Raptors Conservation Continues to Issue Leading-Edge Research Results

Contents of the latest issue of Raptors Conservation indicate the journal continues to be a leader in presenting information essential for conserving species across the vast area of the Russian Republic.

The current issue is the fifteenth issued in a five-year period.

"As we celebrate the five years of our magazine," agreed editors Elvira Nikolenko (Siberian Environmental Center, Novosibirsk) and Igor Karyakin (Center of Field Studies, N. Novgorod), "we hope that the information we publish will be interesting and useful for many people, and that it will stimulate ornithologists to study and protect birds of prey.

Highlights in this issue include:

• "Trade in Raptors in Russia – Growth Continues"; details are given on the illegal trade in live raptors including rare and listed species, as well as stuffed birds. The article concludes: "in Russia and Ukraine falconry is developing actively, and that the number of club and private farms, where hunting birds are bred and farmed, is growing. Proprietors of these farms are artificially raising interest in the birds to secure their demand."
• "Vultures of the Altai-Sayan Region". This article especially discusses the status of the Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus) and Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus) in this region which "is located in the territories of Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China," according to internet information. "It encompasses mountain pristine forest ecosystems, surrounded by steppes in the north and east, and by deserts and semi-deserts in the south and west. The region includes the Altai and Sayan mountain systems and vast intermountain depressions. This region is one of the world centers of plant diversity."
• Surveys conducted during 1999-2008 by Igor V. Karyakin, L.I. Konovalov (Bird Watching Center, Limassol, Cyprus), M.A. Grabovskiy, (Airport Tolmachevo, Novosibirsk,Russia) and E.G. Nikolenko (Siberian Environmental Center, Novosibirsk, Russia), indicate a steady population of the Lammergier in the study area of . The numbers of Black Vultures showed a decline. Pictures with the text vividly show the species and their habitats, including nesting sites, with distributions maps given that show geographic range.

  Lammergeier on a perch near the nest. Photo by I. Karyakin.

  Igor Karyakin on a nest of the Black Vulture in the Kargy river valley. Photo by E. Nikolenko. All photographs courtesy of Raptors Conservation, and used with permission.

• Results of surveys from 200-2008 for the Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliacal), also in the mountainous part of Altai in the Altai Kray. Information is predominantly about breeding, and nesting success of the species.
• "Records of Raptors of the Talduair Mountains, Important Birding Area in the South-Eastern Altai, Russia". Species noted were the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis), Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), Upland Buzzard (Buteo hemilasius), Black-Eared Kite (Milvus migrans lineatus), Himalayan Vulture (Gyps himalayensis), Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus), Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus), Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug), Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), and Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo). Information is based on a survey done in June 2008 at the diverse landscape illustrated with several pictures.

A number of short notes have some details of observations of dramatic breeding occurrences, sightings of rare species. Notable is one by Andrey Semenov gives details of a 3500 float-trip along the Lena River, and 600 km along the southern shore of the Laptev Sea noting what raptor species were seen where, and how many. Also needing a close reading, is "Records of 'White-shouldered' Imperial Eagles in Russia and Kazakhstan" by I.V. Karyakin and A.V. Kovalenko (Institute of Zoology, Ministry of Education and Sciences, Almaty, Kazakhstan).

Details on important meetings are also included.

Raptors Conservation "is a journalistic nature conservation publication," according to the editors, "a bulletin informing about the main events and findings in the sphere of raptor study and protection, and a scientific journal, in which results from newest research are published. All these functions contribute necessary information to the timely and accurate coordination of nature conservation activities."

Sponsors of this issue include the World Wildlife Fund for Nature WWF – Russia and Project UNDP/GEF ‘Conservation of Biodiversity in the Altai-Sayan Ecoregion’, and a number of personal contributors, from around the world.

Volume 15 was issued in mid-March, and a full-color, bilingual version is available from the Siberian Environmental Center. The journal has the full details essential to realize and appreciate the ongoing efforts underway to understand and conserve the variety of raptor species occurring in the areas where the studies occurred. Read the issue and then send them some funds to support their effort.

Typical landscape of the Talduair Mountains and Western slope of Chihacheva Mountains: Bar-Burgazy river valley. Photo by I. Smelansky.

Buguzun river valley. Photo by A. Barashkova.

Understanding Boreal Forest Avifauna in Russia

Results of studies conducted in the mid-1990s are providing new understanding of the distribution and occurrence of birds in the boreal forest of Russia.

"The purpose of this study was to assess the geographic pattern in the abundance, species richness, and importance of different migration patterns of the avifauna boreal forest of Eurasia from Europe to East Asia as well as their relationship to climate and forest productivity,"according to an article recently published in the Journal of Biogeography.

Standard point counts that record the bird species present were conducted at 14 sites in the boreal forest from the western border near Finland to the far east of Russia. There were also two study sites in Canada that were surveyed for comparative purposes.

Observations were made primarily by experienced Russian ornithologists, with North American observers newly training on Palearctic bird identification doing the field surveys at the Central Siberian and Kostroma study areas.

"The distribution patterns for migrant types were related to both climatic and locational variables, and thus the patterns could be explained by either climatic regime or the accessibility of winter habitats, both historically and currently," according to the article authored by Russell Greenberg, director of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Anna Kozlenko, currently of Ohio, Matthew Etterson, currently with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Thomas Dietsch, at the Center for Tropical Research, U.C.L.A.

Results indicated a lesser number of species in the Siberia area in comparison to sites in European Russia and the far east part of the country. Also, there were a greater number of tropical migrants in the eastern study areas, than in the western portion of the boreal forest evaluated. Also, "the numerical dominance of short-distance migrants increased from east to west.

The paper presented two hypotheses for the variability in the bird occurrence.

1) "bird populations are responding to the two major climatic gradients ...: a continental pattern in temperature regimes resulting in more extreme temperatures and shorter growing seasons in the mid-continent, and a gradient of summer precipitation from west to east.

2) "the accessibility of tropical and non-tropical wintering areas plays a role either in patterns of overall abundance or in the relative importance of tropical vs. within-temperate migration patterns."

---

In an email interview Dr. Greenberg provided further details on the research.

What were some of the particular challenges during the field surveys?

"Lots of logistical challenges. Rural Russia is very poor and you can not count on being able to get much – so you have to set up your expedition in advance. We could not have done it without the hard work of a couple of Russian colleagues on the project Anna Kozlenko and Olga Romaneski. Other Russians helped enormously and most of the field work done across Russia was done by Ornithologists at the Russian Scientific Nature Reserves. One thing that makes these projects easier in Russia is that there are a lot of really competent field ornithologists. They are really having a tough time. But many joined in for this effort.

"Of course there are the usual clouds of mosquitoes and endless supplies of horseflies and the long rides up Yennessey River on a tiny motorized canoe crammed with supplies and two huskies and completely without life jackets... ."

How many species were noted in Russia?

"I should be clear that a number of different people did all of the surveys. The total recorded on our surveys was around 160 – but more species were seen than this. This list was accumulated on Nature Reserves from extreme western to extreme eastern Russia."

What were some of the more exciting finds?

"We collected a lot of foraging data – particularly for canopy foliage gleaning species. People have wondered how well the MacArthur’s warbler story (6 or so insectivorous wood warblers in the same spruce/fir forest in Maine) translates to the old world system. Some have suggested that tits (which are far more diverse in the old world) have a parallel system of partitioning the trees.

"We found that a single unspecialized species dominates all forest habitat in the European boreal (west of the Ural Mountains) – the Chaffinch and that very few Russian boreal birds are specialized on coniferous trees the way the North American birds are – at least for the insect eating birds.

"We also found that in terms of climate and bird assemblages – eastern North America boreal is more similar to the Russian Far East than it is to the Fenno-Scandinavean region. For the most part, comparative studies have focused on comparing the eastern Nearctic with the Western Palearctic. But it looks like we need to head to the Amur River."

How were you involved in the research?

"I got a research fellowship with research money from the Pew Fellows Program in conservation and the environment in 1991. I used much of this support to fund this work. This was shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union and I had always thought the studying Russian birds was the key to understanding boreal forest birds. I had lots of help and collaborators from the United States, Canada and Russia."

What is the value of the Russian boreal forest for bird species and variety?

"The Russian Boreal is a little more species rich than ours. It seems to have a less specialized avifauna – particularly in the realm of warblers and flycatchers etc. But its sheer geographic extent makes it home to a lot of species of migratory birds – and in the east this includes a lot of tropical migratory species."

What are some of the challenges to learning more about birds in Russia?

"The secret is that a lot is known about the distribution and ecology of Russian birds. Russia has a rich history of bird research. But most of it does not get published outside of Russia or the Russian language. Many of the publications are hard to come by. So connecting more with the Russian Ornithologists is the a great first step. Of course, Siberia and the Russian Far East are vast areas with few field stations supporting long-term research. But there are some."

How are biogeographic studies such as this one helpful with conserving birds?

"I think getting people aware of the abundance and diversity of birds in this vast biome – much of which is still intact but threatened by resource exploitation (particularly the Far East). We found that it was very hard to find any pristine habitat in the European boreal – much harder than in North America, So the few stands of old growth dark coniferous forest need protection. We conducted the work in the Scientific Nature Reserve system – which has considerable value but it suffering with the Russian economy."

"Research continues within Russia, but little is getting out still. Some papers have come out on the Phylloscopus warblers studied at the Myrnoe field station in central Siberia, but I have seen very little else. There has been some genetic and phylogeographic work across the Beringian region (Siberia and Alaska)."

Dr. Greenberg, associated with the Smithsonian Institution, is a co-author of "Biology of Two Worlds - the Ecology and Evolution of Migration," published in 2005; and a co-editor of "Forest Patches in Tropical Landscapes" published in 1996.

Raptor Journal Published in Russia Helps Conservation World-wide

Two Booted Eagle chicks. Photo by Elvira Nikolenko.

A journal with a particular focus on raptors continues to be a leader in providing information for the conservation and management of species world-wide.

The current issue of Raptors Conservation - newsletter of the raptors of the East Europe and North Asia - released in December, has several important article on powerlines, for example. Articles in previous issues have also dealt with this topic and have been helpful in successful programs to conserve raptors, said Igor Karyakin, an editor from the Center of Field Studies.

"As soon as the information about certificated constructions for bird protection from electrocution was published in the journal," Karyakin said, "at once several regions began to equip power lines with those constructions though nobody tried to solve the problem of bird electrocution in the country during 30 years."

"Our journal has been published since January 2005 and already in the second issue (April 2005) there was an article about the results of a project, realized in 2003-2004 by a group of enthusiasts, that aimed to solve this problem in Kalmykiya," a republic in southwest Russia. "This project was successful enough and the wide distribution of the experience through our journal stimulated similar activities in other regions."

Three important articles on this topic are included in the current issue:

Cover of the current issue of Raptors Conservation.

1) "Protection of Birds from Electrocution on Power Lines in the Frames of Governmental and Non-Governmental Control on Management of Wildlife"

The article identifies the legal mandate to utilize measures that protect raptors from electrocution on power lines throughout the Russian Federation.

"One of the main documents that defines the necessity of protection of birds in connection to the exploitation of power and communication lines is ‘Requirement on prevention of death of animals in connection to the execution of manufacturing processes, as well as the use of ways, pipelines, communication and power lines’, approved by Decision No. 997 of the Government of the Russian Federation on 13.08.1996. Article 37 of this document declared that the power lines with voltage 6–10 kV should be equipped with bird-protective constructions." Tariffs are levied on the owners of lines where mortality occurs.

2) "Use of GIS Techniques in Estimating the Level of Birds of Prey Electrocution on 6–10 kV Power Lines in the Kinel Region of the Samara District"

3) "First Results from the Application and Estimation of Effectiveness of Modern Bird Protection Constructions on the 6–10 kV Power Lines in Russia" is an evaluation of the success of measures used to reduce raptor mortality.

"As an example, tracing the problem of power lines, the journal showed that the theme is acute for any steppe and forest-steppe regions of Russia, Kazakhstan and even Mexico," Karyakin said. "A huge number of birds die everywhere, especially along the routes for seasonal flights and migrations. When the extent of the problem becomes widely known, it is easier to attract the attention of the society and governmental actors to it.

"The beneficial experience of solving the problem of bird casualties was published from Kalmykiya, following which a project was realized by one active group in Nizhnii Novgorod. Further work was soon afterwards carried out in several regions; in Samara District, Republic of Tatarstan, Kirov District, Republic of Mariy-El, and Smolensk District. In 2008, a pilot project studying bird mortality on power lines was carried out in Tomsk region.

"In our journal we regularly illustrate the theme of bird mortality in connection to power lines, as it is indeed a very important theme, birds of prey having suffered from the economic activities of humans for a long time. At the moment in some regions nature conservation organizations are carrying out work in relation to this problem. It is in our interest to make this issue still more widely known.”

"The same applies to the realization of projects on attracting owls to nesting boxes. As soon as first successful results were obtained in Nizhniy Novgorod District, similar projects were started in Republic of Tatarstan and Samara District. In 2007 first similar projects were carried out in Novosibirsk District and from these the first, and successful, results appeared in 2008.

Cover of a past issue of Raptors Conservation.

"As soon as such information becomes available, it starts to use independently in other regions. For example for the first time in our country the project on artificial nests for raptors was began to realize, the information about which was published in 2005, to 2008 similar projects at the state level has been approved to realize in 7 regions.

"Of course we value the result of this publication as a very important achievement, as in this lie the conservation goals of our journal.

"Our journal is received almost all ornithologists researching birds of prey in Russia and all departments of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Nature Conservation, thus our main aim in the sphere of bird protection is distribution of the information about any nature conservation activities. This facilitates work with governmental bodies, when in separate regions the communities start projects in order to solve these problems. This helps substantially."

The journal includes details on raptors around the world that might be of interest to readers.

"Our readers are mainly concentrated in countries of the former Soviet Union. However, what is especially important for us is that the journal knows and values specialists from all over the world.

"For example, apart from problems of bird mortality on power lines in Mexico, we illustrated an example of population restoration work on peregrines in the state of Vermont (U.S.A.) from 2003-2005, the success of which shows that even with relatively simple means it is possible not only to preserve the existing natural treasures of birdlife, but also to restore already lost populations of birds of prey.

"The journal creates a forum for exchange of experience and opinions, and generates demand for scientific and conservation projects within the field; the audience is very interested in this area of activity."

The current 120-page issue includes news related to raptor conservation and management, reports on conferences and, of course, peer-reviewed articles, and short reports. Examples of notable articles include:

White-Tailed Eagle. Photograph by Sergey Bakka.

• "Imperial Eagle in Russia and Kazakhstan: Population Status and Trends"
• "Distribution of the Imperial Eagle in a Steppe Zone of Ukraine"
• "Attracting Ural Owls to Nest in the Outskirts of Akademgorodok, Novosibirsk, Russia"
• A wide-ranging article "Contraband of Rare Birds of Prey in Far East is Threat to Their Survival" identifies the travel routes used to illegally transfer captured falcons.
• "Monitoring Results on the Saker Falcon Population in the Altai-Sayan Region in 2008, Russia"
• "Locations of Goshawk Habitats in Vegetation Areas of Kerzhenskiy State Nature Reserve, Russia"

"Our journal consolidates the strength of ornithologists and bird lovers, the enthusiasts of birds of prey conservation," Karyakin said. "Birds, like nature overall, do not know boundaries. Similar processes in the populations take place over a vast territory, sometimes separated by several thousands of kilometers. However, ornithologists usually manage to observe the birds only within the limited territories that their studies can cover. Our publication offers the possibility to synthesize results from specialists from different parts of the former Soviet Union. After we have published a row of articles on some common theme from authors previously unknown to each other, these people start to communicate among themselves. After having been published in our journal, a useful experience from one region is taken up by specialists elsewhere. This is well reflected for example in the articles about attracting owls to nest boxes.

"Thanks to our journal, interest in raptors is increasing, among young scientists who are yet to find a focus for their work, as well as among enthusiasts, the bird watchers. Interest in raptor conservation is also growing among ornithologists.

"Successful projects in the sphere of bird conservation, the information about which is published on pages of our journal, inspire more and more people in the regions to use the positive experience and carry out similar projects."

Access to the complete issue is available via a link on the home page of the Siberian Environmental Center. Most articles are published in Russian and English. The printed version has a colour cover and black-and-white pages, while the online version has the numerous maps, illustrations and photographs in colour.

"If there’s no additional sponsor's support, we publish stably 3 issues each year," said Elvira Nikolenko. "If any fund or other sponsors support the edition we publish a 4th issue, as a rule, it’s devoted to a theme which is interested the sponsor's organization."