Annotated checklist of the marine and coastal birds of Lebanon

Abstract EN

The study of marine and coastal birds in the Lebanon recorded 75 species along the shore line of Lebanon and for a distance of 7 kms offshore.

Of those species, 35 are seabird species, 38 marine or seawater/freshwater coastal birds, and 2 waterbird species wintering on the archipelagoes of Mina/Tripoli in North Lebanon (Grey Heron and Little Egret) with apparently much affinity to seawater in the winter season.

This study highlighted 3 globally threatened species (Leach’s Storm Petrel Hydrobates leucorhoa [Vulnerable], Mediterranean Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan [Vulnerable], and Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus [Vulnerable]), underlined 7 globally Near Threatened avian species, pointed out to 3 species that may be submitted for reconsideration by the “Lebanon Bird Record Committee” (LBRC) at LCNRS; and updated the data of 9 species of high significance from the past studies, of which, 2 species are upgraded from vagrants to winter visitors/passage migrants, one to passage migrant and one to winter visitor..

Regarding the final phenological statuses of species, one is resident breeding, one is summer breeding, 3 are formerly bred, one extirpated (extinct) from Lebanon 31 are passage migrant/winter visitors, 25 passage migrants only, 2 winter visitors and 14 vagrant species.