Research Article

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

Table 1

Bird breeding statuses in the CM for April–June 2014. Key: T = transect and Z = zone.

MonthSpeciesDescription

AprilRed-Wattled LapwingOne nest with two chicks and one egg in T2, Z2 (GPS coordinates: 0706280, 3436379)
Purple SwamphenOne empty nest T2, Z2
Graceful PriniaWe did not count the numbers of nests
WarblerOne empty nest in T2, Z3
House SparrowWe did not count the numbers of nests
Iraq BabblerOne nest in T1, Z2

May Warbler spp.(i) Two empty nests of Warbler spp. in T1, Z3 (coordinates: 0683694, 3441836)
(ii) Two nests (with two chicks and one egg in each nest) of Basra Reed Warbler in T2, Z3 (coordinates: 0706003, 3441503 and 0705922, 3441499)
Collared DoveNest (with two eggs) of Collared Dove in T2, Z1
Whiskered TernChicks and large numbers of Whiskered Terns (two colonies; each colony had over 50 nests) located in T2, Z3. Each nest was floating on water and all contained three eggs [coordinates: 0705878, 344280 and 0706394, 3437954].
Little BitternNest of Little Bittern with 4 eggs in transect two [coordinates: 0702287, 3430598].
White-Tailed LapwingTwo nests of White-Tailed Lapwing (one nest with four eggs and second with two eggs) [coordinates: 0684287, 3434033].
Graceful PriniaNest of Graceful Prinia in T3
House SparrowOne nest and chicks of House Sparrow in T3

JuneWarbler(i) Three nests of Basra Reed Warbler with two chicks and one egg in T1, Z2 [coordinates: 0693162, 3436719 and 0684284, 3434030]
(ii) Three nests of Basra Reed Warbler in T2, Z3 [coordinates: 0705880, 3441550 and 0705874, 3441525]
(iii) All recorded nests of Basra Reed Warbler in our survey were built on reed stems only
(iv) Basra Reed Warbler shares its preferred reed bed habitat with the similar Great Reed Warbler
(v) Our survey highlighted dominancy of Great Reed Warbler in April (the number of individuals recorded of Basra Reed Warbler in the area of study was 14, 42, and 66 and for Great Reed Warbler was 38, 57, and 42 in April, May, and June 2014, resp.)
Little BitternNest with four eggs and chick of Little Bittern in T2, Z1 [coordinates: 0693170, 3436726]
White Tailed LapwingNest with four eggs of White-Tailed Lapwing in T2, Z1
Collared DoveNest with two eggs of Collared Dove in T2, Z1
Whiskered Tern20 chicks of Whiskered Tern in T2, Z3
Pied KingfisherOne chick and 10 eggs of Pied Kingfisher in T1, Z2
Little GrebeObservation , 20 juveniles of Little Grebe subspecies Tachybaptus ruficollis iraquensis in T2, Z3