Discussion 
Meininger (1991) and Pineau (1992) suggest that the recent increase in 
Black-shouldered Kites Elanus caeruleus and Cattle Egrets is related to a 
reduction in the use of pesticides in agricultural land in Egypt. According 
to Dr Mohammed E Hamaki, general manager of pest Control at the 
Ministry of Agriculture (in Lewnes 1992), the Egyptian Government has 
reduced pesticide use by 40 percent over the last five years. Mullie et al 
(1992), on the other hand, note that the recent increases coincided w^ith a 
shift in the type of pesticides used in Egypt, w^hile Homer and Magalli 
(1992) propose that changes in agricultural practices might have lead to 
this increase (in the case of the Black-shouldered Kite). There is, however, 
nothing but circumstantial evidence to supportany of the above scenarios. 
It is most likely that a combination of factors have led to the current 
apparent increase in some bird populations, in-depth studies relating 
these rapid changes with shifts in agricultural practices (including 
changes in pesticide use patterns) would be most useful, particularly to 
ensure the future conservation of these birds. 
Acknowledgments 
Many thanks go to Mr John Tidy for pointing out his finding of the Bilbeis 
colonies, and to my wife Mindy, Mr Ahmed Riad, Dr Gary Alport and Mr John 
Hardwick who accompanied me during various visits to Bilbeis and other sites 
in the Delta. 
References 
Goodman S.M. and Meininger, P.L. (eds) 1989. The Birds of Egypt. Oxford 
University Press, Oxford. 
Homer, K.O. and Megalli, M.D. 1992. Population changes of Black-shouldered 
kites in the Nile Valley of Egypt. Courser 3: 5-15. 
Lewnes, A. 1992. The Killing fields. Cairo Today, 13 (8): 64-66, 108-109. 
Meininger, P.L. (in press) Range extension of Black-shouldered kites Elanus 
caeruleus in northern Egypt. Sandgrouse. 
Mullie, W.C.; Massi, A.; Focardi, S and Renzoni, A. 1992. Residue levels of 
Organochlorines and Mercury in Cattle Egret, Bulbulcus ibis, eggs from the 
Faiyum Oasis, Egypt. Bull Environ. Contam, Toxicol., 48: 739-746. 
Mullie, W.C. and Meininger, P.L. 1985. The decline of birds of prey pwpulntwus in 
Egypt. ICPB Technical Publications, 5: 61-82. 
Pineau, 0. 1992. Status of the Cattle Egret colony of Giza in April 1990. Courser, 
3: 43-47. 
SherifM Baha El Din, Executive Business Service, Cairo Marriott Hotel, PO 
Box 33 Zmnalek, Cairo, Egypt 
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