SANDGROUSE ~ 1992 Volume 14 Part2 _| OSME OSME OSME was founded in 1978 as the successor to the Ornithological Society of Turkey. Its primary aims are, e Tocollect, collate, and publish data on all aspects of the birds of the Middle East. e TO promote an interest in ornithology and bird conservation throughout the Middle East. e To develop productive working relationships with other governmental and non-governmental organisations with an interest in conservation and/or natural history in the region. Publications OSME publishes a scientific journal, Sandgrouse, containing papers on all aspects of Middle Eastern ornithology. The OSME Bulletin contains more popular articles, letters, Soci- ety news, and other news and information from around the region. Both are published twice a year and are issued free to members. Meetings An Annual General Meeting is held in London at which guest speakers provide new perspectives on ornithology in the region. OSME usually joins forces with other societies for a second meeting each winter and organises occasional special meetings of its own; some meet- ings take place outside the UK. Projects OSME organises field expeditions to collect data on birds in little-known parts of the region and in areas where OSME can assist by teaming up with local societies. In addition, the Sites Register Scheme collects records from all interested ornithologists of important bird areas in the Middle East. Grants The Conservation Research Committee disburses funds to valuable field projects and desk studies that further the conservation of birds in the region. Grants have been awarded to over 25 such projects since the Conservation Research Fund was set up in 1982. Membership OSME is open to all, and its membership spans over 40 countries. Annual membership Life membership Individual £10 (£13 air mail outside Europe) Individual £200 (£100 if 60 or over) Family £15 (£18 air mail) for two Family £275 members, plus £3 for each additional family member Please add £3 if payment is made in non-sterling currency. For details of payment by banker's order, and for any other information on the Society, write to the Secretary at the address below. Vice Presidents Prof. Abdulaziz H. Shaika Noora Bint lsa__ Lord Barber of Sir William Wilkinson Abuzinada Bin Sulman Al Tewkesbury N. Yazgan Prof. W. Buttiker Khalifa M. D. Gallagher Council Dr G. Allport Conser- =P. A. D. Hollom R. P. Martins (co-opted) F. E. Warr (co- vation Research S. Howe Turkey Bird Report opted) Sales J. Armitage |. Hutson (co-opted) R. P. Morris R. Webb Publicity Postal Clerk Secretary G. R. Welch D. J. Brooks M. C. Jennings R. Parslow Chairman Sandgrouse Editor G. M. Kirwan Membership H. J. Welch (co- A. Colston Turkey Officer H. Prendergast (co- opted) Librarian Treasurer opted) Bulletin Ed. ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST c/o THE LODGE, SANDY, BEDFORDSHIRE, SG19 2DL, UK SANDGROUSE Volume 14 Part 2 1992 Editor Editorial Committee Duncan J. Brooks Michael Evans P. A. D. Hollom Assistant Editor Michael C. Jennings Rod Martins Guy Kirwan Stephen Newton Contents 62 ERIK HIRSCHFELD Observations of seabirds off Dhofar (Oman), 1990-2 (2=\OSEPH B: PLATT Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber at Khor Dubai, United Arab Emirates 81 P.SYMENS, S. F. NEWTON, H. WINKLER, AND A. J. STAGG Mountain Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus in Arabia: identification, status, and distribution 93. PAUL SCHOLTE The birds of Wadi Rima, a permanently flowing mountain wadi in western Yemen Notes 109 MARTIN J. TAYLOR First record of Temminck’s Horned Lark Eremophila bilopha in Yemen 110 EDWARD KHOUNGANIAN AND PETER L. MEININGER First record of Woodpigeon Columba palumbus in Egypt 111 Gamit A. M. ATTA First record of Great Bustard Otis tarda in Egypt 112 Erik HIRSCHFELD Birds new to Bahrain 1989-92 116 ERIK HIRSCHFELD First records of Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura in Bahrain 120 ERIK HIRSCHFELD First record of Plain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus neglectus in Bahrain 122 IAN CARTER AND RICHARD THEWLIS Passerine mortality associated with gaseous volcanic emissions 123 ANDREW GRIEVE First record of Thick-billed Warbler Acrocephalus aedon in Egypt 124 Corrections ISSN 0260-4736 © 1994 Ornithological Society of the Middle East Sandgrouse (1994) 14: 62-71. Observations of seabirds off Dhofar (Oman), 1990-2 ERIK HIRSCHFELD Summary — Short visits were made to the coast of Dhofar in southern Oman during 1990-2 in order to study the seabird migration there. The results from these counts are presented, plus com- parisons with previous studies in the Arabian Sea and some identification criteria of the more difficult species. The spring migration of Common Terns Sterna hirundo was found to be particularly heavy, and numbers of second-years apparently summer off Dhofar. Several pelagic species were also recorded, the rarer of these being Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea, Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus, and Common Noddy Anous stolidus. Jouanin’s Petrels Bulweria fallax were seen in good numbers of which a large proportion were found moulting outer secondaries in late May. HE COASTAL FRINGE of Dhofar in southern Oman, especially around Salalah and Mirbat, is the only place in the country where the summer monsoon (or kharif as it is known locally) occurs. The monsoon belt extends well west into Yemen. Large numbers of seabirds concentrate offshore during the June to September upwellings which occur in the adjacent Arabian Sea, and these birds most closely approach the Oman coast east of the village of Mirbat (Figure 1). This phenomenon has previously been described by Bailey (1966), who made observations from a ship in the Arabian Sea during the summer months of 1963, and by Bundy (1986) who summarized land-based observations from September 1983 to August 1985; van den Berg et al. (1991) also gave interesting observations from the seas off south- ern Arabia. The coldest upwelling water is apparently found closest to the coast, where surface temperatures were around 20°C in 1963 (Bailey 1966), while it gets warmer further out to sea. This should explain why pelagic species which prefer cold water are easily visible from land, while warm-water species such as White- faced Storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina are never seen by land-based observers in the region. This paper deals with the records I made during visits to the area in August 1990, May 1991, and September 1992, and observations by Rob Morris in September 1991. I have also had available to me data in the files of the Oman Bird Records Committee, and I have compared all this information with the results of previously published counts from land (Bundy 1986) and at sea (Bailey 1966). It is my hope that this will inspire more people-to study the seabird movements off Dhofar. METHODS Although the birds often pass close to land, a telescope is necessary for making good counts. The observers were initially positioned on one of the low-lying penin- sulas just south-east of Mirbat village (Figure 1), close to the shore. Since these observation points lay rather low the birds often disappeared between wave crests 62 Sandgrouse 14 Seabirds off Dhofar on breezier days. In September 1992 a new and far superior watchpoint was found. The name is somewhat uncertain, but I refer to it here as Ras Janjali (Figure 1). Apart from sticking further out into the sea, at a point where the direction of the coast turns from west-north-west to east-north-east, it is also 20 m above sea-level and provides good opportunities to follow individual birds for longer periods of time. Some observations in 1992 were also made from Ras Khaysa which lies mid- way between the other two sites. My first visit on 2 August 1990, assisted by Ian Brown and Bill Simpson, was more or less to assess the extent of the movements and to familiarize myself with the identification of the species occurring. Many birds may thus have been missed on that occasion. In subsequent years standardized counts in 15-minute periods were undertaken, with flight directions and approximate (subjectively determined) weather conditions recorded (Table 1); Rob Morris’s records were, however, not divided into shorter periods. Salalah ae Mirbat > Khaysa fe) Figure 1. Coastline of Dhofar (south-west Oman) around Mirbat. Inset shows general loca- tion. WEATHER One advantage of seawatching along the Mirbat coast is that strong winds are not needed to force the birds close inshore. Temperatures of around 25-30°C provide a comfortable environment for the seawatcher, and at times the sky is overcast with occasional drizzle, which eliminates heat haze. The wind is normally from the west or south-west and visibility varies with the weather conditions, some- times being very poor (less than 50 m) during the monsoon to excellent during dry 63 E. Hirschfeld Sandgrouse 14 periods. The effects of weather are discussed below, under the individual species affected. Morning mist can be a problem for seawatching, as in September 1992, but it usually disperses around midday, even though visibility may then still be no more than 700 m. IDENTIFICATION Identification sources used were Harrison (1983) and Hollom et al. (1988). How- ever, I still found it difficult in some cases to distinguish between Jouanin’s Pet- rel*, Flesh-footed Shearwater, and Wedge-tailed Shearwater. The criteria I used for these species are detailed below. Jouanin’s Petrel. Slender-winged, with a long tail and hand. The ‘steps’ on the outer tail, mentioned by Harrison (1983) were only visible within c. 400 m. Most birds looked dark brownish-black in May, a few close individuals exhibiting a paler bar along the upperwing coverts. In August, the secondary coverts were clearly paler. The bill was short and stout, some individuals exhibiting a pale patch (prob- ably feathering) at the base in good light. About 50% of birds observed in May were moulting outer secondaries. The identification of this species has previously been discussed by Bourne (1960) and van den Berg et al. (1991) who pointed out that the bill is held angled down while the dark shearwaters hold the bill level; this character might be easy for a ship-based observer to use but I found it difficult to see from land. Pale-footed Shearwater. Much broader wings than Jouanin’s Petrel and with a shorter and blunter hand. The bill is considerably longer, held straight in flight, and the tail is shorter. Some birds show pale on the underwing coverts. The flight is more clumsy than in Jouanin’s Petrel. Wedge-tailed Shearwater. Somewhat similar to Jouanin’s Petrel in outline (i.e. slim- mer than Flesh-footed Shearwater) but has a wider tail and a long, dark bill. The head also protrudes more. No pale markings are visible on the underwing. Red-billed Tropicbird. This species is incorrectly depicted in Harrison (1983), as both adults and juveniles seen off Dhofar have a distinct black bar on the greater secondary coverts of the upperwing and could be confused with White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus at long range. The latter species could occur off Dhofar but can be distinguished by having the rest of the wing coverts pure white rather than mottled blackish-grey and sometimes (but not always: e.g. Plate 282 in Harrison 1987) by having white primary tips. . RESULTS AND SYSTEMATIC LIST Table 1 shows clearly that the directions of flight for many of the pelagic seabirds observed varied day-to-day, and this is discussed below under individual species. True migration, i.e. the majority of individuals of a given species moving in one direction, was very apparent for Common Terns in both autumn and spring and was detectable also among other tern and gull species. More seawatches during * Scientific names of most seabird species are given in the Systematic List. 64 Sandgrouse 14 Seabirds off Dhofar Table 1. Daily-seabird counts off Dhofar, 1990-2. In most cases, counts are divided into birds passing east and west. All counts were done from Ras Mirbat except for those on 3 Septem- ber 1992 (Ras Mirbat, Ras Khaysa, and Ras Janjali) and 4—5 September 1992 (Ras Janjali). August 1990 May 1991 September 1991 September 1992 2 4 23 24 24 = 25 27 2 3 4 5 Jouanin’s Petrel E 353s «452 271 42 17 = a Bulweria fallax W #00 4 - ~ : 22 | 7 8 1 Flesh-footed Shearwater E 1 8 4 6 15 48 278 Puffinus carneipes WwW oe - - oe 2 Fe Sg 7 1 134 46 Audubon’s Shearwater E 6 7 13 39 45 261 49 Puffinus lherminieri W = - - - 25 a00 " 4 29 83 76 Wilson’s Petrel E 20 ~ - - 7 7 8 4 fe) 1 Oceanites oceanicus W | - _ 16 29 16 6 Red-billed Tropicbird E 2 - - : ' 7 6 ii 7 Phaethon aethereus W = = o 6 8 16 7 Masked Booby E 100 3 2 f z 3 9 14 8 82 630 Sula dactylatra W - - 1 2 2 2 4 Pomarine Skua E % - 4 6 - " 7 ~ - - Stercorarius pomarinus W - - - - 3 - - Common Tem E 2 - 621 401 7 M - - ~ - - Stema hirundo W - 1 11 270 374 13 65 Bridled Term E 7 8 12 | 5 4 - Sterna anaethetus W a - - - Maer «: | 29 - - Times of observation 06.15- 06.00- 08.30- 06.25- 12.30- 13.45- 07.45 07.15 09.45 07.40 16.30 17.00- 15.45- 13.145- 11.15- 17.45 18.00 14.30 12.15 14.00- 16.15 Weather Visibility (m) Very good Q- 0= 300- —- 300- 1,000 1,500 1,000 1,000 Wind (knots) WSW 10 SW 20 SW20 SW20 WSW 15 Cloud None None Ov'cast Ov'cast Ov’cast Ov’cast Observers EH EH EH,SM EH,SM RM~ RM RM EH, AF, TN Observers: Erik Hirschfeld, Saeed A. Mohammed, Rob Morris, Annika Forsten, Tapani Numminen March to May and September to November would probably produce interesting results in clarifying the visible migration of these species off the south Arabian coast. The following should be read in conjunction with Table 1. Breeding and disper- sal data given here have been taken from Harrison (1983) except where stated. For status and occurrences in Oman, Gallagher and Woodcock (1980), OBRC (1990), and the files of the Oman Bird Records Committee have been utilized. / Jouanin’s Petrel Bulweria fallax The breeding grounds of this species remain unknown. Large numbers occur off Dhofar during April-August, and several individuals caught by Bailey (1966) showed brood patches. It has been speculated that the species might breed from June to November, with egg-laying in mid-August and young fledging in Decem- ber (when birds have been found in the Omani interior, as well as fledglings in 65 E. Hirschfeld Sandgrouse 14 Kenya) (Jouanin 1992). Bundy (1986) and Bailey (1966) suggested that the species might breed in the Halaniyah (formerly Kuria Muria) Islands, Dhofar mountains, or in the south Omani desert. Gallagher (1985), who visited the Halaniyah group ~ several times, did not record it as a breeder there. More recently, Jouanin (1992) | has suggested that the vicinity of Socotra and Somalia may hold breeding loca- tions: substantial numbers are known to be present off southern Yemen and Socotra in spring (Porter and Martins 1993) and off Djibouti in October-November (Welch and Welch 1986, 1992). Largest daily counts were in August 1990 (400 birds) and May 1991 (271). Notable was about 100 birds feeding off Ras Mirbat on 4 August 1990. The low numbers in September 1991 and 1992 suggest that relatively few birds are present after their (presumed) egg-laying dates which also coincides with the observation that the species is scarcer at sea after December (W. R. P. Bourne in litt.). Bundy (1986) noted maximum numbers (up to 332 per day) in July and the beginning of August which fits well with other observations that the species is scarcer in the area after August. The main flight direction in spring 1991 was east, while the 1991-2 autumn data were too sparse to draw any safe conclusions. The only Mirbat records from the OBRC files outside the period May—September are of 148 on 24 February 1967 and two on 6 March 1987; largest numbers have been recorded in July and the first few days of August, the peak being 900 on 6 August 1987. Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea Breeds in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, dispersing widely in the Atlantic and also to the southern Indian Ocean. It is rare, but regular, in the north- ern Red Sea (e.g. Hovel 1987, van den Berg et al. 1991) and it has been suggested that these birds could have been individuals migrating north on the ‘wrong’ side of Africa (comment by W. R. P. Bourne in Goodman and Haynes 1992). One individual flew west on 5 September 1992 (as did two other pale shearwaters, probably this species, on the same day). Previous records in Oman were one on 29 June, four on 1 July, and one on 6 July 1984, and two on 14 June, one on 28 June, and two on 19 July 1985, all flying east (Bundy 1986). These records suggest that the species might be regular off Dhofar in very small numbers between June and September, which is in line with other recent records from the region. Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes Breeds in the southern Indian Ocean and disperses regularly to the Arabian Sea. Most birds were recorded in September with highest daily totals being 220 on 25 September 1991 and 325 on 5 September 1992. The flight directions varied consid- erably: thus, only 26% of the total on 4 September 1992 flew east, while 86% did so on 5 September 1992, despite similar weather conditions. This suggests that the birds seen off Dhofar are performing relatively local movements between feeding areas rather than migrating, although Bundy (1986) recorded only eastward move- ment of the species and his highest totals were 188 on 5 October 1984 and 156 on 66 Sandgrouse 14 Seabirds off Dhofar 24 May 1985; on no other days did his totals exceed 100. Gallagher and Woodcock (1980) state that the largest numbers occur between June and August, though it seems that this should perhaps be revised to May and September. Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus Breeds in the southern Indian Ocean before dispersing northwards. Reported at sea off Oman during March—September, but its status is obscured by possible con- fusion with Jouanin’s Petrel. One flying east on 24 May 1991 was the only record, with one or two possibles seen on 25 September 1991. Bailey (1966) did not make any positive identifications of the species but sus- pected seeing some well offshore. He suggests that the species prefers the warm- water areas further away from the Dhofar coast, which could explain its scarcity. Bundy (1986) had no records. Audubon’s Shearwater Puffinus [herminiert Occurs off Dhofar from June to August, with smaller numbers at other times, and breeds on the Halaniyah Islands (Gallagher 1985). Significant numbers recorded were 400 on 25 September 1991 and 344 on 4 Sep- tember 1992. As for Flesh-footed Shearwater, flight directions varied from day to day and seemed to be associated with feeding movements rather than migration. Small groups were also observed feeding, especially off Ras Janjali, sometimes with Sooty Gull Larus hemprichi, Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis, Swift Tern S. bergu, and Common Noddy. Audubon’s Shearwater often passed closer inshore than other pelagic species and was also observed close to the sandy beaches at Salalah and Tagah. Bundy (1986) recorded more than 100 birds only twice, on 18 May 1984 (360) and 21 September 1984 (150). Less than 5% of the birds he saw flew west. OBRC files contain records from 6 March (six birds in 1987) to 19 October (11 in 1984), with the bulk recorded from May to September. Wilson’s Petrel Oceanites oceanicus Apart from a few overwintering, birds normally arrive in Oman waters in April, being more common off Dhofar during June-August and departing by November. No large numbers were recorded, and flight directions were variable. In Sep- tember 1992, 67 birds flew west and 22 east. Exceptional numbers recorded by Bundy (1986) were 1,440 on 2 September 1983, 1,450 on 10 September 1984, and 1,820 on 19 October 1984. His counts also showed ~ that 99-5% of the birds migrated east along the coast, contrary to our counts. OBRC files contain records off Mirbat from 16 May (29 birds, 1986) to 19 Octo- ber (two, 1984). Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus Known as a breeder on the Dhofar coast and said to disperse far out to sea. Small numbers were seen, birds flying west being very slightly in the majority. 67 E. Hirschfeld Sandgrouse 14 Tropicbirds often fly high and sometimes passed overland behind the observers, so they may be under-represented in both Bundy’s (1986) and in the present counts. Mirbat records in the OBRC files fall between 27 April (four, 1990) and 25 Sep- tember (one, 1991). Masked Booby Sula dactylatra A breeder from March to October on the Halaniyah Islands where around 5,000 pairs were estimated in May 1983 (Gallagher 1985). Large numbers were seen, with a peak count of 634 on 5 September 1992. Of the individuals in September 1992 only two birds were first-years, and three were determined to be second- or possibly third-year birds. The main movement was eastward, presumably of birds breeding on the Halaniyah Islands and returning after feeding. No birds were observed fishing, and it is remarkable that none are seen flying west along the coast in the mornings. Presumably they use offshore routes from the Halaniyah group to the fishing areas. On 5 September 1992, 53% of the total passed between 14.30 and 15.45 hrs. Bundy (1986) recorded few days with over 100 Masked Boobies, while J. Eriksen (pers. comm.) recorded around 1,000 flying east in two hours on 8 September 1987 before the visibility deteriorated and the count had to be stopped. In Bundy’s observations only 9% of the birds flew west, and he gives the adult-to-juvenile ratio as c. 20:1, a higher proportion of immatures than seen in the present study. Bundy does not, however, specify the age ratio in relation to time of year, nor does he mention second-year birds which are apparently similar to juveniles. OBRC records fall between 10 April (one, 1984) and 11 October (one, 1984), with largest numbers during July-September. Brown Booby Sula leucogaster The closest breeding populations are in the Red Sea and the species is considered an uncommon visitor, mainly in summer, to southern Oman. Singles were seen on 24 May 1991 and 3 September 1992, three on 4 September 1992, and three on 5 September 1992. All were flying east and in three cases ac- companying Masked Boobies, a species it has been reported to hybridize with in other parts of the world (Harrison 1983). Bundy recorded up to seven daily, the majority flying east. OBRC files show a similar spread of dates to those of Masked Booby, from 2 April (one, 1988) to 19 October (one, 1984). Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus A passage migrant, occurring during most of the year. Records in the present study comprised three second-year birds on 23 May 1991, two adults and four of undetermined age on 24 May 1991 (all flying east), and three (flying west) on 3 September 1992. The species is presumably a regular visi- tor, its status perhaps obscured by identification difficulties. In addition to these birds, a number of unidentified skuas were also seen. 68 Sandgrouse 14 Seabirds off Dhofar Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus A passage migrant, seen during most of the year. An adult flying west on 5 September 1992 was the only record. Identification problems may be responsible for the true status of this species and its abundance in comparison to Pomarine Skua being unknown. Gulls Larus spp. No detailed counts were made during the period. Gulls often passed at higher altitudes than other seabirds and at times flew overland behind the observers. Sooty Gull L. hemprichit is frequently present as a loafing bird, as well as being often seen flying along the coast. In May there was a pattern of birds flying west in the morning and east in the evening, indicating flight to and from feeding grounds. In September 1992, however, virtually all birds (estimated at 1,100 dur- ing four days of seawatching) were flying west, indicating a true migration. Bundy (1986) did not record any significant movements with the exception of ‘thousands’ flying east on 14 June 1985. Presumed Yellow-legged Gulls L. cachinnans were observed flying west during September 1992, with 35-80 during each daily count. These were obviously on true migration. Singles of Black-headed Gull L. ridibundus, Slender-billed Gull L. genei, and Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus were also observed during the study periods. Common Tern Sterna hirundo Considered a fairly common migrant in Oman, with a few non-breeders remain- ing over summer and birds sometimes seen in winter. There was a heavy movement to the east in May 1991 and those birds that were seen then on the beaches or close enough to allow ageing were second-years. On a visit to Khor Tagah at the end of July 1992 I observed c. 200 second- and third- years feeding over the Khor. Large numbers also flew west in September 1992, with adults, subadults, and juveniles among the few individuals that could be aged; some adults showed characters of the east Siberian race longipennis. The species seems to migrate almost exclusively in the mornings, sightings after noon being generally few. Bundy (1986) also noted a heavy passage, his highest count being 1,460 flying east on 4 May 1984. There is evidently a heavy passage of Common Terns along the Dhofar coast in both spring and autumn, with subadults regularly summering. _ Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus A breeder and summer visitor to the Dhofar coast during March-November, with a few overwintering. Small numbers were observed during most counts, though 450 were seen on the morning of 25 September 1991. The bulk passed eastwards, but 29 of the 34 re- corded on 3 September 1992 flew west. Birds were noted feeding on a few occasions. 69 E. Hirschfeld Sandgrouse 14 Bundy (1986) had some high daily counts, e.g. 1,240 on 9 September 1983 and 1,510 on 5 October 1984, and all of his birds flew east. September and October are apparently the main months for this species, but the extent of the movement and | the origin of the birds are still unclear. Common Noddy Anous stolidus An uncommon migrant breeder in Oman between May and November. One was seen on 3 September 1992 and a further four birds the next day. Three stopped to feed along the rocky shores. An unidentified noddy was also seen on 23 May 1991. Bundy (1986) noted eight birds during his counts, in June and September. The only other records at Mirbat were of two on 11 April 1986 and one on 17 June 1986, so the species is evidently scarce. Lesser Noddy A. tenutrostris is an irregular summer visitor to Masirah island to the east and has been recorded at Ras Mirbat on 5 August 1983. Other terns Single individuals of Caspian Tern Sterna caspia, Lesser Crested Tern S. bengalensis, Sandwich Tern S. sandvicensis, and Saunders’ Little Tern S. saundersi were also seen. Swift Tern S. bergit, a local breeder, was also present but it was difficult to differ- entiate between local movements and true migrants, except in September 1992 when the birds flew exclusively east (810 individuals in four days). White-cheeked Tern S. repressa was not observed during the seawatching, the only record being of two second-year birds with Common Terns at Khor Tagah on 5 September 1992. Bundy (1986) also recorded very few White-cheeked Terns and suggested that they mi- grate well offshore to reach their main wintering areas, which are believed to lie well out to sea off East Africa and western India. From the OBRC files, three Roseate Terns S. dougallii recorded at Mirbat on 12 June 1992 deserve mention. CONCLUSIONS The seawatching off Dhofar, and especially the coast east of Mirbat, is exceptional and justifies more attention. Migratory movements of terns and gulls, which often follow coastlines, can be spectacular, and extensive coverage during spring and autumn months could produce interesting results. Shearwaters and Jouanin’s and Wilson’s Petrels are presumably not affected by coastlines on their migration un-: less very strong winds force them close to land, and their movements off Dhofar are probably related to feeding activities—though the extremely large movements of Wilson’s Petrels recorded by Buncy (1986) are noteworthy. Flesh-footed Shearwaters congregate especially in May and September. Locally breeding Red- billed Tropicbirds pass the coastline in different directions and no clear pattern is obvious for their flights. Masked Boobies are sometimes seen migrating east in large numbers, presumably to their breeding colonies, primarily the Halaniyah Islands. 70 Sandgrouse 14 Seabirds off Dhofar ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Dr W. R. P. Bourne and Jens and Hanne Eriksen have kindly commented on this draft. Ian Brown, Annika Forsten, Saeed A. Mohammed, Rob Morris, Tapani Numminen, and Bill Simpson helped with the counting, and Michael Gallagher and the Oman Bird Records Com- mittee kindly supplied additional information on the seabirds off Dhofar. REFERENCES BAILEY, R. S. (1966) The sea-birds of the south-eastern coast of Arabia. [bis 108: 224-64. BOURNE, W. R. P. (1960) The petrels of the Indian Ocean. Sea Swallow 13: 26-39. BUNDY, G. (1986) Notes on seabirds in south-eastern Arabia. Sandgrouse 7: 29-42. GALLAGHER, M. AND WOODCOCK, M. W. (1980) The Birds of Oman. Quartet, London. GALLAGHER, M. D. (1985) Seabirds of the Kuria Muria Islands, Arabian Sea. Sea Swallow 34: 5-18. GALLAGHER, M. D. AND ROGERS, T. D. (1980) On some birds of Dhofar and other parts of Oman. J. Oman Stud. Spec. Rep. 2: 347-85. GOODMAN, S. M. AND HAYNES, C. V., JR. (1992) A Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea in the Egyptian Western Desert. Sandgrouse 13: 104-6. HARRISON, P. (1983) Seabirds: an identification guide. Croom Helm, Beckenham. HARRISON, P. (1987) Seabirds of the world: a photographic guide. Christopher Helm, London. HOLLoM, P. A. D., PORTER, R. F., CHRISTENSEN, S., AND WILLIS, I. (1988) Birds of the Middle East and North Africa: a companion guide. Poyser, Calton. HOvVEL, H. (1987) Check-list of the Birds of Israel. Tel-Aviv. JOUANIN, C. (1992) Some remarks on the two endemic tubenoses of the Arabian Sea. Oman Bird News 12: 6-8. OBRC (OMAN BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE) (1990) Oman Bird List 3rd edn. OBRC, Muscat. PORTER, R. AND MARTINS, R. (1993) OSME in southern Yemen and Socotra. Orn. Soc. Middle East Bull. 31: 1-4. VAN DEN BERG, A. B., SMEENK, C., BOSMAN, C. A. W., HAASE, B. J. M., VAN DER NIET, A. M., AND CADEE, G. C. (1991) Barau’s Petrel Pterodroma baraui, Jouanin’s Petrel Bulweria fallax and other seabirds in the northern Indian Ocean in June-July 1984 and 1985. Ardea 79: 1- 14. WELCH, G. AND WELCH, H. (1986) Djibouti Il: autumn °85. Whittlesey. WELCH, G. AND WELCH, H. (1992) Djibouti III: migrant raptor count. Westleton. Erik Hirschfeld, c/o IAL, Abu Dhabi Airport, PO Box 2411, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 71 Sandgrouse (1994) 14: 72-80. Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber at Khor Dubai, United Arab Emirates ? JOSEPH B. PLATT Summary Records of Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber at Khor Dubai (United Arab Emirates) are reviewed and placed in the context of the species’ status in other countries of eastern Arabia which all have small winter and irregular summer populations. Recoveries of birds ringed in north-west Iran and the former USSR have been made in the region. Birds have been recorded at Khor Dubai from at least the 1960s, and numbers have grown from a few irregu- lar sightings in the early 1980s to a summer population presently in the hundreds and win- ter numbers exceeding 2,000. Intertidal sampling identified 12 species of invertebrates on the intertidal flats, and the birds’ observed feeding methods and feeding sites indicated that the abundant polychaete worms Nereis may be a major food. The site is well protected from human disturbance but the habitat was changed in 1993 by the extensive planting of man- groves. : ATERBIRDS of the Arabian Gulf littoral are a group which have attracted the attention of amateur ornithologists during the last few decades, and re- cent works have outlined their diversity and numbers (Carp 1975; Bundy and Warr 1980; Smart et al. 1983; Tucker 1985; Uttley et al. 1988). Perhaps the most spectacu- lar of these birds is the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber, and this paper seeks to present the status of the species in the Dubai region of the United Arab Emir- ates based on such irregularly collected data as are available, together with a more systematic study carried out from 1982 onwards. Plate 1. Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber and Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica at Khor Dubai (United Arab Emirates). (Joseph B. Platt) 72 "ID Sandgrouse 14 Greater Flamingos in Dubai STATUS IN THE GULF REGION Breeding colonies nearest to the Gulf are located in Iran. The largest is at Lake Rezaiyeh (now called Lake Uromieh) in the north-west where 58,500 adults and 20,000 chicks have been counted (D. A. Scott in Kear and Duplaix-Hall 1975). Ticehurst et al. (1926) found flamingos breeding on Bubiyan island off northern Kuwait, and the British Museum (Natural History) has eggs from Kuwait collected in 1879, 1884, 1891, 1920, 1921, and 1922 (F. E. Warr in litt.), when 500 pairs were counted. No flamingos were found there in the 1923 nesting season (Ticehurst et al. 1926) and no other evidence of breeding in the Gulf was recorded again until June-July 1993 at the sabkha lakes of Al Ghar, 40 km inland from Abu Dhabi, where at least 22 pairs nested and some eggs hatched before the colony was aban- doned (Aspinall and Hirschfeld 1993, 1994; Hellyer 1994). The habitat at the Al Ghar site was totally destroyed during the following winter. Flamingos are present at least irregularly in every month in all the countries bordering the Gulf and in Oman (Gallagher and Woodcock 1980; Jennings 1981; Clayton and Pilcher 1983; Richardson 1990; Mohamed 1991; Hill and Webb un- dated). They are absent for months during the summer of some years in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman, and when they do occur in these coun- tries in summer it is always in small numbers. This is the case also for the UAE except in Dubai where, in recent years, a summer population of 400-500 has be- come established. Iran records thousands of non-breeding birds during the sum- mer on the inland breeding grounds and along the Gulf Coast (D. A. Scott in litt.). The arrival time of wintering flocks on the Arabian side of the Gulf does not show a clear pattern, though this may be due to inconsistent coverage of the area. Birds are reported arriving in Kuwait only in early autumn (Clayton and Pilcher 1983), while July sees influxes in Oman (M. D. Gallagher in litt.), Bahrain (E. Hirschfeld pers. comm.), and UAE. Birds ringed in Iran are known to winter from Libya to India (Argyle 1975). It may be that birds wintering in the Gulf arrive from various breeding grounds and therefore at different times. Indeed, this is suggested by the few ringing recoveries available for the Gulf (Table 1). THE DUBAI SITE Khor Dubai is a 10-km finger of the Arabian Gulf around which the city of Dubai is established. While its mouth and lower reaches have been significantly modified by port facilities and dredging, its head is a natural mudflat of about 1-5 km. Like many such inlets on the Gulf, Khor Dubai has developed an extensive winter wader _ population (Smart et al. 1983; Uttley et al. 1988). METHODS My own observations of the Dubai population began in 1982 and were made in all months. Counts were made twice a month from 1985 onwards and were generally made weekly during migration periods. Birds were watched from a vehicle, using 78) J. B. Platt Sandgrouse 14 Table 1. Ringing recoveries of rng ____ a Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus Ee i eraimieastermmbArabia(Mie@alen= Lake Uromieh, Iran 25 Aug 1973 Bahrain 7 Nov 1974 nings in litt.). lran 1986 Bahrain 13 Jan 1987 Lake Uromieh, Iran 6 Aug 1971 Qatar 11 Oct 1971 Lake Uromieh, Iran 10 Aug 1972 Qatar Jun 1973 Lake Uromieh, Iran 27 Aug 1973 Qatar Nov 1973 Former USSR _— Abu Dhabi 1986 Lake Uromieh, Iran 22 Aug 1974 Dubai 21 Nov 1974 Lake Uromieh, Iran 17 Jul 1989 Dubai 22 Oct 1989 Lake Uromieh, Iran 20 Aug 1987 Dubai 21 Jan 1991 Lake Uromieh, Iran 8 Aug 1971 Oman 12 Nov 1971 Lake Uromieh, Iran 23 Aug 1974 Oman 4 Nov 1974 Lake Uromieh, Iran 24 Aug 1974 Oman 15 Nov 1974 a 20 x spotting scope. Additional information was gleaned from the records of other observers. Invertebrate sampling and analysis Two transects were surveyed across the intertidal zone at the head of Khor Dubai. Three sampling stations were located along each, at mean high tide level, mid tide level, and mean low tide; the vertical difference between the extremes was 1:02 m. On 15 November 1991 four random 0-1 m? substrate samples (to a depth of 30 cm) were taken from each of the six intertidal stations. The 24 samples were washed through a stack of sieves of 6, 4, 25, and 1 mm mesh, and for each sample the residue on the 2:5 and 1 mm sieves was preserved in 5% formyl sea water. Any macrofauna retained on the 6 and 4 mm sieves was added to the corresponding sample. Sorting, analysis, and identification were carried out in the UK at the School of Natural Sciences, Liverpool Polytechnic, and at the School of Ocean Sciences of the University of Wales, Bangor. To facilitate the extraction of small organisms from the large amounts of shell and other debris, the material was stained with rose bengal which colours living tissue pink. For each species identified, the mean den- sity in the mud at each station was calculated. PAST AND CURRENT STATUS The earliest published flamingo sighting for Dubai is the winter of 1954-5 when several offshore flights of a dozen birds were recorded (Sea Swallow 18: 77-8). Unpublished notes indicate that flamingos regularly wintered in Dubai in the 1960s, and during the early 1970s observers recorded numbers such as ‘7 in December’, ‘10 in February’, and ‘15 birds for the winter’. The nearby khors at Sharjah, Umm al Quwain, and Ajman often hosted greater winter concentrations. Early birding records indicate that flamingos were seen during the summer on Khor Dubai but sightings at that time of year were irregular and again involved only small num- 74 Sandgrouse 14 Greater Flamingos in Dubai bers. In the early 1970s a municipal sewage plant began discharging treated effluent about 3 km from the tidal flats, and in 1975 over 200 flamingos spent December in Khor Dubai. Over 100 were counted in a 1976-7 winter flock. In 1978 100 were seen in February and 260 in March. The first systematic census was conducted from April 1981 to May 1982: flamingos were present during all months except July, August, and September, but in no month did the observed numbers exceed 100 birds (Smart et al. 1983). Numbers continued generally to increase, and in 1985 the intertidal area was declared a wildlife area to prevent shooting and harassment. Smart ef al. (1983) recorded no summering flamingos in 1981, but 380 were present in June 1984 (C. Richardson in litt.), there were hundreds in summer 1985, and at least 350 have summered in Dubai every year from 1986 to 1992. Peak winter numbers have ex- ceeded 1,000 in most years from 1985-6 to 1991-2 (Figure 1). DOO) ap----<-------5- near ona nnnen ae -nn enone EET P| ----nnnnnnnnnnnenne Figure 1. Peak winter counts of Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber at Khor Dubai. The month of each count is given. 1) ee ee 8 eee re) 6 o Qa (Ss =J . = 1,000 wvef bE Pd b--------- 500 "85-6 ‘86-7 ’ "88-9 '89-90 ‘90-1 ‘91-2 '92-3 Year ANNUAL CYCLE AND MOVEMENTS The annual cycle of the flamingo numbers present in Dubai is generally predict- able. New birds, including juveniles, begin to augment the summering population in August, but numbers remain below 500 until October when they begin to in- crease through November, generally peaking in December. The highest number 75 J.B. Platt Sandgrouse 14 0 Poccccccccccecccecceccecccnectenececeecnteeceee Pfaseececeecceceenencones [] 1988-2 | 1989-90 ae MM 1991-2 : , 2 d E ASOD tence, Oe manele Fel : Zee al Neal eed | eee fo : : : ie) 2 Ae Mee B o : 4 : : a e e B e ee Ate | le tea Se eee Reece A 3 a lee fea J ea _ EL _ 5 1,000 f a |e p 5 2 : ] : / 500 nn oe He | I 0 = 4 B A ie a oF a I oe as Bs September October November December January February March Month/week Figure 2. Changes in numbers of Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber during three con- secutive winters in Khor Dubai. Birds are present all through the period September—March (counts were not made in every weekly period). recorded is 2,223 in December 1990. The population declines towards summer, but influxes have occurred in February (Figure 2). Uttley et al. (1988) identified eight other coastal sites used by flamingos along the UAE shore, though, at least since 1985, none of the other khors have contained numbers approaching half of those at the Dubai site. Occasional small flights of birds are seen arriving at and leaving the tidal flats of Khor Dubai, but, because none of the population is marked, nothing is known about the local movements and length of stay of individuals. Groups of 5-15 are present during the winter at other sites within 15 km of the khor, including a sewage settlement pond and the freshwater lakes of two grass golf courses and the palace grounds. Flamingos do not use the subtidal part of Khor Dubai; this has been dredged and has a steep, rock-covered shoreline. BREEDING-RELATED BEHAVIOUR Courtship displays begin in December. Dozens of adults join in head-flagging, parading, and wing-saluting. Aggressive interactions among adults become more common but are brief and harmless. April sees the peak of courtship activity: nests are built in some years but always at sites where they are washed away (pers. obs. and Moser 1986). By mid-May breeding-related activity has lessened and the nests are not maintained. 76 Sandgrouse 14 Greater Flamingos in Dubai FOOD AND FEEDING BEHAVIOUR Most birds feed in the intertidal area as it becomes exposed (Figure 3), and high tides find them loafing, often in dense groups where the water is about 15 cm deep. Jenkin (1957) listed walking with scything movements of the head as the most common feeding method, but this is not the case in Dubai. Treading on the spot is virtually the only method:seen and occurs in water up to the bird’s belly or on mud recently uncovered by the tide. The head is regularly raised slightly for breathing or to swallow food particles. Occasionally, however, the head is raised to near body height and a larger item is obviously swallowed. Observations suggest that flamingos feeding in the intertidal area are capitaliz- ing on the abundant annelid worms in the mud (Table 2), and for this food source treading would be a more effective method of foraging than scything. It would probably also make available larger items such as the Crustacea which were re- corded in the substrate sampling. The intertidal invertebrate data show distinct differences between the communi- ties at the three tidal levels sampled (Table 2). The low diversity and density of invertebrates at low-tide level may reflect the influence of nearby industrial activ- ity and the deposition of dredging material. The mid-tide area has a more natural substrate and organic content, and here both the biomass and diversity of inverte- brates are much greater. Nereis worms, for example, had a density of 6,530 indi- viduals per m? at one station. The high-tide samples produced a low diversity that is typical of tropical sites (Snowden and Ekweozor 1990), resulting from the high temperatures and long periods of exposure. The abundance of burrowing crabs is also typical. Plate 2. Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber building nest-mounds at Khor Dubai (United Arab Emirates). (Joseph B. Platt) 47 SBS Platt Sandgrouse 14 100 - eigemcaiate. = ee Sata ie eg sale ia ae ae re ct So 5 seen (ee eeececosoTese sane ® m 2 BS o7 OTS ~ | oO Te cen ema Sn eat p-- ed --\------------ S Reo r neem enan mown etc ee eae Sa SESISE BORD @....- ed Ag dE Soaoaes / 2 . ‘ ; 4 \ *s) | 4 j / 80 —Mh.---------- ; Wes oe wana nena nen a Ree [ee oe Pe ee RAS b gs ; Sy \ | oy ‘« \ oN \ i es Ag [onisie euereens) exists siya aaa «2 Sey SSS a cece ea NA ee \ ae pals | [dey Cae Ap A sel toe Nee tart EN ewe i a Se RR tg Sats So Se ae ie a eae: ry o 4 oo \ a’ PHI CO eee ee ee ee sean Sumas cere Bape ee ee ee 2 \ ORL re rs py BCR OE [js Wee enema EN Oe a a MN seciee saaace Eaeas \ eetys aU Sida Ripa ne UP Mery Naas RCE yy Nh oe to) 4 4 o , a Sy \ | < 1 Oe ae ee a \ Br ESR eo o), Pomoacor ner goss SS a ® | S \ ‘ —-—¢—-—- 27 October fae eg WE Maes tea iy ood 1 rena ee fowls meet \ y ---#--- 28 October —_—— DO Nae eee ce ee an Sie ee 1 ye aap esa oe Veet NCR een 1 November &. ====° @--== 2 November Be ie le BC Sd UES a Be ae A eS pened Ws Ue ee eee ee SAR tk eee “N ow. SA 0 -6 5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 LOW HIGH TIDE LOW TIDE TIDE Hours before/after high tide Figure 3. Proportion of Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber feeding at different times in relation to the tidal cycle, Khor Dubai, 1992. At low tide the entire tidal flat is exposed, and birds are scattered, either feeding or loafing. Little aggression by adults toward juveniles has been noted, though juveniles avoid feeding within reach of adults and often feed in substandard sites (e.g. pools left by the tide) apart from adult groups. Aggression among adults centres around feeding-site disputes on exposed tidal flats. If one bird begins feeding within 1 m of another, the two will either drift apart or both might raise their heads, sometimes sparring with their bills. They then either adjust their positions to ac- commodate each other or one will move off. A displaced bird often attacks a third bird immediately, displacing it. Little interspecific behaviour has been noted. A large raptor occasionally causes a group of flamingos to flush, but they fly only a short distance. Small and me- dium-sized waders sometimes feed at a treading flamingo’s feet but are ignored. FUTURE OF THE POPULATION Five to ten flamingos are found dead each winter, most commonly from botulism. The site has not experienced a major outbreak of the disease, but gulls and waders are diagnosed as victims each winter. Shooting has not been a problem since the area was designated a wildlife reserve, and disturbance had been minimal until the autumn of 1993 when 30,000 mangroves Avicennia marina were planted through- 78 Sandgrouse 14 Greater Flamingos in Dubai Table 2. Densities of invertebrates in intertidal mud at Khor Dubai (United Arab Emirates). Figures given (two sampling stations for each level on the shore) are number of individuals per m?, with standard error. See text for methods of sampling. Mean high-tide level Mid-tide level Mean low-tide level Polychaete worms: Nereis sp. 1 — 5+3 653+78 193+34 343 343 Nereis sp. 2 — — — 20+9 -- a Molluscs: Mitrella blanda — — — = — 8+8 Dosinia sp. — — 10+4 48+5 30+8 — Tellina sp. _— — — 343 — -- Crustaceans Grandidierella exilis — — 15217 10+10 — — Diogenes c.f. avarus — — — 163415 65 +49 33413 llyoplax frater — 5+5 38 +21 — = — Scopimera crabicauda 35414 43414 — 3+3 — — Metaplax indica _ _— — 3+3 — _— Leucosia sp. _— — — 343 — — Fish: Gobiidae sp. — _— — 343 — — Gobius brevirostris _ _ 343 —_ _ _ Total no. of species 1 2 5 11 ce) 3 out the intertidal zone. It is assumed that this will have an adverse effect on the avifauna. The number of flamingos wintering in 1991-2 and 1992-3 was lower than in previous recent years (Figure 1), but because flamingo populations are subject to significant variations it is difficult to assess these results. Irregular observations suggest that sites elsewhere in the northern UAE have held slightly more flamin- gos than usual during these two winters, so it may be that birds have moved to other areas. The amount of treated effluent entering Khor Dubai was reduced sig- nificantly from 1988 onwards, but the affect of this on intertidal organisms is not known. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Amateur ornithologists are the heart of avian research in the Gulf. I am indebted to many for supplying their data. Material for the entire Arabian side of the Gulf has long been collated by F. E. Warr. Michael Jennings (co-ordinator of the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia) pro- vided ringing recovery information. Contributions of local records were obtained from Tom Nightingale (Bahrain), Erik Hirschfeld (Bahrain Natural History Group), Faris Al-Timimi (Qatar), Peter Hellyer (Emirates Natural History Group, Abu Dhabi), Colin Richardson (Dubai Natural History Group), Michael Gallagher (Oman), the National Wildlife Research Center (Saudi Arabia), and D. A. Scott (Iran). Intertidal sampling was done under contract to the Dubai Municipality by Halcrow International Partnership and was directed by Dr Richard Snowden; permission for its inclusion was kindly given by Prof. Mir Ali, Environmental Division, Dubai Municipality. Dr A. R. Johnson provided valuable comments on this manu- script. I wish to thank HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his continuing support of Arabian wildlife. i, eB. Platt Sandgrouse 14 REFERENCES ARGYLE, F. B. (1975) Report on Bird Ringing in Iran. Division of Parks and Wildlife, Iran, Dept. of the Environment Rep. R 2 54 3. ASPINALL, S. AND HIRSCHFELD, E. (1993) The first breeding of Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber in the UAE. Tribulus 3 (2): 5-6. ASPINALL, S. AND HIRSCHFELD, E. (1994) Greater Elamungos breed in the United Arab Emir- ates in 1993. Phoenix 10: 14-15. BUNDY, G. AND WARR, E. (1980) A check-list of the birds of the Arabian Gulf states. Sandgrouse 1: 449. CarRP, E. (1975) Waterfowl counts in the United Arab Emirates. Int. Waterfowl Res. Bureau Bull. 39/40: 48-55. CLAYTON, D. AND PILCHER, C. (1983) Kuwait's Natural History. Kuwait Oil Company, Kuwait. GALLAGHER, M. AND WooDCOCK, M. W. (1980) The Birds of Oman. Quartet, London. HELLYER, P. (1994) Greater Flamingos: first time breeding in the UAE. Arabian Wildlife 1: 11. HILL, M. AND WEBB, P. (undated) An Introduction to the Wildlife of Bahrain. Ministry of In- formation, Bahrain. JENKIN, P. M. (1957) The filter-feeding and food of flamingoes (Phoenicopteri). Phil. Trans. Royal Soc. London (B) 240: 401-93. JENNINGS, M. C. (1981) Birds of the Arabian Gulf. George Allen and Unwin, London. KEAR, J. AND DUPLAIX-HALL, N. (1975) Flamingos. Poyser, Berkhamsted. MOHAMED, S. A. (1991) On the movement and distribution of the Greater Flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber in Bahrain, Arabian Gulf. Arab. Gulf J. Sci. Res. 9 (3): 133-42. Moser, M. (1986) Greater Flamingo nest building in Dubai Creek. Flamingo Res. Group News. Sob RICHARDSON, C. (1990) The Birds of the United Arab Emirates. Hobby, Warrington. SMART, I., MILES, G. A., AND WEST, M. (1983) Wader and waterbirds on Dubai Creek. Wader Study Group Bull. 37: 29-30. SNOWDEN, R. J. AND EKWEOZOR, I. K. E. (1990) Littoral infauna of a West African estuary: an oil pollution baseline survey. Marine Biol. 105: 51-7. TICEHURST, C. B., Cox, P. Z., AND CHEESMAN, R. E. (1926) Additional notes on the avifauna of Iraq. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 31: 91-119. TUCKER, G. (1985) Autumn wader migration in Bahrain. Wader Study Group Bull. 44: 30-2. UTTLEY, J. D., THOMAS, C. J., GREEN, M. G., SUDDABY, D., AND PLATT, J. B. (1988) The autumn migration of waders and other waterbirds through the northern United Arab Emirates. Sandgrouse 10: 58-70. Joseph B. Platt, Dubai Wildlife Research Centre, PO Box 11626, Dubai, United Arab Emurates. 80 Sandgrouse (1994) 14: 81-92. Mountain Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus in Arabia: identification, status, and distribution P-OVMENS;, S..F:-NEWTON, H..WINKLER, and’ A. J. STAGG Summary Although first recorded in 1982, it was not until ten years later that the presence of Moun- tain Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus was confirmed in south-west Saudi Arabia, based on measurements of a bird trapped on 20 May 1992 near Abha on the Raydah escarpment, and on sonagraphic comparison of the song with that of African birds. A detailed description of the plumage is given, together with a number of field characteristics for separating Moun- tain Nightjar from the four other nightjar species known to occur in Arabia. Hitherto re- garded as exclusively African, Mountain Nightjar is presently known from five sites along the western slopes of the Asir mountains between Taif and Abha in Saudi Arabia, where it appears to be a locally common breeder. It is found at 1,200-3,000 m on steep, rocky slopes with a variable amount of vegetation, dominated by juniper Juniperus excelsa. The geographi- cal isolation of this presumed resident population, and some differences from African birds in song and plumage, suggest that it may represent a new subspecies. N November 1982, AJS made a sound recording of a nocturnal bird song in the highlands of the Asir mountains near Abha in south-west Saudi Arabia, which at that time he could not identify (Stagg 1993). In 1987, PS independently heard the same song on several occasions at night in the vicinity of the Raydah escarp- ment near Abha; he thought that it belonged to a nightjar but this suspicion was only confirmed in April 1989 when he caught a glimpse of the bird for the first time. However, the whistling song of these nightjars did not correspond with the well-known songs of the four nightjar species that were otherwise known to occur in the region (e.g. Meinertzhagen 1954, Jennings 1981, Cramp 1985, Hollom et al. 1988). In 1990, AJS sent his sound recording for identification to M. D. Gallagher, who passed it on to C. H. Fry. The latter recognized the song instantly as being that of a nightjar of the Caprimulgus pectoralis complex, a group of four African nightjar species, including Fiery-necked Nightjar C. pectoralis, Black-shouldered Nightjar C. nigriscapularis, Mountain Nightjar C. poliocephalus, and Rwenzori Nightjar C. ruwenzori (Fry et al. 1988). These are generally called ‘litany birds’ because of their liquid rendering of ‘Good Lord Deliverrrrus’ (Fry 1988; Fry et al. 1988). With the assistance of D. Waters and P. Gray, he produced a sonagram from the recording which, after comparison with sonagrams of African nightjar songs, indicated that the Arabian birds were most probably Mountain Nightjars (Stagg 1993). It was decided to trap one of the birds in order to confirm its identification. After several failed attempts, SFN finally managed to catch a bird by mistnet at dusk on 20 May 1992, and the identification as Mountain Nightjar was finally confirmed. Meanwhile, good-quality sound recordings of the Arabian birds were 81 P. Symens, S. F. Newton, H. Winkler, and A. J. Stagg Sandgrouse 14 made by HW in March 1992. More recently, the presence of this new bird for Arabia was established at several additional sites in south-west Saudi Arabia. DESCRIPTION The following is based on the description of the Mountain Nightjar trapped at the Raydah escarpment on 20 May 1992, as well as on a slide of a roosting bird at the Raydah escarpment, and on field notes made on the few other occasions when roosting birds were found during the day. However, field encounters were mostly in poor light and/or very short, as the flushed birds quickly disappeared in the dense undergrowth of the juniper Juniperus excelsa forest. So far, all birds observed have shown a large amount of white in tail and wings. It is assumed that the trapped bird was an adult male (see Identification). Sexual differences in the plumage of Arabian birds have not yet been established, but probably these are, as in African birds (Jackson 1984; Fry et al. 1988), limited to differences in the whiteness and extent of pale patches in the tail and primaries, these being less prominent in females. General appearance and structure. A small nightjar species, comparable in size with Nubian Nightjar C. nubicus and Plain Nightjar C. inornatus. In structure it also resembles both these species, although it has a smaller, more rounded head, and longer visible primaries at rest than Nubian Nightjar, while it is generally more compact than Plain Nightjar. At rest, the distal part (c. 3 cm) of the tail is visible beyond the tips of the closed wings. The flight silhou- ette generally resembles Nubian Nightjar, with similarly rounded wings, but the wings and tail appear slightly longer and the tail is slightly more rounded. The flight action is faster and more purposeful than in Nubian Nightjar and is more comparable with that of Plain Night- jar. Head and neck. The central forehead and central crown are dark greyish-brown, finely ver- miculated with rufous spots and small blackish shaft-streaks. The sides of the forehead and crown are pale grey, finely vermiculated with black, and bordered by a number of contrast- ing golden-buffish spots which form a wide, broken supercilium-like line, starting on the forehead and reaching well beyond the eye. The lore, cheek and ear coverts are of a similar colour to the crown, and sparsely mottled with tiny golden-buffish and light greyish spots. The feathers around the eyes are very dark brownish-black. The chin and central throat are similar in colour and pattern to the lore and cheek. The chin is bordered by a broken greyish- white line running from the gape to below the ear coverts and becoming more buffish-yellow towards the rear. The head is almost surrounded by a very conspicuous golden-buffish col- lar, sparsely mottled dark greyish-brown; the collar is widest on the hindneck and becomes narrower towards the throat where it ends in a small, pale yellowish patch on each side of the throat. . Upperparts. The mantle, back, rump, and uppertail coverts are dark ereyish-brown, mottled with large blackish shaft-streaks. The golden-buffish fringes and tips of the grey-brown and blackish scapulars form a conspicuous V on the upperparts. The lesser coverts are very dark grey-brown, almost black, with very narrow greyish or pale edges. The median, greater, and primary coverts are dark brown, vermicuiated with black, most showing a large greyish or pale buffish distal spot with a proximal black line, forming a number of broken lines on the closed wing. The secondaries and the six innermost primaries are dark brown with a pattern of rufous blotches suggesting Kestrel Falco tinnunculus. The innermost secondaries and tertials are slightly more greyish but show a similar pattern. The four outermost primaries (p7—p10) are uniformly dark brown, except for a white patch and some paler flecking near the ends; 82 Sandgrouse 14 Mountain Nightjar in Arabia Outer primaries Outer tail Upperside Upperside Figure 1. Mountain Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus caught near Abha (Saudi Arabia), 20 May 1992, showing the four outermost primaries (p7-p10) and the three outermost tail feath- ers (t3-t5); from colour photographs. (Pascale Symens) 83 P. Symens, S. F. Newton, H. Winkler, and A. J. Stagg Sandgrouse 14 the form and exact location of this white patch are shown in Figure 1. In the bird trapped on 20 May 1992, the white patch on the wing was divided into two by some dark brown along the shaft of p9. The wing length of the trapped bird was 158 mm; p8 and p9 were equal in length and formed the tip of the wing; p10 and p7 were both 10 mm shorter than the wing- tip, and p6 was 22 mm shorter; p7—p9 were emarginated. Underparts. The breast is dark greyish-brown, irregularly speckled with some large golden- buffish spots, especially towards the sides. The belly and flanks are orange-buffish, barred with a regular pattern of rufous brownish lines. The undertail coverts and feathering around the legs are buffish, finely barred with brownish. The underwing coverts are largely orangey (suggesting Song Thrush Turdus philomelos), flecked dark brown near the leading edge of each feather. The underside of the outer primaries (p7—p10) is slightly paler than the upperside. The underside of the inner primaries (p1—p6) and secondaries is largely pale rufous with faint dark brown barring. Tail. The central tail feathers (t1) are pale greyish-brown with seven dark brown bars. T2 and t3 are more rufous brown with less distinctive dark brown bars. T4 is slightly darker than t2—- t3, with a pure white patch near the tip, covering the distal half of the inner web and the distal quarter of the outer web. T5 is similar to t4, with the white patch on the inner web covering some 60% of the total length of the feather, but with a pale brown patch on the distal third of the outer web, turning white towards the shaft. Seen from the underside, the white patch on t5 reaches the undertail coverts (Figure 1). In the trapped bird the tail length was 123 mm with tl the longest feather; t2 was 122 mm, t3 121, t4 120, and t5 118. Bare parts. The bill is dark brownish-grey with a slightly darker tip. The nostrils are tubular, some 2 mm high, and closer to the middle of the bill than to the base. The rictal bristles are well developed, longer than the bill. Iris dark brown. Orbital ring yellowish-buff, contrasting with generally dark feathering around the eye. The anterior part of the legs is pink, becom- ing more greyish-pink on the feet. The soles and rear of the tarsus are pale pink and the claws dark brown. Measurements of bill and tarsus of the trapped bird are presented in Table 1. BEHAVIOUR On several occasions singing started at the exact moment of sunset, while in the early morning singing birds were heard until sunrise (see Vocalization, below). Singing birds were observed perched on the tops of dead juniper trees. When lured with a recording of their own song, some birds approached to less than 3 m, inves- tigating the intruder in their territory while hovering above him in a Kestrel-like way, or in front of him with the body held vertically. Birds were often found sit- ting on roads and tracks at night, and during the day were seen roosting on the ground in the shade of junipers, mostly in small open areas surrounded by a dense undergrowth of bushes and herbs. IDENTIFICATION The field identification of nightjars generally presents many problems, due to their nocturnal habits and to their similar plumage patterns and coloration. Further- more, coloration is extremely variable within species, both geographically and in- dividually, to an extent often greater than the differences between species (Jackson 1984). In many cases, therefore, characteristics other than plumage colour and 84 Sandgrouse 14 Mountain Nightjar in Arabia Table 1. Comparison of the measurements of a Mountain Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus caught at the Raydah escarpment (Saudi Arabia), 20 May 1992, with the theoretical ranges (99% confidence limits, i.e. mean value + 2:576 x SD) of the measurements of Mountain Nightjar and Sombre Nightjar C. fraenatus as given by Jackson (1984); data for Mountain Nightjar in- clude C. p. poliocephalus, C. (p.) ruwenzori, and C. p. guttifer. Measurements (given in mm) are all lengths, except as stated, and were taken following the methods described by Jackson (1984); primary lengths are measured from the bend of the flattened and straightened wing to the feather-tip. Arabian bird Mountain Nightjar n Sombre Nightjar on Primaries: P10 (outermost) 148 133.7-156.9 72 141.2-167.4 26 PQ 158 143.5-165.1 72 151.6-175.2 26 P8 158 143.6-165.2 te 151.7-175.9 26 P7 148 135.2-158.4 ( 145:8-169.0 26 P6 126 114.0-137.2 72 124.9-146.1 26 Tip of p9 to centre of patch on inner web 56 53.9-68.3 79 50.9-67.9 30 Tip of p9 to narrowest point of emargination 59 55.3-69.3 79 47.7-€2.1 30 Tip of p9 to point of flexure of emargination 64 59.8-74.8 79 52.8-66.2 30 Tail feathers: T5 (outermost) 118 98.4-120.6 63 100.7-124.9 26 T1 (innermost) 123 102.1-125.7 63 102.8-126.4 26 Length of patch on tS 74 see Table 2 male 32.9-54.1 22 female 15.5-36.1 13 Length of patch on t4 67 see Table 2 male 24.6-55.6 22 female 8.0-34.8 13 Bare parts: Tip of bill to centre of nostril 8.5 4.7-9.3 79 4.6-9.2 33 Exposed culmen 15 7.9-15.1 79 7.9-14.1 33 Tip of bill to gape 31.5 24.1-33.3 79 26.5-33.1 33 Width of gape 25.0 18.9-29.3 79 20.5-30.3 33 Tarsus 18.5 10.3-19.5 83 15.7-23.5 36 pattern have to be used for species identification. Vocalizations are very useful in this respect (e.g. Chappuis 1981, Fry 1988), as are body measurements (Jackson 1984). Although vocalizations indicated that the Abha birds were probably Moun- tain Nightjars (see above), the identification could only be confirmed by biometrics. In Table 1 the principal measurements of the trapped bird are compared with the theoretical ranges for the measurements of Mountain Nightjar as given by Jackson (1984) in his detailed identification study of African nightjars. Sombre Nightjar C. fraenatus, another species from north-east Africa and very close to Mountain Nightjar in appearance, is also compared. Jackson (1984) separates Moun- tain from Sombre Nightjar on the following characteristics of the next-to-outer- most primary (p9). e Extent of emargination on the outer web: over 39% of the total length of the feather in Mountain Nightjar, less than 39% in Sombre Nightjar (emargination 85 P. Symens, S. F. Newton, H. Winkler, and A. J. Stagg Sandgrouse 14 is measured from the tip of the feather to the point of flexure between the inner and outer curves of its emargination; length of feather is measured from the bend of the flattened and straightened wing to the feather-tip). Position of the centre of the white patch on the inner web in relation to the emargination on the outer web: in Mountain Nightjar, the centre of this patch always lies between the flexure point of emargination and the feather-tip; in Sombre Nightjar, the centre is usually opposite the flexure point of emargination or lies between this point and the base of the feather. In the Arabian bird, the extent of emargination on p9 was 40-5% of the total length of this primary and the centre of the white patch on this primary was located between the tip of the feather and the flexure point of emargination. Both these parameters were consistent with the bird being Mountain Nightjar and the first excluded Sombre Nightjar. Furthermore, Sombre differs from Mountain in having a churring song (Chappuis 1981; Fry 1988). However, the above does not distinguish Mountain Nightjar from the very simi- lar Fiery-necked Nightjar, which also has a whistling song, but these species can easily be separated by differences in the amount of white on the throat (Jackson 1984): Mountain Nightjar has only two small white patches on the throat, sepa- rated by a space equal to or greater than these patches, while Fiery-necked Night- jar has two large patches, separated by only a narrow gap or even fused into a single band of white. The Arabian bird showed only a very small pale patch, mottled with dark greyish-brown and yellowish-buff, on either side of the throat. Further- more, the amount of white in the tail on the two outermost feathers of the Arabian bird largely exceeds the maximum theoretical values given for male Fiery-necked Nightjar by Jackson (1984): t4 54-9 mm (n=127), t5 54:3 mm (n=128). Black-shouldered Nightjar, another member of the C. pectoralis superspecies, is not included in the identification key of Jackson (1984), but could be ruled out as it lacks the white spot on the outer web of p9 and shows less white in the two outermost tail feathers (maximum 44 mm: Fry et al. 1988). This species also has differences in song which are clearly distinguishable in sonagrams. Jackson (1984) recognized four subspecies of Mountain Nightjar in Africa: C. p. poliocephalus, C. p. guttifer, C. p. koester1, and C. p. ruwenzoru (Figure 3). These have all been regarded as full species in the past (Mackworth-Praed and Grant 1952, 1962, 1970), but at present Fry et al. (1988) treat three as subspecies of C. poliocephalus and consider ruwenzori to be a species within the C. pectoralis superspecies. At least three of these forms (poltocephalus, guttifer, ruwenzorn) can be differentiated by the amount of white on the outermost tail feather (t5), while the amount on the next-to-outermost (t4) is useful in separating the sexes (Jackson 1984). Table 2 com- pares the extent of white on t4-t5 in the Arabian bird with the values given by Jackson for three African forms; C. p. koesteri (not included in the material studied by Jackson) has t4-t5 black-brown basally, with white tips 50-55 mm long (Fry et al. 1988). C. p. poliocephalus occurs in the Ethiopian highlands (Figure 3) and is thus the most likely race to occur in Arabia, and measurements of white on t4—t5 of the Arabian bird fit only within the theoretical range of female C. p. poliocephalus. However, in females of this subspecies the patch on t5 is at least 15 mm (usually 86 Sandgrouse 14 Mountain Nightjar in Arabia Table 2. Size of the white patch on the inner web of the two outermost tail feathers (t4 and t5) in Mountain Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus, measured as the maximum length (in mm) parallel to the shaft. See text for origin of Arabian bird; other data are theoretical ranges from Jackson (1984) (99% confidence limits, i.e. mean value + 2-576 x SD). Arabian C. p. poiocephalus C. (p.) ruwenzorii C. p. guttifer bird male female male female male female Patch on t5 74 79.3-107.1 40.5-100.7 39.2-70.2 18.3-37.9 35.8-49.8 15.8-26.2 Patch on t4 67 69.8-106.4 7.7-81.9 39.4-69.2 16.4-29.8 36.0-50.4 15.6-24.4 Sample size 1 24 15 18 10 5 3 20-40 mm) longer than the patch on t4, while males have either of these patches longer or shorter than the other by no more than 15 mm, usually no more than 10 mm (Jackson 1984). Furthermore, in a female the wing patches should be buff and the outer webs of t4 and t5 should be entirely brown and rufous (Fry et al. 1988). Thus a difference of only 7 mm between the length of white on the inner webs of t4 and t5, as well as the presence of white on the outer web of these feathers and .on the primaries, would indicate the Arabian bird to be a male. However, the trapped bird was released after examination rather than being dissected, so its sex cannot be known with certainty. Given the geographical isolation of the Arabian population and its presumed resident status (see below), it is quite possibly a new subspecies, as is suggested by some differences from African birds in plumage and vocalization (see below). However, a larger sample size will be required to clarify this. VOCALIZATION The characteristic song of the Arabian birds is the best means of detecting them in the field. It is a two-part call, consisting of a whistled first phrase and a vibrating second phrase, ‘wee-oo-wee weerrrr’. As in other nightjars, singing is concentrated in brief periods around sunset and sunrise. In late March 1992, the main activity around sunset at Raydah peaked rapidly to 15 calls in five minutes and tapered off within the following ten minutes to only a few calls in an hour. Morning song activity started at 05.31 hrs on 29 and 30 March 1992 and lasted to 05.43 and 05.57 hrs respectively. On the evening of 28 March 1992, the nightjars were heard at Jabal Ibrahim from 18.44 to 18.48 hrs, with a single call at 19.22 hrs, and the next day from 18.43 to 18.55 hrs. No differences were noted between sonagrams of recordings from two different sites in Saudi Arabia (Raydah and Jabal Ibrahim). Analysis of these calls with a ~ MEDAV Modular Signal Processing System version 6.6 shows that the duration of the first note was 631+SD23 ms (n=11). The duration of the second note was 628+SD19 ms. The pitch at the second peak of the first element was 2-67+SD0-06 kHz, and the peak frequency of the second was 2-63+SD0-08 kHz. Besides these calls a single note was recorded once which consisted of a short (354 ms) vibrato at a central frequency of 2:53 kHz. The song of Mountain Nightjar cannot be confused with that of any other Ara- 87 P. Symens, S. F. Newton, H. Winkler, and A. J. Stagg Sandgrouse 14 bian bird, though there are African nightjars with similar calls. Sonagrams made of the tape published by Chappuis (1981) show that the calls of Black-shouldered and Fiery-necked Nightjar have a structure similar to that of (African) Mountain Nightjars (though all are readily distinguishable from one another), while the call of Rwenzori Nightjar, a disyllabic higher-pitched whistle, is very different from these three (Fry 1988). The calls of Saudi Arabian birds are most similar to those of African C. poliocephalus, but there are differences from the songs of Mountain Night- jars recorded in Kenya, especially in pitch and in the vibrato of the last note (Fig- ure 2). 3-5 (a) Saudi Arabia 3-5 (b) Kenya Frequency (kHz) Mm PP oe) | 0) 0:5 1-0 15 0) 0-5 - 1-0 1-5 Time (s) Time (s) Figure 2. Sonagrams of Mountain Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus, both produced with a Hamming filter, 256 points. (a) Raydah (Saudi Arabia), 11 March 1992; from a recording on a Sony Professional Walkman with an AKG microphone C535 EB in a 60 cm parabola reflec- tor. (b) Nairobi (Kenya), 15 July 1962; from a recording published by Chappuis (1981). FIELD IDENTIFICATION IN ARABIA While the field identification of nightjars in Africa is in many cases exceedingly difficult, particularly with the C. pectoralis complex and Sombre Nightjar (e.g. Jackson 1984, Pry et al. 1988), it generally poses much less of a problem in Arabia where, besides Mountain Nightjar, only four other species are presently known to occur. These are Plain Nightjar, Nubian Nightjar, (European) Nightjar C. europaeus, and Egyptian Nightjar C. aegyptius. PS and SEN have spent considerable amounts of time and effort during spring and summer in south-west Saudi Arabia surveying a wide variety of habitat types for nocturnal birds and for nightjars in particular. Three or four successive nights have often been spent in one habitat, following different nightjar species through the entire breeding season. None of the other Arabian species has a song that can be confused with the whistling song of the Mountain Nightjar. Plain and Nubian Nightjars are known as breeding birds and consequently their songs are heard regularly in south-west Saudi Arabia. Plain Nightjar has a monotonous churring song (e.g. Fry 1988, Hollom et al. 1988), while the song of Nubian Nightjar recalls a distant barking poodle (Cramp 1985; Hollom et al. 1988). European and Egyptian Nightjars occur only on migration while Egyptian can also be locally common in winter (Jennings 1981; Hollom et al. 1988), so their songs are only occasionally heard in Arabia: European Nightjar has a churring song while that of Egyptian is a repeated monosyllable, resembling a distant motor boat (e.g. Cramp 1985). 88 Sandgrouse 14 Mountain Nightjar in Arabia If sightings are made under good conditions, the identification of Mountain Nightjar in Arabia should pose few problems, due to the absence of the other closely related African species; the best field characters are summarized below. European Nightjar Mountain Nightjar is considerably smaller than this species, with shorter and much more rounded wings in flight, and at rest a shorter primary projection (length of primaries visible beyond the tertials). The length of tail visible beyond the wing- tip, in proportion to the primary projection, is much greater in Mountain Nightjar (c. 60%) than in European Nightjar (c. 10-30%). Furthermore, Mountain Nightjar lacks the conspicuous white or whitish patch on the side of the throat and the typical greyish supercilium of this species, and has a much more obvious golden- buffish collar, a less well-defined, golden-buffish supercilium, and distinctly more white in the tail. Egyptian Nightjar Mountain Nightjar is much smaller in size, with noticeably more rounded wings in flight and a shorter primary projection (c. 7 cm in Egyptian Nightjar). In Moun- tain Nightjar c. 3 cm of the tail (c. 60% of the primary projection) is visible beyond the wing-tips; in Egyptian Nightjar a maximum of 1-2 cm of the tail is visible (maximum 30%), this being a much smaller proportion of the primary projection. Mountain Nightjar’s overall dark coloration with conspicuous buffish markings, the large amount of white in the wings and tail, and the lack of white patches on the throat should prevent any confusion with the larger, long-winged, and much paler Egyptian Nightjar. Nubian Nightjar Although this species is very similar in size and general appearance to Mountain Nightjar, the latter has slightly longer wings and tail. In Mountain Nightjar the part of the tail visible beyond the wing-tips is always clearly shorter than the pri- mary projection, whereas in Nubian the length of tail visible beyond the wing-tips is almost equal to, or sometimes even longer than, the primary projection (c. 80— 110%). Furthermore, Mountain Nightjar has overall a much darker coloration and a more conspicuous, golden-buffish, speckled collar than the lighter-coloured Nubian Nightjar which has a rufous collar, mottled with small blackish lines. Whereas Mountain Nightjar is so far only known to occur between 1,200 and 3,000 m in Arabia, Nubian Nightjar generally occupies lower altitudes from sea-level to 1,500 m, where it prefers more open, less steep, and often much drier habitats. Plain Nightjar Mountain Nightjar’s generally dark coloration with contrasting golden-buffish markings on head, breast, and upperparts makes confusion with the uniformly coloured Plain Nightjar very unlikely. Female Plain Nightjar lacks conspicuous white markings on the tail and wings. Although Plain is very similar in structure to Mountain, with a similar primary projection and a comparable proportion of 89 P. Symens, S. F. Newton, H. Winkler, and A. J. Stagg Sandgrouse 14 the tail visible beyond the wing-tips, Mountain Nightjar is generally more com- pact with a more bulky head. Although both species are found in Arabia in rocky habitats at higher altitudes, Plain Nightjar generally occupies more barren habi- tats, usually on rocky outcrops and plateaux inland of the Asir mountains and in the foothills at the edge of the escarpment, though on Jabal Iraf in southern Yemen it has been recorded in juniper woodland (R. P. Martins in Iitt.). Mountain Nightjar prefers in general the steeper slopes of rocky valleys along the western escarp- ment. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Since their discovery in 1982, singing Mountain Nightjars have been observed at the Raydah escarpment near Abha in every month of the year, indicating that the species is resident in this area. Although no nest has been found to date, an in- crease in singing activity and territorial behaviour was noticed in March—May, : King Khalid %& CEA Descent © ARABIA ee NEI 0y fo C. (p.) Paes 5 aig Poliocephalus ruwenzorii. \i" é “ Exp: “ .\ guttifer C..p: koesteri Figure 3. Distribution of Mountain Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus in Saudi Arabia. Stars show sites where singing birds have been observed. The shaded area represents the narrow zone where suitable habitat for this species is available along the western slopes and in the highlands of the Asir mountains. Inset shows distribution in Africa (from Fry et al. 1988) and location of area in main map. 90 Sandgrouse 14 Mountain Nightjar in Arabia indicating that this period is probably the main breeding season. As singing con- tinues for at least five months, it is feasible that two clutches are produced each year, as is known from other nightjars (e.g. Cramp 1985). The Raydah escarpment, located along the western edge of the Asir mountains, largely consists of juniper forest, interspersed with numerous rocky outcrops. During spring and summer, Mountain Nightjars were found on this escarpment at altitudes of c. 2,000-3,000 m, but during cold winters they were generally recorded slightly lower, between 1,200 and 1,900 m. In April 1990 at least ten singing birds were located in an area of less than 10 km? along this escarpment, and in 1992 this number had risen to 16. Where at first the nightjar was only known from this one site near Abha, HW discovered on 28-30 March 1992 singing nightjars some 300 km further north at Jabal Ibrahim, between Taif and Al Baha. In August 1992, PS found more singing birds in the vicinity of Al Shafa near Taif, and at two locations near Al Baha. All these new sites also consist of steep, rocky slopes with remnants of juniper wood- land, though less dense and less developed than on the Raydah escarpment. At present it is believed that Mountain Nightjar is fairly widespread and locally com- mon along the western edges of the Asir mountains in Saudi Arabia (Figure 3), and its discovery further south, in the Yemeni mountains, will probably be only a matter of time. In Africa the species has a patchy distribution in the highlands from Ethiopia in the north to Malawi in the south and Zaire in the west, while an isolated popula- tion is known from Angola (Fry et al. 1988) (Figure 3). Here it occurs in a range of highland habitats, from forest edges and other wooded areas, including suburban gardens, to more rocky habitats. In Kenya it occurs at altitudes from 1,000 to 3,000 m; it is known as a partial migrant at the highest altitudes but is otherwise appar- ently resident (Lewis and Pomeroy 1989). The observations from Saudi Arabia fit very well within this pattern. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors are grateful to Prof. Dr Abdulaziz H. Abuzinada, Secretary General of the Na- tional Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Mr Youssef al Wetaid, Director of the NCWCD Department for Field Research and Monitoring, for their support for the ornithological study of the bird community of the Raydah escarpment where most of the data presented in this paper were collected. Special thanks go to Prof. C. H. Fry, Dr P. Gray and Mr D. Waters of Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman, for their efforts in producing the first sonagram of this new Arabian bird. Prof. C. H. Fry, and Mr H. D. Jackson are acknowledged for their advice and encouragement that finally led to the confirmation of the identification. Mr X. Eichacker, photographer of the National Wildlife Research Center, kindly provided us with a slide of a roosting bird at Raydah. Dr M. Louette of the Koninklijk Museum voor Midden-Afrika, Tervuren, Belgium, kindly provided a tape with African nightjar songs, and N. Cleere and D. A. Turner gave valuable comments on the identity and songs of African birds. Finally, the authors wish to thank Mrs Pascale Symens, who painted the plates which accompany this paper and produced the origi- nal artwork for the map, and Duncan Brooks, for making valuable comments on an earlier draft and for finalizing the map. 91 P. Symens, S. F. Newton, H. Winkler, and A. J. Stagg Sandgrouse 14 REFERENCES CHAPPUIS, C. (1981) Illustration sonore de problémes bioacoustiques posés par les oiseaux de la zone éthiopienne. Alauda 49: 35-58. CRAMP, S. (ed.) (1985) The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. 4. Oxford University Press. Fry, C. H. (1988) Skulls, songs and systematics of African nightjars (Caprimulgidae). Proc. 6th Pan-Afr. Orn. Congr.: 105-32. Fry, C. H., KEITH, S., AND URBAN, E. K. (eds) (1988) The Birds of Africa Vol. 3. Academic, London. HOLtooM, P. A. D., PORTER, R. F., CHRISTENSEN, S., AND WILLIS, I. (1988) Birds of the Middle East and North Africa: a companion guide. Poyser, Calton. JACKSON, H. D. (1984) Key of the nightjar species of Africa and its islands (Aves: Capri- mulgidae). Smithersia 4: 1-55. JENNINGS, M. C. (1981) The Birds of Saudi Arabia: a check-list. Jennings, Whittlesford. Lewis, A. AND POMEROY, D. (1989) A Bird Atlas of Kenya. Balkema, Rotterdam. MACKWORTH-PRAED, C. W. AND GRANT, C. H. B. (1952) Birds of Eastern and North Eastern Africa Vol. 1. Longman, London. MACKWORTH-PRAED, C. W. AND GRANT, C. H. B. (1962) Birds of the Southern Third of Africa Vol. 1. Longman, London. MACKWORTH-PRAED, C. W. AND GRANT, C. H. B. (1970) Birds of West Central and Western Africa Vol. 1. Longman, London. MEINERTZHAGEN, R. (1954) Birds of Arabia. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh. STAGG, A. (1993) A new breeding bird for Saudi Arabia. Oman Bird News 13: 1-2. Peter Symens, National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, c/o Wildlife Sanctuary for the Gulf Region, PO Box 11071, Jubail 31961, Saudi Arabia. Stephen F. Newton, National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, c/o PO Box 1086, Taif, Saudi Arabia. Hans Winkler, KLI-Vergl. Verhaltensforschung, Savoyenstrafse 1a, 1160 Wien, Austria. Arthur J. Stagg, Apartado 157, La Pobla, Mallorca 07420, Spain. 92: Sandgrouse (1994) 14: 93-108. The birds of Wadi Rima, a permanently flowing mountain wadi in western Yemen PAUL SCHOLTE Summary The presence of water and lush vegetation makes the permanently flowing wadis in the Yemeni western mountains an attractive environment for birds. In Wadi Rima, one of the seven major wadis, birds have been counted along a 25-km stretch over a two-year period. Numbers fluctuate between seasons, and clear distributional patterns can be related to the presence of water, cultivation, and vegetation. An important proportion of the observed birds appeared to be passage migrants or non-breeding visitors. High numbers of Night Herons Nycticorax nycticorax were recorded, suggesting that the wadis of Yemen may hold impor- tant passage and wintering numbers of this species. HE WESTERN FLANKS of the Yemen highlands are drained by seven major wadi systems which originate in the sub-humid higher mountains (Figure 1). Unlike the wadis flowing on the drier eastern side of the highlands, and elsewhere on the Arabian peninsula, these streams contain water throughout the year. En route to the Red Sea they pass through the middle- and lower-altitude mountains where the almost bare mountain slopes contrast with the lush vegetation in the wadi beds. The paradise-like aspect of these wadis, with their trees and sparkling Plate 1. The gorge by Baboon Hill, a rocky part (section VI) of Wadi Rima (Yemen), with Breonadia salicina trees, November 1989. (Paul Scholte) a3 P. Scholte Sandgrouse 14 Main water divide Wadi catchment divide Tihamah boundary Geohydrological province boundary International boundary 0 Ls ees <é— Madinat ash Shirq Wadi Sasvah Ta’izz > RED SEA Wey = GU OF ADEN Figure 1. The seven main wadi systems in the western mountains of Yemen. water, is completed by the occurrence of egrets, waders, pigeons, waxbills and many similarly unexpected species in this otherwise rather monotonous dry land. Among the birds occurring here, three major groups can be recognized, as fol- lows. e Birds from the neighbouring mountain areas, visiting the wadi stream for drink- ing water and washing only: doves, several raptor species, crows, etc. 94 Sandgrouse 14 Birds of Wadi Rima, Yemen e A group which is especially at- tracted by the lush vegetation of the wadi bed, staying there for a considerable part of the year: pigeons, bee-eaters, hornbills, flycatchers, weavers, waxbills, etc. e A group which forages in and around the stream: herons, egrets, several waders, and wag- tails. Among the latter two groups are to be found several transitory spe- cies which perhaps use the wadi as a passage route between the high- lands and the Tihamah coastal plain as well as staying for a considerable time in the attractive wadi environ- ment. This study reports observations of birds of these three groups over a two-year period along Wadi Rima and a dry tributary. For the water- dependent birds in particular, quan- a2 ths Plate 2. Wadi Rima (Yemen) in flood in the gorge titative data were obtained from of Baboon Hill (section VI of the study area), Au- monthly counts made along a 25-km __ gust 1988. (Paul Scholte) Table 1. Hydrological characteristics of the main wadis in the western mountains of Yemen (Tihamah Development Authority and DHV Consultants 1988). Base/total flow indicates the proportion of the total annual flow which is more or less continuous (often underground), i.e. not accounted for by floodwater. Upper and Lower Mean annual Length of Mean annual Base/total middle catchment _rainfall(mm) — main outflow flow (%) catchment —_ area (km2) channel (km) (m?x 108) area (km?) Wadi Rima 2,757 490 580 123 85.7 70 Wadi Mawr 8,180 820 430 310 166.2 “5 Wadi Surdud 2193 440 550 107 67.1 15 Wadi Siham 4,896 690 430 4187 ANTS A 70 Wadi Zabid 4,740 770 530 152 136.7 70 Wadi Rasyan 1,990 220 500 75 46.5 80 Wadi Mawza 1,483 560 500 65 33.6 Others 159 77.6 55 Total 1,019 728.5 Proportion of total formed by Wadi Rima 12.1% 11.8% 95 P. Scholte Madinat Sh Hodeidah 9 km=2 YW Suq al * Ithnein “Tf? Suq al » Khamis Figure 2. The stretch of Wadi Rima (Yemen) under study, showing the six main sections, with distances downstream from Madinat ash Shirq. Sandgrouse 14 stretch of the wadi stream. An attempt has been made to relate these observa- tions to season and to location (vegeta- tion, land use). STUDY AREA Wadi Rima is typical of the major wadis draining the Yemeni western mountains. Its hydrological characteristics and the average rainfall within its catchment area are largely comparable with the other six systems (Table 1). The stretch of Wadi Rima which formed the subject of the study lies downstream of Madinat ash Shirg, the principal local town (Figures 1-2). The wadi drains intensively culti- vated mountains which reach to well over 2,000 m. The valley of Wadi Rima cuts through these ranges and lies for the most part within the middle-altitude mountains. On the recently published vegetation map of Yemen (Scholte et al. 1991), the studied section of the Wadi Rima valley lies completely within the Acacia asak—Grewia shrubland, the vegeta- tion unit which comprises the drier mountains of altitudinal range 1,000- 1,800 m. Only during the rainy season is there substantial herbaceous cover. In inaccessible gorges, such as those lying 20-25 km downstream along the wadi from Madinat ash Shirq, a more or less undisturbed vegetation dominated by the Commiphora kataf—Berchemia discolor plant community can be found. Here the herbaceous cover is relatively high, due to the low grazing pressure. The wadi bed is generally 20-100 m wide, gravelly and (especially in the gorges) stony. Locally it is flanked di- rectly by the mountain slopes; only in the transition zone between wadi and moun- tains are some fig trees to be found. In the two major cultivated areas, Suq al Khamis and Sug al Ithnein (Figure 2), the wadi bed itself is almost bare. Meadow- like vegetation occurs in places with abundant water in the wadi bed. A large part 96 Sandgrouse 14 Birds of Wadi Rima, Yemen Plate 3. The bed of Wadi Rima (Yemen): a wide section at Suq al Ithnein (section III), Novem- ber 1989. (Paul Scholte) of the wadi is bordered by terraced areas which can be as narrow as a few metres but are some kilometres across at Suq al Ithnein and Suq al Khamis. Here a few metres above the wadi bed a fertile soil has developed which is nowadays inten- sively cultivated, mainly with citrus trees and coffee bushes, occasionally also ba- nanas. Shade trees such as Cordia abyssinica, figs, and others (Trichilia emetica, Breonadia salicina) give a forest-like impression in places. On the edges of the ter- races, Jatropha glauca shrubs are often planted to protect the terrace against fluvial erosion during the sometimes devastating floods. Irrigation water is traditionally obtained by diverting the wadi stream, but more recently this has also been done by pumping from the wadi which can cause the complete disappearance of the stream over a stretch of several kilometres. Mammals present in the valley include white-tailed mongoose Ichneuma albicauda, common genet Genetta genetta, gazelles (Gazella bilkis or G. gazella cora) and hamadryas baboon Papio hamadryas. Six sections were identified in the 25-km study stretch of the Wadi Rima (Figure 2, Table 2); distances given are measured downstream from Madinat ash Shirq, from the point at which the track to Suq al Ithnein enters the wadi bed. METHODS ; In the period from January 1988 to January 1990 (Table 3), the track leading through the wadi bed of Wadi Rima was driven approximately monthly in order to visit ‘Baboon Hill’, a well-vegetated mountain range, rich in wildlife (notably hamadryas baboons), which lies 25 km downstream of Madinat ash Shirq. The track is the only accessible vehicular route through this mountainous country. Counts of birds present in the wadi bed were carried out while driving at 5-15 km/hr, mainly 97 Sandgrouse 14 P. Scholte ‘sadojs Wy} daays sey wed Jaddn ay) jo awos ‘uonejahan 3a.) 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Numbers of surveys of Wadi Rima in each month, 1988-90. The main figure in each case is the total number, which includes any night-time surveys (in brackets). Jan Feb Mar Apr May — Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1988 4 2(1) — 2(1) — 2 -— 1 — — — 4 (1) 1989 2 2 — — 42). 2 — — 2:1) 20) 220) 20) 1990 2 (1) between 15.00 and 18.00 hrs. During night-time surveys (19.00-22.00 hrs) birds were identified by headlight and torch. Numbers and locations (distance along the wadi from Madinat ash Shirq) were recorded for each species. The very real risk of flooding in the wadi prevented us from following the track during the two rainy seasons (March—May and July—August). Thus, in August.1988, at what seemed to be the end of the rains, we experienced a sudden flood and were trapped, only able to return the next day by leaving the vehicle behind and wading through the whirling water; ten days later the track was more or less motorable again. SYSTEMATIC LIST Observations of birds during the two years of the study are summarized below, together with the distances of observation sites in kilometres from Madinat ash Shirg. For some species, more detail is given under Discussion, below. The data charts included here for selected species show proportions of the total number of birds seen at different distances along the wadi and seasonal variation in the num- bers seen. The status of most species was found ‘to be generally similar to summa- ries for western Yemen given by Brooks et al. (1987), but differences found in the present study are noted below. Night Heron (n=109) Percentage of birds Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax. Total 109, comprising 30 first-years,.10 second-years, 45 adults, and 24 not aged. Second-years were aged as birds resembling adults, but more greyish and lacking a black cap. The maximum daily count was 25, on 26 October 1989. All were observed after sunset. See also Discussion, be- low. Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides. Five: singles on 4 February 1988 (evening) at 22 km, 9-10 Feb- ruary 1989 (juvenile) near Sug al Khamis, and 26 September 1989 at 1 km, and two at 0 km on 22 November 1989. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis. Total 163, mainly in the more cultivated zones of the wadi. Maxi- No. of birds 99 P. Scholte 30 Cattle Egret (n=163) 20 10F Percentage of birds 24 16 No. of birds Es I9.12112.11. 9.21 9.5 123.6126.9122.11) 21.1 12 15.12 13.1 10.2 26.5 23.6 27.1015.12 988 Date 1989 25.8 8. mum daily count was 26, on 7 April 1988. See also Discussion, below. Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis. Six re- corded, demonstrating the occurrence of the species c. 25 km further upstream from the coast than the 75 km mentioned by Brooks et al. (1987): 1-2 on 26-27 October 1989, at least two on 22 November 1989, and two at 19 km on 21 January 1990. Little Egret Egretta garzetta. Total 272. Maximum daily count 25, on 27 October 1989. See also Dis- cussion, below. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea. Total 66, maximum ten, on 27 October 1989. See also Discussion, below. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea. One at 8 km on 26 September 1989. Hamerkop Scopus umbretta. Total 204, maximum daily count 23 on 26 May 1989. Seen mating on 22-23 January 1988, and on 4-5 February 1988 a group of ten was displaying 7 km downstream from Baboon Hill. Hamerkop is considered to be a winter breeder (Brooks et al. 1987). See also Discussion, below. 100 Percentage of birds No. of birds Percentage of birds No. of birds 15 12 [ee) Sandgrouse 14 Little Egret (n=272) Hamerkop (n=204) 8 12 16 20 Distance from Madinat (km) Sandgrouse 14 Birds of Wadi Rima, Yemen Black Stork Ciconia nigra. A juvenile at 19 km on 22 November 1989. Teal Anas crecca. Total 14: nine at 4 km on 14-15 January 1988, a female at 10 km and another at 13 km on 22 November 1989, and three at 7 km on 14-15 December 1989. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula. A fe- male at 5 km on 9-10 February 1989. Black Kite Milvus migrans. Common all year. Egyptian Vulture Neophron percno- pterus. Five seen: singles at 4 km on 22-23 January 1988, above the tribu- tary wadi at 25 km on 7-8 April 1988 and on 9-10 June 1988, and two at Suq al Ithnein 26-27 October 1989. Plate 4. Hammerkops Scopus umbretta fighting over a Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus. A col- fish in the bed of Wadi Rima (Yemen), section VI, May ony on cliffs at 18 km, above Suq al 1989. (Paul Scholte) Khamis, had up to 15 adults present in September, when one nest was seen to contain young. This colony may have formed after the abandonment of another, c. 40 km upstream of Madinat ash Shirq, which held an esti- mated 30 pairs until autumn 1989. Away from the colony, birds were seen singly or in small groups, mostly around Baboon Hill and elsewhere in the western part of ‘the study area. Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus. One on 4—5 February 1988 at Baboon Hill, and another (with a Verreaux’s Eagle) on 8 April 1988 above the tributary wadi. Brooks et al. (1987) gave 20 March as the latest date for this rather uncommon migrant and winter visitor. Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar. One in wadi the tributary wadi at 25 km on 23 June 1989. Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus. One above Baboon Hill on 4-5 February 1988. Shikra Accipiter badius. Probably a resident breeder on Baboon Hill, being seen on five dates in December—February, June, and October. One was chasing chickens at a farm in the tribu- tary wadi on 22-23 January 1988. Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus. Several above Baboon Hill on 14-15 January 1988 and on 26-27 October 1989. Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis. Scattered birds were present in December. Some tens of birds were seen migrating over Baboon Hill on 26-27 October 1989, but this part of Wadi Rima appears not to see an important autumn passage of Steppe Eagle and Steppe Buzzard as, for instance, does the area of the Tihamah foothills at Jabal Bura’ (Scholte and Evans in prep.). Verreaux’s Eagle Aquila verreauxti. One or two residents commonly seen around Baboon Hill. One was displaying on 26-27 October 1989, and on 20-21 January 1990 a downy chick was - seen in a nest, having probably hatched around the beginning of December. Cornwallis and Porter (1982) and Eichacker (1990) gave laying dates of 5 and 25 January. A local farmer reported that young baboons are the main food, being knocked from the cliffs. Bonelli’s Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus. One above the cliffs in the tributary wadi on 22-23 Janu- ary 1988 (together with a Verreaux’s Eagle), and one outside the study area on the track upstream from Madinat ash Shirg on 23 June 1989. Kestrel Falco tinnunculus. Observed throughout the year. Probably a resident breeder on Baboon Hill. 101 P. Scholte Sandgrouse 14 Large falcons Fulco. A single Lanner F. biarmicus or Barbary Falcon F. pelegrinoides at Suq al Ithnein on 14-15 January 1988. Arabian Red-legged Partridge Alectoris melanocephala. Seen only in the area around Baboon Hill, where common. Largest group size recorded was eight birds (February). Apparently much more common than described for other sites in the country (Brooks et al. 1987; Rands and Rands 1987) except Jabal Bura’ (Scholte and Evans in prep.). Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis. Total 13. Observed during night-time surveys only, with a maximum count of four on 26 October 1989. See also Discussion, below. Snipe Gallinago gallinago. Two at 4 km on 14-15 January 1988, two at 14 km on 22 November 1989, and one at 19 km on 20-21 January 1990. Greenshank Tringa nebularia. Total 14, mostly recorded singly: at 4 km (five birds), 5 km, 10 km and 14 km on 14-15 January 1988, at 4 km on 22-23 January 1988, on 4-5 February 1988, at 4 km on 15-16 December 1988, at 3 km on 12-13 January 1989, and at 1 km and 13 km on 22 November 1989. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus. Total 192. Maximum daily count 26, on 21 January 1990. See also Discussion, below. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos. Total 68. Maximum daily count of eight, on 8 Decem- ber 1988. See also Discussion, below. 15 Common Sandpiper (n=68) Green Sandpiper (n=192) wo 10 o (2 12) ia) 6 10 HG) we) oO fd) ie) ie) is) oO 55 5 o 9 5 a a 0 0 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 Distance from Madinat (km) Distance from Madinat (km) Pf : iy He ky % j sh i Kf ah 8 g ae re} re} jee % 2 HE Il 6 fi P f re) ay ih f j if 2 Has pe ; ie} H Z fey / i 7 i i \ ye i j } eer icon j i f Mh i i gw j i pel arenans TA ene wales lee, 9122.10 21.1 26.5 23.6 27.1015.12 1989 az Uf 25.819.121 12. 1 9:2 9. aceaiain 10.2 14.1122.11 4.21 9.6 5 15.1 23.1 7.4 10.6 8.12 16-12.13.1 10. 26.5 23.6 27.1015.12 1988 Date 1989 Rock Dove Columba livia. Common resident near cliffs at 20-25 km. African Collared Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea. Several single birds in the area of Baboon Hill and the tributary wadi on 7-8 April 1988 and 25-26 May 1989. Also several in section VI of the wadi on 15-16 December 1988. 102 Sandgrouse 14 Birds of Wadi Rima, Yemen Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata. The most common dove in the the valley, present all year. Dusky Turtle Dove Streptopelia lugens. Observed only in winter, presumably birds which descend from higher altitudes outside the breeding season: records of ten or more at Baboon Hill on 14-15 January and 4-5 February 1988, and several in section VI of the wadi on 22-23 January and 15-16 December 1988. See also Discussion, below. Palm Dove Streptopelia senegalensis. Common all year. Yellow-bellied Green Pigeon Treron waalia. Several records from the tributary wadi: two in a fig tree on 7-8 April 1988, rather common on 25 August 1988, two in Ficus sycomorus and several in F. salicifolia on 25-26 May 1989, and about ten foraging in F. salicifolia on 23 June 1989. Also one at 9 km on 9 May 1989. White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus. Recorded only on 25 August 1988 when found rather commonly. The observation location (1,200 m) lay 200 m above the upper limit of other observations (Brooks et al. 1987). The bird is thus much less common than on Jabal Bura’ (Scholte and Evans in prep), being only a summer visitor only to the study area. Records probably relate to dispersal of juveniles from the Tihamah. See also Discussion, below. Spotted Eagle Owl Bubo africanus. One bathing in the wadi at 7 km on the evening of 26-27 October 1989. Alpine Swift Apus melba. Common in summer. Little Swift Apus affinis. Common in summer. 15 Grey-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala. Total 27: maximum daily count 15, on 23 June 1989. One on 8-9 December 1988 was an ex- tremely late record of for this summer visitor (Brooks et al. 1987). White-throated Bee-eater Merops albicollis. Probably a passage migrant in small numbers: four at 18 km on 25-26 May 1989, and five at various points on 23 June 1989. Grey-headed Kingfisher (n=35) Percentage of birds Little Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis. A 0 rather common resident at Baboon Hill and elsewhere. Bee-eater Merops apiaster. Many were present on 26 September 1989, part of the massive migration which is however much more appar- ent on the highland plains. Hoopoe Upupa epops. One in the wadi on 7-8 April 1988. Grey Hornbill Tockus nasutus. Very common : resident on Baboon Hill (at least ten pairs re- ~ corded), where fruits from the abundant Commiphora kataf trees on the slopes and fig trees in the wadi form the majority of its diet. The densities found are the highest I saw in western Yemen, surpassing even comparable habitats on Jabal Bura’ (Scholte and Evans in prep.) and elsewhere in the Tihamah foothills. Such observations show that this species can be more common than previously suggested (Brooks et al. 1987). No. of birds 19-1 24.1 74 10.6 B12 15412 14.1 10.2 24.5 23.6 27!1015!12 1988 Date 1989 103 P. Scholte Sandgrouse 14 African Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula. Common resident at Baboon Hill and elsewhere. Many dozens sometimes seen. Swallow Hirundo rustica. Several groups totalling about 60 birds were seen on passage on 26 ‘September 1989. Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica. Several single birds on 23 June 1989. Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava. Nine recorded, mostly as singles: at 10 km on 14-15 January 1988, at 9 km and 18 km on 22 January 1988, and at 14 km (four birds) on 4 February 1988. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea. Total 34. Maximum daily count nine, on 26 September 1989. See also Discussion, below. Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba. Total 211. Maximum daily count 32, on 15 December 1988. See also Discussion, below. Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos. Very common all year. Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus. One on 14-15 January 1988, and one in the tributary wadi on 4-5 February 1988. Blackstart Cercomela melanura. A common resident in dry shrubland on the valley slopes. South Arabian Wheatear Oenanthe lugens lugentoides. Common resident in the higher parts of the valley, at Baboon Hill (1,800 m) and elsewhere. Yemen Thrush Turdus menachensis. A single record of one bird. in dense vegetation on 4-5 February 1988 confirms the scarcity of this threatened species (Bowden 1987). Graceful Warbler Prinia gracilis. Several near Suq al Ithnein on 4-5 February 1988. Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla. A male singing in the tributary wadi on 9-10 February 1989. Rather an early observation, as Brooks et al. (1987) gave the earliest date as 25 March. African Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis. Three records of 1-2 birds in the tributary wadi during December-January (possibly including a pair), and one near Madinat on 23 June 1989. Arabian Babbler Turdoides squamiceps. Not uncommon, but far less frequent than on Jabal Bura’ (Scholte and Evans in prep.). Shining Sunbird Nectarinia habessinica. Common resident on vegetated slopes, often foraging on flowering Anisotes trisulcus shrubs. White-breasted White-eye Zosterops abyssinica. Common resident in wadi vegetation, espe- cially Jatropha glauca shrubs and fig trees. Isabelline Shrike Lanius isabellinus. One at 3 km on 22-23 January 1988. Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor. One at 1 km on 22-23 January 1988 and one on 4-5 February 1988. Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis. Present all year. Fan-tailed Raven Corvus rhipidurus. Present all year. Tristram’s Grackle Onychognathus tristramii. Present all year, especially on the higher slopes. Juvenile seen being fed on 23 June 1989. Amethyst Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster. Two were near Baboon Hill on 9 May 1989, and about ten very active groups of adults and juveniles were seen along the wadi on 23 June 1989. Ruppell’s Weaver Ploceus galbula. Breeds (in summer) in high numbers in trees along the wadi. Arabian Waxbill Estrilda rufibarba. Typical resident breeder of the wadis in the western mountains (Christensen and Porter 1987). Single birds and groups of up to 50 present at 9 104 Sandgrouse 14 Birds of Wadi Rima, Yemen km, 10 km, 11 km, and 18 km, and in the (dry) tributary wadi. African Silverbill Euodice cantans. Five at 12 km on 9-10 February 1989. Also ten in Arundo donax vegetation, 10 km downstream of Baboon Hill (outside the study area) on 4-5 February 1988. Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting Emberiza tahapisi. Rather common in the tributary wadi (at 25 km), where observed breeding in January-February 1988; Brooks et al. (1987) saw re- cently fledged young in early November. DISCUSSION Presence during the two years of observations For most species foraging in and around the wadi stream, clear patterns of pres- ence and absence have been documented; only Night Heron, Grey Heron, Hamerkop, and Spotted Thick-knee were present year-round. Strong fluctuations in numbers may be attributable in large part to the irregular and unsystematic nature of the survey methods, coupled with human disturbance. Variation in num- bers of Night Heron was due mainly to juveniles migrating through the wadi in autumn, while the fluctuating patterns shown by Hamerkop and Grey Heron per- haps reflect a habit of moving along the wadi, searching for locations with the highest food availability. Little Egrets show clear seasonality in appearance, being absent from May to September. The pattern of Cattle Egrets’ presence is less pro- nounced, though birds seem not to be found in the area from the beginning of summer to the end of autumn; the species is a resident breeder in Yemen (Brooks et al. 1987), its absence from Wadi Rima in summer being due presumably to a Jack of colonies in the area. Like Little Egret, Green Sandpiper is absent in spring and summer, as is Common Sandpiper, though the fewer records of that species lead to stronger observed fluctuations. The statement of Brooks et al. (1987), that Common Sandpiper is apparently as common in spring as in autumn, does not hold true in Wadi Rima. The two water-based wagtails have only been found in autumn and winter: Grey Wagtail from September to January and Pied Wagtail from October until February, corresponding well with the summaries by Brooks et al. (1987). Distribution along the wadi Several patterns of distribution over the 25-km stretch of Wadi Rima have emerged. One extreme is represented by Cattle Egret which occurred almost exclusively in the meadow-like vegetation along the wadi in the cultivated area of Suq al Khamis (section V). Other species such as Night Heron, Grey Heron, and Common and - Green Sandpipers have more uniform distributions, though confined to the wadi stream itself and absent from dry sections. The distribution of Little Egret resembles Cattle Egret and is also confined to cultivated areas, birds being most common in Suq al Khamis and Sug al Ithnein. It also occurs along the wadi (and cultivated fields) in the first 4 km of the wadi (section I). The distribution of Hamerkop is more difficult to explain; birds are less common in areas without water, but are never absent completely. 105 P. Scholte Sandgrouse 14 Plate 5. Little Egret Egretta garzetta in section V of Wadi Rima (Yemen), November 1989. (Paul Scholte) Common and Green Sandpipers have a rather similar distribution along most of the 25-km stretch, being confined to the places with water. Both are, however, strikingly lacking from section VI, perhaps because of its faster-flowing water. The (few) observations of Spotted Thick-knee show that the wide gravelly bed of section V is its principal haunt. A comparable habitat can be found in section I near Madinat ash Shirq, but the presence of humans with accompanying cats and dogs may well be the reason for its absence. It is not clear if the presence of flow- ing water and a perennial vegetation is necessary: Urban et al. (1986) state that Spotted Thick-knee does not occur along watercourses, and Gallagher and Stanley Price (1990) describe it as ‘not water-dependent’. Two extremes of distributional pattern were apparent when numbers of certain species in the wadi increased. One group (Cattle Egret, Little Egret, White Wag- tail) was characterized by no increase in the number of observation localities but instead a rise in the number of birds present at each. At the other extreme (Night Heron, Grey Heron, Hamerkop, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Grey- headed Kingfisher), increasing overall numbers led to a rise in the numbers of localities occupied within the wadi. This distinction is evidently linked to differ- ences in habitat requirements and/or sociality. Role of the wadi in migration There were only limited records of birds whose status was definitely that of pas- sage migrant, but the fluctuating numbers of almost all species that were present in this valley with its permanently flowing wadi are most readily explained by the occurrence of migration. Some species breed either above or below the altitude of the study area and are present in it only as non-breeders. Thus, distributions may extend further into the wadi at such times, as with White-browed Coucal (extend- 106 Sandgrouse 14 Birds of Wadi Rima, Yemen ing up from the Tihamah, in summer) and Dusky Turtle Dove (extending down from the highlands, in winter). For these birds the wadi may form an attractive environment during periods when conditions in their usual habitat are less fa- vourable, or it may be that the phenomenon is explained in some cases simply by the dispersal of juveniles into what is actually (for them) suboptimal habitat. West- ern Reef Heron is another species which moves up the wadi from the Tihamah coastal plain during part of the year. Other wadis in the western mountains During regular fieldwork over the whole of western Yemen (Scholte ef al. 1991), I had the opportunity to make a superficial comparison of the Wadi Rima avifauna with those of other permanently flowing wadis in the region. Diversity and num- bers usually resembled the Wadi Rima situation as long as flowing water and lush accompanying vegetation were present, but in dry wadi beds a high variability in the bird communities present was observed, dependent mainly on the nature of the surrounding area. Given this relative consistency, it becomes feasible to extrapolate from the re- sults of observations in Wadi Rima to make crude estimates of total bird numbers in the seven major wadi systems of the western Yemen mountains. The study area represents at most 2% of the main channel length of these wadis (Table 1), and on this basis a factor 50 would be appropriate, but this would exclude tributary streams which must contribute at least a comparable length of well-watered wadi beds. A factor of 100 might still be an underestimate. This approach is probably valid only for such species as herons and some other waterbirds. Taking the peak daily count as a base figure suggests for Hamerkop, for instance, a minimum population of perhaps 2,500 individuals. During my two and a half years in Yemen, only once did I see a Night Heron in daylight (Wadi Zabid, October 1988). In Wadi Rima they were only re- corded after sunset, demonstrat- ing clearly that a lack of day-time observations does not indicate its absence. Unfortunately, only one other evening census was made along another permanently wet wadi, and this yielded no obser- vations of Night Heron or of Spotted Thick-knee, the other typical night bird. It thus remains unclear whether the good num- a | bers of Night Herons in Wadi piate 6. Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax foraging Rima are representative of other after dark in section II of Wadi Rima (Yemen), No- permanently flowing wadis in vember 1989. (Paul Scholte) 107 P. Scholte Sandgrouse 14 Yemen—but the existence of an important wintering and passage population of Night Herons in the western mountains of Yemen remains a distinct possibility. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Duncan Brooks and Stephen Newton for their important editorial as- sistance and Jeroen Helmer for drawing Figure 2. - REFERENCES BOWDEN, C. G. R. (1987) The Yemen Thrush in North Yemen. Sandgrouse 9: 87-9. BROOKS, D. J., EVANS, M. I., MARTINS, R. P., AND PORTER, R. F. (1987) The status of birds in North Yemen and the records of OSME Expedition in autumn 1985. Sandgrouse 9: 4-66. CHRISTENSEN, S. AND PORTER, R. F. (1987) The Arabian Waxbill in North Yemen. Sandgrouse 996-101" CORNWALLIS, L. AND PORTER, R. F. (1982) Spring observations on the birds of North Yemen. Sandgrouse 4:1-36. EICHACKER, X. (1990) First breeding records of Verreaux’s Eagle Aguila verreauxti in Saudi Arabia. Sandgrouse 12: 53-4. GALLAGHER, M. AND STANLEY PRICE, K. (1990) The Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis and Stone Curlew B. oedicnemus in Arabia. Sandgrouse 12: 8-24. PORTER, R. F. AND CHRISTENSEN, S. (1987) The autumn migration of raptors and other soar- ing birds in North Yemen. Sandgrouse 9: 121-4. RANDs, M. R. W. AND RANDS, G. F. (1987) The Arabian Red-legged Partridge in North Yemen. Sandgrouse 9: 69-73. SCHOLTE, P. T., AL KHULEIDI, A. W., AND KESSLER, J. J. (1991) The Vegetation Map (1:500,000) of the Republic of Yemen (Western Part). DHV Consultants and Environmental Protection Council, Amersfoort. TIHAMAH DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND DHV CONSULTANTS (1988) Tihamah Basin Water Resources Study, Technical Report 02: Surface Water. Amersfoort. URBAN, E. K., Fry, C. H., AND KEITH, S. (eds) (1986) The Birds of Africa Vol. 2. Academic, London. Paul Scholte, Rechterslaan 4, 6564 BD H.Landstichting, Netherlands. 108 NOTE First record of Temminck’s Horned Lark Eremophila bilopha in Yemen MARTIN J. TAYLOR HE WEATHER in the Marib area of interior western Yemen on 25 June 1991 was hot and sunny, with a very light breeze. Considerable amounts of dust were in the air following recent strong north to north-east winds. While driving back to Sana’a I was about 15 km from Marib at about 15.30 hrs when I noticed a small group of larks near the road. I stopped the vehicle 15-20 m away and was able to identify eight Desert Larks Ammomanes deserti and six Crested Larks Galerida cristata. One other bird feeding with them was initially identified as a Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris, but a closer look revealed that the bird, smaller than the nearby Desert and Crested Larks, had no yellow on its throat and head, unlike the North American Horned (Shore) Larks with which I am very familiar as winter visitors and migrants in Canada. Its appearance was as follows. Size. Noticeably smaller than Desert Lark and (particularly) Crested Lark. Plumage. Upperparts buff; nape light brown, more reddish and slightly darker than the other larks. Small black ‘horns’ extended around the white forehead below the crown, pointing upwards at the back of the head. A black arcuate cheek-patch extended from the base of the bill but did not connect with the small black breast-band on the otherwise white underparts. Central tail-feathers were buff to light reddish-brown and the remainder of the tail appeared black with the outermost feather white, though the bird was not seen in flight. Chiefly on size and upperpart colour the bird was identified as an adult Tem- minck’s Horned Lark E. bilopha. Shore Lark is larger, being almost the size of Crested Lark. The races of Temminck’s Horned Lark most likely to occur as vagrants in Arabia, bicornis of Lebanon and penicillata of Turkey, the Caucasus, and Iran, nor- mally have a tinge of yellow in the fresh plumage of throat and forehead, and the cheek-patch usually connects with the breast-band. Either or both of these charac- ters may be absent, however, especially in worn individuals. Temminck’s Horned Lark breeds and winters in northern and eastern Arabia, but neither it nor Shore Lark have previously been reported for Yemen (e.g. Brooks et al. 1987), though this may well be the result of a paucity of observers in the desert interior. The weather prevailing in the period immediately preceding the _ sighting makes it possible that a bird resident in northern or central Saudi Arabia could have moved hundreds of kilometres further south. REFERENCE BROOKS, D. J., EVANS, M. I., MARTINS, R. P., AND PORTER, R. F. (1987) The status of birds in North Yemen and the records of OSME Expedition in autumn 1985. Sandgrouse 9: 4-66. Martin J. Taylor, 66 Pacific Ave., Apt. 512, Toronto, Ontario M6P 2P4, Canada. 109 Notes Sandgrouse 14 First record of Woodpigeon Columba palumbus in Egypt EDWARD KHOUNGANIAN and PETER L. MEININGER N 15 May 1991 a hunter from Alexandria, Mr Misak Leylekian, was hunting Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur near Kom Hamada in the Beheira Governorate (30°46°N 30°42’E), about 30 km south of Alexandria in northern Egypt. Just before sunset he noticed a large dove-like bird flying with Turtle Doves to a roost in trees. He shot the bird, and subsequently photographed it. Since he was unfamil- iar with the species, the photograph was sent to EK for identification. The speci- men was not saved. — af The bird photographed is clearly an | adult Woodpigeon Columba palumbus. Yom-Tov (1987) included the species in a list of the birds of Sinai without giv- ing details, but Shirihai (in press) does not list it for Sinai, and Goodman and Meininger (1989) did not admit it to the Egyptian list. This occurrence therefore constitutes the first documented record of Woodpigeon in Egypt. Occurrence in Egypt is not totally un- expected. In Israel Woodpigeon is a fairly common winter visitor south to a / central parts, and as a vagrant reaches Plate 1. Woodpigeon Columba palumbus, col- Eilat, mainly in November and Decem- lected Kom Hamada (Egypt), 15 May 1991. ber (Shirihai in press). There are no (Misak Leylekian) records from Libya (Bundy 1976). ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We thank Mr Misak Leylekian for sending the photograph of the Woodpigeon. REFERENCES BUNDY, G. (1976) The birds of Libya: an annotated check-list. Brit. Orn. Union Check-list 1. London. GOODMAN, S. M. AND MEININGER, P. L. (eds) (1989) The Birds of Egypt. Oxford University Press. SHIRIHAI, H. (in press) Birds of Israel. Academic, London Yom-Tov, Y. (1987) The vertebrates of the Sinai peninsula. In Gvirtzman, G., Shmueli, A., Gradus, Y., Bet-Arie, I., and Harel, M. Sinai [in Hebrew]. Ministry of Defence, Tel Aviv. Edward Khounganian, 5462 Barton Ave. 3, Los Angeles, California 90038, USA. Peter L. Meininger, Foundation for Ornithological Research in Egypt, Belfort 7, 4336 JK Middelburg, Netherlands. 110 Sandgrouse 14 Notes First record of Great Bustard Otis tarda in Egypt GAMIL A.M. ATTA N 19 March 1992, Dr Essam Hamdy was visiting Salehia (30°30°N 32°07’E), a newly reclaimed agricultural area in the desert about 120 km east of Cairo. Discovering a large bird he had never seen before, he decided to shoot it for his collection, and subsequently brought it to the Giza Zoological Gardens for mounting and identification. I exam- ined the specimen and identified it as a female Great Bustard Otis tarda, a spe- cies not previously recorded in Egypt (Goodman and Meininger 1989). The specimen is now in the private collec- tion of Dr Hamdy in Cairo. The nearest breeding area to Egypt lies in Turkey, where the species has de- clined over recent decades (Kasparek 1989; Martins 1989). The Turkish popu- lation is partially migratory, so the Egyptian bird seems likely to have come from here or from the fully mi- | Plate 1. Female Great Bustard Otis tarda, col- Brarory porueauons on Coie al Eurasia: lected Salehia (Egypt), 19 March 1992. (Gamil Migrants winter south to southern (es- , ay ar a) pecially south-east) Turkey and the northern parts of Syria, Iraq, and Iran (Cramp and Simmons 1980). Vagrants have been recorded in the region south to Cyprus (50-60 birds in February 1974 is the only recent occurrence: Flint and Stewart 1992), Israel (four winter records: Hovel 1987; Paz 1987), and Saudi Arabia (two very doubtful-sounding records admitted by Jennings 1981). The species is not listed for Libya by Bundy (1976). fi [2 ll ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank Dr Essam Hamdy for allowing me to examine the specimen. Peter L. Meininger as- sisted in writing this note. REFERENCES BuNDY, G. (1976) The birds of Libya: an annotated check-list. Brit. Orn. Union Check-list 1. London. CRAMP, S. AND SIMMONS, K. E. L. (eds) (1980) The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. FLINT, P. R. AND STEWART, P. F. (1992) The birds of Cyprus: an annotated check-list 2nd edn. Brit. Orn. Union Check-list 6. Tring. GOODMAN, S. M. AND MEININGER, P. L. (eds) (1989) The Birds of Egypt. Oxford University Press. HOVEL, H. (1987) Check-list of the Birds of Israel. Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, Tel Aviv. 111 Notes Sandgrouse 14 JENNINGS, M. C. (1981) The Birds of Saudi Arabia: a check-list. Jennings, Whittlesford. KASPAREK, M. (1989) Status and distribution of the Great Bustard and the Little Bustard in Turkey. Bustard Stud. 4: 80-113. MARTINS, R. P. (1989) Turkey Bird Report 1982-6. Sandgrouse 11: 1-41. PAZ, U. (1987) The Birds of Israel. Steimatzky, Tel Aviv. Gamil A. M. Atta, Egyptian Wildlife Service, Giza Zoological Gardens, Giza, Cairo, Egypt. Birds new to Bahrain 1989-92 ERIK HIRSCHFELD HIS note deals with species new to Bahrain during 1989-92 and includes short descriptions for those records which have not already been published in de- tail. Records of other species that occurred one to ten times during the period have already been published (Hirschfeld 1991; Orn. Soc. Middle East Bull. 25: 42-6, 26: 59-67, 27: 43-7, 28: 52-9, 29: 35-48). General distributions of the species dealt with have been taken from Harrison (1982). For comparisons with neighbouring coun- tries, Bundy et al. (1989), OBRC (1990), and Richardson (1990) have been utilized, in addition to bird reports from the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris One at Al Areen wildlife park, 30 September 1992 (E. Hirschfeld, T. Stawarczyk). Flushed with a flock of Teal Anas crecca and seen only in flight. Size approximately as Teal, but whole bird paler. Head relatively larger and with dark, elongated patch around the eye, extending backwards and becoming gradually narrower. Wings plain with no speculum. Underwing whitish. Tail appeared slightly longer than Teal’s and somewhat pointed. The closest breeding populations are in Iran and Iraq. During the Asian Water- fowl Censuses in 1992, 20,812 were recorded wintering in Iran (Perennou and Mundkhur 1992). A known vagrant to Arabia, with one record from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia in late August, two from the UAE (October and March, the latter a flock of 25), and three from Oman (two in September, and one, consid- ered to be an escape, from June to August). The species is kept in collections, and the possibility of escape cannot be ruled out. A few pinioned birds are present at Al Areen but do not produce free-flying young (J. Samour pers. comm.). Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus Juvenile, Hamalah Experimental Farm, 14 February 1992 (E. Hirschfeld). Large and bulky, especially compared to the numerous Pallid Harriers C: macrourus and Montagu’s Harriers C. pygargus the observer had seen during previous weeks in UAE and Bahrain. Base of tail wide and rump patch wide and white. Five primaries clearly visible in flight, creating a blunt end to the wing compared with the smaller Circus. Underparts orangey- yellow with prominent dark streaks on throat, upper breast, breast sides and underwing coverts. Head pattern reminiscent of a weak Pallid Harrier; black crescent behind eye, with faint pale collar and dark area behind it. 112 Sandgrouse 14 Notes Breeds across Eurasia and winters as close to Arabia as North Africa, Iraq, and Iran. Recorded annually since 1979 in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia; a rare migrant in UAE and Oman. There are a few previous unsubstantiated winter claims from Bahrain (Nightingale and Hill 1993). Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus Second-year male, Mamttallah, 20 April 1990 (E. Hirschfeld). Seen hunting in a small wadi. Blue-grey of head extending to upper breast. Lower breast heavily streaked dark reddish-brown with lighter ground colour. Underwing coverts mot- tled rufous-brown. Upperparts pale brownish and mainly female-coloured with single blu- ish-brown feathers showing through on greater and median coverts. No collar. Underside of secondaries with evenly spaced barring, most distinct close to body. Upperside of secondar- ies not barred. Rump white. Legs orange. Regular in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, April and September—October. Scarce but overlooked in UAE March-April and November, and uncommon mi- grant and winter visitor in Oman September—May. Summering birds have been recorded in UAE and Oman. In 1992 at least three further individuals occurred in Bahrain: a second-year male in February, one or two juveniles in August-Septem- ber 1992, and an adult male in September 1992. Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni Dumistan, 28 September 1991 (T. Stawarczyk, S. Mohammed). The bird came in to roost in the evening and the completely black underside to the wing, the evenly dark upperwing, and lack of white trailing edge were observed. The species is scarce in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia in April-September and very scarce in Oman July—October; there is one record from UAE (December). A subsequent Bahrain record of this species was made at the same site in Septem- ber 1992. Kittlitz’s Plover Charadrius pecuarius One ringed and photographed at Dumistan, 20 August 1992 (E. Hirschfeld, H. King, N. al Sheikh). About the size of Kentish Plover C. alexandrinus. Much darker than Kentish Plover and Lesser Sand Plover C. mongolus, with strong rusty tones to underparts, rusty nape, rusty coloration to forehead and supercilium (where Kentish is white and Lesser Sand Plover, at most, slightly buffish). Bill thin, pointed. Wing 109 mm, bill 16-5 mm, head+bill 43-6 mm, tarsus 30-4 mm. A Kittlitz’s Plover was reported without details by Stagg (1984) at Sheqaiq on _the Red Sea coast of south-west Saudi Arabia in April 1981, but the present record is the first for Arabia to be documented. The closest breeding populations are in Egypt, and in recent years vagrants have been recorded in Israel (October—Febru- ary: Shirihai and van den Berg 1987) and Cyprus (November 1991: P. Flint in litt.). Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris One, 5 January 1990 (E. Hirschfeld). The bird was at a high-tide roost with Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica. Size as Grey Plover 13 Notes Sandgrouse 14 Pluvialis squatarola with similar structure. Diffuse, whitish supercilia meeting over bill. Grey- ish-white throat and cheeks. Brownish-grey crown and dark eye-stripe contrasting with rest of head. Forehead steep. Relatively long and decurved bill, remniscent of Pectoral Sandpiper C. melanotos. Upper breast speckled with dark spots, forming band, widening at sides; speck- les stretching down midway towards flanks which had fewer distinct spots. Rest of under- parts white, upperparts greyish-brown, similar to Bar-tailed Godwit in coloration. Whitish rump and whitish wing-bar visible in flight. | Breeds in north-east Siberia, wintering from Pakistan to Australia. Flocks have recently been discovered wintering in Oman (e.g. over 1,100 in January 1990: Perennou ef al. 1990) and in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia (e.g. Evans and Keijl 1993). Vagrants have occurred in UAE in recent years (C. Richardson pers. comm.). The species was recorded again in Bahrain in September 1992. Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta Seven, Hamalah Experimental Farm, 16 May 1991 (details published in Hirschfeld 1992). Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura Dumistan, 28 September 1991, 10-17 October 1991, 6 January 1992; Janabiyah reeds 14-16 October 1991, 1-8 May 1992, 28-30 November 1992; 1-2 at Ras Tubli, 27 November to at least mid-December 1992 (details published in Hirschfeld 1994a). Armenian Gull Larus armenicus Adult, Ras Tubli, 27 March 1990 (E. Hirschfeld). Size and shape much as Herring Gull L. argentatus, but head neater and more rounded, bill shorter and thicker. Bill yellow with carmine-red gonys spot and thick, dark band over both mandibles, inner edge of band about one-third of bill length from the tip. Tip of bill whitish- yellow. Red orbital ring; iris dark, only slightly paler than pupil, but exact colour difficult to assess. Lacked white scapular crescents of Herring Gull; greater secondary coverts had white tips forming line on closed wing. In flight, dark triangle present on outer primaries, consid- erably larger than on fully adult Herring Gulls, and white ‘mirror’ visible inside tip of outer primary only. There are no previous well documented records from the Arabian Gulf. African Collared Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea Ghalali, Muharraq, 12 January 1991 (E. Hirschfeld, N. Chapman). Slightly smaller than accompanying Collared Doves S. decaocto with clearly shorter tail, white vent, and distinct white outer tail feathers giving impression of Turtle Dove S. turtur. Black ring round neck (bordered by white), wider on sides of neck than on nape. Wing-coverts scaly (brownish-grey with rich chestnut fringes and tips). Head slightly paler than mantle. Legs and feet pinkish-red. Iris deep red (looked black on Collared Doves at same chistemige): From below, distal half of tail feathers pure white. The nearest populations are in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and, being a strong- flying and expanding species (Jennings 1991), its vagrancy to northern Arabia is not unlikely. Domestic (‘risoria’) forms of the species are available in bird markets in Bahrain and differ in appearance from wild birds principally in having a plainer wing pattern and weaker colouring overall. The Bahrain individual exhibited char- 114 Sandgrouse 14 Notes acters more typical of wild birds, but the escape potential cannot be wholly elimi- nated. Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola Ghalal, Muharraq, 13 September 1991 (details published in Hirschfeld and Stawarczyk 1992). Plain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus neglectus ASRY, Muharraq, 17 October 1991 (details published in Hirschfeld 1994b). Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis Male, Hamalah Experimental Farm, 4-14 February 1992 (E. Hirschfeld, R. Morris). Larger than accompanying Dead Sea Sparrows P. moabiticus and with more bulky bill. Lower mandible yellow, upper greyish with possibly some yellow at tip. Black streaks on upper breast, sides of the breast and lower throat contrasting with paler ground colour. Small black triangular bib on upper throat just below bill, similar in size to House Sparrow P. domesticus. Crown chestnut-brown, each feather narrowly fringed pale whitish-grey, giving scalloped effect. The heavy black streaking on the underparts, and chestnut-based crown feathers ex- clude House Sparrow. Breeds from the Mediterranean region east through Turkey, Iraq, and Iran to central Asia and largely winters just south of the breeding areas. Breeding occurred in 1991 at Riyadh in Saudi Arabia (M. C. Jennings in Richardson 1991), and it was recorded under circumstances that could indicate breeding in UAE in 1991 (Richardson 1991). Wintering birds in Jordan often associate with Dead Sea Spar- rows (I. and J. Andrews pers. comm.). It is a winter visitor, largely in the northern part, to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, and a scarce and irregular winter visitor to UAE and Oman. Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus Up to 40, Ghalali, 19 December 1991 to 17 March 1992; up to 90, Badan Farm, 22 December 1991 to 6 January 1992; up to 200, Hamalah Experimental Farm, 6 Janu- ary to 13 March 1992; 15, south of Riffa’a, 4 March 1992 (details published in Hirschfeld and Symens 1992). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Jens Eriksen, Colin Richardson, and Peter Symens for commenting on the status of the species in Oman, UAE, and Saudi Arabia respectively, and Ian and Jill Andrews, Peter Flint, Dick Forsman, Tom van der Have, Steve Rooke, and Jaime Samour for ‘other comments. REFERENCES BUNDY, G., CONNOR, R. J., AND HARRISON, C. J. O. (1989) Birds of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Witherby, London. EVANS, M. I. AND KEJL, G. O. (1993) Spring migration of coastal waders through the Saudi Arabian Gulf in 1991. Sandgrouse 15: 56-84. HARRISON, C. (1982) An Atlas of the Birds of the Western Palaearctic. Collins, London. HIRSCHFELD, E. (1991) Rare birds in Bahrain 1989 and 1990. Orn. Soc. Middle East Bull. 26: 20-5. TiS Notes Sandgrouse 14 HIRSCHFELD, E. (1992) First record of Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta in Bahrain. Sandgrouse 13: 108-10: HIRSCHFELD, E. (1994a) First records of Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura in Bahrain. Sandgrouse 14; 116-19: HIRSCHFELD, E. (1994b) First record of Plain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus neglectus in Bahrain. Sandgrouse 14: 120-2. HIRSCHFELD, E. AND STAWARCZYK, T. (1992) First fecord of Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola in Bahrain. Sandgrouse 13: 110-12. HIRSCHFELD, E. AND SYMENS, P. (1992) First records of Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus in Arabia. Sandgrouse 14: 48-51. JENNINGS, M. C. (1991) Doves update. Phoenix 8: 7. NIGHTINGALE, T. AND HILL, M. (1993) The Birds of Bahrain. Immel, London. OBRC (OMAN BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE) (1990) Oman Bird List 3rd edn. OBRC, Muscat. PERENNOU, C. AND MUNDKHUR, T. (1992) Asian and Australasian Waterfowl Census 1992. WRB, Slimbridge. PERENNOU, C., ROSE, P., AND POOLE, C. (1990) Asian Waterfowl Census 1990. IWRB, Slimbridge. RICHARDSON, C. (1990) The Birds of the United Arab Emirates. Hobby, Warrington. RICHARDSON, C. (1991) Notes on new UAE breeding records. Emirates Bird Rep. 15: 8-10. SHIRIHAI, H. AND VAN DEN BERG, A. (1987) Influx of Kittlitz’s Sand Plover in Israel in 1986- 87. Dutch Birding 9: 85-6. STAGG, A. J. (1984) The Birds of S.W. Saudi Arabia: an annotated check-list. Stagg, Riyadh. Erik Hirschfeld, c/o IAL, Abu Dhabi Airport, PO Box 2411, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. First records of Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura in Bahrain ERIK HIRSCHFELD ETWEEN sessions of wader-ringing at the General Poultry Factory, Dumistan (Bahrain), on the morning of 28 September 1991, Tadeusz Stawarczyk was birding the fields at the nearby Hamalah Experimental Farm where he found two snipe feeding at the edge of a small puddle in a stubble field. One was obviously a Snipe Gallinago gallinago, but he realised that the other bird was different and later identified it as a Pintail Snipe G. stenura. Both TS and I checked the area over the following days but without relocating this bird. The ringing study finished in mid-October but I continued to visit the farm in order to locate colour-dyed waders. These often fed in an area (c. 100 x 50 m) of chicken waste (blood, excrement, feathers, etc.) dumped on the farm grounds. This area was quite undisturbed, and from up to an hour before dusk snipe regularly settled and fed on the open ground where they could be studied with a telescope at ranges down to 30 m. A Pintail Snipe was seen there on several occasions be- tween 10 and 17 October by Saeed A. Mohamed and myself. Elsewhere, a Pintail Snipe was also flushed several times at Janabiyah reeds between 14 and 16 Octo- ber. During the winter one was again recorded at Hamalah on 6 January 1992, associated with an influx of Snipe, while another bird was seen in spring at Janabiyah reeds between 1 and 8 May 1992. In autumn 1992 more Pintail Snipe 116 Sandgrouse 14 Notes were seen: one at Janabiyah reeds on 23 October and 28 November, and one at Ras Tubli from 27 November to 9 December with another bird present there on 6 December. These constitute the first records for Bahrain. The Dumistan individuals were observed on the ground through 20-60 x and 20-30 x telescopes. The two Janabiyah birds were only seen in flight with 10 x 42 binoculars. The Dumistan individuals were seen both feeding on the ground and flying alongside Snipe. Most of the following description refers to the Dumistan individuals. General appearance and structure. Looked quite different from Snipe principally in being distinctly more greyish-brown and lacking any warm plumage tones. The eye seemed some- what larger, giving the impression of a Woodcock Scolopax rusticola. The distance from wing- tip to tip of tail was shorter than on Snipe, and the tail seemed shorter as well, giving a different jizz. The birds also appeared fuller chested. In flight, the more rounded wings and shorter tail (with feet projecting further) were obvious. The birds could easily be pinned down by these characters from some distance. They were slightly smaller than Common Snipe. Head. Intricate ‘snipe pattern’ (Figure 1). White supercilium widest in front of eye, becoming slightly buffish towards the rear. Loral stripe thin and blackish. The dark lateral crown-stripe was evenly narrow from the base of the bill backwards, widening from just above the eye. On Snipe it either widened from the bill-base, or was widest in front of and behind the eye, narrowest above it (Figure 1). The upper and lower parts of the dark ear-coverts were bor- dered by even darker lines, and below them a whitish line connected with the white throat was bordered by another blackish line. Nape and side of neck brownish-grey, streaked black- ish. Underparts. Breast scalloped brownish-grey, extending marginally further down the belly in its centre. Flanks barred brownish-grey. Centre of belly white, almost heart-shaped due to the wedge of scalloping in the centre. Wings. Scapulars fringed greyish-white, producing a thin line along the back (on two indi- viduals much thinner than on Snipe, but appeared about as wide as on Snipe in the 1992 Shapes of lateral crown-stripes (crown from above) dark upper and lower borders to ear-coverts ; Ee oe: triangular spots toy, \y l I | I | | | | [ee Il variation | : 1 : ‘ ; Snipe Pintail Snipe l 1 Underbody note scalloping, dark spot ! ; / and heart-shaped broken into ' \e TSR OUT, outline of whitish y Wey spot 5 : three ——__ ae belly (in reality less contrasting i i} : than here) Scapulars Figure 1. Diagrammatic illustration of plumage features of Snipe Gallinago gallinago and Pintail Snipe G. stenura. (Erik Hirschfeld) 117 Notes Sandgrouse 14 birds). For difference in scapular pattern see Figure 1. Centre of wing considerably paler than rest, brownish-grey with greyish-white fringes producing scaly impression; this panel was. very obvious in flight. Trailing edge of wing (in flight) appeared dark, but at close range a thin whitish edge was visible. Underside of wing dark. Bare parts. Bill was judged to be slightly shorter than Snipe, and greyish on the basal part of both mandibles, otherwise black. Legs greenish-grey. Voice. All individuals were heard to call in flight with a slightly shrill ‘skerrk’, quite differ- ent in quality from Snipe but of about the same duration. Occasionally the call was lower in pitch, often with a sc1aping quality. The Dumistan birds were mostly seen in company with Snipe and I had the opportunity to study the variation of at least 20 Snipe in detail. All were warmly coloured on the upperparts (brown areas were rusty-brown rather than brownish- grey) and the supercilia were whitish-buffy and not largely pure white. A pale panel on the upperwing coverts could be seen on some sitting individuals but it was never as distinct as ‘on any of the Pintail Snipe (it was also warmer brown in colour). The scapular edges were always broad (prominent) and contrastingly white compared to the inner scapulars, whereas on Pintail they were less contrasting and more greyish. Olsson (1987) mentions that the scapular edges of Pintail Snipe are pale buff, at least close to the tips, but unfortunately I was unaware of this feature when I studied the birds. The distance from wing-tip to tip of tail was always longer than on Pintail. The shape of the lateral crown-stripes varied con- siderably among Snipe, but they never showed the same pattern as on Pintail Snipe (Figure 1). This character has not been mentioned previously in the literature and should be tested on more individuals as it might prove to be a conclusive feature for Pintail Snipe. None of the Snipe had the same underpart pattern as Pintail Snipe. Apart from Madge (1986, 1989) and Wallace (1989) very little has been published about the field identification of Swinhoe’s Snipe G. megala. My own experience of the species is restricted to individuals in display flight on several trips to Siberia. Taylor (1984) mentions Swinhoe’s in his paper on Kenyan records of Pintail Snipe, while Hayman ef al. (1986), Olsson (1987), and Carey (1993) summarize the char- acters of these three similar species. Swinhoe’s Snipe can be excluded from the Bahrain records as it has a longer bill and obviously longer tail than Pintail Snipe, thus presumably not giving the impression of having a shorter rear than Snipe. Bill colour is given in the literature as yellow-brown, with a yellower base. At least in display, I consider the flight to appear heavier than Pintail’s. The Pintail Snipe at Dumistan were tamer than Snipe and would often sit on the ground after the accompanying Snipe had flown, though the Janabiyah birds were rather shy. At one point the Dumistan bird was threatened by a Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulua whereupon it pressed its breast towards the ground and held its tail up (without spreading it, unfortunately!) towards the plover. On another occasion, for no apparent reason, it and a Snipe flew off together and then settled c. 10 cm apart; almost immediately it ran towards and chased off the Snipe which flew c. 2 m before landing again. According to Harrison (1982) Pintail Snipe breeds from north-west Siberia east to the Pacific coast. Khrokov (1992) also lists the species as breeding in Kazakhstan 118 Sandgrouse 14 Notes but without mentioning specific areas. The wintering areas lie from Pakistan east through southern Asia (Harrison 1982) with a small wintering population in East Africa (Taylor 1984). It is regarded as an uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor in Oman from late August to June (OBRC 1990), a localized winter visitor to the United Arab Emirates (C. Richardson pers. comm.), and a vagrant to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia (six records, August—March) (Bundy et al. 1989). Vagrants have also been recorded in Israel (Shirihai 1987) and Yemen in October (Brooks et al. 1987). A remarkable influx took place in the UAE during the winter of 1991/2 when at least 14 individuals were recorded between 6 January and 29 April, with most being recorded at the Dubai Golf Course (C. Richardson pers. comm.). Perhaps these birds belong to an overlooked population that normally winters in Iran, the unusually severe weather in Iran in January 1992 forcing them (together with many Snipe) to enter northern Arabia. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Tadeusz Stawarczyk’s stay was part of the Bahrain Wader Study 1991 and was sponsored by Lufthansa German Airlines, DHL Worldwide Express, International Aeradio Ltd, BAPCO, Budget Rent-a-car, Jawads Cold Stores, Bahrain Center for Studies and Research, Bahrain Norwich Winterthur Insurance Company, and Capt. Rod Taylor. I would also like to than Annika Forsten for sending me copies of relevant literature, and Colin Richardson and John Bannon for information on occurrence in the UAE. Steve Madge and Guy Kirwan made valu- able comments on an earlier draft of this paper. REFERENCES BROOKS, D. J., EVANS, M. I., MARTINS, R. P., AND PORTER, R. F. (1987) The status of birds in North Yemen and the records of OSME Expedition in autumn 1985. Sandgrouse 9: 4-66. BUNDY, G., CONNOR, R. J., AND HARRISON, C. J. O. (1989) Birds of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Witherby, London. CAREY; G. J. (1993) The status and field identification of snipe in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Bird Rep. 1992: 139-52. HARRISON, C. (1982) An Atlas of the Birds of the Western Palaearctic. Collins, London. HAYMAN, P., MARCHANT, J., AND PRATER, T. (1986) Shorebirds: an identification guide to the waders of the world. Croom Helm, London. KHROKOY, V. V. (1992) The populations, study and protection of waders in Kazakhstan. Wader Study Group Bull. 64: 31-3. MADGE, S. C. (1986) Mystery photographs 110. Brit. Birds 79: 82-4. MADGE, S. C. (1989) Swinhoe’s Snipe Gallinago megala: a new species for Nepal. Forktail 4: 121-3. OLSSON, U. (1987) Separation of Pintail Snipe from Snipe. Brit. Birds 80: 248-9. OBRC (OMAN BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE) (1990) Oman Bird List 3rd edn. OBRC, Muscat. - SHIRIHAI, H. (1987) Pintail Snipe in Israel in November 1984 and its identification. Dutch Birding 10: 1-11. TAYLOR, B. (1984) Field identification of Pintail Snipe and recent records in Kenya. Dutch Birding 6: 77-90. WALLACE, D. I. M. (1989) Field characters and voice of Swinhoe’s Snipe. Brit. Birds 82: 269— i. Erik Hirschfeld, c/o IAL, Abu Dhabi Airport, PO Box 2411, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 119 Notes Sandgrouse 14 First record of Plain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus neglectus in Bahrain ERIK HIRSGHPELD FTER finishing my night shift at work, the morning of 17 October 1991 found me checking for migrants in an isolated stand of tamarisks Tamarix at ASRY by the coast on Muharraq island, north-east of the main island of Bahrain. The wind had, after being northerly for several days, veered south-east the previous day and increased to 15 knots during the night. Such conditions frequently bring birds on autumn passage to the ground. I arrived at ASRY shortly after 06.00 hrs, and to my disappointment found that the bushes were almost devoid of migrants. However, in the main stand, c. 15 m long, an unfamiliar call was repeatedly heard. While searching the dense vegetation to locate its source, a tiny bird flew up from some branches just 1 m away from me. I studied it for c. 30 minutes before racing home to get my camera and returning for another 40 minutes.. After sleeping I returned once again at 14.00 hrs to take additional photos in better light (unfortu- nately none of publishable quality). I watched the bird for about a further hour and then left the site. The following day it appeared to have gone, for I could not relocate it. I identified the bird as a Plain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus neglectus. When initially flushed it flew up to the tops of the tamarisks like a Prinia, step by step (each step c. 50 cm), continuing cautiously upwards. The bird flitted swiftly among the bushes, making it difficult to follow. The movements were not as erratic as Yellow-browed Warbler P. inornatus, instead following a more or less straight path. Occasionally it would perch on an exposed, wind-shaken branch, and several times it flew to nearby, isolated bushes. Before alighting it customarily hovered for a few seconds in front of its next perch. On one occasion, in the afternoon, it fed c. 40 cm from a Chiffchaff P. collybita tristis, although no interaction was observed. Size and structure. The size, slightly smaller than Chiffchaff, immediately drew attention. The head was disproportionately large, similar to a Pallas’s Warbler P. proregulus in struc- ture. The legs were situated relatively far back on the body, and together with the heavy- looking head this gave the bird an unbalanced appearance. The tail was short, comparable rather more to a short-tailed Chiffchaff than (as noted in some literature: e.g. Hollom et al. 1988) to a Goldcrest Regulus regulus. The primary projection was notably short. The accompa- nying Chiffchaff was strikingly different, exhibiting a longer tail and smaller head than the Plain Leaf Warbler. Plumage. Upperparts largely sandy-grey. Buffish-white supercilia were relatively broad and long, meeting over the bill. Lower part of the supercilium was bordered by a dark eye-stripe, but there was no dark shadow above. No wing-bars, but a pale buffish panel showed on closed secondaries. Greater coverts had paler fringes. Tertials and primaries dark brown, contrasting with wing-panel and sandy-grey coverts (latter concolorous with upperparts). Tertials had slightly paler greyish-white fringes. Upperside of tail dark brownish-black, con-. trasting distinctly with sandy-grey rump and back. Tail from below showed off-white outer feathers (as on, e.g., Green Warbler P. nitidus), contrasting slightly with the other greyish- white ones. Rear flanks and undertail coverts warm rusty-buff, rest of underparts off-white. Short faint grey streaks visible on upper breast as in some Chiffchaffs. Throat and cheeks off- 120 Sandgrouse 14 Notes white. No traces of green or yellow were evident in the plumage. Bare parts. Upper mandible black, lower mandible greyer. Bill judged to be slightly smaller than in accompanying Chiffchaff. Legs black and relatively strong. Eye blackish. Voice. During the morning observations the bird called frequently, using a ‘chepp’ like Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca but with less emphasis on the ending (somewhere between ‘p’ and ’b’). It was silent in the afternoon. For the inexperienced observer there is a risk of confusing Plain Leaf Warbler with a small Chiffchaff, especially of the less green races tristis, sindianus, or lorenzii (the last two often separated as Mountain Chiffchaff P. sindianus). These forms differ, however, in not showing the contrast between pale back/mantle/scapulars and dark tertials/primaries/tail, and the supercilium would not contrast so dis- tinctly with the dark loral stripe and eye-stripe. On tristis the supercilium does not meet over the bill, while it did so on birds of the form lorenzii observed by the author in north-east Turkey in 1988. The call of Chiffchaff is also distinctly differ- ent from that of Plain Leaf Warbler. Few western birders are familiar with Plain Leaf Warbler and little has been published on its identification. Hollom et al. (1988), for example, only give it five lines of text. An exception is Eriksen (1988) who dealt principally with its vocalizations. I consider, from experience of this ‘individual and a handful in Paki- stan and UAE, that the similarities to Goldcrest have been overemphasized. The head is large and long while the overall proportions are more reminiscent of a long-tailed Pallas’s Warbler. The supercilium appears to be more striking than stated in the literature, at least during autumn and winter, and should be easily visible even at longer ranges (also M. Ullman and R. Morris pers. comm.). The contrast of tertials, primaries, and tail with the rest of the body of the Bahrain individual was especially noticeable and the same contrast was also recorded by the author in another bird in the UAE in January 1992. The strong legs and their situation set back on the bird give it a distinct top-heavy appearance. The species breeds in mountains from Iran to the western Himalayas, and is a short-distance migrant wintering at lower altitudes from southern Iran to Pakistan and the extreme north-west of India (Cramp 1992). It is a scarce winter visitor to Oman in November—March (OBRC 1990) and more regular in the United Arab Emirates in October—March (Richardson 1990). An individual was also claimed from Yemen in September 1979 (Phillips 1982), but no other records are known from Arabia. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Ian. Andrews, John Bannon, Jens Eriksen, Steve Madge, Rob Morris, Krister Mild, Colin Richardson, Lars Svensson, and Magnus Ullman for fruitful discussions on Plain Leaf Warbler identification. REFERENCES CRAMP, S. (ed.) (1992) The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. 6. Oxford University Press. _ ERIKSEN, J. (1988) Identification and status of Plain Leaf Warbler. Sandgrouse 10: 107-9. HOLtLoo, P. A. D., PORTER, R. F., CHRISTENSEN, S., AND WILLIS, I. (1988) Birds of the Middle East and North Africa: a companion guide. Poyser, Calton. 121 Notes Sandgrouse 14 OBRC (OMAN BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE) (1990) Oman Bird List 3rd edn. OBRC, Muscat. PHILLIPS, N. R. (1982) Observations on the birds of North Yemen in 1979. Sandgrouse 4: 37-59. RICHARDSON, C. (1990) The Birds of the United Arab Emirates. Hobby, Warrington. Erik Hirschfeld, c/o IAL, Abu Dhabi Airport, PO Box 2411, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emurates. Passerine mortality associated with gaseous volcanic emissions IAN CARTER and RICHARD THEWLIS N 8 AUGUST 1990 we were birdwatching at Nemrut Dagi (eastern Anatolia, Turkey). This mountain is a dormant volcano and is renowned for its crater lakes and pools, with areas of very warm water (about 70°C) in some parts of these lakes. Some 50 m from the lake and still well within the crater rim, at 2,500 m, among an area of large boulders overgrown with patches of juniper Juniperus communis scrub, we found several fumaroles—hollows between the rocks with hot gases pouring from them. Whilst searching this area for birds, a closer examina- tion of several of these holes in the ground revealed three which each had corpses of up to four dead passerines lying about 5-15 cm from their entrances. All three holes were partly concealed, with juniper, birch Betula, and aspen Populus tremula scrub surrounding them. Several other more obvious hot crevices which lacked adjacent vegetation were not found to have dead birds at their entrances. All ex- cept one of the corpses were in an advanced state of decay and could not be iden- tified. The only one which was still in a fairly fresh condition was an adult male Radde’s Accentor Prunella ocularis. Although we were unable to measure the temperature, the gaseous emissions were far too hot to hold one’s hand in the hole, but cool enough at about 10 cm from the entrance. The gas emanating from the rocks smelled strongly sulphurous, and the entrances to the holes were very moist and humid. These conditions would favour the rapid decomposition of any animals which died there. It would seem that a reasonable explanation of these birds’ occurrence here was that they came to roost in the warmth of the hot crevices but then succumbed during the night to surges in the sulphurous fumes or to excessive temperatures. Cramp (1988) states that no information is available on the roosting behaviour of Radde’s Accentor, and we have also been unable to find any further documenta- tion of bird mortality due to volcanic emissions. REFERENCE CRAMP, S. (ed.) (1988) The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. 5. Oxford University Press. lan Carter, English Nature, Northminster House, Peterborough PE1 1UA, UK. Richard M. Thewlis, 52 Long Reach Rd, Chesterton, Cambridge CB4 1UJ, UK. 122 Sandgrouse 14 Notes First record of Thick-billed Warbler Acrocephalus aedon in Egypt ANDREW GRIEVE HILE observing migrants at the monastery of St Catherine (Sinai, Egypt) on 20 November 1991, I found a large brown warbler sitting in a bush in the monastery garden at 11.15 hrs. Although superficially resembling a large plain Sylvia, the general brown coloration and size were more like a large Acrocephalus. The bird was mostly stationery and it was possible to use a 30 x 75 telescope as well as 10 x 50 binoculars, as observations were being made from outside the walled garden at a range of c. 40 m. In the following description the main comparison is made with Clamorous Reed Warbler A. stentoreus, not present in this area but seen a few days previously elsewhere in Egypt. No other observers were present. Size and structure. Body slightly smaller and more rounded than Clamorous Reed Warbler but overall length similar due to longer graduated tail. Wing length shorter with shorter primary projection, wing-point only just reaching uppertail coverts. Less sloping forehead gave the head a more rounded appearance. Bill short, about two-thirds of head length, deeper along more of its length than the more pointed, elongated bill of Clamorous Reed Warbler. Head. General coloration grey-brown with off-white throat and chin. Unlike Clamorous Reed Warbler, no dark eyestripe or pale supercilium, and whole face more uniform than that spe- cies. Lore pale creamy or greyish, forming distinct pale area between eye and base of bill. Upperparts. Mantle, back, and rump grey-brown, browner on rump, not as warm brown as Clamorous Reed except perhaps on rump. Wing coverts brown with darker brown primaries and secondaries. Tail brown with no white in outer tail and darker towards tip. Underparts. Unmarked, generally off-white, flanks buffish. Bare parts. Bill dark grey to black on upper mandible but very distinctive yellow along whole length of lower mandible. Bold, blackish eye with off-white to cream eye-ring. Legs appeared brown, but as bird under shade of bush, may have been paler. Behaviour. Very lethargic, with slow, deliberate movements. First observed perched low in a small. bush. Remained stationery for some time before moving along a branch, tilting its head sideways and downwards to look towards the ground before becoming stationery. Shortly afterwards, hopped down to the ground and remained motionless for some minutes except for further head movements as above. Appeared not to be feeding though one jab at the ground seen. It eventually moved off slowly under the bush and was lost to view after 15 minutes of observation. No calls heard. The identification of Thick-billed Warbler is relatively straightforward if the sa- lient features are noted. Although similar in size to Great Reed Warbler A. arundinaceus and Clamorous Reed Warbler, the slightly smaller body and propor- tionately longer tail give it a different shape. The only other comparable-sized Acrocephalus in the region, Basra Reed Warbler A. (a.) griseldis, also lacks the longer graduated tail. Other diagnostic features used in separation from the above are the distinctly greyer-brown upperparts contrasting with browner rump, the shorter, _ thicker bill with dark upper and yellow lower mandible, the pale loral area, and the lack of both dark eye-stripe and pale supercilium. The species is not depend- ent on wet habitats in either summer or winter (Neufeldt 1967). 123 Notes | Sandgrouse 14 This is the first record of Thick-billed Warbler for Egypt (Goodman and Meininger 1989) and the third for the west Palearctic. Both previous west Palearctic records were from the Shetland Isles of northern Scotland: Fair Isle, 6 October 1955 (Williamson et al. 1956) and Whalsay Island, 23 September 1971 (Simpson et al. 1973): Thick-billed Warbler breeds in central and eastern Asia east from the river Ob’ and northern Mongolia, wintering in India and south-east Asia (Cramp 1992). St Catherine’s is at 1,570 m, and the species has been found wintering at 1,500 m in Nepal (Inskipp and Inskipp 1985). For a species that exhibits a migratory pattern apparently similar to other Siberian breeders which regularly wander to western Europe and the Middle East, it is surprising there have been so few west Palearctic records. Coincidentally, Israel’s third Paddyfield Warbler A. agricola was trapped at Eilat on the same day, 20 November 1991, and Israel’s first Pallas’s Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus was at Hazeva on 24-25 November 1991 (Orn. Soc. Middle East Bull. 29: 41). REFERENCES CRAMP, S. (ed.) (1992) The Birds of the Western Palearctic Vol. 6. Oxford University Press. GOODMAN, S. M. AND MEININGER, P. L. (eds) (1989) The Birds of Egypt. Oxford University Press. INSKIPP, C. AND INSkIPP, T. P. (1985) A Guide to the Birds of Nepal. Croom Helm. NEUFELDT, I. (1967) Studies of less familiar birds 144: Thick-billed Warbler. Brit. Birds. 60: 239-43. SIMPSON, J. H., MARSHALL, B., TULLOCH, R. J., AND LYSTER, I. H. J. (1973) Thick-billed War- bler in Shetland. Scott. Birds 7: 262-3. WILLIAMSON, K., THOM, V. M., FERGUSON-LEES, I. J., AND AXELL, H. E. (1956) Thick-billed Warbler at Fair Isle: a new British bird. Brit. Birds 49: 89-93. Andrew Grieve, Hillcrest, Whitgift, Goole, North Humberside DN14 8HL, UK. — CORRECTIONS Sandgrouse 15 Page 19, Figure 1. From north to south, islands should be named Harqus, al-Arabiyah, Karan, Kurayn, Jana, Abu Ali, Jurayd. Pages 22 and 26, Plates 7 and 11. Locality is Judhaym island (per-P. Symens). Page 23, Plate 8. Only Swift Terns are present in the colonies (Lesser Crested Terns did not settle until June). Page 23, Table 1. Distance between transects on Karan should be 100 m. Page 26, Figure 3. Scale should read 400 m. 124 GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS The Editorial Committee of Sandgrouse will consider for publication original papers which contribute to the body of knowledge on the birds of the Middle East—their distribution, breed- ing biology, behaviour, identification, conservation, etc. The Middle East for this purpose includes Turkey, Cyprus, and Libya in the west to Afghanistan and the Palearctic fringe of Pakistan in the east, the southern shores of the Black and Caspian Seas in the north, and the Arabian peninsula and the Palearctic limits in Sudan and Ethiopia in the south. Submissions are considered on the understanding that the work has not been previously published and is not being offered for publication elsewhere. Papers should normally be in English, but non-English-speaking authors who are unable to obtain translations of their work may apply to the Editor for help. 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Authors are welcome to discuss potential contributions with the Editor; please telephone 0223-277318 (office) or 081-5203943 (home). SAN DGROUSE oy 14 ae 2 Contents 62 ERIK HIRSCHFELD Observations of seabirds off Dhofar (Oman), 1990-2 72 JOSEPH B. PLATT Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber at Khor Dubai, United Arab Emirates 81 P. SYMENS, S. F. NEWTON, H. WINKLER, AND A. J. STAGG Mountain Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus in Arabia: identification, status, and distribution 93° PAUL SGHOETE The birds of Wadi Rima, a permanently flowing mountain wadi in western Yemen Notes 109. MARTIN J. TAYLOR First record of Temminck’s Horned Lark Eremophila bilopha in Yemen 110 EDWARD KHOUNGANIAN AND PETER L. MEININGER First record of Woodpigeon Columba palumbus in Egypt 111 GAmiL A. M. ATTA First record of Great Bustard Otis tarda in Egypt 112 ERIK HIRSCHFELD Birds new to Bahrain 1989-92 116 ERIK HIRSCHFELD First records of Pintail Snipe Gallinago stenura in Bahrain 120 ERIK HIRSCHFELD First record of Plain Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus neglectus in Bahrain 122 IAN CARTER AND RICHARD THEWLIS : Passerine mortality associated with gaseous volcanic emissions 123 ANDREW GRIEVE ae First record of Thick-billed Warbler Acrocephalus aedon in Egypt 124 Corrections | ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE MIDDLE EAST OSME c/o THE LODGE, SANDY, BEDFORDSHIRE, SG19 2DL, UK