Perspective: New field guide has good news for Iraq's birds

A sacred ibis, Threskiornis aethiopicus, wings its way across Iraq.

BAGHDAD, Iraq, January 26, 2007 (ENS) - The wildlife conservation movement that has started to emerge in Iraq took off today with the publication of "Field Guide to the Birds of Iraq" in Arabic. Despite ongoing conflict across the country, the unique guide shows that no species has gone extinct in the Mesopotamian marshes since the last assessments were conducted in the 1970s.

Covering the 387 bird species that have been recorded in Iraq, the book is the first comprehensive, fully illustrated field guide to the birds of an Arabic speaking country and first field guide of its kind for Iraq.

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