First Field Guide to Birds of Iraq

First Field Guide to Birds of Iraq





    
 
January 2007  - The wildlife 
conservation movement that has started to emerge in Iraq took 
off today with the publication of "Field Guide to the Birds of 
Iraq" in Arabic. Despite ongoing conflict across the country, 
the unique guide shows that no species has gone extinct in the 
Mesopotamian marshes since the last assessments were conducted 
in the 1970s. 
Covering the 387 bird species that have been recorded in Iraq, 
the book is the first comprehensive, fully illustrated field 
guide to the birds of an Arabic speaking country and first 
field guide of its kind for Iraq. 
The book is published by BirdLife International and Nature 
Iraq, a newly formed conservation organization. Nature Iraq is 
based in Baghdad with an office in Amman, Jordan. 
A sacred ibis, Threskiornis aethiopicus, wings its way across 
Iraq. (Photo courtesy Nature Iraq/CIMI/BirdLife) 
"For Iraq – a nation that has lost so much of its wildlife in 
the last twenty years, this book opens the door for the 
growing conservation movement in this country." said Dr. Ali 
Douabul of Nature Iraq. 
The book is due to be presented to Iraqi President Jalal 
Talabani in the next few weeks. 
"Local language field guides are crucial tools for 
conservation," Dr. Douabul said. "They encourage people to 
realize, appreciate and get involved in bird conservation, 
which, because birds are good indicators of the environment, 
has potential benefits for all of our wildlife." 
Funded by the Canadian government, an expert from BirdLife 
International, based in Cambridge, England, has traveled to 
the region to train Nature Iraq biologists in conducting bird 
and other wildlife surveys of the internationally important 
Mesopotamian marshes. 
BirdLife's Middle East Conservation Advisor Richard Porter has 
been training the biologists doing the surveys. 
"This we are doing in Syria," he told ENS. "They have been 
great to work with - young, keen, enthusisatic and 
increasingly competent. They have just completed their third 
winter survey." 
Biologists from Nature Iraq document water quality and observe 
birds in the Mesopotamian marshes. (Photo courtesy Nature 
Iraq/CIMI/BirdLife) 
The training has covered recording techniques, plant 
identification, habitat monitoring techniques, and practical 
skills like measuring water quality. 
Thought to be the site of the biblical Garden of Eden, the 
Mesopotamian marshes include 28 of Iraq’s Important Bird 
Areas, and are home to Iraq’s Marsh Arabs. 
Eighteen globally threatened bird species occur in these 
marshes between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, alongside 
three birds unique to the marshes - the Iraq babbler, 
Turdoides altirostris; the Basra reed warbler, Acrocephalus 
griseldis; and the grey hypocolius, Hypocolius ampelinus. 
Drained of water during the Saddam Hussein era, wildlife fled 
from 90 percent of the marshes. Since the collapse of the 
regime, a multifaceted rehabilitation program has begun. 
A Basra reed warbler perches on a birder's hand. (Photo by 
A.F.A. Hawkins courtesy BirdLife) 
Dr. Douabul works with several organizations on marsh 
rehabilitation, including the USAID. He says as early as 2003, 
he found small areas where the marsh dwellers themselves had 
reflooded the dried earth and were beginning to rebuild. 
Some 40,000 people have returned to the reflooded areas to 
resume their traditional lifestyle and practice their 
centuries-old culture. 
By mid-2004, the marsh dwellers had reflooded about 40 percent 
of the former marshlands. 
Some of the re-flooded areas have experienced lush regrowth, 
but other areas have not recovered as well. 
Still, initial reports show healthy populations of Basra reed 
warblers. The sacred ibis, Threskiornis aethiopicus; the 
African darter, Anhinga rufa; and the marbled teal, 
Marmaronetta angustirostris, are also thriving. 
Internationally important numbers of wildfowl winter in the 
marshes, where they are an important source of food for the 
inhabitants. (Photo courtesy Nature Iraq/CIMI/BirdLife) 
The Mesopotamian marshes are one of the most biodiverse 
regions in Iraq. One of the largest wetlands in the Middle 
East, they provide a vital stopover for thousands of 
waterbirds on migration and during the winter months. 
"These are some of the most wildlife-rich sites in the Middle 
East, but often all we hear about is the conflict," Porter 
said. 
"It’s recognized across the world that biodiversity can 
enhance quality of life in a region," said Porter. 
"By publishing this field guide with Nature Iraq, we are 
improving the ease with which people can become involved in 
conservation in the region - a positive step which has 
potential economic benefits for the nation as a whole," he 
observed. 
Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources has declared restoration of 
the marshes its highest priority, and has established the 
Center for Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands to achieve this 
goal. 
The front cover of the new "Field Guide to the Birds of Iraq" 
(Photo courtesy Nature Iraq/CIMI/BirdLife) 
The field guide was made possible through funding from the 
Canadian Government via the Canada-Iraq Marshlands Initiative, 
the World Bank, the Ornithological Society of the Middle East 
and AviFauna. 
The illustrations and text for the field guide were taken from 
"Birds of the Middle East," in the Helm Field Guide series, 
which recently has been translated into Arabic. 
Nature Iraq was responsible for adapting the text for Iraq, 
especially the information on conservation status, 
distribution and habitats of the bird species. 
Copies of "Field Guide to the Birds of Iraq" (price £15.00 
including postage) can be obtained in the UK from OSME Sales, 
email: sales@osme.org