AMEEN SAHIB ABD ALJALIL ALMOSAWI

The study aimed to assess the impact of water quality standards on bird density in the Bahr al-Najaf depression over a period of seven months, from October 2023 to April 2024. We selected three sites for the study. We measured various physical and chemical aspects of the water, including its temperature, air temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, total hardness, calcium, magnesium hardness, and chloride. We determined the density of birds and the number of species in the study area. The air temperature ranged between (20.6 - 31) °C, the water temperature ranged (20 - 28) °C, the electrical conductivity ranged between (19.8 - 168.25) ms/cm, and the total dissolved solids ranged from (11,200 - 83,750) mg. /l, salinity between (13.85 - 117.777) ppt, pH between (7.9 - 8.2), dissolved oxygen between (0.73 - 5.6) mg/l, and biological oxygen demand between (0). 73 - 3 5 .5) mg/L, total hardness between (2200 - 21066.66) mg/L, and calcium hardness between (961.9 - 4382.08) mg/L, magnesium between (216.4 - 4625.7) mg/L, chloride between (1799 - 17061) mg/L The study identified 29 families and 82 species. Bird species diversity was greatest in the family Scolopacidae. The family Scolopacidae had the highest diversity with 14 species, followed by Laridae with 10 species, Charadriidae, Columbidae, and Ardeidae with five species each, Motacillidae and Anatidae with four species, and Corvidae and Passeridae with three species each. The three locations had different species diversity and abundance. With the exception of one month, the density of birds at the third site exhibited a higher species abundance and diversity compared to the other sites. Bird density showed a significant positive correlation with TDS, salinity, and electrical conductivity, while Mg ions showed a significant negative correlation. We observed a significant positive correlation between the number of species and pH, and a significant negative correlation between the number of species and chloride.

Owing to the paucity of research on the Bahr al-Najaf depression and its significance as a habitat for several living things, including endemic and migratory birds, this paper assessed the species composition, relative abundance, and species diversity of avifauna found in waterbodies in the Bahr Najaf Depression during six months from October 2023 to March 2024. Transect walks and direct observation methods were deployed for the birds’ survey. A total of 72 species, belonging to 28 families, were identified. Family Scolopacidae had the highest number of bird species (12 species), followed by Laridae (eight species), followed by Charadriidae and Ardeidae each (five species), Motacillidae (4 species), and Corvidae, Columbidae, Anatidae, and Passeridae (three species) each. Species abundance and diversity varied between the three sites. The density of birds in the third site had a higher species abundance and diversity compared to other sites at all months except November and March, where the second site recorded a higher species abundance and diversity. Shannon’s diversity index indicated higher species diversity (H = 2.09) in March than other months. The Bahr Al-Najaf marshes and the adjacent territories appear to need more protection and management in order to better conserve the area’s natural heritage, based on the findings of both recent and earlier studies.

Abstract In this study, cross-sectional survey techniques and direct observation techniques were used to monitor birds in the Bahr al-Najaf depression and its significance as a home for several living organisms, including endemic and migratory birds. The aim of this paper was to document additional records of bird species in the Bahr Al-Najaf depression throughout a seven-month period from October 2023 to April 2024. Transect walks and direct observation methods were deployed for the birds' survey by using 8x42mm binoculars and an 8x spotting scope , while a Nikon Coolpix P1000 camera with a 24– 3000mm lens was used to take pictures. Eight new migratory bird species have been discovered in the Bahr al-Najaf depression's water bodies. One of them is a new record in Iraq, which is the swan goose (Anser cygnoides). This raises the total number of birds known from the Bahr al-Najaf depression to 176.