The OSME Sites Register Scheme 
progress report 
Mike Evans 
The Sites Register Scheme was launched by OSME in 1983 so that 
members could document important sites for birds in the Middle East 
(OSME Bull 10: 1-3). Members filled in forms on sites which they felt 
were important and sent them in to the Co-ordinator, who carried out 
this role in his spare time. The Scheme was rather open-ended and 
archival. Its success in gathering information on a country-by-country 
basis depended on the distribution and level of activity of OSME members. 
Thus the Scheme has now largely been replaced by the ICBP/OSME 
Important Bird Areas in the Middle East project launched in 1991. 
To 'wrap things up' in the Sites Register Scheme for the present, I report 
here on results of the Scheme since the last report in 1988 {OSME Bull. 21: 
12-14). During this period, nine further sites were added to the register, 
including three which contributors wish to keep confidential. The other 
six sites are listed below, with the form compiler's name and using the 
spelling given: 
Egypt 
Wadi Ambagi 
26WN 34n3'E R Frost 
Saudi Arabia 
Jebel Humrah area 
M C Jennings 
Turkey 
Tuzla Golu 
Eregli Marshes 
Halfeti 
Deve Gecidi Baradjii 
37°N 27°E 
37^N 33°E 
37°N 37''E 
38°N 40°E 
A F A Hawkins 
P Willoughby 
P Willoughby 
P J Dubois 
In summary, 38 participants have sent in 181 site forms in the nine years 
of the scheme's life, and have collectively made a major contribution to 
bird conservation in the Middle East. These very valuable results are 
being fed into the Middle East IBA project (Turkey and Cyprus by ICBP). 
The analysis of the Sites Register Scheme data promised in the last 
progress report was abandoned when it became clear that coverage was 
too uneven between countries; however, such an analysis is planned for 
the Middle East IBA project results. 
M / Evans, ICBP, 32 Cambridge Road, Girton, Cambridge, CBS OPJ, UK 
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