Природоохранный статус и трансграничный оборот балобана в Монголии
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.