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List of birds of Palestine: Difference between revisions

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* [[White-eyed Gull]] (''Larus leucophthalmus'')<ref name=Gazelle/>
* [[White-eyed Gull]] (''Larus leucophthalmus'')<ref name=Gazelle/>
* [[Armenian Gull]] (''Larus armenicus'')<ref name=Gsb/>
* [[Armenian Gull]] (''Larus armenicus'')<ref name=Gsb/>

==Skuas==
'''Order''': [[Charadriiformes]] '''Family''': [[Skua|Stercorariidae]]

The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants. There are seven species worldwide.

* [[Pomarine Skua]] (''Stercorarius pomarinus'')<ref name=Gsb/>


==Terns==
==Terns==

Revision as of 19:40, 11 August 2009

This is a list of the bird species recorded in Palestine.

The avifauna of Palestine is unusually rich for so small an area. Henry B. Tristram, who identified much of the avifauna of Palestine in an 1885 study which denoted the geographical scope as covering an area of Template:Mi2 to km2, identified 348 species: 271 Palearctic, 40 Ethiopian (10 of which are also Indian), 7 Indian, and 30 peculiar to Syria.[1][2] The number of species identified has since grown considerably and is expected to grow further as the number of active ornithologists in the region grows.[3] Today, there are 470 species, classified in 206 genera, belonging to 67 families and grouped in 21 orders.[3]

Orders containing the largest numbers of species are: Passeriformes (songbirds) with 192 species, Charadriiformes (waders, plovers, gulls) with 88 species, Falconiformes (diurnal birds of Prey) with 44 species, and Anseriformes (swans, geese, ducks) with 33 species.[3] The largest families are: Sylviidae (warblers) with 43 species, Turdidae (thrushes, chats) and Anatidae (swans, geese, ducks), both with 33 species, and Accipitridae (eagles, vultures, hawks) with 32 species.[3] The most populous genera are: Sylvia (warblers) with 15 species, Emberiza (buntings) with 14, and Larus (gulls) with 13, while Oenanthe (wheatears), Sterna (terns) and Falco (falcons) each comprise 11 species.[3]

The different types of avifauna are not equally diffused over the whole area. The Palearctic species are found largely in the coastal area of the Mediterranean Sea and the highlands east and west of Jordan. The Ethiopian and Indian types are almost exclusively confined to the Dead Sea basin.[2] There are thirty species of migratory soaring birds that pass through Palestine annually.[4]

Buzzards, eagles, harriers, hawks, kites and vultures

The Golden Eagle appears of the crest of the Palestinian National Authority and is a winter visitor to Palestine

Order: Falconiformes Family: Accipitridae

Cranes, rails and relatives

Order: Gruiformes Family: Gruidae

Family: Otidae

[8]

Cormorants

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Falcons

Order: Falconiformes Family: Falconidae

Osprey

Order: Falconiformes Family: Pandionidae

Pelicans

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Pelecanidae

Bittern, herons and egrets

Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Ardeidae

The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills, members of this family fly with their necks retracted.

Ibises and spoonbills

Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae is a family of large terrestrial and wading birds which comprises the ibises and spoonbills. Its members have long, broad wings with 11 primary and about 20 secondary flight feathers. They are strong fliers and, despite their size and weight, very capable soarers.

Storks

The White Stork is very common in Palestine

Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Ciconiidae

Tropicbirds

Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Phaethontidae

Thrushes

Order: Passeriformes Family: Turdidae

Old World flycatchers

The Bluethroat of the red-spotted race is a fairly common winter visitor to Palestine

Order: Passeriformes Family: Muscicapidae

Old World warblers

File:Blackcap Main.jpg
An adult male Blackcap. These are common winter visitors to Palestine and a few remain resident to breed.

Order: Passeriformes Family: Sylviidae

Cisticolas and allies

Order: Passeriformes Family: Cisticolidae

Plovers and lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriidae

Pratincoles and coursers

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Glareolidae

Glareolidae is a family of wading birds comprising the pratincoles, which have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails, and the coursers, which have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards.

Gulls

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae

Laridae is a family of medium to large birds seabirds and includes gulls and kittiwakes. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet.

Skuas

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Stercorariidae

The family Stercorariidae are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They nest on the ground in temperate and arctic regions and are long-distance migrants. There are seven species worldwide.

Terns

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Sternidae

Terns are a group of generally general medium to large sea-birds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species now known to live in excess of 25 to 30 years.

Sandpipers and allies

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae

The Scolopacidae are a large diverse family of small to medium sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

Other

References

  1. ^ Hastings, 2004, p. 762.
  2. ^ a b H. B. Tristam (1885). "The survey of Western Palestine: The Fauna and Flora of Palestine". The Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at "Birds of Palestine". Gazelle: The Palestinian Biological Bulletin. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Migratory Soaring Birds". Palestine Wildlife Society. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd "The Handbook of Palestine". MacMillan and Co., Limited. 1922. Retrieved 2009-07-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |editors= ignored (|editor= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Birds of Gaza Strip and their threats
  7. ^ R. W. Sheppard (1933) Notes on The Birds of Jerusalem.
  8. ^ a b BirdLife International in partnership with Palestine Wildlife Society (PWLS); Globally threatened species in Palestinian Authority Territories
  9. ^ Al- Safadi, M.M. (1997). On the breeding biology of the Spur - winged Plover, Hoplopterus spinosus, in Gaza Strip. Zoology in the Middle East. 14:47-52

Bibliography

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