33 
A Check-llat of the Bir d s of the Hashemlte Kingdom of Jordan: an 
Ecological Outlook by A. M. Dlsl "and A. H. Bouran. 1987. 152 
pages. Paperback. Department of Biological Sciences, University of 
Jordan, Aannan. No price given . 
This is the first annotated list of the birds of Jordan that has 
ever been published. Distribution, habitats, feeding arvi breeding 
details are given for each species. However, only the data on 
distribution refers specifically to Jordan. Although published in 
an Arabian country, this check-list is In English. This may account 
for a number of misprints, bur not for a certain lack of up-to-date 
information. For example, data from the very important 
contributions by Wallace ( Sandgrouse 4: 77-99 and 5: 1-18) are not 
incorpora ted . 
Unfortunately, a considerable number of factual errors diminish the 
value of this check-list. The supposedly systematic sequence of 
species has been mixed up completely, Apodiformes, for instance, 
appear between Anseriformes and Charadrlif orraes . The Water Rail 
Rallus aquatlcu? Is presented twice, as number 73 and number 173 
with different '.exts! Several species mentioned in the literature 
for Jordan are aissing; Ostrich Struthlo camelus (extinct), Brown 
Booby Sula leucogaster (vagrant Aqaba) , Marbled Duck Marmaronetta 
angustlros tris (vagrant Azraq) , Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula 
kramerl (Intrcluced Aqaba, Amman) and House Crow Corvus splendens 
(Introduced Aqaba). Other species, however, have been included only 
on the authority of the small distribution maps in Hetnzel et a 1 . 
(1972) or of vague citations from literature (e.g. Delacour) , for 
Instance Dotterel Charadrlus morinellus (Incorrectly "summer 
visitor") , Demoiselle Crane Anthropoldes vlrgo and Lesser 
White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus (both wrongly "in all parts of 
Jordan") as well as Little Gull Larus mlnutus . Stock Dove Columba 
oenas and Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus . Some of the species 
mentioned for the Jordan valley do in fact occur there but hive been 
observed, it seems, only outside the boundaries of Jordan (including 
the Wes thank) , for example Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensls (and 
Black-headed Plover?). Two wheatear species Eastern Pled Wheatear 
Oenanthe picata and Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura must also be 
excluded, since both observations are due to confusion with the 
almost black subspecies of the Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens . 
Several species are by no means only migrants or even accidentals, 
but actually breeding, such as Bonelli's Eagle Hieraaetus fasciaius 
and - only recently - Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis , Cettl's Warbler 
Cettia cettl and Spanish Sparrow Passer hispanto lens is . On the 
other hand, a number of species are wrongly quoted from Benson 
(1970) for Azraq, although the source mentions them wlthoat a 
location, e.g. as breeding birds: Laramergeler Gypaetus bar bat us , 
Black Francolin Francolinus francollnus and Tristram's Crackle 
Onychognathus tristramii . The ran^e of the Palestine Sunblrd 
Nectarinia osea is by no means restricted to the Rift Valley (also 
Petra, Wadi Rum etc.). Habitat characterisations, too, are 
frequently quite wrong, e.g. for the Pln-talLt.»d Sandjjrouse Pteroc les 
