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Saker Falcon
Research
and the Sustainable Use in Mongolia
Mrs. Damdinsuren Shijirmaa
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Electric poles are the only nest sites available for falcons in flat steppe
areas, so it is not unusual to see falcons nesting on abandoned wells, metal and
wooden electric poles, even close to busy roads and railways. Peaceful attitudes
of local people towards these falcons are based on Buddhist traditions which
prohibit the killing or disturbance of birds. Moreover there is also an ancient
belief that to kill a falcon means to kill a soul.
Direct human persecution of falcons has been recorded during field trips. In
addition, we have found indirect human causes of mortality on both parents and
chicks. This is the littering of the steppe with rope and string. Faced with a
shortage of nesting material, birds pick up pieces of string and parts of horse
harnesses and bring them to the nests. The string sometimes acts as a set of
nooses, and birds get caught and die. This year our field team saved one chick
caught in this way. It had a badly wounded tarsus, and would not have survived
without our visit.
Other causes of mortality include death by chilling, and significant
differences in hatching dates which causes some chicks to lose out in
competition for food amongst the broods. Overall mortality does not appear to be
high - out of 172 hatched young, 153 fledged or reached fledgling age (Figure
3). The average brood size was 3.2 (Figure 4).
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Figure 3
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Figure 4
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