Table of Contents

1 Introduction 1.1. Arid and semi-arid regions 1.2. The avifauna of deserts and semi-deserts 2 Migrations and movements of desert birds 2.1. Movements in desert and semi-desert avifaunas: an overview 2.2.Migrants in arid ecosystems 2.3. Residents in arid ecosystems 2.3.1. How sedentary are 'resident' birds? 2.4. Conclusions 3 The nomadic avifauna 3.1. The influence of rainfall and temperature on movements in birds 3.2. Predictability of movements by non-migratory birds in arid ecosystems 3.2.1. Southern Africa 3.2.2. North Africa 3.2.3. Asia 3.2.4. North America 3.2.5. South America 3.2.6. Australia 3.3. Phylogeny of nomadic birds 3.4. Conclusions 4 Habitats and densities of nomadic birds 4.1. Habitats 4.1.1. Patchiness in time and space 4.2. Densities of nomadic birds 4.3. Conclusions 5 Food and foraging 5.1. Food of nomadic birds 5.2. Foraging behaviour 5.3. Conclusions 6 Reproduction, moult and mortality 6.1. Nest sites in nomadic birds 6.1.1. A case study. Nest site selection in Wattled Starlings Creatophora cinerea, a nomadic insectivore 6.2. Nest construction and the importance of nest materials as indicators of resources for breeding 6.2. Breeding seasons 6.3. Clutch sizes and nestling periods in arid and semi-arid South Africa 6.5. Breeding success 6.6. Moult 6.7. Conclusions 7 Conservation of nomadic desert birds