Home page click here
"The Breeding Birds of Hawar"

Cover

Results of the 1998 Survey
By Howard King

Published by the Ministry of Housing Bahrain 29.12.1999
Hard cover -  colour illustrations
BAHRAIN No's
ISBN 99901-11-00-6
COPYRIGHT 442/99
PUBLIC LIBRARIES 2712 D.A/99

To obtain a copy please contact Me at the
Ministry Of Housing
PO BOX 11802
SURVEY DIRECTORATE
MANAMA
BAHRAIN
PRICE 20 US Dollars 12.50 Pounds 7.50 Bahrain Dinars Plus P/P
howardk@batelco.com.bh
Telphone 742739 or 528237

CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION

     1 INTRODUCTION
     1.2 THE ISLANDS
     1.3 TOPOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENT
     1.4 OUTLINE
     1.5 THE STUDY

2 METHODS

     2.1 THE SURVEY
     2.2 OBSERVATION AND RECORDING
     2.3 OBSERVATION OF SPECIES ABUNDANCE - CENSUS
     2.4 OTHER INFORMATION
     2.5 WEATHER - 1998 THE HOTTEST YEAR SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1902

3 RESULTS

     3.1. HAWAR, IDENTIFIED AS A MAJOR BREEDING AREA FOR TERNS
     3.1.1 WHITE-CHEEKED TERN STERNA REPRESSA MOST NUMEROUS BREEDING TERN SPECIES
     3.1.2 BRIDLED TERNS STERNA ANAETHUS A MAJOR BREEDING SPECIES
     3.1.3 UNUSUAL NEST AND EGG
     3.1.4 NEW BREEDING SPECIES FOR BAHRAIN: LESSER CRESTED TERN STERNA BENGALENSIS
     3.1.5 POSSIBLE FIRST FOR ARABIA: A COLONY OF CASPIAN TERNS STERNA CASPIA
     3.2 BREEDING SITE OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE FOR WESTERN REEF HERON
     EGRETTA GULARIS SCHISTACEA
     3.3 SOCOTRA CORMORANT PHALACROCORAX NIGROGULARIS NUMBERS IN DECLINE
     3.4 SOOTY FALCONS FALCON CONCOLOR THE MOST ENDANGERED OF HAWAR’S BREEDING SPECIES
     3.5 OSPREY NEST LOCATED AND BREEDING PAIRS COUNTED
     3.6 THE ISLANDS OF THE RUBUD AL GHARBIYAH AND RUBUD ASH SHARQIYAH OUTSTANDING SITES
     3.6.1 1000 GREATER FLAMINGOS PHOENICOPTERUS RUBER WINTERING ON THE RUBUDS
     3.6.2 THE RUBUDS A MAJOR WINTERING SITE FOR OVER 7500 SLENDER-BILLED GULL LARUS GENEI
     3.6.3 THE RUBUDS A MAJOR STAGING POST AND WINTERING SITE FOR THOUSANDS OF MIGRANT WADERS

4 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5 REFERENCES

List of Tables

           Elevations and Characteristics of Major Island excluding Jazirat Hawar
           Surface Area of Islands
           Summary of Old Reference Material
           Candidates as Potential Breeding Species
           Calculation Method of Abundance of Breeding Pairs by Species
           Study Results by Island Groups for Breeding Terns Sterna colonies on the Islands of Hawar
           Egg Measurements taken during the Study showing the range in axis calculated mean and standard deviation
          1994 Numerical estimate of Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis numbers
           Numbers of eggs or chicks found in sample nests of Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis
           Calculated areas (m2) for the Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis Colony
          Results of Regression analysis - Area against Nests counted for Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis
          Contents of Sooty Falcon Falco concolor Caches
          Prey remains as found at three Sooty Falcon Falco concolor Nesting Sites -
          prey items found in caches and at Pre-breeding feeding stations
          Study Results, Breeding Numbers by Island Location - Pairs (P) - Number of Nests (N)
          List of other Breeding Species Recorded

List of Figures

          Map of the Hawar Archipelago
          Geomorphology Superficial Surface Materials
          The Intertidal and Shallow Marine Environment about Hawar
          Map of the Middle East indicating major migration routes
          A Graph of Breeding Pair Counts from Aerial Assessments against Nest Counts for the White-Cheeked Tern
          Location and sizes of main White-Cheeked Tern Sterna repressa Colonies
          Location and size of main Bridled Terns Sterna anaethus Colonies
          Location of Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis Colony
          The Islands of Bu Sa'adsh a haven for Terns
          Location of Caspian Tern Sterna caspia Colony and Isolated nesting Sites
          Location of Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis schistacea colonies
          Changes in nest Abundance between 1994 &1998 for the Socotra Cormorant
          Sketch Map outlining the Survey Data for the Socotra Cormorant colony on Suwad Al Janubiyah
          Outline sketch map showing the location, progressive movement and the relative size of colony
          Ornithological Chart of Breeding Sensitivity and Feeding Activity
          Distribution Map of Osprey Pandion haliaetus Nests
          Main Breeding Areas on the Rubuds with tidal feeding areas highlighted

List of Photographic plates by section

          Week old Western Reef Heron Chicks
          The Coastal scene on Rubud Ash Sharquiyah  from the sea and the land
          The Island Of Ajirah

Introduction

          The stark white cliffs of Umm Hazwarah as seen from Suwad Al Janubiyah
          The headland of Ras Suwad
          The Low Cliff of One of the Smaller Islands In The Al Hajiyat Group Viewed >From The South
          The Three Sea Stacks of Wakur Viewed from the North East
          The algal flats separating Rubud Ash Sharqiyah and Rubud Al Gharbiyah
          In many areas the algal flats form a thin black veneer over the underlying bedrock
          Sedimentation in the lee of Ras Suwad The line of cliff marking the old coastline stand proud in the distance
          White-Cheeked Sterna repressa Tern in flight
          The "Old man of Hawar" the result of wind erosion on Hawar's' solitary Jebel
          The interior rim rock on the Island of Umm Hazwarah

Methods

         The Island of Noon a haven for breeding White-Cheeked Tern Sterna Repressa
          Areas of Beach Rock interspersed with narrow Beaches of blown sand and shell accumulations
          Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor identified as breeding on Hawar
          Generalised Guide to the Breeding Terns of  Hawar

White-Cheeked Terns Sterna Repressa

          Adult White-Cheeked Tern
          Day Old Chick slightly spotted lies panting in the sun
          Typical nesting pattern as found on a hard rocky substrate
          Typical nests illustrating the most commonly seen methods of construction and decoration
          Typical Nest construction in areas of weed detritus
          Adult White-cheeked Tern In flight
          Nest constructed in area of weed detritus
          Tending the nest
          Unidentified Nest and Egg

Bridled Tern Sterna anaethus

          Typical example of a Nest inside a small hole in a rock face
          Adult Bridled Tern
          The discarded shell from a recently hatched egg the only clue to the existence of the nearby nest entrance
          Bridled Terns In Flight
          Egg of Bridled Tern
          One example of the stranger nesting places utilised by Bridled Tern
          Head to Wind Adult Bridled Terns roost on an Osprey Nest
          Bridled Terns soaring in the thermals above the cliff  top of Al Hajiyat
          Bridled Terns
         Prey and Pedator - Sooty Falcon  and Bridled Tern

Lesser Crested Tern Sterna Bengalensis

          Lesser Crested Tern gregarious and vocal in a typical calling posture
          A small section of the colony standing astride  their nests
          A small section of the nesting area illustrating the chaotic and rather haphazard approach to nest building
          Chicks of varying ages collect in a beachfront crèche Note the leg colour and bill shape on the younger chicks
          A crèche of chicks waits patiently on the beach for returning feeding adults. Sentinels stand guard
          The well formed guano cusp builds with time The open side indicating the windward side
          Head of an Adult

Caspian Terns Sterna caspia

          Adult Caspian Terns
          Caspian Tern Eggs
          Typical nest scrape with newly laid darker egg
          Coarsely outlined and decorated nest scrape
          Caspian Tern calls out harshly as it passes close overhead
          The costal dune on the northern shore of the Lesser Crested Tern breeding island in the Bu Sa'adsh group

Reef Heron Egretta gularis schistacea

          Nest of Western Reef Heron
          Adult Dark morph Western Reef Heron
          Two chicks one recently hatched occupy the shallow cupped nest
          Adult Western Reef heron returns to the nest to tend its eggs
          Two eggs bluer than this photograph would indicates were the average clutch size observed

Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis

          Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis waits for its returning mate
          Socotra Cormorant Colony on Suwad Al Janubiyah Viewed from the South Circa 1997
          The terrace formed by a low raised beach that traverses the site of the main breeding Colony "A".
          Skeletal remains litter the breeding site
          Zooming in on Colony "B" circa 1997
          Enlargement taken from a section of Colony “A” circa 1997 Note the number of large predatory Gulls visible
          Typical nest structures of Socotra Cormorant
          Dust covered eggs

Sooty Falcon Falco concolor

          Sooty Falcon
          Sooty Falcon nesting area on the northern headland of Hazwarah topped by an Osprey Nest
          The Sea Stacks oOf Wakur
          The locally breeding Hoopoe Lark Alaemon alaudipes a major source of food for breeding Sooty Falcons
          The northern aspect of one Island in the Al Hajiyat group

Osprey Pandion haliaetus

          An osprey nest dominates the evening skyline on Rubud Al Gharbiyah
          Not all nests found were immediately obviousan old little used nest on Suwad Ash Shamaliyah
          A new Osprey nest takes shape on Suwad Ash Shamaliyah.
          Osprey and chicks
          Substantial Osprey nest on Rubud Al Gharbiyah
          Cliff top nest on Hajiyat
          A new Osprey Nest on Suwad Al Shamaliyah
          Unusual and large the double Osprey Nest on Suwad Ash Shamaliyah

The Rubuds

          Dark morph Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis schistacea
          Nest of Western Reef Heron with an exception clutch of four eggs
          Rubud Ash Sharqiyah Looking northwest from its barren center
          Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus ruber Wintering on the Rubuds
          Flamingos a constant presence in the shallow lagoons
          A Western Reef Heron Nest on the Rubuds
          Flotsam collects in prodigious quantities along the exposed northern shore of Rubud Ash Sharqiyah
          Slender-Billed Gull Larus genei
          The wreck of a large barge a favourite roost for all Hawar's Birds including Socotra Cormorants
          Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
          Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii A common migrant found around Hawar
          The Islands of Hawar a satellite image provided by the Bahrain Center for Studies and Research
          A Black Kite Milvus migrans aegyptius soars over Hawar
          Socotra Cormorant Colony Suwad Al Janubiyah Under pressure from both Man and Nature
          The northern aspect of the largest Island in the Al Hajiyat Group
          Clean and pure Hawar's coastal waters
          Lesser Crested Tern Chicks
          Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
          The web of Life