Sandgrouse 33 1

Sandgrouse is published by OSME and contains papers and short notes on the ornithology of the OSME region, provides bird and conservation news from the region and a comprehensive round up of bird sightings in the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Sandgrouse Volume 33 (1) Spring 2011

Sandgrouse Cover 33 (1)

Cover photo: Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra. © Mehmet Goren

1Contents.
2Migrant Willow Warblers Phylloscopus trochilus observed foraging preferentially in low desert shrubs much in the manner of Asian Desert Warblers Sylvia nana, Lulu island, Abu Dhabi.
 Oscar Campbell
4A new breeding location of Spectacled Warblers Sylvia conspicillata in Turkey.
 Orhan Gül & Mehmet Atahan
7The first confirmed breeding record of Bay-backed Shrike Lanius vittatus in the United Arab Emirates, with comments on field characters of juveniles.
 Oscar Campbell, Wendy Hare & Nigel Milius
12Breeding birds in Iraq: important new discoveries.
 Korsh Ararat, Omar Fadhil, RF Porter & Mudhafar Salim
34Conservation genetics and management of the Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar in Cyprus and the Middle East.
 Panicos Panayides, Monica Guerrini & Filippo Barbanera
44First record of Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii for Cyprus.
 Owen Roberts
46Birding Sites of the OSME Region 7—The Talish mountains region in Azerbaijan.
 Kai Gauger & Michael Heiss
58A breeding event of Pale Rock Sparrows Carpospyza brachydactyla in northeast Jordan.
 Fares Khoury & Mohammed Janaydeh
61Letters to the Editor: Wild bird slaughter in Kuwait, Wild bird trade in Kuwait.
66Reviews.
72OSME News.
 Geoff Welch
76News & Information
 Dawn Balmer (compiler)
80Around the Region
 Dawn Balmer & David Murdoch (compilers)
Editor:Dr Peter Cowan OSME Editor, Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, University of Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman
Editorial AdvisorsVasil Ananian, Simon Aspinall, Paul Goriup, Mike Jennings, Dr Fares Khoury, Guy Kirwan, Dr Stephen Newton, Arend Wassink
Photographic EditorPaul Doherty
Reviews EditorGuy Kirwan
Identification ConsultantsArnoud van den Berg, Chris Bradshaw, Andrew Lassey, Richard Porter