This is a blog about sooty falcons. It aims to be a forum for information on ongoing research and conservation efforts. The information within this blog is copyrighted, and should not be reproduced elsewhere without permission. Please make comments and ask questions. If you click on any images they should open in another window, be larger and easier to view.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Early April 2014

130393 has not moved very much during early April.  There still must be prey available to this juvenile and it is likely that it has no great urge to attempt to breed.  It did move about 115 km to the east of the area it has occupied for the last months, and is now about 20 km NNE of the town of Ankazoabo.  See map below.

130393's movements during early April 2014.
Ivato, on the other hand, has spent the last week or so within a narrow latitudinal band in the area of shared borders between Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.  This week-long "stopover"of sorts followed a rapid northerly movement (See earlier posts).  This bird is an adult that is probably pushing north toward breeding grounds.  It will want to arrive early because early arrivals are generally also the most productive birds.  It is interesting to note that these low latitudes in Ethiopia and Sudan were places where the juvenile birds we tagged in Oman dwelt for some days/weeks on their move south.  Most recently Ivato was located about 30 km east of El Leh, Ethiopia, maybe 250 km NE of Marsabit, Kenya.

Ivato's movements during 1-10 April 2014.