Annual Movements of Two Steppe Eagles, and Their Use of Rubbish Dumps in Arabia During the Winter

M.J. McGrady, International Avian Research, Austria B.-U. Meyburg, NABU, Germany

• GCC countries in top 10% of per capita waste producers in the world (Ouda et al 2017).

• Estimated 120 million tonnes of waste/yr.

(Ouda et al 2017) • Globally large numbers of scavengers at rubbish dumps. (McGrady 2018)

105

162312

Leave winter 2017

07-Mar-17

30-Mar-17

Arrive summer 2017

15-Apr-17

02-May-17

Leave summer 2017

04-Sep-17

03-Oct-17

Arrive winter 2017/2018

10-Oct-17

15-Nov-17

Leave winter 2018

17-Feb-18

27-Mar-18

Arrive summer 2018

30-Mar-18

10-Apr-18

Eagle

Season

n

Reference bandwidth

95% KDE (km2)

50% KDE (km2)

105

Overall

1926

329096.73

8632233.84

1973985.77

162312

Overall

3541

245088.73

5610332.66

1260265.93

105

Summer 2017

708

88360.45

638726.52

118027.26

105

Summer 2018

83

61711.47

185529.57

31612.67

105

Winter 2017

216

22441.71

32971.82

6278.31

105

Winter 2018

506

6150.90

4567.50

393.02

162312

Summer 2017

942

42985.71

190189.45

25126.76

162312

Summer 2018

631

13948.60

15464.09

2868.38

162312

Winter 2017

514

12472.40

10301.94

932.97

162312

Winter 2018

856

25062.50

16118.75

3381.75

ID

Season

n

Mean step-length ± SE (m)

105

Winter

363

10488.58 ± 756.69

(2.99, 74747.15)

105

Spring migration

153

28813.36 ± 2659.18

(3.34, 150464.55)

105

Summer

297

9113.92 ± 1155.16

(2.64, 130264.99)

105

Autumn migration

52

48803.15 ± 6780.27

(114.21, 175217.6)

162312

Winter

639

2737.78 ± 309.92

(0, 81150.25)

162312

Spring migration

182

25667.25 ± 3237.58

(0, 173958.5)

162312

Summer

687

4323.85 ± 561.03

(0, 144611.89)

162312

Autumn migration

120

12417.25 ± 2067.99

(0, 101995.8)

Range step-lengths

Rubbish dumps important to Steppe Eagles wintering in Arabia.

May be short stopping migration.

Risk of electrocution and collision.

Steppe Eagles spent summers mostly in western Kazakhstan.

Home ranges large, mostly larger in summer.

Public education Tracking Watch sites and restaurants

Reducing electrocution risk Remedial work New infrastructure

Reducing collision risk Research Advisory

•

be’ah

•

Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs

•

Environment Society of Oman

•

Suez Environment

•

International Avian Research

•

Bernd Meyburg Foundation

•

Anglo-Omani Society

•

Office for Conservation of the Environment