SOCIABLE PLOVER (VANELLUS GMGARIUS).
Breeds in the USSR. Winterws in India, Pakistan. Much of its breeding range in the Steppes has been encroached upon for agriculture and little is known of the status of winter quarters. In recent years, flocks of 25 have been sighted in Bharatpur, India. Requires monitoring.

SOCOTRA CORMORANT (PHALACROCORAX NIGROGULARIS).
This species is almost completely restricted to the Middle-East, breeding in a few of the islands in the Persian Gulf. The recent Gulf war seems to have considerably affected this cormorant.

SPECKLED REED WARBLER (ACROCEPHALUS SORGHOPHILUS). Philippines. Reed beds and vegetation amidst freshwater marshes. Most habitat seriously disturbed and species is rare. Urgent protection needed.

SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPER (EURYNORHYNCHMPYGMUS).
Breeds in Northeastern Asia. Winters and passage migrant in Eastern India and China, Burma, Bangladesh, Malaya. Appears rare. During Asian Wetlands Inventory surveys, over 250 individuals of this species was recorded only in the delta of the river Meghana in January 19890 R. Howes, pers comm.). Requires detailed surveys in the winter grounds where it could be easily overlooked amidst the mixed flocks of other waders.

SPOT-BILLED PELICAN (PEKEANU; PHILLPPENSIS).
India, Burma, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Vietnam. Numbers have fallen considerably over the past few decades, except in parts of South India and Sri Lanka where good numbers of this pelican still survreive. The species has almost vanished or is extremely rain its eastern range, in Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and Vi-man. In fact, the only known present breeding population consists of less than ten birds in Sumatra. Between 1959-61, the species was reportedly common in the Great Lake area of Kampuchea but there has been no information from this region over the past couple of tlecades. Most populations seen and camed and very urgent action is required.

STELLER’S SEA-EAGLE (HALBIEETUS, PELAGICUS).
Winners in USSR, Japan and the Koreas. According to recent estimates the total population is 6000 to 7000 birds. Needs to be carefully monitored.

STORM’S STORK (CICONIA EPISCOPUS STORMI).
Borneo, Sumatra, Malay Peninsula. Small numbers in undisturbed lowland forest. Survival depends upon preservation of contiguous stretches of forested habitant.

SWAMP PARTRIDGE (FRANCOLINUS GULARIS).
India Swampy grassland and floodplain wetlands. Populations small and falling, largely due to the changes in habitat. Maras, Kaziradga, Dudhwa are some of the strongholds though in parts of Assam, and in northern Bihar and Bengal, small populations survive wher- ever still suitable habitat exists outside protected areas. But human pressures are intense and species is most secure only in protected areas.

WATER COCK OR KORA (GALLICREX CINEMA).
Eastern Asia. South and East China, Korea, Malay Peninsula, Indochina, Suamatra, Romeo. In the Indian region it is resident in well watered areas almost throughout the country south of the Himalaya, to extreme south and Sri Lanka. Local migrant in some areas. Frequents freshwater marshes and paddy-fields. A well distributed species but the number of sightings are very few. Requires to be monitored.

WHITE-BELLIED HERON (ARDEN IMPERIALIST.
Nepal, Bhutan, NE India, Burma and Southern China. Sporadic sightings from Nepal, Bihar, Sikkim terai, West Bengal and Assam but no recent reports of sightings. Has been observed in Kaziranga and Pabitim. Requires urgent attention for study along forested rivers in parts of its known range.