Podoces, 2008, 3(1/2): 1–30 Rare Birds in Iran in the Late 1960s and 1970s DEREK A. SCOTT Castletownbere Post Office, Castletownbere, Co. Cork, Ireland. Email: [email protected] Received 26 July 2008; accepted 14 September 2008 Abstract: The 12-year period from 1967 to 1978 was a period of intense ornithological activity in Iran. The Ornithology Unit in the Department of the Environment carried out numerous surveys throughout the country; several important international ornithological expeditions visited Iran and subsequently published their findings, and a number of resident and visiting bird-watchers kept detailed records of their observations and submitted these to the Ornithology Unit. These activities added greatly to our knowledge of the status and distribution of birds in Iran, and produced many records of birds which had rarely if ever been recorded in Iran before. This paper gives details of all records known to the author of 92 species that were recorded as rarities in Iran during the 12-year period under review. These include 18 species that had not previously been recorded in Iran, a further 67 species that were recorded on fewer than 13 occasions, and seven slightly commoner species for which there were very few records prior to 1967. All records of four distinctive subspecies are also included. The 29 species that were known from Iran prior to 1967 but not recorded during the period under review are listed in an Appendix. Keywords: Rare birds, rarities, 1970s, status, distribution, Iran. INTRODUCTION Eftekhar, E. Kahrom and J. Mansoori, several of whom quickly became keen ornithologists. In The creation of the Iran Game & Fish Department October 1974, an English bird-ringer, F.B. in 1967 and establishment within it of a Division Argyle, was recruited to set up an Iranian bird- of Research and Development marked a major ringing scheme and train Iranian bird-ringers, turning point in the study and documentation of notably B. Behrouzi-Rad, who continued to run the fauna and flora of Iran. For the first time, the ringing scheme after Argyle left in March there was a body within the government 1978. L. Cornwallis, who had already spent responsible for the systematic recording of Iran’s several years working on the birds of Fars diverse wildlife and identification of sites Province in the early 1960s, joined the important for nature conservation. David A. Department in January 1976, and took over as Ferguson, at that time an American Peace Corps head of the Ornithology Unit when the author left Volunteer, joined the new Department as in March 1976. He remained in Iran until the ornithologist, and in January 1967, carried out the autumn of 1978, but by that time the activities of first mid-winter waterfowl counts in what was to the Ornithology Unit were being scaled down, become an annual nationwide census that has and with the onset of the revolution in late 1978, continued almost without break to the present field work was temporarily suspended. time. Ferguson and his colleagues in the Division Throughout the 12-year period from 1967 to of Research and Development kept detailed 1978, personnel of the Ornithology Unit carried records of all bird species observed during their out numerous bird surveys throughout Iran at all field surveys and wrote these up in a series on seasons of the year. Initially, priority was given to internal Department reports. studies of waterbirds and selected game-birds of Ferguson left the Game & Fish Department in interest to the sport hunter. However, as the June 1970 and was replaced by the author who activities of the Department (renamed Department took over as head of the fledgling Ornithology of the Environment in March 1972) were Unit in October 1970. He was assisted by a expanded to take on a broader, ecosystem number of young Iranian biologists, notably A. approach to the conservation of the natural Adhami, M.A. Ashtiani, M. Bahrami, A. environment, more emphasis was given to general 1 Rare birds in Iran in the late 1960s and 1970s – D.A. Scott avifaunal surveys in poorly known regions of the the more important discoveries made by the country with a view to the identification of Ornithology Unit in the late 1960s and 1970s suitable areas for the creation of protected areas. have been described in the literature, e.g. the These surveys resulted in a rapid accumulation of discovery of a population of Caucasian Grouse new information on the status and distribution of Lyrurus mlokosiewiczi in north-western Iran in birds in Iran, and produced a number of records 1971 (Scott 1976) and the rediscovery of Siberian of birds which had rarely or never been recorded Cranes Gus leucogeranus wintering in the south in Iran before. Caspian lowlands in 1978 (Ashtiani 1987), but At the same time, there was an upsurge in most of the observations of rare birds in Iran, interest in the birds of Iran amongst foreign including the first records of ten new species for ornithologists and bird-watchers, and during the Iran, have never been published. This paper seeks period 1967–78, a large number of competent to remedy this situation by giving details of all field ornithologists visited Iran as part of major records known to the author of 92 species and international expeditions or simply as four subspecies that were recorded as rarities in independent travellers. All foreigners wishing to Iran during the 12-year period from January 1967 carry out research in any of the Department’s to December 1978. reserves (which numbered over 60 and covered almost eight million ha by the late 1970s) were required to obtain permits from the Department MATERIALS AND METHODS and to submit details of their observations. Expatriate bird-watchers resident in Iran and Records of rare birds in Iran in the late 1960s and visiting bird-watchers were also encouraged to 1970s have been extracted from a variety of submit their records to the Ornithology Unit, and sources. Much the most important has been the indeed many of these participated in the mid- original field notes and cyclostyled trip reports winter waterbird counts and bird ringing activities from hundreds of field surveys carried out by the organised by the Ornithology Unit. author and other personnel of the Ornithology Much of the Ornithology Unit’s work on Unit between January 1967 and the summer of wetlands and waterbirds in the late 1960s and 1978. The author alone accumulated over 60,000 1970s has been published in some form or records of birds in Iran between October 1970 another. The results of the annual mid-winter and March 1976. Other important sources of waterbird censuses were submitted to the information have included the following: International Waterfowl Research Bureau (IWRB, later to become Wetlands International) * Observations made by expatriate bird-watchers for incorporation in the annual reports of the resident in Iran who regularly submitted their International Waterbird Census, and general records to the Ornithology Unit, notably M.D. information on the principal wetlands and their Hutchinson, G.N. Langfield, G.T. Nelson, P.N. waterbirds was summarised in A Directory of Paul, M. Payne, K.G. Rogers and M. Smart. Wetlands in the Middle East (Scott 1995). More * Observations made by visiting ornithologists recently, information on breeding waterbirds in and bird-watchers who either submitted their Iran in the 1970s has been summarised by Scott records directly to the Ornithology Unit at the (2007a). However, very little of the other time of their visit, or subsequently to the author in information accumulated by the Ornithology Unit response to requests for information circulated in on the status and distribution of birds in Iran in 1977 and 1978. One such request appeared in the the late 1960s and 1970s has ever been published. journal Ibis in 1978 (vol. 120, p. 269). Major The chapter on Iran in Important Bird Areas in contributors included G.A. Atkinson-Willes, P.W. the Middle East (Evans 1994) includes some Burness, S.K. Carnie, E. Carp, J.W.F. Davis, information on the birds of 105 IBAs, most of C.D.R. Heard, B. King, S.C. Madge, R.G. which was derived from surveys in the 1970s, but Newell, R.E. Scott, P.A. Walton and M.B. this focuses on threatened species, regional Webster. specialities and species occurring in * Records of seabirds observed by P.W.G. internationally important numbers. One or two of Chilman, K. Salwegter and R.A. Smith from on board ships passing through the Persian Gulf, 2 Podoces, 2008, 3(1/2): 1–30 Strait of Hormoz and Gulf of Oman in the late vetted by personnel of the Ornithology Unit 1960s and 1970s. Many of these records were whenever possible, and many records, especially published in the Gulf Birdwatchers’ Newsletter those of visiting bird-watchers with limited and Sea Swallow. experience in the Middle East, were rejected * The published accounts of three major unless accompanied by convincing ornithological expeditions to Iran between 1967 documentation. and 1975 (Érard & Etchécopar 1970, Misonne The systematic list that follows summarises 1976, Desfayes & Praz 1978). C. Érard and R.D. the observations of 92 species that were Etchécopar spent over two months travelling considered to be rarities in Iran during the period widely in central, eastern and southeastern Iran 1967 to 1978 inclusive. These include 18 species between 6 April and 9 June 1967, and collected that had not previously been recorded in Iran and over 820 specimens for the National Museum of a further 67 species that were recorded on no Natural History in Paris. X. Misonne led a more than 12 occasions in the 12-year period Belgian scientific mission to the central deserts under review.