The birds of the Danube delta and their conservation

By Stanley Cramp and I. J. Ferguson-Lees (Plates 47-5 3)

INTRODUCTION

T H E DELTA OF THE D A N U B E ranks with those of the Rhone, Guadalquivir and Volga as one of the major wetland areas in Europe. As well as being a breeding area for some species of birds rare or absent in the two western deltas (and for others more widely repre­sented) it is an important passage and winter refuge for many geese, ducks and waders which nest further north. Its avifauna suffered a marked decline in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but fairly vigorous protective measures, mainly in the last fifteen years, have halted this and already led to some improvement.

This paper attempts a brief account of the present status of the more important species and groups of birds, and discusses the adequacy of

continued...

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existing methods of conservation to meet possible threats in the future. It is based on a visit of seventeen days in May 1961, mainly in the area of Lake Uzlina and at the north end of Lake Razelm. Such a short period is clearly quite inadequate for any complete appreciation of so large an area, but as recent published studies are very few (and appar­ently not entirely reliable) we hope that our observations will still be of value, especially as, where the major species are concerned, they were greatly strengthened by the knowledge and experience of Mr. Gheorghe Andone, who has been in charge of scientific and conserva­tion studies in the delta for the past eight years and who accompanied us throughout our stay.

THE CHARACTER OF THE DELTA

The Danube has the largest outflow of any river in Europe and only the Volga is longer. In its journey of 1,750 miles eastwards across Europe from the Black Forest it is fed by more than 300 tributaries, and every year it brings down a hundred million tons of silt to the Black Sea. About fifty miles from the mouth it splits into three separate arms, the Chilia, Sulina and St. Gheorghe channels, which between them enclose some 1,100 square miles (2,850 sq. km.) of reed-beds and freshwater lakes. To the south, between the St. Gheorghe channel and Lake Razelm, lie another 580 square miles (1,500 sq. km.) of similar terrain, bringing the total area of the delta proper to nearly 1,700 square miles (over 4,350 sq. km.). This is smaller than the delta of the Volga, but more than twice as large as those of the Rhone and Guadalquivir. In addition, Lakes Razelm and Sinoe, which are adjacent to the delta and both salt, combine to give yet another 580 square miles (1,500 sq. km.) which must be considered at the same time (see fig. 1).

In any comparison of the Danube with the much more fully studied deltas of the Rhone and Guadalquivir it is necessary to start by noting some important climatic differences. The Danube is the most northerly of the three, lying around 45 °N, while the Rhone is just north of 43 °N and the much more southerly Guadalquivir only 37°N. The Guadalquivir has the highest summer and winter temperatures: the maximum mean monthly temperature at Seville, on the edge of the delta, is 83°F (28°C) in August and the minimum 50F0 (io°C) in January, a range of 33°F. The Rhone, with a similar range, has its maximum and minimum mean temperatures about 9°F (5°C) lower: at Avignon, just north of the delta, the maximum is 74°F (23°C) in July and the minimum 41 °F (5°C) in January. But, whereas the mean maximum summer temperatures in the Danube delta almost reach the Rhone level (at Sulina the maximum of 72°F or 22°C is reached in July), the winters are much more severe, with the months of December, January and February all having mean temperatures

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THE BIRDS OF THE DANUBE DELTA

well below the Avignon minimum of 4i°F (5°C), falling as low as 3i°F (— i°C) in January and 32°F (o°C) in February. This effect of the eastern continental climate (the Danube delta lies 30°E, on the longitude of Minsk and Leningrad) leads to the frequent freezing over of the river near its mouth. In fifty-one years it has remained open in only ten winters and the many shallow lakes must be more severely affected. The western shores of the Black Sea are covered

F I G . I . The lower reaches of the Danube and the delta proper, also showing Lakes Razelm and Sinoe and the intervening tongue of land known as the Dobrogea

{drawn by Robert Gillmor)

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with snow for a few weeks in most years, whereas snow is extremely rare in the marismas of the Guadalquivir, and the winters are generally mild in the Rhone Camargue (though spells of frost, sometimes severe, do occur). In rainfall, too, there is a marked difference. The Camargue has over 5 o cm. (20 inches), most of it falling in October and November, when the heavy rains cause winter flooding; in the Guadalquivir delta the rainfall is variable, but it probably averages around 25 to 30 cm. (10 to 20 inches) and is concentrated mainly in October and November and from February to April. The Danube delta does not have much more rain than the Guadalquivir (40 cm. or 16 inches annually at Braila), but very little falls in the winter months and most of it is precipitated by thunderstorms between May and August, when the high temperatures lead to very rapid evaporation. For fuller discussion of temperature and rainfall, see Kendrew (1961) and Nicholson, Ferguson-Lees and Hollom (1957).

Ecologically, the most striking feature of the Danube delta is the broad uniformity of habitat, well over 95% consisting of freshwater lakes and vast areas of reeds (Phragmites communis) (plate 48a). The lakes are connected by a complicated network of narrow channels. As most of the reeds grow on a floating platform of decaying vegeta­tion (known as the plaur), storms can alter the shape of the open water and the courses of the channels. Navigation thus becomes a matter only for the experienced fishermen of the region. Along the banks of the main channels of the Danube and scattered as islands throughout the delta are small areas of firm land, rarely rising to more than ten feet (three metres) above sea level, with willows (Salix), poplars (Populus), alders (Alnus) and some oaks {Quercus) (plate 49); in such places fishing villages are located. In some areas, too, one finds patches of willows growing in the swamps and these are often the sites of the mixed heronries (plate 48b), but there are only two sections of real woodland in the delta proper. They are on the low ridges of Cara-Orman in the centre and Pas Letea in the north. Although the current in the main channels is still strong enough to make rowing upstream difficult, the Danube has lost much of its force long before it reaches the delta. At Budapest, some 800 miles (1,300 km.) from the mouth, it is already less than 300 feet (under 90 metres) above sea level, and in the last 150 miles it falls less than 30 feet (9 metres); as a result, there are extensive marshy areas well inland from the delta proper and these were once important breeding areas for birds. The low rate of fall means that the Danube brings only fine silt to the Black Sea; stones and pebbles, so common on the adjoining dry ridges of the Dobrogea, are infrequent in the delta itself.

Secondly, in striking contrast to the highly saline lagoons of the Rhone and Guadalquivir, the more numerous and extensive lakes of the Danube delta are fresh. They teem with fish of many kinds,

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THE BIRDS OF THE DANUBE DELTA

including Carp (Cyprinus carpio), Pike (Esox lucius), Catfish (Silurus glanis) and Zander (Sandrus luciopercd). Others—among them the valuable sturgeon {Acipenser sp.)—enter the fresh water to spawn. So, apart from the commercial craft going down from central Europe to the Black Sea, and the new cellulose industry based on reeds, the economy of the Danube delta is dominated by fishing and fishermen. The sparse human population also uses the limited areas of firm land for crops and the herding of pigs and sheep, but there is nothing to compare with the large rice-growing regions of the Camargue, or the extensive herds of wild bulls and horses of both the western deltas.

There are, however, extensive saline areas, with a distinctive avi­fauna, along the shores of Lakes Ra2elm and Sinoe (plate 5 2a) which both have a narrow exit to the Black Sea, as well as a few salt-lakes on the narrow strip of the Dobrogea between Lake Razelm and the St. Gheorghe channel (plate 52c). There is little information about the Black Sea shore of the delta, which we did not visit, but the reed^beds of the delta are separated from the sea by only a narrow strip of sand in most places and offshore islands for sea-birds are few.

THE BIRDS OF THE DELTA

The delta of the Danube being mainly a region of Phragmites and open water, with little marsh or exposed mud, the dominant birds are large and either long-legged or swimming. There are few waders and insignificant numbers of most Passerines, but the whole area abounds in pelicans and cormorants, ibises, herons, egrets and bitterns, grebes, ducks and geese, and marsh terns.

Easily the commonest bird of all is the Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falci-nellus) (plate 47). In one colony of about ten thousand pairs of six species of herons and cormorants, which we visited on 18 th May, there were more Glossy Ibises than all the other birds combined. In the delta as a whole, according to Gheorghe Andone, there are a further twenty mixed colonies (mostly smaller than the one we visited) and in nearly every one of these this is the dominant species. Throughout the day, wherever we were, it was possible to see parties of Glossy Ibises flying between the colonies and feeding grounds. Some such parties consisted of only four or five birds, but there were many bigger flocks of thirty, forty or even more.

Two examples from our observations will perhaps illustrate, even better than the size of the actual breeding colonies, the abundance of the Glossy Ibis in the delta of the Danube. On 19th May we spent l\ hours counting all the birds which passed over a grassy field sur­rounded by willows and poplars (this was part of the island on which we were based). N o reeds, marsh or open water were in sight and we were nowhere near a colony, so it was not surprising that during this period we saw less than five of any species of egret, heron or

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cormorant. Yet the total number of Glossy Ibises counted flying over was 267. This watch was carried out in the middle of the day when flighting was at its lowest. Three evenings earlier, in an equally unpromising area, flocks totalling 624 passed by in less than half an hour. It would, in fact, be almost true to say that during our time in the delta proper there was hardly ever a period of more than ten minutes in which this species was not seen. As the Glossy Ibis has declined to such an alarming extent over the whole of the rest of Europe, except in Greece (Evros delta) and probably south Russia (Volga delta), these considerable concentrations in the Danube are one of the primary reasons why the area must not be allowed to be destroyed.

But of even greater import are the pelicans (plates 50 and 51). Two species nest in the delta—the White {Pelecanus onocrotalus), which does not breed anywhere else in Europe outside Russia, and the Dalmatian (P. crispus), which is more widely distributed in the Balkans. The latter is now much reduced in Rumania. Munteanu (i960) quoted E. Hodek to show that a century ago (1867-68) the numbers of Dalma­tian Pelicans in the marshes and delta of the Danube were in the region of 'several millions'. This seems likely to be an exaggerated impression since even a population of one million would necessitate an average of 600 pelicans to every square mile, but there is no doubt that there has been an enormous decrease and today the Dalmatian Pelicans probably number less than a thousand birds. On the other hand, the White Pelican, which was formerly nowhere near as numer­ous as the Dalmatian, is now much the commoner.

There are three colonies of pelicans in the delta proper today and two others further up the Danube valley, in Balta Braila and Balta Ialomitza, though these last are apparently composed mainly of non-breeding birds. The total number of White and Dalmatian combined is something over five thousand. In 1961 four-fifths of these were in the largest colony at Uzlina, while the smaller delta colonies at Buhai'ova and Zadoane had only two or three hundred nests each. There is some shift from year to year and in i960 Buhaiova was the large one and there were only five nests at Uzlina, whereas in 1959 there were about a thousand nests at each. Protection of the pelicans has now been in force for ten years. Before that they were much persecuted and often even shot at the nesting places; during the 1939-45 war they were almost exterminated. As a result of protection they seem now to be steadily on the increase. In 1952, for example, the popula­tion stood at less than two-fifths of what it does today.

Apart from prevention of shooting, it is important to make sure that there is little disturbance of the colonies during the breeding season, particularly while the birds have eggs. In 1959 one of the keepers allowed some thoughtless visitors into a colony at Somova

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THE BIRDS OF THE DANUBE DELTA

between Tulcea and Galati; as a result of the disturbance they caused, all the birds deserted and none returned in either of the next two years. This problem of disturbance is further complicated by the fact that the White Pelicans do not lay until four weeks after the Dalmatians. The period of danger in mixed colonies is thus increased by an extra month. Another aspect affecting the future of these birds is the shooting of them on passage and in their winter quarters. No pelicans winter in the Danube delta and the majority of them leave in October and early November; they travel to the Nile delta and come back in the second half of March. It is significant that most of the two hun­dred or so Danube-ringed pelicans recovered by i960 had been reported from Bulgaria where they had presumably been shot on passage.

The next most important species in terms of general scarcity in Europe is the Great White Heron (Egretta alba) (plate 5 3). This bird breeds in several parts of the delta—for example, we were told of concentrations of fifty and thirty nests at Somova and Cara-Orman— and, though we did not visit any of the colonies (which are often separate from those of the other herons), we saw the species quite •commonly wherever we were.

Of the other herons, the Night Heron {Nycticorax nycticorax) and Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) are easily the most numerous. For instance, in the mixed colony we visited there were thought to be about 2,500 nests of Night Heron and 2,000 of Squacco (compared with 4,000-5,000 of Glossy Ibis). Little Egrets (Egretta gar^etta) are fairly common, though possibly not as numerous as in, say, the delta of the Guadalquivir: there were 500-600 nests in our mixed colony, where the last two of the six breeding species were Spoonbill (P/ataka leucorodia) (100 nests) and Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus) {1,000 nests). A few Spoonbills (plate 50b) were seen in most areas, but the Pygmy Cormorants appeared to be restricted to places where there were both open water and si2eable trees (plate 52b). Cor­morants (Ph. carbd)—a few hundred in all—nest with the pelicans, a recognised partnership. Herons (Ardea cinerea), White Storks (Ciconia dconia), Purple Herons (A. purpurea), Bitterns (Botaurus steMaris) and Little Bitterns (Ixobrychus minutus) all breed in the delta, but the first two are rather local and the more solitary breeding of the other three makes their status difficult to determine.

Next in significance to the pelicans, ibises, herons and cormorants are the geese and ducks, and the grebes. Grey Lag Geese (Anser anser) are widespread and in good numbers, breeding both among the reeds and in areas where willows grow out of the water. Of the ducks, Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and Ferruginous (Aythya nyroca) are the most common. The other species are listed in the appendix, but it should be noted that the Danube delta is, like the Guadalquivir, one

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of the few places in Europe where the White-headed Duck {Oxyura leucocephala) is considered to breed. The area is also one of the last refuges of the Ruddy Shelduck {Casarca ferruginea) which has now so much decreased everywhere, but even here there are only a handful of pairs on the island of Popina in Lake Razelm and these have been regularly robbed ever since sheep and shepherds began to spend the summer months on the island in about i960. There are few other places in Europe where the Shelduck (Tadorna tadornd) is found so far south. Mute Swans {Cygnus olor) are very local in the Danube delta. Four species of grebes nest, but only the Great Crested {Podiceps cristatus) and Red-necked (P. griseigend) can be described as really common.

Of the gulls and terns, Munteanu (i960) stated that Black Terns {Chlidonias niger), White-winged Black Terns (Ch. leucopterus) and Whiskered Terns (Ch. hjbridd) could be found everywhere and we certainly came across numbers of the first two, but we did not see a single Whiskered Tern during the whole of our stay. Nevertheless, it would be unwise to lay too much emphasis on this, as the parts of the delta we visited were not necessarily the best for terns and gulls. We saw Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus), but most of them were not in breeding condition and we were told that this species could be found nesting near the sea. Similarly, among the birds which Munteanu listed as characteristic of the coastal lagoons were the Gull-billed Tern (Gelichelidon nilotica), Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia), Slender-billed Gull (L. genet) and Mediterranean Black-headed Gull (L. melanocephalus), whereas in the parts we visited we saw only odd individuals of the first three of these and none at all of the last.

Waders, as already stated, are generally rather scarce in the delta proper because of the lack of marshland. However, where there are areas of mud and short grass on the edges of the big saline lagoons, Avocets (Recurvirostra avosettd), Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus), Pratincoles (Glareola pratincold), Redshanks (Tringa totanus) and Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) are to be found in some numbers, while the sandbanks and shell beaches hold Kentish Plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus), Little Ringed Plovers (Ch. dubius) and Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus).

Aftei reading Munteanu (i960) and Swann (1925), we were surprised at the general scarcity of birds of prey. We ourselves saw no vultures and only two species of eagles. The White-tailed Eagle (Haliaetus albicilla) is protected, but was not particularly numerous in the areas we visited; all those we observed were immature birds scavenging along the edges of the lagoons and so breeding evidently takes place in other parts of the delta. Several Lesser Spotted Eagles (Aquila pomarind) were seen and a number of Marsh Harriers {Circus aeruginosus) and Black Kites {Mi/pus migrans), but we came across only a few indivi-

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THE BIRDS OF THE DANUBE DELTA

duals of most of the other raptors listed in the appendix. We under­stood that most birds of prey are not protected and some of those that are—such as the vultures—have suffered from the poisoning of carcases put out in the mountains to destroy Wolves (Cams lupus). There is urgent need for an enlightened policy towards birds of prey in Rumania.

Passerines play a comparatively small part in the broad ecology of the delta and we do not propose to discuss these here at any length, particularly as a complete list can be found in the appendix. How­ever, it is worth just drawing attention to one or two. The island of Popina, already mentioned, has sand cliffs of a type commonly found on other parts of the coasts of Rumania and Bulgaria, and these are the only places in Europe where the Pied Wheatear (Oenanthe kucomeld) nests. Other species which do not breed in either of the western deltas include the Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia), here replacing the Nightingale (L. megarhynchos) which is found not far to the west and south, and the River Warbler (Locusfel/a fluviatilis), Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris), Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterind), Red-breasted Flycatcher (Muscicapa parva) and Hawfinch (Cocco-thraustes coccothraustes). In an area where reeds are so dominant it is not surprising to find that the commonest Passerines are such birds as Penduline Tits (Remi% pendulinus), Bearded Tits (Panurus biarmicus), Reed Buntings (Emberi^a schoeniclus) and the various warblers which nest in aquatic vegetation, especially Savi's (Locustella luscinioides), Great Reed (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) and Reed (A. scirpaceus).

THE PROBLEMS OF CONSERVATION

Although the numbers of some of the birds in the delta may have been exaggerated in the past, there seems little doubt that a very serious decline of several of the more important species took place in the latter half of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth, leading to the abandonment of the colonies in the marshes further inland and in some instances even to a real danger of extinction in the delta itself. This may have been partly due to disturbance and the reclamation of certain marshy areas, but in many cases it followed deliberate destruction by fishermen, who saw the birds as competitors.

Protection, first attempted some thirty years ago and placed on a much firmer basis in the last decade, has more than arrested the decline. Since about 1950 conservation of the delta and its animals has been directed by the Ministry of Sylviculture and the Academy of Sciences which have set up two large natural reserves (covering some 140,000 acres or 5 5,000 hectares) and six refuges. The latter are smaller areas chosen because they are the nesting sites of the rarer species or because they are used extensively by migrating birds. Two of the refuges, for example, are Uzlina for the pelicans and Popina for the Ruddy

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Shelduck. The Ministry also employs a full-time scientist, with a staff of guards and boatmen; he is responsible for regular surveys and counts of the main breeding species, the prevention of interference by fishermen and others, and the preservation of suitable habitats. Shooting is under strict government control. Eleven of the rarer species (including White and Dalmatian Pelicans, Little Egret, Great White Heron, Spoonbill, Shelduck, Ruddy Shelduck and Black-winged Stilt) have been designated as 'Monuments of Nature' and cannot be shot, except on permit for urgent scientific reasons and even then only outside the breeding season. Special publicity is given to these by postage stamps and posters. The shooting of swans, eagles, owls, storks and many Passerines is also forbidden, and close seasons and licences are in operation for ducks, geese and game-birds. With some exceptions, the success of these protective measures so far is not in doubt, but what are the problems of the future ?

As already described, the delta is at present thinly populated and, outside the main channels, little visited except by the fishermen. Any major rise in the population seems unlikely, but there are possible dangers in the increased use of the area as a result of new economic developments and the growth of tourism. Already the value of the reed-beds as a source of cellulose has been realised, and the Second Five-Year Plan provides for a processing plant with an annual capacity of 100,000 metric tons. Even this quantity, however, represents a minute proportion of the vast reed-beds of the delta and, if due care continues to be taken to avoid the known nesting sites of the more sensitive species, no serious threat should develop. The existing regulations provide other safeguards such as the limitation of the cutting to the winter months, the withdrawal of the great majority of the workers in the nesting season, the rotation of cutting, and the control of waste disposal. The depth of water would appear to make any considerable development of rice-growing unlikely.

Tourism could be a more serious danger, as the authorities are now making strenuous efforts to encourage visitors to Rumania, not only to such areas as the Black Sea coast and the Carpathians, but to the delta itself. The ordinary tourist, however, is offered only trips by boat along the main channels, which, while affording ample oppor­tunity to see the larger and more spectacular birds, offer no threat to their nesting colonies. Naturalists wishing to explore further could be a more serious menace, but at the moment their numbers are limited by the shortage of accommodation in the delta. We understand, however, that plans are being made to erect a further twenty or thirty hunting lodges (compared with only two at present) and, if these materialise, it will clearly be necessary to regulate visits to the colonies very carefully (and preferably have a complete ban on excursions to the pelicans until the young are well-grown).

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THE BIRDS OF THE DANUBE DELTA

Shooting is significant in the autumn and winter when there is a great influx of geese, ducks and waders from further north. If the control measures already described are properly exercised the toll should be kept to reasonable proportions. There appears to be one weakness, however. We have already remarked on the relative scarcity of raptors in the delta and though their main haunts were probably always outside the delta proper, in the wooded hills of the adjacent Dobrogea—where Swann (1925) found nests of such species as Griffon Vulture {Gyps fulvus), Black Vulture {Aegypius monachus), Imperial Eagle {Aquila heliaca), Lesser Spotted Eagle {Aquila po marina), Buzzard {Buteo buted), Goshawk {Accipiter gentilis), Pallid Harrier {Circus macrourus) and Short-toed Eagle {Circaetus gallicus)—it seems likely that raptorial birds have been reduced in the delta and elsewhere by misguided official policy. In the villages and hunting lodges we saw posters, in both Russian and Rumanian, encouraging sportsmen to spare certain 'good' animals and shoot the 'bad', the latter including nearly all the diurnal birds of prey. Finally, a more specialised prob­lem concerns the Ruddy Shelduck: if the remnant on the island of Popina is to be preserved, it would seem essential to forbid visits of herdsmen during the nesting-season.

To sum up, the outlook for the Danube delta, one of the four key areas of Europe for water-birds, seems favourable if present en­lightened policies are continued. It is desirable that those responsible in Rumania should be supported by the naturalists of other countries in their efforts to maintain adequate measures for the conservation of birds and mammals, and the preservation of suitable habitats, in view of potential dangers from economic development, tourism, fishing, shooting and other interests. The valuable studies they are making at present into the numbers and status of the key species deserve to be extended, and almost equally desirable is the full and regular publication of the results being obtained.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We should like to take this opportunity of acknowledging our great debt to Mr. Gheorghe Andone, of the Exp. Statiunea de Cercetari In Biologia Vlnatului at Braila, for much information and help in the field (it is he who is standing in the bows of the boat on plate 48a). Carpati, the official Rumanian travel organisation, made all the excellent arrangements for our stay in the delta. For the first ten days we enjoyed the stimulating company of Mr. P. A. D. Hollom, but he then had to return to England; we are grateful for his criticisms of an early draft of this paper and our thanks are also due to Dr. Kai Curry-Lindahl for his comments in the light of his own visit to the delta in the summer of 1963.

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SUMMARY

The delta of the Danube, more than twice as large as those of the Rhone and Guadalquivir, ranks with them and the still bigger Volga delta as one of the major wetland areas of Europe, both as a breeding ground and as a passage and winter refuge for birds. The main climatic and ecological characteristics are discussed and an account given of the more important species and groups of birds to be found there. The list of breeding-season birds on pages 334-339 shows a total of 162 species (compared with 138 in the Guadalquivir and 134 in the Rhone) and includes some of particular interest, such as White and Dalmatian Pelicans {Pelecanus onocro-talus and crispus), Glossy Ibis {Plegadis falcinellus), Great White Heron {Egretta alba) and Ruddy Shelduck (Casarca ferruginea). A serious decline in the numbers of several of the more important species took place in the latter half of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries, but since then, and especially in the last decade, the protective measures which are described and discussed have led to a marked improvement in many cases—apart from the birds of prey.

REFERENCES

KENDREW, W. G. (1961): The Climates of Continents. London. MUNTEANU, D. (i960): 'La situation actuelle de l'avifaune dans la Delta du Danube'.

Nos Oiseaux, 25: 209-223. NICHOLSON, E. M., FERGUSON-LEES, I. ]. , and HOLI.O.M, P. A. D. (1957): 'The

Camargue and the Coto Dofiana'. Brit. Birds, 50: 497-519. SWANN, H. K. (1925): Two Ornithologists on the Lower Danube, London.

Appendix—Birds composing the main breeding-season populations of the deltas of the Danube (Rumania), Guadalquivir (Spain) and Rhone (France) This table lists the species which are known to breed commonly (B) or more locally and in small numbers (L), or which are regularly present (P) throughout the nesting-season as parties of immatures and non-breeding birds or for feeding purposes. Where there is some doubt about the status, the most probable category is shown in brackets. The Guadalquivir and Rhone lists have been taken in their entireties from Nicholson, Ferguson-Lees and Hollom (1957), even though later knowledge might have justified some changes.

Except in the cases of interesting remnant species (X), isolated or irregular occurrences, non-breeders found in minute numbers, winterers staying casually into the breeding-season and all passage-migrants are omitted. This means that a number of species commonly seen in the deltas during April and May are ignored— notably many northern waders, warblers, flycatchers and so on.

For the purpose of this list, the Danube includes not only the delta proper but also the huge Lakes Razclm and Sinoe to the south and the intervening tip of the Dobrogea south-east of Tulcea; the Rhone is taken as the whole of the delta area, i.e. the Camargue proper between the Grand Rhone and the Petit Rhone, plus the Petite Camargue on the west side and the Crau desert and scrub on the east; the Guadalquivir covers the whole delta, including the vast sand-ridge between the main river and the Rio Tinto. Casting the boundaries as wide as this results in the inclusion (as L) of a few species in each case which are not really typical of the area, but we think it simpler and more helpful to follow broad geographical boundaries rather than to adhere strictly to the ecological ones.

Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) .. Red-necked Grebe {Podiceps griseigend) Black-necked Grebe {Podiceps nigricollis) . . l i t t le Grebe {Podiceps ruficollis) Cormorant {Phalacrocorax carbd)

Danube B B L L L

Guadalquivir L

L B

Rhone B

B

334

THE BIRDS OF THE DANUBE DELTA

Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus) White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) Dalmatian Pelican {Pekcanus crispus) Heron (Ardea cinerea) Purple Heron {Ardea purpurea) Little Egret (Egretta gar^etta) Great White Heron {Egretta alba) Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) . . . Cattle Egret (Ardeola ibis) Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) White Stork (Ciconia ciionia) Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) Spoonbill (Plataha leucorodia) Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) Flamingo (Phoenicopferus ruber) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Teal (Anas crecca) Marbled Duck (Anas angustirostris) Garganey (Anas querquedula) Gadwall (Anas strepera) Pintail (Anas acuta) Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) Red-crested Pochard (Neiia riifina) Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) Pochard (Aythya ferina) Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyrocd) Eider (Somateria mollissima) White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) Ruddy Shelduck (Casarca ferruginea) Grey Lag Goose (Anser anser) Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopieriis) Griffon Vulture (Gyps fuhus) Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus) Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliacd) Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) .. Bonelli's Eagle (Hieraetus fasciatus) Booted Eagle (Hieraetus pennatus) Buzzard (Buteo buteo) Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) Goshawk (Accipiter genfilis) Kite {Milvus milvus) Black Kite (Milvus migrans) White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeius albicilla) Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus) Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Hobby (Falco subbuteo)

Danube B B L L B B L B

B B B B X L B

B

B B L B

• (B) L B B

• ( L ) L L B L P

L L

• (L)

L

L L B L

L L

Guadalquivir

1. B B

B B B L B B

I. X P B

(I-) L L B L

(L) B

(I-) B

L

P P P P B

1, L

B B

B

L L

L

Rhone

P B B

L

B B B X

X B B

X B B L L B

P

P

B

P

P

(L)

B

B

B P

L

335

BRITISH BIRDS

Peregrine (Falco peregrinus) Saker {Falco cherrug) Red-footed Falcon {Falco vespertinus) Lesser Kestrel {Falco naumanni) Kestrel {Falco tinnunculus) Red-legged Partridge (Akctoris rufa) Quail (Coturnix coturnix) Crane (Megalornis grus) Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) Spotted Crake (Peruana peruana) .. Baillon's Crake {Peruana pusilla) .. Little Crake (Por^ana parva) Corncrake {Crex crex) Purple Gallinule (Porphyria porphyria) Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) Coot (Fulica atrd) Crested Coot {Fulica crislala) Great Bustard (Otis tarda) Little Bustard (Otis tetrax) Oystercatcher (Haematopm ostralegus) Lapwing {Vanellus pattellas) Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) . Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) . Curlew (Numenius arquatd) Black-tailed Godwit {Limosa limosa) Redshank (Tringa totamts) Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus Stone Curlew (Burhmus oedicnemus) Pratincole (Glareola pratincola) Herring Gull {Larus argentatus) Slender-billed Gull (ILarus genet) .. Mediterranean Gull (Larus melanocephalus) Little Gull {Larus minutus) Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) White-winged Black Tern (Chlidonias leuco Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida) Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotka) Caspian Tern {Hydroprogne caspia) .. Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) Little Tern (Sterna alhifrons) Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis") Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles orienta Pin-tailed Sandgrouse {Pterocles alchata) Stock Dove (Columba oenas) Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) .. Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) .. Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarh Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

Danube

L L

L

L L B

• • ( L )

• • ( L ) B

• • (L)

B B

L B B B

• • (L) • • (L)

B • • (L)

L ) . . L

L L L L L L B B

pterus) B L L I. B

L L

lis) ..

L

L L B

is) . .

• • ( L )

Guadalquivir L

P B B B

B (L) L

(L)

L B B L P

(L) P B

B

B

B B B B P L

P B

B L

(I.)

L P P L

B B

(1-) B B

Rhone

L B B

(L)

B L L

(L)

B B

L B B

B

B

B B B L B L

B P

B B

B L B L

L

P B

B (L) B

356

THE BIRDS OF THE DANUBE DELTA

Scops Owl {Otus scops) Eagle Owl {Bubo bubo) Little Owl {Athene noctua) Tawny Owl {Strix aluco) Short-eared Owl {Asio flammeus) .. Long-eared Owl {Asio otus) Nightjar {Caprimulgus europaeus) Red-necked Nightjar {Caprimulgus ruficollis Swift {Apus apus) Pallid Swift {Apus pallidus) Kingfisher {Alcedo atthis) Bee-eater {Merops apiaster) Roller {Coracias garrulus) Hoopoe {Upupa epops) Green Woodpecker {Picus viridis) .. Grey-headed Woodpecker {Picus canus) . Great Spotted Woodpecker {Dendrocopos rr Syrian Woodpecker {Dendrocopos syriacus) Lesser Spotted Woodpecker {Dendrocopos r Middle Spotted Woodpecker {Dendrocopos Wryneck {Jjnx torquilla) Calandra Lark {Melanocorypha calandra) Short-toed Lark {Calandrella cinerea) Lesser Short-toed Lark {Calandrella rufescer Crested Lark {Galerida cristatd) Thekla Lark {Galerida theklae) Woodlark {Lullula arborea) Skylark {Alauda arvensis) Swallow {Hirundo rustica) House Martin {Delichon urbica) Sand Martin {Riparia riparia) Golden Oriole {Oriolus oriolus) Raven {Corvus corax) Carrion/Hooded Crow {Corvus corone) Rook {Corvus frugilegus) Jackdaw {Corvus moneduld) Magpie {Pica pica) Azure-winged Magpie {Cyanopica cyanus) . Jay {Garrulus glandarius) Great Tit {Parus major) Blue Tit {Parus caeruleus) Crested Tit {Parus cristatus) Long-tailed Tit {Aegithalos caudatus) Penduline Tit {Remi% pendulinus) .. Bearded Tit (Panurus biarmicus) Short-toed Treecreeper {Certhia brachydacty Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) Mistle Thrush {Turdus viscivorus) .. Blackbird (Turdus merula) Wheatear {Oenanthe oenanthe) Black-eared Wheatear {Oenanthe hispanica) Pied Wheatear {Oenanthe leucomela) Stonechat {Saxicola torquata) Whinchat {Saxicola rubetra)

Danube

'.'. (L) L L

•• (L)

) B

B B B B

L ajor) .. B

L ninor).. (L) medius) (L)

• • (L) B L

s) .. B

L B L B B

•• (L) B

•• (L) B B

B B

B B

la) .. .. (L)

B . . (L)

L L L

Guadalquivir (L)

B

(L) B B

(L)

B (L) L B

L

L B B

(L) B L

B

B B P

B B B

B L

(L)

L

L

L

Rhone B

B L

L (L)

B P

(L) B B B B

L

L

L B

B

(L) B B B

B

L

B B

(L) B

(L)

L B B L

(L) L

L

L

337

BRITISH BIRDS

Redstart {Phoenicians phoenicurm) Nightingale {Luscinia megarhynchos) Thrush Nightingale {'Luscinia luscinia) Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti) River Warbler (Locustella fluviatilis) Savi's Warbler (Locus/el/a luscinioides) Moustached Warbler (Lusciniola melanopogon) Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) . Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris) Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) Melodious Warbler (Hippolais polyglotta) .. Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterind) Olivaceous Warbler (Hippolais pallida) Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilld) Barred Warbler (Sylvia nisoria) Orphean Warbler (Sylvia hortensis) Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin) Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia currucd) Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) .. Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans) Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspicillata) .. Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata) Rufous Warbler (Agrobates galactotes) Fan-tailed Warbler (Cisiicola juncidis) Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) Bonelli's Warbler {Phylloscopus bonelli) Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) Collared Flycatcher (Muscicapa albicollis) .. Red-breasted Flycatcher (Muscicapa parva) Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris) White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor) Lesser Grey Shrike {Lanius minor) Red-backed Shrike {Lanius cristatus) Woodchat Shrike {Lanius senator) Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor) Rose-coloured Starling (Sturnus roseus) Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) Linnet (Carduelis cannabina) Serin (Serinus canarius) Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) Yellowhammer {Emberi^a citrinella) Corn Bunting {Emberi^a calandra) Cirl Bunting {Emberi^a cirlus) Ortolan Bunting (Emberi^a hortulana) Reed Bunting (Emberi^a schoeniclus) House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)

Danube B

L

L B L B B L L

L L L

• (L)

• (L) • (L) • (L)

• (L)

B • (L)

L L L B

B B

B

'• (L) I. L B

B L L

L B B B

Guadalquivir

B

L

L (L) L

(L)

B

(L) (L)

L

L

B L L B

(L) B

(L) (L)

L

B B

L

B

B

L L

L

(!•) B

Rhone

B

B

L B B B

B

B

L

B

L L B

(L)

B

L

B

B L L

L L

L B B I, L

B (L) (L) B B B

338

Analysts : Common to Danube, Guadalquivir and Rhone Common to Danube and Guadalquivir (but not Rhone) Common to Danube and Rhone (but not Guadalquivir) Common to Guadalquivir and Rhone (but not Danube) Peculiar to Danube Peculiar to Guadalquivir Peculiar to Rhone

81 I O

14

27

57 2 0

1 2

Although migrants have been excluded from the lists, it would be misleading not to point out that, for example, several of the birds which are shown as peculiar to the Danube occur regularly on passage in the Guadalquivir or the Rhone (and vice versa), in some cases in considerable numbers. It must also be emphasised that there is much less information on the Danube than the other two deltas, particularly where the Passerines are concerned; such species as Long-tailed Tit and Mistle Thrush may well be local nesters there.

339

P L A T E 47. Glossy Ibis {Plegadis falcimllus), Hungary, in a wooden pose that seems to symbolise this almost 'prehistoric' bird which has a wide but very patchy range in every continent. In most of Europe it is extremely local, but the Danube delta area holds literally tens of thousands (pages 323-339) {photo: Zoltan Tildy)

P L A T E 48. Above, much of the Danube delta consists of dense reeds growing on a floating layer of decaying vegetation, and penetration is possibly only by poling a narrow boat. Below, the huge colonies of ibises and herons occur where tangled willows make thick jungles in the reed beds (page 326) {photos: I. J. Ferguson-Lees)

F L A T E 49. Above, a typical wood on a Danube island, with little ground cover; birds are scarce, but include Redstarts, Chaffinches, Starlings, tits, woodpeckers and Red-breasted Flycatchers. Below, an island edge on the St. Ghcorghc arm, with overhanging willows and little exposed mud for waders {photos: I. J. Ferguson-Lees)

P L A T E 50A. White Pelicans (Pelecamis onocrotalus) flying, Bulgaria, i960 — a most majestic sight which in Europe can now be seen only in parts of the Balkans and southern Russia

P L A T E 50B. Flying Spoonbill (Plataka leucorodia), Hungary, 1961. This species nests in the Danube delta with the ibises, but usually in small numbers (page 329) {photos: 'Eric Hosking)

P L A T E 51 . Above, non-breeding White Pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) cooling themselves in the water, Bulgaria, 1960 {photo: Eric Hosking), Below, four typical White Pelican nests at Lake Uzlina, in 1961 the largest colony in the Danube delta; the touching platforms often form solid masses like this {photo: I. J. Ferguson-Lees)

P L A T E 53. Great White Herons (Egret/a alba), Hungary, 1961—not uncommon in the Danube delta, with colonies of up to fifty pairs (page 329) {photo: Eric Hashing)

P L A T E 5 2 {opposite). Top, islands of short grass, mud and sand on Lake Sinoe— breeding sites of Kentish Plovers, Pratincoles, Avocets and terns. Centre, sedges and inundated willows in a Danube backwater, the haunt of Grey Lag Geese and Pygmy Cormorants. Bottom, salt lakes on the Dobrogea north of Lake Razelm; here stilts and ducks nest, and waders and herons feed {photos: I. J. Ferguson-Lees)