Suchergebnisse

The Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) is a typical breeding species of Mongolia. Interest to the numbers of Saker Falcons in Mongolia was shown long. Kozlova (1930) mentioned about high numbers of Sakers in Southern and South-Western Khangai. Sushkin (1938) stated that the Sakers are not un-common birds in Western Mongolia. Mongolian ornithologists started to pay special attention to the numbers of Sakers in Mongolia since 1960-s. D. Erdendagva carried out a preliminary survey of Sakers in Southern Khangai in summer 1963. According to his data on 160 km route where he recorded 2 falcons on 1 km of route. In 1965 in Eastern Khangai, where Shagdarsuren et al. (2001) recorded 10 falcons along 30 km of survey route. If compared to the previous data, the numbers were lower here. They also repeated the counts in Arvaikeer in South-Eastern Khangai, where the numbers were higher as on one km of route they counted 1 falcon. According to Ellis & Tsengeg (1997) data in the breeding season in the Altai Mountain they saw 2 individuals per 30 km of survey route, in Khangai 6 individuals per 30 km of route, and Mongolian-Daurian steppes 2 individuals per 30 km of survey route. However in August along trunk road Ulaanbaatar Bayankhongor along 600 km route the authors counted 320 falcons or 16 individuals per 30 km of route. In 1998-2000 within an agreement between the Ministry of Nature and Environment, Mongolia and the National Avian Research Center, ERWDA, UAE a project aiming on counting the numbers of Saker Falcons has been carried out (Potapov et al., 1999a, b; Shijirmaa et al. 1999). Field teams have made repeated surveys of Saker Falcons in 5 study areas. The total area by the study areas is 16,947.5 km2, which is 1.1 % of all territory of Mongolia. The average breeding density of Sakers in control territories increased from 2.7 pairs per 1000 km2 in 1998 to 2.83 pairs per 1000 km2 in 1999, and then decreased to 2.1 pairs per 1000 km2 in 2000. Two control areas checked in 2000 had an decrease of the breeding density (from 8 to 7 breeding pairs and from 16 to 11) and decreased production rate (from 6.1 young from 1000 km2 in 1998 to 9.4 young from 1000km2 in 1999 and 5.8 young from 1000km2 in 2000). Estimate the population size of Sakers in Mongolia went up from 2823 pairs in 1998 to 2961 pairs in 1999 and down to 2220 pairs in 2000. The Sakers in Mongolia produced 6382 young in 1998, 9834 young in 1999 and 4450 in 2000. Following data of counts in 2002, about 6050 Sakers had already inhabited the all territory of Mongolia. And a total of 1000-1200 pairs were estimated to breed in Mongolia in 2003 (Fox et al., 2003). After 90-s the first legal and illegal groups of trappers were created in Mongolia. Legal groups of trappers received from the government the sanction to withdrawal sakers from the nature. Near 1000 Sakers were exported to Gulf States with legal permissions since 1993 to 2002, and the same number (or even probably more), was exported illegally. Only Saudi Arabia and Kuwait imported from Mongolia about 700 Sakers for that period. The permission to catch and export 300 Sakers at the price of 4600 $ for the bird was given out in 2002. The most part of falcons were female including northern migrants. Despite of a high share of caught migrating birds, the number of the Saker noticeably reduces especially in those regions where the press of catching is intensive. Thus the urgent measures need to protect and rational use the species. The following concern to such measures: Carry out counts and records of Saker nests in all administrative regions of the country and protect they; Prohibit the scattering of chemical poisons; Establish the system of struggle against illegal export; Erect artificial nests in the open territories; Establish a falcon center for breeding Sakers in captivity with their subsequent release in the nature in Mongolia. ; The Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) is a typical breeding species of Mongolia. Interest to the numbers of Saker Falcons in Mongolia was shown long. Kozlova (1930) mentioned about high numbers of Sakers in Southern and South-Western Khangai. Sushkin (1938) stated that the Sakers are not un-common birds in Western Mongolia. Mongolian ornithologists started to pay special attention to the numbers of Sakers in Mongolia since 1960-s. D. Erdendagva carried out a preliminary survey of Sakers in Southern Khangai in summer 1963. According to his data on 160 km route where he recorded 2 falcons on 1 km of route. In 1965 in Eastern Khangai, where Shagdarsuren et al. (2001) recorded 10 falcons along 30 km of survey route. If compared to the previous data, the numbers were lower here. They also repeated the counts in Arvaikeer in South-Eastern Khangai, where the numbers were higher as on one km of route they counted 1 falcon. According to Ellis & Tsengeg (1997) data in the breeding season in the Altai Mountain they saw 2 individuals per 30 km of survey route, in Khangai 6 individuals per 30 km of route, and Mongolian-Daurian steppes 2 individuals per 30 km of survey route. However in August along trunk road Ulaanbaatar Bayankhongor along 600 km route the authors counted 320 falcons or 16 individuals per 30 km of route. In 1998-2000 within an agreement between the Ministry of Nature and Environment, Mongolia and the National Avian Research Center, ERWDA, UAE a project aiming on counting the numbers of Saker Falcons has been carried out (Potapov et al., 1999a, b; Shijirmaa et al. 1999). Field teams have made repeated surveys of Saker Falcons in 5 study areas. The total area by the study areas is 16,947.5 km2, which is 1.1 % of all territory of Mongolia. The average breeding density of Sakers in control territories increased from 2.7 pairs per 1000 km2 in 1998 to 2.83 pairs per 1000 km2 in 1999, and then decreased to 2.1 pairs per 1000 km2 in 2000. Two control areas checked in 2000 had an decrease of the breeding density (from 8 to 7 breeding pairs and from 16 to 11) and decreased production rate (from 6.1 young from 1000 km2 in 1998 to 9.4 young from 1000km2 in 1999 and 5.8 young from 1000km2 in 2000). Estimate the population size of Sakers in Mongolia went up from 2823 pairs in 1998 to 2961 pairs in 1999 and down to 2220 pairs in 2000. The Sakers in Mongolia produced 6382 young in 1998, 9834 young in 1999 and 4450 in 2000. Following data of counts in 2002, about 6050 Sakers had already inhabited the all territory of Mongolia. And a total of 1000-1200 pairs were estimated to breed in Mongolia in 2003 (Fox et al., 2003). After 90-s the first legal and illegal groups of trappers were created in Mongolia. Legal groups of trappers received from the government the sanction to withdrawal sakers from the nature. Near 1000 Sakers were exported to Gulf States with legal permissions since 1993 to 2002, and the same number (or even probably more), was exported illegally. Only Saudi Arabia and Kuwait imported from Mongolia about 700 Sakers for that period. The permission to catch and export 300 Sakers at the price of 4600 $ for the bird was given out in 2002. The most part of falcons were female including northern migrants. Despite of a high share of caught migrating birds, the number of the Saker noticeably reduces especially in those regions where the press of catching is intensive. Thus the urgent measures need to protect and rational use the species. The following concern to such measures: Carry out counts and records of Saker nests in all administrative regions of the country and protect they; Prohibit the scattering of chemical poisons; Establish the system of struggle against illegal export; Erect artificial nests in the open territories; Establish a falcon center for breeding Sakers in captivity with their subsequent release in the nature in Mongolia.

The Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) was a usual species in Kazakhstan (Korelov, 1962). However now it is included in the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan and has the most threatened status. Saker Falcons are favorite birds of Arabian falconers and falcons were exported from Kazakhstan for a long time. But usually no more than several tens of birds were exported a year. The first legal groups of trappers were created in independent Kazakhstan republic after disintegration of the USSR in 1992, they received from the government permissions to catch sakers from the wild. Hundreds falcons had already been exported from Kazakhstan. Up to 1000 birds were exported from Kazakhstan every year at the middle of 1990-s (Sklyarenko, 1995). Legal groups caught birds mainly during autumn migrations in the areas of their concentrations which were being simultaneously and the main areas of their breeding. Those territories were the Zaysanskaya and Alakolskaya depressions, Syugatinskaya valley, the Western Balkhash Lake region and the Betpak-Dala desert. In spite of the fact that number sakers in that areas decreased every year and executive ministries were informed about it, quotas for catching increased year by year. Only Saudi Arabia had the permission for the catching of 25 falcons in 1995, but groups of trappers already from four countries with the permission on 165 sakers had caught falcons in Kazakhstan in 1999, and even more applications on catching of falcons had been submitted to the ministry which requested to the Institute of Zoology a substantiation on catching of 200 birds from the wild in 2000! Many illegal groups of trappers have appeared since 1992. Local criminal groups which organized catching of sakers and bought chicks harvested from nests from local people for a song had been already created till 1993. For instance, a female of saker caught a sack of flour in the Zaysanskaya depression in 1996-1997. But mass media with enviable persistence estimated a saker for the mythical sum of 50-70 thousands dollars. The agiotage around of trade in falcons mobilized local people to harvest falcons. Poachers have accumulated the significant experience last years and they know very much about saker biology and requirements of the falcon market. Only females are harvested from broods and males do not caught at nests. As a result of such selective approach balance of the sexual population structure has been disturbed, the portion of males is higher than females. A total of 400-450 pairs were estimated to breed in eastern regions earlier. This number decreased to 120-145 pairs for last 15 years. Only a nest from 8 monitored nests was active in the Betpak-Dala desert in 1999 (Levin, 2003). Number changes of saker populations in the southeast and the east of Kazakhstan are demonstrated in Fig.4. Only 22 (29,3 %) of 75 visited breeding territories were occupied in the all Eastern Kazakhstan. The principal cause of low breeding success of sakers in east regions is the continuation of poaching. The number of empty breeding territories increased in 4 times (comparing with previous year) during the breeding season in 2006. Another important reason of the saker number decreasing is falcon deaths from electrocution on overhead power lines with voltage 6-10 kV. Following S. V. Starikov's data (1996/1997) 68 sakers were killed in the Zaysan depression in 1990-93. Number of electrocuted birds is awful: 30 dead sakers were found during surveys of 95 km of power line on the northern side of the Zaysan Lake on 29-30 September 1993, 27 dead sakers per 400 km of power line in the southern side of the Zaysan Lake on 20-26 October 1993 (8.6 % of all killed raptors and 6.6 % of all killed birds). Another important reason of absence of breeding sakers in east regions is considered to be the depression of numbers of susliks (Spermophilus erythrogenys, S. undulatus), and great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) continuing more than 10 years. Now the number of susliks is stable or increases in many areas, but the number of sakers decreases persistently. According to the information from the Arabian countries demand for wild birds has sharply fallen last two years. The number of detentions of sakers on customs and police posts has decreased. But long-term monitoring of breeding territories of sakers in different regions of Kazakhstan shows the number ob breeding population slow and continuous decreasing. And the reason of that is the continuation with absence of any logics of catching of birds from the wild. The state program «Restoration of the Saker population in the southeast of Kazakhstan» has been carried out in 2007. 60 birds breed in the Sunkar facility center were released in the nature (Fig.8). Because that action has been widely advertised in press, there were the people wishing to catch these falcons in the area of release in September. The Game Service detained three times vehicles where pigeons with loops were found. The mentioned facts are evidences that persons busy in the trade in falcons in Kazakhstan are professionals. The ways of illegal export from Kazakhstan to the Gulf States exist. And blocking of such ways on the border is one of effective methods to struggle against the illegal trade in rare animals in our country and to stop the saker number falling. ; The Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) was a usual species in Kazakhstan (Korelov, 1962). However now it is included in the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan and has the most threatened status. Saker Falcons are favorite birds of Arabian falconers and falcons were exported from Kazakhstan for a long time. But usually no more than several tens of birds were exported a year. The first legal groups of trappers were created in independent Kazakhstan republic after disintegration of the USSR in 1992, they received from the government permissions to catch sakers from the wild. Hundreds falcons had already been exported from Kazakhstan. Up to 1000 birds were exported from Kazakhstan every year at the middle of 1990-s (Sklyarenko, 1995). Legal groups caught birds mainly during autumn migrations in the areas of their concentrations which were being simultaneously and the main areas of their breeding. Those territories were the Zaysanskaya and Alakolskaya depressions, Syugatinskaya valley, the Western Balkhash Lake region and the Betpak-Dala desert. In spite of the fact that number sakers in that areas decreased every year and executive ministries were informed about it, quotas for catching increased year by year. Only Saudi Arabia had the permission for the catching of 25 falcons in 1995, but groups of trappers already from four countries with the permission on 165 sakers had caught falcons in Kazakhstan in 1999, and even more applications on catching of falcons had been submitted to the ministry which requested to the Institute of Zoology a substantiation on catching of 200 birds from the wild in 2000! Many illegal groups of trappers have appeared since 1992. Local criminal groups which organized catching of sakers and bought chicks harvested from nests from local people for a song had been already created till 1993. For instance, a female of saker caught a sack of flour in the Zaysanskaya depression in 1996-1997. But mass media with enviable persistence estimated a saker for the mythical sum of 50-70 thousands dollars. The agiotage around of trade in falcons mobilized local people to harvest falcons. Poachers have accumulated the significant experience last years and they know very much about saker biology and requirements of the falcon market. Only females are harvested from broods and males do not caught at nests. As a result of such selective approach balance of the sexual population structure has been disturbed, the portion of males is higher than females. A total of 400-450 pairs were estimated to breed in eastern regions earlier. This number decreased to 120-145 pairs for last 15 years. Only a nest from 8 monitored nests was active in the Betpak-Dala desert in 1999 (Levin, 2003). Number changes of saker populations in the southeast and the east of Kazakhstan are demonstrated in Fig.4. Only 22 (29,3 %) of 75 visited breeding territories were occupied in the all Eastern Kazakhstan. The principal cause of low breeding success of sakers in east regions is the continuation of poaching. The number of empty breeding territories increased in 4 times (comparing with previous year) during the breeding season in 2006. Another important reason of the saker number decreasing is falcon deaths from electrocution on overhead power lines with voltage 6-10 kV. Following S. V. Starikov's data (1996/1997) 68 sakers were killed in the Zaysan depression in 1990-93. Number of electrocuted birds is awful: 30 dead sakers were found during surveys of 95 km of power line on the northern side of the Zaysan Lake on 29-30 September 1993, 27 dead sakers per 400 km of power line in the southern side of the Zaysan Lake on 20-26 October 1993 (8.6 % of all killed raptors and 6.6 % of all killed birds). Another important reason of absence of breeding sakers in east regions is considered to be the depression of numbers of susliks (Spermophilus erythrogenys, S. undulatus), and great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) continuing more than 10 years. Now the number of susliks is stable or increases in many areas, but the number of sakers decreases persistently. According to the information from the Arabian countries demand for wild birds has sharply fallen last two years. The number of detentions of sakers on customs and police posts has decreased. But long-term monitoring of breeding territories of sakers in different regions of Kazakhstan shows the number ob breeding population slow and continuous decreasing. And the reason of that is the continuation with absence of any logics of catching of birds from the wild. The state program «Restoration of the Saker population in the southeast of Kazakhstan» has been carried out in 2007. 60 birds breed in the Sunkar facility center were released in the nature (Fig.8). Because that action has been widely advertised in press, there were the people wishing to catch these falcons in the area of release in September. The Game Service detained three times vehicles where pigeons with loops were found. The mentioned facts are evidences that persons busy in the trade in falcons in Kazakhstan are professionals. The ways of illegal export from Kazakhstan to the Gulf States exist. And blocking of such ways on the border is one of effective methods to struggle against the illegal trade in rare animals in our country and to stop the saker number falling.

Introductions The breeding Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) population on the mountain ridges of eastern Kazakhstan has been monitored since 2000, The monitoring program has revealed an overall population decline over the nine years of study from an estimated 66 breeding pairs in 2000 to 22 in 2008 (75.8%). Methods Eastern Kazakhstan has several large and many small mountain ridges that provide a large area of suitable Saker Falcon nesting habitat. The Saker Falcon breeding population of eastern Kazakhstan was monitored in the Tarbagatai Mountains, including its southern foothills of Arkaly and Karabas Mountains, and in the Manrak Mountains, which are situated to the north of the Tarbagatai range. The study areas were chosen because relatively high Saker Falcon densities were previously recorded in these regions and human activity is curtailed in this border zone. Survey routes were covered by 4WD vehicle UAZ 452 over a period of three months from the beginning of April, when most clutches are laid, until the end of June, when chicks have fledged. Nest locations were recorded with a Garmin GPS unit and recorded in an electronic database which also included a description of the nest site. Nest locations were then plotted on computerized maps and satellite images. Nest contents were recorded wherever possible, though in recent years we have avoided disturbing sitting birds during incubation. The breeding population of the region was estimated from the survey data obtained from 92 territories that had evidence of occupation in at least one year from 2000-08. For logistic reasons, it was not possible to visit every territory each year and the number of territories checked ranged from 10 in 2000 to 76 in 2007. Territories were classified as occupied if: there was an active nest, one or more adults were seen in the territory or signs of recent occupation such as fresh prey remains and mutes were found. Breeding was confirmed within occupied territories if eggs or young were seen in the nest. In order to estimate the number of breeding pairs at territories that were not visited it was necessary to multiply the number of unvisited territories by the proportion of confirmed breeding attempts at checked territories. This estimate was then added to the number of confirmed breeders to produce an overall population estimate for the 92 territories in the survey area. Distribution and Number The first Saker survey in eastern Kazakhstan was made in 1997 by Mark Watson, a British biologist who worked in closely with zoologists from Kazakhstan (Watson, 1997). This was the first time that nests had been recorded in Dzhungarsky Alatau, Tarbagatai and the Manrak Mountains. Since 1999 the study area has been expanded to include a considerable area of Tarbagatai Mountains including its southern and northern foothills as well as the Saur ridge, Kalbinsky Altai Mountains, Altai Mountains (Kurchumsky and the Narymsky ridges). For the first time in 50 years the largest of eastern Kazakhstan's forests were explored with the aim of locating raptor nests. The study located 25 Saker Falcon nests and 49 nests of the Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), whose disused nests are the main source of nesting sites for Sakers (Karyakin et al., 2005; Levin et al., 2007). The foothills of the Kalba Mountains were surveyed in 2006 by a Kazakhstan-Russian team; three Saker Falcon breeding territories were recorded there (Smelansky et al., 2006). Before the 1960's the Saker was regarded as common, occupying almost all the mountain ridges and long cliffs of Kazakhstan (Korelov, 1962) and it is believed that this status remained the same up to the 1990's. Following the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the number of Saker Falcons in the wild began to decline sharply in parts of Kazakstan, primarily due to uncontrolled exploitation of the species for the Arabic falconry market with the greatest decline reported in the south-east of the country (Levin, 2001; 2003). Over nine years, from 2000-08 inclusive, a total of 92 Saker Falcon breeding territories were recorded in the eastern region of Kazakhstan. In Tarbagatai as well as other large mountain ridges, the density of Saker Falcon nests is low. Two attempts were made to find Saker nests in the montane zone of the Tarbagatai Mountains in 2006 and 2007 but no nests were found and only one Saker was seen in the area. Most breeding Sakers were located on the periphery of the main Tarbagatai Mountain range i.e., in the foothills. High breeding densities were recorded in the Arkaly and Karabas Mountains, located close to the Chinese border. A comparatively high density of nests was also observed in the Manrak Mountains, which are located to the north of the Tarbagatai Mountain range. Long-term monitoring of the Saker Falcon breeding population has allowed us to estimate the number of breeding pairs in our survey area over the period 2000-2008 (table 1). Our data indicates that over this 9-year period the breeding population has declined by 65% (fig. 4). In line with this decline the proportion of territories that are occupied by non-breeding birds has increased. Single males were found at over half the occupied territories where at least one Saker was observed but there was no evidence of breeding. Breeding Biology The nesting distribution of Sakers in the surveyed area of Eastern Kazakhstan revealed that the highest breeding densities are found in the foothills of the mountain ranges of the region, which is no doubt related to the availability of mammalian prey such as Great Gerbils (Rhomhomys opimus), Red-cheeked Sousliks (Spermophilus inlermedius) and Long-tailed Sousliks (Spermophilus undulatus), as well as the availability of suitable nesting sites. All Saker nests in Eastern Kazakhstan are located on open cliffs, under overhanging peaks and occasionally partly in niches. The main nest producers for the Saker Falcon in Eastern Kazakhstan are the Long-Legged and the Upland Buzzards (Buteo rufinus and B. hemilasius). Of 86 instances of Saker Falcon nesting, birds used nests of the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in two occasions, the Steppe Eagle (A. nipalensis) two occasions and Raven (Corvus corax) also in two. One clutch was found in a nest of the Eastern Imperial Eagle. In all the other instances the Saker used Buzzard nests. In the mountains of Eastern Kazakhstan Sakers start egg-laying from the middle of March and most pairs have completed clutches by the end of April, with a peak period in the third ten-day period of March. The mean and modal clutch size of 31 clutches was 3.9 eggs (range 3 to 6 eggs). The mean and modal size of 156 broods was 3.7 and 4 chicks respectively (range 1 to 6 chicks). There was no decline in brood size at successful nests over the study period (fig. 8). The number of breeding pairs was highest in 2002, which coincided with a peak in the number of Red-cheeked Soushks across the region. Discussion There being no apparent change to the habitat and no perceptible reduction in food supply the breeding population has steadily declined over the study period and the proportion of non-breeding territory holders has increased over the same period. This current breeding population decline in Eastern Kazakhstan mirrors the decline of the breeding Saker population in Southern Kazakhstan over the last decade of the 20th Century, which coincided with the illegal trapping for the falconry trade. We do not know the cause (or causes) of the current decline in eastern Kazakhstan but it is unlikely to be as a result of local factors in the breeding area. The breeding area is afforded some protection from human interference because of the restrictions on human access due to its close proximity to the Chinese border. Consequently, nest disturbance and trapping of breeding adults in the region is relatively low. However, after the breeding season young Sakers and most of the adult birds move from the Tarbagatai foothills and, around the same time, Sakers arrive in the flat, southern region of the Zaysan Valley where there are the colonies of Yellow Lemming (Lagurus luteus), and in the Balkhash-Alakol depression where there are high densities of Great Gerbil. Falcon trappers from Syria and other countries (including Kazakhstan) operate in these regions and catch Sakers from late June to December. Unfortunately, due to its illegality there is no data on the number, age profile or natal origin of the Sakers trapped in these regions, so it is not possible to gauge its impact on the population of eastern Kazakhstan, but with a rapidly declining regional breeding population the illegal trapping and trade of Sakers is certainly not helping the species. Whilst excessive illegal trapping of birds outside the breeding/natal area is a possible (if not probable) cause of the regional decline of Sakers in eastern Kazakhstan, there are other potential factors that could be implicated such as a decline in food availability in the breeding and/or wintering areas and increased mortality through electrocution on power lines. Conclusion In 2007 a reintroduction programme was initiated by the Government in response to the severe decline in the breeding population of southeast Kazakhstan. Under the framework of this program 60 Sakers (30 female, 30 male) were taken on July from «Sunkar» Falcon Facility, Almaty to the Sugary Valley. In 2008 another 50 birds were released and this programme is planned to continue for several years. ; Introductions The breeding Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) population on the mountain ridges of eastern Kazakhstan has been monitored since 2000, The monitoring program has revealed an overall population decline over the nine years of study from an estimated 66 breeding pairs in 2000 to 22 in 2008 (75.8%). Methods Eastern Kazakhstan has several large and many small mountain ridges that provide a large area of suitable Saker Falcon nesting habitat. The Saker Falcon breeding population of eastern Kazakhstan was monitored in the Tarbagatai Mountains, including its southern foothills of Arkaly and Karabas Mountains, and in the Manrak Mountains, which are situated to the north of the Tarbagatai range. The study areas were chosen because relatively high Saker Falcon densities were previously recorded in these regions and human activity is curtailed in this border zone. Survey routes were covered by 4WD vehicle UAZ 452 over a period of three months from the beginning of April, when most clutches are laid, until the end of June, when chicks have fledged. Nest locations were recorded with a Garmin GPS unit and recorded in an electronic database which also included a description of the nest site. Nest locations were then plotted on computerized maps and satellite images. Nest contents were recorded wherever possible, though in recent years we have avoided disturbing sitting birds during incubation. The breeding population of the region was estimated from the survey data obtained from 92 territories that had evidence of occupation in at least one year from 2000-08. For logistic reasons, it was not possible to visit every territory each year and the number of territories checked ranged from 10 in 2000 to 76 in 2007. Territories were classified as occupied if: there was an active nest, one or more adults were seen in the territory or signs of recent occupation such as fresh prey remains and mutes were found. Breeding was confirmed within occupied territories if eggs or young were seen in the nest. In order to estimate the number of breeding pairs at territories that were not visited it was necessary to multiply the number of unvisited territories by the proportion of confirmed breeding attempts at checked territories. This estimate was then added to the number of confirmed breeders to produce an overall population estimate for the 92 territories in the survey area. Distribution and Number The first Saker survey in eastern Kazakhstan was made in 1997 by Mark Watson, a British biologist who worked in closely with zoologists from Kazakhstan (Watson, 1997). This was the first time that nests had been recorded in Dzhungarsky Alatau, Tarbagatai and the Manrak Mountains. Since 1999 the study area has been expanded to include a considerable area of Tarbagatai Mountains including its southern and northern foothills as well as the Saur ridge, Kalbinsky Altai Mountains, Altai Mountains (Kurchumsky and the Narymsky ridges). For the first time in 50 years the largest of eastern Kazakhstan's forests were explored with the aim of locating raptor nests. The study located 25 Saker Falcon nests and 49 nests of the Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), whose disused nests are the main source of nesting sites for Sakers (Karyakin et al., 2005; Levin et al., 2007). The foothills of the Kalba Mountains were surveyed in 2006 by a Kazakhstan-Russian team; three Saker Falcon breeding territories were recorded there (Smelansky et al., 2006). Before the 1960's the Saker was regarded as common, occupying almost all the mountain ridges and long cliffs of Kazakhstan (Korelov, 1962) and it is believed that this status remained the same up to the 1990's. Following the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the number of Saker Falcons in the wild began to decline sharply in parts of Kazakstan, primarily due to uncontrolled exploitation of the species for the Arabic falconry market with the greatest decline reported in the south-east of the country (Levin, 2001; 2003). Over nine years, from 2000-08 inclusive, a total of 92 Saker Falcon breeding territories were recorded in the eastern region of Kazakhstan. In Tarbagatai as well as other large mountain ridges, the density of Saker Falcon nests is low. Two attempts were made to find Saker nests in the montane zone of the Tarbagatai Mountains in 2006 and 2007 but no nests were found and only one Saker was seen in the area. Most breeding Sakers were located on the periphery of the main Tarbagatai Mountain range i.e., in the foothills. High breeding densities were recorded in the Arkaly and Karabas Mountains, located close to the Chinese border. A comparatively high density of nests was also observed in the Manrak Mountains, which are located to the north of the Tarbagatai Mountain range. Long-term monitoring of the Saker Falcon breeding population has allowed us to estimate the number of breeding pairs in our survey area over the period 2000-2008 (table 1). Our data indicates that over this 9-year period the breeding population has declined by 65% (fig. 4). In line with this decline the proportion of territories that are occupied by non-breeding birds has increased. Single males were found at over half the occupied territories where at least one Saker was observed but there was no evidence of breeding. Breeding Biology The nesting distribution of Sakers in the surveyed area of Eastern Kazakhstan revealed that the highest breeding densities are found in the foothills of the mountain ranges of the region, which is no doubt related to the availability of mammalian prey such as Great Gerbils (Rhomhomys opimus), Red-cheeked Sousliks (Spermophilus inlermedius) and Long-tailed Sousliks (Spermophilus undulatus), as well as the availability of suitable nesting sites. All Saker nests in Eastern Kazakhstan are located on open cliffs, under overhanging peaks and occasionally partly in niches. The main nest producers for the Saker Falcon in Eastern Kazakhstan are the Long-Legged and the Upland Buzzards (Buteo rufinus and B. hemilasius). Of 86 instances of Saker Falcon nesting, birds used nests of the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in two occasions, the Steppe Eagle (A. nipalensis) two occasions and Raven (Corvus corax) also in two. One clutch was found in a nest of the Eastern Imperial Eagle. In all the other instances the Saker used Buzzard nests. In the mountains of Eastern Kazakhstan Sakers start egg-laying from the middle of March and most pairs have completed clutches by the end of April, with a peak period in the third ten-day period of March. The mean and modal clutch size of 31 clutches was 3.9 eggs (range 3 to 6 eggs). The mean and modal size of 156 broods was 3.7 and 4 chicks respectively (range 1 to 6 chicks). There was no decline in brood size at successful nests over the study period (fig. 8). The number of breeding pairs was highest in 2002, which coincided with a peak in the number of Red-cheeked Soushks across the region. Discussion There being no apparent change to the habitat and no perceptible reduction in food supply the breeding population has steadily declined over the study period and the proportion of non-breeding territory holders has increased over the same period. This current breeding population decline in Eastern Kazakhstan mirrors the decline of the breeding Saker population in Southern Kazakhstan over the last decade of the 20th Century, which coincided with the illegal trapping for the falconry trade. We do not know the cause (or causes) of the current decline in eastern Kazakhstan but it is unlikely to be as a result of local factors in the breeding area. The breeding area is afforded some protection from human interference because of the restrictions on human access due to its close proximity to the Chinese border. Consequently, nest disturbance and trapping of breeding adults in the region is relatively low. However, after the breeding season young Sakers and most of the adult birds move from the Tarbagatai foothills and, around the same time, Sakers arrive in the flat, southern region of the Zaysan Valley where there are the colonies of Yellow Lemming (Lagurus luteus), and in the Balkhash-Alakol depression where there are high densities of Great Gerbil. Falcon trappers from Syria and other countries (including Kazakhstan) operate in these regions and catch Sakers from late June to December. Unfortunately, due to its illegality there is no data on the number, age profile or natal origin of the Sakers trapped in these regions, so it is not possible to gauge its impact on the population of eastern Kazakhstan, but with a rapidly declining regional breeding population the illegal trapping and trade of Sakers is certainly not helping the species. Whilst excessive illegal trapping of birds outside the breeding/natal area is a possible (if not probable) cause of the regional decline of Sakers in eastern Kazakhstan, there are other potential factors that could be implicated such as a decline in food availability in the breeding and/or wintering areas and increased mortality through electrocution on power lines. Conclusion In 2007 a reintroduction programme was initiated by the Government in response to the severe decline in the breeding population of southeast Kazakhstan. Under the framework of this program 60 Sakers (30 female, 30 male) were taken on July from «Sunkar» Falcon Facility, Almaty to the Sugary Valley. In 2008 another 50 birds were released and this programme is planned to continue for several years.

Data on modern status of the White Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) population in the Samara district were collected in 1995-2007. Following satellite images Landsat ETM+ the total length of water reservoir and the Volga river banks in Samara district is 1018.1 km, the total length of forested banks 817.4 km (80.29%). Authors had surveyed 817 km of banks, 515.3 km of which were forested, to the end of 2007. Now 85 breeding territories of the White Tailed Eagle are known in the Samara district, 82 from which locates in the Volga river valley and water reservoirs of the Volga river (fig. 1). Nests were found in 42 breeding territories (49.4%). The total number of found nests was 57 including old nests. Nests was not found in 12 territories (14.1%), however broods were registered, and pairs of birds (mainly birds uttering mating-calls in spring) were observed in 21 territories (24.7%), and single birds with alarm behavior during breeding season in 10 territories (11.8%). At all we registered 52 breeding events, and breeding were noted during several years in the territory of the fish farm Suskan and Samara Luka. The average distance between nests and centers of neighbor breeding territories is 4.02±2.39 km (n=80; range 1-13 km, Ех=2,55) (Table 1).Usually a pair of eagles build their own nests at the distance 3-5 km from another (fig. 2). The density of eagles in the Volga river valley including data of counts in islands is 1 pair/10 km of banks or 1.59 pairs/10 km of forested part of banks. A total of 110-140 pairs of the White Tailed Eagle are estimated to breed in the Samara district. The number of White-Tailed Eagles in the Samara district increased in 1.5 times for last 5 years. We observed 169 adults during counts in breeding season (157 birds in breeding territories) and 67 subadults (without juveniles). The number of subadults was 28.39% of the total number of registered birds, that actually is the third part of population. The main region of winter concentration of eagles is the territory 400 км2 in area in vicinity of Zhigulevsk. We registered from 30 to 110 birds in different years. A half of registered pairs of eagles nests at the distance of 100 m from the water, 34.9% at the distance of 100-500 m from the water and 11.6% 500 -1000 m from the water (fig. 3). Hardly more than a half of breeding territories of eagles was found on slopes of water reservoirs (52%) and hardly less than a half (46%) in flood-lands (fig. 4). Now 59% of known nests in the district (n=57) located on poplars and 35% on pines (fig. 5). The most part of eagle nests located in the forks of trunks in the upper part of the trees (72%); on the tops and in the forks of large 14% of nests for each (fig. 6), and all nests with such locations were built on pines. The average brood size is 1.69±0.62 chicks (n=26; range 1 3). Comparing with data of 1930-40-s the number of eagles in the Samara district has increased in 4 times. Now the main threats for eagles are poaching and lead poisoning. A half of White-Tailed Eagle population in the Samara district inhabits IBAs, however a half of IBAs don't have any legislative protection. ; Data on modern status of the White Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) population in the Samara district were collected in 1995-2007. Following satellite images Landsat ETM+ the total length of water reservoir and the Volga river banks in Samara district is 1018.1 km, the total length of forested banks 817.4 km (80.29%). Authors had surveyed 817 km of banks, 515.3 km of which were forested, to the end of 2007. Now 85 breeding territories of the White Tailed Eagle are known in the Samara district, 82 from which locates in the Volga river valley and water reservoirs of the Volga river (fig. 1). Nests were found in 42 breeding territories (49.4%). The total number of found nests was 57 including old nests. Nests was not found in 12 territories (14.1%), however broods were registered, and pairs of birds (mainly birds uttering mating-calls in spring) were observed in 21 territories (24.7%), and single birds with alarm behavior during breeding season in 10 territories (11.8%). At all we registered 52 breeding events, and breeding were noted during several years in the territory of the fish farm Suskan and Samara Luka. The average distance between nests and centers of neighbor breeding territories is 4.02±2.39 km (n=80; range 1-13 km, Ех=2,55) (Table 1).Usually a pair of eagles build their own nests at the distance 3-5 km from another (fig. 2). The density of eagles in the Volga river valley including data of counts in islands is 1 pair/10 km of banks or 1.59 pairs/10 km of forested part of banks. A total of 110-140 pairs of the White Tailed Eagle are estimated to breed in the Samara district. The number of White-Tailed Eagles in the Samara district increased in 1.5 times for last 5 years. We observed 169 adults during counts in breeding season (157 birds in breeding territories) and 67 subadults (without juveniles). The number of subadults was 28.39% of the total number of registered birds, that actually is the third part of population. The main region of winter concentration of eagles is the territory 400 км2 in area in vicinity of Zhigulevsk. We registered from 30 to 110 birds in different years. A half of registered pairs of eagles nests at the distance of 100 m from the water, 34.9% at the distance of 100-500 m from the water and 11.6% 500 -1000 m from the water (fig. 3). Hardly more than a half of breeding territories of eagles was found on slopes of water reservoirs (52%) and hardly less than a half (46%) in flood-lands (fig. 4). Now 59% of known nests in the district (n=57) located on poplars and 35% on pines (fig. 5). The most part of eagle nests located in the forks of trunks in the upper part of the trees (72%); on the tops and in the forks of large 14% of nests for each (fig. 6), and all nests with such locations were built on pines. The average brood size is 1.69±0.62 chicks (n=26; range 1 3). Comparing with data of 1930-40-s the number of eagles in the Samara district has increased in 4 times. Now the main threats for eagles are poaching and lead poisoning. A half of White-Tailed Eagle population in the Samara district inhabits IBAs, however a half of IBAs don't have any legislative protection.

Исследования выполнены на территории Республики Калмыкия осенью 2011 г. В ходе осмотра 254,5 км воздушных линий электропередачи ВЛ 6-10 кВ были обнаружены останки 543 птиц, принадлежащих к 31 виду. Из них 477 птиц погибли в результате поражения электрическим током ВЛ 6-10 кВ. На базе этих материалов сделана оценка общего объёма гибели птиц на ВЛ 6-10 кВ в Калмыкии в течение одного календарного года. Ожидается, что ежегодно от удара электрическим током здесь погибает более 17 000 птиц более 30 видов. Из них большую часть составляют пернатые хищники 74,8%, среди которых доминирует степной орёл (Aquila nipalensis) 33,3%, курганник (Buteo rufinus) 10,5%, обыкновенная пустельга (Falco tinnunculus) 5,5%), обыкновенный канюк (Buteo buteo) 4,1%, чёрный коршун (Milvus migrans) 3,9%. Общее число ежегодно погибающих в регионе степных орлов оценивается в 3420 особей, курганника 1720 особей. Рассчитан общий размер вреда, в соответствии с действующим законодательством РФ. Ежегодно его сумма может составлять около 290 млн. рублей. Территория Республики Калмыкия играет исключительно важную роль для размножения, миграций и зимовок хищных птиц. В связи с этим необходима срочная реализации специальной программы, направленной на защиту пернатых хищников от поражения электрическим током ВЛ 6-10 кВ. ; Studies performed on the territory of the Republic of Kalmykia in the autumn of 2011. During the inspection of 254.5 km of overhead power lines (PL) 6-10 kV were found 543 dead birds of 31 species. Of these, 477 birds were electrocuted on PL 6-10 kV. On the basis of these data we estimated the total bird mortality at PL 6-10 kV in Kalmykia during a year. More than 17,000 birds of more than 30 species are expected being killed from electrocution every year. Most of them are raptors 74.8%. There is mostly the Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis (33.3%), Long-Legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus (10.5%), Kestrel Falco tinnunculus (5.5%), Common Buzzard Buteo buteo (4.1%) and Black Kite Milvus migrans (3.9%). The total number of Steppe Eagles killed in the region every year is estimated at 3420 individuals, Long-Legged Buzzards 1720 individuals. The total amount of damage in accordance with current legislation was calculated. Annually it may be about 290 million rubles. The territory of the Kalmykia Republic is very important area for breeding, migratory and wintering birds of prey. In this regard a special program aimed at protection of birds of prey from electrocution on PL 6-10 kV should be immediately implemented.

Для поддержки усилий по сохранению хищных птиц, необходимо развивать разносторонние программы. Некоторые из них могут быть разработаны для повышения осведомленности общественности. Реабилитация и возвращение в природу пернатых хищников, экообразование и экотуризм, также важны в этом случае. Создание Парка хищных птиц Суака Еланг (Suaka Elang) стало результатом сотрудничества между правительственными, общественными и коммерческими компаниями. Ожидается, что парк хищных птиц примет активное участие в стратегии сохранения и планах действий по сохранению пернатых хищников в Индонезии, в частности, на острове Ява. С момента своего создания в ноябре 2008 года, парк сосредоточил свои усилия на мероприятиях и программах, таких, как реабилитация и выпуск в природу конфискованных хищных птиц, разработка природоохранной основы экообразования и усиление возможностей общественности и заинтересованных сторон посредством проведения учебных курсов и семинаров. Парк хищных птиц разработал эффективные подходы в реализации своей деятельности, которые апробированы как непосредственно парком, так и его партнёрами. Предполагается, что парк хищных птиц может стать примером реализации эффективной стратегии сохранения хищных птиц. ; To support efforts on raptors conservation, it is necessary to activate multi-approach programs. Some approaches can be developed to raise public awareness. Raptor rehabilitation and release programs, environmental education and ecotourism are also important in this way. The establishment of Raptor Sanctuary (Suaka Elang) was the result of the collaboration between governmental organizations, NGOs, and companies. The Raptor Sanctuary is expected to contribute actively in the raptor conservation strategies and efforts inIndonesia, particularly onJavaIsland. Since its establishment in November 2008, the Raptor Sanctuary focused on activities and programs such as rescue and rehabilitation for the release of confiscated raptors, developing conservation-based environmental education, and enhancing public and stakeholders' capacities through participation in training courses and seminars. The Raptor Sanctuary had unique effective approaches to implement its activities to be handled directly by the Raptor Sanctuary or each partner. It is suggested that the Raptor Sanctuary can be introduced as an example of how to implement the effective strategy for raptor conservation.

В статье приводится обзор состояния редких видов пернатых хищников, гнездящихся в ленточных борах Алтайского края. Показаны негативные тренды для ряда видов, в частности беркута (Aquila chrysaetos) и филина (Bubo bubo), по причине постоянно ведущихся рубок. На основании результатов многолетнего мониторинга хищных птиц разработаны критерии выделения особо защитных участков леса и зон особой охраны в боровых заказниках Алтайского края. По результатам исследований 2015 г. спроектированы зоны особой охраны для Камсалинского, Мамонтовского и Корниловсокго заказников. Во всех вышеперечисленных заказниках, а также в Завьяловском заказнике проведены инспекции, выявившие многочисленные нарушения природоохранного законодательства. По факту нарушений инициированы проверки соблюдения законодательства при эксплуатации лесов. ; This article provides the review of the condition of rare raptors' species, nesting in strip-shaped pine forests of the Altai Kray. It also reflects negative trends for some species including the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and the Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) due to constant felling. Criteria of selection of special protection zones of forests and zones of special protection in nature reserves in the pine forests of the Altai Kray were designed according to the results of the long-term monitoring of raptors. According to researches of 2015 zones of special protection were designed for Kamsalinsky, Mamontovsky and Kornilovsky nature reserves. Inspections conducted in all mentioned nature reserves and in Zavyalovsky nature reserve showed numerous violations of environmental legislation. Thereafter checks on compliance with the legislation in forest exploitation were initiated.