130393: 18-26 December 2013

We are still tracking 130393, and it seems to be doing fine.  The map below is of its movements during 18 - 26 September,  On the 18th it was located near Imala, Mozambique.  By the 21st it had made its way to coastal Mozambique, but remained about 20 km inland.  Rather than crossing to Madagascar, it moved north, and was in the region of Mtwara and Mingoyo, Tanzania on the 23rd.  It then turned south, and by the 26th was located about 60 km SE of Mueda, and 20 km south of Muidumbe, Mozambique.

Movements of 130393 during 18-26 December 2013.

130393: 7-17 December 2013

It seems like something has happened to another bird/tag... this time in SE Kenya.  This bird is not that far from where a satellite tagged migrating Amur Falcon was located.  Click here: http://www.satellitetracking.eu/inds/showmap/?check_143=143&check_145=145&check_144=144 We are trying to follow this up.

130397 is still transmitting in Tigray, Ethiopia, and we can't seem to find anyone to go look for it, not least because the security situation along the Ethiopia-Eritrea is difficult.  Can anyone help?

The good news is that 130393 seems to be doing fine.  Below is a map covering the last 10 days.  In that time it has traveled from northern Uganda into Tanzania. On 14 December it was in the vicinity of Dodomo, and its most recent locations are near Ifakara.

Movements of 130393 during 7 - 17 December

Dernière information sur le Faucon concolore à Madagascar

Bonjour à tous,

Après notre retour d’Oman, nous avons déployé des efforts d’observation dans quelques sites à Madagascar pour vérifier si le Faucon concolore arrive déjà dans la grande île pour son hibernation ou pas. Mais, aucun individu n’a été observé jusqu’à maintenant dans les sites visités. Probablement quelques uns sont déjà dans nos murs mais nous n’avons pas encore la chance de les rencontrer. Ce qui nous intéresse tant c’est d’entendre dire qu'un ou deux ou même davantage des individus munis d’émetteurs satellites mis en place à Oman va débarquer à Madagascar très prochainement. C’est notre vœu le plus cher, en tant que biologiste et équipe, qui participe à la réalisation de ce projet.  

Photo d'un adulte de Faucon concolore prise à l'île Fahal

Gilbert Razafimanjato

26 November - 4 December 2013

For the most part the tracked birds continued to mill around in the areas where they have been for the last couple of weeks.  This behavior is not dissimilar to that witnessed when we tracked falcons in 2010 (http://sootyfalconoman.blogspot.co.at/), but the adult bird tracked from UAE (Javed et al 2011) did not show such prolonged stopover behavior.  However, at some point during 1-3 December 130394 did start to push south and by mid-day on 4 December was in southern Ethiopia, just west of Lake Turkana near the village of Chella.  When one zooms into this location it seems that the habitat is made up of small scale farms.

Movements of sooty falcons during 26 November - 4 December 2013.

130393, 94 and 97 still milling around

The three birds that are still transmitting are still milling around, and have not pushed farther south.  130393 and 130394 are in South Sudan, and 130397 is in northeastern Ethiopia, on the Eritrean border.  

Movements of sooty falcons during the 10 days before 1 December, 2013

130393 is located near the town of Wau.

The town of Wau, South Sudan.

 130394 is located near the town of Malakal.  Located in the Upper Nile of Sudan, and just above the Sbet River, Malakal is the capital of Wilayah State and home to the ethnic groups Dinka Ngok, Nuer and Shilkuk.

The habitat around Malakal, near where 130394 has been located.

130397 is located in the mountains east of Adrigat, on the border with Eritrea.  Adigrat is the second largest city in Ethiopia’s northernmost region, Tigray, with a population of around 130,000. Tigray is one of the most rural regions in Ethiopia, with just over 80% of the population residing in rural areas. The farmers mainly grow wheat, barley and teff, whilst they also look after cows, sheep and goats.

Adrigat, Ethiopia from the nearby mountains.