A summary of birds recorded in the marshes of southern Iraq , 2005 – 2008

Th e marshlands of Lower Mesopotamia witnessed severe draining programs during late 1980s and early 2000s, which turned vast areas of the former water body into desert areas. New fi eld surveys of birds and their habitats in the marshes of southern Iraq were launched in 2005 through a national and international partnership of non-government organizations, ministries and donor agencies. Th is has resulted in the collection and collation of new data on the status, distribution and habitat requirements of birds and other biota in Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in Iraq from 2005 to 2008. Th is paper summarizes the bird data obtained in these surveys in the southern marshes, during which 159 species of birds were recorded; of these 34 are considered to be of conservation concern, including eight that are globally threatened.


Introduction: The focus on birds
Birds have become an important component of the Iraq Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Project that has been conducted by Nature Iraq (NI) since 2004.Th is is being done in cooperation with the Iraq Ministry of Environment (MoE), Birdlife International and Iraqi universities with international fi nancial support by several donors including the Canadian International Development Agency (2004Agency ( -2006) ) and the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land andSea (2006-2008).An overview of the KBA Project is presented in Rubec and Bachmann (2009).Th is has been helped by the availability of historical data for critical biodiversity areas in Iraq, thus enabling comparison with current observations, facilitating the analyses of ecosystem changes and assessing the ecological status of each site.Comprehensive waterbird counts made over the last 40 years throughout Europe and Asia -notably by Wetlands International and BirdLife International -are facilitating such regional comparisons.
Other wildlife groups and ecological data have a less well developed history of record in Iraq and fewer international networks on which to draw survey expertise.Th us, birds are being used as the major indicator of the health of Iraq's biological resources, particularly as they are also an important component of global eff orts to conserve and ensure wise use of wetlands and other biologically important habitats.Comprehensive fi eld observations and interviews since 2004 with local residents have enabled development of a good indication of the biological health of Iraq's key sites for biodiversity.
As a part of the KBA Project, bird surveys were conducted at selected wetland areas in southern Iraq during each of the summers and winters from 2005 to 2008.As noted in Fig. 1, seven major wetland areas were surveyed in three governorates (Basrah, Missan and Th i-Qar) in southern Iraq.KBA surveys of the three governorates of Kurdistan (Erbil, Sulaimani and Dohuk) in the northern area of Iraq were added to the overall project in 2007 (Nature Iraq 2007).Th ese are also shown for information on Fig. 1, but results of that work are otherwise not included in this paper.Initial selection of potential KBA sites drew upon Important Bird Areas described by Evans (1994) and potential Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance described by Scott (1995).At most of these southern Iraq KBA complexes, especially the larger ones, multiple sampling sites (refereed in the species section below as "monitoring" sites) were required to obtain a proper picture of bird populations and distribution.Th ese KBA survey sites are often found within very extensive wetlands (as described in Rubec and Bachmann 2009).Th e individual area of southern KBA sites ranges from 50 to 350,000 hectares, making selection of sampling sites diffi cult.Reports on the fi eld surveys for the southern and northern KBA projects have been prepared by Nature Iraq (Abdulhasan and Salim 2008;Ararat et al. 2008).In the south, the teams must also seriously consider security issues and this has had a bearing on the selection of sites for survey.
About 70% of the bird surveys were conducted using motorized boats, otherwise travel was by car or on foot.Th e main fi eldwork and surveys in the Hammar and Sinaf Marshes were done by vehicle, to reduce travel time required between sites.Due to the occurrence of dense vegetation in the Central and the Hawizeh Marshes, the main means of transportation was motorized canoes.Local residents were extremely helpful in assisting with information on the presence or absence of certain species.
Observations were made using 30 X telescopes and 8 X binoculars, with recording back-up by photography.Indeed, Nature Iraq has a comprehensive library of bird photographs and videos taken during the surveys.All bird data was checked and vetted by Richard Porter of BirdLife International before being entered into Nature Iraq's database.
Sites and survey locations were plotted by GPS or Th uraya satellite phone with the aid of 1:100,000 and 1:250,000 scale maps.Collins Bird Guide (Mullarney et al. 1999) and the Field Guide to the Birds of the Middle East (Porter et al. 1996) were initially the main references used.Later, the new book Birds of Iraq (Salim et al. 2006), was also used.Designation of the status of specifi c species follows standardized international protocols developed by BirdLife International (2000).

Summary of bird observations
Th e following information summarizes some of the more important observations made during the 2005 to 2008 surveys.It is not intended to be a comprehensive account but to highlight those records of conservation signifi cance.Some comparisons with the counts made in the late 1970s have been attempted.Population counts have not been included but constitute a growing database being managed by BirdLife International and Nature Iraq.Th ey are the subject of ongoing analyses and are included in detailed  project reports (e.g.Abdulhassan and Salim 2008, Ararat et al. 2008) and in BirdLife International's global database.A full report on all the bird data collected is in preparation.
Th e list of birds recorded during the summer and winter surveys from 2005 to 2008 are presented in Table 1.Th is shows that 159 species were recorded, of which 53 were breeding with a further 10 probably or possibly breeding.A total of 44 species are considered to be resident.In addition, 110 species were observed as winter visitors from their European and Asian breeding areas.As would be expected, the majority of species observed in the southern marshes are wetland dependant -107 in total.
Of great signifi cance is the fact that eight species recorded in the southern surveys are "globally threatened (GT)" and a further 26 species are judged to be of "conservation concern (CC)".Particular attention to these two groups of birds was paid during the surveys.Th ese groups of birds are defi ned by BirdLife International as: Globally threatened (GT): Red Data species identifi ed by BirdLife International because of their global endangered, vulnerable or near-threatened status.
Conservation concern (CC): Th is category includes globally threatened species; Iraq endemic species; species known to be declining in all or most of their range; species for which Iraq has a signifi cant Middle East breeding population; and species for which Iraq is known to have a globally important wintering population.Th ese criteria are still being assessed and developed by Richard Porter of BirdLife International.

Globally threatened birds in the southern marshes of Iraq
Of the 34 species of conservation concern recorded during the 2005 to 2008 KBA surveys, eight are globally threatened.Brief notes on their occurrence are given below.Th ey are either resident breeders, winter visitors, or passage migrants.
Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris): Th is globally vulnerable species was observed in both summer and winter at over 30 monitoring sites.Breeding was proven and the largest fl ock recorded was 1300 in winter 2008.Salim (2004a, b, c) has previously recorded Marbled Duck in recent years and it is likely that the southern marshes are a major global stronghold for both breeding and wintering birds of this species.In winter 2007, a number were found being sold live in the local markets and this has prompted a poster-backed public awareness campaign that will attempt to help control indiscriminate and illegal hunting.
Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca): Th is globally near-threatened species was recorded at 12 monitoring sites in winter and seen in all winters, with the largest fl ock being 74 in winter 2006; several smaller fl ocks (for example of 16, 47 and 60) were also observed.Scott and Carp (1982) did not record this species in their southern marshes survey of 1979, but the highest number counted historically is 31 individuals by George and Vielliard (1970).It is likely that further surveys will show this duck to be more common and more widespread in the Mesopotamian marshes, as it has been recorded in fl ocks of up to 344 in winter in neighboring Syria (Porter and Scott 2005).Basra Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis): Because of the diffi culties of access and surveys, the Basra Reed Warbler had not been recorded in Iraq in recent years although it had continued to be trapped at banding stations on its African migration route.It was thus exciting to have confi rmed sightings in the marshes of Iraq during all summers from 2005 to 2008.Th is Iraqi breeding endemic has been designated as globally endangered by BirdLife International, as a result of the destruction of its Phragmites habitat through drainage in the last 25 years.Th e Basra Reed Warbler was recorded at 25 monitoring sites at three KBAs with up to 37 individuals recorded on transects at one site in the Hawizeh Marsh.Th ere was an apparent increase in the number of Basra Reed Warbler trapped on migration in East Africa in 2005, possibly indicating a correlation with the restoration of the marshes of Iraq.Th is species is now the subject of an intensive scientifi c and photographic study by Nature Iraq.
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa): Th is wetland dependant species was recently assigned near-threatened status by BirdLife International.It was recorded in winter at 20 monitoring sites in southern Iraq in all years from 2005 to 2008, with the highest count being 2010 individuals in the winter of 2008.
Asian Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca): Th is large eagle was recorded in winter at six sites in the southern marshes with a highest count of eight birds in a loose association.It is a globally near-threatened species.
Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga): Recorded at eight sites, with a highest count of eight individuals, it has been observed during three of the four winters from 2005 to 2008.It is another wetland-dependant, globally near-threatened species.
Macqueen's Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii): Th is is another globally nearthreatened species that was recorded in the winter of 2008 in areas near to the Hawizeh Marsh.Th ese observations came to light as a result of hunters displaying shot birds.Th e status of this species in Iraq requires detailed study.

Other birds of conservation concern in the southern marshes of Iraq
Th e southern KBA marshland sites harbour good populations of three Mesopotamian endemic/near endemic birds, namely the Basra Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis), Iraq Babbler (Turdoides altirostris) and the Grey Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus).Th e status of the Basra Reed Warbler has already been mentioned, the other two are discussed below.Th ese endemic/near-endemic species constitute three of the 34 birds of conservation concern recorded during the KBA surveys in the southern marshes.In addition to globally threatened species (described above), the status of seven other species of conservation concern is outlined below.
Sacred Ibis (Th reskiornis aethiopicus): Th e southern marshes of Iraq are one of only two known breeding sites in the Middle East for this ibis.It was recorded in all years, both summer and winter from 2005 to 2008, in three monitoring sites.A total of 26 adults were observed at the Umm an-Ni'aaj Marsh breeding colony in Hawizeh Marsh in the summer of 2005.Th is site is a multi-species colony with Pygmy Cormorants, several heron species and African Darters.
Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris): Eurasian Bitterns have been seen or heard booming at a total of 11 monitoring sites throughout the southern marshes.Locals interviewed believed that its distinctive booming call came from a strange "monster" living inside the dense reed beds, heard only in the past year.In the summer of 2006, a total of 52 Eurasian Bittern were seen or heard throughout the marshes, with a highest count of eight birds.Previous winter surveys in 1968 to 1979 only recorded one Eurasian Bittern (Scott and Carp 1982).Th e southern marshes of Iraq would appear to be an important breeding and wintering area for this species.Th e Eurasian Bittern is otherwise believed to be declining throughout much of its range.
Goliath Heron (Ardea goliath): Although the largest of the heron species, the Goliath Heron remains quite elusive in Iraq.However, reports from local tribesman had indicated that it was still present in small numbers and was probably breeding.Recent observations with photographic documentation have confi rmed the presence of this species in the Hawizeh Marsh during the summer and winter months of 2008 (Hussain personal communication).
Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus): Recorded at 25 monitoring sites, the Pygmy Cormorant was observed to be most common in the eastern areas of Hawizeh Marsh in both summer and winter of all years from 2005 to 2008, with a few scattered individuals in the central marsh.Th e highest counts were in the summer of 2006 when the birds at the 'Umm an-Ni'aaj breeding colony numbered over 1500.In the winter of 2006, a total of 1621 were recorded, suggesting that it is resident, though it is likely that these birds also arrive from European breeding grounds to spend the winter in the southern Iraqi marshes.Th is species was previously designated as a globally threatened species by BirdLife International, but now, with increasing numbers observed in Eurasia, it is no longer assigned to this category.Historical records indicate the Pygmy Cormorant occurred in very large numbers in the southern Iraq marshes (Allouse 1953(Allouse , 1962) ) but observations from 1968 to 1979 (Scott and Carp 1982) appear to be similar to those of the present survey.
African Darter (Anhinga rufa): Th is darter was recorded at fi ve monitoring sites in two KBAs (the Hammar and Hawizeh Marshes) in all years and seasons from 2005 to 2008.Th e highest count was 21 at Umm an-Ni'aaj and Al-'Udhaim in Hawizeh Marsh during the February to March and summer surveys of 2005.Th is species nests in these locations and young were observed, showing that the species still breeds in Iraq.Locals indicated that the African Darter is common in the area, but that its numbers decrease in the winter.Th ey further noted that its eggs and chicks used to be a source of food and that it breeds in colonies with herons, Sacred Ibis and European Spoonbill.It seems likely that the African Darter never disappeared as a breeding bird from the marshes of southern Iraq where it was formerly recorded by Allouse (1962).Th is is the only known area in the Middle East where the African Darter breeds.
Grey Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus): Th is near-endemic species was observed in several sites throughout the southern marshes and their environs in all years, with counts of over 20 birds.In 2006 the summer survey occurred over a month later (in late July and early August) and this may account for only three being seen.By late summer breeding birds and their young would have dispersed.In the winter of 2006, six birds were seen at the Hammar Marsh.It is evident that southern Iraq is a very important breeding and wintering area for this Middle Eastern species.
Iraq Babbler (Turdoides altirostris): Th is Mesopotamian endemic has recently extended its range to Syria and Turkey, indicating that an expansion northwards has occurred, particularly along the Euphrates River.During all the marshland surveys, it was frequently encountered in small numbers in Phragmites reed beds in most sites visited, suggesting a healthy population.
Finally, it is worthy of mention that several species of waterbirds observed during the winter surveys were in good numbers, especially waterfowl, herons, their allies and waders with Gadwall (Anas strepera), Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata), Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) and Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca) being the most common ducks.Of particular note among other waterbirds were the large fl ocks of Great White Pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) -up to 1800 and Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) -up to 512.Th e most common wader was the Ruff (Philomachus pugnax), with one fl ock totaling 3120 individuals.

Other linked conservation developments
A comprehensive bird fi eld guide: In November 2006, Nature Iraq and BirdLife International published a fi eld guide, "Th e Birds of Iraq" (Salim et al. 2006).Th is book was derived from the text and colour plates of the Arabic and English language versions of the publication "Birds of the Middle East" (Porter et al. 1996(Porter et al. , 2006)).Covering the 387 species recorded in Iraq, this is the fi rst comprehensive bird guide for an Arabicspeaking country.With the support of several international agencies, "Birds of Iraq" has been distributed to biologists, conservationists and students in Iraq and is now the defi nitive bird identifi cation tool for those undertaking the KBA surveys.
A children's book: Also in 2006 Nature Iraq published a children's book on birds, supported and encouraged by the Ministry of Environment.It has been distributed to schools throughout the southern governorates of Iraq.
Sustainable Hunting Education Program: Considerable hunting pressure on globally threatened species (notably Macqueen's Bustard and Marbled Duck) was witnessed during the KBA surveys.As a result, Nature Iraq has started a poster-backed campaign to educate those hunters in the southern marshes in an attempt to reduce indiscriminate hunting of endangered species.

Conclusions
Th e most encouraging fi nding of the 2005 to 2008 KBA bird surveys is that no bird species has become extirpated in the southern marshes of Iraq despite the drainage and water fl ow reductions of the previous 25 years.Out of 159 bird species noted in these surveys, some 34 species are of "conservation concern" including eight species that are "globally threatened".Indeed, many species appear to still have healthy breeding and wintering populations.What may be Iraq's most important species, the globally endangered Basra Reed Warbler, was found in good numbers in several areas.It was also exciting to discover that the African Darter, Sacred Ibis and Goliath Heron still breed here.
Moreover, key results of this work include the: (a) establishment of a good foundation for national biodiversity programs; (b) creation of a signifi cant baseline for a national biodiversity assessment; (c) assisting the capacity of the Government of Iraq to make sound decisions on future environmental management areas, creation of protected areas and the nomination of additional Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention (as now successfully done for Hawizeh Marsh); and (d) initiation of science and public awareness initiatives.

Recommendations
As the southern marshes of Iraq are a critical refuge for at least eight globally threatened bird species and 26 additional species of birds of conservation concern, it is recommended that: -Both summer and winter bird population monitoring should continue in the southern marshes (and now in northern Kurdistan KBA sites) of Iraq, to strengthen the reliability of bird data accumulated over the 2005 to 2008 period; -Long-term monitoring of habitats using bird species as key biological indicators of the health of the southern marshes and other biologically important areas of Iraq should continue and should be seen as a vital source of biodiversity management information; -Th e results of these surveys should be used to help in the appraisal of the recovery of the southern marshes in general and for these bird species in particular; -Th e results of these surveys should be used to facilitate identifi cation of protected areas and local community-based biodiversity management programs that can assist in establishing economic opportunities for those communities; and -Monitoring of bird species and key habitat areas through the further extension of the KBA Project into additional areas of Iraq (as now being done in Kurdistan in northern Iraq) should be considered when it is feasible and safe.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Th e seven major wetland survey areas of southern Iraq and the locations of survey sites in Kurdistan, northern Iraq.

Table 1 .
Birds recorded during KBA surveys of the southern marshes of Iraq in winter and summer 2005 to 2008 (GT = globally threatened, CC = conservation concern) Th e 2005 winter survey identifi ed 19 White-headed Duck at Umm an-Ni'aaj Marsh during February and March.Th ey were found in waters of 2.0-2.8m depth, together with large groups of other diving ducks.Previously unrecorded in the southern marshes of Iraq, this observation clearly indicates the importance of the area, at least in winter, for a species identifi ed by BirdLife International as globally endangered.