Abstract
The Gulf of Suez is an important flyway for migratory soaring birds because it is situated between the Eurasian and African landmasses that connect breeding grounds in Eurasia with wintering zones in Africa. During four weeks of spring migration, the magnitude and timing of the spring migration of 15 species of medium and large-sized raptors, White Storks “Ciconia ciconia”, Black Storks “Ciconia nigra”, White Pelicans “Pelicanus onocrotalus”, Common Cranes “Grus grus” and Great cormorant “Phalacrocorax carbo” were studied near Ras Shukeir city, Eastern desert, Egypt. Observations were carried out on the ground by three vantage points between the Gulf of Suez and Gharib mountain. In total 3121 raptors of 15 species were counted in addition to 8380 White Storks, 2250 White Pelicans and 604 Common Cranes passed during the study time. The most common species were Northern Steppe Buzzard “Buteo buteo vulpinus”, Black Kite “Milvus migrans” and Steppe Eagle “Aquila nipalensis” and recorded 17.21% of all raptors.
Highlights
Egypt covers an enormous zone of the Great Rift Valley same with a few nations in this flyway, it is in a huge geographic area, with a wide range of temperatures and geology
Egypt benefits enormously from this biodiversity, it is an important pass for the soaring bird’s migration as it is situated on the mainland connect between the Eurasian and African landmasses that connections rearing grounds in Eurasia with wintering zones in Africa (Bergen, 2007; CarlBro, 2010; Bergen and Gaedicke, 2013)
The Gulf of Suez territory lies at the core of the Rift Valley/Red Sea Flyway and at its tightest focuses that incorporate a few bottlenecks, these are Gebel El Zeit, Suez, Ain Sukhna and the Qaa' plain which are universally perceived as Important Areas for birds and biodiversity (IBAs) (Baha El Din, 1999; Hilgerloh, 2011)
Summary
Egypt covers an enormous zone of the Great Rift Valley same with a few nations in this flyway, it is in a huge geographic area, with a wide range of temperatures and geology. Hundreds of thousands of migrating raptors, storks, and pelicans pass each autumn and spring from their breeding areas in Eurasia to sub-Saharan Africa, where they spend the winter, returning in the spring (Moreau, 1972). These vagrants face extremely cruel conditions as they cross enormous regions of ominous living spaces, for example, deserts and untamed oceans, without the chance of taking care of or drinking. The greater part of the species, especially littler ones, perform immediate and active flights, choosing the most immediate way between rearing and wintering sites (Riad et al, 2019)
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