Bald Ibises returning to their breeding grounds in Syria
18 March 2007 - The rarest birds in the Middle East are returning to their breeding grounds. The re-appearance of one Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita in Palmyra, Syria, with two others close behind, is a success for the nine-month satellite tracking project. The three tagged birds flew more than 3,800 miles across seven countries, and spent the winter in the Ethiopian highlands 50 miles from the country’s capital, Addis Ababa. The birds’ return route was one of the factors that surprised scientists most. They flew west rather than east of the Red Sea, crossing from Sudan to Saudi Arabia at the Sea’s widest point of about 180 miles.
Read more on www.birdlife.org
Incredible finding in Syria of 1500 Sociable Lapwings
2 March 2007 - A small expedition team travelling across Syria today announced the discovery of the largest wintering population of one of Eurasia’s most endangered birds, the Sociable Lapwing. Previous estimates placed the global population at between 400 and 1500 individuals. However, the expedition team reported seeing over 1200 birds in one day and over 1500 in total during the trip, all within a few grassland sites in Northern Syria. Read more on www.birdlife.org
Literature (Click on the books to get more details)
