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Circus Aeruginosus Raptor Journal 2019, 13: 127–137. DOI: 10.2478/srj­2019­0004 © Raptor Protection of Slovakia (RPS) Migration pattern and wintering population of the Eurasian marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) in the Central Marshes, a wetland of international importance in southern Iraq Charakter migrácie a zimujúca populácia kane močiarnej (Circus aeruginosus) v Centrálnych močiaroch, mokradi medzinárodného významu v južnom Iraku Omar F. AL­SHEIKHLY & Ahmad J. AL­AZAWI Abstract: There is scarce information on the migration patterns and population size of the Eurasian marsh harrier (Circus aeru‐ ginosus) in Iraq in general and in the southern Mesopotamian wetlands in particular. From February 2018–April 2019, a total of 11 field expeditions were conducted in the Central Marshes (219,700 ha), one of the major Mesopotamian wetlands and Iraq’s National Park, a RAMSAR and UNESCO site. Two of the field survey objectives were to determine the spatial and temporal dis‐ tribution and estimate the population size of the migratory/wintering Eurasian marsh harrier in the Central Marshes. Distance sampling on three line­transects covering a study plot of 40,000 ha was conducted. Among other wintering Circus harriers, the Eurasian marsh harrier was the most abundant species with a total of 93 individuals recorded. The estimated species densities were 0.0042–0.035 individuals/ha, and the estimated size of the Eurasian marsh harrier migratory population in the Central Marshes was 922.7–7,689.5 individuals. Moreover, the migration phenology and breeding status of the Eurasian marsh harrier in the Central Marshes were investigated. Our efforts did not confirm the breeding of this species during recent years, or since the inundation of the Mesopotamian wetlands in 2003. Furthermore, hunting and trapping were identified as major threats affecting the species which need urgent conservation action. Abstrakt: O charaktere migrácie a veľkosti populácie kane močiarnej (Circus aeruginosus) všeobecne v Iraku a obzvlášť v mokradiach južnej Mezopotámie je málo informácií. Od februára 2018 do apríla 2019 sa v Centrálnych močiaroch (219 700 ha), jednej z najvýznamnejších mokradí Mezopotámie, Ramsarskej lokalite a lokalite Svetového dedičstva UNESCO, uskutočnilo 11 expedícií. Jedným z cieľov terénneho prieskumu bolo určiť priestorovú a časovú distribúciu a veľkosť populácie migrujúcej/ zimujúcej kane močiarnej v Centrálnych močiaroch. Distančné vzorkovanie sa uskutočnilo na troch transektoch pokrývajúcich plochu 40 000 ha. Kaňa močiarna s 93 zaznamenanými jedincami bola najpočetnejšou zo zimujúcich kaní (Circus). Hustota druhu bola odhadnutá na 0,0042 – 0,035 jedincov/ha a veľkosť migrujúcej populácie kane močiarnej v Centrálnych močiaroch bola odhadnutá na 922,7 – 7689,5 jedincov. V príspevku tiež diskutujeme migračnú fenológiu a hniezdny status kane močiarnej na študovanom území. Náš výskum nepotvrdil súčasné hniezdenie tohto druhu na území a ani od zaplavenia mezopotámských mokradí v roku 2003. Ako najväčšie hrozby pre druh tu boli identifikované lov a chytanie do pascí, čo vyžaduje neodkladné ochranárske opatrenia. Key words: avifauna, Mesopotamian wetlands, population, protected areas, raptor, density. Omar F. Al­Sheikhly*, Ahmad J. Al­Azawi, Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq. *E­mail: [email protected]. Acknowledgements: We are grateful to the Iraqi Green Climate Organization (IGCO) for supporting our ornithological research in the Mesopotamian wetlands of southern Iraq. We would like to thank Mukhtar K. Haba and Nadheer A. Fazaa (College of Sci‐ ence for Women­University of Baghdad/IGCO) for their technical participation in the field surveys and editorial comments on the early draft for this manuscript. We are grateful to Ra’ad H. Al­Asady and Habeeb T. Al­Asady (Al­Chebaeish Ecotourism Organ‐ ization) for their in situ logistical participation. Introduction and using a leap­frog migration pattern (Bildstein 2006, The Eurasian marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) is a Panuccio et al. 2013a, Polakowski et al. 2014). Its long­distance migrant raptor, moving on a broad front zoogeographical range extends from western Europe 127 Al­Sheikhly OF & Al­Azawi AJ: Migration pattern and wintering population of the Eurasian marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus) in the Central Marshes, a wetland of international importance in southern Iraq (Fennoscandia south to the Iberian Peninsula), east to Hormuz Straits, and the southern Red Sea via the Bab­ Central Asia (Baikal), Asia Minor and Mongolia, and el­Mandeb Straits between Yemen and Djibouti (Shiri‐ into northern Africa. It winters in southern Europe, sub­ hai & Christie 1992, Shirihai et al. 2000, Ullman & Ull‐ Saharan Africa (few cross the equator), and in the Indian man 2010, Panuccio et al. 2018). subcontinent (GRIN 2019). The Mesopotamian marshes (Ahwar) are large open In the western Palearctic there are two main known freshwater wetlands occupying the Tigris and Euphrates routes for migratory raptors (Bildstein & Zalles 2005, river basin. The estimated total area of the Iraqi marshes Bildstein 2006). These are the Western European­West is 900,000–2,000,000 ha covering the alluvial plain of African (Atlantic) flyway, where raptors migrate from the Arabian Gulf delta in southern Iraq (Haba et al. Scandinavia through western Europe to Spain, and the 2017). The Mesopotamian marshes consist of three ma‐ West African and Eurasian­East African (western Black jor core wetlands, which are the Central Marshes, Ham‐ Sea) flyway, which leads from north­eastern Europe and mar Marsh (Haur Al­Hammar), and Hawizeh Marsh western Siberia, passes through the Middle East and (Haur Al­Hawizeh) (Al­Mansori 2008). In the 1990s the ends in sub­Saharan Africa (Shirihai & Christie 1992, Mesopotamian wetlands of southern Iraq faced massive Shirihai et al. 2000, Bildstein 2006, Meyburg et al. habitat destruction after they were almost drained fol‐ 2017, Fülöp et al. 2018). However, Marsh harriers ori‐ lowing the uprisings in Iraq in 1991, although they were ginating from north­eastern European populations and subsequently re­flooded in 2003–2004 (Richardson et migrating south­west along the southern Baltic Sea al. 2005, Al­Sheikhly & Nader 2013). coastline are assumed to make a strong contribution to One of the major Mesopotamian wetlands is the the Western European­West African flyway (Panuccio et Central Marshes, a vast complex of permanent freshwa‐ al. 2013b, Polakowski et al. 2014). ter wetlands extending along the geographical zone During autumn and spring, large numbers of migrat‐ (30°50' N–31°30' N and 46°45' E–47°25' E) between ory raptors pass along the major flyways, avoiding large ThiQar (Nassiriyah), Mayssan (Emara), and Basra water bodies or high mountain chains, and become con‐ provinces, and covering a total area of 219,700 ha centrated at just a few bottleneck sites around the Medi‐ (Evans 1994, RSIS 2019). The Abu Zirig marshes (Haur terranean Sea, Black Sea and Red Sea (Verhelst et al. Abu Zirig) form the north­western part of the Central 2011). The main bottleneck sites on the Western Marshes, the Al­Chebaeish (Al­Chabaish, Al­Chibaish) European­West African flyway are situated in Sweden, marshes make up the central part, while Lake Zichri oc‐ Spain, and Italy (Porter & Beaman 1985, Kjellén 1992, cupies the eastern part. The Central Marshes have been Kjellén & Roos 2000, Bildstein 2006, Polakowski et al. identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA038), a wet‐ 2014), while those on the Eurasian­East African flyway land of International Importance, and as a Key Biod‐ are in Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Turkey, and iversity Area (KBA) site (Carp 1980, Evans 1994, Israel (Porter and Beaman 1985, Shirihai & Christie Nature Iraq 2017). Due to their ecological significance, 1992, Shirihai et al. 2000, Bildstein 2006, Ullman & the Central Marshes were declared Iraq’s first National Ullman 2010, Michev et al. 2011, Panuccio et al. 2011, Park (Mesopotamian National Park MNP), a RAMSAR Verhelst et al. 2011, Fülöp et al. 2018, Panuccio et al. site, and a United Nations Educational, Scientific and 2018). Cultural Organization (UNESCO) site (IMOE 2014, In autumn, raptors originating from the eastern part Pearce 2014, UNESCO 2016, RSIS 2019). of the western Palearctic arrive in the Middle East via Iraq is one of the range countries for many migratory two major routes. The first follows both sides of the raptors en route to their wintering grounds in Arabia and Black Sea and northern Caspian Sea area, bypassing the Africa, however, raptor migration in the Mesopotamian eastern Mediterranean Sea and the northern Red Sea, wetlands of southern Iraq has not been fully investigated and move through Levant/Israel using the North Negev (Al­Sheikhly et al. 2017). Besides other hen (C. cyan‐ and Dead Sea­Kfar Kasem­Eliat­Suez route towards eus), pallid (C. macrourus), and Montagu’s (C. pygar‐ Sinai (Porter & Beaman 1985, Shirihai & Christie 1992, gus) harriers wintering in the Mesopotamian wetlands, Shirihai et al. 2000, Verhelst et al. 2011, Fülöp et al. the Eurasian marsh harrier is the most abundant and pre‐ 2018). The second major route involves mostly the east‐ dominant raptor species (Scott 1995, Abed 2007, Fazaa ern and some western populations following the south­ et al. 2017). It is a Least Concern species (Birdlife Inter‐ eastern side of the Caspian Sea and crossing the north­ national 2019) which has been regarded as a local eastern Arabian Peninsula, the Arabian Gulf via the breeding resident in the southern marshes and possibly 128 Raptor Journal 2019, 13: 127–137. DOI: 10.2478/srj­2019­0004 © Raptor Protection of Slovakia (RPS) in the wetlands of central Iraq as well, it is also a pas‐ Marshes where a total of 28 marsh harriers were ob‐ sage migrant and winter visitor (Salim et al. 2012). In served during October 2013–June 2014 (Fazaa et al. the past, it was abundant in the Euphrates marshes, at 2017). Given the lack of information concerning their Hammr Lake, and in the marshes near Basra, where it current spatial and temporal distribution, migration pat‐ bred (Ticehurst et al.
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