Page 31 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

WESTERN PALEARCTIC

DISTRIBUTION
Various distribution patterns occur in the
region. Birds such as the Kestrel breed Svalbard
across Europe,Africa, and Asia. Others,
such as the Long-eared Owl, breed in
North America, Europe, and Asia.
Species found across Europe and Iceland
Asia are labelled “Palearctic”,
while the Robin is solely
Faroe
“European”, and the Dartford Islands Finland
Warbler “Mediterranean”. Norway Russian
Federation
Sweden Estonia
Republic United Denmark Latvia
of Ireland Kingdom
Lithuania
Netherlands Belarus
Azores Belgium Germany Poland Kazakhstan
Luxembourg Czech Republic Ukraine
France Slovak Republic
Switzerland Austria Hungary Moldavia
Portugal Slovenia Croatia Romania
Spain Bosnia Yugoslavia Georgia
Italy Armenia Azerbaijan
Madeira Bulgaria
Albania
Macedonia Turkey
Canary Greece
Islands Morocco Syria
Cyprus
Tunisia Crete Lebanon Iraq
Israel
THE REGION AND ITS BIRDS Jordan Saudi
The Western Palearctic includes Europe as well as Algeria Arabia
countries around its edges (the region is outlined in
Libya
pink here). The Canary Islands, Azores, and North Egypt
Africa are Palearctic in their birdlife. In the Middle
East, the mix includes African and Oriental species.
Niger Chad
PALEARCTIC BIRDS
Most Palearctic birds are unique to the region. A SELECT FEW
Of the hundreds of Palearctic songbirds, for While there are just three
species of kingfisher in the
example, only 16 also occur in the Americas. Of Western Palearctic, and only
the rest of the bird species in the region,just 100 one occurs in Europe, there
are found in the Americas.There is more of an are 88 worldwide. In some
overlap with the Orient and Africa, but there are ways the Palearctic is more
still 65 genera that are only ever found in the easily defined by what it lacks
Palearctic. However, the Western Palearctic has than by what it has. What it
only half as many species as the Eastern Palearctic. does have, nonetheless, is a
unique combination of birdlife.

HABITAT RANGE
Western Palearctic habitats create a variety
of bird communities. Those living in deserts,
which have hot days and cold nights, face
quite different challenges to those in
northern forests and on high ground.

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