Salim Javed Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, …To study ecology of the Asian Houbara over its...

Salim JavedEnvironment Agency – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Argos Program in the United Arab Emirates

Programme 1440 & 03763 - Asian Houbara•

To study ecology of the Asian Houbara

over its distribution range,

collecting information on migration pattern, habitat use

•

conservation of the Asian Houbara

in Uzbekistan

Programme 3657 – Waterbirds & Raptors•

To study movement & migration pattern of key bird species wintering or

breeding in the UAE

Programme 04189 - Marine Turtle Conservation•

to identify foraging areas, movement patterns and migratory routes of

Hawksbill turtles in the region.

•

Contribute to the development of regional policies & plans for the

protection of marine turtles

•

Raise awareness on the conservation needs of marine turtles in the region

1. Overall Summary


Satellite Tracking Programme on Bustards

Programme # 1440, 03763


Targeted species

Main research programme:•

Asian Houbara

Bustard ‐

500 PTT deployed from 1994 to 2011

•

Arabian Bustard ‐

8 PTT deployed

Contribution to monitoring of rehabilitated falcons•

Falcons (Gyr, Peregrine & Saker

Falcons) ‐106 PTT from 1995 to

2011)

Assistance to other conservation programmes•

Bengal Florican

‐12 PTT provided to BirdLife

International &

University of East Anglia

•

Greater spotted Eagle for Breeding Center of Endangered

Arabian Wildlife, Sharjah

‐1 PTT


Marine Turtle Conservation Project

Programme # 04189


Project Partners

Iran: Wildlife & Aquatic Affairs Bureau of Iran

Oman: Ministry of Environment & Climate AffairsEnvironment Society of Oman (NGO)

Qatar: Ministry of EnvironmentEnvironment Studies Centre, Qatar Univ.Ras

Laffan

Industrial City

UAE: Environment Agency‐

Abu DhabiEnvironment & Protected Areas Authority Emirates Marine Environment Group

MRF: Project Scientific Advisor


Satellite Tracking Programme on Waterbirds & Raptors

Bird Programme # 03657


Targeted species

Flamingos•

Greater Flamingo; 19 since 2005

Raptors•

Osprey –

10; tagged since 2007

•

Sooty Falcon ‐2; 2008 & 2010

•

Marsh Harrier – 2 in 2011

Other waterbirds•

Crab Plover ‐

5

•

Red‐billed Tropicbird – 7

•

Gulls & Terns ‐5

International Collaboration•

Bar‐headed Goose

•

Vultures & Cranes


CURRENTLY ACTIVE NEW PTT TO BE ADDED BY 2011

Animals None None

Houbara & Others (1440 & 03763) 152 155

Marine Turtle Programme (04189) 39 0

Birds Program (3657) 14 8

Fixed Stations None None

TOTAL

2. PTT Use


3. Technological Changes & User Requirements

•Overall improvement in data delivery time is needed

• Useful to get Argos and GPS locations nearly in real time, i.e. decrease the gap between time of the locations and accessibility to the information.

•Additionally development of a service providing movement alerts or mortality alerts by email or text message (sms) according to user defined

criteria


4. User issues & problems

•Reliability in determining flight altitude and also

problems with mirror locations

•Why the GPS locations are not there for Argos mapping

on Argos Web

•Users also expect reduced Argos tariff, particularly for

programmes which are using large number of

transmitters

•Argos has been continuously trying to improve the

services and supporting users in various ways.


Migratory movementsHoubara tracking -description of migration routes

5. Successful use of Argos

Distribution and abundance of Arabian Bustard

•Annual home

range doesn't

exceed 4 km2

•Few movements

up to 10 km mainly

due to habitat

disturbance

•Clearly sedentary


Turtle Tracking

•44 Hawksbill turtles

tracked since early 2010

•Linkages between nesting

and foraging sites

•Outreach & a stronger

focus

on public awareness

through the project

website

(www.gulfturtles.com)

and the turtle race

campaign


http://www.gulfturtles.com/

Verification of key foraging grounds, migration patterns


Qatar, Al Fuwairit Iran, Nahiloo Island Oman, Damaniyat UAE, Qarnein

•

Documented

migration

routes &

stopover

sites

•

Migration

over a broad

front

Argos Program in the United

Arab Emirates

Flamingo TrackingFlamingo Tracking


•

Adults remain at their

breeding sites

•

Young disperse to

neighboring gulf countries

Osprey TrackingOsprey Tracking


Sooty Falcon Tracking

•

Migration routes

•

Stopover sites & areas

used in Madagascar

•

Departure aided by

moderate tail wind

•

Crossing of Mozambique

channel aided by moderate tail wind

(Javed et al, Bird Conservation International, 2011)




Precipitation surface, 01 June ‐

30

September, 2008

•

Stopovers in

natural grassland associated with

water

•

Cultivated fields in

Madagascar



Steppe Eagle Tracking


Steppe Eagle Tracking

•

Successive spring and

autumn migration

•

Steppe Eagle demonstrated

loop migration


Identification of flamingo breeding area

•

Monitoring and tracking

results identified new area for protection of

flamingos

•

Proposed a new flamingo

and waterbirds sanctuary

Satellite Tracking & Conservation

•

Extensive local

movements across UAE

•

Use of key coastal &

inland wetlands in the country

Flamingo Local Movement



Tracking Results & Conservation

•

Identification &

inclusion of important areas into PA Planning Process

•

Identification of other areas

of conservation importance in town

planning framework

Argos Program in the United Arab

Emirates


•

Identification key

sites for migratory birds


Satellite Tracking & Conservation-local level

Conservation at flyway level


6. Local Operational Issues

•Most of the records gathered by turtle tagging

programme are of Class A and B quality,

towards the lower end of the accuracy range


Salim Javed Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, …To study ecology of the Asian Houbara over its...

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