leucogeranus were reported from Iran. 
Of these between one and three were 
killed and four captured for zoos. The 
Iranian population of this species was 
the subject of a workshop at the IWRB/ 
AWB wetlands and waterfowl 
conference in Pakistan in December 
1991. See report by Mike Evans in this 
Bulletin. 
Bahrain 
Autumn wader study 
Some 456 waders of nine species were 
trapped and ringed in a four-week 
study of wader turnover and 
movements in Bahrain last autumn, 
according to the interim report of the 
Bahrain Wader Study. In addition, 
biometric measurements were made 
to determine where the birds originate 
and weights were taken to determine 
feeding efficiency. It was found that 
recaptured individuals were increasing 
their weight by over 10% daily, 
indicating the importance of feeding 
areas in Bahrain for migrating waders. 
Counts were also made at high tide 
roosts as part of a study started in 1989. 
The largest roost contained about 7,000 
birds. 
A study of the feeding strategies of 
sandplovers was also carried out. This 
involved recording the rate of pecking, 
the success rate and the type of food 
for Greater Charadrius leschenaultii and 
Lesser Sandplover C mongolus. An 
analysis of the food available on the 
shore has yet to be carried out. (Source: 
Bahrain Natural History Society 
Newsletter 9). 
The Gulf 
Saudi Arabian coast 
In November and December 1991, two 
ICBP teams worked in the Gulf with 
national conservation agencies in Saudi 
Arabia and Kuwait to monitor bird 
populations after the immense oil and 
smoke pollution caused by the Gulf 
War. Most of the Saudi Arabian coast 
was surveyed and very large numbers 
of coastal waterfowl were found at 
two unoiled sites - Tarut Bay (50,000) 
and Jubayl Waste-water Lagoons 
(20,000). 
Over 1,000 waders were ringed and 
colour-dyed (yellow) at the latter site 
by the Yamashina Institute for 
Ch-nithology (Japan) during the same 
period. The oiled section of the Saudi 
coast had very few waders compared 
with before the spill, principally 
because most of the invertebrate food 
supply had been killed. Most of the 
oiled inter-tidal areas have now been 
covered with a thin layer of sediment 
thus reducing the risk of direct oiling 
to the birds. 
Kuwait oil lakes 
Huge oil lakes resulting from 
sabotaged oil wells covered at least 20 
km^ at the time of the survey. Further 
evidence was gathered on the 
devastating effect these are having on 
migrant waterfowl. The data suggest 
that many tens of thousands of 
waterfowl may have died in the oil 
lakes during the autumn migration, 
including herons, ducks and crakes. 
Among non-waterfowl species, 
corpses of aerial insectivores which 
hawk over water (such as hirundines, 
bee-eaters and nightjars) were 
conspicuously common. The coast 
could not be surveyed because of mines 
and other hazards. Bird shooting was 
found to be widespread and intense at 
most good waterfowl sites in the 
country. 
Socotra Cormorant survey 
A planned survey of breeding Socotra 
Cormorants Phalacrocorax nigrogularis 
in Saudi Arabia in January 1992 has 
been postponed until autumn 1992. It 
is hoped that as many of the relevant 
Gulf countries as possible will take 
35 
