Richard Porter & Ahmed Saeed Suleiman
April 2020
Ahmed Saeed Suleiman and I have updated the Socotra Bird Checklist following new discoveries this year. Also the resident white-eye has now been assigned endemic species status – Socotra White-eye – bringing the number of endemic species in the archipelago to eleven. This is likely to increase to twelve when a review of the taxonomy of the grey shrikes is completed as the resident shrike could be elevated from endemic subspecies to endemic species too – Socotra Grey Shrike.
This is very timely as UNESCO and IUCN are undertaking a review of the status of the Socotra Archipelago World Heritage Site and providing up-to-date information on the avifauna is important for their files and their assessment in which we are participating.
Richard Porter, April 2020
Prepared for BirdLife International, Environment Protection Authority, Friends of Socotra, Ornithological Society of the Middle East and all those interested in the wildlife of these wonderful islands.
Please send records to: RFPorter@talktalk.net or qamhem@yahoo.co for inclusion in the SocotraBirds data base.
The taxonomic order, English names and scientific names of birds are frequently under review and revision and this can cause confusion. In this list we have been conservative and generally adopted the recommendations of the International Ornithological Congress. However the Ornithological Society of the Middle East produces and regularly updates an OSME Region List on the OSME website: osme.org. Serious researchers should consult this as its cutting-edge studies will often result in changes that are accepted by the IOC and other taxonomic authorities.
To keep you abreast of current taxonomic studies that may affect the birds of Socotra, a list of those that are relevant to the archipelago are listed in an appendix, prepared by Mike Blair, coordinator of the OSME Region List.
Key:
Vagrant: a species recorded 5 times or less.
Species in BLUE CAPITALS have internationally important populations on Socotra
Text in red gives BirdLife International/IUCN Red list status
Common Quail Coturnix coturnix
Passage migrant
Harlequin Quail Coturnix delegorguei
Status uncertain; vagrant or occasional breeding visitor.
White-faced Whistling Duck Dendrocygna viduata
Vagrant
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
Vagrant
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
Vagrant
Cotton Pygmy Goose Nettapus coromandelianus
Vagrant
Garganey Spatula querquedula
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Gadwall Mareca strepera
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope
Rare winter visitor
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Vagrant
Northern Pintail Anas acuta
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Common Pochard Aythya ferina
Vagrant Globally Vulnerable
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca
Vagrant Globally Near Threatened
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
Vagrant
European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus
Vagrant
Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius
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
Macqueen’s Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii
Vagrant. Globally Vulnerable
White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus
Resident breeder
Pied Cuckoo Oxylophus jacobinus
Vagrant
Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus
Vagrant
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
Uncommon passage migrant
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
Water Rail Rallus aquaticus
Vagrant
Corncrake Crex crex
Vagrant
Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla
Vagrant
Little Crake Porzana parva
Vagrant
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana
Vagrant
Watercock Gallicrex cinerea
Vagrant
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Uncommon visitor; has bred at least once.
Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata
Vagrant, has bred
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Vagrant
Common Crane Grus grus
Vagrant
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
Vagrant; may have bred
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus
Winter visitor
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
Vagrant Globally Near Threatened
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
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus
Vagrant
Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus
Vagrant
Eurasian Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
Winter visitor & passage migrant Globally Near Threatened
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
Winter visitor & passage migrant Globally Near Threatened
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Vagrant Globally Near Threatened
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Sanderling Calidris alba
Uncommon winter visitor & passage migrant
Little Stint Calidris minuta
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Dunlin Calidris alpina
Uncommon winter visitor & passage migrant
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
Winter visitor & passage migrant Globally Near Threatened
Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta
Vagrant
Red Knot Calidris canutus
Vagrant
Ruff Calidris pugnax
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant
Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus
Vagrant
Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus
Vagrant
Pin-tailed Snipe Gallinago stenura
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus
Vagrant
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
Passage migrant in offshore waters
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Common Redshank Tringa totanus
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
Vagrant
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
Vagrant
Crab-plover Dromas ardeola
Vagrant
Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor
Resident breeder
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola
Vagrant
BROWN NODDY Anous stolidus
Breeding summer visitor; present offshore throughout year
Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris
Vagrant
Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei
Vagrant
Common Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Great Black-headed Gull Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus
Vagrant
White-eyed Gull Ichthyaetus leucophthalmus
Rare visitor. Globally Near Threatened
SOOTY GULL Ichthyaetus hemprichii
Resident & winter visitor
Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans
Rare winter visitor
Baltic Gull Larus fuscus fuscus
Uncommon winter visitor
Heuglin’s Gull Larus heuglini
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Steppe Gull Larus barabensis
Uncommon winter visitor
Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
Rare winter visitor & passage migrant.
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
Rare winter visitor & passage migrant
Great Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus 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
RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD Phaethon aethereus
Breeds; offshore throughout the year
Wilson’s Storm Petrel Oceanites oceanicus
Summer visitor to offshore waters
White-bellied Storm Petrel Fregetta grallaria
Recorded offshore; but true status uncertain
Black-bellied Storm Petrel Fregetta tropica
Recorded offshore; but true status uncertain
Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica
Recorded offshore; status uncertain
Flesh-footed Shearwater Ardenna carneipes
Recorded offshore; status uncertain Globally Near Threatened
PERSIAN SHEARWATER Puffinus persicus
Breeding visitor; offshore throughout year.
JOUANIN’S PETREL Bulweria fallax
ENDEMIC Breeding visitor; present offshore throughout the year. Globally Near Threatened
Western White Stork Ciconia ciconia
Vagrant
Great Frigatebird Fregata minor
Vagrant
MASKED BOOBY Sula dactylatra
Breeds; offshore throughout the year
BROWN BOOBY Sula leucogaster
Breeds; offshore throughout the year
Reed Cormorant Microcarbo africanus
Vagrant
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Vagrant
SOCOTRA CORMORANT Phalacrocorax nigrogularis
Resident and probably winter visitor. Globally Vulnerable
African Darter Anhinga rufa
Vagrant
African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus
Vagrant
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
Rare visitor
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 idae
Vagrant Globally Endangered
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Winter visitor & passage migrant; may breed.
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala
Vagrant
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Western Great Egret Ardea alba
Uncommon winter visitor
Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia
Vagrant
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
Vagrant
Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus
Resident breeder
EGYPTIAN VULTURE Neophron percnopterus
Resident breeder. Globally Endangered
Crested Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus
Vagrant
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennata
Vagrant
Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
Vagrant
Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus
Vagrant Globally Near Threatened
Yellow-billed Kite Milvus aegyptius
Vagrant
(See also NOTE below)
SOCOTRA BUZZARD Buteo socotraensis
ENDEMIC Resident breeder Globally Vulnerable
Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus
Vagrant
SOCOTRA SCOPS OWL Otus socotranus
ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
Vagrant
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
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
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
Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio
Vagrant
Daurian/Turkestan Shrike Lanius isabellinus/phoenicuroides
Vagrant or rare passage migrant
SOCOTRA GREY SHRIKE Lanius exubitor uncinatus
Resident breeder.
NOTE: taxonomic status under review – see Appendix
Steppe Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor pallidirostris
Vagrant
Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
Vagrant
House Crow Corvus splendens
Arrived on boat in 1996; bred.
Eradicated in 2009
Pied Crow Corvus albus
Vagrant or rare visitor
Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis
Resident breeder
Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix nigriceps
Resident breeder
Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla
Rare passage migrant
Sand Martin Riparia riparia
Rare passage migrant
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Passage migrant
Pale Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne obsoleta
Resident breeder
Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
Vagrant
Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix
Vagrant
Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
Vagrant
Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
Vagrant
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Vagrant
Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Vagrant
SOCOTRA CISTICOLA Cisticola haesitatus
ENDEMIC Resident breeder. Globally Near Threatened
SOCOTRA WARBLER Incana incana
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
Socotra White-eye Zosterops socotranus
(Recently split from Abyssinian White-eye Zosterops abyssinicus)
ENDEMIC Resident breeder
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
Vagrant
Somali Starling Onychognathus blythii
Resident breeder
SOCOTRA STARLING Onychognathus frater
ENDEMIC Resident breeder
Black-throated Thrush Turdus atrogularis
Vagrant
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
Vagrant
Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos
Vagrant
Western Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
Vagrant
Common Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis
Vagrant
Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
Rare winter visitor
Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus
Vagrant
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
Vagrant
Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti
Winter visitor & passage migrant
Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka
Winter visitor & passage migrant
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
Status uncertain; probably rare passage migrant or vagrant
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
NOTE
Black Kite In addition to Yellow-billed Kites (which have been specifically identified), black kites (probably Milvus migrans) have also been recorded as vagrants.
Brown/South Polar Skua Stercorarius antarcticus/maccormicki
(species not determined)
Vagrant
UNSUBSTANTIATED REPORTS
For the following species no supporting details or descriptions are available. They are listed for completeness.
Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas
African Spoonbill Platalea alba
Red-footed Booby Sula sula
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae
Sooty Falcon Falco concolor
Barbary Falcon Falco peregrinus pelegrinoides
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus
Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris
Hume’s Tawny Owl Strix butleri
Common Swift Apus apus
Pallid Swift Apus pallidus
Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris
Bimaculated Lark Melanocorypha bimaculata
Little Rock Thrush Monticola rufocinerea
APPENDIX: TAXONOMIC STUDIES
The following taxa on the Socotra list are the subject of taxonomic studies, whose conclusions are briefly described below. The OSME Region List v10.2 has adopted these changes. For greater detail, please consult the ORL and the references mentioned in the applicable entry.
Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinii likely will become Nyctiperdix lichtensteinii.
A review of the Porzana crakes proposes that several should be moved to Zapornia. This includes Baillon’s Z. pusilla and Little Crakes, Z. parva, but Baillon’s Crake has also been split into Western and Eastern Baillon’s Crakes by several authorities. This means that Socotra would encounter Western Baillon’s Crake Z. intermedia.
Several Charadrius plovers will probably move to Anarhynchus, the Socotra taxa involved being Kentish Plover A. alexandrinus, Lesser Sand Plover A. atrifrons, Greater Sand Plover A. leschenaultii and Caspian Plover A. asiaticus.
A most detailed published review of oceanic birds of the world brings together many threads of evidence, published and unpublished. Socotra taxa concerned may become as follows:
• The Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris of Socotran waters likely will be treated as part of a superspecies, but with its distribution now being better understood, it is proposed that the English name of Indian Black Noddy will better describe it.
• Bridled Tern is a proposed split. It is suggested that those in Socotran waters become Eastern Bridled Tern without a change of scientific name, Western Bridled Tern of the Atlantic and eastern Pacific being Onychoprion melanoptera, the two being part of a superspecies.
• Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethurus is proposed split into two species as part of a superspecies, those in the OSME Region becoming Arabian Tropicbird P. indicus, those in the Atlantic and Pacific retaining the former English and scientific names.
• The White-bellied Storm Petrel Fregetta grallaria and Black-bellied Storm Petrel F. tropica are proposed split into six species forming a superspecies. The taxon listed at present in the Socotran list as White-bellied Storm Petrel F. grallaria is provisionally considered to become Inaccessible Storm Petrel F. ‘melanoleuca’ whose formal identity requires much more work. In Socotran waters, Black-bellied Storm Petrel is scarce, but vastly outnumbers inaccessible Storm Petrel anywhere in the Indian Ocean.
• Provisionally, Brown Booby Sula leucogaster may split into 3 species in a superspecies, only one of which occurs in the OSME Region, as Indo-Pacific Booby S. plotus.
Whilst only Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo has been recorded on Socotra, White-breasted Cormorant P. lucidus is a possible vagrant and it should be noted that this has now been split from P. carbo.
Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia has been split by several authorities into three species, the one encountered in Socotra being Yellow-billed Egret A. brachyrhyncha.
Much work needs to be done to clarify the relationships between the four populations of reef egrets (reef herons) worldwide, and in turn their relationships to Little Egret Egretta garzetta. The Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis subspecies schistacea encountered in Socotra is quite different from that of West Africa, E.g. gularis. It is possible from the relatively limited genetic data available that some populations of Little Egret will in future be grouped as one species with some reef-heron populations.
The migratory Steppe Buzzards Buteo buteo vulpinus that are vagrant to Socotra are perhaps best described as ‘Northern Steppe Buzzard’ to distinguish it from the sedentary smaller B.b. menetriesi of North Africa as ‘Southern Steppe Buzzard’. The two taxa are but part of the complex ongoing review and revision of the Common Buzzard B. buteo complex and its relationships to other Buteo species.
Genetic evidence confirms that placing OSME Region large grey shrikes in Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis was in error attributable to cryptic similarity of plumages and structure. Palearctic taxa west of roughly 100°E should be placed in Great Grey Shrike L. excubitor as the most conservative position. It is likely that many of these taxa will merit elevation to species rank, especially the Socotran taxon uncinatus. As for taxon pallidirostris, ‘Steppe Grey Shrike’ (which breeds in saxaul habitat, not the steppes), it probably will become a subspecies of L lahtora, should that be elevated to species rank from its current conservative description as L. excubitor lahtora.
Genetic evidence at present indicates that Barn Swallow may merit splitting, Eurasian Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica including all subspecies roughly as far east as 100°E, and American Barn Swallow including all Nearctic subspecies and those in the Eastern Palearctic roughly as far west as 100°E.
Of the Sylvia warblers in the OSME Region, all except Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla and Garden Warbler S. borin, will probably move to the genus Curruca.
Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius has been proposed as a split with strong evidence between eastern and western populations, the eastern occurring in the OSME region probably only in Afghanistan, the western stretching well into Europe. Western Rock Thrush M. solitarius is the winter visitor to Socotra. However, until all taxa distributions are better known and the existence or otherwise of intergrade populations is established, formal acknowledgement of the split may have to wait.