Major threats to a migratory raptor vary geographically along the eastern Mediterranean flyway

Steffen Oppel; Volen Arkumarev; Samuel Bakari; Vladimir Dobrev; Victoria Saravia-Mullin; Solomon Adefolu; Lale Aktay Sözüer; Paul T. Apeverga; Şafak Arslan; Yahkat Barshep; Taulant Bino; Anastasios Bounas; Turan Çetin; Maher Dayyoub; Dobromir Dobrev; Klea Duro; Laith El-Moghrabi; Hana ElSafoury; Ahmed Endris; Nabegh Ghazal Asswad; Junior H. Harry; Sam T. Ivande; Sharif Jbour; Eleftherios Kapsalis; Elzbieta Kret; Bruktawit A. Mahamued; Shiiwua A. Manu; Solomon Mengistu; Abdoul R. Moussa Zabeirou; Sulaiman I. Muhammad; Slave Nakev; Alex Ngari; Joseph Onoja; Maher Osta; Serdar Özuslu; Nenad Petrovski; Georgi Popgeorgiev; Cloé Pourchier; Tareq Qaneer; Alazar Ruffo; Mohammed Shobrak; Lavrentis Sidiropoulos; Theodora Skartsi; Özgün Sözüer; Kalliopi Stara; Million Tesfaye; Mirjan Topi; Dimitrios Vavylis; Metodija Velevski; Zydjon Vorpsi; Mengistu Wondafrash; Erald Xeka; Can Yeniyurt; Emil Yordanov; Stoyan C. Nikolov

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109277

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Major threats to a migratory raptor vary geographically along the eastern Mediterranean flyway

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Major threats to a migratory raptor vary geographically along the eastern Mediterranean flyway

Steffen Oppel, Volen Arkumarev, Samuel Bakari, Vladimir Dobrev, Victoria Saravia-Mullin, Solomon Adefolu, Lale Aktay Sözüer, Paul T. Apeverga, Şafak Arslan, Yahkat Barshep, …

Biological conservation, Vol.262, p.109277

10/2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109277

Abstract

Belief-based use

Electrocution

Human-wildlife conflict

Illegal killing

Poisoning

Wind turbine

The Convention of Migratory Species aims to protect migratory animals throughout their range, but efficient mitigation of threats facing migratory birds is hindered by poor knowledge about the magnitude and geographic range of threats. We used an expert assessment to prioritise which threats to mitigate in 13 countries along the eastern Mediterranean flyway to protect globally threatened Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus. We informed this assessment by satellite tracking 71 birds to quantify where and how mortalities occurred, surveying 4216 km of powerlines to detect carcasses, conducting 910 interviews to quantify poison use, and by surveying markets and hunters to assess direct persecution. Mortality of 50 birds occurred in Europe and the Mediterranean Sea (44%), the Middle East (18%), and Africa (38%), and mortality causes varied geographically. Inadvertent poisoning resulting from rural stakeholders targeting predators occurred along most of the flyway. On the breeding grounds in eastern Europe and in Saudi-Arabia, poisoning and collision and electrocution are the priority threats to mitigate. Electrocution on small and poorly designed electricity pylons was the priority threat in Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and Ethiopia. Direct persecution for belief-based use of vulture products was the priority threat in Nigeria and Niger, while other illegal killing was the priority threat in Lebanon and Syria. Our work cannot quantify which threat has the greatest demographic impact on Egyptian Vultures. Nonetheless, because all threats we assessed are relevant for many other migratory birds, our assessment highlights the priority threats that range states need to address to protect migratory birds.

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Title: Major threats to a migratory raptor vary geographically along the eastern Mediterranean flyway
Creators - without role: Steffen Oppel - Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Volen Arkumarev - Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Samuel Bakari - BirdLife International
Vladimir Dobrev - Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Victoria Saravia-Mullin - Senologic Hellenic Society
Solomon Adefolu - Nigerian Conservation Foundation, P.O Box 74638, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
Lale Aktay Sözüer - Akdeniz University
Paul T. Apeverga - NCF/Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands Conservation Project, Yobe State, Nigeria
Şafak Arslan - Doğa Derneği / BirdLife Turkey, Orhanlı Mahallesi 7102 sokak No:1 Seferihisar, İzmir, Turkey
Yahkat Barshep - University of Jos
Taulant Bino - Albanian University
Anastasios Bounas - Senologic Hellenic Society
Turan Çetin - Doğa Derneği / BirdLife Turkey, Orhanlı Mahallesi 7102 sokak No:1 Seferihisar, İzmir, Turkey
Maher Dayyoub - The Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife (BirdLife Syria), Al-Mezzeh, P.O. Box 9853, Damascus, Syria
Dobromir Dobrev - Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Klea Duro - Albanian University
Laith El-Moghrabi - Independent Conservation Specialist, Jordan
Hana ElSafoury - Nature Conservation Egypt (NCE), Cairo, Egypt
Ahmed Endris - Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, P.O. Box 386, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Nabegh Ghazal Asswad - BirdLife International
Junior H. Harry - NCF/Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands Conservation Project, Yobe State, Nigeria
Sam T. Ivande - University of Jos
Sharif Jbour - BirdLife International, Middle East Partnership Secretariat 6 Salameh Al Ma'aytah St, Khalda, P. O. Box 2295, Amman 11953, Jordan
Eleftherios Kapsalis - WWF Greece, Lembesi 21, 11743 Athens, Greece
Elzbieta Kret - WWF Greece, Lembesi 21, 11743 Athens, Greece
Bruktawit A. Mahamued - Kotebe Metropolitan University
Shiiwua A. Manu - University of Jos
Solomon Mengistu - Nigerian Conservation Foundation, P.O Box 74638, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
Abdoul R. Moussa Zabeirou - Sahara Conservation Fund, BP 981, Niamey, Niger
Sulaiman I. Muhammad - Federal University Dutse
Slave Nakev - Macedonian Ecological Society, Arhimedova 5, 1000 Skopje, Macedonia
Alex Ngari - BirdLife International, Africa Partnership Secretariat, Westcom Point Building, Westlands, P. O. Box 3502, 00100 GPO Nairobi, Kenya
Joseph Onoja - Nigerian Conservation Foundation, P.O Box 74638, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
Maher Osta - The Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife (BirdLife Syria), Al-Mezzeh, P.O. Box 9853, Damascus, Syria
Serdar Özuslu - Doğa Derneği / BirdLife Turkey, Orhanlı Mahallesi 7102 sokak No:1 Seferihisar, İzmir, Turkey
Nenad Petrovski - Macedonian Ecological Society, Arhimedova 5, 1000 Skopje, Macedonia
Georgi Popgeorgiev - Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Cloé Pourchier - Sahara Conservation Fund, BP 981, Niamey, Niger
Tareq Qaneer - Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
Alazar Ruffo - Addis Ababa University
Mohammed Shobrak - Taif University
Lavrentis Sidiropoulos - Hellenic Ornithological Society/ BirdLife Greece, Themistokleous 80, 10681 Athens, Greece
Theodora Skartsi - WWF Greece, Lembesi 21, 11743 Athens, Greece
Özgün Sözüer - Akdeniz University
Kalliopi Stara - Hellenic Ornithological Society/ BirdLife Greece, Themistokleous 80, 10681 Athens, Greece
Million Tesfaye - Hawassa University
Mirjan Topi - Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment, St. Janos Hunyadi, Building 32, Ap. 11, 1019 Tirana, Albania
Dimitrios Vavylis - Hellenic Ornithological Society/ BirdLife Greece, Themistokleous 80, 10681 Athens, Greece
Metodija Velevski - Macedonian Ecological Society, Arhimedova 5, 1000 Skopje, Macedonia
Zydjon Vorpsi - Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment, St. Janos Hunyadi, Building 32, Ap. 11, 1019 Tirana, Albania
Mengistu Wondafrash - Ethiopia Wildlife and Natural History Society, P.O. Box 13303, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Erald Xeka - Albanian Ornithological Society, St. Ymer Kurti, Olympia Center, 2nd Floor, No.24, 1001 Tirana, Albania
Can Yeniyurt - Doğa Derneği / BirdLife Turkey, Orhanlı Mahallesi 7102 sokak No:1 Seferihisar, İzmir, Turkey
Emil Yordanov - Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Stoyan C. Nikolov - Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
Publication Details: Biological conservation, Vol.262, p.109277
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Identifiers: 9911663208331
Academic Unit: Taif University
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article