Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
well as a large number of the expected desert birds, such as assorted sandgrouse, larks and
wheatears.
A growing number of birders are coming to Iran in search of
these birds, many of which are hard to find elsewhere, and to
enjoy the exceptional birding along the Persian Gulf. In winter
in particular, many hundreds of thousands of birds flock to the
shallow waters of the Gulf, with the Bandar Abbas-Qeshm
areas particularly good. Vast flocks of waders, including crab
plovers and terek sandpipers, mingle with various herons,
egrets and pelicans and together create one of the most import-
ant wintering area for birds in the Middle East.
For the casual birder, some of the more prominent species
include golden eagles in the northern mountains, three species
of bee-eaters, the colourful pied and Smyrna kingfishers, both
common in Khuzestan, plus the startling blue Indian roller in the Bandar Abbas area and
its cousin the European roller in the north.
Birding Web-
sites
»
»
Birding Pal
(
ht-
tp://birdingpal.org/Iran
)
A list
of professional and enthusiast
birding guides in Iran.
»
»
Ornithological Society of
the Middle East
(
www.osme.org
)
Excellent trip
reports.
Endangered Species
Habitat loss and one million hunting licenses
(each with free bullets from the state) have
taken their toll on the wildlife. In the moun-
tainous northwest, the lammergeier (bearded
vulture) has been shot and poisoned to the
brink of extinction due to a misconception
among farmers that they attack sheep. In fact,
this fascinating bird usually eats only what oth-
er vultures have left behind, and often breaks
bones by dropping them onto rocks from a great height. They apply the same method to
the unfortunate Greek spur-thighed tortoises in the area.
The Persian fallow deer remains vulnerable but is nonetheless a rare Iranian conserva-
tion success story. Thought extinct in the 1950s, a small population was discovered in
Khuzestan province, and intensive breeding efforts saw numbers rise throughout the '60s
and '70s. Today populations exist in Khuzestan, Mazandaran, the Arjan Protected Area
and on an island in Lake Orumiyeh.
More than a thousand wetland sites around the
world are protected under a 1971 agreement, signed
in Ramsar, on Iran's Caspian Sea coast. Known as
the Ramsar Convention, birds and their wetland
habitats are the greatest beneficiaries. Iran is home
to 22 wetlands that are protected by Ramsar.
