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"REDUCING BRANDT'S VOLE NUMBER BY ERECTING NEST PLATFORMS TO IMPROVE STEPPE RAPTORS BREEDING SUCCESS IN MONGOLIA" |
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Cooperative Project
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 Mongolian Ornithological Society |
 National University of Mongolia |
BACKGROUND
 Poisoned Golen Eagle, Daurian Jackdaw, Skylark, Saker Falcons, Upland Buzzard, Herrinh Gull and Manul Cat, Closac Fox. In May 2002 Kentii |
1. To reduce number of Brandt’s Voles, a small rodent distributed throughout the Central Mongolian steppe, the Ministry of Agriculture and Industry of Mongolia has been using the rodenticide, bromadoline for the last 3 years. The use of the rodenticide is not a good method for reducing Brandt’s vole numbers in Mongolia Many members of the Mongolian steppe ecosystem such as Saker falcon, Upland buzzard, Golden Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Daurian Jackdaw, Skylark, Mongolian Lark, Demoiselle Crane and also Pallas’s Manul Cat, Red Fox, Corsac Fox and others have been poisoned and have died after the spraying of the rodenticide in an area with concentrated numbers of Brandt’s Voles.
 Electrocuted 3 Saker Falcons and a Upland Buzzard under the killer pole of the HPEL |
2. Mortality caused by the electrocution of steppe raptors such as Saker Falcon, Upland Buzzard, Steppe Eagle and Golden Eagle frequently occurs in the steppe. These birds are usually electrocuted while they are building the nest and perching on the poles of high power electric lines (HPELs). In Spring, electricians drop raptors nests containing clutches and nestlings from poles of the HPELs. They think that the raptors nest materials (cables, wires etc) on the poles cause 2 wires to connect and to short circuit, which causes the line to the explode. After explosion, electricians have to drive long distances to the sites to repair the HPELs.
3. The main diet of breeding raptors in the Mongolian steppe consists of Brandt’s voles, during both breeding and wintering seasons. They will consume lots of voles.
The erecting of nest platforms on pole of the danger and flat steppe for breeding raptors was environmentally safe, less expensive, durable and constantly effective for reducing Brandt’s Vole numbers and raptors Conservation in Mongolia as well.
OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of the project were to; improve the breeding success of steppe raptors; reduce the Brandt’s vole number; educate young ornithologists in artificial nest building and collecting field data on breeding and wintering birds; cooperate closely with regional administration and local families for building nests and supporting the breeding success of steppe raptors; conserve the Mongolian steppe raptors; educate local families that using rodenticide is not the best way to reduce Brandt’s vole numbers.
The field works consisted of the following different activities;
Selection of Nest Platforms Area in Central Mongolia
Design of Nest Platforms
Erecting of Designed Nest Platforms
Cooperation Between Local Families, Local Administrations, Electricity Companies and Conducting Organizations (Mongolian Ornithological Society, UNDP SGP/GEF)
Monitoring of Nest Platforms (Publicity-Education-Research)
Selection of Nest
Platforms Area in Central Mongolia
 Nest Platform Study Area |
Design of Nest Platforms
A total of 10 types of nest platforms were designed by Gomboo and his colleagues based on the last 6 years of field experience. All nest platforms were made from car tires and fixed by wires and metal pieces to the pole, buildings and other types of substrates. Of course, not all types of nest platform were effective for breeding raptors. It was the first time anyone had attempted to erect many numbered nest platforms in the Mongolia steppe. Nest design will be improved year by year by field biologists.
The following nest platforms types were
constructed;
Erecting
of Designed Nest Platforms
A total of 412 nest platforms were erected by field team members in the selected areas in Autumn of 2003. Of the 412 nests, 37.13% were “C” type, 17.7%- “M”, 15.5% -“A”, 18.9%-“L”, 7.52% -“T”, 1.94%-“G” and 1.2% were others (“B”, “H”, “CO”, “AT”).
Cooperation Between Local Family, Local Administrations, Electricity Companies and Conducting Organizations (Mongolian Ornithological Society, UNDP SGP/GEF)
Organizations That Cooperated
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Global Environment Facility (GEF)/Small Grant Program (SGP)
Supported and Financed Organizations. Future plans and main activities of the project will be worked out by these organizations.
Mongolian Ornithological Society (MOS) and Ornithological Laboratory at the National University of Mongolia (NUM)
Initiated and Implemented Organizations. All activities and cooperation of these will be improved by these organizations.
Company of the Electricity Distribution Through the Baganuur and South Eastern Region (EDTBSR Co Ltd) and Company of the Electricity Transmission Through the Baganuur and South Eastern Region
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Signing on the cooperative agreement between Gomboo and Mr. Erdenechuluun, director of the EDTBSR Co Ltd, Sumber |
Under the cooperative agreement between MOS and these companies, all nest platforms will be repaired and protected by the field workers of the companies. Field workers will also remove raptors nests from top of poles and put them on the nest platform under the pole.
Local Families
 Meeting and discussion with a local herder |
Mrs Narangerel, worker of the Mongolian Railway –2
Sh.Purev, Darkhan sum, Khentii province
Mr Adiyasuren, Mr Demberel, Ch.Puntsagdash, Mr Gombojav, D.Ulziiburen, P.Munkhuu, and N.Nergui, Gobi-Ugtaal, Dundgobi province
Mr Manlai-Uvgun, Tsagaandelger, Dudngobi province
Local Rangers
P.Batmunkh, Bayahjargalan, Tuv province
 P.Batmunkh, Bayahjargalan sum of Tuv province during the training |
D.Ganzorig, Sumber, Gobisumber province
D.Densmaa, Gobi-Ugtaal, Dundgobi province;
C.Undrakhbayar, Tsagaandelger, Dundgobi province;
P.Ganbold, Darkhan, Khentii province.
Sum Center Administrations
Erdene, Bayan and Bayahjargalan, Tuv province;
Sumber, Gobisumber province;
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Field team members together with Batmunkh, Cheif of the 2 bag, Gobi-Ugtaal, Dundgobi |
Gobi-Ugtaal and Tsagaandelger, Dundgobi province;
Darkhan and Bor-Undur, Khentii province.
The erecting and protecting of nest platforms, collection of data and information on the long term occupation of breeding raptors on platforms as well as effectiveness of nesting raptors in reducing Brandt’s vole numbers will be undertaken by the Local families, Rangers and Sum Center Administration under the cooperative agreement between MOS and these organizations. Official instruction of the Sum Administration distributed to local people which is mentioned the above undertakings.
Halle–Wittenberg University, Germany and National Avian Research Institute- International Organizations.
All field equipment such as scopes, binoculars, microchips, wingtags, computer hardware and software will be provided by these organizations.
Monitoring of Nest Platforms
Recent General Results of the Field Surveys
 Female Saker Falcon with nestlings on the nest platform |
Results from the field seasons of 2003-2004 showed that 70-80% of the total number of nest platforms were occupied and used by steppe raptors such as Saker Falcon, Upland Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Northern Raven and other steppe passerines as suitable sites or substrates for roosting, sleeping, resting, avoiding strong wind, watching out for voles and feeding all year around in Mongolia.
Out of the 10 types nest platforms, types “L”, “C”, “A”, and “M” were preferred by raptors for nesting substrates. According to the field surveys, the trend in the occupation of nest platforms will increase due to the adaptation of raptors to the nest platforms year by year.
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Nest type |
Number of Breeding pair/Number of fledged chicks on the nest platforms |
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Upland Buzzard |
Saker Falcon |
Common Kestrel |
Raven |
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L |
3/9 |
- |
- |
- |
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A |
6/19 |
2/8 |
- |
2/8 |
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C |
11/22 |
- |
2/7 |
- |
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T |
2/7 |
2/7 |
- |
- |
| M | 11/23 | - | 1/2 | 2/6 |
| G | - | - | - | 1/3 |
| Total | 33/80 | 4/15 | 3/9 | 6/19 |
A total of 46 breeding pairs of three species of raptors (Upland Buzzard, Saker Falcon, Common Kestrel) and 1 species of Raven nested on the nest platforms and 123 chicks successfully fledged. Of which, the dominant and pioneer species was the Upland Buzzard, 33 breeding pairs and 80 fledglings were recorded.
From our field observation shows that a breeding pair of Saker falcons with 5 chicks and Upland Buzzards with 4 chicks hunted and ate 9-12 Brandt’s voles in the area where is high number of the vole, per day. Between 810 and
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Vole eating Upland Buzzard chicks on the nest platforms |
1080 individual voles were eaten by a breeding pair of Saker and Upland Buzzard during the whole breeding season or 90 days (from May to July). Considering these numbers, we have calculated that a total of 27540-36720 voles were hunted by 4 breeding pairs of Saker Falcon and 33 breeding pairs of Upland Buzzard nesting in nest platform areas. During non- breeding season (from August to April), they catch 3-6 voles per day. A total of 136890-273780 voles were caught by 169 individual Saker Falcons and Upland Buzzards (95 young birds fledged from the nest platforms and 37 breeding pairs/74 individuals from both species) during the non-breeding season (270 days) in nest platform areas. The calculation was based on that 169 Sakers and Buzzards hunted 507-1014 voles per day. Based on above mentioned calculation, 164 430-310 500 Brandt’s voles were eaten by Saker Falcons and Upland Buzzards, nesting on the nest platforms in the nest platform areas in one year.
We visited the nest platform area together with rangers and trained them in sex and age identification of steppe raptors such as Saker Falcon and Upland Buzzard. Rangers and local families of the sum namely P.Batmunkh, Bayahjargalan sum of Tuv province, D.Ganzorig, Sumber sum of Gobisumber province, D.Densmaa, Gobi-Ugtaal sum of Dundgobi province, C.Undrakhbayar, Tsagaandelger sum of Dundgobi province, and P.Ganbold, Darkhan sum of Khentii province were participated and were involved in the training.
The project is very important to educate new generations of Mongolian Ornithologists in raptor research. Two graduate and 2 undergraduate students from the National University of Mongolia and State Agriculture University and one PhD student were involved in the field work aspect of the project.
A maximum clutch size of 6, by a breeding pair of Upland Buzzards nesting on a nest platform was recorded. It was first documented record in Mongolia.
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Gomboo and Saker falcon with chicks reared on the nest platform |
A total of 4 nest platforms were occupied by Saker falcons and 11 females from 15 strong healthy Saker chicks fledged from the 4 nests. Arabian trappers pay 4500 US$ for each first or second year female Saker in Mongolia as a license fee which, was issued by the Mongolian Government in 2003. The female Sakers reared on our nest platforms were worth 49500 US$. This was the amount of money to the natural resource and Nature Conservation of Mongolia by our projects activities in 2004. On top of, we can also add 8000 US$, the “value” of the 80 Upland Buzzards reared on our nest platforms in the year. Therefore the total reached 57 500 US$ in 2003-2004.
Based on our observations and documented data of field seasons in 2003-2004, our nest platforms were suitable substrates for nesting Tree Sparrow, Rock Sparrow, and Domestic Sparrows and roosting and resting Northern and Isabelline Wheatears, Skylarks and Brown Shrikes during the breeding and migration season.
Twelve Saker chicks fledged from the nest platforms were microchipped and ringed to monitor the migration and movement of the birds between and within countries.
First year field survey results were published in the
and it will be distributed to local families near the nest platform areas
who participated in the field work involving the erecting and protecting
aspects and also to rangers and administrative workers in the sum center.
