Falco 28 - International Wildlife Consultants Ltd.

the Bearded Vulture, were listed as critically endangered
and were elected as priority species. Five species were
listed as endangered, six as vulnerable and two as near
threatened. Status assigned was according to IUCN
guidelines and was used only on a regional level.
Unknown threats
Certain migratory species, such as the Steppe Eagle,
have shown a marked decline in recent years although
no accurate statistics have been published to date. In the
case of the Steppe Eagle, the group agreed that factors
causing this decline are largely unknown and open to
speculation. It was also agreed that the apparent decline
of the species is happening at breeding sites rather than
on the southern end of their migration where the eagles
would widely disperse into Africa and therefore not all
face a common threat.
Diclofenac
Diclofenac, an inexpensive anti-inflammatory drug used
in livestock, is lethal to certain raptor species and has
had near-catastrophic effects on vulture populations in
nearby Western Asia. Due to lax laws in the distribution
of veterinary drugs throughout the region, the possibility
of this substance affecting Arabian vulture species has
been identified as a potential threat.
Threats facing the priority species
The two priority species listed as critically endangered
face threats common to several of the species assessed.
The Griffon Vulture, being a colonial nesting bird, is
affected by disturbance near nesting colonies. This
has been identified in the form of stone quarrying,
development and certain recreational activities. A
reduction in carcasses (possibly through a reduction in
natural predators), and poisoning were also identified as
possible threats. The Bearded Vulture is also threatened
by a lack of predator-produced carcasses, with
fragmented bone essential to the species for adequate
calcium intake, particularly for developing chicks.
Threats
The most important threats facing most of the raptors
in the region include:
o Poisoning - often in the form of carcasses baited for
large predators.
o Persecution - shooting through ignorance, trapping
and removal of chicks for trade.
o Disturbance - occasionally intentional, but mostly
indirect, such as recreational activities, camping,
quarrying etc
o Decline in prey species - either by hunting e.g.:
Hyrax hunting is affecting Verreaux’s eagles, or by
eliminating the predators that would normally make
carcasses available to scavenging species.
o Livestock competition – tree-nesting species are
often in conflict with people using these as fodder.
Raptors in general are erroneously thought to be
stock thieves and are killed indiscriminately by
many farmers.
Discussion and recommendations
Due to time limitations, no tasks were formulated by the
Vultures and Eagles Group. The threats identified for
many of the species are common to species discussed
by other groups (large carnivores, hyrax, ungulates etc.)
in this and previous conservation workshops. It is clear
that raptor conservation is integral to the many other
classes of wildlife under discussion in the workshop
process. It would be very beneficial to merge groups
in the future to formulate action plans based on threats
facing raptors and all other species vital in food webs
and general ecology.
Recommendations listed in the Taxon Data Sheets
included research and management for all species
assigned with conservation status. Captive breeding was
recommended for five of the species. This is a sensitive
issue and controversial in the context of conservation,
but was agreed upon by the group largely due to the
fact that captive stock already exists, and should be
made use of for research, educational purposes and
maintenance of live genomes.
o Pesticides - secondary/ indirect poisoning due to the
use of chemical pesticides.
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