Boros István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 51. (Budapest 1959)

Horváth, L.: The results of the zoological collecting trip to Egypt in 1957, of the Natural History Museum, Budapest 7. The ornithological results

Dotterel (Eudromias morinellus L.) I sighted one specimen on the shore of a large island in the Nile opposite Helwan on 17 November. The record is faunistically interesting, since the species is sighted very rarely in North Africa. White-tailed Plover (Vanellochettusia leucura Licht.) I observed 2 specimens in the Kagug marshes near Silsilia in Upper Egypt, and succeeded to bag one of them (female). Spur-winged Plover (Hoplopterus spinosus L.) I observed it only in Egypt, noting 202 specimens between 9 September and 17 November. I saw 12 in the Delta, the northernmost occurrence being in Damanhur (3 individuals). Generally, it occurs singly or in twos; or in very small flocks consisting of some few specimens. I remark it as an exceptional rarity that I saw a flock of 34 birds between Cairo and Memphis on 14 November. Aside of this, I noted it in rather loose congregations and not in compact flocks in two places as follows : 18 specimens on the reservoir of the oasis Kom Oshim on 12 October, and 15 birds on a reservoir in the valley of the Nile near Sids (province Beni Suef) on 15 October. With the exception of the above cases, I found it generally in a uniform dispersion between Damanhur and Aswan. I never met with it on the coast of the Red Sea between 31 October and 7 November, nor in oases situated far from the Nile. I found its numbers, — concerning to what I expected and what is generally assumed, — rather low, with view of the fact that my slow collecting journey in the valley of the Nile from Alexandria to Aswan lasting for about 4 weeks was very suitable for the observation of almost every specimen. In spite of this. I regard it, together with the puff-backed heron, the Egyptian Kite, the laughing dove, and the little green bee-eater, as one of the most characteristical and ubiquitous bird of Egypt. Oyster-catcher (Haematopus ostralegus ostralegus L.) I observed it only on the shores of the Red Sea. I noted a flock of 11 specimens at Marsa el 'Alam on 1 November, and another one of 35 specimens at Hurghada on 5 November. Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus himantopus L.) I noted 2 specimens in the Kagug marshes near Silsilia in Upper Egypt on 24 October. Owing to the relatively early date and the large distance from the Mediterranean Sea (about 1000 km), it is most probable that they belonged to the population breeding in Egypt. Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago gallinago L.) It was seen in the marshy flats of the Delta and in the valley of the Nile, indeed, on the Red Sea too, but always in small numbers. I observed a total