فهرست مطالب

Podoces - Volume:5 Issue: 1, 2010

Podoces
Volume:5 Issue: 1, 2010

  • تاریخ انتشار: 1389/06/01
  • تعداد عناوین: 8
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  • Ellen Vuosalo-Tavakoli Page 1
    This paper summarizes discussion on the preparation of the first Bird Atlas in Finland (BAF) 30 years ago, along with references to more recent Bird Atlases in other countries. This discourse emphasises that atlasing is an exemplary process for producing an important monitoring tool that for recording environmental changes and threatened habitats in a given country and for monitoring ornithological biodiversity in a region. The essence of a bird atlas lies in what its maps can depict and what can be derived from them. Here, the essential components of the first BAF and subsequent Finnish atlases are described andexamples of bird distribution maps from a variety of sources are explained. A concise history of bird atlases can be derived from the cited examples, but the multiple references provide relevant source information for the ongoing process of the first Bird Atlas of Iran
  • Derek A. Scott Page 11
    The mid-winter waterbird counts in Iran were initiated by the Department of theEnvironment in January 1967. The counts focused on pelicans, flamingos, swans, geese,ducks, cranes and coots, but some counts were also made of other species of waterbirds. By the early 1970s, the counts were sufficiently comprehensive to enable estimations to be made of the total numbers of many species of waterbirds present in Iran in the mid-winter period. The overall results of the counts and these population estimates are presented in a series of tables. It was estimated that in an ‘average’ year in the early 1970s, there were approximately 2,000–2,200 pelicans, 48,000–51,000 flamingos, 380–460 swans, 27,000– 32,000 geese, 2.0–2.4 million ducks, 2,300–2,800 cranes and 370,000–410,000 coots wintering in Iran. The number of birds reaching Iran in autumn and remaining throughout the winter was greatly affected by weather conditions both in Iran and in the north Caspian region. In mild winters, large numbers of the hardier species, notably the swans Cygnus spp., remained throughout the winter in the north Caspian, while in extremely severe winters, a large part of the Russian wintering populations moved south into northern Iran. In dry years, when many of the wetlands in Khuzestan, central Fars and Seistan remained dry throughout the winter, large numbers of waterbirds continued on south to winter in the Indian subcontinent or Mesopotamia. In the winter of 1969/70, when conditions were unusually mild in northwestern Iran, large numbers of birds overwintered in the wetlands of the Urumiyeh basin in Azarbaijan, but in most years these wetlands froze over in December, and most birds had left the area by the time of the mid-winter counts.
  • Abbas Ashoori Page 29
    The breeding ecology of the Little Egret Egretta garzetta was studied during the2006 breeding season in Karfestan Ab-bandan, Gilan Province, northern Iran. The breedingparameters, namely egg-laying date, clutch and brood size, egg measurements, nest-sitecharacteristics and breeding success were examined. The birds laid eggs from 28 March to11 April. The average clutch size (98 eggs in total) was 4.26±0.81. Of these, 82.6% hatched and 80.6% fledged. On average, 3.43 chicks per nest reached fledging stage at this colony.In a dietary survey of the chicks following prey species were identified: Mole CricketGryllotalpa gryllotalpa, Walker Chilo suppressalis, Steppe Cricket Gryllus desertus,Asiatic Locust Locusta migratoria, Prussian Carp Carassius gibelio, Caspian Spined LoachSabanejewia caspia, Riffle Minnow Albumoides bipunctatus elchwaldi, Carp Cyprus spp.,European Catfish Silurus glanis, Common Grass Snake Natrix natrix natrix and MarshFrog Rana ridibunda.
  • Nooshin Satei, Mohammad Kaboli, Saeid Cheraghi, Mahmoud Karami, Mitra Shariati Najafabadi, Reza Goljani Page 35
    The breeding biology of Pleske's Ground Jay Podoces pleskei was studied on theMehrano Plain (in Touran Biosphere Reserve, Iran) from February to May in 2007 and2008. Nest sites were located mainly in the top centre of dense vegetation, such as thorny bushes of Atraphaxis spinosa, Ephedra intermedia and Zygophyllum eurypterum. The cupshaped nests in Atraphaxis bushes and dome-shaped nests in other species shrubs like Ephedra and Zygophyllum were built from thin branches and twigs that help protect nestlings against direct radiation from the sun. Clutch sizes varied from three to six eggs (4.1±0.6 mean ± SD) laid at the end of February. Hatching occurred within 17.5±1.5, mid- March. The probabilities of survival were: egg's during the incubation period 0.436, chicks during hatching period 0.86 and nestlings 0.963. The overall breeding success from the beginning of the incubation period until fledging was 0.36. The maximum mortality rate was calculated during the incubation period. Predators, such as Eastern Desert Monitor Varanus griseus caspius were important threats affecting egg survival. Reducing the rate of such threats during the incubation period through an effective management action plan would increase the breeding success rate of Pleske’s Ground Jay.
  • Sajid Mahmood, Tariq Mahmood, Muhammad Rais, Irfan Zia Qureshi, Muhammad Sajid Nadeem Page 42
    The population and habitat preferences of the Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus and Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus were studied in three different habitats in Lehri Nature Park, Jhelum, Pakistan. The populations of the two species were estimated using direct (Line transect method) and indirect methods (“calls” of the two species). Data were collected monthly from September 2008 to July 2009. The results showed average population densities of 0.47±0.09/ha and 0.06±0.01/ha for Grey and Black Francolin, respectively. A noticeably higher population was found in the morning compared to that of the evening. Maximum densities at both morning and evening were found in October 2008 with significant differences (P<0.01). Maximum seasonal populations were recorded during autumn 2008 - 0.76±0.26/ha and 0.07±0.02/ha for Grey and Black Francolins, respectively. For an assessment of the habitat preferences of the two species, relative density, relative frequency and relative dominance were calculated for trees, shrubs and herbs species in the three selected habitats. The Importance Value Index (IVI) for tree species was also determined. The most preferred habitat of Grey Francolin was habitat-II having maximum IVI for trees (31.18) and maximum frequency of shrubs (52.5) while for Black Francolin, Habitat-III was most preferred, having maximum frequency of herbs and shrubs (36 and 37.3, respectively).
  • A. Mohamed Samsoor Ali, S. Asokan, R. Manikannan Page 54
    Population density and activity patterns of the White-breasted KingfisherHalcyon smyrnensis were studied in the Cauvery Delta of Tamil Nadu, Southern India from2004 to 2006. Population density was estimated by a line transect method. White-breasted Kingfisher density varied between 70 and145 individuals per square km. The river-banks generally supported highest numbers than agricultural lands or social forests. The Whitebreasted Kingfisher population showed year-on-year variations in all three habitats, reaching, respectively, high densities during 2005 (137/km2), 2006 (125/km2) and 2006 (95/km2). Significant seasonal density variations in each habitat were also recorded (P<0.05). Field observations of the species diurnal activities during four time blocks in the day showed that they spent an average of 54% of their time scanning, 23% feeding, 13% flying, 6% preening and 4% resting. Time spent on feeding and flying activities did not change (P>0.05) between years and seasons, but varied (P<0.05) among time blocks.Scanning and resting activities differed between years (P<0.05) and seasons (P<0.05) (in2006), but did not differ (P>0.05) among time blocks and habitats. Preening varied between years (P<0.05), seasons (P<0.05) (in 2006) and among time blocks. The present study could be useful in planning the conservation measures and population management strategies for avian species in the study area.
  • Rahim Abdulkarimi, Mohsen Daneshyar, Ahmad Barati Page 63
    The population status of the Great Bustard Otis tarda was assessed in threeregions of Boukan, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran, from 2002 to 2008. Surveys wereundertaken in the Sootav, Yenggija-Albelaq and Qazlian plains. An increase in numberswas recorded at Sootav plain, while little change was observed in the Yenggija-Albelaqplain during this period. The Qazlian plain seems to be less important than the other twoareas. The mean maximum density per 10 square km was 2.26±0.41 (N=23) in Sootav,5.12±0.98 (N=18) in Yenggija-Albelaq and 4.08±1.43 (N=11) in Qazlian. Based on theseobservations, the current number of Great Bustards in these areas is estimated to be about 35–40 individuals, and shows a dramatic decline since the last decade. Without effective conservation measures, the species may face extinction in Iran.
  • Aarif Kunnadkkum Muhammad, Babu Santhanakrishnan, Abdul Hameed Seere Valappil Page 69