BIRDS 



Since most of the islands of the archipelago are of a small 

 area, the birds that inhabit them are prevalently water fowl 

 or marine birds. On the big islands of Nocra and Dissei we 

 caught the Arabian bustard, Choriotis arabs arabs, some guinea- 

 fowl of the genus Numida and many turtle-doves. Sand-grouse 

 represented by two species, the spotted sand-grouse (Pterocles 

 senegallus) and the chestnut-bellied sand-grouse [Pterocles 

 senegalensis senegalensis) used to come punctually at seven 

 o'clock in the morning to the water-holes of Dissei, flying in 

 from the nearby peninsula of Buri in Dankalia or from the 

 interior of the big Dahlak islands. We were thankful to these 

 birds for enabling us to change our menu occasionally and 

 enjoy a really appetizing meal. 



On all the islands the major representative of the birds of 

 prey was the osprey [Pandion haliaetus haliaetus). We often 

 watched it in its splendid flights and dives. We collected some 

 of its eggs for preservation and for some weeks counted a 

 nestling among our mascots. There were other common birds 

 of prey on the larger islands, vultures of the species Egyptian 

 vulture [Neophron percnopterus percnopterus) and hooded vulture 

 [Necrosjrtes monachus pileatus) . Of the falconids, the Egyptian 

 kite [Milvus migrans aegiptus) was very common and a nester 

 on the mangroves of Sheikh Said and Dahlak Kebir. 



The marine birds or water-fowl were represented by 

 different families of the order of the Ciconiiformes, that is by 

 tropic birds, boobies, pelicans, herons, egrets and flamingoes, 



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