The birdlife 
Because of its southerly location, many African species such as African 
Collared Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea, Abyssinian Roller Coracias abyss- 
inicus, Yellow-billed Storks Mycteria ibis, Pink-backed Pelican Fele- 
canus rufescens, and Bataleur Terathopius ecaudatus have been reported 
at Abu Simbil. Other species found in northern Sudan and which reach 
Wadi Haifa could be expected as well. 
During spring and autumn, there is an influx of migrants, particularly 
passerines, into vegetated areas; and a visible passage of waterbirds, 
such as White Pelicans Pelecanus onocrotalus and gulls and terns along 
the lake. In November 1989, during a visit sponsored by the Egyptian 
Ministry of Agriculture to study the problem of Egyptian Geese as 
pests to agriculture in the Lake Nasser region, a large number of 
wintering waterbirds were found, including Spoonbills Platalea leu- 
corodia, Grey Herons Ardea cinerea, Gull-billed Terns Gelochelidon nilot- 
ica, White-winged Black Terns Chlidonias leucopterus, Black-winged 
Stilts Himantopus himantopus, White-tailed Plover Chettusia leucura, 
and many waterfowl species (primarily dabbling ducks) such as 
Wigeon Anas penelope and Teal Anas crecca (Baha El Din et al. 1989). 
While it was true that Egyptian Geese caused some damage to crops, 
they were seen feeding, along with other wintering waterfowl, amongst 
the partly submerged Tamarisk bushes. This was a favourite habitat 
for most waterfowl: during June 1990, Egyptian Geese were seen 
feeding exclusively on grassy banks of the inner khors. 
In summer, a visitor to Abu Simbil Temple might have the impression 
that there is very little birdlife of interest in the area. The reason for that 
is the lack of any suitable habitats in the vicinity of the temple itself. An 
excursion to neighboring khors might prove more beneficial. During a 
survey of the khors to the north of Abu Simbil on 17 June 1990, 114 
Yellow-billed Storks and 64 Pink-backed Pelicans were seen. These are 
the largest numbers of both species recorded in Egypt. There was some 
evidence of a regular northward movement of both species, when 
small flocks were observed flying over the town or occasionally low 
over the waters of Lake Nasser. A total of 266 Egyptian Geese, some 
