Surfbirds News: BirdLife International Archives
Wildlife conservation in Iraq has been given a significant boost with the release of a guide to Iraq's birds; the first field-guide of its kind for the nation.
BirdLife International and Nature Iraq, a newly-formed conservation non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Iraq, have published "Field Guide to the Birds of Iraq" in Arabic. [1] [2]
Covering the 387 bird species that have been recorded in Iraq, this is the first comprehensive, fully-illustrated field-guide to an Arabic-speaking country. The field-guide was made possible through funding from the Canadian Government via the Canada-Iraq Marshlands Initiative, the World Bank, the Ornithological Society of the Middle East (OSME) and AviFauna.
Basra Reed Warbler, copyright Amit Geffen
"For Iraq, a nation that has lost so much of its wildlife in the last twenty years, this book opens the door for the growing conservation movement in this country" said Dr Ali Douabul of Nature Iraq. "Local language field guides are crucial tools for conservation. They encourage people to realise, appreciate and get involved in bird conservation, which, because birds are good indicators of the environment, has potential benefits for all of our wildlife."
The book is due to be presented to the Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani, in the next few weeks. |
