574 PETER HOGG : SUDAN BREEDIXG RECORIIS IBIS, 92

SOME BREEDING RECORDS FROM THE ANGLO-EGYPTIAN SUDAN.

By PETER HOW.

Received on 15 October 1949.

The breeding records given in this note have been collected during 14 years' service in the Northern Sudan in the area lying between 12" and 20" N. and between 27" and 37&" E., in a region that is, from this point of view, very imperfectly documented indeed.

The locality of each record is indicated by the following letters :-

Letter Area 'rype of Environment D Dilling in Nuba Mountains Savanna and rocky hills. So Soderi in Northern Kordofan Arid (scrub) and isolated hills. R Bara in Northern Kordofan Arid (Acacia-grass). Si GA Gash and Atbara Rivers (Kassala) Arid (Acacia-grass and forest). N Nile Valley, Khartoum to Atbara Arid (Acacia-grass). NWK Northern half of Western Korde- Arid (Acacia-rass).

SWK Southern ditto (south of 12" N.) Arid (Acacia forest).

Sinkat in Red Sea Hills Arid (scrub) and rocky hills.

fan District

Mean annual rainfall in the area varies between over 25 inches in Dilling and under 10 inches in Sinkat. 'I'he rains become more irregular towards the north ; in Atbara in some ycars there is not more than a tracc' of rain. Permanent fresh water is available in the Nile and Atbara Rivers, at a very few permanent streams in the Red Sea Hills and Nuba Mountains, and at many wells where the nomads regularly fi l l watering pans for their animals. In the rainy season (May-October) pools form, some of which in favourable years are large enough to last through into the following rains, particularly in Kordofan.

In the whole of the area covered by these notes, except the Red Sea coastal strip, there is a single rainy season, rising to its climax in Ju ly and August. The places further south, such as Dilling (12" N.), are reached by the rains earlier, in May or even April, and enjoy them later, up to October ; but at Shendi, for instance (approx. 17" X.), the season is shortened to July-September. The Red Sea coast has its rainfall confined to the winter, December-February .

Where their roots have sufficient water these trees in general are never bare of leaves. Those spccies which are capable of life in very arid conditions become almost bare in summer, but quickly burgeon after rainfall. However, even in

The trees in the area are mainly species of acacia.

1950 PETER HOGG : SUDAN BREEDIKG RECORDS 575

the most arid areas there are often wadis with water available in the sub-soil which the long tap-roots can reach, and for this reason green trees and insect life exist unexpectedly far north even outside the Nile Valley.

POLIOCEPHALUS RUFICOLLIS. Little Grebe. Egg-laying Nov. and every month up to March according to Mr. J. Longe

(Urn Ruaba). On 1 March I found 2 X c/S and 1 X c/2, all fresh (D). ARDEA MELANOCEPHALA. Black-headed Heron.

4 July (N) nest-building; 15 Aug. (GA) some incubating, some feeding young. BUBULCCS IBIS. Buff-backed Heron.

30 May (D) incubating. SCOPUS UMBRETTA. Hammerkop.

24 Jan. (GA) nest, obviously in use, seen 12 feet up in fork of Tamarisk tree. DIWURA EPISCOPUS. African Woolly-necked Stork.

12 Aug. (N) single pair seen at nest in mahogany tree, 30 ft. up., one incubating. May have been a pair escaped from The other brought spray of green leaves to nest.

Khartoum Zoo, close by. SPHENORYNCHUS ABDIMII. Whit:-bellied Stork.

18 May (D) and also 13 Aug. (SO) incubating.

15 Aug. (GA) some in colony incubating, others feeding young.

Young broods at all stages of growth are seen on Nile in Shendi District Nov.-

‘rHRESKIORNIS AETHIOPICUS. Sacred Ibis.

ALOPOCHEN AECYPTIACUS. Egyptian Goose.

May (Nile falling). GYPS RWPPELIJI. Riippell’s Griffon.

29 Nov. (So) c / l ; 23 Dec. (So) sitting; 29 Dec. (So) 2 pairs incubating. TORGOS TRACHELIOTUS. Lappet-faced Vulture.

12 Jan. (So) nest appeared to contain young; 25 Jan. (GA) 2 pairs incubating. NEOPHRON PERCNOPTERUS. Egyptian Vulture.

4 April (N) eggs hatching; 29 April (D) building nest. NECROSYRTES MONACHUS. Hooded Vulture.

14 Jan. (GA) incubating; 24 Jan. (GA) incubating. FALCO BIARMICUS. Abyssinian Lanner.

End March (N) young in down. MILWS MIGRANS. African Black Kite.

23 Dec. (N) 4 2 ; 10 Feb. 4 3 ; 8 Nov. (N) c/2. AQUILA RAPAX. Tawny EaKle.

23 Dec. (N) bird on nest; 27 Jan. (GA) c/2 (1 just hatched). HIEMASTUS SPILOCASTER. African Hawk-eagle.

25 Jan. (So) c/l hard set. TERATHOPIUS ECAUDATUS. Bateleur Eagle.

25 Oct. (Si) c/l hard set. CUNCUMA VO€IFER. African Sea-eagle.

18 Jan. (GA) squab in down; 20 Jan. (GA) squab in feather; 25 Jan. (GA) c/2 fresh.

MELIERAX METABATES. Chanting Goshawk. 23 April (So) c /2 fresh ; 30 May (D) seen at nest.

ORTYXELOS MEIPFRENII. Quail-plover. 25 Jan. (So) young not yet able to fly.

CHARADRIUS PECUARIUS. Kittlitz’s Sand-plover. 16 June (N) 1 young bird in down and 1 well-grown.

IBIS, 92 576 PETER HOGG : SUDAN BREFDING RECORDS

HOPLOPTERUS SPINOSUS. Spur-winged Plover. 16 April (N) 44, 25 April (N) 44, both nests on Nile sandbank and lined with

chips of shell. SARCIOPHORUS TECIUS. Blackhead Plover.

15 Jan. (GA) c/3 hard set; 17 Jan. (GA) 43.

17 ,May (N) c/l.

16 April (N) 4 2 , 25 April (N) 4 2 , both nests concealed in low vegetation on

PLUVIANUS AEGYPTILJS. Egyptian Plover.

BURHINUS SENEGALESSIS. Senegal Stone-curlew.

Nile sandbank. R H Y s c I r O P s FLAVIROSTRIS. African Skimmer.

16 April (N), c/3, 25 April (N) 2 X c/3 and 1 x newly hatched young. All nests on Nile sandbank.

PTRROCLES SENEGALLUS. Senegal Sandgrouse.

PTEROCLES SENEYXLENSIS. Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse.

COLUMBA GUINEA. Speckled Pigeon.

STREPTOPELIA ROSEOGRISEA. Pink-headed Dove.

5 April (N) pairing up for breeding; 19 April (N) 43 .

21 Dec. (So) and also 12 Aug. (So), young just on the wing.

12 Jan. (GA) eggs.

13 Feb. (NWK) cjl; 13 April (So) 2 squabs; 18 April (So) 2 squabs; 3 May (D) c/2 eggs; but I believe it nests all the year round.

STIGMATOPELIA SENEGALENSIS. Sudan Laughing Dove. 13 Feb. (NWK) c/l; 30 May (D) incubating; 12 June (Si) nest-building;

lMany other nests, not recorded individually, suggest that this 14 Nov. CN) 42. species breeds all the year round.

OENA CAPENSIS. Namaqua Dove.

TURTLIR ABYSSINICUS. Black-billed Blue-spotted Wood-dove.

CORACIAS ABYSBINICUS. Abyssinian Roller.

EURYSTOMWS AFER. Broad-billed Roller.

CBRYLE RUDIS. Pied Kingfisher.

h o p s ALBICOLLIS. White-throated Bee-eater.

23 March (N) 2 x c/l.

26 Jan. (GA) 2 x c/2.

I7 June (D) young in nest.

20 Sept. (So) nestling well grown.

14 Jan. (GA) young on wing.

6 Aug. (So) : in one nest werc found 2 rottcn eggs, 2 partly fledged and 2 naked 22 Aug. (N) : in one nest were found 2 fresh eggs, 2 eggs lightly set and 1 egg young.

containing embryo w d l formed. LOPHOCEROS NASUTUS. Grey Hornbill.

SCOTORNIS CLIMACURUS. Long-tailed Nightjar.

TACHYNAUTES PARWS. Palm Swift.

COLIUS MACROURUS. Blue-naped Mouse-bird.

EREMOPTWIX NIGRICEPS. White-fronted Sparrow-lark.

19 Sept. (So) male feeding female enclosed in hole in sandstone cliff.

July (N) in breeding plumage and paired.

May (N) young in nests.

17 Jan. (GA) 4 3 ; 31 Jan. (N) incubating; 20 Jan. (N) eggs.

15 March (Si) c/2.

1950 PETER HOGG : SUDAN BREEDING RECORDS 577

ARGYA FULVA. Fulvous Chatterer. 9 April (So) young on wing; 18 April (So) young hatched cn. 5 days; 19 NOV.

(Si) c/3 fresh. PYCSONOTUS BARBATUS. Egyptian Bulbul.

9 May (B) young on wing; 30 May (D) ‘eggs; 9 June (B)*young h nest; 10 June (N) c/3 fresh; 9 July (B) young in nest; 24 July (B) eggs.

OENANTHE LEUCOPYCA. White-rumped Chat.

CERCOMELA YELANURA. Black-tailed Rock-chat.

MYRMECOCICHLA AETHIOPS. Anteater Chat.

CERCOTRICHAS POWBB. Black Bush-robin.

HIPPOLAIS PALLIDA. Olivaceous Warbler.

18 April (So) young in nest; 23 May (Si) young on wing.

10 Aug. (N) 4 3 ; 19 Sept. (So) 2 broods on wing.

17 Sept. (So) 2 young in nest.

15 May (Si) 4 3 ; 25 May (So) c/3, one egg just hatched.

11 May (N) well-grown young in nest; 22 June (N) pair seen at new nest and male singing; 21 July (N) fledgling on wing.

SYLVIETTA BRACHYURA. Crombec.

SPILOPTILA CLAMANS. Scaly-fronted Warbler.

HIRUNW AETHIOPICA. Ethiopian Swallow.

Late May (B), 1 egg found deserted 9 June.

16 AUK. (N) c/3 fresh.

30 May (D) incubating. HIRUNDO SMITHII. Wire-tailed Swallow.

14 April (N) c/2 eggs in small mud cup lined with white feathers against overhanging rock ledge by Nile.

RIPARIA PALUDICOLA. Sudan Sand-martin. 14 Jan. (GA) some eggs, some young in nesting colony.

PTYOSOPR~CNE OBSOLETA. Pale Crag-martin. 11 Feb. (N) 4 3 ; 19 Sept. (So) young in nest.

LANIUS EXCUBITOR. White-rumped Grey Shrike. 5 April (So) c / l fresh; 20 Nov. (Si) young just able to fly.

TCHAGRA SENEGALA. Black-headed Tchagra. 11 Aug. (So) c/l ; 18 Nov. (N) 42 .

RHODOPHOSEUS CRUENTUS. Rosy-patched Shrike. 5 Nov. (Si) 43.

CORVUS CORAX. Brown-necked Raven. 8 Jan. (So) incubating.

CORVUS ALBUS. Pied Crow. 12 Jan. (GA) incubating; 2 May (D) incubating; 20 Aug. (So) 1 squab in nest.

CORVUS SPLBNDENS. Indian House Crow. 10 Feb. (Si) colony nesting (egg obtained).

NBZTARINIA PULCHELLA. Beautiful Sunbird.

HEDYDIPNA METALLICA. Pigmy Long-tailed Sunbird. 29 June (N) building; July/August (N) building; 16 Nov. (N) young in nest.

16 March (Si) building nest; 29 April (D) mating; 15 May (Si) young on wing; 12 June (Si) 4 2 ; 12 June (Si) young in nest; 21 Sept. (N) 4 2 ; 5 Nov. (N) young bud one week out of nest.

PLOCEPASSBR BUPRRCILIO~US. Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver. 18 Feb. (D) nest building; 6 June (D) still nesting in a colony of 6.

578 PBI'EH HOG(; : SUDAN BFSEDISG RECORDS IBIS, 92

PASSER DOMESTICUS. House-sparrow Throughout the year in towns, gardens and villages.

AURIPASWR LUTEUS. Golden Sparrom. 5 Oct. (N) young in nest.

SPOROPIPES FRONTALIS. Speckle-frontrd Weaver. 9 Feb. (SWK) c/3 fresh; 11 Feb. (SWK) c/3 young birds just hatched.

EUPLECTES FRANCISCANA. Orange Bishop. Aug.-Nov. (GA) eggs throughout.

ECPLECTES TAHA. Taha Bishop. Aug.-Sept. (GA) eggs.

AMADINA FASCIATA. Cut-throat Weaver. 8 Feb. (SWK) family of 6 young about 7 days out of nest.

PYTILIA MELBA. Melba. 18 Feb. (D) eggs common; 30 No\. (So) young well grown in nest.

LACONOSTICTA SENEGALA. Red-billed Fire-finch. Sept. (B) eggs.

URAEGINTHUS BENGALUS. Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu. Dec. (GA) eggs.

FRINCILWRIA TAHAPISI. Cinnamon-breasted Rock-bunting. 31 Jan. (So) c/2.