Saker falcon in Mongolia: Research and Conservation
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 Saker Falcon Field Team Member From left: Usukhuu (undergraduate student), Gomboo, Batsaikhan (driver), Prof.Sumiya, Dr.Eugene Potapov |
Saker Falcon in Mongolia:
Research and Conservation project was initiated and supported by
National Avian Research Center (NARC), UK
and
Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency (ERWDA), UAE, in 1998. The project started after signed cooperative agreement between Nature Protection
Agency, Mongolian Ministry of Nature and Environment and NARC and
ERWDA, UAE.
Beginning
of the project, field surveys were conducted by two field teams from
National University of Mongolia and Mongolian Academy of Sciences in Mongolia.
In 1998-2001, the project was continued under the agreement signed in Mongolia
in 1998.
Two lecturers (Prof. D.Sumiya and Dr Gombobaatar, Faculty of Biology) from the University have led several field works with Eugene Potapov in Mongolia.
The main aims of the project were to monitor breeding and wintering Saker Falcons population density and dynamic; to microchip chicks and adults birds in order to know movement within and between countries; to track migration route from Mongolia to wintering ground; to study habitat use and home range of Mongolian Sakers; to educate young ornithologists for modern ornithological study; to erect nest platforms for steppe raptors and to monitor relationship between Saker population and Brandt’s vole that the main prey of Saker in the steppe; to obtain other scientific data on Saker etc…
Scientific superviser of the project is Dr Nick Fox (office@falcons.co.uk), a director of the NARC and project coordinator was Dr Eugene R. Potapov, an officer of the NARC.
The general importance and results of the
project implementation in Mongolia were as follows;
Monitored Saker falcon population and estimated population number and density in Mongolia. The main limiting factors of Saker falcon mortality were described.
Less than 10 Sakers were tracked by satellite telemetry and discovered wintering sites, migration route and patterns.
Invalueable
importance of the project implementation was the education and training
young scientists in Mongolia for surveying raptor population. As the result
of the
project, a total of 4 bachelor theses, 1 MSc thesis were written by
undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Faculty of Biology, and 1 PhD
thesis. More than 20 undergraduate and postgraduate
students of the National University of Mongolia have joined in the field
surveys of the project and learnt the field data collection, microchipping,
handling, satellite tracking and radio-tracking methods and also improved
the knowledge of analyzing data and breeding ecology of other Mongolian
steppe raptors.
 Nest Platform Field Team member. Saker chicks on the nest Platform. June 2003. |
One of incredible results of the project for Saker falcon and Upland Buzzard conservation was the erecting nest platforms in the flat steppe in Mongolia. A total of 100 nest platforms were constructed by field team members in 2002 in Eastern Mongolia and rechecked in every breeding season of raptors. Results of the study published in Mongolian and English languages.
Two new species of birds (White-breasted Waterhen and Black-capped Kingfisher) were recorded in Mongolia first time during the field survey of the project.
In the result of scientific conference, meeting and workshops which are initiated by the Saker falcon project, exchanging and sharing information and experience and relationship between Saker biologists from different countries were highly improved.
Scientific and educational materials of Mongolian steppe raptors were obtained during project field surveys and used by undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Scientific papers were annually published in the journals and bulletins in Mongolian and English.
There are
as follows;
8
scientific papers in Mongolian; 23 scientific papers and full papers
published in the proceeding of the International conferences; 13 oral
presentation and poster presentation; 4 scientific popular papers in Mongolia.
See list of
. More and
detailed information of the Saker falcon study and conservation in different
countries are available:
www.savethesakers.com
.
