Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 124, April 2015, pp. 22-39.

22

Studying Aquatic Birds in the area between
the Gaza Fishermen Port and Wadi Gaza
Estuary, Gaza Strip, Palestine
‫دراسة الطيور المائية في المنطقة ما بين ميناء الصيادين في غزة‬
‫ومصب وادي غزة ، قطاع غزة ، فلسطين‬
By: Ayman Wadi’ Youssef Dardona (M.Sc. Limnology) and
Prof. Dr. Sc. Norman Ali Bassam Khalaf-von Jaffa (Dr.Sc. Zoology)

Photo (1). Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) flying near the Gaza Beach Camp
Sea. Photo by: Ayman Dardona. 05.02.2014.

Preface
The term water bird, waterbird or aquatic bird (not to be confused with
wading birds) is used to refer to birds that live on or around water. Some
definitions apply the term especially to birds in freshwater habitats, though
others make no distinction from birds that inhabit marine environments. In
addition, some water birds are more terrestrial or aquatic than others, and
their adaptations will vary depending on their environment. These
adaptations include webbed feet, bills and legs adapted to feed in water, and
the ability to dive from the surface or the air to catch prey in water
(Wikipedia).
In this article we are going to mention the aquatic bird species that exist in the

Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 124 – April 2015