DOCSLIB.ORG

I Bill Abnormalities in a Pair of Black Wheatears Oenanthe Leucura

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
I Bill Abnormalities in a Pair of Black Wheatears Oenanthe Leucura Bua. GCA 9: 43-46, 1992 Bill abnormalities in a pair of IBlack Wheatears Oenanthe leucura G. BLANC0 & J.L. TELLA Both members of o pair of Black Wheatears captured in central Spain showed an appreciable elongation of both mandibles. The male had an extraordinary elongation and curvature of its upper mandible, which later broke and took on the normal form. Key words: Black Wheatear, Oenanthe leucura, bill abnormalities. Guillermo Blanco. Dep. de Biologia Animal (Vertebrados). Facultad de Biologia. Universidad de Alcala de Henares. Alcalá de Henares, 28871 Madrid. Jose Luis Tella. Dep. de Biologia Animal (Vertebrados). Facultad de Biologia. Universidad de Barcelona. 08028 Barcelona. Rebut: 02.02.93; Acceptat: 23.03 93 Among the many morphological defor- rnations which have been described in birds, those affecting the bill are the most varied (Pomeroy 1962, Santos 1 98 1 ). They may be of genetic origin, or caused by accidents, food deficiencies, parasites or due to the action of mutagenic and theratogenic agents present in the environment (Porneroy 1962, Gilbertson et al. 1976, Threlfall & Roy 1988). The frequency of occurrence of such abnormalities in birds' bills is always low, although there is a great deal of variation between &ferent species and areas, de. pending on the presence and/or operation of the factors causing these abnormalities Fig. 1. Aspecto inicial del pico del macho de (Pomeroy 1 962, Gilbertson et al. 1976). Collalba negra. A male Black Wheatear Oenanthe leu- cura was captured while roosting with a conspecific- female inside an old gypsum rharn~hothecain its upper rnandible, with mine near San Martin de la Vega, Madrid an estimated curvature in the distal third of (40.17N 3.32W), on August 23, 1992. It the bill of about 180'. The lower mandible showed extraordinary elongation of the was normal in both lenght and curvature, 43 Butll. GCA 9,1992 Sex Male Female Male Weight 37 35 37 Wing 98 95 99 Tai1 68 71 Bill length 32.80 25.20 Bill depth - 4.50 Bill width 3.90 Head lengthl 46.90 Lower mandible ~arsus* 1. From back of head to tip of biii. 2. Method of Potti & Montalvo (1991). Table 1. Biometries (mm; weight in grammes) of a pair of Black Wheatears with bill abnormalities. Tabla 1. Biometná (mm; peso en gramod de una pareja de Collalbas negras con malfmaciones en el pico. although its end was blunt (Fig. 1 ). This sarne were within the normal range for the species. individual was again captured, and ringed, Only on this last visit did we find ectopara- in the sarne site on 1 1 Novernber 1992; sites (Acarina)around one of the male's eyes. this tirne we rneasured several characteristics No plurnage alterations caused by the puta- (Table 1 ), following Svensson (1984), except tive inability to maintain it correctly (Pomeroy for tarsus length which followed Potti and 1962) were noted during any of the visits. Montalvo (1991 ). On a later visit (21 No- Hence, the basic abnorrnaliíy in both indi- vernber 1992) airned at capturing the fe viduals consisted of a abnorrnal elongation rnale wheatear, we ascertained that the in both mandibles, with a later breakage in male's bill was again close to "normal", as the male's lower rnandible, which was prob- a consequence of the fragrnentation of the ably the cause of the excessive elongation rhamphotheca at the level of the beginning in the upper mandible (see Pomeroy 1962 of the curvature. The upper and lower man- for several similar exarnples). dible ends were both blunt in this occasion. Arnong bill deforrnations in birds, ex- On 1 8 December 1992 both individuals cessive growth and subsequent arching of were captured and measured in the same one or both mandibles is observed quite roosting site (Table 1). The female showed frequently in many species. However, pro- on appreciable elongation in both rnandi- nounced curvature is rare in passerine birds bles (see Svensson 1984, Cramp 1988, (Pomeroy 1962). The duration and evolution and Zamora 1988, for the normal rneasure- of these abnormalities is unknown for most ments of the bill), while the male's upper observed cases in wild birds as these are rnandible now showed its normal pointed usually based on circurnstantial observations forrn. The rest of the rneasurements (Table 1) which are not subsequently monitored. The Biíi abnormalities in Black Wheatears exam~leof the male Black Wheatear here RESUMEN docukented shows that the structure of the deforrned bill may be temporary in nature Malformaciones en el pico de una and very plastic, as a probable conse pareja de Collalbas negras Oenanthe leu- quence of accidental events. Also, behaviou- cura. ral idiosyncrasies may also be irnplied (He 10s componentes de una pareia de col- ward 195 1, Cutthill et al 1992). The fact lalbas negras capturados en España Central that both rnembers of the pair showed the mostraron una irregularidad en el pico con- same abnorrnality, albeit a; different stages, sistente en la elongación anormal de ambas suggests that factors enhancing the malfor- mandibulas. El macho presentaba una cur- rnation had been acting in the same way vatura desmesurada en la mandibula supe- on both individuals and were probably of rior, que posteriormente se rompió adquirien- environmental origin (Threlfall & Roy 1988). do una forma y longitud normal. Foraging behaviour and survival may be affected bv bill deformations and the bird's mass rnay be indicative of overall physical REFERENCES condition (Porneroy 1962). The male's weight before and after recovering its normal CRAMP, S. (ed.) 1 988. The Birds of the bill forrn was the same, and higher than that Western Palearctic. Vol. V. Oxford: Oxford of the female ITable 1 I which showed a less Universiíy Press. advanced stage of deformation. It seerns logical to conclude that the rnale's bill rnal- CUTHILL, I., WITTER, M. & CLARKE, L. formation did not affect his physical condi- 1992. The function of billwhipping. Anim. tion. On the other hand, the male did not Behav. 43: 103-1 15. carry stones to the base of the nest, as cornmonly occurs in this species: 87.00 %, GILBERTSON, M., MORRIS, R.D. & 90.48 % and 9 1.95 % of nests had stones HUNTER, R.A. 1976. Abnormal chicks and in study areas in Almeria (n=37), Granada PCB residue levels in eggs of colonial birds (n=57) and the Valle del Ebro (n=87) respec- on the lower Great Lakes (1971-73).Auk tively (Richardson 1965, Soler et al. 1983 93: 434-442. and pers. obs.1. This could be due to the malei inability 'to carry stones because of HOWARD, L. 195 1 . Abnorrnal bill of his deforrned bill, combined with other fac- Great Tit. Brit. Birds 46: 254. tors, such as the distance of the nest frorn the rnine entrance 138 ml, or the total ab- POMEROY, D.E. 1962. Birds with ab sence of light in ;he su;oundings of the normal bilis. Brit. Birds 55: 48-72. nest. POTTI, J. & MONTALBO, S. 1 99 1 . Male arrival and female mate choice in Pied Flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) in Central ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Spain. Ornis Scand. 22: 45-54. We thank S.Merino, M.C. Blonco, J.A. RICHARDSON, F. 1965. Breeding and Fargallo, R. lopez and J.A. Cuevas for help feeding habits of the Black Wheatear in capturing and measuring wheatears, and (Oenanthe leucura) in Southern Spain. Ibis J. Potti for translating the manuscript. 107: 1-16. Butll. GCA 9, 1992 SANTOS, T. 198 1 . Variantes de plu- to European Paserines. Svensson: Stoc!&olrn. maie y malformaciones en Turdus spp. Arde- o10 28: 133-138. THRELFALL, W. & ROY, N.A. 1988. Skull deformity in a Herring Gull chick (Larus SOLER, M., ZUNIGA, J.M. & CAMA- argentotus).Journal of Wildlife Diseases 24 CHO, 1. 1983. Alimentación y reproduc- (1): 133-136. ción de algunas aves de la Hoya de Guadix (sur de España). Trab. Monogr. Dep. Zool. ZAMORA, R. 1988. Estructura morfo- Univ. Granada (N.S.)6: 27-1 00. Iógica de una comunidad de passeriformes I de alta rnontaiia (Sierra Nevada, SE de SVENSSON, L. 1984. ldentification Guide , España). Ardeola 35: 71-95. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • ETHIOPIA: Birding the Roof of Africa; with Southern Extension a Tropical Birding Set Departure
    ETHIOPIA: Birding the Roof of Africa; with Southern Extension A Tropical Birding Set Departure February 7 – March 1, 2010 Guide: Ken Behrens All photos taken by Ken Behrens during this trip ORIENTATION I have chosen to use a different format for this trip report. First, comes a general introduction to Ethiopia. The text of this section is largely drawn from the recently published Birding Ethiopia, authored by Keith Barnes, Christian, Boix and I. For more information on the book, check out http://www.lynxeds.com/product/birding-ethiopia. After the country introduction comes a summary of the highlights of this tour. Next comes a day-by-day itinerary. Finally, there is an annotated bird list and a mammal list. ETHIOPIA INTRODUCTION Many people imagine Ethiopia as a flat, famine- ridden desert, but this is far from the case. Ethiopia is remarkably diverse, and unexpectedly lush. This is the ʻroof of Africaʼ, holding the continentʼs largest and most contiguous mountain ranges, and some of its tallest peaks. Cleaving the mountains is the Great Rift Valley, which is dotted with beautiful lakes. Towards the borders of the country lie stretches of dry scrub that are more like the desert most people imagine. But even in this arid savanna, diversity is high, and the desert explodes into verdure during the rainy season. The diversity of Ethiopiaʼs landscapes supports a parallel diversity of birds and other wildlife, and although birds are the focus of our tour, there is much more to the country. Ethiopia is the only country in Africa that was never systematically colonized, and Rueppell’s Robin-Chat, a bird of the Ethiopian mountains.
    [Show full text]
  • EUROPEAN BIRDS of CONSERVATION CONCERN Populations, Trends and National Responsibilities
    EUROPEAN BIRDS OF CONSERVATION CONCERN Populations, trends and national responsibilities COMPILED BY ANNA STANEVA AND IAN BURFIELD WITH SPONSORSHIP FROM CONTENTS Introduction 4 86 ITALY References 9 89 KOSOVO ALBANIA 10 92 LATVIA ANDORRA 14 95 LIECHTENSTEIN ARMENIA 16 97 LITHUANIA AUSTRIA 19 100 LUXEMBOURG AZERBAIJAN 22 102 MACEDONIA BELARUS 26 105 MALTA BELGIUM 29 107 MOLDOVA BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 32 110 MONTENEGRO BULGARIA 35 113 NETHERLANDS CROATIA 39 116 NORWAY CYPRUS 42 119 POLAND CZECH REPUBLIC 45 122 PORTUGAL DENMARK 48 125 ROMANIA ESTONIA 51 128 RUSSIA BirdLife Europe and Central Asia is a partnership of 48 national conservation organisations and a leader in bird conservation. Our unique local to global FAROE ISLANDS DENMARK 54 132 SERBIA approach enables us to deliver high impact and long term conservation for the beneit of nature and people. BirdLife Europe and Central Asia is one of FINLAND 56 135 SLOVAKIA the six regional secretariats that compose BirdLife International. Based in Brus- sels, it supports the European and Central Asian Partnership and is present FRANCE 60 138 SLOVENIA in 47 countries including all EU Member States. With more than 4,100 staf in Europe, two million members and tens of thousands of skilled volunteers, GEORGIA 64 141 SPAIN BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, together with its national partners, owns or manages more than 6,000 nature sites totaling 320,000 hectares. GERMANY 67 145 SWEDEN GIBRALTAR UNITED KINGDOM 71 148 SWITZERLAND GREECE 72 151 TURKEY GREENLAND DENMARK 76 155 UKRAINE HUNGARY 78 159 UNITED KINGDOM ICELAND 81 162 European population sizes and trends STICHTING BIRDLIFE EUROPE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION.
    [Show full text]
  • Red Data Book of European Vertebrates : a Contribution to Action Theme N° 11 of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy, Final Draft
    Strasbourg, 5 July 2001 T-PVS (2001) 31 [Bern\T-PVS 2001\tpvs31e_2001] English only CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF EUROPEAN WILDLIFE AND NATURAL HABITATS Standing Committee Preliminary European Red List of Vertebrates Draft for comments - Volume 1 - Joint project between the Council of Europe and the European Environment Agency, based on WCMC draft from 1998. Co-ordinated by the European Topic Centre/Nature Conservation – Paris This document will not be distributed at the meeting. Please bring this copy. Ce document ne sera plus distribué en réunion. Prière de vous munir de cet exemplaire. T-PVS (2001) 31 - II - Comments should be sent to: European Topic Centre for Nature Protection and Biodiversity MNHN 57 rue Cuvier 75231 PARIS Cedex, France [email protected] - III - T-PVS (2001) 31 About this draft Red List This document is the result of a joint project between the European Environment Agency and the Council of Europe to develop a preliminary European Red List of Vertebrates. It is based on a first draft by WCMC in 1998. Except for Birds (Birdlife International, 1994), no assessment is yet available on the conservation status of Vertebrate species at European level, while Red Books exist at national level in almost all European countries. On the other hand, a global list of threatened species is published and maintained up-dated by IUCN according to well defined criteria (IUCN, 2000). The present assessment is a first attempt to identify the most threatened Vertebrates species at European level, building upon a first analysis of the list of globally threatened species present in Europe (WCMC, 1998) and taking into account the most recent available overviews on European species distribution provided by the various European atlas committees (European Bird Census Council; Societas Europaea Herpetologica, Societas Europea Mammalogica).
    [Show full text]
  • Supplemental Table 1.1.Pdf
    Flexible mimics Species Scientific name Family Classification Source Inland thornbill Acanthiza apicalis Acanthizidae Flexible del Hoyo et al 2011 Yellow-rumped thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa Acanthizidae Flexible del Hoyo et al 2011 Simpson and Day 1993, Slater 2009, Armstrong 1963, Chisholm 1932, Chestnut-rumped heathwren Calamanthus (Hylacola) pyrrhopygius Acanthizidae Flexible del Hoyo et al 2011 Rusty mouse-warbler Crateroscelis murina Acanthizidae Flexible Xenocanto 2018, del Hoyo et al 2011 Mountain mouse-warbler Crateroscelis robusta Acanthizidae Flexible del Hoyo et al 2011 Brown gerygone Gerygone mouki Acanthizidae Flexible del Hoyo et al 2011 Fernwren Oreoscopus gutturalis Acanthizidae Flexible del Hoyo et al 2011 Rockwarbler Origma solitaria Acanthizidae Flexible del Hoyo et al 2011 Speckled warbler Pyrrholaemus (Chthonicola) sagittatus Acanthizidae Flexible Simpson and Day 1993, Chisholm 1932, del Hoyo et al 2011 Simpson and Day 1993, Chisholm 1932, Xenocanto 2018, del Hoyo et Redthroat Pyrrholaemus brunneus Acanthizidae Flexible al 2011 Yellow-throated scrubwren Sericornis citreogularis Acanthizidae Flexible del Hoyo et al 2011 Large-billed scrubwren Sericornis magnirostra Acanthizidae Flexible del Hoyo et al 2011 Paddyfield warbler Acrocephalus agricola Acrocephalidae Flexible Garamszegi et al 2007 Great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus Acrocephalidae Flexible Garamszegi et al 2007 African reed warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus Acrocephalidae Flexible del Hoyo et al 2011 Black-browed reed warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps
    [Show full text]
  • The Species Problem - Ongoing Issues
    THE SPECIES PROBLEM - ONGOING ISSUES Edited by Igor Ya. Pavlinov The Species Problem - Ongoing Issues http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/3313 Edited by Igor Ya. Pavlinov Contributors Richard Mayden, Kirk Fitzhugh, Igor Pavlinov, Jack W. Sites, Jr., Larissa Vasilyeva, Steven Stephenson, Richard Richards, Victor Shcherbakov, David N. Stamos, James Staley, Friedmann Vladimir Published by InTech Janeza Trdine 9, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia Copyright © 2013 InTech All chapters are Open Access distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license, which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. After this work has been published by InTech, authors have the right to republish it, in whole or part, in any publication of which they are the author, and to make other personal use of the work. Any republication, referencing or personal use of the work must explicitly identify the original source. Notice Statements and opinions expressed in the chapters are these of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of information contained in the published chapters. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any damage or injury to persons or property arising out of the use of any materials, instructions, methods or ideas contained in the book. Publishing Process Manager Dragana Manestar Technical Editor InTech DTP team Cover InTech Design team First published February, 2013 Printed in Croatia A free online edition of this book is available at www.intechopen.com Additional hard copies can be obtained from [email protected] The Species Problem - Ongoing Issues, Edited by Igor Ya.
    [Show full text]
  • Libro Rojo De Los Vertebrados Amenazados De Andalucía Fichas Peces OK Correg
    Fichas Peces OK correg. 6/9/01 09:59 Página 1 Libro Rojo de los Vertebrados Amenazados de Andalucía Fichas Peces OK correg. 6/9/01 09:59 Página 2 Edita: Consejería de Medio Ambiente. Junta de Andalucía. Autores de las Fichas Rojas: En cada especie, se indica el autor del borrador de las Fichas Rojas y, al principio de los Capítulos relativos a las clases de Vertebrados, los revisores-autores de la versión definitiva de las Fichas. Coordinación de los grupos de vertebrados: Peces: Carlos Granado Lorencio. Anfibios y Reptiles: Carmen Díaz Paniagua y Juan Manuel Pleguezuelos Gómez (Asociación Herpetológica Española, AHE). Aves: Juan Criado Hernández, Ramón Martí Montes, Concepción Raya Gómez, Francisco J. Romero López y Asunción Ruiz Guijosa (Sociedad Española de Ornitología, SEO/BirdLife). Mamíferos: Luis Javier Palomo Muñoz (Sociedad Española para la Conservación y Estudio de los Mamíferos, SECEM), y Carlos Ibáñez Ulargui (Sociedad Española para la Conservación y Estudio de los Murciélagos, SECEMU). Coordinación general de la obra: Antonio Franco Ruiz y Manuel Rodríguez de los Santos. Consejería de Medio Ambiente de la Junta de Andalucía. Ilustraciones: David Cuenca / Orni-Tour SL. Mapas de distribución de especies: En las especies de vertebrados terrestres los mapas aparecen con los colores verde (población sedentaria), amarillo (población estival) y azul (población invernante); en las especies marinas se usa sólo el color azul. Los mapas fueron elaborados por “Orni-Tour SL” usando como información las Fichas Rojas de este libro y las siguientes fuentes. Los mapas relativos a las especies de peces están basados en el “Atlas y Libro Rojo de los peces continentales de España.
    [Show full text]
  • Saxicola Syenitica Heuglin, 1869 (Aves: Passeriformes: Muscicapidae), an Overlooked Taxon of Oenanthe?
    Zootaxa 3785 (1): 001–024 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2014 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3785.1.1 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C1A6BCBA-7B03-4E8A-B780-657166A67F46 Saxicola syenitica Heuglin, 1869 (Aves: Passeriformes: Muscicapidae), an overlooked taxon of Oenanthe? HADORAM SHIRIHAI1, MANUEL SCHWEIZER2, GUY M. KIRWAN3 & LARS SVENSSON4 1Emek Ayalon 39, Shoham 60850, Israel. E-mail: [email protected] 2Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern, Bernastrasse 15, CH 3005 Bern, Switzerland. E-mail: manuel.sch- [email protected] 3Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lakeshore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA. E-mail: [email protected] 4S:ta Toras väg 28, SE-269 77 Torekov, Sweden. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract The North African population of the Black Wheatear has been treated as Oenanthe leucura syenitica for over 100 years. The type of syenitica was collected by Heuglin in June 1852 near the southern Egypt/northern Sudan border, well out- side the range of the sedentary Black Wheatear. Morphometric inference and genetic analyses of partial sequences of the mitochondrial gene COI demonstrate that the type specimen of syenitica is not conspecific with O. leucura, but instead is closely related to O. lugens of the Middle East and North Africa, being most similar in plumage to O. lugens warriae of the basalt deserts of north-east Jordan and southern Syria. While syenitica was not separable in the analysed part of its mitochondrial DNA from O. l. lugens and O. l.
    [Show full text]
  • FIELD GUIDES BIRDING TOURS ETHIOPIA (Incl. Rock Churches At
    Field Guides Tour Report ETHIOPIA (incl. Rock Churches at Lalibela extension) May 5, 2012 to May 28, 2012 Terry Stevenson & Richard Webster Spot-breasted Lapwing is a lovely plover of high-elevation grasslands, one that has presumably declined greatly in the face of agriculture. It is still reasonably common on the Sanetti Plateau, where we look for Ethiopian Wolf. (Photo by guide Richard Webster) Success can be defined in many ways, and by most ways our journey around Ethiopia was a success. It was a birding tour, and we had great success finding Ethiopia's special birds, including some with small populations and very limited ranges. The subtitle to this birding tour also mentioned a certain Wolf, and we were very successful in seeing not only Ethiopian Wolf, but several other endemic mammals. The tour was also a logistical success: the group's curiosity about seeing much of the diversity of Ethiopia, including regions well off the tourist track, was also satisfied thanks to the behind-the-scenes work of Experience Ethiopia Tours and the on-the-scenes management of Kibrom. May is in advance of the main rainy season in Ethiopia, and this year was no exception in the north, which was brown, locally tinged green. Some rain may reach southern Ethiopia in April and May, and this year was an exception in that major rain had fallen in the southern third of the country, as it had in neighboring Kenya. Fortunately we happened to avoid coinciding with the heaviest downpours, and were able to get everywhere and enjoy an extraordinarily green landscape, and many singing and breeding species (although in a few cases, some birds may have dispersed, e.g., from Sof Omar).
    [Show full text]
  • Birdlife International (2015) European Red List of Birds. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union
    European Red List of Birds Compiled by BirdLife International European Red List of Birds Compiled by BirdLife International Published by the European Commission. opinion whatsoever on the part of the European Commission or BirdLife International concerning the legal status of any country, Citation: Publications of the European Communities. Design and layout by: Imre Sebestyén jr. / UNITgraphics.com Printed by: Pannónia Nyomda Picture credits on cover page: Fratercula arctica to continue into the future. © Ondrej Pelánek All photographs used in this publication remain the property of the original copyright holder (see individual captions for details). Photographs should not be reproduced or used in other contexts without written permission from the copyright holder. Available from: to your questions about the European Union Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or these calls may be billed Published by the European Commission. A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu). Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. ISBN: 978-92-79-47450-7 DOI: 10.2779/975810 © European Union, 2015 Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Printed in Hungary. European Red List of Birds Consortium iii Table of contents Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................................1 Executive summary ...................................................................................................................................................5 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Dakhla Trip Report
    Birding Trip to the Bay of Dakhla and Aousserd region By Javi Elorriaga and Yeray Seminario / Birding The Strait February 2016 The immense Bay of Dakhla is set against tall Sand Dunes that make this place unique In autumn 2015 we were asked by Dakhla Attitude Hotel, to scout the area and assess the possibilities to accommodate birding and nature enthusiasts’ groups during trips to the Atlantic Sahara. We scheduled the trip for the middle of February 2016, which is a good time for birding in the area both in terms of phenology and weather. Following the expansion of the Dakhla airport and the current sociopolitical stability in the area, the interest of Dakhla as an international touristic destination has significantly grown over the last years. Nowadays it constitutes a very popular destination for international surfers. Besides, recent pioneering birding and wildlife trips to the Bay of Dakhla and Aousserd region are increasing, resulting in regular records of new or very scarce species of birds and mammals for the Western Paleartic region, sometimes in unprecedented numbers. Birding The Strait - Nº RTA: AT/CA/00311 - birdingthestrait.com - [email protected] 1 Some of the most significant species include: Sudan Golden Sparrow, Golden Nightjar, Cricket Longtail, Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Dunn´s Lark, African Royal Tern, Kelp Gull and Namaqua Dove among birds; and African Golden Wolf, Fennec, Sand Cat, Rüppell´s Fox, Ratel, Orca and Atlantic Humpbacked dolphin among mammals. No doubt, the discovery of highly attractive species of wildlife will keep growing in forthcoming years making of the Dakhla region a top destination for international nature enthusiasts.
    [Show full text]
  • Short Communications a Case of Spatial Coexistence Among Black
    Short communications https://doi.org/10.30456/AVO.2021102 Avocetta 45: 95-103 (2021) A case of spatial coexistence among Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura, Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica and Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius in the Western Mediterranean Claudio Açaí Bracho Estévanez1* 1Departamento de Biología, IVAGRO, Universidad de Cádiz, Campus Río San Pedro - Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain *corresponding author: [email protected] 0000-0003-0081-3354 Abstract - The coexistence of similar species is determined by resource partitioning, while the exploitation of the same resource could lead to competitive exclusion scenarios. The breeding distribution of birds like the Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura, the Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica, and the Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius overlaps in open, rocky areas of the Western Mediterranean but so far, the degree of spatial segregation/overlap is poorly understood. Here, we used MAXENT to build species distribution models and investigate how the habitat preferences of those three species shape coexistence patterns in a coastal protected area of the Western Mediterranean. Within the study area the Black Wheatear is completely restricted to quarries with a predicted distribution of 162 ha. We found that the Black and Black-eared Wheatears responded to a vegetation-vigour gradient that limits their interspecific territorial overlap (145.3 ha) to sunny slopes. The Blue Rock Thrush presence is mostly affected by slope gradient, although tolerating different vegetation-vigour levels, but overlapping with the Black Wheatear (32.1 ha) in quarry areas and with the Black-eared Wheatear (62.8 ha) in steep, rocky slopes. Within the studied area, quarries appear as a key habitat favouring the coexistence of sympatric breeding species.
    [Show full text]
  • Oenantherefs V1.2.Pdf
    Introduction I have endeavoured to keep typos, errors, omissions etc in this list to a minimum, however when you find more I would be grateful if you could mail the details during 2018 & 2019 to: [email protected]. Please note that this and other Reference Lists I have compiled are not exhaustive and are best employed in conjunction with other sources. Grateful thanks to Dominic Mitchell (www.birdingetc.com & www.dominicmitchell.com) and Tom Shevlin (www.irishbirds.ie) for the cover images. All images © the photographers. Joe Hobbs Index The general order of species follows the International Ornithologists' Union World Bird List (Gill, F. & Donsker, D. (eds). 2018. IOC World Bird List. Available from: http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ [version 8.1 accessed January 2018]). Note: Seebohm’s Wheatear treated by the IOC as a form of Norther Wheatear is given its own entry in this note. Version Version 1.2 (April 2018). Cover Main image: Red-rumped Wheatear. Tagdilt Track, Morocco. 23rd April 2009. Picture by © Dominic Mitchell. Vignette: Black-eared Wheatear. Great Saltee Island, Co. Wexford, Ireland. 15th May 2010. Picture by Tom Shevlin. Species Page No. Abyssinian Wheatear [Oenanthe lugubris] 20 Arabian Wheatear [Oenanthe lugentoides] 23 Black Wheatear [Oenanthe leucura] 20 Black-eared Wheatear [Oenanthe hispanica] 12 Blackstart [Oenanthe melanura] 17 Brown Rock Chat [Oenanthe fusca] 18 Brown-tailed Rock Chat [Oenanthe scotocerca] 18 Capped Wheatear [Oenanthe pileata] 8 Chestnut-rumped Wheatears [Oenanthe sp.] 22 Cyprus Wheatear [Oenanthe
    [Show full text]