Results
During the survey a total of 119 species of bird was
identified within the Protected Area. Additionally tracks of what are believed
to be stone curlew were found in Khor Ram on 27 April. Based on the available
literature (Andrews et al (1999), Andrews (1995), Evans and Amr (1996)
and Bradbury et al (1997)), 25 of these species were new to
the Rum Desert area. Of particular note were pied wheatear – potentially a new
species for Jordan; red-tailed wheatear (5th record for Jordan); wintering
Cyprus warbler and desert warbler (both rare passage or wintering species);
and marsh warbler (potentially 3rd and 4th records for Jordan).
Of the 119 species, 34 are confirmed or potential breeding species and 85
are migrant/wintering species.
A total of 1,836 pairs/territory holding males was recorded. From this
figure a theoretical total population of 1,800 to 3,118 pairs/territory holding
males within the Protected Area can be estimated – see Summary of breeding
bird populations below. Two species – hoopoe lark and great grey shrike
– were found breeding for the first time.
Summary of breeding bird populations
|
Species
|
No.
pairs/territory holding males recorded
|
Total
estimated population
|
|
Short-toed
eagle
|
1
|
2
|
|
Long-legged
buzzard
|
6+
|
6+
|
|
Verreaux's
eagle
|
1
|
1
|
|
Kestrel
|
11
|
10-15
|
|
Sooty
falcon
|
3
|
3++
|
|
Chukar
|
10
|
10-15
|
|
Sand
partridge
|
21
|
20-35
|
|
Rock
dove
|
59
|
50-100
|
|
Laughing
dove
|
13
|
10-20
|
|
Eagle
owl
|
1+
|
1++
|
|
Little
owl
|
2
|
2++
|
|
Hume's
tawny owl
|
5
|
5++
|
|
Bar-tailed
desert lark
|
110
|
100-200
|
|
Desert
lark
|
476
|
470-800
|
|
Hoopoe
lark
|
1
|
2
|
|
Temminck's
horned lark
|
7
|
5-15
|
|
African
rock martin
|
100
|
85-175
|
|
Yellow-vented
bulbul
|
3
|
2-10
|
|
Blackstart
|
4
|
1-5
|
|
Desert
wheatear
|
7
|
5-15
|
|
Mourning
wheatear
|
122
|
120-210
|
|
Hooded
wheatear
|
20
|
15-25
|
|
White-crowned
black wheatear
|
267
|
250-440
|
|
Scrub
warbler
|
192
|
190-320
|
|
Palestine
sunbird
|
2
|
2-5
|
|
Great
grey shrike
|
3
|
1-5
|
|
Brown-necked
raven
|
31
|
25-55
|
|
Fan-tailed
raven
|
1
|
1
|
|
Tristram's
grackle
|
10
|
10-20
|
|
House
sparrow
|
?
|
10-30
|
|
Spanish
sparrow
|
?
|
5++
|
|
Trumpeter
finch
|
205
|
200-340
|
|
Sinai
rosefinch
|
99
|
90-170
|
|
House
bunting
|
39
|
35-65
|
Detailed information on each species is given in the Species Accounts
(Appendix 1) which are arranged in three sections – Breeding Species,
Migrant/Winter Visitors and Migrating Raptors. The Species Accounts
contain the following information:
(i) a summary of the species' published status in Jordan based on
information in Andrews (1995) and Andrews et al (1999),
(ii) brief details of the species' habitat requirements based on
information in Beaman and Madge (1998) (breeding species only),
(iii) observations made during this survey,
(iv) where appropriate, comments on the survey's results in relation to
the published literature – Cramp et al (1977-1988), Evans (1994), Snow and
Perrins (1998)
(v) where appropriate, maps indicating presence/absence (majority of
species), breeding numbers and distribution (breeding species only) and
indication of abundance (species recorded during timed survey visits only).
Summary information highlighting the significant findings of the survey
are given later in this section.
4.1
Observer coverage
As detailed in section 3 – Methods, the
whole of the Protected Area was divided into 149, 2 x 2 km squares and survey
visits were made to 90 of these at the rate of four per day. As the season
progressed and daytime temperatures were higher earlier in the day, better
results would have been obtained if only three or even two squares had been
covered, in the coolest periods at the start and end of the day, but by then
there was no flexibility available in the schedule for a coverage of anything
less than four squares a day. Specific recording visits were also made to
seven non-survey squares and casual observations were made in 19 of the
remaining squares, giving reasonable coverage of 116 squares representing 78%
of the whole site – see map 3 Observer coverage. If records of birds
seen whilst simply driving through squares are also included, bird records
were obtained from a total of 139 squares representing 93% coverage of the
site. The squares receiving greatest coverage were those including and around
the RSCN house in Rum village as these provided both a good variety of
habitats and were easily accessible for 'opportunistic' recording outside the
main survey periods.
4.3
Breeding species and territories per square
This is shown on
map
5 Total number of breeding territories and breeding species
recorded in each square where the black squares indicate the highest
number of breeding species. However, this map includes all records and thus
uneven observer coverage, so the relative importance of each square cannot be
determined. By contrast, map 6
Abundance of breeding territories and breeding species in each square
presents only the data collected during the standard two hour survey visits,
allowing direct comparison between squares. Despite these differences, broadly
the two maps present a similar picture. There are centres of higher species
diversity (but note that even the most important squares support a maximum of
only 11-13 species) and the number of species in each square increases with
the increase in coverage. These
increases seem to radiate out from the centres of higher diversity
defined on the abundance map (map 6)
possibly indicating that the centres of species diversity are, in reality,
larger than the abundance map indicates and that, given greater and equal
coverage of the whole site, an even more uniform picture would emerge.
As
far as the number of breeding territories per square is concerned, there is no
direct correlation with either observer coverage or the number of breeding
species per square. Rather the maps reflect the suitability of the habitat,
and thus abundance, of one or two species. For example trumpeter finch in
square 2466, desert lark and white-crowned black wheatear in square 2468 and
desert lark in square 3672 –
see map 6. The only
exception to this is square 3264 where a good variety of species was found
breeding in good numbers indicating an area of healthy and well structured
habitat.
