Ardea
Official journal of the Netherlands Ornithologists' Union

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Mörzer Bruyns W.F.J. & Mörzer Bruyns M.F. (1957) Waarnemingen van de Grauwe Franjepoot, Phalaropus lobatus (L.), in de Indische Oceaan. ARDEA 45 (1-2): 72-84
Observations of the Red-necked Phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus (L.), in the Indian Ocean.The Red-necked Phalarope, rather a rare migrant in West-Europe, is regularly seen by the first writer in the Arabian Sea and adjoining areas in winter, sometimes even in great numbers. 'The circumpolar breeding grounds and the wintering areas in subtropical and tropical seas are described in the literature cited. The first writer made observations in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea etc. in the years 1952-1955 on his travels by ship. All the observations are accounted for in the map 1-4. The Mediterranean and Red Sea, the easterly part of the Arabian Sea, Bengal Gulf and the Adamansea and Street Malakka evidently are seldom visited by the Red-necked Phalarope. Further east on the 8th may 1955 40 Red-necked Phalaropes were seen north of Java near Semarang. This observation was the second one for Java. The first being a not yet published observation from Kooiman, concerning a flock of Red-necked Phalaropes in the Indian Ocean near Puger on the coast of Banjuwangi on the 30th October 1941. From this flock 9 birds were collected and are now in the Leiden Museum. The observations in the Arabian Sea are summarized in the maps 1-4. The earliest observations are dated from September and October. There are only small numbers then in the southern part of the Arabian Sea. According to the literature in this period there are greater numbers expected further north. During November and December this area was not visited. In January and February great numbers were seen in the Gulf of Aden and near the Arabian coast in the neighbourhood of Makalla and in the Kamargulf. On the 21st January 1954 from sunrise to sunset the ship passed in total, at least a hundred thousand phalaropes most in groups of several tens. In February there were only small groups seen further north in the Arabian Sea. In the beginning of March 1955 in one day about 6000 phalaropes were counted in small groups in the north of the Arabian Sea approximately 150 miles from the Mekkran coast. Probably the phalaropes pass at this time of the year the northern parts of the Arabian Sea, because at the beginning of April (i.e. 7th April)-the same date as the observation of Ticehurst years ago-concentrations of thousands were again seen in the Gulf of Oman. As could be expected from May till August hardly any phalaropes were seen in this area except a small group near Sokotra in May. The observations amplify the various statements of the migration and the wintering of the Red-necked Phalaropes in the Arabian Sea and surrounding area. Probably large groups migrate in the autumn and the beginning of the winter along the coast of Arabia to the south. Apparently they come not further south than 9¦ S. About the end of January, in February and in March they are migrating back again, passing the Gulf of Oman about April and after that probably the Persian Gulf on their way back to their Siberian breeding grounds.


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