Bulletin 14 - July 1981: Bird Recordings on Zirku Island, 1981

Bird Recordings on Zirku Island, 1981

by Ian Fraser

Zirku Island is approximately 150 Kms. WNW of Abu Dhabi Island, and is visible to the South from Das. It was once a renowned sanctuary for Cormorants but since 1978 ZADCO have begun to develop the island. These are the first recordings since ZADCO moved in.

Bird	24 April	29 April	15 May	29 May	5 June
Socotra Cormorant	Countless nesting	Nesting	Nesting	Approx. 25,000 Breeding season over	Mostly at sea
Sooty Gull	Countless	Nesting,1 -2 eggs	Several hundred nests, mostly 3 eggs	Chicks 5 -7 days old. Approx 360 breeding pairs	Numerous chicks under attack from terns
Bridled Tern	Countless	Countless. Early signs of breeding	100+ nests all with eggs. Estimate 1000+ nests throughout island. Egg pale sandy/greenish ting, fine brown spots, a few heavier blotches	1000+ breeding pairs. All nests one egg (one nest two eggs)	Numbers increasing
White-checked Tern	18 -20	Numbers increasing	Several hundred nests,2-3 eggs	450 -500 breeding pairs	-
Lesser-crested Tern	7	Increasing	1000 +	Decrease	Decrease
Red-billed tropic bird	-	5, one nest site	Second nest site, impossible to determine stage	Third nest found; one well-grown juvenile. Hen sitting on first two sites	All 3 nests with young
Sooty Falcon	2 nesting	Nesting 1 / 2 eggs	One pair pursuing tern. Nest site not approached	At nest	-
Reef Heron	-	3	1 nest at top of wadi; 4 blue eggs	The four eggs have disappeared	-
Grey Heron	2	2	1	-	-
Whimbrel	-	2	-	-	1
Kestrel	1	-	-	-	-
Hoopoe	1	-	-	-	-
Willow warbler/Chiffchaff	14	10+	-	-	-
Wood (?) Warbler	1	1	-	-	-
Turtle dove	-	1	-	-	1
Palm dove	-	3	1+	-	-
Osprey	-	1	2	-	-
Red-tailed Wheatear	-	-	1	-	-
Red-backed Strike	-	1	-	-	-
Grey Plover	-	2	-	-	-
Isabelline Shrike	-	1	-	-	-
Crested lark	-	1	-	-	-