Look out for colour-ringed

Saker Falcons from Mongolia!

Another great news from the Mongolian Saker Falcon Conservation Project which is implemented by the Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia and International Wildlife Consultants UK under the Raptor conservation MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between the Mongolian Ministry of Environment, Green Development and the Environmental Agency of Abu Dhabi, 5000 artificial nest had been erected in the central and eastern steppe regions of Mongolia in 2010.

In the first breeding season (in 2011), 12% of the nest boxes had been used by the Sakers and other species. Since then, this rate increased continuously and in 2013 68% of the boxes have been occupied. These boxes are used by a variety of birds: last year we recorded 1364 breeding pairs of Common Kestrel, 383 pairs of Upland Buzzard and 386 pairs of Common (Northern) Raven in the artificial nests. In addition to that, 574 pairs of our target species bred and 1707 Saker Falcon chicks fledged that year. All chicks that have fledged had been marked with a white colour ring showing a three digit black code to be read downwards. Each code starts with a capital letter, followed by a two digit number. All rings are on the birds’ right tarsus and the height of the ring is 25 mm. There is a contact info in Mongolian, English and Chinese on top of the ring. In the second line, a Mongolian telephone number is given: 94177341 and also an email address: info@wscc.org.mn

One of the colour rings for Saker Falcon, © Batbayar Bold

Colour-ringed T93 juvenile Saker Falcon,

central Mongolia, Aug 2013 © Batbayar Galtbalt

Although our priority aim of this project is to develop sustainable harvesting model based on the breeding monitoring data we are very much interested in getting a year round picture of the birds’ dispersal, distribution, dismigration and so on, hence every sighting will be highly valuable for us. All observers of Saker Falcons are kindly requested to check for the presence of colour rings and to try to read the inscription. This should be possible by the use of spotting scopes and on reasonable photographs.

Please report your sightings by giving the colour, code, location (including geographical coordinates) and any other information via E-Mail to: info@wscc.org.mn or you can send us text to tel: +976 94177341. All data will be greatly acknowledged and observers will get the life history of their respective individual due course.

Batbayar Galtbalt
Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia

Satellite telemetry reveals long-

distance migration in the

Asian Great Bustard Otis tarda dybowskii

These are the results from the project Great Bustard in Central Asia which has been featured on Birding Mongolia before: see here.

© A. Kessler

The Asian Bustard migration article is finally out in print, and has been selected as "Editor's Choice" article for July! This means that access is free to the public:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-048X.2013.00072.x/full

Congratulations to the research & conservation team! Great work!

Mongolian Great Bustard Program fundraising:

support the Crowdsourcing Campaign!

D. Dorjhurel and Odgerel hold Yagaana and her large

chick as they assess the suitability of attaching

a transmitter to the mother. photo © B. Dashnyam

The Central Asian Great Bustard Project was initiated in 2006 to address a critical lack of information about declining populations of the Great Bustard in Central Asia. You can find out more about the project here.

Now the project has launched a RocketHub campaign - an opportunity for you to support the capacity-building and research programs. Check out the great video by collaborator V. Cox and help to reach the fundraising goal while earning bustard-inspired rewards! Your help is needed by 15 January 2013 to continue to collect transmissions from tagged bustards, and to help the team’s Mongolian master’s student complete his degree.

Wanted: Volunteers for bird studies

at Muraviovka Park in the Amur region!

Muraviovka Park. © W. Heim

Muraviovka Park is the only private nature reserve in Far-eastern Russia and is situated at the middle reaches of the Amur River. The place is well-known for its important breeding populations of Oriental Stork Ciconia boyciana, Red-crowned Grus japonensis and White-naped Cranes Grus vipio and as a roosting site for big numbers of Hooded Cranes Grus monacha. But there are more species at Muraviovka Park, either highly endangered or little-known, which deserve special interest.

During the last two years, autumn songbird migration was studied at Muraviovka Park. Until now, over 9000 birds, totalling 95 species were mist-netted and ringed (e.g. Results of an autumnal bird ringing project at Muraviovka Park in 2011: PDF, 65 KB). We collect data about phenology, biometry, ageing and sexing as well as habitat use, which was never done before in the Amur region in a standardized way. Through our work, we noticed the importance of the Park for a variety of bird species as a safe roosting site. Many birds stay several days or even weeks to refuel, before continuing their journey over thousands of kilometres to their wintering grounds in South-east Asia or India.

Saving crane habitats during a wildfire in 2011. © W. Heim

In 2013, we will also study the spring migration with mist-nets and migration counts on a daily basis and continue the standardized observation of the autumn migration at the Park. Furthermore, we want to collect information about breeding status, abundance and potential threads, for example for the following target species: Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha, Baer’s Pochard Aythya baeri, Yellow-legged Buttonquail Turnix tanki, Band-bellied Crake Porzana exquisita, Menzbier’s Pipit Anthus (gustavi) menzbieri, Manchurian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus tangorum and Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola. The collected data will be used to evaluate the success of the Park and to create conservation strategies.

Long-tailed Rosefinch. © W. Heim

And for this, we (a team of German students and ornithologists) need your help! If you are interested and if you have time for at least four weeks between March and October 2013, write us at: amurbirding at gmx.de

Current information is always available on our blog: www.amurbirding.blogspot.com


Wieland Heim

Volunteers ringers wanted

Baikal Nature Reserve, Siberia

Bird trapping and ringing is one of the most interesting trends in ornithology. Many countries are engaged in the ringing of birds for scientific purposes. In Siberia a trap for birds had been operated in the Baikal Reserve from 1976 to 1992. During this time with its help about 22,000 birds of 124 species were caught.

The mass ringing of the passerines in the Baikal region had been suspended during the last 15 years. The Baikal Nature Reserve with the participation of the Irkutsk State Academy of Agriculture initiated the restoration of the trap in 2011.

The entrance width of the trap is 30 m, its height is 10 m, and the overall length of the trap is 50 m – this is an analogue of the trap located at the famous Ornithological station “Fringilla” in the Curonian Spit at the Baltic Sea Coast. At Baikal Nature Reserve there are some certain problems that could hamper the normal operation of the ringing station in the reserve, one of which is the lack of people who are able and willing to work with birds. Bird trapping and ringing are planned from April to November 2012. We are asking for volunteer-ornithologists organizations in Russia and in other countries to assist in the bird ringing, the biometric processing of the birds, and common works associated with the running of the station. In assisting in the capture and ringing of birds, you will not only contribute to the study of migratory birds at the lake, but also get the opportunity to become acquainted with the birds and the unique nature of the Baikal region. Volunteers will be provided with the accommodation at the station free of charge.

The station is situated in the south-eastern part of Lake Baikal, 30 km from the village of Tankhoi, and just 50 m from the shore of the lake.

Location of the ringing station (green dot)

For all questions contact: Yuri Anisimov, scientist of the Baikal Reserve: janisimov at gmail.com; skype: janisimov or Victor Salovarov, head of the Department of Applied Ecology and Tourism: zoothera at mail.ru; www.baikalbirds.ectur.net

2011 update:

waterbird color marking activity in Mongolia

Dear all,

This is an update of the waterbird marking activity carried out in Mongolia jointly by the Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia(WSCC) and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences (MAS) in 2011. The project is an important part of the major effort to learn about the migration of waterbirds in Mongolia and to understand highly pathogenic avian influenza virus prevalence in wild birds and disease transmission among waterfowl populations in Mongolia. Since 2006, when the WSCC–MAS team started the color marking project, a total of 48 Swan Geese, 398 Bar-headed Geese and 181 Whooper Swans have been captured and color-marked in Mongolia. We hope that these color marked birds will help us to better understand and learn about wild bird migration, stopover sites, population connectivity, and the preferred wintering grounds for these species. Additional information on our activities on waterbird research and avian influenza surveillance can be found here.

In 2011, the project focused on western Mongolian lakes and wetlands. The work was carried out at a stationary field camp at Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake National Park in Arkhangai Province, and mobile survey operations that covered Arkhangai, Zavkhan, Bulgan, Uvs, Bayan-Olgii, Khovd, and Bayankhongor aimags (provinces). This year we have successfully captured and marked 101 Whooper Swans, 2 Mute Swans, and 117 Bar-headed Geese. The swans were marked with blue neck collars with a four digit letter-number code and the Bar-headed Geese have green neck collars with a three digit letter-number code.

All captured birds were sampled for avian influenza. The samples will be analyzed in a laboratory in USA.

The project was implemented by the Wildlife Science and Conservation Center and the Institute of Biology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences with the generous financial support from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

We would like to ask again colleagues in the Asia region to watch out for swans and geese with neck collars. All resightings should be directed to Nyambayar Batbayar at WSCC of Mongolia by email. Last year, we received many exciting resightings from colleagues in stopover and wintering grounds in India, China, Russia, and Korea. I hope we will continue to receive more resightings from you in the future. Thank you very much for your support in advance.

Regards,

Nyambayar Batbayar

Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia

Undram Plaza, Office 404

Bayanzurkh District

Ulaanbaatar 210351

Mongolia

Mobile: +976-99257886

Tel: +976-70157886

email: nyambayar at wscc.org.mn

web: www.wscc.org.mn

Please look out for flagged

shorebirds from Thailand

Over 10,000 waders have been flagged and banded in Thailand by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation during 2007 to the present under a national programme for wild bird surveillance. This has resulted in well over 100 foreign resightings of Thai-flagged waders, most from the coasts of E and NE China, with others from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

cannon-netting shorebirds. © Wicha Narungsri

A handful of Broad-billed Sandpipers. © Pinit Saengkaew

Roughly half of all waders flagged are Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers, for which Thailand holds internationally important wintering populations. As yet, we have yet to receive any resightings of either species in any country to the north of Thailand. Since the race(s) of Lesser Sand Plover that winter in Thailand are in the “atrifrons group” (probably mostly C. m. schaeferi), which breeds in Central Asia [along with Greater Sand Plover], this lack of resightings is understandable, especially given the huge land areas and the paucity of observers in that region.

Lesser Sand Plover © Philip Round/The Wetland Trust

© Pinit Saengkaew

© Pinit Saengkaew

We appeal to observers making birding trips in Mongolia, western China, and other Central Asian countries in the summer months to look carefully at any waders they see in order to search for birds bearing coloured leg-flags. Besides sand plovers there are other shorebirds bearing Thai flags that migrate overland and/or breed in Central Asia (e.g. Common Redshank) that should be looked out for.

leg-flagged Common Redshank, Pak Thale, Thailand. © Christopher Taylor

Department of National Parks ringing team. © Pinit Saengkaew

Thailand uses a black flag placed above a green flag. It is important to record both the shape of the flag (oblong or triangular), and whether the flags are on the right or left leg. (The flags may be both on the tibia, or with the black flag on the tibia and the green flag on the tarsus–precise position of the flags on the leg is not relevant to the resighting).

We should be most grateful for any reports of flagged waders. Resightings of flagged birds may be reported via the Australasian Wader Study Group web-page using the form provided: click here or direct to Ms. Duangrat Phothieng, Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plants Conservation, Bangkok, Thailand: pothieng at hotmail dot com

May in Ikh Nart

 Richard Reading

(all photos taken in Ikh Nart in May 2010, © R. Reading)

Ikh Nart in snow, May, 8th

I had a wonderful trip to our research station in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve (an Important Bird Area), northwestern Dornogobi Aimag (East-Gobi Province) in late April/early May. Migration was in full force and we recorded several new species of birds for the reserve; these included: Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (captured an image on a camera trap), Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna (pair nesting in a marmot burrow!), Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata (a rare passage migrant and exceptional breeder in Mongolia),

female Mandarin Duck

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, Asian Desert Warbler Sylvia nana, and Bohemian Waxwing, Bombycilla garrulus.

Asian Desert Warbler

Bohemian Waxwing

Other relatively rare sightings for the reserve included Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope, Common Teal Anas crecca, Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor, Siberian Accentor Prunella montanella, Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor, (Chinese) Beautiful Rosefinch Carpodacus (pulcherrimus) davidianus, and Pallas’s Rosefinch Carpodacus roseus.

male (Chinese) Beautiful Rosefinch

female Pallas's Rosefinch

 

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Still, our primary tasks were catching Argali Ovis ammon lambs and Siberian Ibex Capra sibirica kids for radio collaring; collecting scat these wild ungulates and domestic sheep and goats to conduct a comparative internal parasite study; and to begin an ecological study of snakes in the reserve.

Argali

Siberian Ibex

 For what we believe is the first time in Mongolia, and possibly Central Asia, we placed radio transmitters in snakes to track their movements. The focus of the research was the Pallas’s Coluber Elaphe dion; however, we did not catch any individuals large enough to handle the 6 g transmitters (usually, scientists want to keep the weight of the transmitter at 7% or less of the body weight of reptiles).

Pallas’s Coluber

Central Asian Viper

Central Asian Vipers

We capture 2 relatively large Central Asian Vipers Gloydius halys (i.e., both > 100 g) and Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald of Animal Planet fame (Emergency Vets) conducted surgery in a ger to implant the transmitters.

Implanting the transmitter.

Both snakes recovered well from the surgery and we released them at the point of capture (after a late snowstorm that dumped over 20 cm forced us to hold them for a couple of extra days!).

Releasing a snake with a transmitter.

More importantly, we are training Mongolian herpetologists to conduct this work as we strive to build capacity in Mongolia beyond mammalogists and ornithologists.

project leader (?) and staff

Avian influenza surveillance training in Hovsgol aimag

Hello All,

I thought you might appreciate the attached photo taken at the conclusion of our avian influenza surveillance training session held in Hovsgol aimag, Mongolia on 22-23 June 2008.

The initial concept had simply been to initiate our Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) field team in bird survey and sampling techniques in order to prepare them for the summer fieldwork. However, following discussion with Erdenetsetseg, head of the aimag (provincial) veterinary laboratory in Moron, it became clear that there was also considerable interest among the local veterinary and environmental departments to join the sessions. Thanks to support from Murray MacLean (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization), and Ts. Purevkhuu (Department of Veterinary Service, Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Mongolia), we were able to secure funds to extend attendance to representatives involved in influenza surveillance at the district, provincial and national level.




In total 38 people joined the training including 17 from the WCS surveillance team (plus seven support staff), six from the Veterinary Departments in Hovsgol and Bulgan, four from the National Environment Office and one from the Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, two from the Veterinary Research Institute and a visiting researcher from the University of Iowa. Among the attendees were three veterinarians from our WCS-Afghanistan programme as well as Chea Sokha, a member of our WCS surveillance team active in Cambodia.

The two-day course began in Moron, with indoor sessions including introductions to avian influenza, bird identification and colour marking, before relocating to Sangiyn Dalai Nuur, the lake where WCS field surveillance will begin this summer. The following day included practical sessions in bird identification, mortality surveying and GPS navigation.




The highlight of the whole course came during the bird identification practical, when the first waterbird observed by the team turned out to be a Bean Goose wearing a WCS neck collar that had been tagged during our work in July 2007! This species will be the focus of our early work in the 2008 field season, and together with our collaborator Thomas Heinicke in Germany (who supplied the collars), we will increase awareness of this species in potential wintering quarters in China with the intention that resightings of collared birds during the winter will further define the migratory routes and wintering areas of this little known Mongolian species.

Best wishes to all,

Martin


Martin Gilbert M.R.C.V.S., B.V.M.S.
Wildlife Veterinarian, Associate Director - Asia,
Global Health Program, Wildlife Conservation Society

Genetic analysis of migration in

Tufted Duck and Common Pochard


Tufted Duck. Photo © Martin Semisch

The current knowledge about migration patterns in Eurasian Aythya ducks is entirely based on the limited information available from the analysis of bird counts and ring recovery data. In Europe, bird ringing activities are coordinated by the European ringing scheme EURING, where the data are centrally governed. These data suggest movements between different duck populations, which would facilitate the spread of viruses. However, the extent of these interactions is difficult to quantify with ring recovery data. I'm carrying out a project of the detailed genetic analysis of migration in two Eurasian Aythya species, Tufted Duck A. fuligula and Common Pochard A. ferina to provide exactly this missing information.


Common Pochard. Photo © Martin Semisch

From genetic data, it is possible to assess the extent of gene flow between different populations and to assign individuals to particular genetic subpopulation. In other words, we can simultaneously estimate the long-term average rate of gene flow and document actual dispersal events. The primary goal is to provide a solid basis for assessing the risk of H5N1 introduction into Switzerland by migratory ducks. The two target species from the genus Aythya are prime candidates as long distance vectors because of the large number of birds migrating between Central Europe and Asia each year, the potential mixing of birds wintering in Southeast Asia and Europe on their Northern Asian breeding grounds, and the high incidence of H5N1 in Aythya in Switzerland. Detailed knowledge about the population of origin of infected birds, the time of arrival of birds from populations in high risk areas, and the relative proportion of such birds among the winter guests in Switzerland will allow the efficient monitoring of infection risks, and consequently a much more informed and sensible implementation of protective measures for poultry.


Tufted Duck. Photo © Martin Semisch

Feather/ tissue/ blood samples from two species will be collected from different locations across the entire distribution range of the two species in Eurasia. The coverage of both breeding grounds and wintering grounds will provide representative samples of the genetic diversity in these ducks. We are highly appreciated anyone who is likely to provide our samples.
Common Pochard. Sketch © Nikolai Kranais. www.birdsart.de

The followings are what we need and some information concerned with sampling protocol.

1) Our main interest is in samples from birds' breeding or wintering area. As we will mainly focus on very large-scale patterns the exact sampling location within this region is less relevant. Therefore, the samples can be from one or several locations depending on what is easier for you.

2) The samples should be collected during wintering or breeding period, but samples collected at other times will also be very welcome.

3) Feather samples will be sufficient for all our analyses. I assume that feathers will also be easier to collect in the field than blood or tissue samples. If samples of tissue and blood are possible, they are highly welcome because of their high DNA concentration.

4) It is important that the feathers (rectrices or inner primaries are ideal parts) are plucked from the bird. This is to ensure that small amounts of tissue are attached to them which can be used for the DNA analyses. As long as the feathers are dry they can simply be stored in paper envelopes for each individual separately. The number of feathers required per individual depends a bit on their size. Four large feathers or 10 small feathers should be sufficient.

5) I'm interested in all individuals (males, females, 1st years, adults). Depending on the number of samples that can be collected it may then be possible to look at sex- or age-specific differences. 15~30 individuals from each age or sex group for each species are perfect if possible.

To summarize, it would be very helpful to have any samples from these two species that you may be able to obtain. It would be important to know the following information for each sample:

- species of the bird
- sampling location (ideally coordinates, or the name of the nearest town)
- sex of the bird
- age of the bird (if possible)
- date of sample collection


Tufted Duck. Photo © Martin Semisch

All samples can be sent to

Yang Liu, PhD student
CMPG, Zoologisches Institut
Universitaet Bern
Baltzerstr. 6
CH-3012 Bern
Switzerland

Email: yang.liu at zoo.unibe.ch

Please feel free to let me know if you have additional questions. Comments
related to this project are also welcome. Thanks very much for your
attention and assistance of sampling for this project.

Sincerely yours

Liu Yang