32 
White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla (2-3) , Short-toed Eagle 
Circaetus gallicus (>5), Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosas (1-2), 
Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus (<5) , Lesser Kestrel Falco 
naumanni (<25) , Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus (> 10) , 
White-breasted Halcyon smyrnensis (1-2) and Pied Kingfishers Ceryle 
rudis (1-2). Great concentrations of wintering waterfowl occur with 
an astonishing 400,000 Coot Fulica atra recorded in Dece:iber 1986. 
The natural history in this book is a labour of accumulation rather 
than of synthesis. More einphasis on describing and loapping 
habitats, and integrating animal species distributions accordingly, 
would have made a more user-friendly guide. Nevertheless, it 
remains an indispensable companion to the area, and a powerful 
stimulus to its conservation. 
N. J. Collar 
Report on an Ornithological Survey of the Asir National Park, 
Saudi Arabia, 29 June to 18 July 1987 by M. C. Jennings, 
M. I. al Salana and H. M. Felemban. 76pp. Technical Report N° 4, 
National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Developn^nt , 
Riyadh . 
The last three years have been a period of remarkable progress for 
wildlife conservation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Hitherto, 
only Oman had any track record of note in this field, but the 
creation of the NCWCD in 1986 by Royal Decree has quickly 
established a leading role for the Kingdom in the conservation of 
the peninsula's flora and fauna. This report is one of a rapidly 
growing series of policy documents, research papers and survey 
reports resulting from work being sponsored by NCT-ZCD. A 
particularly welcome aspect is the emphasis given to participation 
by Saudi biologists so they can receive training in field skills. 
Asir National Park and its environs constitute one of the most 
spectacular and important areas for wildlife in the Kingdom. Just 
high enough to condense water from clouds and to catch the tip of 
the south-west monsoon to grow juniper forest and plunging down the 
Asir scarp to the torrid heat of the coastal desert in the Tihama 
plain, the area is a inicrocosia of the peninsula's habitats. The 
authors, who worked principally around Jebel Sooda, found 41 bird 
species definitely breeding here, with a total of 83 species 
possibly breeding, including all of the nine truly endemic landbirds 
of t'ne region. The report includes much useful information on the 
geomorphology , climate and ecology of the Park, and appendices 
provide a systematic list of ail birds observed, biometric and moult 
data on birds caught and a summary of the breeding status of the 
birds present. One chapter deals with the environmental problems of 
Jebel Sooda which, unusually for Arabia, include pressure froTi 
tourist development. The report also sets out some helpful 
reco^TUTienda t ions for further survey and conservation measures. 
Paul Goriup 
