nesting colony estimated to consist of over 1.5 million adult
breeders. Nest trees contained an average of 250-300 nests each in an
area of 40 to 50 feddans. Foraging flights of quelea at the study
area averaged more than 3,000 birds/minute from nest colony to fields
and return. Officers of the Mechanized Farming Corporation (M.F.C.)
had reported about 110,000 feddans of six varieties of sorghum were
raised in the El Hawata area. The most important variety to farmers,
and the variety with the highest annual depredation by quelea, was the
small-seeded white "Daber" variety.

The results of this study were reported in the 1977 annual report but
are repeated here to illustrate the extent and severity of damage that
can be caused by quelea.

1. Six study blocks were randomly selected and divided into 10 plots,
each with 25 Daber heads, for a total of 1,500 heads.

2. Three of the six blocks were for reference and three for aerial
treatment with methiocarb and an adhesive. These were sprayed on
October 15, but the aerial spray was ineffective in preventing losses
due to partially inoperative spray equipment, spray coming out under
high pressure, and excessive heat and high winds. All of these fac-
tors combined to prevent the attainment of residue levels necessary
to deter the birds. Consequently, the study ultimately became more
significant as an exercise in damage assessment than for spray
effectiveness.

3. Damage assessment readings on October 16, 1 day after spraying,
showed a 6.3- to 10-percent loss in Blocks 1-4 and 4.5 percent for
Blocks 5 and 6. Blocks 5 and 6 were just coming out of the tassel/
flower stage; the heads had not matured to the more vulnerable milk
stage of Blocks 1-4.

4. A second reading on October 23 showed an increase in damage as
follows:

 Block 1 73.16%
 Block 2 78.31%
 Block 3 73.94%
 Block 4 72.67%
 Block 5 51.40%
 Block 6 32.58%

By November 15, losses were more than 95-98 percent in all six blocks.
We concluded that at least five sacks of sorghum could have been
produced per feddan. The resultant loss was valued at approximately