Red-footed Falcon in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and in the Continental Dobrogea. Eugen Petrescu

Transcription

1 Red-footed Falcon in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and in the Continental Dobrogea Eugen Petrescu

2 Population size Recent data: - Danube Delta 2009 ( incomplete census ) pairs estimate < 200 pairs - Dobrogea 2009 ( incomplete census ) ?! pairs estimate < 300 pairs Historical data: - Danube Delta 340 pairs ( max. estimated ) - Dobrogea 450 pairs ( max. estimated )

3 Methodology: 1. Finding colonies and places with more nests, ( cheking all historical places ) and counting early in the morning, in June, July and beginning of August (GPS where is necessary). 2. Transects on the most favorabile places for solitary nesting ( in the Danube Delta most of the transects are along the channels, around more than 3000 km of chanels). Trend in the last 10 years: - On the decrease ( But almost every year situation of the nesting fluctuate, sometimes this fact is very obvious )

4 Distribution in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve 5800 km 2

5 Distribution in the continental Dobrogea

6 Typical habitats (and nesting sites) in the Delta Crows and magpies nests in willow tree along the channels. In the Danube Delta the are more than 3000 km of channels.

7 Photo from the airplane

8 Popular tree forests (plantation) along the Danube banks. In general near agricultural polders.

9

10

11

12 This photo was taken in the middle of Baclanesti Lake, in a rook colony, but seeing its pray it is clear it hunts on the land, in agricultural fields.

13 In a rook colony in the middle of the mixt colony composed from cormorans and heron species (Versina Lake & Baclanesti Lake).

14 Natural forest on the sand banks (marine levees) Letea forest Nest in popular tree, Robinia pseudoacacia and in bushes of Hippophae rhamnoides and Eleagnus angustifolia. (old nest of Magpies or Hooded Crows)

15 Natural delta forest on sand dunes Caraorman forest

16 Letea forest

17 Letea forest general view Small colonies and solitary nests (sometimes difficult to find)

18 Village near Letea forest with large gardens where Red-footed Falcon is searching for food, sometimes they are breading in villages.

19 Where the Danube meets the Black Sea Sulina town

20 Border between continental Dobrogea and Danube Delta Danube D Dobrogea

21 Plopu, Murighiol, Dunavat (very close to DDBR)

22

23 Dobrogea

24

25 Main threats deforestration (rooks colonies prefer tall and old popular trees, especially cultivated ones populus x canadiensis who s life cycle is relatively short no more than 50 yrs.)

26 Deforestation of small popular tree rows nearby roads and villages by local people to avoid the disturbance produced by the rooks or to enlarge the roads as you can see below.

27

28 Because in some parts of Dobrogea providing the wood for the fire is a problem, during winter time, locals illegally mutilate old popular trees, involuntarily destroying rooks and falcons colonies.

29 For solitary nesting of F. vespertinus we can consider a threat the competition with F. subuteo for occupation of the old hooded crows nests. F. subuteo is a more aggressive and territorial bird which is able to drive away the Red footed Falcon (but sometimes the Red footed can have benefits in vicinity of a Hobby nest).

30 Legal protection Listing in national Red Data Book Legal protection from killing Penalties for illegal killing/nest disturbance Vulnerable species Annex 2 Law 407/2006 modified and completed through Law 197/2007 and Law 215/ RON Annex 2 law 407/2006

31 Conservation efforts Together with DDBRA we try to find all important breeding locations and to declare them with a special statute of protection during the breeding. It s difficult because most of important rook colonies are on plantations in economical areas which have special regime of exploitation directly under the forest authorities and sometimes it is difficult to persuade them to keep the old plantations with rook colonies.

32 Conservation efforts Together with DDBRA we try to find all important breeding locations and to declare them with a special statute of protection during the breeding. It s difficult because most of important rook colonies are on plantations in economical areas which have special regime of exploitation directly under the forest authorities and sometimes it is difficult to persuade them to keep the old plantations with rook colonies.

33 Main threats 1. Loss of nesting sites (the drastic decline in the rook population, the loss of steppe wood patches due to illegal lodging) 2. Loss of breeding habitat (intensifying agriculture, the decline of authentic land management practices /e.g. grazing/ ) 3. Electrocution 4. Predators at breeding colonies

34 Specific Requirements 1. Ensure suitable nesting habitat: depending on rookeries distribution. A necessary condition is cooperation with local Forest Administration to ensure special management requirements for coppices where the species is breeding (temporary protection during sensitive breeding period and exclusion of nesting tree from wood production). Percent of pairs which are breeding solitary or which are choosing alternative habitats for nesting is unknown. 2. Develop projects of artificial nesting platform placement on abandoned poles (for storks and falcons) on grindul Chituc area.

35 3. Feeding area: species which is found foraging in various open habitats: extensively cultivated agricultural fields, meadows, pastureland/grassland, reed areas, etc. A special requirement is that these areas to support a large population of insects. Pesticide use should be in accordance with DDBRA regulations. 4. Powerlines insulation across Reserve. Electric poles are frequently used as observatories or for resting. 5. Studies required to improve knowledge regarding distribution and level of population in the reserve, ecological requirements, impact of limiting factors in Delta, etc. 6. Guarding and monitoring.

36 Recent conservation measures National Action Plan National Working Group National Monitoring Programme Monitoring programme in protected areas Routines for informing RA of nesting areas/sites NO NO NO NO NO Included in The National Rural Development Program Will be included in the Farmland Bird Index project (starting with October 2009) beneficiary Ministry of Agriculture (in partnership with SOR)

37 We plan to put artificial nest boxes in some of the important places with natural forests from the Delta. Milvus help will be highly appreciated.

38 Importance of protected site network Regular breeder in almost all Dobrogea IBAs, All SPAs include 90% of IBAs

39

40 Thank you!