Raptor Migration Summary- Thoolakharka Nepal, 22 Oct, 2013

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22 Oct, 2013 (Tuesday), last week we had  quite a lot rain because of the effect of cyclone hitting India. Now the weather is improving and low cloud is almost over so we changed the watch site, moving to much higher elevation at Thoolakharka which is 2050 m asl.  Those days here is strong thermal so the birds generally rather high on the blue sky- more strain to eyes. Steppe eagles are just in a start that is more and more on the way …. In the coming week we will have lot of them. Last week we had peak of Oriental honey buzzard with highest count of 60 birds in one day which is more than double if we compared with last year data. Small flocks of Amur Falcons and Lesser Kestrels are also continuing their migration. Today we had Short-toed Eagle in the morning which is rare migrant in our site, other migrants include, Northern Sparrowhawk, Northern Goshawk, Northern Hobby, Himalayan Vultures etc. the detail of migration highlight is given below.  


Species
2012 Total
Highest Daily Count
Total Count till date


Oriental Honey-buzzard
381
60
497
Common Buzzard
180
12
84
Long-legged Buzzard
4
3
10
Upland Buzzard
4

1
Unidentified Buteo
3

0
Northern Sparrowhawk
107
7
51
Northern Goshawk
3
3
5
Unidentified Sparrowhawk
9

0
Steppe Eagle
6597
4
15
Booted Eagle
155
7
42
Short-toed Eagle
2
1
1
Crested Serpent-eagle
26
1
5
Pallas's Fish Eagle
2

0
Imperial Eagle
0

0
Indian Spotted Eagle
3

0
Greater Spotted Eagle
3

0
Bonelli's Eagle
13
2
12
Mountain Hawk-eagle
1
2
4
Golden Eagle
7

0
Unidentified Eagle
8
1
1
Black Kite
324
40
199
Black-Eared Kite
22
104
Osprey
3
2
5
Hen Harrier
19
1
5
Eastern Marsh Harrier
0
1
1
Pallid Harrier
1
1
1
Unidentified Harrier
3

0
Peregrine Falcon ssp. calidis
29
2
13
Saker Falcon
5
1
1
Northern  Hobby
80
33
197
Amur Falcon
78
24
66
Lesser Kestrel
66
14
54
Common Kestrel
83
29
276
Unidentified Falcon
21
2
11
Egyptian Vulture
24
6
29
White-rumped Vulture

16
83
Red-headed Vulture


0
Slender-billed Vulture


0
Himalayan Vulture
1270
8
22
Cinereous Vulture
73

0
Griffon Vulture
85

0
Unidentified Vulture
3

0
Unidentified Raptor
79
2
8
Total
9754
135
1803
Red-rumped Swallow
16,301
5,558
22,947
Barn Swallow
2,482
489
2,716

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