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Resident throughout tropics; majority of northernmost (W Palearctic) and southernmost (S African) populations wholly or partly migratory. Present Turkey Mar-Sept only, and summer only in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, otherwise partially migratory only in Middle East and N Africa, though noted on passage in Chad during Oct. E populations of galilejensis may migrate through Arabia to Africa. Complex picture emerges from Israel, where resident N Israeli population disperses up to 100 km during Oct-Mar into areas where it does not breed; small passage, presumably from outside Israel, mid-Sept to mid-Dec and early Feb to mid-May. Populations in S Africa, C Zimbabwean plateau and Freetown, Liberia, may be partly migratory, but this is equivocal and may be result of apparent reductions in numbers caused by changes in roosting behaviour, making species less conspicuous; however, coastal migration recorded in Liberia at beginning of dry season. Recently recorded Antananarivo, Madagascar, during Sept to Nov; at least one record on Maldives, flock of 7 in Dec. Accidental but increasingly recorded in Europe: 5 records in Spain up to early 1990īs and at least as many since; 4 in Portugal up to Jun 1998, with first as recently as 1995; Italy 2, Malta 8, Britain and Ireland 9 (May-Nov) and Sweden 4 (Jun-Nov) up to early 1990īs, and recent increase in British records (5 in 1997 and 3 in 1998).   (del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J (eds), 1999)

• digitised by GROMS, after del Hoyo J A Elliott; J Sargatal (eds) (1999) - www.hbw.com,
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