Falco 25 - International Wildlife Consultants Ltd.

The Newsletter of the Middle East Falcon Research Group
Issue No.25/26 August 2005
IN THIS
ISSUE:
Page
3 Editorial
5 Falcon Population Estimates:
how necessary and accurate are
they?
9 Saker Falcons in north-east
Africa
10 A workshop for Saker Falcon
field teams
(28 th February to 4 th March 2005)
12 The Peregrine Falcon in
Turkmenistan.
16 The Project for Falcon
Conservation. Breeding
Techniques, Health
Management and Conservation
Value of the First and largest
UAE Falcon Breeding Centre
under Artificial Conditions
18 Avian influenza virus - A
potential threat to falcons
in the middle east
20 Pharmaceutical drug
‘Diclofenac’ that caused the
Gyps vulture decline in South
Asia, now banned in India
22 First Aid For Falcons in
Training and Hunting
24 Urinalysis in Falconidae
26 Assessment of the Platelia
Aspergillus EIA Test in the
Diagnosis of Aspergillosis in
Falcons.
27 Letters to the Editor
30 Announcements for Falco
32 What’s new in the literature

MEFRG Objectives:
To provide:
A central body for the co-ordination of research activities
related to falcons and falconry.
A common forum for the exchange of information and for
promoting collaborative research programmes.
To promote:
Research on health and disease in falcons, falcon moulting in
the Middle East, falcon nutrition, domestic breeding.
Field studies on falcon migration, taxonomy, morphometrics,
reproductive biology and behaviour.
Improved management conditions for captive falcons
through educational awareness programmes.
Greater understanding of falconry as a part of Arab cultural
heritage.
FALCO online
Previous issues of FALCO as well as instructions for
authors can be downloaded from:
http://www.falcons.co.uk/default.asp?id=131
also see new Saker Conservation information portal:
www.savethesaker.com
To hold:
nd International workshops and conferences on veterinary
aspects, falcon biology topics, falconry and conservation
issues.
To publish:
Papers on aspects of falcon conservation, falcons and
falconry.
A biannual newsletter/journal containing contributions on
medical. biological and conservation topics of common
interest, new developments and recent medical advances.
Membership:
Membership is open to any veterinary surgeon, biologist,
conservationist or falconer working in the Middle East or
any other person interested and contributing in the fields of
medical, biological and conservation aspects of falcons and
falconry worldwide.
Falco is published biannually and contains papers, reports, letters and announcements submitted by Middle East Falcon Research
Group Members. Contributions are not refereed: although every effort is made to ensure information contained within
FALCO is correct, the editors cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of contributions. Opinions expressed within are those
of the individual authors and are not necessarily shared by the editors.
Contributions can be sent to the Editors of FALCO:
Dr Andrew Dixon and Dr Tom Bailey
Editorial address:
Veterinary contributions:
Dr Andrew Dixon
Dr Tom Bailey
International Wildlife Consultants Ltd
Dubai Falcon Hospital
P.O. Box 19, Carmarthen P.O. Box 23919
SA33 5YL, Wales, UK
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: (0044) 1267 253742 Tel: 00971 4 3377576
Fax: (0044) 1267 233864 Fax: 00971 4 3379223
E-mail: falco@falcons.co.uk
E-mail: tom.bailey@dfh.ae

Editorial
Staff changes delayed Falco issue
no. 25, so we have amalgamated the winter and
summer issues in this one-off double issue. Dr
Eugene Potapov, after years of service to Falco,
has now moved to join his family in America.
Eugene established many of the teams working on
Asian Sakers and his efforts have been of incalculable
benefit to the species. Thanks to him we have got our
first estimates on numbers and distribution of the Saker in
Asia and he has played a major role in disseminating this
information and in running conferences. With modern
communications, Eugene’s expertise is still only a mouseclick
away and we wish him all the best in Philadelphia.
Eugene’s replacement is Dr Andrew Dixon who has
worked extensively on Peregrine surveys in UK. Andrew has
just completed his first field season in China and Mongolia
and now has much more insight into the problems faced by
Sakers there. Andrew will be co-editing Falco with Dr Tom
Bailey.
Over the years Falco has published many fieldstudies
on the Saker in Kazakhstan, Russia, China and
Mongolia. There was little published information from
these countries prior to these studies, which were funded by
ERWDA, Abu Dhabi. Consequently, it has been this UAE
funded research and the associated Falco publications that
have been used as the primary data source on Saker Falcons
in Asia by international conservation agencies and states
signed-up to multi-lateral environmental agreements.
Following representations made by the UAE,
the Saker Falcon was included in the CITES Review of
Significant Trade at the 19th meeting of the CITES Animals
Committee in Geneva (August 2003). The Saker Falcon was
added to the existing list of species under review because, on
the basis of ERWDA research, it was thought to represent an
exceptional case where new research information indicated
an urgent conservation concern. The document prepared
by ERWDA, highlighting the concerns of the UAE, was
subsequently circulated to the relevant CITES authority in
each of the range states where Saker Falcons occur. These
range states were requested to provide comments on the
UAE documentation, though only a few states subsequently
responded.
At the 20th meeting of the CITES Animals
Committee in Johannesburg (March-April 2004) it was
decided that the CITES Secretariat would classify their
level of ‘concern’ for each of the range states, based on
available information on populations and levels of trade.
The Saker Falcon was provisionally categorized as being
of ‘urgent concern’ in the following range states where
available information indicates serious problems with the
implementation of Article IV for the export of specimens:
Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Mongolia, Pakistan,
Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan. There was a further consultative meeting on
trade in falcons for falconry in Abu Dhabi (May 2004) and
subsequently, the Secretariat transmitted their concerns
to the range states named above. By the time of the most
recent, 21st meeting of the CITES Animals Committee in
Geneva (May 2005) none of these range states had responded
to the CITES Secretariat with comments on the status and
trade of Saker Falcons in their countries. Currently, the
CITES Animals Committee is now, in consultation with the
Secretariat, formulating recommendations for range states
where Saker Falcons are categorized as being of ‘urgent’ and
‘possible concern’.
This slow pace of change illustrates one of the
problems with multi-lateral environmental agreements such
as the CITES convention. We must wait and see what the
CITES Animals Committee and Secretariat finally produce
as ‘recommendations’ for the range states where there is
urgent concern; a process that may take a few more years
before any implementation. In any case, will these ‘highlevel’
recommendations, whatever they may eventually
turn out to be, deliver any real measurable conservation
benefit to the Saker Falcon? What is clear, is that without
the ERWDA-funded field-based studies in Asia there would
be no current information on Saker Falcons for many of
the countries where the species is now regarded as being of
urgent concern.
As well as the political machinations surrounding
the Saker, Avian Influenza is of increasing concern,
especially as cases have occurred recently in the UAE. An
update on this is included in this edition. Avian Flu is a good
example of why the Middle East Falcon Research Group was
first established: to improve communication between field
biologists and veterinarians to tackle issues affecting birds
both in the wild and in captivity.
We wish to thank Dr Dan Brimm and Lisa Jerez for
their generous financial contributions that have allowed us
to provide Arabic summaries for the main articles. This will
enable Falco to reach a much wider audience in the Arabian
Peninsula and promote conservation issues amongst Arab
falconers.

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Falcon Population Estimates: how necessary and accurate
are they?
Andrew Dixon
International Wildlife Consultants Ltd., PO Box 19,
Carmarthen, SA33 5YL. UK.
Ornithological survey work is concerned with mapping
bird distribution patterns and/or estimating abundance.
Abundance can be either an absolute or relative
measure; the former is an estimate of actual population
size in a particular area whilst the latter is comparison
of numbers between areas, or between different time
periods within a single area. Ornithologists strive to
estimate abundance in order to gauge population sizes
mainly for conservation purposes, but also at times for
economic or wildlife management reasons. In the case
of falcons used in traditional Arab falconry, we have
sought population estimates in order to address issues of
sustainable use and conservation. Intuitively, we may
think it is essential to know how many falcons there are
in order to know whether or not it is possible to harvest
a proportion for falconry in a sustainable manner i.e.,
without adversely affecting wild populations. In this
article I shall illustrate why this may not necessarily
be true, but first I would like to consider the validity of
absolute population estimates themselves.
National Peregrine Surveys in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is a relatively small, heavily
populated country that is home to a large number of
active bird watchers (the RSPB membership exceeds
1,000,000 people) and a healthy population of Peregrine
Falcons (Falco peregrinus). However, it was not always
thus for the Peregrines; in the 1950’s and 1960’s the
insidious effects of organochlorine pesticides severely
reduced their population. Ironically, this decline was
detected as a result of the 1961 Peregrine Enquiry,
which was a national survey initiated because it was
claimed that the Peregrine population was increasing
and causing significant harm to racing pigeons. Prior
to this first national survey, we only had a fragmented
knowledge of the size of the British Peregrine population
and little idea of population trends. Repeat surveys in
subsequent years proved vital to identify the extent of
the decline and then subsequently monitor the success
of measures that were taken to reverse the situation
(i.e., the effect of restrictions on pesticide use). In the
UK the Peregrine population continues to be closely
monitored and is the subject of decadal National
Peregrine Surveys, which have taken place in 1971,
1981, 1991 and 2002 (the latter having been postponed
in 2001 because of the foot and mouth outbreak in
Britain). These surveys have charted the expansion of
the breeding distribution and an increase in the number
of breeding pairs throughout Britain.
The National Peregrine Surveys are undertaken mainly
by an army of amateur ornithologists, many of whom
have a vast amount of experience studying Peregrines,
and their efforts are co-ordinated on a regional basis
by governmental and non-governmental organisations.
The estimates obtained by these surveys are believed
to be accurate assessments of the Peregrine breeding
population and are regularly used by government and
non-governmental organisations in decision-making
processes. Given the number of expert surveyors, the
high level of geographic coverage, the restricted nestsite
choice of Peregrines and their ease of detection,
it is difficult to imagine how these national surveys
could provide anything other than accurate population
estimates. So, are the National Peregrine Surveys
accurate?
Region
Estimated No. of Occupied
Territories in 2002
England 519
Wales 288
Scotland 592
Northern Ireland 93
United Kingdom Total 1492
Table 1: Results of the 2002 National Peregrine Survey
in the four countries of the United Kingdom (taken from
Banks et al., 2003).
The most recent National Peregrine Survey, conducted
in 2002, produced a UK estimate of 1492 occupied
territories (see Table 1). The population in Wales
comprised 90 coastal territories and 198 inland
territories. Subsequently, the RSPB produced an
assessment of the Peregrine breeding population in
Wales during 2002 (Thorpe & Young, 2004), which
included additional information from several sources as
a result of questions raised by the South Wales Peregrine
Monitoring Group (SWPMG) regarding the validity of
the National Survey results. This reassessment recorded
89 coastal territories and 232 inland territories; a 17%
increase in the number of inland territories recorded
in Wales. Many of these ‘unrecorded’ sites were
within a 4600 km 2 study area intensively covered by
the SWPMG. If there was a similar level of underrecording
in the remaining 10,000 km 2 of Wales the
error of the National Peregrine Survey population
estimate for Wales could be significantly greater than
17%. It seems that counting Peregrines in the UK may
not be as straightforward as originally assumed, and to
illustrate this point it’s worth noting that the National
Peregrine Survey identified three territories within the

Vast, uninhabited landscapes present difficulties for accurate surveys of breeding Saker Falcons. (E. Potapov)
SWPMG study region that were hitherto unknown to
the fieldworkers intensively surveying this area!
Saker Falcon population estimates
If such a large margin of error exists in the results of
a National Peregrine Survey in Britain, what are the
margins of error in falcon surveys in other, much larger,
less populated and generally inaccessible parts of the
world? In recent years, small teams of surveyors have
made Herculean efforts to estimate the breeding Saker
Falcon (Falco cherrug) population in countries such as
Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and China. In all cases
these surveys represent initial attempts at quantifying
the Saker Falcon breeding population within a geopolitical
boundary, but it has not been possible to
gauge the precision of these estimates. So why do we
strive to obtain these estimates if their accuracy is so
suspect? Decisions relating to environmental issues
are taken at government level and these governments
all work within geopolitical boundaries, so it makes
sense to define populations at the country level. The
decision-makers within governments need to base their
conservation actions on sound, scientific evidence that
produces facts and figures about the subject concerned.
Surveys and estimates of abundance provide the “facts
and figures” required by the decision-makers but the
precision of these estimates is often ignored. Once a
“number” has been produced it is frequently repeated
and any caveats relating to its reliability become lost
over time.
Birdlife International undertook a recent review of the
status of the Saker Falcon and a core part of this review
relied on country-level population estimates (see Table
2). Undoubtedly, these population estimates represent
the ‘best available’ information but it appears that little
emphasis is placed on the validity or plausibility of these
estimates. For example, the population estimate of 200
bp in Kazakhstan was based on Levin (2001). However,
the fact that this estimate is based on studies conducted
within a fraction of the Saker Falcon’s breeding range
in Kazakhstan is not mentioned in the table. In 2004,
survey teams led by Anatoliy Levin and Igor Karyakin
have covered ‘new’ areas of Kazakhstan and discovered
hitherto unrecorded Saker Falcon populations, so that
now the population is believed to be in excess of 1500
breeding pairs. Perhaps it is time to re-evaluate the
value of country-scale population estimates in light of
their obvious unreliability, particularly where the values
relate to widespread species occupying vast, sparsely
populated countries such as Kazakhstan. In any case,
even if country-scale population estimates are accurate
are they really worth the huge expenditure of effort and
resources required to obtain them?
Population demography
The geo-political populations defined in most survey
estimates are often not discreet biological populations.
Geo-political boundaries do not necessarily coincide
with biological boundaries and species breeding
within a large country might actually comprise several,
smaller sub-populations and these sub-populations
may themselves span several different countries. For

example, within Kazakhstan there are regions with
discrete Saker Falcon populations that are separated by
vast areas with relatively few, if any, breeding pairs.
The factors affecting these different populations are not
necessarily the same or have the same impact; some
populations may be stable, some declining and others
even increasing. Some may be ‘sink’ populations
and others ‘source’ populations. A recent study of
Peregrine Falcons in California found evidence of such
population sub-structuring, with a sink population in
southern coastal habitats and source populations within
the northern interior and urban habitats (Kauffman
et al., 2004). This study emphasised the need to
understand the demographic rates of sub-populations
rather than rely on an overall population count for a
large geo-political region.
In the case of the Saker Falcon we want to know what
biological populations are declining, identify the causal
factors and ultimately rectify or ameliorate the problem.
It may be more appropriate to identify and survey
discrete biological populations, some of which may
range across several countries. The Saker Falcons of the
Altay mountains arouse much curiosity in terms of their
phylogenic identity, and the birds within this distinct
biological region comprise a logical “population unit”.
This biological population unit spans territory within
Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China, thus studies
will require international co-operation by survey teams
working in their respective countries. Other biological
population units can be identified within the distribution
range of the Saker Falcon and the importance of
identifying the demographic rates of these populations
cannot be underestimated. An important point to realise
is that it is not necessary to obtain overall population
estimates in order to determine if a population is stable,
declining or increasing.
Once we know that certain populations are declining
we can try to identify the causal factors; these may be
habitat changes, a reduction in prey availability, an
increased mortality rate (such as a high frequency of
electrocutions) or a high level of trapping for falconry.
Some of these factors may not necessarily impact on the
Country 1990 median 2003 median % decline
Afghanistan 40 40 0
Austria 8 8 0
Bulgaria 35 45 Increase
China 1,100 1,100 0
Croatia 13 13 0
Czech Republic 12 12 0
Hungary 100 150 Increase
Iran 50 50 0
Iraq 60 60 0
Kazakhstan 2,000 200 90
Kirghizstan 550 175 68
Moldova 6 6 0
Mongolia 2,668 1,100 59
Pakistan 10 10 0
Romania 4 20 Increase
Russian Federation 2,041 625 69
Serbia & Montenegro 13 13 0
Slovakia 35 20 43
Turkey 55 55 0
Turkmenistan 60 50 17
Ukraine 130 130 0
Uzbekistan 1,250 125 90
TOTAL 10,238 4,005 61
Table 2. Data compiled by Birdlife International in their assessment of the conservation status of the Saker Falcon. Recent estimates
based on further survey work have been obtained for Kazakhstan (>1,500 bp; Karyakin et al., 2004), Russian Federation (2000
– 3000 bp; Galushin, 2004).

It is easy to see the attraction of a specific “number”
that can be used to characterise a species’ population to
conservation agencies and governmental bodies. The
bald statement that there are 2200-3000 pairs of Saker
Falcons breeding in Mongolia is easy to understand
and concise, whereas any detailed description of subpopulation
demographics is not so easy to comprehend
or summarise. In recent years, hard work by dedicated
teams of surveyors has produced the country-scale
population estimates desired by decision-makers, and
having got these estimates it is now an opportune
moment to assess the best way forward to address the
conservation issues faced by Saker Falcons in Asia.
As researchers we must ask ourselves, what is the best
use of our resources, is it the further refinement of
country-wide population estimates through intensive
and extensive surveying or could we get more useful
and valuable data from detailed demographic studies of
smaller population units?
populations in their breeding areas, for example many
may be trapped on migration thousands of kilometres
away from their breeding sites or natal area. By
identifying and studying biological population units we
can identify potential sink and source populations. Also,
the time-honoured tradition of recording the number of
breeding pairs in these population units is not necessarily
the best way to identify demographic changes. Saker
populations comprise both breeding birds and nonbreeding
birds so a simple count of breeding pairs only
quantifies one part of the total population, thus the total
population could conceivably decline over a number of
years without actually reducing the number of breeding
pairs. Measures of ‘turn-over rates’ within populations
do not require estimates of breeding numbers and
they provide demographic information that can detect
incipient population changes, so population declines
can be detected at an earlier stage.
References
Banks, A.N., Coombes, R.H. and Crick, H.P.Q. 2003. The
Peregrine Falcon breeding population of the UK and Isle of
Man in 2002. BTO Research Report No. 330, British Trust for
Ornithology.
Galushin, V.M. 2004. Status of the Saker in Russia and Eastern
Europe. Falco 24: 3-8.
Karyakin, I., Konovalov, L., Moshkin, A., Pazhenkov, A.,
Smelyanskiy, I. and Rybenko, A. 2004. Saker Falcon (Falco
cherrug) in Russia. Falco 23: 3-9.
Kauffman, M.J., Pollock, J.F. and Walton, B. 2004. Spatial
structure, dispersal, and management of a recovering raptor
population. American Naturalist 164: 582-597.
Thorpe, R. and Young, A. 2004. The breeding population of the
Peregrine (Falco peregrinus) in Wales in 2002.
Welsh Birds 4: 44-47.
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Saker Falcons in north-east Africa
Andrew Dixon
International Wildlife Consultants Ltd., PO Box 19,
Carmarthen, SA33 5YL. UK.
At Falco we were very interested to hear of some
recent (2004) Saker Falcon observations from Steve
Rooke, who has been leading Sunbird birdwatching
tours to Ethiopia: “each November I lead the Sunbird
tour to Ethiopia and have done so for the past eight
years. In that time I have seen just one Saker, which
is listed as a scarce winter visitor to the north of the
country. This year we had what can only be described
as an incredible set of records. In total, on November
8 th , 9 th and 10 th we saw 27 different birds, all in the
Awash area, north east of Addis Ababa. On the day
we drove back to Addis (November 10 th ) we saw 20
individuals between Awash and the town of Nazaret,
all sightings along the road. This included two loose
groups, one of four and the other of three birds and we
reached the conclusion that we were witnessing some
sort of migration. All the birds we saw were juveniles.
Our most memorable sighting was on the plains north
of Awash town late on the afternoon of the 8 th . As we
stood outside our vehicle, a Saker came in from behind
us, out of the setting sun and just a few feet from the
ground. Almost immediately the plain exploded with
thousands of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse and for
about 5 minutes we watched the falcon scything its
way through the panicking flocks. Interestingly, in this
same area we also saw a variety of species normally
thought of as occurring further north in the winter, such
as large flocks of Bimaculated Larks, Greater Shorttoed
Larks and Pale Rock Sparrows”.
The migratory habits of the Saker Falcon are complex
and poorly understood. However, it is well documented
that many juvenile birds migrate from their natal areas
to more southerly wintering grounds. Some migratory
Saker Falcons find their way to north-east Africa and
the species was reportedly a common winter visitor,
from October to March, in Sudan during the 1950’s,
with large numbers passing through Egypt down the
Nile valley and birds recorded as far west as the Darfur
region. The species was said to occur regularly in
Ethiopia but less so in the countries further south, with
only a few records from the Rift Valley of Kenya, all
of which were in November, March and April (Cramp
and Simmons, 1980). Only Saker
Falcons of the nominate cherrug
race have been identified amongst
specimens obtained along the Red
Sea coastline of Saudi Arabia,
Sudan and Kenya. This nominate,
‘western’ form breeds mainly to
the west of the great mountain
ranges of Central Asia in Kasakhstan, Southern
Siberia, south of the Caspian Sea across Asia Minor
and through Ukraine as far west as central Europe. It
is likely that many, if not most, of the Saker Falcons
that spend the winter in the Middle East and north-east
Africa originate from breeding areas in central Asia
(Ferguson-Lees & Christie, 2001).
Passage of Sakers has been recorded in the Middle East
from mid September through to November, with the
peak return passage occurring from mid February to
April (though stragglers can be present in the Middle
East as late as mid May). The core wintering grounds
in north-east Africa are probably within Sudan, Eritrea
and Ethiopia but extend south to Kenya (though records
are infrequent; most recently one bird in 2003) and
exceptionally as far as northernmost Tanzania (only
two records). The paucity of records from the core
countries in recent years is likely due in part to the poor
level of coverage, but it also a reflection of the much
reduced Saker Falcon population of Central Asia and
Europe (i.e., nominate cherrug race). It is interesting
that Sunbird tours reported only one sighting of a Saker
Falcon in Ethiopia prior to 2004, indicating that this
country is no longer a regular wintering area for Saker
Falcons. During the “bumper Saker Falcon” tour of
2004, Steve Rooke also observed good numbers of
species that usually spend the winter in more northerly
latitudes, suggesting that they had been displaced from
their usual wintering areas. The Saker Falcons may
also have been displaced by the same casual factors
(e.g., drought) or else they simply followed their prey
further south. We can only speculate as to the numbers,
distribution and origin of Saker Falcons wintering in
north-east Africa nowadays, but clearly their numbers
are much reduced from those reported over 50 years
ago.
References
Cramp, S and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds.). 1980. The Birds of the
Western Palearctic, Vol. II. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Ferguson-Lees, J. and Christie, D.A. 2001. Raptors of the World.
Christopher Helm, London.
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A workshop for Saker Falcon field teams
(28 th February to 4 th March 2005)
In February International Wildlife Consultants
Ltd (IWC) hosted a five-day workshop in the UK for
fieldworkers and researchers monitoring Sakers across much
of the species’ Asian breeding range. These studies, funded
by the Environmental Research and Wildlife Development
Agency (ERWDA) of the United Arab Emirates, have been
coordinated by IWC for a number of years. In 2004 ERWDA
supported studies on Sakers in Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia
and China, and in 2005 this work will be extended to include
additional surveys in Kirghizstan and Ukraine.
Dr. Anatoliy Levin, Gombobaatar Sundev and Igor Karykin, Saker Falcon
project leaders in Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia. (Michael Andersen)
Each of the project leaders provided a summary of the
work conducted in their respective countries to date. In
Russia, Igor Karyakin of the Centre for Field Studies in
Nizhniy Novgorod, has been leading field teams in ERWDAfunded
Saker surveys since 1999. To date they have located
nearly 400 Saker Falcon breeding territories within Russia.
During the workshop, Igor gave a presentation detailing how
they have utilised satellite imagery to produce landcover
maps of the Saker breeding range in Russia. His team has
also systematically surveyed vast ‘sample’ areas for breeding
Saker Falcons and he described how, using GIS, he has been
able to estimate the total number of breeding pairs for much
of the Saker’s Russian range by extrapolation. Part of his
field effort in 2005 will be directed at surveying areas in
Transbaikalia, one of the few regions not yet covered by his
group, in order to obtain a more complete estimate of the
Russian Saker Falcon breeding population.
Igor Karyakin’s fieldwork has also taken his survey teams
into the neighbouring country of Kazakhstan, where they
have joined forces with Dr. Anatoliy Levin of the Institute of
Zoology, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic
of Kazakhstan. Anatoliy has worked in the ERWDA Saker
programme in Central Asia since 1993. During this time he
has documented a serious decline in the number of breeding
pairs occupying the foothills and mountains in the south-east
and east of the country. His presentation at the workshop
clearly illustrated the problems posed by indiscriminate
looting of nests and the trapping of breeding birds. On a
more positive note, there are some healthier, but localised
breeding populations in western Kazakhstan but even here
they are susceptible to threats such as predation by Eagle
Owls and electrocution from poorly designed power lines.
The logistical problems of obtaining an accurate population
estimate for the vast country of Kazakhstan were clear,
though in 2005 the combined Kazakhstan and Russian survey
teams will endeavour to survey new areas in the north of the
country.
10
Saker Falcon research in Mongolia has been funded by
ERWDA since 1995 and has developed considerably since
1998 when Dr. Eugene Potapov established a research team
along with Academician Shagdarsuren, Professor Sumya and
MSc Gombobaatar of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences.
Subsequently, the research effort within Mongolia has
flourished and as well as undertaking survey work aimed at
estimating the breeding population of Mongolia, the research
teams have established experimental plots of artificial nest
sites, undertaken ecological studies of the Saker Falcon’s diet
and determined the home ranges of breeding birds through
radio tracking studies. The expertise of the Mongolian
research teams has resulted in a good understanding of the
distribution and habitat preferences of Saker Falcons during
both the breeding season and during the winter months in
Mongolia.
ERWDA Saker Falcon surveys in China are a relatively
recent advance; following some initial field surveys in 2001
and 2002, the project leader, Prof. Ma Ming of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences in Urumqi, has expanded the Saker
survey area to include the foothills and mountains of Xinjiang
province, and the plateau steppes of Quingai and Tibet. Ma
Ming presented data on the Saker breeding habitats in these
high uplands and gave us an insight into the some of the
problems faced by the birds at the hands of trappers.
In each of these four countries there is now an
established Saker Falcon survey and research programme
and each year our knowledge of the status and ecology of
the species in these range countries increases. We are now
developing plans to expand this survey and research effort
into other Central Asian countries, particularly Kirghizstan
and Uzbekistan. This year Michael Andersen, a biologist
and wildlife tour guide from Denmark, will be using his
knowledge and contacts within these countries in an effort
to establish Saker Falcon research in these important range
countries. Furthermore, ERWDA, at the suggestion of Prof.
Vladimir Galushin of the Russian Bird Conservation Union
have undertaken to fund a survey of electricity power-lines
in Ukraine, a European stronghold of the Saker Falcon. A
further development this year has been the selection of four
volunteer fieldworkers from European countries to participate
in the 2005 fieldwork effort in Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia
and China.
Istvan Balazs, an Hungarian ornithologist who has been
actively involved with Saker Falcon and Imperial Eagle
conservation work in his home country, will accompany Igor
Karyakin and his survey team on their journey from Nizhny
Novgorod in Russia, through Kazakhstan and back into
Russia as far east as Transbaikalia. Istvan will witness firsthand
the survey work in western and northern Kazakhstan
and will be involved with nest monitoring and biological
sampling in the republics of southern Siberia. Giacomo
Dell’Omo, an Italian scientist with many years experience
of studying Kestrels has agreed to join the Mongolian team
to trial the use of a bird-borne GPS tracking device. Dimitar
Ragyov, a Bulgarian ornithologist currently working with the
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is joining Ma Ming to survey
areas for Saker Falcons around the Junggar Basin in Xinjiang
Autonomous Region of China. Whilst, Simon Buckell,
a British ornithologist will be assisting Anatoliy Levin in

Prof. Ma Ming, Saker Falcon project leader in China and Dr. Nick Fox on
the Gower coast of South Wales. (Michael Andersen)
his nest monitoring work in the foothills and mountains of
eastern Kazakhstan. It is hoped that these field assistants
will not only make a valuable contribution to the survey and
research effort but that they will also gain an insight into the
kind of research work ERWDA is undertaking to increase
our understanding of the Saker Falcon and it conservation.
The principal aims of the workshop were (a) to enable
the project leaders from each country to meet one another
in order for them to see their own survey and research work
in a wider perspective, (b) to ensure standardised protocols
are used across the projects in the various countries, (c) to
introduce volunteer fieldworkers to the respective teams they
will be working with in 2005, (d) to review the current scope
of the survey and research effort and (e) to consider ways
of developing future work on Saker Falcons. Following an
approach by ERWDA to the CITES Animals Committee,
there is currently a ‘Significant Trade Review’ imposed on
the Saker Range countries and it is essential therefore to
make population estimates as accurate as possible.
Dr. Eugene Potapov has now left the ERWDA Saker
Falcon programme, which he has coordinated since 1998 but
we were fortunate that he was able to attend the workshop
and give us the benefit of his experience. Eugene gave a
presentation on the satellite tracking study he has undertaken,
which has revealed the variation in movements made by
Saker Falcons breeding in southern Siberia and Mongolia.
Some birds are sedentary and remain in the breeding area
all winter, some are nomadic ranging widely outside the
breeding season and others migrate to more southerly
wintering areas. This research has shed some light on the
range of winter movements of Sakers, but it has also raised
more questions such as what are the factors that determine
the different wanderings and are these fixed in individual
birds? Understanding migration behaviour and identifying
migration routes is critical for the protection of Saker
Falcons.
A hot topic for discussion at the workshop was the
validity of national Saker Falcon population estimates. Field
teams have worked hard to produce estimates for Russia,
Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China based on real survey work.
Whilst there was no doubting the expertise and skills of
the field surveyors, there remains a question mark over the
precision of these population estimates. In all cases, these
population estimates represent a first attempt to quantify the
Saker Falcon breeding populations of the country and so
the work is a valuable advance in our knowledge. In 2005,
quantitative survey work linked to land cover in a GIS will be
used to get an up-to-date and comprehensive assessment of the
Saker Falcon breeding population in Russia and Kazakhstan.
In Mongolia we are piloting a stratified random survey of
steppe habitats in order to obtain a precision measure for our
overall population estimate, whilst in China fieldwork is still
at an early stage of identifying range distribution.
As well as recording the distribution and number of
breeding Sakers, the research teams are recording breeding
data in order to measure reproductive success and output.
At the workshop we discussed ways in which we could
increase the intensity of our nest monitoring as repeat visits
to nests to determine breeding outcomes has not always been
compatible with extensive surveys. One of the ways we
intend to move forward is to have a sample of nests that are
regularly monitored within each breeding season and over
successive seasons.
The workshop was a very useful vehicle to introduce
new ideas and to explore ways of developing the Saker
Falcon research projects. In 2005 we shall look at ways
of developing the artificial nests project in Mongolia and
perhaps extend it to other regions, explore ways of reducing
the problems caused by electrocution on poorly designed
powerlines and we shall set up a pilot project to investigate
the impact of trapping wild Saker Falcons for Arab falconry.
In order to examine this problem we shall analyse the stable
isotope ratios of feathers from nestlings in widely separated
regions in order to construct a diagnostic isotopic map of Asia.
If this proves successful we intend to identify the natal origin
of wild-caught juvenile Sakers that are presented at falcon
hospitals in the Middle East. In this way we can identify
the specific breeding populations that are subject to trapping
pressures. In conjunction we shall be using DNA techniques
to identify individual territory owners in our study areas
in order to measure population turnover rates over several
years. This combined approach will enable us to identify
breeding populations that are being over-harvested and are in
decline. Ultimately, the aim of all the Saker Falcon research
projects is to benefit the conservation status of the species,
which in turn will enable traditional Arab falconry to exist in
a sustainable form.
(2005 4 – 28)
() .
.
.
. 2005
.
11

The Peregrine Falcon in Turkmenistan.
Nikolai N. Efimenko
Kopetdag State Nature Reserve, Turkmenistan
kamahina@ngo-tm.org
Translated and shortened from the original version: Efimenko,
N.N. 2004. Sapsan v Turkmenistane [The Peregrine Falcon
in Turkmenistan]. Strepet. Vol.2. Nr.1. 88-99. In Russian.
The author has collected field data on the Peregrine
Falcon (Falco peregrinus) in Turkmenistan over the last
20 years (1983-2004) and, in addition he has researched
the collections held by the department of ornithology in the
Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
(St. Petersburg), the Zoological Museum and the Chair of
Biogeography of Moscow University.
Introduction
Two subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon occur in
Turkmenistan i.e., F. p. calidus and F. p. brookei and they
can be distinguished within the region on the basis of their
occurrence, habitat choice and feeding behaviour. The
Peregrine Falcon that breeds in the tundra and on the islands
of the Northern Arctic Ocean (F. p.calidus), occurs during
winter in the southern Caspian Sea from Lenkoran to Gorgan
and Atrek, normally at the sites with a large concentration of
waterfowl. These ‘tundra’ Peregrine Falcons arrive at their
wintering sites, together with their waterfowl prey, from the
middle to late October. The number of ‘tundra’ Peregrine
Falcons wintering in southeastern Trans-Caspia is directly
related to the abundance of their avian prey at wetland
complexes (Dementiev, 1952; Dementiev et al., 1955).
The tundra Peregrine Falcons leave their wintering grounds
between the end of March and the beginning of April, when
the waterfowl birds leave (Dementiev, 1951; 1952). Thus, the
northern subspecies wintering in Turkmenistan occurs only
from October to March, at sites with the biggest concentration
of waterfowl, mainly in the southeastern Trans-Caspia. A
significant proportion of this wintering population occurs in
the Khazar (formerly Krasnovodsk) Nature Reserve.
Another subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon (F.p.brookei)
is morphologically distinct from the ‘tundra’ Peregrine
Falcon by being considerably smaller with an ochreousrusset
coloured underside as opposed to the white or greywhite
underside of the northern subspecies. N. A. Zarudnyi
(1896) was the first person to record nesting by ‘southern’
Peregrine Falcons F. p.brookei in Kopetdag. Subsequent
researchers did not confirm the presence of the F. p.brookei
in the mountain avifauna of Turkmenistan. However,
Mishchenko and Shcherbak (1980) on the basis of only two
records (Kugitang mountain ridge: vicinities of Khodzhaipil,
26.05.1976; South-Western Kopertdag: Aidere gorge in
Sumbar River valley, 23.04.1978) have pointed to the
Peregrine Falcon breeding in Turkmenistan. None of these
records have been confirmed by the discovery of nests and
therefore have stimulated researchers to a more centralized
search.
My ornithological routines during 1983-2004
in Kopetdag, and also in the year 2003-2004 in Kugitang,
allowed me to discover and describe the Peregrine Falcon
nests and to conduct behavioural observations of the breeding
pairs (Efimenko, 1990, 1992, 1998, 2004). I consider the
western border of the Peregrine Falcon distribution in
Turkmenistan as Little Balkhan, eastern Kugitang ridge.
Further researches, may well expand the borders of the
distribution of this subspecies in Turkmenistan.
Nesting habitat
In the mountains of Turkmenistan (Kopetdag,
Kugitang), as well as within the borders of the main range,
the Peregrine falcon F. p.brookei is permanently resident
nesting on inaccessible cliffs in deep gorges and hunting on
the inclined plateaux of the watersheds (Efimenko, 1990).
The vegetation of the nesting habitat of the
Peregrine Falcon in central Kopetdag (>400 m) is the semidesert
Artemisia turcomanica associated with mountain
slopes, which from 1200-1600 m, is gradually replaced by
sparse juniper forests of Juniperus turcomanica. According
to our data, up to 76 bird species have been recorded in
habitats attached to the nesting sites of Peregrine Falcons,
the majority of which (62 species) are breeding species,
mainly Passeriformes (32 species), which serve as prime
prey species for Peregrine Falcons.
Nesting ecology
In the mountains of Turkmenistan F.p.brookei
utilises old nests of the Raven (Corvus corax), Griffon
Vulture (Gyps fulvus), Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)
situated in niches or on the ledges of vertical cliffs about
20-100 m high. Sometimes the Peregrine Falcon occupies
empty niches without an old nest of another species and
12

Table 1. The Peregrine Falcon food spectrum by seasons
Species Winter Spring Summer Autumn Total specimens (%)
Alectoris chukar 2(1.15) 1(0.6) - - 3(1.7)
Ammoperdix griseogularis - 1(0.6) - - 1 (0.6)
Columba palumbus - 1(0.6) - - 1 (0.6)
Columba livia 2(1.15) 2(1.1) 1(0.6) - 5(2.8)
Streptopelia turtur - 1(0.6) 2(1.1) - 3(1.7)
Apus apus - 2(1.1) 4(2.3) - 6(3.4)
Merops apiaster - 3(1.7) 2(1.1) - 5(2.8)
Upupa epops - 1(0.6) - - 1(0.6)
Total Non-Passeriformes 4(2.3) 12(6.7) 9(5.1) - 25(14.1)
Ptyonoprogne rupestris - 2(1.1) 8(4.5) - 10(5.6)
Delichon urbica - 3(1.7) 4(2.2) - 7(3.9)
Lullula arboree - 2(1.1) 2(1.1) - 4(2.2)
Lanius isabellinus - 2(1.1) 2(1.1) 1(0.6) 5(2.8)
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax - 1(0.56) 1(0.56) - 2(1.1)
Sylvia hortensis - 1(0.56) 2(1.1) - 3(1.7)
Sylvia althaea - 2(1.1) - - 2(1.1)
Muscicapa striata - 1(0.6) - - 1(0.6)
Oenathe picata - 1(0.6) 1(0.6) - 2(1.1)
Monticola saxatlis - 1(0.6) 2(1.1) - 3(1.7)
M.solitarius - - 1(0.6) - 1(0.6)
Phoenicurus ochruros - 6(3.4) 3(1.7) - 9(5.1)
Turdus atrogularis 1(0.6) - - 30(16.8) 31(17.4)
Turdus torquatus - 3(1.7) 2(1.1) - 5(2.8)
Turdus merula - 2(1.1) - 1(0.6) 3(1.7)
Turdus viscivorus 2(1.1) - 1(0.56) 1(0.56) 4(2.2)
Parus ater 1(0.6) 1(0.6) 5(2.8) 2(1.1) 9(5.6)
Sitta tephronota - 2(1.1) 1(0.6) 1(0.6) 4(2.2)
Passer indicus - 3(1.7) - - 3(1.7)
Petronia petronia 1(0.6) - 3(1.7) 2(1.1) 6(3.4)
Fringilla coelebs 1(0.6) - - 2(1.1) 3(1.7)
Serinus pusillus 1(0.6) 3(1.7) 3(1.7) 3(1.7) 10(5.6)
Carduelis caniceps 1(0.6) 3(1.7) 3(1.7) 4(2.25) 11(6.2)
Acanthis cannabina 1(0.6) 2(1.1) 1(0.6) 1(0.6) 5(2.8)
Mycerobas carnipes 2(1.1) 1(0.6) 2(1.1) 2(1.1) 7(3.9)
Emberiza cia - 2(1.1) - 1(0.6) 3(1.7)
Total Passeriformes:% 11(6.2) 44(24.7) 47(26.4) 51(28.6) 1253(85.9)
TOTAL specimens:% 15(8.4) 56(31.5) 56(31.5) 51(28.6) 178(100)
13

irds can occupy single nests for several years (Efimenko,
1990, 1992). In central Kopetdag one nest was occupied
by the Peregrine Falcon for 5 years. The distance between
occupied nests on Dushakerekdag ranged from 2.5-11.0
km. The Peregrine Falcon begins copulation in February-
March. In central Kopetdag copulation was observed on
13 th and 26 th February, and 7 th March (two different pairs); in
southwestern Kopetdag on 22-23 rd March. Four copulations
were recorded at 13:19, 7:21, 11:40 and 16:30, and they took
place on a rock ledge and on a dry juniper branch. During
this period of copulation bouts the male twice (at 13:25 and
15:50) provided food for the female, bringing small Passerine
birds to her.
In Kopetdag the Peregrine Falcons laid eggs in
late March, whist clutches at different stage of incubation
were recorded between 31 March and 26 April. A full clutch
consists of 2 or 3 eggs. In 32 cases the clutch consisted of
2 eggs and in 2 nests of 3 eggs. Both sexes participate in
incubation, but the female for considerably longer periods
than the male. During 14h 30 min observation the male
incubated for 1h 20 min. Observation indicates that the
female incubates at night. A female was observed leaving the
nest to attack a Bearded Vulture and a Griffon Vulture, which
were flying 15-20m from the nest. The male also defends the
nest area and drives away all large birds within a radius 30-
100m from the nest, swiftly attacking them.
The eggs hatch in the last ten days of April, and nests
usually have two chicks and more rarely one or three chicks.
White downy chicks for 13 years observations in Kopetdag
were recorded between 10 th April and 9 th May. Both parents
feed the chicks. During 43 hours 30 min of observations 16
feeding visits were recorded. From observation at three nests
the recorded interval between feeding visits ranged from
1 h 20 min to 3 hours (1st nest), 11 min to 3 hours (2nd
nest) and 53 min to 4 hours 10 minutes (3rd nest). In the
morning and evening the Peregrine Falcons fed the chicks
more frequently than in the afternoon. The male caught and
plucked the prey and either brought food directly into the
nest or vocalised to his mate, who then left the nest to collect
14
the prey. The female fed the chicks and on one occasion was
observed caching excess prey in a rock crevice 100-150 m
from the nest. Feathered chicks with incompletely grown
remiges and rectrices were recorded between from 15 th to
29 th May (over 13 years). At this age the chicks were feeding
independently, in rare cases the female provided assistance.
To observe the nest, both parents used constant perches on
rock ledge or on the dry branch of juniper at 20-150 m from
the nest.
Between the middle of May and the beginning
of June the chicks leave the nests. The first fledglings in
Kopetdag were recorded between 27 th May and 07 th June
(10 years of observation; 15 records). In Kugitang by the
middle of May 2004 fledglings were flying together with the
male at four different nesting territories. Adults continue to
feed fledglings after they have left the nest. In the central
Kopetdag, during 7 hours of observation, three feeding visits
were observed. During the first three days fledglings were
noted 5-20 m from the nest ledge. The parents either brought
food to chicks or dropped it from short distance above the
nest. Within 10 to 14 days of fledging adult falcons passed
prey to chicks in mid-air, or dropped it from high up to which
the fledglings rushed. Chicks flying together with parents in
Kopetdag were recorded between 22 nd June and 22 nd July
(12 years of observation, 20 records), whilst in Kugitang
flying broods were noted from 19 th May to 13 th June. Broods
without parents were sighted, on three occasions between 6 th
and 19 th September.
The nesting period of the Peregrine Falcon (egg-laying to
fledging of chicks) lasts 60-65 days. In 37 nests 74 eggs were
laid and 74 chicks fledged. We did not register the loss of any
eggs, chicks and adult birds. All chicks fledged successfully.
On average, each successfully breeding pair raised 2 chicks
(data for 1983-1996).
Prey species
The Peregrine Falcon is a typical ornithophage.
We have collected 178 food remains from 34 bird species
(see Table 1), which are scattered unevenly throughout the
season.
In both prey species 26 (76.5%), and volume 153 (85.9%)
Passeriformes dominated absolutely, especially in the springsummer-autumn
period (79.7%). The remaining 8 species of
Non-Passeriformes birds are represented by 25 specimens
(14.1%). During the autumn migration of the Black-throated
Thrush (Turdus atrogularis) this species dominated (N =
31 specimens); locally breeding species included Carduelis
caniceps (N = 11), Crag Martin Ptyoprogne rupestris and
Red-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus (N = 10), Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochruros and Parus ater (N = 9). Considerably
rarer were Ammoperdix griseogularis, Wood Pigeon Columba
palumbus, Hoopoe Upupa epops, Muscicapa striata and
Monticola solitarius (N = 1).
Conservation measures
Within the borders of Turkmenistan the Peregrine
Falcon F.p.brookei occupied 15 known nests in Kopetdag and
four pairs in Kugitang. Five pairs breed within the borders of
Kopetdag Nature Reserve and four pairs within the Kugitang
Nature Reserve. Probably, the Peregrine Falcon numbers
are higher, because we did not investigate all the potential
nesting area. I estimate that the total number of F.p.brookei

in Turkmenistan is approximately 25-30 breeding pairs. The
most recent Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (Saparmuradov,
1999) only mentions the wintering subspecies of Peregrine
Falcon F.p.calidus. The presence in Turkmenistan of breeding
Peregrine Falcons is not mentioned at all, though the data on
nesting of this form had been published (Efimenko, 1990,
1992, 1998). We aim to include the sedentary breeding
subspecies, F.p.brookei in the next edition of the Red Data
Book of Turkmenistan.
Though its number still remains stable, the constant
and increasing logging in the mountains, the hunting of
large mammals, bird trapping for the illegal trade can all
significantly influence the number of breeding Peregrine
Falcons. Therefore the conservation of tree-shrub vegetation
at nesting sites and the protection of passerines, which are
the main food for breeding Peregrine Falcons, is important.
The establishment of resting zones, signing the agreement
with Iran about a ban of logging of juniper is the best
way to conserve the local population of F. p.brookei in
Turkmenistan.
The ‘tundra’ Peregrine Falcon (F.p.calidus), though
it is under protection within the framework of Khazar Nature
Reserve (Red Data Book of Turkmenian SSR, 1985), cannot
be totally protected. Mass poaching over recent years in the
southeastern Trans-Caspian Sea region leads to the destruction
of ancient wetland even in the nature reserve. Consequently,
the wintering areas for waterfowl, which form the food base
of the tundra Peregrine Falcon, are deteriorating (Karavaev,
1991). To conserve the over-wintering falcons and their
prey it is necessary to develop a programme for the stable
development of the region. The signing of international
nature-conservation agreements between Turkmenistan,
Iran, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Russia should
help conserve of migration routes and the wintering ground
of the tundra subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon.
" " :
. () " "
.
brookei
. 30-25 .
) – – / :
60 . – - (
. 100 65
15

The Project for Falcon Conservation. Breeding Techniques,
Health Management and Conservation Value of the First and
largest UAE Falcon Breeding Centre under Artificial Conditions
Dr. Maria Elena Pesci 1 ; Mr. Domingo Garcia
Llano 1 .; Dr. Sergio Sarmiento Valiente 1 ; Dr.Martin
Ptacek 1
Affiliation: 1 Project for Falcon Conservation, Private Dep.
H.H. the President of UAE, P.O.Box 1200 Al Ain-UAE. E-
mail: elenapesci@hotmail.com
Falcon breeding is an important issue for UAE traditions.
There are several falcons breeding Centers all over the
world, but a special one, ProFalCon, was set up in the UAE
in 1996 from an idea of His Highness Sh. Khalifa bin Zayed
Al Nahyan. After few years of trials, we found an efficient
way to work and our breeding production has increased
every year. At the moment we breed
about 220 falcons every year. This
Centre applies the usual falcon
breeding techniques, but they have
been adapted to the environmental
conditions of the Middle East.
In UAE the very extreme
summer environmental
conditions (temperature,
humidity, light) do not allow
birds (the northern bird
species) either to survive or
to reach “breeding status”.
Consequently we needed to
modify the environment to
suit the needs of our falcons.
Total artificial environmental
conditions are used to be able to
breed northern falcons (Falco
rusticolus, Falco peregrinus,
Falco cherrug and their hybrids) in the desert.
ProFalCon Breeding Facilities
We have building dedicated to imprinted animals and
buildings dedicated to the breeding pairs.
Building for natural pairs
The typical room for a pair is 6m x4 m and 3 m high. All
rooms are provided with nests, perches, a water basin, a
feeding table and one-way glass window. Each room is
also provided with air-conditioning and full spectrum light
program to manipulate the photoperiod. A CCVT system is
installed in each room, so we can follow the bird’s activities
all day long. The water, the light and the temperature
controls are located outside of each cage, in order to avoid
any disturbance to the birds.
Building for imprinted animals
Each imprinted bird has an individual chamber of about 1.5 m
x 2 m. They are provided with almost the same equipment.
16
ProFalCon Breeding Stock
Our Breeding stock is comprises:
1- Natural pairs
2- Imprinted birds (hand-raised to donate sperm and to
accept artificial insemination)
The management is different for imprinted birds compared
with natural pairs. For natural pairs we try to minimize the
contact and the disturbance, with the imprinted ones, we
need to maintain daily closed contact and a relationship. The
amount of work dedicated to imprinted animals is higher
than for the natural pairs.
Our original stock came from abroad but, at the moment,
our target is to use our own produced birds
to substitute, slowly, the old breeders. In
this way we will have a better knowledge
of the birds history (how was it reared?
was it used for falconry? could have been
exposed to some disease? did it have any
disease which could effect breeding?). Also
for the imprinting animals our preference is
to rear our own future breeders. The manner
in which they are raised and handle, makes
a lot of difference in succeeding collecting
semen or in accepting an insemination.
-Daily and yearly management
Everyday the keepers check all birds and
feed them. If any problems are seen, it is
reported to the manager. Good quality fresh
food is critical to successful management
and reproduction of any animal. We own a
rat farm, we buy day old chicks from proven
hatcheries and, only during breeding season
we buy and kill fresh quails. No pigeons are
used, in order to avoid bringing disease into
the breeding project.
Once a year, during autumn, we catch and check the birds.
At this time we clean and disinfect their rooms.
Breeding Season
Hormonal cycles and behavior
To breed successfully, birds must follow a perfect
synchronization of physiological and morphological
changes. Because in the UAE we cannot rely on natural
environmental conditions (too hot, not enough light time,
too dry) to synchronize the birds, we artificially create and
manipulate the elements involved in the breeding cycle.
In temperate regions the most important factor influencing
and synchronizing the breeding is the photoperiod. In spring,
when the brightness and daylight increase, the photoreceptors
located on the hypothalamus and telencephalon are
stimulated. The stimulated hypothalamus produces releasing
factors (LHRH-1, LHRH-II). The releasing factors reach the
adenohypophysis, in the blood, and stimulate the production
and release of LH and FSH. These 2 hormones stimulate the

egion. The boxes are opened and the birds are allowed to
fly free in the wild in order to let them mature physically and
mentally. They are constantly monitored and provided with
food. The regions chosen for the hacking are usually windy
to encourage young falcons to spend a lot of time in the air.
When the birds are almost independent, they are trapped and
sent to falconers for falconry training.
gonads developments. The gonads produce progesterone,
androgens and estrogens which causes the breeding behavior.
(Gwinner et al, 2000: Pesci, 1999).
How we manipulate the photoperiod
In autumn we decrease the daylight length slowly from 16
to 8 hours a day and approaching the winter season, we also
decrease the room temperature slowly from 15-20ºC to 5ºC.
In January we start to increase the daylight (as naturally
happens), and we arrive at 14-16 hours of daylight in June-
July. Birds have much better vision than humans. They are
able to see a much wider spectrum of light (tetrachromatic
vision). They can also see UV light. This changes their
perception of light and of colours. For this reason in the
breeding chamber we installed “full spectrum light”. The
temperature remains low for longer time (around 5ºC up to
April and then slowly increases up to 10ºC and then 15ºC)
as in a normal winter. Humidity remains constant at about
50 % all year. Some variations can happen, depending on
the external humidity, but this does not appear to influence
breeding. The feeding time is only 2 times a day during
autumn, then we increase the feeding times to 3-4 times a
day during courtship period and we feed 4-5 times a day
when the chicks are in the nest.
Artificial insemination, incubation and hatching
Imprinted males are used as semen donors. The semen is
used to inseminate either imprinted females or females
in a natural pair, in order to obtain hybrids. The eggs are
collected everyday and substituted under the female with
dummies. The eggs are cleaned, disinfected and artificially
incubated to term. After hatching, the birds are moved in
brooders for 2-3 days and then they are kept in boxes under
a warm light. The birds are hand-reared to 10 days. In this
period we apply 2 closed rings, one on each leg. One is in
compliance with the UAE government regulation, and one
is with a Profalcon ID. When birds are 10 days old they
are moved to foster parents, except for the few that we
imprint. When chicks are old enough, they are moved from
the parents and sent for hacking. Young birds are placed
in hacking boxes, which simulate a nest, in a mountainous
Flock medical management
The veterinarians involved in this job must understand the
principles of falcon breeding management as well as avian
medicine and disease.
Our job is mainly to establish a preventive medicine program
and it is composed of 5 main duties.
a) Quarantine: for all new birds arriving to join the
breeding project.
b) Disinfection protocol: vets set up a protocol of
disinfection which is applied in our breeding
Centre.
c) Aviary visits: annual flock examination is performed
in November.
d) Emergency care: sometimes breeding birds get sick.
The keepers report the problem to the manager and
he calls the veterinarian.
e) Paediatric problems: the veterinarian manages
hatching problems such as yolk retention.
Conservation value
Falconry is an important part of Arabic culture in the Gulf.
Preserving it is like preserving their past and their traditions.
The very rapid economic development and the increase
of hunting activities have caused an increased demand
for falcons to use for falconry. This demand has created a
dangerous market for wild falcons taken from the wild and
then traded in the UAE. We think that the only way to protect
the wild falcons is to break the market by introducing captive
falcons at a lower price than the wild ones.
This project reflects the desire of His Highness Sh. Khalifa
Bin Zayed to use captive breed falcons instead of wild ones,
reducing the number of trapped falcons, and, at the same
time, giving a very important example to Emiratee falconers
of a viable alternative.
References
Gwinner, E. and Hau, M. 2000. The Pineal Gland, Circadian
Rhythms and Photoperiodism. In: Sturkie’s Avian Physiology. 5th
edition. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, USA. Pp 557-565.
Pesci, M.E. 1999. Anatomia e fisiologia della riproduzione negli
uccelli. Corso SCIVAC su Medicina Aviarie. Via Trecchi 20, 26100
Cremona Italy.
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17

Avian influenza virus - A Potential threat to falcons
in the middle east
Dr. Margit Gabriele Muller MRCVS
Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital
In recent months there have been increasing reports of Avian
flu in both wild and captive birds in Asia. This raises a number
of concerns for people working with birds of prey both
in the wild and in captivity. The Association of Avian Vets
(2005) has attempted an overview of the transmission routes
of the disease in captivity, and what can be done to halt the
disease, but their emphasis, naturally, is on birds in captivity,
not wild ones. Avian flu in wild birds can have quick
and devastating effects. In May 2005 about 150 Bar-headed
geese died on migration at Qingai Lake in China. A wild peregrine
also died in China last year and it seems reasonable to
suppose that raptors eating prey birds with flu risk contracting
it themselves. Symptoms in poultry include: depression,
running nostrils and eyes, shortness of breath or wheezing,
and green urates. In poultry the incubation period is 3-14
days (Swayne and Halvorson, 2003).
It is caused by an orthomyxovirus with different strains and
pathogenicity. The H5 and H7 serotypes are highly virulent
and contagious causing up to 90% mortality. The highly
virulent H5N1 strain has been found in the outbreaks in East
Asia, not only in several poultry species (including quail), but
also in falcons (Manvell et al. 2000) and ducks. This is the
strain that caused the outbreak of Hong Kong flu in humans.
Currently several virus strains are undergoing mutation thus
making the virus more dangerous both for humans and for
some bird species normally immune to it. The main problem
is that it cannot be predicted whether, when or how a strain
will make a mutation. In 1999 a previously low pathogenic
strain H7N1 mutated after 9 months and caused the death
and destruction of 13 millions birds in Italy. A similar outbreak
with an originally low pathogenic strain H2H2 started
in 1992 in Mexico and could not be controlled until 1995.
18
The main transmission routes are through fecal material and
respiratory secretions. As well as bird-to-bird transmission,
humans can carry the disease on contaminated hands or
equipment.
Diagnosis and control
The differential diagnosis list for avian influenza should include
PMV-1, infectious laryngotracheitis, Chlamydophila
sp., Mycoplasma spp. and other respiratory and gastro-intestinal
pathogens (Swayne and Halvorson, 2003). In poultry
there may be concurrent infection with other viruses and
bacteria, such as Mycoplasma spp. and even E. coli . Either
blood or swabs from the cloaca and upper respiratory tract
are suitable for virus isolation from live birds. Liver, trachea,
lungs, spleen and brain are the best organs to sample
from dead birds. Paired samples (acute and convalescent)
are needed to confirm an infection. A specific Avian Flu
ELISA test is currently being trialled at the Abu Dhabi Falcon
Hospital to provide a specific diagnosis.
Presently no specific treatment exists for infected birds and
in the future it may be necessary to develop vaccines from
isolated strains of influenza. Amantadine has been shown to
experimentally reduce mortality in poultry, but its use rapidly
gives rise to amantadine resistant viruses (Swayne and
Halvorson, 2003). All methods for controlling the spread of
this disease in poultry are based on surveillance measures,
preventing contamination and controlling the movement of
people.
Apart from the report by Manvell et al (2000), the disease
has only been reported in bustards in the Middle East. Wernery
et al (2001) described an outbreak of influenza A subtype
H9N2 in houbara bustards imported into Dubai from
Pakistan. Clinically the bustards showed anorexia, lethargy,
opisthotonus, head ticking, ocular and nasal discharges
and a severe dyspnoea that was characterised by a snoring

sound. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium perfringens
and PMV-1 were also isolated and these agents may have
contributed to both the symptoms and the high mortality (21
of 22). Wernery et al (2001) experimentally infected two
houbara bustards with the isolate and both birds showed the
same clinical signs and died after 3 days.
As wild houbara live at very low densities it is likely that
they have little exposure to avian flu and that they only contract
it once in captivity by contact with other birds. There
is a significant risk of illegally smuggled houbara contacting
infected birds and thus transmitting it to trained falcons.
Risk assessment
Clearly the main reservoirs and transmission routes are
where any birds are kept in close proximity such as the
poultry industry (Capua and Alexander 2004). In wild birds
the risks are highest in flocking species such as waterfowl
exposed to faecal contamination and to raptors that prey on
sick birds. Steps need to be put in place to break these transmission
routes by import controls, quarantine and frequent
monitoring of flocks both in captivity in the wild. In 2004 the
EU suspended trade in exotic birds including raptors, from
several Asian countries, but where there is uncontrolled trade
in wild birds into the Middle East, especially via intensive
housing with middlemen, then cross-contamination can occur
in species that would normally have little exposure to it
in the wild.
Avian flu can mutate and infect man (Alexander 2005). For
field biologists, this means taking care when handling sick
birds, and obtaining specimen material for analysis in the
lab. For falconers the main risk is probably not that their falcon
has avian flu on arrival, but that it may pick it up from an
infected quail or poultry or from a sick prey bird. Only safe
food from screened sources should be used and any falcon
showing symptoms should be immediately isolated not just
from other birds, but from humans as well. Falconry is an
occupation in which humans are in close proximity to birds,
and in confined spaces such as cars.
The problem needs to be tackled from different angles to
reach an effective Avian Influenza virus prevention network.
Major disease prevention solutions comprise:
n Establishment of suitable quarantine facilities at airports,
customs and centers receiving confiscated birds.
n Establishment of quarantine/hygiene protocols.
n Establishment of a small working group of veterinarians,
Ministry officials, etc to establish a task force for a
potential disease outbreak.
n Routine screening of all imported falcons and other birds
species for Avian Influenza virus.
n Routine screening of large bird markets, farms.
n Training of staff working with birds.
n Liaising with field biologists to sample wild birds.
Conclusion.
A possible spread of Avian Influenza virus in falcons in the
Middle East cannot be ruled out and should be seriously
considered. A disease prevention programme should be established
and quarantine measures should be implemented.
Steps should be taken for field biologists and vets to link
up in order to monitor wild birds. Our protocols for disease
monitoring of wild raptors could be improved.
References
Alexander, D. J. 2005. Avian influenza viruses and human health. OIE/FAO Conference.
Capua, I and D. J. Alexander. 2004. Avian Influenza: recent developments. Avian Pathol. 33 (4) : 393-405.
Manvell, R. J., P. McKinney, U. Wernery and K. Frost, 2000. Isolation of highly pathogenic influenza A virus (H7N3) from a
peregrine falcon. Avian Pathol. 29 (6); 635-637
Swayne, D.E. and D. A. Halvorson. (2003) Influenza. In: Saif, Y.M. (ed), Diseases of Poultry, 11th edition. Iowa State University
Press, Iowa. Pp 135-160.
Wernery, U., L. Molnar, R. Manvell, J. Kinne, and S. Joseph. 2001. Influenza virus infection in houbara bustards (Chlamydotis
undulata macqueenii) in the United Arab Emirates. Proceedings of the European Association of Avian Veterinarians. Munich,
March 6-10, 2001. :271-276.
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19

Pharmaceutical drug ‘Diclofenac’ that caused the Gyps
vulture decline in South Asia, now banned in India
M. Zafar-ul Islam
Affiliation: Projects Manager, Important Bird Areas Programme of
India, Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, Shaheed
Bhagat Singh Road, Mumbai – 400 023, India. E-mail: zafar_
bnhs@rediffmail.com
Introduction
The pressure on natural resources in India is increasing, as
more than one billion people depend on natural resources
in one way or another. Thirty-seven species of birds have
become extinct since 1900, in the world. 78 out of the 1225
bird species in India are on the red list of the IUCN. With
the limited time and resources available, setting priorities to
safeguard threatened species is very necessary.
Ornithologists believe that, there could be several factors,
such as habitat destruction, epidemics, hunting, trapping and
food shortage, behind avian population decline, but none
of these are responsible for the drastic decline of the Gyps
species of vultures that the BNHS witnessed at Keoladeo
National Park, and elsewhere in India. Vultures are important
natural biological agents for scavenging meat wastes,
slaughterhouse offal and unattended animal carcasses. People
also have reported unattended cattle carcasses due to absence
of vultures in other Asian countries, such as Cambodia, Laos,
Vietnam, Pakistan, Nepal and Thailand.
Decline in vulture numbers noted
In 1997, when we were surveying the wetlands of Uttar
Pradesh in the northern part of India, we found hundreds of
vultures, especially White-backed Vultures Gyps bengalensis
and Long-billed Vultures Gyps indicus feeding in garbage
dumps and roosting in nearby trees. A year later the vultures
were disappearing, and local people told us that the birds
were no longer coming to those garbage dumps or animal
carcasses.
In October 1998, we (BNHS) sent a “Vulture Alert” through
the internet to all ornithologists and conservationists,
pointing out the drastic decline in the vulture population,
especially in the world-famous Keoladeo National Park. The
number of vultures in the region had dropped from 2000 to
just four according to Dr. Vibhu Prakash, a BNHS scientist
who worked there. We received a very good response to the
“Vulture Alert” from different parts of the country. They
sent us their observations on the steep decline in the Whitebacked
and Long-billed vulture population.
Effects of vulture decline observed
There are about 70,000 Parsis living in Mumbai (Bombay).
They originally came from the Persia region in the Persian
Gulf a thousand years ago. They follow Zoroastrianism and
do not bury or burn human bodies after death. They take the
bodies to a funeral ground called ‘Dakhma’. On an artificially
elevated place called “Tower of Silence” they put the body
and offer the corpse to vultures to eat. Because of the decline
of the vulture population, corpses now sometimes remain
uneaten for two days. On a visit to a “Tower of Silence” in
the Malabar Hills of the Western Ghats in India, we found
that although there was adequate food and trees for perching
and resting available the highest number of scavenger birds
was the jungle crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) followed by
the black kite (Milvus migrans) and the house crow (Corvus
splendens). The whitebacked vulture was very scarce—six
on average per day, with not more than nine vultures being
seen on any single day.
20
After the vulture crises report by the BNHS in 1997,
the BNHS has been carrying out annual vulture
surveys in selected protected areas in the India to
monitor the population as well as nesting colonies
of vultures, to study the nesting success. The project
is funded by the Darwin Initiative for Survival of
species.
Three species of Gyps vultures have declined at an
alarming rate across India, Nepal and Pakistan since
the last 10 years. The decline is 95% of the former
population level. BirdLife International and the
IUCN have listed these three species as Critically
Endangered, which is the highest category of
endangerment and indicates that there is a high risk
that they will become extinct in the near future.
To study the problem, BNHS has established the first Vulture
Care Centre at Pinjore, Haryana in northern India, with the
help and support of the Government of Haryana. The Centre
has been established with the objective of treating sick birds
and to find out which disease or other factors, are killing
them. Incidentally, all the 23 very sick vultures brought to the
Centre from different parts of the country have survived.
Experts from Ornithological Society of Pakistan (BirdLife
in Pakistan), RSPB, The Peregrine Fund, Zoological Society
of London and BNHS agree that the diclofenac (a nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drug) could be a major cause
of the observed vulture decline and there is no conclusive
evidence that any other cause is involved. Scientists believe
that recovery of vulture from decline will be possible only
if exposure of wild vultures to diclofenac is prevented. The
most important conservation priority is to ban diclofenac for
veterinary medicine, throughout the range of Gyps species of
vultures by the governments and pharmaceutical industry.
Exposure of vultures to diclofinac arises through its veterinary
use to treat domestic livestock. Experiments show that
vultures are highly susceptible to diclofenac and are killed
by feeding on the carcass of an animal soon after it has been
treated with the normal veterinary dose.
The BNHS has taken initiative and held several meetings
with experts, government officials, policy and decision
makers to strategize and ban this drug in India and elsewhere.
The experts feel that extinction of the three Gyps vulture
species is imminent. Current captive populations are not
viable, so immediate action is needed to obtain, hold, and
possibly breed, these species in captivity, until sources of
diclofenac exposure have been effectively removed from
the vultures’ environment. Experts also say that it is possible
that wild stocks of some of the threatened vulture species
will be insufficient for the establishment of a viable captive
population if this recommendation is not acted upon soon.
Vulture preservation in captivity
Nineteen long-billed vultures are being kept at the Vulture
Care Facility operated by the BNHS in Pinjore, Haryana,
India. Apparently these are the only members of species
currently being protected from poisoning anywhere in
the world. Several other species, including the California
Condor Gymnogyps californianus, the Whooping Crane
Grus americana, and the Mauritius Kestrel Falco punctatus

were once reduced to comparably low numbers and have
subsequently recovered. But in evolutionary history,
extinction is the norm when species are unable to adapt to
changing conditions. Nineteen birds represent only a portion
of the total genetic diversity of a species that has occupied
a large area of central India and a small area of southeast
Pakistan. A responsible conservation strategy would surely
require the preservation of a larger fraction of this diversity.
A remnant population of the Slender-billed Vulture survives
in northern Cambodia, but the genetic diversity of this species
across northern India, in Assam, and in Bangladesh will
soon be lost unless some birds are rescued from exposure to
diclofenac and related drugs. No birds that would preserve
at least some of their irreplaceable gene pool are under
protection.
The IUCN resolutions on vultures
At its recent meeting in Bangkok, the International Union
for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) formulated several
resolutions to restore vulture populations in South Asia.
Resolution 1 reads: “CALLS on Gyps Vulture range states
to begin action immediately to prevent all uses of Diclofenac
in veterinary applications that allow Diclofenac to be present
in carcasses of domestic livestock available as food for
vultures”.
Implementation of this resolution requires, however, the
availability of a substitute drug that does not kill vultures.
It was possible to achieve a rapid phase-out of DDT use
in western countries because adequate substitutes were
available. This is not true for diclofenac; many of the
potential substitutes are known to cause kidney damage,
particularly at higher doses.
The obstacles in implementing an ending of diclofenac use,
however, are formidable. The Current Indian Veterinary
Index lists 46 formulations of diclofenac produced by 25
companies for use as veterinary medicines in India. The
pharmaceutical industry in India is largely unregulated,
with an estimated 20,000 companies over $3 billion in
annual sales. Pharmacists rather than physicians prescribe
medicines for the human population, with frequent disastrous
consequences; drugs banned in other countries are freely
available. An alternative drug such as meloxica, is about
six times more expensive as diclofenac. When competition
within the Indian pharmaceutical industry is so intense and
with most farmers in India having little money to spend, can
we realistically assume that even if banned, diclofenac use
in India will stop before vultures are extinct in the wild?
Diclofenac will be available and in use as long as it is
substantially cheaper than the alternatives.
Another resolution states: “REQUESTS Gyps vulture range
states to develop and implement national vulture recovery
plans, including conservation breeding and release”. The
sense of urgency, however, is not conveyed. It is unfortunate
that the preservation of adequate genetic diversity of each
of the three species is not specifically mentioned as an
immediate priority.
The disappearance of these scavenging vultures in India
would be a major ecological disaster. The biggest challenge
for all the NGOs, individuals and Indian Bird Conservation
Network partners and the governments is to save these birds
from extinction. I request all the national and international
agencies to follow up through letters to newspapers, and to
the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of
India, and other Asian countries including Middle Eastern
countries, for the conservation of vultures mentioning the
IUCN resolutions that have the support of the international
scientific and conservation communities.
Concluding remarks
I trust governments of all Gyps vulture range countries in Asia,
Africa, Europe and the Middle East, and manufacturers of
diclofenac, to ban the use of this drug for veterinary medicine,
throughout the range or former range of Gyps vulture. The
BNHS has taken a lead in South Asia to ban diclofenac and
with help of Indian Government officials to save vultures and
plan for there long-term conservation. On 18 th March 2005,
Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh has declared
a ban on Diclofenac from India during the Wildlife Board in
New Delhi. He said, the Government needed three months
to make a complete ban on Diclofenac.
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21

First Aid For Falcons in Training and Hunting
Dr. med. vet. Margit Gabriele Muller MRCVS
Affiliation: Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, PO Box 4553, Abu
Dhabi, UAE
Falconers in the Middle East and Europe are generally very
well informed about diseases in falcons. Also, they are often
used to giving medications to their birds. However, there
is only rudimentary preparation to cope with frequently
occurring injuries or accidents during training or hunting in
the field. This lack of information, experience and equipment
has proved fatal in many falcons, which could have been
saved, if the falconer was aware of first aid. In order to
improve this situation and to give the falconer necessary
equipment and tools at hand, a First Aid Box for Falcons
including a First Aid Brochure was developed by the author
to cater for the most frequent accidents during training and
hunting trips. Practical first aid seminars for falconers are
being conducted by the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital every
year to assist in establishing and training the first aid skills to
everyone interested and/or concerned.
First-Aid Box:
The First Aid Box is designed in a small and handy way to be
kept inside the car. It contains the most important materials
and medicines to cope with injuries and accidents as well as
lost tailmounts. Each falconer is encouraged to put additional
items inside which he might require or find useful for this
purpose.
First-aid Kit: Materials
n Gauze, Gauze Bandages, Self-Adhesive Bandages,
Cotton Balls for wound management and pressure
bandages in heavy bleeding cases
n Cotton Buds useful in cleaning small wounds
n Gloves to protect the falconers skin and the falcon from
possible contamination
n Syringe (1ml, 10ml, 20ml) and Sterile Saline to be used to
give birds fluids and to flush dirty wounds with saline
n Iodine Pads to clean and disinfect dirty wounds
n Non adhesive dressing e.g. Melolin to cover the wound
after application of iodine cream or wound powder.
n Silver nitrate stick to stop bleeding of the beak or talons
n Superglue and Tailmount: the superglue helps to fix the
tailmount to the falcon’s tail feather
n Pliers help you to bring the tailmount in shape before and
after gluing
n Bamboo Stick can be put into the shaft of the broken
feather for imping. After measuring the bamboo stick you
cover it with superglue and re-insert the bamboo stick into
the feather
First-aid Kit: Medicines
n Eye cleaning lotion for washing out dirt or foreign bodies
from the eye
n Eye drops for eye inflammation due to sand etc
n Antibiotic wound powder for wet wounds
n Iodine cream can be applied on a clean, not too deep
wound that should be covered with Melolin afterwards
n Foot cream for daily massaging the falcons feet
22
General information about emergencies
n all emergencies require immediate, but well-thought and
careful help
n be always confident in what you are doing
n train and follow procedures step by step
n avoid time loss or there is more stress for the falcon
n learn how to handle the first aid kit, as this will save
precious time and might save the life of your falcon

Shock
Shock symptoms are fluffed feathers, not moving and rapid
shallow breathing. The head of the falcon may be turned
with eyes partly closed. Place the falcon in a quiet, warm,
secluded, dark environment. If the falcon is not able to
stand anymore, prepare a towel to keep her in comfortable
position. Keep the head a little bit higher than the body to
prevent her from inhaling vomited food, blood or mucous.
If the shock is accompanied by life threatening injuries (e.g.
massive bleeding), treat these immediately. In cases of no
visible life threatening injuries, it is advisable to leave the
falcon undisturbed. In all cases it is recommended to call the
veterinarian immediately!
Eye Injuries
In all cases of eye injuries, it is better to keep the falcon
away from intense (sun)light. If sand or dirt is inside the eye,
flush the eye with eye cleansing lotion, clean water or sterile
Saline in a syringe without needle. Then put ophthalmic eye
drops in the eye. In cases of foreign bodies in the eye that are
not puncturing the eye, you can try to float them out with eye
cleansing lotion or ophthalmic drops. If the foreign body is
puncturing the eye, it is advisable to leave it in its place as any
treatment other than by an veterinarian can cause a massive
damage. The falcon should be brought to the veterinarian.
Heat Stroke
If your falcon is suffering from heat stroke, her feathers
should be sprayed with cold water and her feet put in cold
water. It is advisable to place the overheated falcon in a cold
room or car with air-conditioning and to watch her for signs
of shock. After cooling her down, you can wrap her loosely
in towel to prevent chill. Be very careful when applying
cool water by not putting cool water for a too long time as
otherwise the falcon will cool out completely. This may lead
to severe problems.
Dehydration
Dehydration of falcons in cases of overtraining and starvation
can often be observed in hunting falcons especially in
warmer countries like in the Middle East. You can test the
degree of dehydration in your falcon by making a skin fold
on the foot. Dehydrated falcons need a prolonged time for
the skin to return in its normal position. To improve the
dehydration level you can give water mixed with special
vitamins containing glucose or fructose orally or over the
food. Moreover, you can spray water over the falcon’s body
and in the mouth.
bleeding is a little bit heavier, you can cover the wound with
gauze pads and hold firm pressure on the wound for two to
three minutes and to leave the gauze on. If the cut is on the
falcon’s leg or feet, apply antibiotic ointment, then bandage
the wound loosely.
Large wounds of more than 0.5 cm length or
infected wounds
Clean the wound area gently with Iodine pads and then dry the
wound. If heavy bleeding occurs, cover the wound with sterile
gauze pads and hold firm pressure on the wound for at least
two to three minutes. Then apply antibiotic wound powder,
cover it with sterile non adhesive dressing and bandage it
more tightly. Try to bring the falcon to a veterinarian as soon
as possible as the wound requires surgical closure.
Fractures
In case of open fractures, the fractures should always be
covered with sterile gauze to avoid contamination and
infection. All falcons with fractures should be brought to the
veterinarian as soon as possible. Nevertheless first aid might
help until you reach a veterinarian.
Wing fractures should be carefully and gently wrapped in
a figure eight bandage on the wing and bandage should be
fixed in the normal wing position.
Leg fractures can be stabilised by sticks made out of tree or
bush branches. First the sticks should be measured and cut
to a proper size and then wrapped with cotton balls for each
side of the leg. Then stabilize the leg with sticks wrapped
with cotton balls on each side of the leg and bandage them
carefully. It often helps to provide towels for transport to the
veterinarian.
Outlook
The author hopes that more falconers will be encouraged to
enhance their skills in first aid for their falcons in order to
save valuable time for injured falcons.
Please note:
A first aid procedure cannot replace the visit to a veterinarian,
but it may increase the chances of the falcons for a successfully
injury management.
Wound management
Small wounds up to 0.5 cm length
After cleaning the wound area gently with the Iodine Pads,
you can apply wound powder to stop the bleeding. If the
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23

Urinalysis in Falconidae
Dr Rea Tschopp 1 , Dr Tom Bailey 2 , Dr Antonio Di Somma 2 &
Christudinas Silvanose 2
Affiliation
1
CH-7437 Nufenen, Switzerland. reatschopp@hotmail.com
2
Dubai Falcon Hospital, United Arab Emirates. tom.bailey@dfh.ae
Abstract
Clinical signs of renal disorders in raptors are not specific,
making diagnosis difficult (Cooper 2002). Early diagnosis can
be achieved by diagnostic imaging, endoscopic examination
or biopsy. However, these methods are either invasive or
costly. Analysis of biochemical parameters in serum/plasma
is a routine diagnostic tool, but detects renal function
disorders only in late stage, when 70% of kidney function is
lost (Lumeij 2000). Previous studies have showed that kidney
tissues of some bird species contain high concentration of
enzymes, such as GLDH, GGT, AP, CK, LDH, AST and ALT
(Lumeij & Wolfswinkel, 1987, Lumeij et al., 1988, Bailey
et al., 1999). These enzymes are released via urine after
damage to kidneys 6 . Therefore, quantitative and qualitative
urinalysis was proposed as an easy and non-invasive method
to detect early renal damage. Urine samples were collected
from 107 mature (> 1 year) and immature (6-12 months)
male and female falcons belonging to five species during
clinical examination at the Dubai Falcon Hospital (UAE).
All birds were trained for falconry and uniquely identified
by microchip. Seventy-eight falcons were classified as
clinically healthy (Group 1) and twenty-nine as sick (Group
2). Within Group 2, 18 birds (62%) had fungal diseases
(aspergillosis), 8 (27.6%) had parasitic diseases (coccidiosis,
trichomoniasis, serratospiculiasis, leucocytozoonosis) and 3
suffered from other diseases. Droppings were assessed by
eye for urate colour, urate consistency and urine colour. The
liquid part was aspirated, centrifuged and the supernatant
analyzed using a commercial quick dip stick followed by
a wet chemistry analysis for alkaline phosphatase (AP),
gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), Glucose, Chloride
and Total Protein (TP). Sex, age and species did not affect
results of chemistry values (p > 0.05). Therefore, reference
values of urinalysis in healthy falcons can be summarized in
one single group, regardless of falcon species, age and sex. A
statistical difference between Group 1 and 2 was only found
for GGT and TP, which where increased in Group 2. Dipstick
test results showed that protein concentrations were twice as
high in Group 2, and glucose concentrations were higher in
this Group as well. Visual assessment of the mutes showed
that all healthy birds (100%) but only 86% of the sick birds
had white urates of pasty consistency. In the latter Group,
14% of the urates were watery, 10.4% green and 3.44% red/
brown. Green urine was found in 20.7% of the sick and in
6.4% of the healthy falcons.
Paired samples from 7 healthy falcons showed that urine
chemistry did not differ between starved and fed birds.
Paired samples from 13 birds collected within 3 hours
showed no difference in urine chemistry.
Thirteen urine supernatants were analyzed, stored at 4°C
and re-analyzed after 24 hours. Total Protein concentrations
decreased after twenty-four hour storage of urine sample
under refrigeration; enzyme activities were not affected by
24 hour storage.
In conclusion, this present study showed that urinalysis could
be a helpful diagnostic tool to detect early renal damage,
before serum concentration of renal enzymes is increased.
Collecting samples from mutes on a clean surface and
carefully avoiding any contamination with faeces and uric
acid is an easy, non-invasive and accurate method.
Reference ranges for clinically normal birds are reported.
Variation of urine colours in healthy falcons
24

Table 1. Reference urine chemistry values in Group 1 (clinically healthy falcons, n = 78) and Group 2 falcons
(sick falcons, n = 29)
Variable Group 1 Group 2 Significance level
Chloride 20.81-52.46 a 9.5941-93.2406 2.3002 e
(mEq/l) (0.3-121.64) b (1.31-130) 0.1381 f
33.3058 c 47.4089
GGT 17.82-40.73 29.3814-76.3745 4.6598
(u/l) (2.41-426.11) (0.81-228.34) 0.0327
58.6546 61.4825
Glucose 14.9-18.48 16.5463-25.8826 2.5422
(mg/dl) (4.7-335) (9-358.1) 0.1154
39.59 70.8162
Total Protein 0.2-0.3 0.2-0.5 9.8258
(g/dl) (0-1.2) (0.1-2.8) 0.0018
0.2031 0.5121
ALKP 26.02-52.88 23.6379-93.2232 0.8536
(u/l) (0-889.3) (10.7-253) 0.3602
132.8064 67.7743
a: 95% CI for the median b: minimum-maximum e: test statistic H
c: standard deviation f: significance level
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid
al Maktoum for his continued support of the Dubai Falcon
Hospital. We thank Mr. Humaid Obaid al Muhari and the
staff of the DFH for their technical support. We thank Dr. Dr.
habil. U. Wernery and Mrs M. Ringu from Central Veterinary
Research Laboratory (Dubai) and to Mr. D. Le Mesurier
from the Nad al Sheba Breeding Center. A full copy of this
paper has been recently published. See: Rea Tschopp, Tom
Bailey, Antonio Di Somma & Christudas Silvanose. (2005)
Urinalysis in Falconidae. Journal of Avian Medicine and
Surgery.
References
Bailey, T, Wernery, U, Howlett, J, John, A and Raza, H.
1999. Diagnostic enzyme profile in houbara bustard tissues
(Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii). Comp Haematology
International. 9:36-42.
Cooper, JE. 2002. Birds of Prey: Health and Disease.
Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK. Pp. 28-70.
Keller, P. 1981. Enzyme activities in the dog: tissue analyses,
plasma values, and intracellular distribution. American
Journal of Veterinary Research. 42(4).
Lumeij, JT, Wolfswinkel, J. 1987. Tissue enzyme profiles of
the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). In: A contribution
to clinical investigative methods for birds, with special
reference to the racing pigeon (Columba livia domestica).
PhD thesis, JT Lumeij,University of Utrecht: 71-77.
Lumeij, JT, deBruijne, JJ, Slob, A, Wolfswinkel, J and
Rothuizen, J. 1988. Enzyme activities in tissues and
elimination half-lives of homologous muscle and liver
enzymes in the racing pigeon (Columba livia domestica).
Avian Pathology. 17: 851-864.
Lumeij JT. 2000. Pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment
of renal disorders in birds of prey. In: Lumeij, JT, Remple,
JD, Redig, PT, Lierz, M and Cooper, JE (eds.). Raptor
Biomedicine 3, including bibliography of diseases of birds
of Prey. Zoological education Network, Lakeworth, USA.Pp
170-178.
2
2
2
1
– / – / – /
. ()
- ( )
.
()
.
.
.
25

Assessment of the Platelia Aspergillus EIA Test in the Diagnosis of
Aspergillosis in Falcons.
Barbara Arca-Ruibal 1,2 , Ullie Wernery 3 , Reena Zachariah 3 ,
Tom Bailey 2 , Antonio Di Somma 2 , Christudas Silvanose 2 &
Peter McKinney 1
Affiliation:
1
Wildlife Protection Office, PO Box 27962, Dubai, United Arab
Emirates
2
Dubai Falcon Hospital, United Arab Emirates
3
Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, P. O. Box 597, Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
Aspergillosis is considered the most common mycosis in avian
medicine (Kunkle, 2003) especially in captive waterfowl,
wading birds, penguins, raptors, pheasants and passerines
(Bauck, 1994; Kearns 2003). In the Middle East, aspergillosis
is one the most important causes of mortality in hunting
falcons (Samour, 2000). Early detection of avian aspergillosis
remains difficult with the current available techniques.
Even though serological screening tests for Aspergillus antibodies
and antigens have been developed for birds, success
has been limited. In human medicine, efforts to improve the
diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis have been focused in the
detection of fungal antigens. One of the most recently commercialized
test for diagnosing aspergillosis is the sandwich
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay Platelia Aspergillus
EIA. This test has been developed for the detection of galactomannan,
a major cell-wall constituent of Aspergillus
spp. The efficacy of this test in the diagnosis of aspergillosis
in falcons was evaluated in 272 serum samples from 50
(90 sera) aspergillosis positive falcons and 142 (182 sera)
birds known to be aspergillosis negative. The sensitivity of
the test was 12% and the specificity 95%. Possible reasons
for false negative results proposed by other authors are discussed.
These reasons included encapsulation of the Aspergillus
infection and consequent lack of release of Aspergillus
antigens into the body fluids (Verweij et al, 2000), limited
fungal invasion of the pulmonary blood vessels (Verweij et
al, 1995), suppression of GM expression by amphotericin B
treatments (Francis et al, 1994, Verweij et al, 2000), high
antibody titers (Maertens et al, 1999, Verweij et al, 2000) and
low-level release of GM by the fungus (Verweij et al, 1995,
Pinel et al, 2003). The real reasons for false-negative reactivity
remain unknown and further studies in GM expression in
birds will be required.
We consider that this test cannot be used as a screening test
for diagnosing aspergillosis in falcons.
Acknowledgements
This project was completed during the internship of Dr Arca-Ruibal
at Dubai Falcon Hospital. We thank H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin
Rashid al Maktoum for his support of the Dubai Falcon Hospital.
We thank Mr. Humaid Obaid al Muhari and the staff of the DFH
and CVRL for their technical support. A full copy of this paper has
been recently published. See: Barbara Arca-Ruibal, Ullie Wernery,
Reena Zachariah, Tom Bailey, Antonio Di Somma, Christudas
Silvanose & Peter McKinney (2005) Assessment of the Platelia
Aspergillus EIA Test in the Diagnosis of Aspergillosis in Falcons.
Veterinary Record.
References
Bauck, L. 1994. Mycoses. In Avian Medicine: Principles and application.
Eds B.W. Ritchie, G.J. Harrison, L.R. Harrison. Lake Worth,
Wingers Publishing, Inc. pp 997-1006.
Francis, P., Lee, J.W., Hoffman, A., Peter, J., Francesconi, A., Bacher,
J., Shelhamer, J., Pizzo, P.A. & Walsh, T.J. 1994. Efficacy of
unilamellar liposomal amphotericin B in treatment of pulmonary
aspergillosis in persistently granulocytopenic rabbits: the potential
role of bronchoalveolar D-mannitol and serum galactomannan as
markers of infection. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 169: 356-368.
Kearns, K.S. 2003. Avian aspergillosis. In: Recent Advances in
Avian Infectious Diseases. Eds K.S. Kearns, B. Loudis. Ithaca, International
Veterinary Information Service (www.ivis.org). Document
No. A1902.0903.
Kunkle, R.A. 2003. Fungal infections. In Diseases of Poultry. 11th
edn. Ed Y.M. Saif. Iowa, Iowa State Press. pp 883-895.
Maertens, J., Verhaegen, J., Demuynck, H., Brock, P., Verhoef,
G., Vandenberghe, P., Van Eldere, J., Verbist, L. & Boogaerts, M.
(1999) Autopsy-controlled prospective evaluation of serial screening
for circulating galactomannan by a sandwich enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay for hematological patients at risk for invasive
Aspergillosis. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 37: 3223-3228.
Pinel, C., Fricker-Hidalgo, H., Lebeau, B., Garban, F., Hamidfar,
R., Ambroise-Thomas, P. & Grillot, R. 2003. Detection of circulating
Aspergillus fumigatus galactomannan: value and limits of the
Platelia test for diagnosing invasive aspergillosis. Journal of Clinical
Microbiology. 41: 2184-2186.
Samour, J. 2000. Veterinary considerations during the hunting trip.
In Raptor Biomedicine III. Eds J.T. Lumeij, J.D. Remple, P.T. Redig,
M. Lierz, J.E. Cooper. Zoological Education Network, Lake
Worth. pp 267-274.
Verweij, P.E., Stynen, D., Rijs, J.M.M., De Pauw, B., Hoogkamp-
Korstanje, J.A.A. & Meis, J.F. 1995. Sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay compared with Pastorex latex agglutination test
for diagnosing invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 33: 1912-1914.
Verweij, P.E., Weemaes, C.M., Curfs, J.H.A.J., Bretagne, S. & Meis,
J.F.G.M. 2000. Failure to detect circulating Aspergillus markers in
a patient with chronic granulomatous disease and invasive aspergillosis.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 38: 3900-3901.
Platelia Aspergillus EIA
2
– – – – – – -
26
. (Aspergillosis)
. . ()
.() Platelia Aspergillosis EIA :
.Aspergillus spp
182) 142 ( 90) 50 272
. 95 12 . (
.

Letters to the Editor
Raptors found in Dubai
Dear Sir,
Twelve raptors were found dead between the10th and 20th of
January in Dubai, UAE (Fig 1).
Seven of these birds were radiographed (Fig 2) and found to
contain shotgun pellets, which had caused multiple fractures
and soft tissue damage. Shotgun injury was considered as the
cause of death. The carcasses were found lying together in a
site accessible to the public and in an area where falconers
train their birds.
1 Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus) pm/wv
2 Marsh Harriers (Circus aeruginosus) wv/pm
1 Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus) wv/pm/rb
1 Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga) pm/wv
3 Bonelli’s Hawk Eagles (Hieraaetus fasciatus) rb/wv
4 Desert Eagle Owls (Bubo ascalaphus) rb.
Shooting migratory raptors as a mean of pest control has only
a very short-term effect as the dead bird is quickly replaced.
Studies in Europe on migrating raptor species have shown
that trapping and relocation may be a viable alternative to
shooting.
It is unknown how widespread the practice of shooting
migrating and resident raptors is in the UAE. However if this
is not an isolated incident then the negative effect that this
practice may have on already endangered resident species
such as Desert Eagle Owls cannot be ignored. A heightened
awareness of these issues will hopefully enable the UAE
to continue its already world-leading approach to raptor
conservation issues.
Name and address withheld by request
Fig 1. Seven raptors found on one visit to the site in Dubai.
The majority of birds were identified as species not commonly
found in Dubai and recorded as winter visitors (wv) or
passage migrants (pm). Three species could be considered
resident breeders (rb). The birds found were identified as
following:
Hunting laws in the UAE
Commenting on this report, this is a summary of the legal
position:
One of the most important laws in the UAE to address
hunting is the Federal law No. 9 which was established in
1983 and it regulates the hunting of birds and animals. This
law is divided into 5 main articles.
The main points of this law are summarized as follows:
The hunting of wild and marine birds, collection and
destruction of their eggs is banned in the UAE. Interestingly
enough this law does not cover Cormorants.
Also it is not permitted to hunt various gazelle species, hares
and spiny-tailed lizards.
The law clearly states that there is a fine and prisonment
applicable for anyone found flouting this law. Also the
hunting gear (equipment & vehicles) can also be confiscated
and any accomplices are punishable with the principal doer.
This law was published in the UAE Official Gazette, No.
133, Year 13, December 1983.
Fig 2. Radiograph of one of the raptors showing multiple
gunshot pellets
Also Federal Law No. 24 of 1999 for the Protection and
Development of the Environment clearly states in Section 2
– The Environment and Sustainable Development, Article 12
that, “It is prohibited to hunt, kill or capture birds, wild and
.(1 ) 20 10
(2 )
.
.
27

Letter to the Editor Cont.
marine mammals” and “It is also prohibited to damage birds’
nests or destroy their eggs”.
Therefore there are applicable laws at the Federal level in the
UAE which can address the issue of illegal hunting of birds
and other animals as mentioned above.
Contributed by Pritpal Soorae & Abdulnasser Alshamsi,
Environmental Research &Wildlife Development Agency
(ERWDA), Abu Dhabi, UAE.
South Asian Vulture Crisis
Dear Sir,
Diclofenac cannot be the major cause of the colossal vulture
mortality in South Asia as has been suggested in the article
by Oaks et al (2004) in Falco 24. It can kill vultures if
administered directly and through the carcass of freshly dead
cattle that have been treated with the drug. But how can you
assume that such a large percentage of cattle are treated by
this drug, that all die immediately and kill huge populations
of vultures all over India? The truth is that vultures started
vanishing before introduction of diclofenac (Arun & Azzez
2004, Rank & Sabapara 2004, Satheesan 2004, Vijayan
2004). Some of the major causes that have brought about
vulture mortality and decline are given below:
Harassment, gun-shooting, and persecution of vultures
by authorities continued unabated for a decade and a half
(1980-1995) at various airports. When I had said that airport
authorities had killed a few thousand vultures, the real impact
was on the birds that escaped persecution and harassment,
which were driven to safer havens such as Protected Areas
and villages without aerodromes, leading to competition for
food (carcasses and carnivore kills) and falling easy prey to
poison-baits and increasing their mortality rates (Satheesan
1999a, 1999b, 2000a-e, 2001a-d, 2004).
Drums tied to a tree to disturb and ward off vultures
roosting and nesting in Sayaji Zoo & Garden, Baroda and
other localities (Vyas 2004). Vultures roosting and nesting
destroyed coconut palms and reduced yield of coconuts
which forced the villagers to persecute and harass vultures by
stone-throwing, cracker-firing and gun-shots (Jethava 2004).
Destruction of roost and nest trees of vultures in Gujarat is
also reported by Khacher (2004), Gadhvi, et al (2004).
Denial of food to scavenging birds to save aircraft from
scavenging birds all over India around airports (10 km in
radius of airport in cities and villages) (Satheesan 1999a,
2000a-e, 2001a-d, 2004).
Scarcity of carcasses because of cattle-owners selling sick
and old cattle to slaughterhouses before they die a natural
death (Eg: Maldharis in Dhrangdhara and Gir Forest)
(Dhamecha 2004).
Rampant poisoning of wild and domestic animals by
poachers, carcasses of which are fed on by vultures (Kannan
1993, Satheesan 2000a-c, 2001a-d, 2004). Dead vultures
were observed falling down from trees in Lakhota, Jamnagar
during 1985-86, in northwest India in July 1993 (Ansari
2004, Satheesan 2004). It appears that villagers living
around Protected Areas in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh are commissioned to kill
carnivores by poisoning (Hindustan Times, 31 Dec. 1999). In
Uttar Pradesh alone 10 tigers were killed by poisons between
1997 and 1998 (Satheesan 2001a-d). Is it a wonder if tigers
cannot be traced in Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan?
Probably the vultures which bore the brunt of poison baits
laid for tigers have vanished from Sariska and hence tigers
became more vulnerable and succumbed to poachers’ poison
baits.
Direct and indirect poisoning of vultures by cattle rustlers
and villages may explain a great percentage of vulture deaths
all over India (recorded in Kachch and Surendranagar in
Gujarat, parts of Rajasthan including Bharatpur - Satheesan
2000a-c, 2001e, 2004, Shah 2004).). A photograph showing
several vultures lying dead around a cow carcass apparently
poisoned by cattle-rustlers in Motivirani village, Kachchh
district of Gujarat is clear evidence of poisoning of vultures
(Tiwari 1999). 54 cows of Rabari community were killed
in two villages, Indrapura (46 cows killed on Monday) and
Bodu (8 cows killed on Tuesday) of Gandhinagar district of
Gujarat by forcing them to feed on potato plants excessively
sprayed with pesticides (Ray 2000) is another example of
intentional poisoning.
Trapping of Vultures by poachers at Gyaspur AMC carcass
dumping ground near Ahmedabad city (Rank & Pandya
2004). Vultures are trapped by traders all over India for sale
to zoos and circus companies (Satheesan 1999a & b, 2000ac,
2001a-d, 2004).
Poaching of vulture eggs for food and medicinal cure of TB
and Asthma (in Khambhat of Central Gujarat, in Gir Forest)
(Jethava 2004).
Destruction of nesting sites, eggs, and young for various
reasons (in Mahuva Tehsil, Gujarat, Prakasham and Guntur
in Eastern Andhra Pradesh, and some tribal areas in Madhya
Pradesh) (Rao 1992, Satheesan 1999b).
Felling of roost and nest trees of vultures for construction
and developmental activities (Several places including Agra)
(Satheesan 2000a-c).
Discussion in papers regarding environmental contaminants,
diclofenac, and viral disease as major cause of vulture decline
reveal that none of these hypotheses has been conclusively
proved. The most one can say there has been some vulture
mortality due these factors. These hypotheses have originated
in the laboratory and have less connection with the ground
reality.
My observations on vultures show that since 1980 vultures
started disappearing from our study areas (10-25 km in radius
of over 30 Indian aerodomes) because of human persecution.
28

In a real sense, two earlier articles in the Newsletter for
Birdwatchers were the first to report that the vulture crisis
was reaching a climax. One such article by Rao (1992)
indicated that his vulture survey of two districts in Andhra
Pradesh (Guntur & Prakasham) since 1981 had drawn a blank
and his interviews with the members of Bandha community;
the erstwhile vulture-eaters of the state, had revealed that the
vultures had disappeared at least a decade earlier i.e. in the
1970’s. Vultures became locally extinct in Anaimalai Hills in
Tamil Nadu State of the Indian Union in the 80s because of
villagers laying poison baits to kill cattle-lifting carnivores
(Kannan 1993).
Dr S M Satheesan
Mumbai
India
References
Ansari, R.J. 2004. Status of Vultures in Protected Areas
of Jamnagar, Gujarat State. In Proc. of the Workshop on
Current Status of Vultures in Gujarat, September 19, 2004.
Arun, P.R. and Azeez, P.A. 2004. Vulture population decline,
diclofenac, and avian gout. Current Science, 87(5): 10.
Dhamecha, D. 2004. Status of vultures in Dhrangadhara.
In Proc. of the Workshop on Current Status of Vultures in
Gujarat, September 19, 2004
Gadhvi, I., Dodia, P.P. and Dhadhal, J. 2004. Status of
Vultures in Bhavnagar. In Proc. of the Workshop on Current
Status of Vultures in Gujarat, September 19, 2004
Jethava, A. 2004. Status of Vultures in Gir Forest and its
surrounding areas. In: Proc. of the Workshop on Current
Status of Vultures in Gujarat, September 19, 2004
Kannan, R. 1993. Local extinction of vultures in and around
the Anaimalai Hills. Newsletter for Birdwatchers 33: 58
Khacher, L. 2004. Our Vultures – A Population of Senior
Citizens. In Proc. of the Workshop on Current Status of
Vultures in Gujarat, September 19, 2004
Oaks, J.L. et al 2004. Diagnostic investigations of vulture
mortality: the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac is associated
with visceral gout. Falco 24: 13-15.
Rank, D.N. and Sabapara, R.H. 2004. Diclofenac-is it an only
real threat to vulture existence? In Proc. of the Workshop on
Current Status of Vultures in Gujarat, September 19, 2004
Rao, K.M. 1992. Vultures endangered in Guntur and
Prakasham districts (A.P.). Newsletter for Birdwatchers 32:
6-7.
Ray, J. 2004. Pesticides kill 54 cows in Gujarat town. The
Asian Age, 18 February.
Shah, Y. 2004. Status of Vultures in Surendranagar District.
In Proc. of the Workshop on Current Status of Vultures in
Gujarat, September 19, 2004
Satheesan, S.M. 1999a. The decline of vultures in India.
Vulture News 40: 35-36.
Satheesan, S.M. 1999b. Vulture-eating communities in
India. Vulture News 41: 15-17.
Satheesan, S.M. 2000a. Serious vulture-hits to aircraft over
the world. In Proc. 25 Meeting of the IBSC (Amsterdam)
2000: WP SA3 : 113-126.
Satheesan, S.M. 2000b. Vultures in Asia. In Raptors at Risk.
Chancellor, R. D. & B. U. Meyburg (eds) WWGBP, Hancock
House, U.K.
Satheesan, S.M. 2000c. The role of poisons in the Indian
vulture population crash. Vulture News 42: 3-4. 8(2): 22-23
Satheesan, S.M. 2000d. Save vultures in peril before they
perish, paper presented at the International Conference
on “Use of poison in natural environment” organized by
Black Vulture Conservation Foundation, Spain, at Alcudia,
Mallorca, from 2-5 March 2000.
Satheesan, S.M. 2000e. A new dimension to the conservation
of scavenging raptors, paper presented at the III International
Congress on Scavenging birds held at Guadalajara, Spain
from 28 April to 3 May.
Satheesan, S.M. 2001a. Vultures on death row. Down To
Earth. 9(21): 48-49. Centre for Science Communications.
CSE, New Delhi.
Satheesan, S.M. 2001b. Vulture Population Decline in India
- A Case Study. Vulture Newsletter 1(1): 1-8. Centre of
Excellence in Vulture Research and Conservation Monitoring
Studies, Ajmer.
Satheesan, S.M. 2001c. The great Indian vulture decline.
Sanctuary Asia June: 78. Mumbai.
Satheesan, S.M. 2001d. Vulture feeding stations: Strategy
for revival. Science Reporter. February: 22-23. NISCOM,
New Delhi.
Satheesan, S.M. 2001e. Poison-bating experiments on
vultures in India. Vulture News 45: 34-39.
Satheesan, S.M. 2004. Vulture population decline in India
and strategy for their revival. In Proc. of the Workshop on
Current Status of Vultures in Gujarat, September 19, 2004
Tiwari, J. K. 1999. Vanishing vultures. Down To Earth,
7(24): 2
Vijayan, L. 2004. Causes of Decline in the Population of
Vultures in India. In Proc. of the Workshop on Current
Status of Vultures in Gujarat, September 19, 2004
Vyas, R. 2004. Disappearance of the Gyps bengalensis from
a small pocket of urban area of Vadodara City. In Proc.
of the Workshop on Current Status of Vultures in Gujarat,
September 19, 2004
29

Announcements for Falco
Conservation Workshop for Eagles and
Vultures of Arabia
Florine de Haas van Dorsser
Affiliation:
Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, P.O. Box
29922, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
The 6th annual Conservation Workshop for the Fauna of
Arabia was held at Arabia’s Wildlife Centre and the Breeding
Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife in Sharjah,
UAE on the 20th-23rd of February 2005. The eagles,
vultures, canids and freshwater invertebrates of Arabia
were on the programme this year. Dr Nigel Collar from
Birdlife International kindly chaired the avian group, which
consisted of regional wildlife managers, field biologists
and avian veterinarians. The final report of the workshop is
being compiled.
Further information can be obtained from the Breeding
Centre Sharjah at www.breedingcentresharjah.com.
Illegal shipment of Martial Eagles
from Tanzania
Florine de Haas van Dorsser
Affiliation:
Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, P.O. Box
29922, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Four juvenile martial eagles were shipped from Dar es Salaam
to Paris via Dubai at the end of July 2004. They were
refused entry at Paris and were returned to Dubai, where
custom’s officials confiscated the shipment. The shipment
consisted of 294 birds including hornbills, marabou storks,
flamingos, turacos and starlings. The birds were sent to the
Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife in Sharjah
for rehabilitation after having been boxed for at least 4
days.
All four eagles suffered from varying degrees of bumblefoot,
a likely reflection of the length of time spent in
captivity. They were further dehydrated, showed respiratory
compromise and were louse infested. The eagles will
be transferred to Eagle Encounters in Stellenbosch (South
Africa) for further rehabilitation and assessment for release.
For more information see:
Vercammen, P. 2004. Animal trade and its consequences.
EAZA News. 48: 24-25.
Final Announcement.
The 4th SYMPOSIUM ON ASIAN RAPTORS
- MALAYSIA 2005. "TOWARDS CONSER-
VATION OF ASIAN RAPTORS THROUGH
SCIENCE & ACTION".
Venue: Taiping, Perak, Malaysia (West Malaysia)
Date: 28 - 31 October 2005. The Asian Raptor Research
and Conservation Network (ARRCN) is organizing the 4th
Symposium on Asian Raptors from 28 - 31 October 2005 in
Taiping, Malaysia, hosted jointly with the Malaysian Nature
Society.
Details at:
http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~raptor/FINAL_ANNOUNCE-
4thAsianRapSympo2005.htm
.2005 23-20
.www.breedingcentresharjah.com :
.2004
294
.
.
" .2005 – .
."
( ) :
" " .2005 31 – 28 :
2005 31 -28
." "
:
http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~raptor/FINAL_ANNOUNCE-4thAsianRapSympo2005.htm
30

Falconry Heritage Trust launched at UK Falconry Fair
The Falconry Heritage Trust (FHT), which was launched on
the opening day of the UK Falconry Fair (1st May 2005),
will protect centuries of falconry related heritage for future
generations, whilst making it available on the Internet to all
today’s falconers and others interested in falconry heritage.
British falconer, falcon breeder and author, Nick Fox is one
of the founding members of the Trust, which is supported
by the International Association for Falconry, which in itself
represents some 53 associations from 40 countries where
falconry is part of the cultural heritage. “I conceived the
idea while in the bath on a visit to Japan,” says Fox. “There I
was seeing a falconry heritage that was so different to ours in
the West and I thought two things: firstly, that others should
be able to access this if only in ‘virtual’ form; and secondly,
that it must be recorded and preserved for future generations.
It was something of an eureka moment and this launch is the
beginning of, what I hope will be, a global initiative to record
and protect falconry.”
The Trust will enable regional conservation committees
to record electronically the diversity of falconry heritage,
which covers the written word, artefacts, art, ephemera,
photographs, and audio/visual recordings. Items may be
gifted to the Trust or retained by owners and their heirs but
recorded on the website for global access. Whilst privately
held items will remain confidential to those accessing the
site, open collections, such as the Archives of American
Falconry, will be cross referenced to enable visitors to access
them in person.
The Trust will be a registered charity enabling it to collect
items and raise funds within the carefully constituted charity
legislation of the UK. Although primary access to the website
will be free, downloading items will attract a charge.
The Trust can be contacted by email fht@falcons.co.uk
and a website is in the process of being developed. More
information will be included in future issues of Falco.
The following articles appeared on the Russian language
websites and have been translated for the interest of Falco
readers by Jevgeny Shergalin.
Smuggling of Saker Falcons is stopped
22.08.2005
A Russian citizen was seized by the Siberian Customs
Branch at the Tashanta customs post in the Altai region.
He had crossed the Russian-Mongolian border smuggling a
consignment of 19 Saker Falcons. The birds were hidden
in five boxes with ventilation holes. Subsequently, 11 of
these birds were released back into the wild, 5 were unfit for
release and are currently held in captivity and three died. At
the present time a criminal case of “smuggling” according to
clause 188 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is
being initiated. It should be noted that Saker Falcons are an
endangered species listed in the Red Data Book. Trapping
and export of the birds from their natural habitats is banned
according to the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES).
Extracted from:
http://www.customs.ru/ru/press/of_news/index.
php?1d286+7706
Customs officers of Sheremetievo airport have
stopped an illegal attempt to export Goshawks from
Russia 09.06.2005
Documents were presented at Sheremetievo
customs for a forthcoming cargo shipment to
Japan. Acording to this declaration there were
10 Goshawks in two wooden boxes that had been
trapped in the summer of 2004 and marked with
internal microchips. However, an inspection of
the cargo revealed that in these boxes were 10
Goshawk chicks aged about 2-3 weeks old and
there were no microchip markers in these birds.
This attempt to export chicks, without the required
CITES permission, was illegal and a criminal case
against the exporters has been started. The Goshawk
chicks were confiscated and are now in the hands of
the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW),
situated in Losinyi Ostrov National Park in Moscow.
Extracted from:
http://www.rg.ru/2005/06/14/pticy-anons.htm
31

What’s new in the literature
Zsivanovits, P., Forbes, N.A., Zvonar, L.T., Williams,
M.R., Lierz, M., Prusas, C. & Hafez, M.M. Investigation
into the seroprevalence of falcon herpesvirus antibodies
in raptors in the UK using virus neutralization tests
and different herpesvirus isolates. Avian Pathology.
2004: 33; 599-604.
Increasing numbers of reports of clinical falcon herpesvirus
infection (Falconid herpesvirus-1; FHV-1) have been seen in
the UK since 1996. The aim of this epidemiological study was
to investigate the seroprevalence of FHV-1 and owl herpesvirus
(Strigid herpesvirus-1; StHV-1) infection in the UK, using
virus neutralization tests, and to evaluate the prevalence of
herpesvirus infection in captive and wild raptor populations. The
results, using the English FHV-1 CVL 32/93 isolate, revealed
a seroprevalence of 3.97% (10/252). The seroprevalence for
StHV-1 was 12.3% (8/65). Analysis of the data by captivity
status, age and species revealed that the family Falconidae
showed the highest seroprevalence with 6.7% (5/75), while
only one of 104 captive Accipitridae was positive for FHV-
1 (0.96%). The incidence of FHV-1 neutralizing antibodies
in owls was 5.5% (4/73), representing only wild individuals.
Eighty-nine serum samples were additionally tested using two
other FHV-1 isolates, the German isolate Merlin 1869/92 and
the Dutch isolate Peregrine Z100. The seroprevalences of FHV-
1 were 28.1% (25/89) and 32.6% (29/89), respectively. All these
samples, however, were negative using the CVL 32/92 isolate.
Naldo, J.L. & Samour, J.H. Radiographic findings
in captive falcons in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Avian
Medicine and Surgery. 2004: 18; 242-256.
Radiographic records were reviewed from 1702 falcons of
different species that were presented to the Falcon Specialist
Hospital and Research Institute of the Fahad bin Sultan Falcon
Centre, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from September
1, 1998, to March 1, 2002. The most common radiographic
findings were homogeneous and nonhomogeneous increased
radiopacity and localized soft-tissue densities of the lungs and
air sacs, hepatomegaly, presence of lead particles or excessive
amounts of sand in the gastrointestinal tract, gastrointestinal
tract dilatation, and bone fractures. These findings contribute
to the scant information available about health and disease of
falcons in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in particular and in the
Middle East in general.
Naldo, J.L. & Samour, J.H. Causes of morbidity and
mortality in falcons in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Avian
Medicine and Surgery. 2004: 18; 229-241.
Clinical records from 3376 falcons of different species presented
to the Falcon Specialist Hospital and Research Institute of the
Fahad bin Sultan Falcon Centre, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, from September 1, 1998, to March 1, 2001, were
reviewed to determine the causes of morbidity and mortality in
falcons in Saudi Arabia. The most common causes of morbidity
were infectious diseases, traumatic injuries, toxicosis, and
metabolic or, nutritional diseases. The most common causes
of mortality were bacterial and fungal diseases, bumblefoot,
collision-type injuries, injuries inflicted by other birds, lead and
ammonium chloride toxicosis, gout, sour crop, and low body
condition. These findings contribute to the limited available
information about morbidity and mortality in falcons in Saudi
Arabia in particular and in the Middle East in general.
32
Erben, M. Idiopathic epilepsy in a Ger-Saker-Falcon
(Falco rusticolus x Falco cherrug)? Kleintierpraxis.
2004: 49; 511-516.
A two year old male ger-saker-falcon (Falco rusticolus x Falco
cherrug) with seizures is presented. After ruling out potential
differential diagnoses for seizures in birds, the falcon is suspected
of having idiopathic epilepsy. As a response to a treatment
with Phenobarbital, the falcon showed a significant reduction
of seizures in terms of intensity and quantity. The treatment
has been controlled by measurement of blood phenobarbital
level. Finally, differential diagnoses for seizures in birds are
discussed.
Tella, J.L., Carrete, M., Sánchez-Zapata, J.A., Serrano,
D., Gavrilov, A., Sklyarenko, S., Ceballos, O., Donázar,
J.A. & Hiraldo, F. Effects of land use, nesting-site
availability, and the presence of larger raptors on
the abundance of Vulnerable lesser kestrels Falco
naumanni in Kazakhstan. Oryx. 2004: 38; 224-227.
The lesser kestrel Falco naumanni is a cavity-nesting falcon that
breeds colonially in steppe-like habitats. Circum-Mediterranean
populations declined sharply during the 20th century and the
species is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
We investigated the numbers of breeding pairs in Kazakhstan,
previously considered to be an important area for the species,
where it still inhabits natural steppe and semi-natural grasslands
and breeds on cliffs. The availability of cliffs for nesting does
not seem to be limiting as most cliffs are unoccupied. However,
lesser kestrels tended to breed on small cliffs, where larger
predatory raptors are scarcer. Abundance of lesser kestrels was
also related to land use. Cliffs in semi-natural grasslands were
apparently preferred over those in natural steppe, while those in
agricultural landscapes were avoided despite the lower presence
there of larger raptors. Large-scale transformation of steppe and
grasslands into intensive agriculture might have reduced lesser
kestrel numbers, and with the development of new agricultural
projects, monitoring and conservation programmes for lesser
kestrel populations are urgently required in Kazakhstan.
Rodríguez, R., Prieto-Montaña, F., Montes, A.M.,
Bernal, L.J., Gutierrez-Panizo, C. & Ayala, I. The
normal electrocardiogram of the unanaesthetized
peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). Avian Diseases.
2004: 48; 405-409.
The mean duration and amplitudes of the lead II
electrocardiogram were determined in the peregrine falcon
(Falco peregrinus brookei) using 10 birds ranging in age
from 1-5 years. Electrocardiograms were performed on
unanaesthetized falcons in order to avoid the anaesthesia effect
on the electrocardiogram, by a method that seems to induce
a tonic immobility-like reaction. All the falcons had a normal
sinus rhythm, with a mean heart rate of 268 beats per minute.
Mean durations of PR, ST, QT, and RR intervals were higher
(but not statistically significant) in females than in males,
except for the ST segment, with similar values in both sexes.
P-wave deflections were positive in I, II, III, aVL, and aVF
and negative in aVR. The normal patterns of wave forms of the
QRS complexes in all leads were of QS and rS types, except for
aVR and aVL, which presented an R configuration. The mean
electrical axis was negative, with an average of -99.9 degrees.
T-wave deflections were positive in I, II,III, and aVF leads II

and negative in aVR and aVL. The data collected in this study
may serve as a guide for electrocardiographic monitoring of
peregrine falcons.
Wettere, A.J. & Redig, P.T. Arthrodesis as a treatment
for metacarpophalangeal joint luxation in 2 raptors.
Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery. 2004: 18; 23-
29.
Two raptors, a juvenile prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus) and
an adult female great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), were
presented with luxation of the metacarpophalangeal joint.
Additionally, the falcon had a distal metacarpal articular
fracture, and the owl had an open wound at the luxation site.
After supportive care, both birds were treated by arthrodesis of
the metacarpophalangeal joint. A Type 1 external skeletal fixator
was applied to stabilize the joint and to allow bony fusion to
occur. Bony fusion occurred in 6 and 9 weeks in the falcon
and the owl, respectively. Full flight capacity was restored, and
both birds were released into the wild. Arthrodesis represents
a viable option for the treatment of metacarpophalangeal joint
luxations or articular fractures of the associated bone in avian
species when treatment by reduction and stabilization fails.
Ito, H., Sudo-Yamaji, A., Abe, M., Murase, T. &
Tsubota, T. Utility of cross-species amplification
among raptors. Japanese Journal of Zoo and Wildlife
Medicine. 2004: 9; 39-43.
The populations of some species of raptors, such as the
golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos and the mountain hawk-eagle
Spizaetus nipalensis, have been recently reduced due to habitat
destruction. Conservation of habitats and genetic diversity for
raptors is crucial. However, there is little genetic information
on raptors. In this study, 8 microsatellite markers isolated from
the peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus and gyrfalcon Falco
rusticolus were applied to 6 other raptors. It was shown that the
number of loci polymorphisms detected by polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) in the black kite Milvus migrans, goshawk
Accipiter gentilis, kestrel Falco tinnunculus, marsh harrier
Circus spilonotus, golden eagle and mountain hawk-eagle were
2, 5, 3, 2, 2 and 1, respectively. The mean numbers of alleles
per locus polymorphisms were 5, 4, 3.3, 2, 2.5 and 2, while the
mean expected heterozygosities per locus were 0.438, 0.607,
0.423, 0.278, 0.528 and 0.375, respectively. The probability that
a randomly chosen individual would match a given genotype
for all the loci was 4.24 x 10-2, 3.39 x 10-4, 3.38 x 10-2, 3.14
x 10-1, 9.55 x 10-2 and 4.57 x 10-1, respectively. Except for
one marker, these markers were detected in at least one species
and showed their usefulness. We examined the efficiency of
cross-species amplification among raptors and selected useful
microsatellite markers for analysing genetic polymorphism,
which will be valuable for conservation and research in the
future.
Lierz, U. & Lierz, M. Therapy of chronic superficial
keratitis in birds: grid keratectomy (case report).
Praktische Tierarzt. 2003: 84; 276-282.
A grid keratectomy was performed in a saker falcon (Falco
cherrug) suffering from a chronic non-healing superficial ulcer,
which did not resolve under single treatment with antibiotics.
Keratectomy was performed twice at an interval of ten days. As
a result, vascularization of the cornea and epithelial adhesion to
the stroma was achieved. The cornea healed within the next ten
days. The method is described and compared to other possible
treatments. Grid keratectomy presents a promising, simple and
cheap procedure for treating chronic superficial corneal ulcers
in birds.
Tarello, W. & Riccieri, N. Aegyptianella-like inclusion
bodies in two birds of prey from central Italy. Revue
de Médecine Vétérinaire. 2003: 154; 715-717.
Two diurnal free-ranging birds of prey, a Peregrine falcon (Falco
peregrinus brookei) and a Marsh-Harrier (Circus aeruginosus),
exhibited Aegyptianella-like inclusion bodies in red blood
cells in association with compatible clinical signs. This study
suggests that aegyptianellosis may affect seasonally migratory
birds in Central Italy.
Ziman, M., Colagross-Schouten, A., Griffey, S. &
Stedman, B. Haemoproteus spp. and Leukocytozoon
spp. in a captive raptor population. Journal of Wildlife
Diseases. 2004: 40; 137-140.
Raptors are commonly infected with two blood parasites of the
family Haemoproteidae, Haemoproteus spp. and Leukocytozoon
spp. To determine if age or length of time in captivity influence
prevalence of Haemoproteus spp. and Leukocytozoon spp.
infection in captive raptors, blood samples were collected from
55 birds from April 1999 to May 2000. Blood smears were
examined for parasitemia and influence of age and length of time
in captivity at the time of sample collection were compared. We
found juvenile and adult birds were more likely to be infected
with Leukocytozoon spp. than were nestlings (P=0.006) and
birds present for >365 days were more likely to be infected with
Haemoproteus spp. and/or Leukocytozoon spp. than were birds
captive for

Zoology in the Middle East
Papers on Birds of Prey and Houbara Bustard published
in Vols. 1–30
Years of publication: Vol. 1: 1986; 2: 1988; 3: 1989; 4: 1990;
5: 1991; 6: 1992; 7: 1992; 8: 1993; 9: 1993; 10: 1994; 11:
1995; 12: 1996; 13: 1996; 14: 1997; 15: 1997; 16: 1998; 17:
1999; 18: 1999; 19: 1999; 20: 2000; 21: 2000; 22: 2001; 23:
2001; 24: 2001; 25: 2002; 26: 2002; 27: 2002; 28: 2003; 29:
2003; 30: 2003.
Extracted from: http://www.kasparek-verlag.de/PDFs/
AvesInhalt%201-30.pdf
Most volumes are still available. Requests should be
addressed to the publisher.
http://www.kasparek-verlag.de/
Al-Melhim, W.N., Amr Z.S., Disi A.M. & Katbeh-Bader A.:
On the diet of the Little Owl, Athene noctua, in the Safawi
area, eastern Jordan 15: 19
D’Aloia, M.A. : Studies on the population structure of the
Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata in the Middle East
with DNA analysis techniques 22: 25
D’Aloia, M.A. and Eastham C.P.: DNA-based sex
identification of falcons and its use in wild studies and
captive breeding 20: 25
D’Aloia, M.A. and Griffiths, R : Molecular sexing of the
Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis undulata, and other arid-land
species 18: 33
Hoppe, N.: Pellet contents of the Barn Owl, Tyto alba, near
Sarnandag, Turkey 1: 29
Kasparek, M.: On the distribution and systematic position of
the Barn Owl, Tyto alba, in Turkey and adjacent areas 1: 44
Kasparek, M.: On the migration of raptors through Yemen
15: 29
Kasparek, M. & D. Ristow: On the occurrence of Eleonora's
Falcon, Falco eleonorae, in Turkey 1: 60
Kılıç, A., Karakaş R. & Biricik M.: Observations on a
newly detected breeding site of Bonelli’s Eagle, Hieraaetus
fasciatus, in southeastern Anatolia 30: 37
Rifai, L.B. , Al-Melhim W.N. & Amr Z.S.: On the diet of the
Barn Owl, Tyto alba, in northern Jordan 16: 31
Uh1ig, R.: On the present situation of vultures in Bulgaria:
A review 2: 46
Wirth, H.: Breeding record of the Imperial Eagle, Aquila
heliaca, in Turkey 12: 47
Articles on the Houbara Bustards, published in the
Ukrainian Ornithological Journal “BERKUT”
Availability: Most volumes are still available. Requests
should be addressed to the publisher.
http://www.geocities.com/berkut_ua/berkut.htm?200513
Survival ratio of released Houbara Bustard from
Houbara Research and Rehabilitation Center (Salluwali
Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan). - M.S. Nadeem, M.
Asif, H. Rashid. - Berkut. 12 (1-2). 2003. - P. 83-92.
The survival ratio of released Houbara Bustard was studied
at three different localities in Pakistan by radio tracking.
Survival ratio was 60.0 % after 4 months in Nag Valley, with
20.0 % birds predated and 20.0 % lost. In Khairpur, 46.67
% birds survived for 2 months, 26.67 % were predated,
6.66 % lost, and 20.0 % hunted. In Rahim Yar Khan 80.0 %
birds survived for 1.5 months whilst 20.0 % were lost. Food
availability, predator density and hunting activities may be
factors that influence the post-release survival ratio of rereleased
Houbara in Pakistan. [English].
Key words: Pakistan, Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis
undulata, rehabilitation, survival.
Address: M.S. Nadeem, Zoology Department, New
Campus, Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan; e-mail:
sajidnm@hotmail.com.
Profile of gonadal hormones in the male and female
Houbara Bustard during the year. - T. Mahmood, M.M.
Ahmed, M.S. Nadeem. - Berkut. 13 (1). 2004. - P. 110-
114.
The present study was undertaken to estimate the levels
of reproductive hormones i. e: testosterone, estradiol and
progesterone, to investigate the breeding biology of Houbara
Bustard. The male and female birds were used from Houbara
Research and Rehabilitation Center (HRRC) Rahim Yar
Khan. The plasma blood samples of 5 male and 5 female birds
were collected during non-breeding and breeding seasons.
Then testosterone, estradiol and progesterone were measured
by RIA (Radioimmunoassay). The results showed that there
was no significant difference in the levels of testosterone
during non-breeding and breeding seasons. The level of
estradiol was lower during non-breeding season (9.70 ± 0.72
pg/ml) and higher during breeding season (14.35 ± 0.77 pg/
ml) and there was a significant difference in the levels during
non-breeding and breeding seasons (p < 0.01). There level of
progesterone was higher during non-breeding season (0.72
± 0.10 ng/ml) while it was lower during the breeding season
(0.55 ± 0.10 ng/ml). Thus there was a significant difference in
the values of progesterone during non-breeding and breeding
seasons (p < 0.001). [English].
Key words: Pakistan, Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis
undulata, physiology, reproductive hormones.
Address: T. Mahmood, Department of Biological Sciences,
Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan.
A study of parasites of Houbara Bustard in Punjab,
Pakistan. - M.S. Nadeem, A. Tanveer, M.S. Akhtar. -
Berkut. 13 (1). 2004. - P. 122-126.
Houbara Bustard is trapped (illegally) during their migration
to wintering areas. They are smuggled to the Middle Eastern
States, where falcons are trained utilizing the Houbara
as quarry. The operation being illegal, the Government
functionaries confiscate such illegal consignments. The birds,
thus caught due to crowded conditions, poor husbandry and
insufficient food supply are usually sick and diseased. To
rehabilitate such birds Houbara Foundation International
Pakistan (HFIP) established a Houbara Research and
Rehabilitation Center (HRRC) in 1996. Droppings of healthy,
weak and sick birds were collected and studied for parasites.
The eggs of different parasitic species were observed in
different groups of Houbara. Sixty percent of the freshly
34

arrived birds in 1999 were infested with trematodes, cestodes
and nematodes. Birds which, were already in captivity
(1997), showed 53 % infestation of cestodes, trematodes
and nematodes. Similarly 40 % healthy, 55 % ophthalmic,
47 % weak and 60 % birds arrived from Karachi were found
infested with eggs of different parasites in their dropping.
Eighty percent birds recovered from different diseases at
HRRC were also found harbouring endoparasites. Only 6
Houbara (13.6 %) out of 44 collected from the wild were
infested with eggs of endoparasites.
Key words: Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis undulata
macqueenii, Pakistan, parasite.
Address: M.S. Nadeem, Zoology Department, New
Campus, Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan; e-mail:
sajidnm@hotmail.com.
Habitat, Population, Breeding Activities and Threats to
Houbara Bustard in Nag Valley (Pakistan) in 1999–2001.
- M.S. Nadeem, A.A. Mian, H. Rashid, M. Asif. - Berkut.
13 (2). 2004. - P. 244-257.
Nag Valley is located 270 41’ N and 650 14’ E between Besima
and Panjgur in the south-west of the District Kharan. It is a
narrow valley having an area about 1500 km2. Its altitude
varies between 1100 m and 1600 m. Surveys were carried
out to study the Houbara habitat and population density.
A total of 118 plant species belonging to 61 families were
recorded. Vegetation was very specific according to soil type.
The most dominant species on the basis of importance value
were Zygophyllum eurypterum, Rhazya stricta, Pennisetum
divisum, Convolvulus spinosus, Otostegia aucheri,
Astragalus stocksii, Cymbopogon jwarancusa, Haloxylon
ammodenderon, Haloxylon griffithi, Fagonia indica and
Peganum harmala. Two new species Douepia tortuosa and
Cynomorium songaricum were recorded from Nag area. The
density of wintering Houbara was 0.141 ± 0.024 ind./km2 in
1999, which gradually decreased to 0.116 ± 0.023 in 2000 and
0.103 ± 0.023 ind./km2in 2001. The decline was 17.92 % in
2000 and 10.92 % in 2001. The density of breeding Houbara
in Nag Valley was 0.041 ± 0.021 ind./km2 in 1999, which
decreased to 0.038 ± 0.019 in 2000 and 0.034 ± 0.020 ind./
km2 in 2001. The decline was 8.06 % in 2000 and 10.53 %
in 2001. There were 20-30 pairs of Houbara during breeding
season in Nag. Excessive hunting, overgrazing, poaching,
deforestation and shrinkage of habitat are the main threats to
breeding population.
Key words: Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis undulata,
Pakistan, ecology, conservation.
Address: M.S. Nadeem, Zoology Department, New
Campus, Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan;
e-mail: sajidnm@hotmail.com.
Extracted from:
http://www.geocities.com/berkut_ua/cont.htm
Bibliography of Arabian ornithology
A by-product of the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia
project (ABBA) has been to produce an extensive list of
references, published and unpublished, which provide
information concerning birds in Arabia. This working
bibliography is a valuable resource and will eventually be
published separately (perhaps as a supplement to Sandgrouse).
The current version of the draft bibliography contains in
excess of 1800 references. A soft copy will be sent free of
charge to anyone interested in Arabian birds who would like
it. It is not currently available in database format and neither
does it have keyword tools in the soft copy. However, it is a
useful research aid as it can be searched for individual words
such as species, places, subjects or second authors, etc., using
the edit and find facility in a word processing package.
The live document is continually being updated and the
ABBA project would appreciate comments from readers if
they notice errors, have suggestions for improvements or
have additional references for Arabia.
Those requiring a free copy should e-mail the ABBA
coordinator stating preference for MSWord (2000) /
WordPerfect (Version 9). A soft copy on disk is £5 (including
surface postage). Hard copies are not available but can be
printed, 40 pp, at £10 each (including surface postage). They
are available from Michael C. Jennings, Coordinator Atlas of
the Breeding Birds of Arabia, Warners Farm House, Warners
Drove, Somersham, Cambridgeshire, PE28 3WD England,
e-mail: arabian.birds@dial.pipex.com
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the following for supplying
photographs to illustrate this issue of Falco: Gombobaatar
Sundev (front cover picture of juvenile Saker Falcon,
Mongolia; p18 photograph of dead Saker Falcon nestlings,
Mongolia; p35 young Saker Falcons in an artificial nest
platform placed on an electricity pylon, Mongolia); Martyn
Patterson (p12 and p13 photographs of Peregrine Falcon);
Paul Haffield (p14 photograph of Peregrine Falcon eggs,
Wales). All other photographs supplied by authors of the
accompanying articles unless credited otherwise.
35