Have a holiday and help OSME
New OSME Corporate Sponsors, Odyssey Tours, have prepared a 15 day spring birding tour in Northern Greece that includes visits to the main birding areas such as Kerkini Lake, Prespa Lakes, the Xanthi area (Porto Lagos, Vistonida Lake, Nestos Delta and Gorge), Dadia Forest, and other key sites around Thessaloniki (including Kalochori Lagoon, Axios and Gallikos Deltas and Aggelochori Lagoon). Species likely to be seen include Dalmatian Pelican, Pygmy Cormorant, Lesser Kestrel, Eleonora’s Falcon, and Syrian and Grey-headed Woodpeckers to name but a few.
Odyssey Tours are generously donating €100 to OSME for each participant. Further details of the trip including prices and exact dates are available at www.odysseytours.gr.
3rd Falconry Festival, UAE, 10-18 December 2011
Falconry but with a concern for the balance of nature
Omar Fadhil recently represented Nature Iraq at the third falconry festival held in Al Ain/Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 10-18 December 2011. This was the first participation for Iraq at this festival. Nature Iraq emphasised that arabs were the first civilisation to start falconry more than five hundred years ago but that this should be conducted in harmony with nature. Iraqi falconers, for example, are restricted by certain rules and they are fully aware of the endangered species of their country and how to use their natural resources sustainably.
Explaining to young visitors about Sociable Lapwing
The Iraqi stand was divided into two sections, both of which are closely linked together: firstly the conservation of birds of prey and other endangered species (which is one of Nature Iraq’s main objectives) and secondly falconry. Omar and his colleagues showed the visitor the main endemic species as well as how Nature Iraq tries to help Iraqi falconers conserve such species. In addition they gave information on the main species used for falconry and how to control their trapping, trade and traffic.
The conservation of the Sociable Lapwing was one of the main issues raised during the festival as its decline has been largely attributed to falconry. The role of Nature Iraq in the conservation and protection of this species was clearly shown to the international audience.
Nature Iraq and the Iraq stand exhibited pictures, oil paintings (two were sold), posters, and leaflets. Nature Iraq leaflets were distributed to the many visitors who visited the Iraq stand and who were eager to learn more about its work and its vital conservational role in Iraq.
Recent News about the Collared Kingfisher, UAE.
The following is an article published by the newspaper, The National.
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/environment/rare-kingfisher-threatened-by-demise-of-mangrovesRare kingfisher threatened by demise of mangroves
While it does not receive the same attention as the Arabian oryx, dugong or marine turtle, the straits that the collared kingfisher finds itself in are no less dire. Put simply, if the mangroves it calls home completely vanish, so does this beautiful bird. Vesela Todorova reports
It hides in mangrove forests, weighs less than 100 grams and is considered an essential part of the UAE's natural heritage.
But the blue-and-white collared kingfisher, which does not have the conservation status of marine turtles and Arabian oryx, is endangered.
Kingfishers are found in many regions, from the Red Sea all the way to Australia. But the subspecies kalbaensis can be found nowhere but in Kalba, on the UAE's east coast, and two small sites in Oman.
If the coastal mangrove forests of Kalba, an enclave in Sharjah, are destroyed the birds will be, too.
A new study of Kalba's kingfisher population showed the birds were still in the swamps but their numbers have fallen since 1995, the first time the population was studied.
That first survey was carried out by the late Simon Aspinall, an environmentalist and bird specialist who estimated between 44 and 55 breeding pairs lived in the Kalba mangroves.
This spring, a survey of the area carried out by the preservationists Oscar Campbell, Ahmed Al Ali and Neil Tovey estimated the number of pairs was between 26 and 35. The research was supported by a grant from the Emirates Natural History Group.
"The true figure, I suspect, is probably close to 35," said Mr Campbell, as he presented the findings last week at a lecture organised by the group.
The team had been very conservative in their estimates, he said.
Simon Aspinall
Simon Aspinall, known personally or by reputation to birders throughout the OSME region, died in Norfolk on 31st October 2011 after a valiant struggle against motor neurone disease. He was 53.
Educated at Whitgift and Purley High School in Surrey, where he gained a reputation as an excellent birder at a very early age, he went on to graduate in Environmental Science from the University of East Anglia. Simon first came to the region in 1993, to work for the National Avian Research Centre in the United Arab Emirates, now part of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, EAD. He brought with him a wealth of experience in the UK, having worked for nine years with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Nature Conservancy Council, much of them in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. In 1987, he was Assistant Warden on Fair Isle. He then worked for three years for the NCC and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee on projects in southern England. The latter led to his first two books on Coastal Birds of East Dorset and Birds of the Solent.
Simon threw himself energetically both into field research in Abu Dhabi, and into the developing birdwatching fraternity, and was quickly co-opted to membership of the recently-established Emirates Bird Records Committee, of which he later served as Chairman for many years. He rapidly began writing as well – by the end of 1994, he had written or co-authored a total of ten papers and book chapters, including, with Colin Richardson, then EBRC Chairman, and Peter Hellyer, the UAE chapter in BirdLife International’s Important Bird Areas in the Middle East.
In 1996, his first book on UAE birds appeared, Status & Conservation of the Breeding Birds of the United Arab Emirates, a seminal work based upon hundreds of hours of fieldwork.
In 1997, Simon struck out on his own as a freelance ecological consultant. He was, in addition, Environment Editor at the daily Emirates News, until the paper closed in 1999, taking over responsibility for the weekly ‘Twitchers’ Guide’, which he had started with Richardson and Hellyer in 1994, and which continued on-line until 2006. He also handled environmental studies for many years for the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey, ADIAS. In that capacity, he rapidly developed a keen eye for the identification of previously-unrecorded sites , helping to develop understanding of Man’s relationship with the environment of Abu Dhabi’s deserts and elsewhere in the UAE.
During the late 1990s, the carrying out of environmental surveys became increasingly standard practice in the UAE and, for a decade, until slowed down by illness, he picked up the lion’s share of the consultancy work available. He also travelled widely throughout the Middle East and the Caucasus, often working with BirdLife International and UNESCO on plans for nature reserves. He was also a valued member of field teams on Socotra in 1999 and 2004.
His primary interest was always birds and more books followed, including, in 1998, the popular Shell Birdwatching Guide to the United Arab Emirates, written with Colin Richardson. This was followed in 2003 by a revised 2nd edition of Breeding Birds, in Arabic, published by EAD. A 3rd edition, re-titled Breeding Birds of the UAE, appeared in 2010, as did the highly-acclaimed 2nd edition of Field Guide to the Birds of the Middle East, written with Richard Porter. Two more books followed this year, both commissioned by EAD, Birds of the UAE – a guide to common and important species, with Salim Javed and Jens and Hanne Eriksen, and, published shortly after his death, the Field Guide to the Birds of the United Arab Emirates, again with Richard Porter, the first country guide to any of the Gulf states.
These and other works, like Important Bird Areas of the United Arab Emirates, a co-authored paper that appeared in British Birds in 2006, have done much to introduce the country’s birds to an international audience.
In the midst of all that, while already suffering from motor neurone disease, he also found time, with Richard Porter, Steve Preddy and Mike Blair, to revise OSME’s taxonomic list of birds of the region.
Besides his books, book chapters, articles in journals and reports flowed rapidly. He authored or co-authored well over a hundred different papers and reports on birds and other fauna and flora from the UAE and from other parts of the region, contributing to Sandgrouse, British Birds, local UAE journals and much else. He was also the most important single contributor of records to the Atlas of Breeding Birds of Arabia, after its editor, Mike Jennings.
Simon was never interested just in birds. His interests spread across the whole range of flora and fauna, and the habitats in which they were to be found, as well as to Man’s impact on the environment. Terrestrial ecology fascinated him while he was also for over a decade the co-ordinator of the UAE Marine Mammal Database. He was also interested in palaeontology and made several major Late Miocene fossil finds in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region. This equipped him to engage in publishing that extended far beyond birds. In 2004, he was co-editor, with Peter Hellyer, of Jebel Hafit – A Natural History, this being followed the next year by another joint production, For many years a committee member of the Emirates Natural History Group, the UAE’s oldest environmental NGO, he served as Chairman from 2002-2005. In 1997, he was the recipient of the UAE’s premier environmental award, the annual Sheikh Mubarak Award, for his contributions to knowledge of the country’s natural history. Simon Aspinall will be remembered for his unparallelled contributions to UAE natural history and, of course, as the first UAE birder to pass the 400 mark on his checklist. He was the finder of a remarkable 23 species on the UAE national list as well as many first records of breeding birds, including the UAE’s first-ever golden eagle nest, spotted high on a dune during an archaeological survey. A year or so later, accompanying explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger on a journey on the edge of the Empty Quarter, he found the second, drawing much pleasure from the fact that he had been able to show Thesiger something the explorer had not seen himself on his journeys half a century earlier. At a regional level, his involvement with training local biologists from the UAE, Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq in bird conservation means that his influence will be felt for many years to come. Few of those he trained or of his other friends in the birding world, however, will have the good fortune to be blessed with what the obituary in The Times described as “his exceptional fieldcraft.” The obituarist wrote: “(Aspinall’s) awareness of the environment, remarkable eyesight and keen hearing complemented his understanding of animal behaviour and habitats, and of the way they responded to the environmental systems in which they lived. His ability to predict what species, including rarities, would be present in an area became legendary.” With great courage, he continued to travel, in the region and elsewhere, long after his disease had been diagnosed, with highlights of later years being using inflatable boats off Greenland and canoes in the swamps of Botswana as well as, with sticks, trekking through the forests of Rwanda to see mountain gorillas. Much mourned, as a friend, colleague and mentor, Simon Aspinall leaves a legacy to birds and to conservation throughout the OSME region that will be of value for many years to come. An International Conference, ‘Oman as a gravitational centre in the global flyway network of migratory shorebirds’ was recently organised by the Centre for Environmental Studies and Research (CESAR) at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Sultanate of Oman, under the auspices of Dr Khalifa al Jabri, Member of the Majlis Addawla. The three-day conference was organised in association with the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), the Ministry of Environmental and Climate Affairs, Shell Development Oman, and the Centre for Field Research on the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court. In his opening remarks, Dr Mushtaque Ahmed, Director of CESAR, said that an important aim of the conference was to raise awareness about wetlands and to stress their international importance for the world’s biodiversity. More specifically, the conference had a focus on the West Asian—East African flyway, in which Barr al Hikman, a large pristine coastal wetland in the Sultanate of Oman, is a key wintering and stopover site. In the opening ceremony, Dr Jens Eriksen, wildlife photographer with Al Roya Press, Muscat and long-serving member of the Oman Bird Records Committee, gave the keynote speech about bird migration in Oman. He explained that located at the crossroads of three continents, the Sultanate of Oman is immensely important for millions of birds during their annual migration. In addition, Eastern Arabia forms a bridge between the great land masses of Africa and Asia and to avoid crossing over long distances of open sea, birds make use of this land bridge. He stated that of the 500 or so species of birds found in Oman, more than 400 are migratory spending only part of the year there. Most of them breed in northern and central Asia and when winter sets in at these latitudes the birds head south and southwest. Many migratory shorebirds spend the winter in Oman while others continue their long journey towards central and southern Africa. In spring the journey is reversed when the birds head for breeding grounds further north. Some birds, however, are far more common during only one of the two annual migrations, either during spring or autumn. Dr Eriksen observed that some species have declined dramatically during the last few decades and are now seen only sparingly in Oman. He emphasised that in order to preserve biodiversity, it is important to protect not only the breeding sites, but also the wintering areas and stop-over sites during migration of migratory birds. These include the many khawrs and wetlands along the coast of Oman and in particular Barr al Hikman. He further added that although much had been learned from intensive observations, we still have little knowledge about local movements of birds during their time in Oman and the actual migration routes. Thus, much research is still needed and modern techniques of fitting satellite transmitters to migratory birds open up new possibilities. Papers by speakers from Oman and abroad included ‘Connectivity of Bird Populations’, ‘Shorebird Populations: Middle East stop-over & wintering grounds’, ‘Both ends of the flyway’, ‘Ecological research & conservation’, ‘Ecological Research in marine habitats’. The Office for Conservation of Environment (OCE), Diwan of Royal Court, which started research on sooty falcons in 2007 along with the
Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs and Sultan Qaboos University has extended the commitment till 2013. Oman is considered to be one of the most important breeding grounds for the 'near-threatened' sooty falcon,
with perhaps four per cent of the global population being found on Fahal Island alone. But since 1978,
when the first survey was done, (initial survey was done for a year only in 1978) the population has declined
by about 15 per cent and it is estimated that annual mortality among adult birds is about 20 per cent and
about 70 per cent among juveniles. ”From 2011 onwards, we are the main authority to conduct a detailed
study of population dynamics and ecology of sooty falcons,” said Mansoor al Jahdhami, senior specialist,
environmental studies, OCE.
The authority has carried out field visits to the Damaniyat and Fahal
Islands in September and October and ringed about 50 chicks. Since 2007, 300 birds have been ringed.
Mike McGrady, from Natural Research, a Scotland-based research charity, who is working with OCE as the
chief researcher, was in Oman for the 2011 survey. Speaking to Muscat Daily, he said that there were
three main initiatives that OCE has started from this year. “Firstly, to track more birds with help of
satellite transmitters.Secondly, to look into migration and study of wintering grounds with a
possible collaborative venture with Madagascar where sooty falcons winter. And thirdly, to make a documentary
film on the ongoing research.” McGrady said that the sooty falcon is a special species of the falcon
family as it is one of the only two species that breeds during peak summer. “Summer provides a harsh
environment for breeding but it is good for these falcons as this is the time when birds are on annual
migration to Africa from Asia and they pass through the Arab region making a stopover in Oman at places
like Fahal and Damaniyat Islands. The falcons make a killing and it is feast time for them and their
chicks.” Sooty falcons arrive in Oman from Madagascar in April and May and establish their territories
before laying eggs in June and July. “Eggs hatch about 32 days later and the chicks fly within four weeks.
By mid-November, the chicks, only about ten weeks old, start their winter migration to Madagascar.
Of the total, about 70 per cent die in their first year, while it is estimated that 20 per cent of adults
also die per year.” With such a high mortality rate, McGrady feels there is a need to urgently raise
awareness and embark on better and detailed researches on the ecology of these falcons.“There is no
proper data on the population demographics of these birds in Oman except for the Fahal and Damaniyat Islands.
There is a possibility of its presence in places along the coast, like south of Duqm, Musandam and Jebel Akhdar.
It may be that the population in Musandam can be globally significant,” said McGrady.
Jahdhami said
that chicks and adults are ringed every year with alphanumeric and microchip rings and blood samples also
taken. “With about 40 pairs of falcons residing on the one square kilometre Fahal Island, there is a keen
contest for maintaining territories, as sooty falcons are predatory birds and territorial in nature. But
with so many birds living in close proximity of each other, a shift is visible in the behaviour of these
falcons in becoming colonial than territorial.” McGrady said that there is an opportunity for Oman
to lead the work on sooty falcons as it was the first country to embark on the research in 1978. The latest Checklist for Socotra has been added to the OSME Website - see under Trip Reports (Yemen) or click here. here Scott D.A. 2008. Rare birds in Iran in the late 1960s and 1970s. Podoces 3(1/2): 1–30. Roselaar C.S. & Aliabadian M. 2009. Review of rare birds in Iran, 1860s–1960s. Podoces 4(1): 1–27. Khaleghizadeh A. et al. 2011. Rare Birds in Iran in 1980-2010. Podoces 6(1): 1–48 These articles can be accessed on the OSME website (www.osme.org/tripreports/index.shtml#iran) or directly from Abolghasem at akhaleghizadeh@gmail.com. The African Rift Valley/Red Sea flyway, on which the mountains of Lebanon lie as a ‘bottleneck’, is one of the most significant flyways for migratory soaring birds (MSBs) in the world. Over 1 million soaring birds, many globally threatened, use this corridor between their breeding grounds in Europe and Asia, and wintering areas in Africa each spring and autumn. Making the Rift Valley/Red Sea flyway ‘soaring bird friendly’ is the main goal of the project “Mainstreaming Conservation of Migratory Soaring Birds into Key Productive Sectors along the Rift Valley/Red Sea Flyway”, where the Lebanon component is executed by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ministry of Environment and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) in partnership with BirdLife International. SPNL was thrilled to host a well-known international ornithologist and BirdLife’s Middle East Advisor who wrote the field guide “Birds of the Middle East”, Richard Porter, to a Migratory Soaring Birds Workshop, which was held September the 26th through October the 2nd, 2011 at SPNL’s Visitors’ Center in Upper Akkar, which is conserved by SPNL in collaboration with local communities through the Hima approach. Beginning with practical migratory soaring bird watching and finishing with theoretical class sessions, Richard Porter led an excellent workshop from Hima Upper Akkar, which is based out of beautiful North Lebanon, providing a great diversity of migratory soaring bird species and an excellent environment to develop and improve migratory soaring bird identification and observation skills. “We were so lucky that the migration was good while we were there. This was a real bonus! The site was the best I have visited in the Middle East for showing people soaring bird migration”, said Porter. Participants represented the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Tourism, Lebanese Union for Shooting and Hunting, University of Balamand, Educational Center for Research and Development, Amateur Hunters NGO and Al-Sayd Magazine. They learned to develop migratory soaring bird watching, counting and identification skills, and acquired an understanding of the migration, threats and priority actions for their monitoring and conservation. The workshop was not only suitable for newcomers to migratory soaring bird watching and identification, but also valuable for the little more experienced as it helped increase the participants’ confidence in migratory soaring bird identification, and perhaps added new species to their repertoire. The main spotted MSB species during the workshop were the Black Stork, White Stork, Osprey, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Great Spotted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Black Kite, Egyptian Vulture, Honey Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Steppe Buzzard, Levant Sparrow Hawk, Eurasian Sparrow Hawk and Bee-eaters. As said by Porter, “The Upper Akkar is clearly a very important bottleneck site. I suspect that if a count over an entire autumn were made (mid August to late October), well over 100,000 soaring birds would be counted - possibly much higher”. According to the participants, the workshop gave them the opportunity to learn new concepts, relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of all the field migratory soaring bird watching, which allowed them to both appreciate the fantastic and bird-rich Hima Upper Akkar, and also to practice their newly-learned migratory soaring bird identification skills! Most importantly, and as a group, explored how their actions, and especially if allied, can feed into a national strategy for conserving migratory soaring birds and the bottle-neck sites over which they migrate. “One of the most successful outputs, in my opinion, was the formation of a small committee of the participants to consider how to address the threats to MSBs”, said Porter. BirdLife International and its Partners concluded a productive three day regional workshop which brought together representatives from governments and NGOs on mainstreaming the conservation of migratory soaring birds (MSBs) into the hunting sector along the Rift Valley / Red Sea flyway. Major achievements accomplished include a Regional Declaration on hunting, guidelines for mainstreaming MSBs considerations into the hunting sector and a five year Regional Action Plan. The guidelines as well as the regional action plan agreed upon by the participants will show the way forward to achieve mainstreaming of MSBs considerations into the hunting sector along the Rift Valley/Red Sea flyway. This regional workshop, held in cooperation with SPNL (BirdLife in Lebanon) is part of the BirdLife International / UNDP-GEF Migratory Soaring Birds project. The Rift Valley/Red Sea flyway is the second most important flyway for migratory soaring birds (raptors, storks, pelicans and some ibis) in the world, with 37 different soaring bird species, including five globally threatened species. The Migratory Soaring Birds project aims to mainstream migratory soaring bird considerations into the productive sectors along the flyway that pose the greatest risk to the safe migration of these birds – principally hunting, energy, agriculture and waste management – while promoting activities in sectors which could benefit from these birds, such as ecotourism. Issued by: BirdLife International, Migratory Soaring Birds Project. The following article appeared in the newspaper Gulf News on September 16, 2011. While the wild bird trade is not specifically mentioned, officials in the Omani Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs are well aware of the problems and no doubt have ensured that the issue is included on the course. Poachers continue to prey on Sultanate's diverse wildlife Muscat: Oman has launched a programme to develop the skills of its frontline staff engaged in combating illegal trades in wild flora and fauna. The fight against wildlife smugglers is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs which on Saturday hosted a training course for officials from a number of enforcement agencies. The training programme has been organised in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund. Poachers supported by cross-border smuggling networks continue to prey on elements of the Sultanate's diverse wildlife, notably its endangered Arabian Oryx, as well as Arabian Gazelles, Green Turtles, and other species. The mammals are targeted either for their meat or end up in the private zoos of wealthy farm-owners around the Arabian peninsula. Around 60 wildlife rangers and other personnel are attending the training course which is aimed at building the capacities of national enforcement staff in meeting Oman's obligations under the ‘Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna' (Cites) which the Sultanate signed in November 2007. Demonstrating its support for the training programme, the World Wildlife Fund's regional direct, Dr Al Sayyid Ahmed Ahmed, is due to attend the inauguration of the event. Instructors deputed by the WWF will also conduct a series of training sessions for Omani wildlife rangers. Ibrahim Khader, Regional Director, BirdLife International, Middle East Division has informed OSME of new appointments in the Migratory Soaring Project. Two new members are joining the Regional Flyway Facility (RFF) team in the Amman office. Mr. Osama Al-Nouri is appointed as the Regional Project Manager (RFF Coordinator) – he previously worked for the Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife, the Birdlife affiliate in Syria. The second new appointment is Mr. Julien Jreissati who will act as the Project Communication Officer. Mr. Jreissati has previously volunteered and worked with our BirdLife partner in Lebanon. Contact Ibrahim Khader for further details of the project - Ibrahim.Khader(AT)birdlife.org The Oman bird list now stands at 500 after the recent acceptance by the Oman Bird Records Committee of an adult female Brown Shrike at Ayn Hamran (Dhofar) as the 1st record for Oman. This was found by Mattias and Magnus Ullman on 28 November 2008.
While the Arabian Leopard Panthera pardus nimr is strictly speaking not within the remit of OSME, we feel that the conservation
of its habitat in eastern Yemen also has a direct impact upon the avifauna of the area. It is for this reason that OSME has
agreed to publicise the following appeal on our website and hope that you
will be encouraged to make a pledge before the 30 September deadline. The Foundation for the Protection of the Arabian Leopard in Yemen (FPALY) (www.yemenileopard.org) was licensed by the Yemen Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour in November 2009. This effective conservation NGO has an active and committed Board of Trustees headed by former Prime Minister Dr. Abdul Karim Al-Iryani and staffed by former Minister of Water & Environment Abdulrahman Al-Eryani, Yemeni business leader Haitham Alaini, Yemeni artist Adnan Jumman, and 50-year Yemen resident Marco Livadiotti. FPALY has a greater than 80% success rate in getting its projects funded by conservation donors and all three of the proposals that it submitted to World Bank/GEF on behalf of the Yemen Ministry of Water & Environment have been approved by the GEF council. Although founded and directed by an expatriate, David Stanton, the Foundation, which has five full-time Yemeni staff, will be nationalizing its leadership within the next year and rebranding to more obviously reflect its broad conservation mandate. The public has a rare opportunity to support FPALY’s work through a web-based funding drive at:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2001600289/nightwatch-catching-arabian-leopards-with-camera-t?ref=email The minimum pledge is only $1 but unless the funding goal is met by September 30th, the funding drive will be cancelled. Therefore, please take the ten minutes necessary to watch the video, review the profile, and hopefully make a pledge. If you could pass the details to your friends and colleagues this would be helpful.
In July 2011, BirdLife Cyprus launched the DVD documentary “Important areas for birds and other wildlife in Cyprus”. This presents unique images of Cyprus’s wildlife and natural landscapes. It covers the diversity of landscapes, rich wildlife and endemic and other special species found on the island, with a simple and informative narrative accessible to all ages. The documentary is a reminder of the natural heritage of the island and also a wake-up call on the urgent need to protect the island’s wild places and creatures at a time when the natural environment is threatened as never before. The DVD runs for 55 minutes and consists of 30 chapters, one for each area described. The price is €7 for BirdLife Cyprus members and €10 for non members with all proceeds going to conservation. Further information is available at:.
http://www.birdlifecyprus.org/index.php In addition to giving a plenary lecture during the recent British Birdfair at Rutland Water, OSME Vice-President Azzam Alwash was interviewed by Charlie Moores on the programme, Talking Naturally. The following is a link to the podcast of this interview. This spring Nature Iraq/ BirdLife International organized several conservation-related activities. From 24-29 April, 2011 Nature Iraq/ BirdLife International, with help from Richard Porter ( BirdLife advisor for the Middle East), ran their sixth annual training course which trained people from ministries and different sectors. They were trained in bird identification and their conservation status, field and breeding survey techniques together with implementation on the ground in some designated Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Iraq. In addition the course focused on future conservation and management plans for these key sites that Nature Iraq and Ministry of Environment are working on. On 1st May, Nature Iraq received the TAKREEM Arab Achievment Award 2011 for Environmental Development and Sustainability. One of Nature Iraq’s green projects is ecotourism and to further this aim an eco-camp was recently built near one of the key sites for wildlife. Nature Iraq arranged three day eco-tours for people from inside and outside of the country to show them the value of the areas visited and how efforts are being made to preserve them in a sustainable way. Bird training at Peramagroon Area (designated protected area) © Korsh Ararat/Nature Iraq On 12 May as one of the activities for World Migratory Bird Day at the French Institute in Erbil (with an exhibition at the same place), Nature Iraq arranged a lecture on ‘Soaring Birds and their Migration’ which also focused on the role of Iraq in protecting all birds in general and these birds in particular. Many people attended from different sectors and countries and it was covered by the media. On 29 May Dr. Azzam Alwash (CEO of Nature Iraq) gave a talk on ‘The Story of Mesopotamian Marshes, The Past and Future’ – this is one of the main key sites for many migratory birds. Presentation on Soaring Birds at the French Institute, Erbil © Mariwan Qadir/Nature Iraq Nature Iraq's photo exhibition at the French Institute, Erbil © Mariwan Qadir/Nature Iraq Raising awareness of the importance of nature conservation in Iraq’s young people. © Korsh Ararat/Nature Iraq On May 15-16, the Ministry of Environment, Nature Iraq and UNEP organized a meeting to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day in Chibayish which was attracted a large audience and which was attended by officials from Baghdad as well as from Nasriah and outlying towns. Cairo, May 11, 2011--The Amer Group, the Egyptian real estate developer responsible for Porto Marina and Porto Sokhna, massive tourism developments along Egypt’s North and Ain Sokhna coasts, plans to build “Porto Fayoum” on 650 acres in the Lake Qarun Protected area near Fayoum Oasis. Former President Hosni Mubarak’s government sold the Amer Group this land for only $28,000 ($.05 per square meter), according to Egypt’s American Chamber of Commerce. This is the first development of such huge proportions to be allowed in an Egyptian protected area. This and other tourism developments planned for a 10-kilometer stretch of coastal land along the northern part of Lake Qarun will undoubtedly wreak untold damage to this pristine, scenic desert area, known as Gebel Qatrani. This area contains one of the world’s most complete fossil records of terrestrial primates and marshland mammals and remains critical to our understanding of mammalian--and human--evolution. "[Gebel Qatrani] is one of the most interesting and undisturbed deserts in Egypt, containing crucial information about the development of civilization and the history of the world," states Paoli Davoli, a leading egyptologist with Italy’s Salento University, who has worked for the last decade at Dime, a Greco-Roman site in Gebel Qatrani.
Just last year, excavations in Gebel Qatrani revealed the complete fossil remains of a prehistoric whale, new to science. Gebel Qatrani has also been listed as a proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site, not only given its priceless fossil deposits, but also its prehistoric and archaeological treasures, including Pharaonic tombs and quarries and the world’s most ancient paved road. The NCE also warns that this tourism development will negatively impact birds and their habitats at Lake Qarun, a BirdLife International Important Bird Area. Lake Qarun is an important wintering area for waterbirds. One of two colonies of Slender-billed Gull in Egypt breeds on an island in the lake. Egypt’s official Tourism Development Authority (TDA), authorized these tourist developments, as well as the building of a 60-km asphalt road--to date half completed--through Gebel Qatrani. Although the TDA participated in numerous studies highlighting Lake Qarun’s importance for ecotourism, this body has promoted more conventional--and unsustainable--tourism developments on the lake. Fayoum’s former governor and other high-ranking government officials also supported the construction of “Porto Fayoum” in the Lake Qarun protectorate, despite opposition from officials at the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs, responsible for managing Egypt’s protected areas. NCE is calling for Gebel Qatrani to be declared Egypt’s first UNESCO Geopark to attract tourists, create job opportunities and as a step towards making the area a World Heritage Site. CONTACT: Rebecca Porteous, rporteous1@yahoo.co.uk. Mobile: 012-3213027. Initiated in 2004 the Takreem Arab Achievement Award honours the best and brightest of Arab achievements.
Nature Iraq was the recipient this year for their achievement in Environmental Development and Sustainability. The Takreem Award seeks to identify and promote Arab accomplishments, by highlighting Arab excellence
and leadership worldwide. The Award for Environmental Development and Sustainability honours individuals
and organizations that have shown leadership in the field of environmental planning, sustainable
development and green projects. Such honorees have been involved in effective environmental planning,
addressing community needs through sustainable resource use while protecting the environment, promoting
energy efficiency and raising environmental awareness. Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, President Emeritus of BirdLife International, was one of the
international jury members for this award. If you would like more information about this award please write to Nature Iraq at info@natureiraq..org. Dr Fares Al Khoury reports that there is now a Facebook group called ‘Jordan Birdwatching Club’.
He asks that if you are on Facebook and are interested in the wild birds of Jordan, to
consider joining the group. There have been a number of recent reports of indiscriminate hunting of migrant birds passing
through the Middle East, ranging from White Storks and White Pelicans to small warblers such as
Blackcaps. Regrettably this happens both on spring and autumn migration. The vast majority of
such hunting is not for food – as it may have been in a less prosperous past. These reports
have appeared on internet forums and in newspapers – for example an article entitled ‘Massacre
of tens of migrating storks’ published in the Lebanese newspapers AlAnwar (19 April) and AsSafir
(23 April). Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria have all been mentioned as countries where
hunters operate – illegally. Oman is one of the few countries in the area where there is
anti-hunting legislation that is enforced. Regrettably the practice happens elsewhere – for
example in Cyprus, Malta, Italy, France. Local organisations are working hard to change or enforce laws and to raise public awareness of the issue. International organisations such as BirdLife Middle East are also striving to tackle this problem. Adult Socotra Buzzard with centipede, probably Scolopendra balfouri November 2008. Photo: Richard Porter The Socotra Buzzard Buteo socotraensis has just entered the Guinness Book of Records as the newest bird
of prey in the world! After spending more than a century without a name, the Socotra Buzzard Buteo socotraensis
was named officially in a paper by Richard Porter and Guy Kirwan in the June 2010 issue of the Bulletin of
the British Ornithologists' Club (Studies of Socotran Birds VI: the taxonomic status of the Socotra Buzzard.) Juvenile Socotra Buzzard, February 1991. Photo: Richard Porter Like all other members of the Buteo buteo superspecies, it is poorly differentiated genetically from most
Old World buzzards, but it is closest to B. (b.) bannermani of the Cape Verde Islands and the comparatively
widespread Long-legged Buzzard B. rufinus of the southern Palearctic. Restricted to Socotra, Yemen, it has now been formally accepted by BirdLife International and given the
Red Data status of 'Vulnerable'. Richard Porter reports that the work he has been doing on Socotra provisionally
suggests a population of c250 pairs. He writes: “The naming of the Socotra Buzzard brings the number of number of
endemic bird species on Socotra to ten – the island now ranks alongside the Highlands of Yemen as the most
important area for bird endemism in the whole of the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia and North Africa.” The following photographs are of Ahmad Aidak (Syria) showing his book A Guide to the Biodiversity of Deir
ez-Zor Area to interested rangers and officials in the field. This book, written in Arabic and using
photographs taken mainly by the author, was published in summer 2010 with financial support from OSME,
Avifauna and SSCW (the Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife). It is proving to be a very
valuable resource for familiarising the local population with the their natural heritage and is a
wonderful example of what can be done to promote conservation and wildlife at the local level. As part of the activities celebrating the 2010 Year of Biodiversity and the Arabic Environment Day,
the Socotra Governance & Biodiversity Project organised a series of environmental activities on Socotra.
These included a drawing competition for schools, cleaning of Hadibo and Qalansiya, public events
and planting fruit trees. The week of events is summarized in a powerpoint presentation that you can easily download from here: Trees planted have been registered on the UNEP Billion Tree Campaign website. Abduljameel has been particularly praised for his support and pro-active approach as well as the team
of Environmental Protection Authority specialists who participated on the programme. Further detauils can be obtained from Bohdana Rambouskova, Communication Officer,
UNDP Yemen, Sana'a. (967 711 33 66 28, 967 770 138 453 www.socotraproject.org)
Compiled by Dawn Balmer
The breeding site of one of the world’s least
known birds, Large-billed Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus orinus, has been discovered in the
remote and rugged Wakhan Corridor of the
Pamir mountains of northeastern Afghanistan.
The first specimen of the species had been
discovered in India in 1867, with more than a
century elapsing before the second discovery
of a single bird in Thailand in 2006 first
reported by BirdLife International.
In 2008, Rob Timmins from WCS was
conducting a survey of bird communities
along the Wakhan and Pamir rivers when he
immediately heard a distinctive song coming
from a small, olive-brown bird with a long
bill. Timmins taped the bird’s song. He later
heard and observed more birds of the same
species. Initially, Timmins assumed these
birds to be Blyth’s Reed Warblers Acrocephalus
dumetorum, but a visit to the Natural History
Museum at Tring in the UK to examine
bird skins suggested his birds were another
species. In summer 2009, WCS researchers
returned to the site of Timmins’ first survey,
this time with mist nets used to catch birds
for examination. The research team broadcast
the recording of the song, a technique used
to bring curious birds of the same species
into view for observation and examination.
The recording brought in Large-billed Reed
Warblers from all directions, allowing
the team to catch almost 20 of them for
examination and to collect feathers for DNA
analysis. Later laboratory work comparing
museum specimens with measurements, field
images, and DNA confirmed the exciting
finding: the first-known breeding population
of Large-billed Reed Warblers.“Almost
nothing was known about this species and
it was consequently listed as Data deficient
by BirdLife on the IUCN Red List, so the
discovery of a breeding population marks a
major step forward”, said Dr Stuart Butchart,
BirdLife’s Global Research and Indicators
Coordinator.
“This is great news from a little-known
species from a remote part of the world and
suggests that there may be more discoveries
to be made here”, said Mike Evans, BirdLife’s
compiler of the Important Bird Areas of the
Middle East. (Source: Birdlife International)
Within its ‘Bird of the Year’ annual campaign,
the Armenian Society for the Protection of Birds
(ASPB) has announced the Common Crane
Grus grus to be the Bird of 2010 in Armenia.
ASPB had carried out a public opinion poll,
and respondents mentioned six bird species,
namely Common Crane, Golden Eagle Aquila
chrysaetos, Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus,
Eurasian Black Vulture Aegypius monachus,
Caucasian Grouse Tetrao mlokosiewiczi, and
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni. (Source: ASPB
Newsletter Number 11) Research into the breeding success of Lesser
Kestrels showed that 28–30 pairs of Lesser
Kestrels bred in Gorayk IBA in 2009. Ten
pairs occupied nest holes in the new artificial
breeding tower mounted for these birds by
ASPB. The Lesser Kestrels nesting in the
cavities in the roof of a local TV tower in
Gorayk are poorly monitored due to their
inaccessibility. In the 10 nests placed in the
artificial breeding tower, 26 eggs were laid
and 23 chicks hatched and later fledged
successfully. Additionally, about 11 juvenile
birds have been ringed using aluminum rings
in order to find out whether they will return
to their breeding grounds. (Source: ASPB
Newsletter Number 11) In August of 2009 the ASPB and Alexander
Gavashelishvili (Ilia Chavchavadze University,
Georgia) fitted a three month old Cinereous
Vulture Aegypius monachus with patagial wing
tags and a PTT satellite unit. This effort
follows up on the juvenile vultures tracking
programme launched by ASPB in 2006 using
wing tags and satellite tagging units. Up
to now, a total of four Cinereous Vulture
juveniles have been tagged. According to
the data received via satellite, the juvenile
vulture tagged in August of 2009 stayed
within Armenia until November and then
began migrating in the second half of the
month, when it moved near to the town of
Morvarid in Iran. (Source: ASPB Newsletter
Number 11) Birding Egypt have opened a new forum on
Facebook for all those interested in birds,
birdwatching and bird conservation in
Egypt. (Source: Mindy Baha El Din) Nature Conservation Egypt (NCE) warns
that the Qarun lake protected area in the
Fayoum oasis, one of Egypt’s richest and most
treasured natural landmarks, is at grave risk
of being destroyed. Rather than protecting
this natural treasure, NCE asserts that the
Egyptian government’s policies encourage
overdevelopment and other destructive
activities. Since 2008 the autumn migration of raptors at
Batumi on the east side of the Black sea has
been monitored by teams of volunteers. Over
830 000 raptors have been counted in eight
weeks. More information about the results
and the history of the project can be found on
its website:www.batumiraptorcount.org. The
2010 counts will run from 17 August to 16
October and will also include a pilot count in Kazbegi. To register your interest please visit
the website. In January 2009, a group from Foundation
Working Group International Waterbird and
Wetland Research (WIWO) and the Iranian
Department of Environment (DoE) took part
in the International Waterbird Census to
count birds in the most important wetlands
in Iran. The 2009 census covered eight of the
30 provinces of Iran and produced a wealth
of information, and the counters were lucky
enough also to find the first Amur Falcon
Falco amurensis for Iran. The full results have
been published by Amini & van Roomen
(2009 Tehran/Zeist 520pp) and summarised by
Winkel et al (2010 Dutch Birding 32: 171–188).
Prior to the fieldwork, a workshop covering
counting methods and identification issues
was held, together with the opportunity for a
fieldtrip in the south-central province of Fars.
Around Persepolis a wide range of species were
seen including Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis,
Eastern Imperial Eagle A. heliaca, Rock Martin
Ptyonoprogne fuligula pallida, Radde’s Accentor
Prunella ocularis, Finsch’s Wheatear Oenanthe
finschii, Hume’s Wheatear O. albonigra, Blue
Rock Thrush Monticola solitarus longirostris,
Eastern Rock Nuthatch Sitta tephronota
dresseri and Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta.
A visit to Dasht-e Konar in the south of Fars
produced Macqueen’s Bustard Chlamydotis
macqueenii, Asian Desert Warbler Sylvia nana,
Plain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus neglectus, Seesee
Partridge Ammoperdix griseogularis, Black
Francolin Francolinus francolinus bogdanovi,
Eurasian Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus
harterti/indicus, Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus
indicus, Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis,
Greater Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes doriae,
Radde’s Accentor, Graceful Prinia Prinia
gracilis and Levant Grey Shrike Lanius lahtora
aucheri, Pygmy Cormorants Phalacrocorax
pygmeus, White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus
leucurus and a juvenile Northern Goshawk
Accipiter gentillis (rare this far south). A search
for Pleske’s Ground Jay Podoces pleskei at
Bahram-e Gur in the east of Fars produced
just brief views of one. A new bulletin, Balaban, aimed to encourage
Iranian birders and ornithologists to publish
results of their works in their native language
and introduce a place to transfer ornithological
papers, notes and news regarding Iranian
birds and ornithology has been launched. This
will complement Podoces. Although most of
the texts are in Persian, summaries in English
are provided. Small number of paper copies
(30 pp, A4 sized) are available. Please contact
Mohammad Tohidifar (mohammad_8463@
yahoo.com) or Abolghasem Khaleghizadeh
(akhaleghizadeh@gmail.com) for further
information. An excellent article on birding in Kyrgystan by
Vincent van der Spek and Machiel Valkenburg
was recently published in Dutch Birding (32:
10–20 2010).
The Socotra Governance & Biodiversity Project
website (www.socotraproject.org) has been
awarded the gold prize in the Yemen Web
Awards 2009. The SGBP website received
first place within the second largest category
of Projects & Government Websites beating
the Official Yemen Tourism & Hadhramaut
Governorate Website. Winning in Yemen
Web Awards means that the SGBP website
has qualified for the Middle East finals to be
held in Oman in May 2010. OSME encourages
them to host conservation stories and news
items and provides bird checklists and relevant Sandgrouse papers.
(Source: Bohdana Rambouskova, SGBP) Mheimideh is probably the best birding site
along the Syrian Euphrates; all who visit come
away astonished that such a rich site can exist
in the middle of a village. It has an outstanding
list of breeding species, notably three RDB
species of duck (White-headed Oxyura
leucocephala, Ferruginous Aythya nyroca and
Marbled Ducks Marmaronetta angustirostris),
White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus and
Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola, with good
numbers of Spur-winged Plover Vanellus
spinosus and Whiskered Tern Chlidonias
hybridus. But the pressure on it is massive
including illegal hunting and every year
more good habitat round its edges disappears
under houses. An application has again been
lodged for the whole site to be drained for
agricultural and housing purposes. On this
occasion the application is likely to be refused,
but at some stage soon it will be accepted
unless there is international pressure and a
long-term plan for its conservation. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia
project reaches a very important stage this
year with the publication of the Atlas. The
last records were added to the Atlas in April
2010 and it will be published later this year. It
will cover 273 proven breeding bird species
in Arabia and a further 24 not-quite-proven
breeders. For each of the breeding species
there is a lengthy text arranged in four
paragraph blocks. These cover the species and
its taxonomy; status in Arabia generally and in
each country, including population estimates;
the species’ ecological requirements and finally
breeding aspects. For each subject great care
has been taken to ensure that only Arabian
information is provided, thus avoiding the
repeat of data from standard works. For each
breeding species there is at least one map
showing confirmed and probable breeding
and presence records against two different
time periods (by use of coloured symbols),
up to and after 1 January 1984, and a line
drawing. The evidence for breeding of the
not quite proven species is given but these
are not illustrated or mapped. There are
lengthy introductory general chapters on
bird distribution in Arabia, including several
general maps and over 100 colour photos
of habitats, conservation issues and about
50 birds. The Atlas will be published as
volume 25 of journal of the Fauna of Arabia, a
hardback A4 format journal published by the
Senckenberg Institute in Frankfurt, and it will
be approximately 750 pages long.
Reaching this important stage does not
mean the end of the ABBA project. The
database will continue to be added to and
records collected from all sources, including
current and past observers, literature sources
and museums and archives. It is intended
to revamp the database in the coming
months to reflect changes in taxonomy and
nomenclature and to migrate it to more
modern software, to enable the project to
be completely re-launched, including a new
website. However, in the meantime, observers are asked to email the project coordinator
Mike Jennings (ArabianBirds@dsl.pipex.com)
to obtain a set of the project instructions and
forms to enable them to complete report
sheets for the current breeding season. It
cannot be emphasised enough that the project
is not just interested in the new and exciting
developments regarding breeding/resident
birds in Arabia but is also interested in repeat
breeding of common birds, population levels,
conservation issues, land use and habitat
details. All these aspects can be reported.
Contributions on all aspects of Arabian
birds are also welcomed for publication in
Phoenix the project newsletter. (Source: Mike
Jennings) New links have been added to the satellitetracking
pages of the West African
Ornithological Society website ()http://
malimbus.free.fr/trakindx.htm) for Purple
Heron, White Stork, Eurasian Hobby and
Eleonora’s Falcon. There is also a link to a
Wetlands International page that has satellite
tracking and colour banding links from all
over the world. (Source: Joost Brouwer) Congratulations to Zoology in the Middle East
who publish their 50th volume later in 2010.
It is one of the largest collections of zoological
papers related to the Middle East (www.
kasparek-verlag.de/ZME-allgem.htm).
Sultanate of Oman hosts an International Conference on Migratory Shorebirds
Sooty Falcon Research Project Extended. (From the Muscat Daily - www.muscatdaily.com)
Socotra Checklist
Abolghasem Khaleghizadeh, Editor of PODOCES, has recently circulated three papers on rare birds in Iran. Two of these cover the period 1860-1970:
Upper Akkar... One of the Middle East’s Major Spots for Witnessing an Amazing Spectacle of Soaring Bird Migration!
Black Storks – Upper Akkar by Richard Porter
Raptor Watching – Upper Akkar by Richard Porter
Steppe Buzzard (left) and Short-toed Eagle (right) – Upper Akkar by Richard Porter
Hima Education and Outreach Officer
The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL)
E-mail: talakhatib@gmail.com
tkhatib@spnl.org
Tel: + 961 1 748309
Website: www.spnl.org
Experts reach agreements on mainstreaming migratory soaring birds’ conservation into the hunting sector in the Rift Valley/Red Sea region.
24 October 2011
For further information please contact:
Julien Jreissati – Communication Officer – Migratory Soaring Birds Project.
Phone Number: +962 6 5532212
Email: julien.jreissati@birdlife.org
Wildlife rangers to be trained in anti-smuggling skills
Migratory Soaring Project: New Regional Flyway Facility staff in the BirdLife International Amman Office, Jordan (September 2011)
Oman breaks the 500 barrier!
Arabian Leopard Appeal, Eastern Yemen
The documentary “Important areas for birds and other wildlife in Cyprus” is now available to order
OSME at the Rutland Birdfair
OSME members are presenting on two occasions at this year’s Birdfair.
http://www.talking-naturally.co.uk/tn58-dr-azzam-alwash-nature-iraq/
World Migratory Bird Day Celebration and Nature Iraq’s Activities
NATURE CONSERVATION EGYPT (NCE)
LAKE QARUN IBA THREATENED BY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT
Nature Conservation Egypt
Registration No. 2511/2005
10 Managem & Mahager St, Mohandiseen, Egypt.
Tel. (202) 33045140 – Fax: (202) 33031584
Website : www.ncegypt.org Email : info@ncegypt.org
Nature Iraq receives Takreem Arab Achievement Award in Qatar
Dr Azzam Alwash, the CEO of Nature Iraq, accepted the award at a ceremony in Qatar at the end of April.
Jordan Birdwatching Club on Facebook
Hunting of migrant birds
Socotra Buzzard enters Guinness Book of Records!
A Guide to the Biodiversity of Deir ez-Zor Area
Socotra Governance & Biodiversity Project
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2458124/SOCOTRA%20ENVIRONMENTAL%20WEEK.ppsx
News and information
AFGHANISTAN
Large-billed Reed Warblers discovered breeding
ARMENIA
Bird of the Year
Lesser Kestrel breeding success
Black Vulture movements
EGYPT
Birding Egypt on Facebook
Lake Qarun under threat
A wave of tourism development is
destroying the shoreline at Qarun lake,
animal and bird habitats are being ruined
and the water is being severely polluted.
Lake Qarun’s most prominent recent tourist
development is Byoum, a massive complex
of more than 120 villas, a five-star hotel and
hunting lodge. It is being built by well-known
Egyptian developer Samih Sawiris, chairman
of Orascom Hotels and Development.
According to Egypt’s law protecting
nature reserves, it is illegal to destroy, remove
or pollute a reserve’s natural resources—its
wildlife, plants, rocks, even soil. However, this
law is subject to a final clause that states “ . . .
unless permission is obtained from the relevant
authorities.” The Egyptian government has
given Orascom this permission at Qarun
lake.
During a recent meeting with NCE,
Orascom chairman Sawiris promised to work
with NCE to help protect the environment by
forbidding hunting, building a bird sanctuary,
restricting water sports and providing
fishermen access to the lake. To date, however,
none of these promises have been met.
The northern part of Qarun lake, around
Gebal Qatrani, contains one of the world’s
most complete fossil records of terrestrial
primates and marshland mammals, critical
to understanding of mammalian including
human evolution. The lake is also an
internationally designated Important Bird
Area, providing food, shelter and breeding
grounds for a wide variety of resident and
migrating birds, including several endangered
species. Despite all this, however, Egypt’s
Tourism Development Authority (TDA) has
plans to build on hundreds of acres along
the lake’s northern shore—even though this
area of rolling, untouched desert is protected
land.
On the southwestern shore, Orascom’s
Byoum development will cover around 300
acres of prime lake property. Already a huge
cement embankment protrudes into the lake,
covering the shoreline and destroying a key
bird habitat. Byoum’s promotional materials,
featuring a silver-engraved, antique, rifle,
promote hunting as a major activity, although
hunting is illegal in the protectorate. Byoum
also denies local fishermen access to the lake.
It has been suggested that letters of objection
should be sent to the following Egyptian
agencies: the Environment Agency (www.
eeaa.gov.eg) eeaa@eeaa.gov.eg and the State
Information Service info@etf.org.eg/etf@etf.
org.eg.
GEORGIA
Batumi Raptor Count 2010
IRAN
Waterbird monitoring in 2009
After the workshop, the group split into
nine groups to cover eight provinces (two
teams covering Hormuzgan). In Gilan, in the
north, 263 350 waterbirds of 71 species were
recorded, with Anzali wetland proving to
be the most important area. Within Gilan,
there were impressive numbers of Dalmatian
Pelican Pelecanus crispus (1298), Whooper
Swan Cygnus cygnus (5530), Common Teal
Anas crecca (67 452), Gadwall A. strepera (36
335), Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
(620), Black-eared Kite Milvus lineatus (440)
and Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga (40).
Two Sociable Plovers Vanellus gregarius were
the first winter observation in northern Iran.
Mazandaran, along the southern coast
of the Caspian sea, is the most important
province for waterbirds, in terms of both
total numbers and species found. An aerial
survey was carried out over Miankaleh and
Gorgan bay areas and produced large flocks
of Eurasian Coot Fulica atra (778 970), Greater
Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus (52 710), Great
Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus (14 755) and
Smew Mergellus albellus (4880), the latter
mainly at sea. Elsewhere, counts of raptors
were impressive with 252 White-tailed Eagles
Haliaeetus albicilla and 573 Western Marsh
Harriers. At Fereydon Kemar Damgah there
was a sighting of the last wild Siberian Crane
Grus leucogeranus of the western population,
accompanied by a female from the Russian
re-introduction programme.
In Golestan, in the northeast of Iran, many
of the sites had suffered the effects of drought
over the last two years and in January 2009
only 174 000 waterbirds were counted (c230
000 in a typical winter). Eurasian Coot (78
484) and Greater Flamingo (45 461) were the
most numerous species. Also of interest, nine
White-winged Larks Melanocorypha leucoptera
and two wintering Chinese Shrikes Lanius
arenarius were at Bibi Shirvan fish pond (rare
this far north). Three White-winged Grosbeaks
Mycerabas carnipes were found in Golestan
national park.
In Sistan Baluchestan, in southeast Iran,
36 549 waterbirds were counted. Numbers
are lower due to few suitable habitats. There
is a large wintering population of Dalmatian
Pelicans (1523) which is about 11% of the
estimated world population. There were also
important counts of Great Black-headed Gull
Larus ichthyaetus (4501), Crab Plover Dromas
ardeola (82) and Great Stone-curlew Easacus
recurvirostris (54). The first Great Knot Calidris
tenuirostris for the province was also found.
The best bird was undoubtably a first-winter
Amur Falcon seen on 24 January at Lipar
seasonal marsh; the first record for Iran.
Counts in central Hormuzgan, in southern
Iran, produced an actual count of 87 000
waterbirds and an estimated count of 154
000 waterbirds (69 species). One of the most
important findings was the number of Broadbilled
Sandpipers Limicola falcinellus (848
counted, 3621 estimated) which confirms the
importance of especially Khouran strait as a
key wintering site. Also of interest were the
numbers of Crab Plover (7222), Lesser Sand
Plover C. mongolus (3539 counted, 19 407
estimated) and Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinerea
(3271 counted, 9480 estimated).
In east Hormuzgan, a total of 72 248
waterbirds of 69 species were counted,
plus 22 raptor species. The most numerous
were Slender-billed Gulls Larus genei (9068),
Caspian/Barbara Gull L cachinnans/barabensis
(8833), Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
(4731), Heuglin’s Gull L heuglini (4337) and
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (4115).
Important numbers of Dalmatian Pelican
(2255), Terek Sandpiper (2018), Crab Plover
(1262), Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
(282) and Broad-billed Sandpiper (121) were
also found. Away from counting waterbirds,
six Oriental White-eyes Zosterops palpebrous
were found (at Khoor-e Azini and Khoor-e
Neyzei), 29 juvenile Socotra Cormorants
Phalacrocorax nigrogularis at Khoor-e Kuh
Mobarak (rare winter visitor), Black-throated
Diver Gavia arctica at Jask and a Masked
Booby Sula dactylatra c 1km off the coast of
Khoor-e Chal (third for Iran).
Bushehr, in southern Iran, yielded 54 000
birds. Most numerous in 2009 were Great
Cormorant (13 000), Dunlin Calidris alpina (12
000), Common Teal (3700) and Greater Sand
Plover Charadrius leschenaultii (3000). A flock
of 26 Macqueen’s Bustards were at Mond
protected area.
In Khuzestan, just over 100 000 waterbirds
were counted, compared with nearly 500 000
in 2007. Only Greater Flamingo had higher
numbers than in 2007 (14 236 versus 1986).
Other numerous birds were Eurasian Coot
(18 391), Common Teal (12 614) and Common
Pochard Aythya farina (9634). At Bennynameh,
153 Marbled Ducks were counted. Seven Spurwinged
Lapwings Vanellus spinosus at three
different locations were notable (rare in Iran).
In Fars, only 42 980 waterbirds were
counted compared with almost 180 000 in
2007. The reduced counts, as in many areas,
were presumably a reflection of the extreme
drought. A group of 14 Greater White-fronted
Geese Anser albifrons on a lake behind Sivand
dam was a notable record.
New bulletin for Iran
KYRGYZSTAN
Socotra (Yemen)
Prize for Socotra Project website
SYRIA
Mheimideh under immediate threat
The Ministry of State for Environment
Affairs and the Syrian Society for Conservation
of Wildlife are very keen to mount a campaign
to save Mheimideh and to develop it as an
educational nature reserve, ensuring that there
are significant benefits for the local people (in
terms of jobs, ecotourist income and prestige).
This will require major involvement by the
international conservation community and
significant funding.
Mheimideh has exceptional potential as
a flagship nature reserve that can serve as
a major education point for local people.
Illegal hunting is widespread along the Syrian
Euphrates and directly impacts many species,
notably the Critically Endangered Sociable
Plover Vanellus gregarius. Thus a conservation
presence at Mheimideh is very important. Dr
David Murdoch will be contacting potential
supporters in the near future to elicit support
for the Syrian stakeholders’ campaign. (Source:
David Murdoch).OTHER NEWS
Atlas of the Breeding Birds of
Arabia
New satellite-tracking links
between Europe and Africa
Zoology in the Middle East