THE BIRDS OF MESOPOTAMIA. 217 
at roost by hordes of Spanish Sparrow. Here, too,in winter may be seen Blue 
Throats. Robins, Black Redstarts, etc., and the few Finches which occur, such as 
the Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Eastern Linnet and rarer still the Red-fronted Finch 
(Metaponia) and Crimson-winged Bullfinch (Rhodospiza). 
7. Uncultivated land beyond the irrigated areu. 
The dwellers in this desolate region are few; MacQueen’s Bustard breeds there 
while the Norfolk Plover and Cream-coloured Courser have been seen in the brees 
d.ng season in pairs, and almost certainly breed. Here, too, may be found the 
Pratincole in colonies, while the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater makes its burrows into 
the flat surface, choosing places with a sandy subsoil. In winter a few Eagles 
Long-legged Buzzards, odd Isabelline and other Wheatears and occasionally the 
Desert Warbler are almost the sole occupants to be seen on a long day’s journey. 
8. Towns and Buildings. 
The House Sparrow must take premier place and is a resident everywhere. 
The White Stork nests on the houses and mosques in Baghdad and northwards. 
The Barn Owl is a local resident, while the Kestrel and probably also the Lesses 
Kestrel utilize suitable buildings. The Eastern Swift (C. murinus) breeds in 
most of the larger towns. The Swallows are summer visitors and breed in most 
of the houses, while their nests built on the tent poles were an annual feature of 
the canvas camps. The Rock Dove inhabits the towns and ruins, such as at 
Ctesiphon, in numbers, and enjoys animmunity from persecution from the Maho- 
medans by living in the sacred mosques; ine flocks of unmixed blue are one 
of the beauties of Baghdad and it is hoped it will be long before the nondescript 
breeds of the fancier appear and convert them into the mongrel pigeon communi- 
ties usually seen. 
This concludes the subdivisions of the great alluvial plain; above this and 
always above the highest level of the rivers we have :— 
1. Undulating table land.—Here on the rolling plains of gravel and grass such 
as between Fatah Gorge and Mosul, the Calandra and Short-toed Larks which 
spread out in winter to lower parts, retire to nest ; in suitable spots the Desert 
Lark (Ammomanes) is resident. In the clifis where the river has cut its way 
through the hills of conglomerate rocks, Bonelli’s Hagle, Long-Legged Buzaard, 
Egyptian Vulture and Raven breed. The See-See (Ammoperdiz) is not uncom- 
mon on the rougher ground, and is, of course, resident. 
Here, too, is one of the breeding places of the Brahminy Duck. On the vast 
grassy plains, the Great Bustard is to be met with round Kirkuk and Mosul and 
was not uncommon when these places were first occupied. 
Correspondingly similar places are to be found at Shahroban on the Diala, at 
Ahwaz on the Karun, and somewhere above Feluja on the Euphrates. 
2. Foothills of the mountains 900—1,500 feet from Mosul to Ahwaz— 
‘Cheesman and Buxton were about the only observers who visited these rugged 
hills and they found very few species there but as might be expected a few species 
occur there which are not found elsewhere, the Red-rumped Swallow and Rock 
Nuthatch were apparently resident as also is the Chukar in suitable places, while 
Hume’s Chat was also obtained here. The Pusht-i-kuh Mountains are outside 
our area ; they include the Zagros referred to by Zarudny. 
Pr Ayes 
R. E, C. 
4. Miaration—A feature of the avifauna of Mesopotamia is the small number 
of resident species in contrast to a long list of migrants and winter visitors. In 
fact one might mention places where there is but one resident—the crested lark. 
During the spring and autumn migrations, even these desolate spots are thronged 
with bird life undertaking the great pilgrimage, either staying a while to rest 
or feed, or merely passing over. The small casis, such as Shaiba, on the edge of 
28 
