Field Guide to Birds of Central Asia

Raffael Ayé, Manuel Schweizer, Tobias Roth

• Publisher: Helm
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9780713670387
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781408142707
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Zoology
• Index: Biological Sciences

The definitive guide to the birdlife of Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

Central Asia includes a diverse variety of habitats with a rich avifauna that includes some truly mouthwatering specialities, from sandgrouse, ground jays and larks on the vast steppe and semi-desert to woodland species such as warblers and rosefinches and a suite of montane species including snowcocks, accentors and snowfinches. Ornithologically, Central Asia is very hard to beat.

This book represents the only comprehensive guide to the region. It includes 141 high-quality plates, covering every species (and all distinctive subspecies) that occur in the six countries covered, along with concise text focusing on identification, and accurate colour maps. Important introductory sections introduce the land and its birds.

Birds of Central Asia is a must-read for any birder or traveller visiting this region, and an essential addition to the backpack.

APPENDIX 1

OLD VAGRANTS, UNDOCUMENTED RECORDS AND DOUBTFULLY RECORDED SPECIES

This list comprises species recorded as vagrants prior to 1950, doubtfully recorded species, and vagrants whose future occurrence is considered unlikely in the region.

Snow Partridge Lerwa lerwa	doubtfully recorded Afg
Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus	Afg
Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha	doubtfully recorded
Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor	Afg
Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus	Afg
Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger	Afg
Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster	recently reliably recorded in Uzb, further occurrence unlikely
Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina/ Indian Spotted Eagle A. hastata	reports from Afg, Tkm
Indian Vulture Gyps indicus	doubtfully recorded Afg
Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca	Afg
Hooded Crane Grus monacha	Kaz
White-naped Crane Grus vipio	Kaz
Oriental Plover Charadrius veredus	Kaz/Uzb
Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima	doubtfully recorded
Sooty Gull Larus hemprichii	doubtfully recorded Afg
Red Turtle Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica	doubtfully recorded Afg
Common Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus	Afg
Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius	doubtfully recorded
Grey Nightjar Caprimulgus indicus	Afg
House Crow Corvus splendens	might occur Afg
Long-billed Bush Warbler Bradypterus major	Tjk
Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus	Afg
Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicatus	Afg
Hodgson’s Bushchat Saxicola insignis	Kaz
Upland Pipit Anthus sylvanus	Afg
Arctic Redpoll Carduelis hornemanni	Kaz
Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea	Tkm
Chestnut-eared Bunting Emberiza fucata	Uzb
Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala	Kaz, Uzb
Chestnut Bunting Emberiza rutila	Kgz, Tjk

APPENDIX 2

MOULT AND AGEING OF LARGE RAPTORS

For many species of large raptors, at least an approximate knowledge of the age of a bird is important for correct identification. Some ageing criteria are valid for many large raptors and are described below. Observers are encouraged to familiarise themselves with these and to train on the ageing of large raptors on some of the commoner species in their usual birding sites.

Moult strategies

Large raptors often cannot replace their whole plumage in one year and have developed special moult strategies. Their moult proceeds in waves that may overlap. Primary moult starts from the innermost primary and proceeds outwards. The sequence of secondary moult is much more variable. Secondary moult usually starts from several points: the outermost secondary, close-to-innermost secondary and one or more secondaries in between. In most eagles and other large raptors, new waves of moult are started every year, even if the previous wave(s) has not yet been completed. Correspondingly, often three (sometimes four) generations of remiges can be found on one bird. Typically, the outermost primary is among the last juvenile feathers that are retained. It is then heavily bleached and abraded due to exposure to sunlight and physical abrasion over sometimes several years. Under favourable conditions, differences in bleaching and abrasion can be detected between each generation of remiges. The moult strategy of all these species leads to common ageing criteria. All remiges are of the same generation in juveniles, but not usually at later ages. In immature and adult birds, there are usually two or more generations of remiges present at the same time. Later generations of remiges often differ in length from juvenile remiges (see below).

Trailing edge of wing in juveniles, immatures and adults

Fresh juveniles have a very regular trailing edge to the wing, because all remiges are of the same length (and age). However, single juvenile feathers are more pointed than later generations and thus the trailing edge is saw-toothed when seen at close range. Later generations of remiges often differ in length from juvenile remiges, leading to a very irregular trailing edge of the wing in immature birds. The trailing edge becomes again slightly more regular and smooth in most adult birds with broader-tipped remiges of equal length. However, it is o...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Authors’ note
• CONTENTS
• MAP OF THE REGION
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
• GEOGRAPHY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
• ORGANISATIONS AND WEBSITES
• SPECIES ACCOUNTS
• Grouse, partridges and pheasants PHASIANIDAE
• Geese, swans and ducks ANATIDAE
• Divers GAVIIDAE
• Grebes PODICIPEDIDAE
• Flamingos PHOENICOPTERIDAE
• Storks CICONIIDAE
• Bitterns, herons and egrets ARDEIDAE
• Pelicans PELECANIDAE
• Cormorants PHALACROCORACIDAE
• Hawks, buzzards and eagles ACCIPITRIDAE
• Bustards OTIDIDAE
• Rails, crakes and gallinules RALLIDAE
• Jacanas JACANIDAE
• Stilts and avocets RECURVIROSTRIDAE
• Lapwings and plovers CHARADRIIDAE
• Sandpipers and allies SCOLOPACIDAE
• Coursers and pratincoles GLAREOLIDAE
• Gulls LARIDAE
• Skuas STERCORARIIDAE
• Terns STERNIDAE
• Sandgrouse PTEROCLIDAE
• Pigeons and doves COLUMBIDAE
• Parakeets PSITTACIDAE
• Owls STRIGIDAE
• Nightjars CAPRIMULGIDAE
• Swifts APODIDAE
• Rollers CORACIIDAE
• Kingfishers ALCEDINIDAE
• Woodpeckers and wrynecks PICIDAE
• Shrikes LANIIDAE
• Bulbuls PYCNONOTIDAE
• Crows and jays CORVIDAE
• Orioles ORIOLIDAE
• Hypocolius HYPOCOLIIDAE
• Tits PARIDAE
• Penduline-tits REMIZIDAE
• Long-tailed tits AEGITHALIDAE
• Swallows and martins HIRUNDINIDAE
• Larks ALAUDIDAE
• Cisticolas and prinias CISTICOLIDAE
• Bush warblers CETTIIDAE
• Grasshopper warblers MEGALURIDAE
• Reed warblers ACROCEPHALIDAE
• Leaf warblers PHYLLOSCOPIDAE
• Sylvia warblers SYLVIIDAE
• Babblers TIMALIIDAE
• Nuthatches SITTIDAE
• Wrens troglodytidae
• Starlings and mynas STURNIDAE
• Thrushes TURDIDAE
• Robins, chats and flycatchers MUSCICAPIDAE
• Sparrows and snowfinches PASSERIDAE
• Accentors PRUNELLIDAE
• Sunbirds NECTARINIIDAE
• Wagtails and pipits MOTACILLIDAE
• Waxbills ESTRILDIDAE
• Buntings EMBERIZIDAE
• APPENDIX 1 Old vagrants, undocumented records and doubtfully recorded species
• APPENDIX 2 Moult and ageing of large raptors
• APPENDIX 3 Identifying gulls
• REFERENCES
• INDEX
• eCopyright