Annotated Checklist of the Marine and Coastal Birds of Lebanon

Abstract

The study of marine and coastal birds in the Lebanon recorded 75speciesalong the shore line of Lebanon and for a distance of 7 kms offshore.Of those species,35 are seabirdspecies, 38 marine or seawater/freshwater coastal birds, and 2waterbird specieswintering on the archipelagoes of Mina/Tripoli in North Lebanon (Grey Heron and Little Egret)with apparently much affinity to seawater in the winter season. This study highlighted 3 globally threatened species (Leach’s Storm Petrel Hydrobates leucorhoa [Vulnerable], Mediterranean Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan [Vulnerable], and Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus [Vulnerable]), underlined7 globally Near Threatened avian species, pointed out to 3 species that may be submitted for reconsideration bythe “Lebanon Bird Record Committee” (LBRC) at LCNRS;and updated the data of 9species of high significance from the past studies, of which, 2 species are upgraded from vagrants to winter visitors/passage migrants, one to passage migrant and one to wintervisitor..Regarding the final phenological statusesof species, one is resident breeding, one is summer breeding, 3 are formerly bred, one extirpated (extinct) from Lebanon 31are passage migrant/winter visitors, 25passage migrantsonly, 2winter visitors and 14vagrant species.