A small collection of Iranian Birds

Abstract

Dr. G. Nakata brought back 13 bird specimens consisting of 12 species which were collected during his stay in Iran from 1963 to 1968. Besides above, he took photos and or observed further 17 species.Of those total 29 species, 3 species (Nycticorax nycticorax, Gallinula chloropus, Pica pica) are cosmopolitan.Sterna sandvicensis is the species which distribute locally from Europe to Central Asia as well as in the New World.Of the remaining 25 species, 24 species are distributed from Mediterranean region to Central Asia. Distribution of 11 species extended from Europe, Mediterranean region to as far as East Asia via Central Asia.Seven species are common to Ethiopian region and 5 species are common to Oriental region. Only one species (Halcyon symrensis) is typical oriental region species which penetrated into Iran.The above materials were collected or observed near Teheran. The majority elements are, as mentioned above, Mediterranean-Central Asian species and some Oriental and Ethiopian elements are penetrated into Iran.However in my collection of Iranian birds, some typical desert type species like Rhodopechyo obsleta, Pteroches senegallus etc. are included. It is considered, therefore, Iranian avifauna is, as a whole, many desert type elements which distribute from Mongolia via Arabia desert south to Sahara desert are included.