Posts

Showing posts from September, 2013

Raptor Migration Summary- Thoolakharka Nepal, 20 Sept, 2013

In Nepal; raptor migration count has been started from 15 Sept and will continued through mid Dec. Last year total of 10,000 individual raptors of 30 species were migrated here. We are the only watch site in the world where we get highest number of Steppe Eagles (Aquila nipalensis nipalensis).   Also we are the only watch site where raptor migrates from east to west. Thus this is one of the rare watch site in the world located at the elevation of 2050 m asl. on the lap of Himalayas. In the first week we do not have significant migrants it means we are in the beginning of the season though we had total of more than 200 raptors migrating. This is the good time for Kite (Black-eared are Black Kite) migration here. In the first week almost 50% migrants were Kites. This year we saw kettle of kites on the thermal which is new and didn’t see last year, this means kite migration is observed better than last year. This year some species like Amur falcon, Eurasian hobby and Booted eagles

Participate in Raptor Migration Count

We are very close to the migration count that will start from 15th of September 2013. If you are interested to participate and help in raptor migration count at your own cost, I always appreciate your participation. Following is the approximate date to expect each species with the peak time frame and highest number counted in a single day, based on our last year count. * Number in parentheses in “Peak Time Frame” is the highest daily count within the peak migration period.  Species Total Counted Peak Time Frame* 1.       Osprey 3 23 Sept – 25 Oct (1) 2.       Oriental Honey-buzzard          381 25 Oct – 31 Oct (34) 3.       Black Kite 324 5 Oct – 10 Oct (18) 4.      Egyptian Vulture 24 22 Sept – 30 Sept (4) 5.      Griffon Vulture 85 25 Nov – 30 Nov (14) 6.       Himalayan Vulture