9 -18 March 2014

Since our last post, both falcons being tracked by us have stayed, more or less, in the same areas.  To remind you...130393 is a 6 month old (probably female) sooty falcon that was reared on Fahal Island in Oman.  Four other nestling falcons from Oman were also tagged in 2013, but they all apparently died during their southward migration (1 in Saudi Arabia, one over the Red Sea, one in eastern Ethiopia, and one in eastern Kenya.) 130393 arrived in Madagascar around 1 January and made its way to the south of the island, and has wandered around there ever since (visit past blog posts to see exactly what happened).  In the past month or so, its movements have been within a fairly confined area southeast of Tulear, near the southwest coast of Madagascar.  The map below shows its movements during 10-18 March.

Last month an international team of Omanis and Malagasys visited this general area, and saw many sooty falcons, sometimes tens of them, roosting in a single baobab tree.  Last week, Lily Arison of the Peregrine Fund Madagascar Program visited the area, and saw over 200 sooty falcons, including one with a ring (which must have been from Oman because we have been the only people ringing falcons in recent years.).  Both the team that visited this area in February and Lily report large numbers of locusts, which explains the small area being used and the clustering of daily locations (the bird is sitting around a lot because food is plentiful and they don't spend much time per day hunting).

Movements of 130393 during 9-18 March 2014.

During the field work in Madagascar in February, an adult (probably male) sooty falcon was trapped at the airport at Antananarivo, and fitted with a satellite tag.  It, too, has had confined movements, also likely because of plentiful food. Below is a map of its recent movements.  On one day it seemed to take a little tour to the north and east of the airport, but returned (See below).

 It may be a bit premature, but the birds could move at any time on their migration north.  There are records of sooty falcons in breeding areas in April.  More likely, I think, is that they will start migration in April or May.  We don't really know what the immature will do, but we suspect that the adult male will head off to the area in which it bred last year (and ever since entering the breeding population).

Ivato during 9-18 March 2014.