Distributions and Community Composition of Birds in Iraq’s Central Marsh

Nadheer A Fazaa,Mark J Whittingham,Jonathon C Dunn

doi:10.1155/2017/4198690

Nadheer A Fazaa, Mark J Whittingham + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/4198690

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Abstract

The Central Marsh (CM) in southern Iraq is known to provide important habitats for both resident and migrant birds. The CM has been used extensively by humans, in part due to its high levels of productivity and biodiversity. It was drained in the 1990s by the government and reflooded and restored in 2003. Recent brief surveys of the CM from 2005 to 2010 recorded 94 bird species. Our study combined transects and point counts in detailed monthly surveys from October 2013 to June 2014 in the CM. We found a total of 125 bird species in the CM across all surveys, with 31 species recorded for the first time in the CM and 11 species categorised as red listed by the IUCN. Fourteen species were confirmed breeding in the CM. Cluster analysis using NMDS ordination showed that the study area can be divided into three main clusters of bird assemblages which are presented here. We provide management recommendations based on our findings.

Highlights

The Iraqi Central Marsh (CM) is a globally important open water and freshwater marsh [1] located between three provinces (Missan: 31∘10󸀠N, 47∘05E; Thi-Qar: 30∘50󸀠N to 31∘30󸀠N; and Basra: 46∘45󸀠E to 46∘25󸀠E) in the south of Iraq [2]
A total of 125 bird species were recorded in the CM across all the surveys: 29 were resident species; 87 were winter visitors and passage migrants; 9 species were noted as summering (Table 4)
Notable records included (i) White Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), which was recorded in the December survey in transect two, zone two; this species has not been recorded in the CM for more than 40 years; (ii) Fourteen species which were confirmed breeding in the CM according to the BTO breeding evidence criteria (Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis, Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus, Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides, Red-Wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus, White-Tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus, Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida, Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto, Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis, Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis, Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus, Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis, Iraq Babbler Turdoides altirostris, Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio, and House Sparrow Passer domesticus; see Table 1 for detailed information about breeding status and more details in the Appendix)

Summary

Introduction

The Iraqi Central Marsh (CM) is a globally important open water and freshwater marsh [1] located between three provinces (Missan: 31∘10󸀠N, 47∘05E; Thi-Qar: 30∘50󸀠N to 31∘30󸀠N; and Basra: 46∘45󸀠E to 46∘25󸀠E) in the south of Iraq [2]. Despite its importance for both people and wildlife, the CM was totally drained in the 1990s by the government, which caused huge levels of biodiversity loss and the disappearance of most bird species from the area [7]. The motivation for this drainage is not clear, with some sources stating political motivation [1] and others agricultural expansion, which had already begun in the 1970s [8]

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Conclusion