The breeding of waterbirds in the marshland

Abstract EN

The southern part of Iraq is considered to be an important area for migrating birds.

This importance is due be to the geographical position on the migratory rout from Siberia to Africa.

The extensive wetlands and marshes ( Ahwar) of lower Mesopotamia encourage these migratory birds to rest and feed during the nonbreeding season.

Most previous ornithological investigation and collections in Iraq were made by amateurs and researchers such as Sharpe ( 1886) Meinetzhagen (1914) Thornhill (1918) and Ticehurst et al.

(1922), the most comprehensive study about the bird of Iraq was made by AL louse (1953, 1956, 1957 and 1958).

Recent studies on water birds of southern Iraq where made by Scott and carp (1982); they survey the birds of southern Iraq during 1976–1979.

Al Robaae (1986, 1994; 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001) published several about the water birds in southern Iraq concerned mainly with shorebirds and ducks especially diving dukes, birds count and Bird migration.

During the last few years ornithological studies became very hard, if not impossible to pursue.

The aim of the present work is to give a review on breeding water birds in southern Mesopotamia, hoping future studies and research to conserve this group of birds in the marshland.