Spring is coming. Time for latest news from our company.
Last year our loggers were used in various parts of the world for various species. In addition devices fitted in the past have continued to deliver data which is for us of most importance as long-term functionality is our primary objective.
Our record holder is undoubtedly the White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla named Vlad. His logger has been working for 3 years now despite the fact, that the bird spends winters in rather unsuitable for elecronics areas. Although he again had a break during the wintertime due to frosty weather and "mobileless" wintering area, two weeks ago he started working again and is systematically sendig the stored wintering data.
Another Russian White-tailed Eagle spent his second winter in the Ukraine. Unfortunatelly after 2 years his logger does not operate as efficiently as Vlad's.
Three years has also been the time the logger of the Common Buzzards Buteo buteo named Kordian has been operational. Although as last year, also this winter the logger stopped working. Let's hope the spring brings its awakening as well. Kordian's movements can be tracked here.
Our Andean Condor Vultur gryphus sends data only ocassionally, unfortunately. Apart from gsm range issues crucial is the fact, that most probably feathers of this giant are blocking the panels, disabling appropriate charging. The positive aspect is that the bird is alive, especially since the region has become the area of many poisoning issues, causing death of tens of those magnificent creatures.
The Russian Raptor Research and Conservation Network informs of various ongoing conservation projects in Russia, conducted by various National Parks. Last year our loggers were fitted on Eastern Imperial Eagles Aquila heliaca and Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus. Of the former all five birds are wintering successfully in warmer parts of the world. Unfortunately the Egyptian Vultures are not doing well. Of 4 tagged birds three are already "inactive", one being dead and one rescued by local people. Only one managed to get safely to its wintering grounds in Yemen and will hopefully start the spring migration soon. All these birds can be tracked as well: here Imperial Eagles, and here Egyptian Vultures.
It has been the second year of transmission for the Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis from Oman. This bird, as the first "of ours", has started this year's spring migration. Maybe it will also start breeding this year? We'll see. More about this bird can be read on a special blog.
Speaking of Oman. The conservation efforts of the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus population in this country continues. This year yet another datalogger of ours was fitted on an adult bird. Unfortunately the logger of the 2016 bird works sporadically as the bird spends most of the time outside the gsm range. More about the project can be read here.
Last year we had the pleasure to take part in an interesting iniciative: in Spain a rare Rüppell's Vulture Gyps rueppellii was observed. A group of Spanish scientists decided to catch the bird. They succeded and at the beginning of October the bird was fitted with our logger, being the first tagged bird of this species on the European continent. Soon an article will be published. Also a documentary film was prepared. News was also published on the page of the Amus organisation.
On our portal a migration map is available, where some of the migration data from our loggers is being published. Please visit it here here!