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Suwad
Al Janubiyah
Al Janubiyah
Socotra
Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis: Status
near-endemic of the Arabian Gulf
The
phylogenetic
position of the Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax
nigrogularis
Abstract:
A recent sequence-based phylogeny for the cormorants and shags did not include the Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis. To estimate the phylogenetic position of the Socotra Cormorant, sequence data for this species from three mitochondrial genes (12S, ATPase 6, and ATPase 8) was added to the existing data-set. The results of weighted parsimony analyses on the sequence data show that the Socotra Cormorant is sister taxon to a group that includes several species of shags and cormorants (P. carbo, capillatus, capensis, sulcirostris, varius, featherstoniand punctatus). The phylogeny shows, moreover, that the Socotra Cormorant is not particularly closely related to any of the other 22 shags and cormorants in this data-set. Our estimates suggest that this species diverged from the ancestor of its closest relatives over four million years ago, even though theArabian
Gulf ,
to which, at the present time, it is largely confined, is far younger.
A recent sequence-based phylogeny for the cormorants and shags did not include the Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis. To estimate the phylogenetic position of the Socotra Cormorant, sequence data for this species from three mitochondrial genes (12S, ATPase 6, and ATPase 8) was added to the existing data-set. The results of weighted parsimony analyses on the sequence data show that the Socotra Cormorant is sister taxon to a group that includes several species of shags and cormorants (P. carbo, capillatus, capensis, sulcirostris, varius, featherstoniand punctatus). The phylogeny shows, moreover, that the Socotra Cormorant is not particularly closely related to any of the other 22 shags and cormorants in this data-set. Our estimates suggest that this species diverged from the ancestor of its closest relatives over four million years ago, even though the
Kennedy M, Aspinall S, and Page RDM. Tribulus, (Journal of the Emirates Natural History Group) 11.2: 5-8 2001
Panoramic picture
made from 5 out of 12 successive prints
made from 5 out of 12 successive prints
Named
after the island of Socotra the only report of breeding on the Socotra archipelago are from the outlying
islet of Kaal
Faroon, north of Abd el Kuri island, in 2001, when some 6000 pairs were
nesting.
Extremely
sensitive to human pressure, over the last 30 years at least 12
colonies have become extinct, today only 13 colonies are thought to
remain of
which Suwad Al Janubiyah on Hawar is
the largest documented. It is estimated that the total world
population for the species has declined to less than half a million
birds with the current world population as only
110,000 breeding pairs (Mike Jenning per comm).
The colony of 30,000
breeding
pairs (c 20% plus world population) on Suwad Al Janubiyah Hawar is the
only Socotra Cormorant colony offered protection under State Laws
anywhere in the Gulf. It is also the Gulfs' only Ramsar Site nominated
under
criteria specific to
waterbirds. A criteria requires that – to be considered as
Internationally Important the site must regularly support 20,000 or
more waterbirds or 1%
of a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird. The very
name of the island, Suwad
meaning blackness,
reflects the dominance that this species has on the islands character
during
the breeding season of September to March, within living memory
cormorants
have breed on Hawar annually.
Breeding Range
Considered
threatened to endangered, vulnerable by Birdlife
International (Birdlife
Species Fact sheet, world population 450000 – 750000 decreasing) 12
colonies have become extinct during the last 30
years,
representing a potential decline of up to c 80,000 pairs (c 26% of the
population).
There appears to be no transfer of birds between the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Sea populations. In the Arabian Sea, colonies exist on Hasikiyah in the Hallaniyat group, Dhofar Oman and further south in Yemen nesting has been recorded on Baraqa, and Sikha island and in Socotra archipelago on Kaal Faroon. It is rare in the Red Sea. It seems to have almost disappeared from the northern part of the Arabian Gulf but breeding records exist for Kurayn (1992) Arabiyah (extinct), Kuwait on Umm al Maradim (extinct) and Qaru (extinct). There are probably no more than 100 pairs breeding in this zone today. The Gulf of Salwa holds the highest breeding concentration of this species today, representing over half the world population. In Saudi Arabia, the number of breeding pairs is thought to have declined dramatically however birds breeding on the Saudi islands in the Gulf of Salwa seem to switch islands regularly and may breed in large numbers one year and be absent others. Colonies have been sporadically reported on the island of Zakhnuniyah (site of major colonies in the past), Judahm and Unabir. It is also possible that there is some interchange between the Saudi and Bahrain colonies. In the UAE the breeding population is c 33,000 pairs, and spread through seven colonies although devlopment further threatens more of these. Sir Abu Nair (extinct 1987) Arzahnah (extinct 1982), Dalma (extinct 1975), Qarnain (extinct 1989), Zirku (extinct 1981), and Nai’tah (ectinct), of the extant colonies there is little up to date information but records indicate colonies present on Sinaiya (1995), Dayyinah (1997), Ghagha (1995), North Yasat (1995) Dhubaya (1995), Umm Qassar/Ghasha (1995) Qassar Selaha (1995). Reports of other breeding (unquantified) are from South Furayjida (1994) Muhammaliya, (1994) Khardal (1994) and Umm al Kirkum (1992). On the Qatar east coast were it probably now only breeds sporadically it has bred on four islands in the past Hulul (extinct), Shara’ah, Al Ashat and Al Aliyah island. They occur and probably still breed on the Iranian side of the Arabian Gulf (no data) but do not get as far east as Pakistan.
Breeding Range
Note- year last
record for
colony - soure
Mike Jenning
record for
colony - soure
Mike Jenning
There appears to be no transfer of birds between the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Sea populations. In the Arabian Sea, colonies exist on Hasikiyah in the Hallaniyat group, Dhofar Oman and further south in Yemen nesting has been recorded on Baraqa, and Sikha island and in Socotra archipelago on Kaal Faroon. It is rare in the Red Sea. It seems to have almost disappeared from the northern part of the Arabian Gulf but breeding records exist for Kurayn (1992) Arabiyah (extinct), Kuwait on Umm al Maradim (extinct) and Qaru (extinct). There are probably no more than 100 pairs breeding in this zone today. The Gulf of Salwa holds the highest breeding concentration of this species today, representing over half the world population. In Saudi Arabia, the number of breeding pairs is thought to have declined dramatically however birds breeding on the Saudi islands in the Gulf of Salwa seem to switch islands regularly and may breed in large numbers one year and be absent others. Colonies have been sporadically reported on the island of Zakhnuniyah (site of major colonies in the past), Judahm and Unabir. It is also possible that there is some interchange between the Saudi and Bahrain colonies. In the UAE the breeding population is c 33,000 pairs, and spread through seven colonies although devlopment further threatens more of these. Sir Abu Nair (extinct 1987) Arzahnah (extinct 1982), Dalma (extinct 1975), Qarnain (extinct 1989), Zirku (extinct 1981), and Nai’tah (ectinct), of the extant colonies there is little up to date information but records indicate colonies present on Sinaiya (1995), Dayyinah (1997), Ghagha (1995), North Yasat (1995) Dhubaya (1995), Umm Qassar/Ghasha (1995) Qassar Selaha (1995). Reports of other breeding (unquantified) are from South Furayjida (1994) Muhammaliya, (1994) Khardal (1994) and Umm al Kirkum (1992). On the Qatar east coast were it probably now only breeds sporadically it has bred on four islands in the past Hulul (extinct), Shara’ah, Al Ashat and Al Aliyah island. They occur and probably still breed on the Iranian side of the Arabian Gulf (no data) but do not get as far east as Pakistan.
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