Socotran Birds

Richard Porter, BirdLife International, for SGBP

Birds are a group of warm blooded vertebrate animals that have two wings, two legs and a beak. Their bodies are covered in feathers and they lay eggs. There are over 10,000 species in the world from the smallest, the hummingbirds (5cms) to the largest, the ostrich (over 2.5 m tall).

On Socotra we can see birds that are resident (breed on the islands and are present all year round) and those that are migratory (they use Socotra as a stop-over site for the part of the year on their annual migrations).

Over 210 species of bird have now been recorded in the Archipelago. Of these 43 are known to breed and over 160 are migrant visitors. Most of these will be stopping for a short while during their long migrations from breeding areas in Europe and Asia to their wintering grounds in Africa. Many of these migrant birds are very rare (known as vagrants) and have only been recorded on Socotra a few times.

Socotra has ten species of endemic birds – birds that are not found anywhere else in the world. For these Socotra has a special responsibility for their protection. One of them, Socotra Grosbeak Rhynchostruthus socotranus, is a species of Golden-winged Grosbeak which has been named the Yemen’s national bird. This colorful bird, with a huge beak for eating fruits and seeds, occurs in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen.

Also Socotra has an important role to play in the conservation of its breeding seabird colonies which are of international importance.

The table below gives details of Socotra’s birds, including those that are globally threatened. Birds give a lot of pleasure - enjoy them on your visit!

 

Checklist of the birds of the Socotra Archipelago
R. F. Porter & Ahmed Saeed Suleiman, on behalf of SGBP, The Environment Protection Authority & BirdLife International
June 2010

The taxonomic order, English names and scientific names are those now adopted by the Ornithological Society of the Middle East www.osme.org and the forthcoming Birds of the Middle East (Porter & Aspinall, coming out in August 2010).


Please send records to: richardporter@dialstart.net or qamhem@yahoo.com for inclusion in the SGBP/EPA BirdLife SocotraBirds data base.

Key:
Vagrant: a species recorded 5 times or less.
Species in BLUE CAPITALS have internationally important populations on Socotra
 

Common Quail Coturnix coturnix
Passage migrant

Harlequin Quail Coturnix delegorguei
Status uncertain; vagrant or occasional breeding visitor.

Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
Vagrant

Cotton Pygmy Goose Nettapus coromandelianus
Vagrant

Gadwall Anas strepera
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
Rare winter visitor

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Vagrant

Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Northern Pintail Anas acuta
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Garganey Anas querquedula
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Common Pochard Aythya ferina
Vagrant

Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca
Vagrant Globally near threatened

Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
Vagrant

Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus 
 Recorded offshore; status uncertain

PERSIAN SHEARWATER Puffinus persicus
Breeding visitor; offshore throughout year.

Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes
Recorded offshore; status uncertain

JOUANIN’S PETREL Bulweria fallax
ENDEMIC. Breeding visitor; present offshore throughout the year. Globally near threatened

Wilson's Storm Petrel Oceanites oceanicus
Summer visitor to offshore waters 

White-bellied Storm Petrel Fregetta grallaria
Recorded offshore; status uncertain

Black-bellied Storm Petrel Fregetta tropica
Recorded offshore; status uncertain

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
Vagrant or rare visitor; may have bred

Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus
Winter visitor

RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD Phaethon aethereus
Breeds; offshore throughout the year

Western White Stork Ciconia ciconia 
Vagrant

African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus 
Vagrant

Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
Winter visitor & passage migrant
 
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
Vagrant

Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
Vagrant


Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis
Rare visitor; may breed.

Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Striated Heron Butorides striata
Status uncertain; probably an uncommon resident breeder

Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii
Winter visitor and possibly present throughout the year..

Malagasy Pond Heron Ardeola idea
Vagrant Endangered

Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Winter visitor & passage migrant. May breed.

Grey Heron  Ardea cinerea
Winter visitor  & passage migrant

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Western Great Egret  Ardea alba
Uncommon winter visitor

Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia
Vagrant

Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Great Frigatebird Fregata minor
Vagrant

Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
Vagrant

MASKED BOOBY Sula dactylatra
Breeds; offshore throughout the year

BROWN BOOBY Sula leucogaster
Breeds; offshore throughout the year

Reed (Long-tailed) Cormorant Microcarbo africanus 
Vagrant

Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Vagrant

SOCOTRA CORMORANT  Phalacrocorax  nigrogularis
Resident and winter visitor. Globally vulnerable

African Darter Anhinga rufa
Vagrant

Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus
Resident breeder

Black Kite Milvus migrans
Vagrant

Yellow-billed Kite Milvus aegyptius
Vagrant

EGYPTIAN VULTURE Neophron percnopterus
Resident breeder. Globally endangered

Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
Vagrant

Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus
Vagrant Globally near threatened

Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus
Vagrant


SOCOTRA BUZZARD Buteo socotraensis
ENDEMIC. Resident breeder Globaly vulnerable (Provisional)


Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Resident breeder

Amur Falcon Falco amurensis
Vagrant or rare passage migrant

Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo
Vagrant

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
Resident breeder

Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus
Vagrant

Macqueen’s (Houbara) Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii
Vagrant. Globally vulnerable

Water Rail Rallus aquaticus 
Vagrant

Corncrake Crex crex
Vagrant

Little Crake Porzana parva
Vagrant

Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla
Vagrant


Spotted Crake Porzana porzana
Vagrant

Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Uncommon visitor. May breed.

Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Vagrant

Common Crane Grus grus
Vagrant

Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
Vagrant

Crab-plover Dromas ardeola
Vagrant

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Resident and probably winter visitor & passage migrant

Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
Vagrant

Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus
Resident breeder & winter visitor

Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius atrifrons
Uncommon winter visitor & passage migrant

Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii
Uncommon winter visitor & passage migrant

Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus
Vagrant


Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus
Vagrant

Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus
Vagrant or rare winter visitor

Pin-tailed Snipe Gallinago stenura
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa 
Vagrant. Globally near threatened

Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
Vagrant

Common Redshank Tringa totanus
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
Vagrant

Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus
Vagrant

Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Red Knot Calidris canutus
Vagrant

Sanderling Calidris alba
Uncommon winter visitor & passage migrant

Little Stint Calidris minuta
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta
Vagrant

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Dunlin Calidris alpina
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus
Vagrant

Ruff Philomachus pugnax
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant

Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
Passage migrant in offshore waters

Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor
Resident breeder

Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola
Vagrant

BROWN NODDY Anous stolidus
Breeding summer visitor; present offshore throughout year

Lesser (Sooty) Noddy Anous tenuirostris
Vagrant

Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei 
Vagrant

Common Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Great Black-headed Gull Larus ichthyaetus
Vagrant

White-eyed Gull Larus leucophthalmus
Rare visitor. Globally near threatened

SOOTY GULL Larus hemprichii
Resident & winter visitor

Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans
Rare winter visitor

Baltic (Lesser Black-backed) Gull Larus fuscus fuscus
Uncommon winter visitor

Heuglin's Gull Larus heuglini
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Steppe (Baraba) Gull Larus heuglini barabensis
Uncommon winter visitor

Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
Rare winter visitor & passage migrant.

Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
Rare winter visitor & passage migrant

Swift Tern Sterna bergii
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis
Winter visitor & passage migrant

SAUNDERS’S TERN Sternula saundersi
Breeding summer visitor

BRIDLED TERN Onychoprion anaethetus
Breeding summer visitor

Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus
Passage migrant

Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii
Vagrant

Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Winter visitor & passage migrant

White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa
Passage migrant

Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida
Uncommon passage migrant

White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
Rare passage migrant

Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus
Vagrant

Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinii
Resident breeder

Feral Pigeon Columba livia forma domestica
Resident; introduced

Laughing Dove Spilopelia  senegalensis
Resident breeder

Namaqua Dove Oena capensis
Vagrant

Bruce's Green Pigeon Treron waalia
Resident breeder

White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus
Resident breeder

Pied Cuckoo Oxylophus jacobinus
Vagrant

Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus
Vagrant

Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
Uncommon passage migrant

SOCOTRA SCOPS OWL Otus socotranus
ENDEMIC. Resident breeder. (Taxonomy under review).

Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
Vagrant

European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus
Vagrant

Nubian Nightjar Caprimulgus nubicus
Resident breeder

Himalayan Swiftlet Aerodramus brevirostris
Vagrant

Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba
Vagrant

FORBES-WATSON’S SWIFT Apus berliozi
Breeding visitor; present most of year

Little Swift Apus affinis
Vagrant

Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis
Vagrant

Abyssinian Roller Coracias abyssinicus
Vagrant

European Roller Coracias garrulus
Passage migrant. Globally near threatened

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Vagrant

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus
Passage migrant

Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
Passage migrant

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio
Vagrant

Daurian/Turkestan Shrike Lanius isabellinus/phoenicuroides
Vagrant or rare passage migrant

SOUTHERN GREY SHRIKE Lanius meridionalis
Resident breeder

Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus 
Vagrant

House Crow Corvus splendens 
Arrived on boat in 1996; bred, then eradicated 2009

Pied Crow Corvus albus
Vagrant

Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis
Resident breeder

Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla
Passage migrant

Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix nigriceps
Resident breeder

Sand Martin Riparia riparia
Uncommon passage migrant

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Passage migrant

Pale Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne obsoleta
Resident breeder

Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
Vagrant

Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
Vagrant

Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
Vagrant

Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix
Vagrant

Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Vagrant

Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Vagrant

SOCOTRA CISTICOLA Cisticola haesitatus
ENDEMIC Resident breeder. Globally near threatened

SOCOTRA WARBLER Cisticola incanus
ENDEMIC Resident breeder

Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca
Rare winter visitor & passage migrant

Desert Whitethroat Sylvia minula
Vagrant

Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis
Vagrant

Ménétriés's Warbler Sylvia mystacea
Vagrant

Abyssinian White-eye Zosterops abyssinicus
Resident breeder

Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
Vagrant

Somali Starling Onychognathus blythii
Resident breeder

SOCOTRA STARLING Onychognathus frater
ENDEMIC Resident breeder

Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos
Vagrant

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
Vagrant

Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus
Vagrant

Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
Vagrant

Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka
Winter visitor & passage migrant

DESERT WHEATEAR Oenanthe deserti
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis
Vagrant

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
Vagrant or rare winter visitor

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
Vagrant


SOCOTRA SUNBIRD Chalcomitra balfouri
ENDEMIC Resident breeder

SOCOTRA SPARROW Passer insularis
ENDEMIC Resident breeder

ABD AL-KURI SPARROW Passer hemileucus
ENDEMIC Resident breeder Globally vulnerable

Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava spp
Passage migrant

Black-headed Wagtail Motacilla (flava) feldegg
Vagrant

Yellow-headed Wagtail Motacilla (flava) lutea
Passage migrant; status uncertain

Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola
Vagrant

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
Uncommon winter visitor & passage migrant

White Wagtail Motacilla alba
Winter visitor & passage migrant

Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris
Rare passage migrant

LONG-BILLED PIPIT Anthus similis
Resident breeder

Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis
Vagrant

Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus
Vagrant

SOCOTRA GOLDEN-WINGED GROSBEAK Rhynchostruthus socotranus
ENDEMIC Resident breeder

Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana
Vagrant

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting Emberiza tahapisi
Resident breeder

SOCOTRA BUNTING Emberiza socotrana
ENDEMIC Resident breeder. Globally vulnerable
 

Unsubstantiated claims or those for
which supporting details are awaited

Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas
African Spoonbill   Platalea alba
Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala
Red-footed Booby Sula sula
Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae
Sooty Falcon Falco concolor
Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus
Crested Coot Fulica cristata
Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris
Hume’s Tawny Owl Strix butleri
Common Swift Apus apus
Pallid Swift Apus pallidus
Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris
Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata 
Little Rock Thrush Monticola rufocinerea

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