black head, neck, and underparts that reached down to the thigh. The bird had a short white line above an eye. The back was black extending to the white rump. The vent and undertail coverts were white. The Figure |. Red circle indicates location of Sawa lake, site of Iraq’s first record of White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga. Surrounding countries are shown in orange and the head of the Gulf is lower right. Plates | & 2. White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga at Sawa lake, southern Iraq, 19 February 2010. ~ © Mudhafar A Salim/Nature Iraq Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 149 central feathers of the tail were black, while the outer ones were white and there was no black terminal tail band. The black colour of the upper and under parts was glossy but the primaries had a brownish shade. Legs were black and so was the bill. It was an immature White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga. The record has been accepted by the Iraqi Bird Recording Committee, IBRC, as the first for Iraq. The White-crowned Black Wheatear occurs in desert habitats over North Africa and eastwards to northern Saudi Arabia (Jennings et al 2009) and southern and western Jordan (Andrews 1995). The species has been claimed twice for Syria (Murdoch & Betton 2008) and it is a rare visitor to Kuwait (Gregory 2005). Allouse referred to the possibility of occurrence of this species in Iraq after it was found in Ahwaz, southwest Iran (Allouse 1953, 1963) though Scott & Adhami (2006) listed O. leucopyga as a vagrant to Iran with no records for at least 50 years. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks are due to my colleagues Kadhum and Mohammad for their help. I also would like to acknowledge my friends in Nature Iraq for their hard work. Special thanks to Richard Porter for his generous help and guidance. REFERENCES Allouse, BE. 1953. Avifauna of Iraq. Al-Tafayudh Press, Baghdad. Allouse, BE. 1963. Birds of Iraq. Vol 3. Al-Rabita Press, Baghdad. Andrews, IJ. 1995. The Birds of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. J Andrews, Vinscelianteeto UK. Jennings, MC, I Mohammed, A Baleegh & N Hajed. 2009. Wintering Birds in Northern Saudi Arabia: February 2009 (ABBA Survey 40). MC Jennings, Cambs, UK. Gregory, G. 2005. The Birds of the State of Kuwait. G Gregory, Skegness, UK. Murdoch, DA & KF Betton. 2008. A checklist of the birds of Syria. Sandgrouse Supplement 2. Scott, DA & A Adhami. 2006. An updated checklist of the birds of Iran. Podoces 1: 1-16. Mudhafar A Salim, Head of Bird Section, Nature Iraq, Iraq. mudhafarsalim@yahoo.com, mudhafar.salim@natureiraq.org 150 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Shikra Accipiter badius breeding in Armenia VASIL ANANIAN, KAREN AGHABABYAN, SIRANUSH TUMANYAN, GRIGOR JANOYAN & KEITH BILDSTEIN The Shikra Accipiter badius is a widespread Accipiter with a predominantly Asian and African distribution. Throughout its range the species is represented by several races, with the northernmost and migratory A. b. cenchroides found from extreme southeastern Transcaucasus and northern Iran east to Kazakhstan and northwest India (Dementiev & Gladkov 1951, Cramp 1980, del Hoyo et al 1994). In the Transcaucasus, the Shikra is known in Azerbaijan from old records at Vel village, near Lankaran city (southeast Azerbaijan), where three birds including one near a nest on 3 June were collected (year not specified, Dementiev & Gladkov 1951). In Little Kizil Agach bay, cl5—20 km north of Lankaran city, one bird was collected on 13 May 1953, while a nest with eggs of probably this species was found in 1964 in Avrora village, cl0 km SSW from Lankaran city (Patrikeev 2004). More recently, in May 2007, Alan Lewis observed and photographed (VA has copies) a breeding pair in ‘the main part’ of Azerbaijan (per Chris Batty in litt 2010). Subsequently, breeding was reported for 2008 from southeast Azerbaijan (Heiss & Gauger 2009). Our observations in the Transcaucasus extend the known breeding range of A. b. cenchroides west to Armenia. | OBSERVATIONS In spring/summer 2009 we conducted pilot surveys of Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes nests in several parts of Armenia, including parks in Yerevan city. The surveys included locating and monitoring active nests. Plate I. Male Shikra Accipiter badius, Yerevan, Armenia, | Plate 2. Female Shikra Accipiter badius, Yerevan, Armenia, 30 June 2009. © Vasil Ananian 18 July 2009. © Vasil Ananian Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 151 First pair On 29 June 2009 VA and GJ were out in a Yerevan city park. After one and a half hours of walking the trails, they heard unfamiliar calls at about 09.30 h coming from a densely wooded patch 40-50 m away and moved to the area of the calls. The calls were heard again and shortly after, at 09.40, VA spotted an Accipiter perched c15-20 m away on a branch c5 meters above the eround. The bird was sitting in bright sun facing the observers and showed overall pale coloration with pale grey head/visible parts of mantle and shoulders, very pale underparts with uniform background and barely noticeable horizontal vermiculation and, most strikingly, bright orange-red irises strongly contrasting with its black bib—a combination not encountered in Levant Sparrowhawk. The bird was observed for less than a minute and immediately after it flew L Janoian and KA were contacted by phone and informed about the observation of a probable male Shikra. VA and GJ soon found a second bird of apparently female- type plumage and emitting similar calls. After the arrival of the co-observers with Plate 3. Female Shikra Accipiter badius on nest, Yerevan, Armenia, 30 June 2009. © Vasil Ananian ‘oy a AR Ce —- Perit Hs i VIP GAS uo “.% Plate 4. Female Shikra Accipiter badius at the second nest, Yerevan, Armenia, 22 July 2009. © Siranush Tumanyan - 152 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Plate 5. Site in a Yerevan park containing the first Shikra Accipiter badius pair’s nest, Armenia, 10 July 2009. © Vasil Ananian telescopes, the birds were still present at the site exhibiting territorial behaviour and were well seen through optics at various distances (15 and more m) and perched and in flight. The birds were photographed (and on subsequent visits) and positively identified as male and female Shikras (Plates 1 & 2). Next morning the site was revisited and both birds were found displaying strong territorial behaviour suggesting breeding. A nest-like heap of twigs was spotted in a poplar tree, which proved to be the Shikras’ nest containing downy young (Plate 3). Second pair On 20 July 2009, ST and another field worker visited another city park of Yerevan to check an active Levant Sparrowhawk nest and to look for an additional nest of the species which seemed possible in the park. At c10.15 h an accipiter was spotted perched |] 1 se on a branch of a poplar c8 m away and c7 plate 6. Juvenile Shikra Accipiter badius, Yerevan, m above the ground. The bird was quickly Armenia, 18 July 2009. © Vasil Ananian identified as a female Shikra. Shortly after it flew, it was relocated perched on a nest in a poplar (Plate 4). At cl1.50 h characteristic Shikra calls of a second bird were heard, at which time the female had left the nest and immediately came back with prey and presumably started to feed nestlings, which were not visible from the ground. Two days later a female and male were observed at the nest. ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS AND DISCUSSION Both nest sites were visited opportunistically thereafter. The parks where the nests were found are between 1000-1300 m asl and share similar characteristics in having wooded areas with light understory, interspersed with grassy clearings and patches with exposed ground and rock. Most trees, up to 25-30 m high, and shrubs of the parks were planted poplar Populus, ash Fraxinus, maple Acer, elm Ulmus, false acacia Robinia, honeysticiie Lonicera, privet Ligustrum and elder Sambucus. Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 153 The two nests were on 25-30 m high poplars at the edge of planted areas (Plate 5). Both were situated at the main trunk cl2 and 19 m above the ground, and exteriorly were similar to the nest of Hooded Crows Corvus corone. Feeding behaviour was observed on several occasions at both nests. Males with prey called females and passed prey to them on trees 10-30 m from the nests. The females were seen both consuming prey themselves and feeding prey to their young. At each nest, one of the parents was always present near the nest. When females were consuming delivered food the males replaced them on the nest. Prey items included small passerines.and a vole Microtus sp. No prey remains or pellets were found under the nests. The adults seemed relatively indifferent to the presence of people at the nest sites though a bit more wary than Levant Sparrowhawks in similar circumstances. Hooded Crows, Magpies Pica pica and, in one instance, Woodpigeons Columba palumbus appearing in the vicinity of the nesting tree were actively attacked and chased by the Shikras. The attacks were always accompanied with loud vocalizations. In contrast, a Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo perched c40—50 m from one of the nests was ignored by the female Shikra. The birds were highly vocal at their nests, more so than Levant Sparrowhawks. The usual contact call was a loud, high-pitched, clear ‘ki kie’ that faded on the second syllable. Similar calls were emitted by male and female when they chased other birds from the breeding territory and during prey-passing. The calls were easily distinguished from those of Levant Sparrowhawks (see Cramp 1980). ~ Adult birds appeared to be moulting both body and flight feathers. At the first nest, on 29 June, male and female had the outer pair of rectrices grown to two fifths of their length. On 18 July in the female these feathers had reached four fifths of the full length. The female was also missing several inner primaries. On 22 July at the second nest the male exhibited no moult in the rectrices whereas the female was missing its outermost rectrices. A number of flight and body feathers of adults were collected under the first nest on 18 July. We did not monitor chick development. The first nest contained downy young on 29 June, the day it was found. On 18 July, the three chicks in this nest were ready to fledge (Plate 6). They fledged between 19-22 July. At the second nest, on 17 August, three chicks were fed by the female in the nest; on 20 August two of them were seen at about 20 m from the nest soaring with the female, whereas one was still in the nest. To our knowledge our observations represent the first documented records of Shikras in Armenia. A sighting of a first-year male Shikra on 23 September 1995 in southern Armenia is mentioned in Adamian & Klem (1999). However, we were unable to locate full documentation for that observation. We believe that the appearance of Shikras in Armenia is a recent event that reflects the species’ expansion further west into the Caucasus. As well as Yerevan, large areas of the Arax valley may contain suitable habitat for the establishment of this species. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Levant Sparrowhawk pilot surveys were funded by Acopian family and by Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Martin Abelyan, Lilith Gevorgyan, Levan Janoian and Meike Schaefer have greatly assisted and helped in various ways. VA would like to thank Chris Batty for help with obtaining additional information, Alan Lewis, who has kindly provided his photographs and observation details from Azerbaijan and Anush Nersesyan for identification of plants. REFERENCES Adamian, MS & D Klem. 1999. Handbook of the Birds of Armenia. American University of Armenia, Oakland, California. Cramp, S (ed). 1980. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol 2. Oxford University Press, UK. 154 = Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Dementiev, GP & NA Gladkov (eds). 1951. Birds of the Soviet Union. Vol 1. Sovetskaya Nauka, Moscow. [In Russian] Heiss, M & K Gauger. 2009. The rediscovery of breeding Shikras Accipiter badius in the Western Palearctic. Sandgrouse 31: 134-137. del Hoyo, J, A Elliott & J Sargatal (eds). 1994. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol 2. Lynx Editions, Barcelona. Patrikeev, MP. 2004. The Birds of Azerbaijan. Pensoft, Sofia-Moscow. Vasil Ananian, Karen Aghababyan, Siranush Tumanyan, Grigor Janoyan, Acopian Center for the Environment, American University of Armenia, 40 Baghramian Ave, Yerevan, 0019, Armenia. vasil.ananian@gmail.com, karen@aua.am, siranush_ tumanian@yahoo.com, gjanoian@gmail.com Keith L Bildsten, Acopian Center for Conservation Learning, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, 410 Summer Valley Road, Orwigsburg, PA 17961 USA. bildstein@hawkmtn.org Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 155 Breeding ecology of the White Stork Ciconia ciconia in two localities of Turkey CAGRI GOCEK, AYSEGUL CIFTCI, MEHMET SIKI & PIOTR TRYJANOWSKI The White Stork Ciconia ciconia is a summer visitor and passage migrant in Turkey. Although widespread in the breeding season near wetlands, there has been no tradition of research involving regular monitoring of their nests in Turkey. Here we present data on the breeding ecology of White Storks from central and western Turkey, carried out over several years. About 15 pairs were observed annually near Ankara and between 15 and 36 pairs near Izmir and their breeding success was examined. No significant difference was noted in mean brood size between the two localities over three common study years. The mean reproductive output, given as mean number of young fledged per occupied nest, was 2.57 for Ankara (5 years), and 2.38 for Izmir (3 years). Significant differences in brood size between nest locations (roof, chimney, electricity and telephone poles) were found. Contrary to previous studies outside Turkey, in Ankara the mortality rate was higher in nests with smaller brood sizes. Also in Ankara, early breeders had significantly higher breeding success than late breeders, confirming previous research elsewhere. INTRODUCTION The White Stork Ciconia ciconia is a summer visitor and passage migrant in Turkey. The country provides important feeding and resting areas not only for Turkish White Storks but also for the eastern European White Stork population. The latter population has been estimated at 552 000 individuals (Schulz 1999) and, according to the results of the last International White Stork Census, c74% of the world population migrates south through the Bosphorus at Istanbul (NABU 2006, Kai-Michael Thompsen pers comm), then passes diagonally across Turkey and leaves at the Belen pass in the south. As many as 315 000 White Storks have been counted over the Bosphorus in one migration season (Kasparek & Kilic 1989) and Can (2001) counted 13 000 individuals during a single day in March at the Belen pass in Hatay. a Liew i Z nis ms : & Brak ae 2x: iS t al’ reds TES - < : a Fe FNS Plate I. CG observing a White Stork Ciconia ciconia nest, Kizilcahamam, Ankara, Turkey, May 2006. © Ezgi Gocek 156 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Between 1970 and 1990 the breeding population of the White Stork in Turkey was estimated to be between 15 000 and 35 000 pairs and apparently declined by over 50% (Parr et al 1997, IUCN 2006). According to the results of the last International White Stork Census in 2004/2005, the Turkish breeding population was estimated to be c6195 pairs (NABU 2006), though the results may not adequately reflect the actual number of White Storks breeding in Turkey. It is well known that several factors Plate 2. A White Stork Ciconia ciconia nest platform affect White Stork breeding success, such as Fores es pris eae pee ne age of breeders, time of breeding, habitat, year and even where the nest is sited (Schulz 1998). However, the breeding ecology of the Turkish population is poorly known. The main purpose of the present paper is to provide information on breeding success of the White Stork in relation to year, nest placement and phenology at two localites in Turkey, near Ankara (40° 28’ N, 32° 39’ E, central Turkey) and Izmir (38° 44’ N, 27° 05’ E, coastal western Turkey). STUDY AREAS AND METHODS Ankara: the study area is in the Kizilcahamam district. The White Stork population there is principally located at the Kizilcahamam industrial estate, partially in the vicinity of human settlement (Plates 1-3). The study area is mainly open with scattered trees, covering c1580 km’. The Kirmir stream is the main foraging area for the storks (Gocek 2006). At the study area there were 15 nests, most of which were occupied every year. The study was carried out for five breeding seasons, 2003-2007. During 2004 and 2005, the study area was visited principally two days per week; for the rest of the study period, field observations were conducted one or two times a month. Since the male and female storks of the same nest could not be distinguished and different pairs could not be recognized individually, nest-based identification was used by numbering the nests from 1 to 15, based on location. In the breeding seasons 2004 and 2005, the number of breeding and non-breeding pairs, occupation dates of each nest, numbers of eggs, hatchlings and fledglings were recorded but during the years 2003, 2006 and 2007 only data on numbers of hatchlings and fledglings were collected. The nest occupation date was defined as the first day on which the second bird (presumably mainly females, Tryjanowski et al 2004) was seen on the nest. The presence of two individuals was accepted as proven occupation. For 2004 and 2005, besides breeding success of the nests, the behaviour of the pairs and chicks was recorded and will be published separately. Clutch size and brood size were established sometimes using a telescope and binoculars from a distance (eg Plate 1) and sometimes by climbing directly to the nest. In some cases, data on clutch and brood size could not be obtained. / Izmir: the study plot is located in the Gediz delta (c20 400 ha) and includes 13 villages of the Menemen, Cigli and Foca districts. The delta has various habitats such as brackish and freshwater marshes and arable fields. It is one of the most important wetlands in the Mediterranean region, becoming a RAMSAR site in 1998. The number of White Stork pairs under observation changed from 15 to 36 due to extending the area of interest by adding new villages to the analysis each year. The White Storks preferred to forage close to corn and cotton fields (relatively less disturbed habitats near the settlements), which provided a Sandgrouse 32 (2010) = 157 Table I. Variation in breeding success of White Storks Ciconia ciconia among study years in Ankara, Turkey. See Study Areas and Methods for explanation of symbols. HPm% = HPm as % of HPa. SD = standard deviation of breeding success (JZm). Min/Max, minimum and maximum number of fledged chicks. Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Mean Total HPm% 77.8 71.4 46.7 86.7 100 JZG 2 42 17 47 48 175 JZa ESS 3.00 lals 3al3 3.20 Tssyl JZm 3.00 4.20 2.43 3.62 3.20 DAS SD 1.80 25 1.41 1.25 1.01 1.70 Min/Max 0-5 0-5 0-4 0-5 i) large variety of food (Ciftci 2006). The data on the nestling and chick counts in the villages were obtained from the beginning of March till the end of August, 2005-2007. White Stork nestlings fledge at 58-64 days old (Haverschmidt 1949 in Cramp & Simmons 1977). The date of fledging per nest used in our study was the midpoint between the last observation of no flight and the first observation of chick flight. Population data: the following statistics were calculated for the Ankara (Table 1) and Izmir (Table 2) populations. Their abbreviations are conventional ones introduced by Schutz (1952) based on definitions in German. e The number of nests occupied by a pair for longer than one month, between 14 April and 15 June (HPa). e The number of pairs that fledged young (HPm). e Total number of young fledged in a local population in a given year (JZG). e The mean number of young fledged per HPa nest (JZa = JZG/HPa). Plate 3. White Stork Ciconia ciconia nest on platform close to cables, Kizilcahamam, Ankara, Turkey. © Dorota Szuic- Guziak 158 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Table 2. Variation in breeding success of White Storks Ciconia ciconia among study years in Izmir, Turkey. See Study Areas and Methods and Table | for explanation of symbols. Year HPa HPm% JZG JZa JZm SD Min/Max 2005 15 86.7 34 227 2.62 1.16 0-4 2006 22 90.9 6| DT, 3.05 1.23 0-4 2007 36 88.9 79 2A9 2.47 1.19 0-4 Mean 2.38 Zl 1.21 Total 13 174 e The mean number of young fledged per nest with breeding success (JZm = JZG/HPm). Data for egg and hatchling numbers per pair were obtained for the Ankara population allowing additional analysis. Nest site (Table 3) was categorized as: chimney, roof, electricity pole, telephone pole. We included nests located on the top of mosques (two cases) in the second category and excluded the one nest on a tree from the analysis. All statistical analyses followed Zar (1999) using SPSS/PC version 12.0. RESULTS Number of breeding pairs and breeding success In the Ankara study area (Table 1) in 2004-2007 the number of breeding pairs was almost stable (14-15 pairs). In Izmir (Table 2), extended monitoring added additional pairs to the study each year. In contrast to the stable number of breeding pairs, HPm% (HPm as % of HPa) changed sharply between years in Ankara (Table 1). The year 2005 had the lowest percentage of successful breeders (HPm%), both for the Ankara and Izmir localities (46.7% and 86.7%, respectively, Tables 1 & 2). White Storks breeding in the Ankara and Izmir study areas did not differ significantly in brood size (JZm) (data available for three common years 2005— 2007; mean + SD = 2.49 + 1.55 vs 2.38 + 1.21, Ankara and Izmir respectively, Mann-Whitney U-test, Z = -0.665, P = 0.506). In Ankara, 2004 had the highest variation in the number of fledglings per nest, this occurred in Izmir in 2006 (Tables 1 & 2). Nest site and year effects We tested the importance of nest site and the effect of year on breeding success for both localities. The total number fledging (JZG) and the mean number of fledglings per occupied nest (JZa) varied annually in Ankara: 2005 had the lowest JZG (17, Table 1). A similar variation was seen for the Izmir locality in JZa values (Table 2). There was a Table 3. Percentage (%) of White Stork Ciconia ciconia nests in different locations, at Ankara and Izmir study sites, Turkey. Study area # nests Chimney Roof Electricity Pole Telephone Pole Ankara 69 30.4 27 36.2 11.6 Izmir 74 |.4 54 Ale, |.4 Mean 524 [3:3 65.0 6.3 Total 143 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 159 significant difference in chick production among years (two-way ANOVA, F = 27.14, P < 0.002). The number of fledged young (JZm) in both study areas was affected by nest site (F = 2.75, P < 0.003) and year (F = 5.63, P < 0.001) with no significant interaction between these parameters. Although there were some changes in nest site in Ankara by year, nests were mostly built on electricity poles and chimneys; less often on roofs and telephone poles (Table 3). Nests of White Storks in Izmir were principally built on electricity poles, with far fewer on roofs (Table 3). During the study years, nest platforms on poles were gradually exchanged for safer platforms mounted higher above exposed cables, on the same poles (Plate 4). Relation between date of nest occupation and breeding success The date of nest occupation (generally the end of March to the middle of May) and breeding success (JZm) were examined for the Ankara locality. A significant negative Plate 4. A White Stork Ciconia ciconia nest platform in Sasali, Izmir, Turkey, re-mounted higher above cables. © Omer Donduren correlation (partial correlation to control effect of year, r = —0.505, P < 0.007) between date of nest occupation and number of fledglings was found te storks that commenced nesting earlier reared more chicks. Chick mortality Chick mortality in relation to initial number of hatchlings was assessed for the Ankara locality over 5 years of the study. There were four classes: nests with two (n = 8), three (14), four (12) and five (10) initial hatchlings. Chick mortality refers to deaths from hatching to fledging of chicks from the nest (percentage of hatchlings that failed to fledge). Nests with two and three chicks had higher chick mortality than those with four and five chicks, 18.8, 21.4, 6.2 and 8.0% respectively. However, these differences were not statistically significant, presumably due to small sample size (x? = 4.88, df = 3, P = 0.181). DISCUSSION Number of breeding pairs and breeding success These local populations of the White Stork seemed to be stable during the study period. However, the number of pairs without breeding success changed, which is quite typical for this species, presumably mainly due to weather conditions in different breeding seasons (Tryjanowski et al 2004). This is also confirmed by the variability in the number of fledglings. Moreover, changes in local chick productivity may be also affected by changes in habitat structure (Iryjanowski et al 2005), and/or ageing structure of the local population (Medina et al 1998, Vergara et al 2006). A good example of year differences is 2005 which, according to Schulz (1998), may be named ‘a disturbance year’, ie with adverse weather conditions and a lack of food supply when a large proportion of the storks do not establish themselves as breeders or they start to breed very late with a reduced number of 160 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) fledglings and a very low per pair breeding success. In contrast to 2005, in the following year (2006) there was a remarkable increase in the number of young that were fledged successfully from the nests. Interestingly, the mean breeding success (JZa) of the studied populations in Turkey was higher than some European White Stork populations. For example, in Poland and eastern Germany (n = 407 breeding attempts, 1983-2001), the heartland of the eastern European population of the White Stork, there was a mean of 2.08 and 1.91 chicks per breeding pair respectively (Schaub et al 2005). Relation between nest occupation time and breeding success It is well known that natural selection favours early arrival and higher breeding success in the White Stork (Tryjanowski et al 2004). Starting to breed earlier influences reproductive output (Massemin-Challet et al 2006). As the season progresses migrant birds produce smaller clutch sizes (Drent & Daan 1980) and their reproductive success declines (Profus 1991, Goutner & Tsahlidis 1995) as a result of decreasing amount of food supply and/or the quality of the parents (Drent & Daan 1980, Tortosa et al 2003). In terms of ‘quality’ the age of parents may also play an important role. It is known that younger individuals are more likely to arrive later than the older ones (Barbraud & Barbraud meee and the older and more experienced adults have a higher breeding success. The studied local populations of White Stork in Turkey seemed to be performing healthily and are not of urgent conservation concern. However, we believe that this study does not reflect the situation of the Turkish population as a whole. Observations revealing large numbers of old unoccupied nests and interviews with local people living nearby suggest that the number of breeding White Storks in Turkey is still in decline. Probable reasons are: decrease in quality and quantity of wetlands, abandonment of traditional agricultural practices, electrocution and collision with cables, less potential nest sites and less favourable attitudes of man. Urgent countrywide research is needed. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are very grateful to Ozge Kesapli Can for sharing the data on chick and fledgling numbers for the Ankara locality for 2003 and Omer Déndiiren on behalf of the Association of Protecting and Improving Izmir Bird Paradise in Gediz Delta for preparing Izmir data for 2007 and also for his help while preparing the data set for the Izmir region. The members of the Bird Research Society and Kizilcahamam Soguksu National Park Officers are thanked for their help with technical and other support in the field studies. J Kosicki provided comments on a previous version of this paper. We would like to thank Osman Erdem and Dorota Szulc-Guziak for the Plates 2 & 3 photos respectively. The Kizilcahamam study was partially financed by the Scientific Research Projects Fund of the Middle East Technical University. We are also very grateful to TH Sparks and two anonymous reviewers for valuable comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. REFERENCES Barbraud, C & JC Barbraud. 1999. Is there age assortative mating in the European white stork? Waterbirds 22: 478-481. Can, O. 2001. Soaring Bird Migration at the Belen Pass. MSc thesis, Middle East Technical University, Ankara. Ciftci, A. 2006. [Breeding biology of White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) in some villages of Izmir]. MSc thesis, Aegean University, Izmir, Turkey. [In Turkish] Cramp S & KEL Simmons (eds). 1977. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Vol 1. Oxford University Press, UI Drent, RH & S Daan. 1980. The prudent parent: energetic adjustment in avian breeding. Ardea 68: 225-252. Gocek, C. 2006. Breeding Success and reproductive behaviour in a White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) Colony in Ankara. MSc thesis, Middle East Technical University, Ankara. Goutner, V & EP Tsahlidis. 1995. The time of breeding and brood size of White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) in North-eastern Greece. Vogelwarte 38: 89-95. Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 161 IUCN. 2006. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Version 3.1. www. iucnredlist.org. Kasparek, M & A Kilic. 1989. Zum Zug des Wei storchs durch die Turkei. In: Proceedings 1st International Stork Conservation Symposium. Schriftenreihe des Dachverbandes Deutscher Avifaunisten 10. Braunschweig, Germany, pp297-306. Medina, FJ, JM Avilés & A Sanchez. 1998. Diferencias intraespecificas en el uso de un vertedero por parte de la Cigitena Blanca Ciconia ciconia en el Oeste de la Peninsula Ibérica. Bulleti Del Grup Catala D’Anillament 15: 9-14. Massemin-Challet, S, JP Gendner, S Samtmann, L Bichearr A Wulgué & L Mahoy. 2006. The effect of migration strategy and food availability on White Stork Ciconia ciconia breeding success. [bis 148: 503-508. NABU. 2006. Newsletter for the VI International White Stork Census, 2004/2005 vol.3. NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland) Publications, http://bergenhusen.nabu.de. Parr, SJ, P Collin, S Silk, J Wilbraham, NP Williams & M Yarar. 1997. A baseline survey of white storks Ciconia ciconia in central Turkey. Sandgrouse 18:46-51. Profus, P. 1991. The breeding biology of White Stork Ciconia ciconia (L.) in the selected area Southern Poland. Studia Naturae 37A: 11-57. Schaub, M, W Kania & U Koppen. 2005. Variation of primary production during winter induces synchrony in survival rates in migratory white storks Ciconia ciconia. Journal of Animal Ecology 74: 656-666. Schuz, E. 1952. Zur Methode der Storchforschung. Beitriage zur Vogelkunde 2: 287-298. Schulz, H. 1998. Ciconia ciconia White Stork. BWP Update 2: 69-105. Schulz, H. 1999. Der Weltbestad des Weifsstorchs (Ciconia ciconia)—Ergebnisse des 5. Internationalen Weitsstorchzensus 1994/95. In: Schulz, H. (eds). Weifsstorch im Aufwind?—White Storks on the up? Proceedings International Symposium on the White Stork, Hamburg 1996. NABU, Bonn. Tortosa, FS, L Pérez & L Hillstr6m. 2003. Effect of food abundance on laying date and clutch size in the White Stork Ciconia ciconia. Bird Study 50: 112-115. Tryjanowski, P, TH Sparks, J Ptaszyk & J Kosicki. 2004. Do White Storks Ciconia ciconia aaiwiye profit from an early arrival to the breeding grounds? Bird Study 51: 222-227. Tryjanowski, P, TH Sparks & P Profus. 2005. Uphill shifts in the distribution of the white stork Ciconia ciconia in southern Poland: the importance of nest quality. Diversity and Distributions 11: 219-223. Vergara, P, JI Aguirre, JA Fargallo & JA Davila. 2006. Nest-site fidelity and breeding success in White Stork Ciconia ciconia. Ibis 148: 672-677. Zar, JH. 1999. Biostatistical Analysis. 4th edn. Prentice Hall, NJ. Cagri Gocek, Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical oe 06531 Ankara, Turkey. cagrt.gocek@ gmail.com Aysegil Ciftct & Mehmet Sik1, Department of Biology, Aegean University, 35100 Bornova Izmir, Turkey. Piotr Tryjanowski, Institute of Zoology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71 C, 60-625 Poznan, Poland. 162 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca, a new breeding species for Egypt in a temporary artificial wetland near Aswan DICK HOEK, HAITHAM IBRAHIM & KHALED NOBY On 24 April 2010 in the fishpond area near the High Dam, Aswan (Figure 1), southern Egypt, we observed 40 Purple Herons Ardea purpurea, passing both north and south. This is a high number as the only known colony of Purple Herons in Egypt is found on Bahrif island (Hoek 2007) 22 km north of these fishponds with an estimated 10-20 nests in 2010. This large number raised the suspicion of another, larger, colony in the area. About 10 days later we found a small artificial wetland with arriving and departing Purple Herons. On 7 May 2010 at the latter site there were various bird species present including Ferruginous Ducks Aythya nyroca with downy young. This artificial wetland is situated 9 km south of Aswan city, near the international airport and High Dam and along the road to Abu Simbel. It has an area of c140 acres and consists largely of an almost inaccessible reed marsh though in the southern part of the site there are some shallow pools (Plate 1). It is largely surrounded by desert, but urban developments are taking place everywhere, and it owes its existence to water from a ZaN AS th sewage water treatment plant of nearby | antirciatwetiana_ 2 A \aley | {\ University Sahary (Figure 1). The dominant plant species is reed Phragmites australis with, especially along the edges, tamarisk Tamarix nilotica and Aswan some date palm trees Phoenix dactylifera. interetions : “ irpo The central part of the reed marsh seemed a——— to be rather undisturbed, but along the edges in some places the vegetation has been affected by fire and grazing. The water of the shallow pools is covered with Figure 1. Locality of the artificial wetland near Aswan, a duckweed species. West of the reed marsh Southern Egypt. © Dick Hoek some concrete-lined ponds have been constructed but vegetation is absent along their banks. How long the reed marsh has been in existence is unknown and it is likely that in the short term it will be cultivated and trees planted. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca _ Immediately after we entered the site on 7 May adult Ferruginous Ducks were flushed from the shallow pools. Four Ferruginous Ducks (Plates 2—4), but also some Mallards so — bee — Anas platyrhynchos, continued to circle Plate I. Southern part of the artificial wetland near around us, some others landed in the Aswan, Egypt, with shallow pools where Ferruginous : Ducks Aythya nyroca with downy young were observed centre of the reed marsh. We glimpsed (photo | May 2010). © Haitham Ibrahim Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 163 Plate 2. Adult Ferruginous Ducks Aythya nyroca, male (above) and female, 7 May 2010 at the artificial wetland, Aswan, Egypt. © Dick Hoek Plate 4. Adult female Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca 7 May 2010 at the artificial wetland, Aswan, Egypt. © Dick Hoek three ducklings disappearing in the dense vegetation on one of the pools. One was photographed confirming it was a young Ferruginous Duck duckling (Plate 5). A photo of another duckling of this species was taken on 11 May (Plate 6). These are the first breeding records of Ferruginous Duck for Egypt. Goodman & Meininger (1989), for example, mentioned Ferruginous Duck in Egypt only as a “fairly common passage and winter visitor from (mid-August) late September to mid-April (mid-May).” The main breeding area of the species is southern and eastern Europe and southwestern Asia. In northern Africa it Plate 3. Adult Ferruginous Ducks Aythya nyroca, male (above) and female, 7 May 2010 at the artificial wetland, Aswan, Egypt. © Dick Hoek Plate 5. Downy young Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca 7 May 2010 at the artificial wetland, Aswan, Egypt. © Dick Hoek Piate 6. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca duckling || May 2010 at the artificial wetland, Aswan, Egypt. © Ahmed Ebaid has bred in isolated areas from Morocco east to Libya, in Asia continuing eastwards to northeast Pakistan (del Hoyo et al 1992). Aswan fits with this pattern, but is probably the most southern breeding documented. Breeding range may fluctuate considerably from year to year as a result of variable water levels (BirdLife International 2010). 164 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Plate 7. Adult male Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 7 May Plate 8. Adult Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 7 May 2010 2010 at the artificial wetland, Aswan, Egypt. © Dick at the artificial wetland, Aswan, Egypt. © Dick Hoek Hoek Though the world population is estimated at 163 000-257 000 birds, Ferruginous Duck is listed as Near Threatened on the Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2010) due to its decline in most European countries. The situation of the larger populations in Asia is unclear. Observations of other interesting species This artificial wetland appears important for many other scarce or local breeding species of Egypt. Below are those records of ours at the site which supplement Goodman & Meininger (1989) and the recent ‘Provisional Checklist of the Birds of Egypt’ (Moldovan & Blair 2010). Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Since 1989 it has become clear that Mallard is a regular breeding species in the Nile valley in Cairo and surroundings (Moldovan & Blair 2010). On 7 May there were at least 10 birds, 6 males and 4 females, which suggests breeding at this very southern site of at least 6 pairs (Plate 7). On 29 May 4 males and 3 females and on 15 June | adult were seen and DH observed a pair 20 March in the fishpond area. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis An adult bird with a juvenile was recorded and photographed end of May. In the nearby First Cataract Islands protectorate the species has been regularly recorded as a breeding species (Moldovan & Blair 2010). Purple Heron Ardea purpurea On 7 May during a 30 minute period in the morning, 39 Purple Herons left the reed marsh heading south in the direction of Lake Nasser and exactly 39 arrived from the south. All were adults (Plate 8). On 29 May, one hour before sunset, a maximum of cl00 birds were recorded. This clearly suggests the presence of a larger breeding colony than that on Bahrif island. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea On 29 May, 6 adults were observed landing in the reed bed. Again, this suggests breeding. For Egypt there is only one documented nesting record—from 1918 in the Zoo in Giza, near Cairo (Goodman & Meininger 1989). Several potentially-breeding individuals have Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 165 been recorded from Aswan in various years, including 2010, in the period March-—June, but a nest has never been found. Other wetland species observed were: Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca (pair with 5 young), Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus (1 pair), Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax (max _ 57), Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides (max 11), Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis (max 7), Little Egret Egretta garzetta (max 56), Osprey Pandion haliaetus (1), Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus, African Swamphen Porphyrio madagascariensis, Senegal Thick- Plate 9. Lake Nasser (near Crocodile island, Aswan), Egypt, with partly-drowned Tamarisks Tamarix nilotica, | | December 2008. © Dick Hoek knee Burhinus senegalensis, Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus, Little Stint Calidris minuta, Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus, Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus, Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava sensu lato and Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus stentoreus. The heron and.egret species may well be breeding, aided by the relative absence of disturbance (no boats, centre nearly inaccessible), relatively stable water level (allows reeds to grow providing important shelter) and the presence of lake Nasser as a feeding ground. In the Nile valley around Aswan small reed marshes are common, but disturbance is nearly always high, even in the small reed-rich protectorate of First Cataract Islands. In lake Nasser disturbance is less, but the distribution of reeds is limited probably as an effect of depth of floodwater, which can be above 10 m at high flood. Besides this, the dominance of tamarisk everywhere along the shores (Plate 9) may prevent the development of reed marshes (see Springuel & Ali pp366-367 in Fraser & Keddy 2005). Further small anthropogenic wetlands might exist and attract opportunistic breeders in the area but remain to be discovered. | | ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to Ahmed Ebaid for participating in the fieldwork and supplying a photo. Also, thanks to Mahmoud Hasseb for facilitating the work. REFERENCES BirdLife International. 2010. Species fact sheet: Aythya nyroca. www.birdlife.org (accessed 28 June 2010). Fraser, LH & PA Keddy. 2005. The World’s Largest Wetlands: Ecology and Conservation. Cambridge University Press, UK. Goodman, SM & PL Meininger (eds). 1989. The Birds of Egypt. Oxford University Press, UK. Hoek, D. 2007. A small colony of Purple Heron Ardea purpurea on Bahrif Island, Nile valley, Aswan—a new breeding species for Egypt? Sandgrouse 29: 221-224. del Hoyo J, A Elliott & J Sargatal (eds). 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol 1. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. . IUCN. 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. www.iucnredlist.org (accessed 28 June 2010). Moldovan I & MJ Blair. 2010. Provisional checklist of Birds in Egypt. www.birdinginegypt.com Dick Hoek, Wilhelminalaan 26 3051 JS Rotterdam, The Netherlands. dickhoek@planet.nl Haitham Ibrahim & Khaled Noby, Nature Conservation Sector, Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, Elsadat Road, Aswan 81111, Egypt. haythamibra@yahoo.com, K_elnoby@yahoo.com 166 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Western Rock Nuthatches Sitta neumayer feeding their nestlings bread, Armenia ROLF NESSING Western Rock Nuthatches Sitta neumayer feed on invertebrates, plant seeds and fruit (Adamian & Klem 1997, Cramp & Perrins 1993, Dementyev 1954). The invertebrate diet consists principally of beetles (Coleoptera) as well as butterfly (Lepidoptera) larvae. The stomach contents of 14 birds studied revealed 44 items (Adamian & Klem 1999): 20 beetles (45.5% by number), 13 larvae, nymphs, flies (Muscidae), ants (Formicidae) and moth larvae (29.5%), as well as 11 pieces of grass and Lime tree Tilia seeds (25.0%). Western Rock Nuthatch nestlings in east Georgia are fed mainly on geometer moths (Geometridae) and butterflies, especially the Small White Pieris rapae (Chinchiladze 1960). Studies of stomach contents and neck-ring samples of nestlings in Armenia revealed 55 items: 43 caterpillars (81%), the rest consisting of snails (Pulmonata), beetles and ants (Adamian 1965). Kull in Lohrl (1967) reported rock nuthatches, Sitta neumayer or S. tephronota, in September in Persia that pecked at bread crumbs or melon seeds, in any event remains of human meals. On 3, 4 and 6 June 2009, for several hours daily, | observed an occupied Western Rock Nuthatch breeding cavity in the Noravank gorge (39.70° N, 45.21° E), Armenia. The breeding cavity was cl0 m above the ground in a cliff face, directly opposite a restaurant (the information centre of the Noravank IBA). Both adult birds fed their nestlings on several occasions with pieces of Armenian unleavened bread ‘lavasch’, which they collected from the ground and restaurant tables. Large pieces of bread, up to 10 cm in length, were also flown to the nest cavity in the cliff face, broken up with pecks of their beaks, and then fed to the almost fledged nestlings in the nest entrance. On 4 June, both adult birds were observed flying and climbing repeatedly, heads upwards, from the bottom to the top of the cliff face foraging for food (insects). These adults were never observed foraging head downwards like the Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea. | have observed the latter species foraging head downwards in Armenia. Lohr! (1967) commented that the Western Rock Nuthatch is a clumsier climber than the Eurasian Nuthatch and can hardly climb head-first downwards. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I thank my friend, the committed vulture and leopard conservationist Vardges Gharakhanyan (Areni, Armenia) for his hospitality, without which my observations would not have been possible. REFERENCES Adamian, MS. 1965. Ecology of the little rock nuthatch, Sitta neumayer, in Armenia. Ornitologiya 7: 157-165. [In Russian] Adamian, MS & D Klem. 1997. A Field Guide to Birds of Armenia. American University of Armenia, Yerevan. -Adamian, MS & D Klem. 1999. Handbook of the Birds of Armenia. American University of Armenia, Yerevan. Chinchiladze, LM. 1960. Passerine birds of Kartli (Eastern Georgia) of economic importance. Transactions of the thematic meeting of ZIN at the first all-Union Ornithological Conference 9. [In Russian] Cramp, S. & CM Perrins (eds). 1993. The Birds of the Western Palearctic, Vol VIL, Flycatchers to Shrikes. Oxford University Press, New York. Dementyev, DP. 1954. Birds of the USSR. Soviet Science. [In Russian] Lohrl, H. 1967. Die Kleiber Europas. Die Neue Brehm-Biicherei, Bd. 196. Ziemsen-Verlag, Wittenberg- Lutherstadt, East Germany. Rolf Nessing, Clara-Zetkin-Strasse 16, D-17279 Lychen, Germany. RONES@t-online.de Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 167 REVIEWS Checklist of the Birds of Israel Compiled by Yoav Perlman & Jonathan Meyrav Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. Softback. 30 pages. ISBN-13: 9789653710108 This well-presented booklet lists all 540 species and distinct forms recorded in Israel. For each species, the English, scientific and Hebrew names are given, along with their status and distribution, and a handy check box to keep your list! Small colour photographs with informative captions enhance the layout. A map shows many of the key birding sites and birdwatching centres in Israel. Contact addresses for the latter and a useful list of references and websites are also provided. Well worth getting before your next visit, the checklist is available from NHBS (www.nhbs. com) or the Israeli Ornithological Center (ioc@ inter.net.il). Dawn Balmer Cyprus Bird Report 2008 BirdLife Cyprus. 2009. Softback. 168 pages, colour photos, line drawings, graphs and tables. jet) Available from OSME Sales Following the relative glut of new species in 2007 (see Sandgrouse 31: 193), just one addition to the Cyprus avifauna was made CYPRUS BIRD REPORT 168 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Checklist of ae Birds of Israei, | in 2008, a Blyth’s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum, trapped by a group of visiting English ringers in April. Other rarities included only the second-ever Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis (and first for 40 years), which might seem surprising given the species’ relative abundance in Turkey. Indeed comparisons with the latter country are inevitable and interesting to make throughout. Quite a number of Cypriot rarities registered during 2008 are abundant breeding birds just to the north, eg Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia and Rook Corvus frugilegus, whilst Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha chalked up its 14th record in Cyprus in 2008, yet remains unknown in Turkey. Other comparisons are perhaps more humdrum for the visitor, but arguably far more fascinating. For instance, why and how does Common Swift Apus apus seem to reach Cyprus so much earlier than in Turkey? We are informed under Little Owl Athene noctua, “The race lilith occurs but does not predominate”. Given that the question of which taxon occurs on Cyprus has baffled taxonomists for over a century (with, for instance, Vaurie 1960 tentatively assigning the population to A. n. indigena, and Koenig et al 1999 ‘ducking’ the issue altogether), this statement demands clarification or justification, especially given the recent proposal to recogriise multiple species within A. noctua. If more than one subspecies really occurs on the island, as is implied here, then one hopes some enterprising Cypriot resident is working on the question? Guy M Kirwan OSME News Geoff Welch OSME—the old and the new After many months if not years of discussion and planning, there have been significant developments over recent months in creating a digital archive of OSME publications and in upgrading the website. Many early issues of Sandgrouse and the OSME Bulletin are no longer available for purchase as back copies so work is already underway on getting these converted to pdfs and it is hoped that these will soon be made available for viewing and downloading from the website. The long term intention is that all OSME publications, with the exception of the most recent issues, will eventually be available via the website providing a valuable source of information. As many members will already have discovered, the OSME website, www.osme. org, was significantly overhauled in the spring thanks to the hard work of many Council members and, especiaily, AbdulRahman Al Sirhan. As well as giving the site a new look, all of the information has been checked for accuracy and is being regularly updated. The initial work has concentrated on getting the site functioning effectively but this is very much viewed as a ‘work in progress’ and new features and additional information will be added gradually over the coming months. With the internet being most people’s starting point for finding information, OSME recognises the importance of having a website that is accurate, topical, useful, accessible and attractive and it is hoped that these recent developments will contribute to this. All of this work is aimed at making OSME more accessible to members and others interested in birds and conservation in the region. The OSME region Lies between Europe, China and the Horn of Africa on two major migration flyways crossing Central Asia’s wind-swept steppes, the Caucasus’ towering mountains, Arabia’s wide arid deserts and the tropical seas of the Indian Ocean. An awesome place for birds and birdwatchers. ae | ee nS ie LF BOE ORNITHOL GICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST THE CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA OSME OSME brings together those curious and knowledgeable about the region’s birds Encourages conservation and research through a fund for small-scale projects. Publishes SANDGROUSE an internationally respected journal with papers on the birds of the OSME region written by local and visiting scientists and enthusiasts. OSME 1000 Western White Storks Ciconia ciconia. A Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga at Qurryat 29 Apr was unusually late. A single Amur Falcon Falco amurensis was at Dawkah 22 Jan with four there 19 Feb. Single Barbary Falcons Falco (peregrinus) pelegrinoides were at Wadi Uyun 16 Feb, Jarziz farms 14 and 20 Feb, and Liwa, northern Oman, 28 Feb. The Ist sighting for 2010 of Sooty Falcon Falco concolor was of eight birds over the Royal Palace, Muscat, 23 Apr. A White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus and five Common Cranes Grus grus were at Dawkah 22 Jan. A male and a female Little Crake Porzana parva were at Mugsayl 23 Feb. Record numbers of Sociable Lapwings Vanellus gregarius were present at farms in southern Oman during Jan (max 48 at Sahnwaht farm 9 Jan and 29 at Jarziz farms 22 Jan). An Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus was at Hilf, Masirah, 14 Jan with one at Al Balid farm 18 Feb. There were 15 Arabian Scops Owls Otus (sengalensis) pamelae at Wadi Darbat 15 Feb, an unusually high count, and a single Arabian Spotted Eagle Owl Bubo (africanus) milesi. Two Hume’s Owls Strix butler’ were at Wadi Ashawq 14 Feb and two at Wadi Ash Shuaymiyyah 21 Feb. The Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis is one of the most ubiquitous birds in northern Oman but a single at Jarziz farms 11 Jan was very surprising. A Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata at Wadi Mughsayl 11 Jan was only the 4th for Oman. | Up to three Red-backed Shrikes Lanius collurio, Lesser Grey Shrikes Lanius minor, Woodchat Shrikes Lanius senator and Masked Shrikes Lanius nubicus were present from mid-April to early May at As Sayh and Sall Ala, Musandam, with much larger numbers of Daurian Shrikes Lanius isabellinus, Turkestan Shrikes Lanius (isabellinus) phoenicuroides (max 35) and Southern Grey Shrikes Lanius meridionalis (max 25). Four to five Oriental Skylarks Alauda gulgula were at Sun farms, Sohar, 25-27 Feb. A Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii at Qurryat 20-25 Feb and two at Al Lansab lagoons 23 Feb were the 5th and 6th records. Rare warblers included a Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon mimicus at Qurryat 7 Feb (8th record and the first since 1999), a Hume’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei at Ain Hamran 28 Jan (8th record) and a Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscinioides at Thumrait air base 26 Jan—22 Feb (10th record). Up to three Barred Warblers Sylvia nisoria were at Sall Ala and As Sayh, 16-24 Apr. A Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos was heard singing at Jarziz farms 21-25 Feb. White-throated Robins Irania gutturalis are regular in spring at Musandam; up to seven were at Sall Ala 20-24 Apr, but a Black Scrub Robin Cercotrichas podobe there 18-20 Apr was only the 3rd record. One male and three female Eversmann’s Redstarts Phoenicurus erythronotus were at As Sayh 15 Jan. A ‘Caspian Stonechat’ Saxicola maurus variegatus was at Rahab farm 22 Feb and a Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata at Sall Ala 22 Apr. Two Richard’s Pipits Anthus (novaeseelandiae) richardi were at Jarziz farms 21 Feb. Up to five Blyth’s Pipits Anthus godlewski at Sun farms, Sohar, 7-17 Feb and one at Jarziz farms 17-18 Feb were the 5th and 6th records. Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis are possibly overlooked in Oman; up to three birds at Sun Farms 7-11 Feb and one at Muntasar 18 Feb were only the 9th and 10th records. A Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus (rubescens) japonicus was at Sun farms 10 Jan, the 6th record. An Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni was at Jarziz farms 20 Feb. A Grey- necked Bunting Emberiza buchanani was at As Sayh 1 May (4th record). A record count of 129 Ortolan Buntings Emberiza hortulana was at As Sayh 23 Apr with 12 Black-headed Buntings Emberiza melanocephala. QATAR New species for Qatar were Variable Wheatear Oenanthe (picata) picata at Al Ruwais 27 Nov 2008 and Cretzschmar’s Bunting Emberiza caesia at Sealine beach resort 19 Mar. At least two pairs of Purple Herons Ardea purpurea have been found breeding at Abu Nakhla, the first breeding records for Qatar and the Gulf. An adult male European Plate 9. Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius, 12 March 2010, Arakhiya farm, Qatar. © Dileep Kumar Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus at Al Khor Community 26 Apr was the 2nd record. An adult female Merlin Falco columbarius was at Arakhiya farm 30 Jan—5 Feb. A juvenile Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius at Arakhiya farm 12 Mar was the 3rd record and the first since 1982 (Plate 9). An Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba was at Al Corniche, Doha, 9 Jan. An adult White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis Al Dhakira 5 Feb was the 2nd record and the first since 1991. The first proven breeding record of Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cinctura was from southern Qatar 26 Mar. Other good records included a Garden Warbler Sylvia borin at Arakhiya farm 7 May; a female Eastern Orphean Warbler Sylvia crassirostris at Ras Abroug 26 Mar; a Finsch’s Wheatear Oenanthe finschii at Fuwairit 6 Feb; a female Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha at Fuwairit 12 Feb; and a pair of Trumpeter Finches Bucanetes githagineus at Fuwairit 12 Feb, the 2nd record. SAUDI ARABIA A survey of an oilfield area in the eastern Rub al Khali in late May/June found 12 potentially- breeding species, nine of which were present presumably because they can utilise man- made habitats. A wastewater site had Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus with chicks as well as two or three pairs of Red-wattled Lapwings Vanellus indicus. The latter were not frantic enough to be breeding at the time but their presence suggested they might well breed later in the season or in future years; this species has been gradually spreading westward in the UAE. Turtle Sandgrouse 32 (2010) 183 Doves Streptopelia turtur of the race arenicola were courting and likely to breed. Migrants included a Striated Heron Butorides striata unusually far inland (and possibly the first for western Saudi Arabia) and a flock of 13 Red-necked Phalaropes Phalaropus lobatus. SYRIA Several contributors acknowledge the invaluable support of the Syrian Society for Conservation of Wildlife (SSCW) and the Desert Commission in assisting with their visits. More birders visited Syria this spring than ever before and the quality of the records was correspondingly high; outstanding records included the second reports of Mute Swan Cygnus olor, Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis and Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus, the first Demoiselle Cranes Anthropoides virgo and Radde’s Accentors Prunella ocularis for many years and two Baillon’s Crakes Porzana pusilla, the first apparently since 1905! However, the story of the Palmyra colony of the Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita appears to be coming to a sad end: of five birds in 2009, two ‘disappeared’ on migration. Three birds made it back, one pair is breeding in the hills north of Palmyra and one young has left the nest. On the positive side, huge counts of the RDB Endangered White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala at Sabkhat al-Jabbul confirm that a major proportion of the world population winters there. Several exciting new areas were explored. Sabkhat Rawda is a huge and remote lake on the Iraqi border visited as part of a survey for Lesser White- fronted Geese Anser erythropus. It held an Plate 10. Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla, || April 2010, Arak dam, Syria. © Bernhard Herren 184 Sandgrouse 32 (2010) incredible c24 000 Ruddy Shelducks Tadorna ferruginea in Feb and on a brief visit 17 Apr Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta showed signs of breeding, Great Sand Plovers Charadrius leschenaultit were common and a large flock of Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus could barely be discerned through the heat haze. This is clearly an area of exceptional potential; there is no hunting (it is too close to the Iraqi border) and it could easily hold a breeding colony of Greater Flamingos. , Surveys of the protected areas at Abu Qubeis (coastal mountains), Jebel Abdul Aziz (in the Jazira) and Foroullog (near Kassab) yielded valuable results, emphasising their conservation importance. See-see Partridges Ammoperdix griseogularis were at Karakozak dam (4) and Lower Khabur reservoir dam (2) in March and Jebel Abdul Aziz (2) 12 Apr, as well as the ‘usual’ site at Halabbiyah. At least four Black Francolins Francolinus francolinus were heard near the Palm Village hotel, Damascus, 4-5 May; this is very surprising as their nearest known locality is the Euphrates valley, 400 km across the desert. Perhaps they were released. Four Mute Swans Cygnus olor were at lower Khabur reservoir 9 Apr. Up to 72 Lesser White-fronted Geese Anser erythropus were at Sabkhat al-Jabbul this winter; this RDB Vulnerable species clearly winters regularly in northern Syria. Two Red- breasted Geese Branta ruficollis were at Jabbul 16 Feb. At least 2300 White-headed Ducks Oxyura leucocephala were at Jabbul 19 Feb with 1850 still present 3 Mar; these counts are by far the highest from Syria. Single figures at Mheimideh on several dates included a Plate I1. Lesser Short-toed Lark Calandrella rufescens, April 2010, Syria. © Bernhard Herren female with 6 young 18 Apr. A Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus was at Sabkhat al Jabbul 20 Jan. Very little is known about Syria’s coastal birds. Two Cory’s Shearwaters Calonectris diomedea were off Lattakia 27 Apr. A flock of over 520 White Pelicans Pelecanus onocrotalus flying north 2 km off the coast at Lattakia 27 Apr is possibly the largest count from Syria. A European Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus was near Slunfe 18 Apr but sadly the colony at Douara, Palmyra, was deserted this year; this is (or was) the last known colony in Syria. Possible reasons include disturbance (unlikely), shooting (unlikely that all have been shot) or, of course, poisoning by diclofenac or similar veterinary agents (quite possible). On the more positive side, a huge roost of Lesser Kestrels Falco naumanni round the communications tower immediately west of Palmyra held at least 1000 birds 11 Apr and 13 Apr; are these Syrian birds pairing off or migrants staging? Visitors to Palmyra next April are asked to check the site out in the late dusk (after sunset). A Saker Falco cherrug was near the Damascus—Palmyra road 31 Mar. 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Bulelng sas CODE: SANDGROUSE/ AUTUMN10 Please return completed form to: Bird Art & Photography subscriptions, FREEPOST (PE211), Bourne, Lincs, PE10 9BR 192. = Sandgrouse 32 (2010) Editor Dr Peter Cowan, Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, University of Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman « sandgrouse@osme.org Editorial Advisers Vasil Ananian, Simon Aspinall, Paul Goriup, Mike Jennings, Dr Fares Khoury, Guy Kirwan, Dr Stephen Newton, Arend Wassink Photographic Editor Paul Doherty Reviews Editor Guy Kirwan identification Consultants Arnoud van den Berg, Chris Bradshaw, Andrew Lassey, Richard Porter ADVICE FOR AUTHORS The Editor will consider for publication papers and notes on the birds of the OSME region. ‘Russia’ on the OSME region map refers to the Russian Federation’s North Caucasus (to 45°N). Papers which additionally include birds in areas outside the OSME region or which are concerned with the birds of areas of which the OSME region, partially or completely, is an important part eg the Saharo-Sindian region or Siberian—African flyways, will also be considered. Please consult the Editor if in doubt about the suitability of material. All correspondence between authors and Editor, including initial submission of mss, will be by email. All mss must be in UK English and use Word. Consult recent issues of Sandgrouse for style conventions but apply minimal text formatting eg no rules, small caps or text boxes. All figure, table and plate captions should be in the text file at the end of the ms. Tables can be placed at the end of the Word document or be attached separately. All diagrams, maps, graphs and photos must be attached as individual files in a popular format. The Editor encourages the submission of maps and colour photos. All mss for publication are sent for review. Avian nomenclature and species sequence should follow the Simplified OSME Region List, www.osme.org, unless argued convincingly otherwise. OSME region ISSN 0260-4736 Mongolia Russian Federation Moldova Ukraine Kazakhstan Romania , “Bulgaria ~ — a Russia Georgia Uzbekistan Armenia s Si Azerbaijan Tadzhikistan - Turkmenistan OSME region map design ; by Ian Fisher and ee il t the RSPB Lebanon Syria Afghanistan colleagues a e West Bank Gaza Strip : i serdar Typesetting & layout ‘Israel Pakistan by Eng-Li Green Kuwait engli@egreenworks.us ‘Bahrain Dae esa ) eae Printed by Saudi Arabia UAE “< i Crowes of Norwich, UK i sales@crowes.co.uk a5 FSC Eritrea’. ee Pe Ne Mixed Sources Product group from well-manage forests and other controlled sources Ethiopia ’ Djibouti-—~ Cert no. 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