54 Jordan Journal of Natural History 6, 2019

Short Communication

A Recovery of a Lanner Falco biarmicus Suggesting a Possible Movement Pattern in the Jordan’s Breeding Population

Mohammed Al Zoubi* , Ashraf El-Halah, and Nashat A. Hamidan

Abstract: The numbers of raptors admitted Yugoslavia, Italy, and Greece in the west to the Royal Society for the Conservation and across Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan of Nature’s (RSCN) Rehabilitation Center eastwards, including northern Iran, and have increased over the past decade, with southwards across the Middle East and the a total of 140 raptors treated, ringed and Arabian Peninsula (del Hoyo, and Collar released. Among these raptors is the Lanner 2014; Global Raptor Information Network Falcon Falco biamicus, which had been 2020). In , the species has been ringed and released on the third of August, found throughout the continent except for 2017, after spending nearly 580 days in the in the equatorial region, patchily through Rehabilitation Center. 445 days following northern Africa, and from Senegal and its release, a telephone call from a falconer Gambia eastwards to Ethiopia and Sudan was received confirming the capture of this and southwards through East Africa and individual Falcon in Al Hafirat, Madinah western and northern Angola down to the Province, Saudi Arabia, nearly 850 km south in most (Global Raptor away from the released site. This piece of Information Network. 2020). Among the information suggests the occurrence of a five that were recognised within possible movement pattern of this species. its distribution range, the subspecies F. The confiscation of juveniles’ lanner b. tanypterus is known to be found in the over the past four years indicates that a regions extending from north-east Africa possible breeding population still exists in to Sudan, Jordan, Iraq, and into the Arabian Jordan. However, more detailed surveys are Peninsula (Jennings 2010; del Hoyo and needed to confirm its breeding in Jordan Collar 2014). In Yemen, the subspecies F. in addition to modern tracking technology b. abyssinicus, best known in Sahel Zone, to determine the movement patterns of the Ethiopia and Somalia, was collected from an species. area near Lahij (Jennings 2010). According to the IUCN Red List Keywords: Rehabilitation, Ringing, Saudi assessments, the species is globally considered Arabia, Confiscation, Recovery. as a Least- Concern (LC) species. However, Introduction regional assessments of the European and the Arabian Peninsula populations showed The lanner FalconFalco biarmicus (F. severe declining in its population, therefore, b) is considered as an Afrotropical/Palearctic the species must be considered as Endangered species and its range of distribution extends (EN) in Europe (BirdLife International 2016) from southern Europe, covering former and as a Critically-Endangered (CR) species in the Arabian Peninsula (Symes et al. 2015). *Corresponding author: Most of the Lanner Falcon populations [email protected] are resident, although some migration The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, movements have been recorded locally in Conservation Monitoring Center, PO Box 1215, West Africa (Thiollay 2006). In the east and Jubaiha 11941, Jordan. south-western populations, nomadism was Mohammed Al-Zoubi et al. 55 recorded (del Hoyo et al., 1994; Ferguson- will be immediately released. The duration Lees and Christie 2001). In southern Africa, of rehabilitation of the confiscated the species is partially migratory, which varied over the past five years from one day means that some birds involve in some sort to 580 days (Av. 53.72). The longest stay in of migration movement, others are resident rehabilitation before release was for a Lanner (van Zyl et al.. 1994). Moreover, immature Falcon Falco biarmicus. The Center had also birds showed mobility more than adults, received confiscated Lanner Falcon’ chicks with the extent of migration varying with during 2015, 2017, and 2018. environmental conditions, especially rainfall patterns and their effects on prey abundance Health Status and Treatment (Jenkins 1997). Ferguson-Lees and Christie The Lanner Falcon (Figure1) (2001) described some dispersion patterns was confiscated on January 1, 2016 by especially by juveniles and some adults the environmental police unit, the Royal including a southward movement for Rangers, after being offered for sale on breeding especially in the Middle East; they social media. Upon time of confiscation, the also reported north-south movements in falcon was found to be one-year old, and had Africa. broken primaries, early stage bumblefoot, In Jordan, this species is considered and suffered from general weakness. The as a passage migrant and winter visitor, with was kept at the RSCN’s Rehabilitation Center few records of breeding pairs in the country for 580 days, where it received treatment (Andrews, 1995, Snow and Perrins 1998). for bumblefoot following the procedures of However, according to Symes et al. (2015), (Remple, 2006). Afterwards, the bird went no recent breeding record has been found through intensive training for flying and in Jordan. Unfortunately, the movements of its weight was carefully monitored. Three this species are poorly studied. However, this months before its release, the bird was kept short communication, gives an idea about the free, and was isolated in a large aviary (10 possible migration movement of the Lanner m long, 5 m width, 3 m hight), while being Falcon which is probably breeding in Jordan. fed with living quails and pigeon for the last Rehabilitation Centre week of stay before release. Release and Recovery Among the principal obligations of the Royal Society for the Conservation Following the RSCN’s releasing of Nature (RSCN) is to provide care and protocol, the bird was ringed with the rehabilitation for injured and confiscated RSCN ring (serial number: B0052), and was and birds. Therefore, the released on the 3rd of August, 2017 at the Rehabilitation Center was established in 2008 confluence point between Mujib and Hidan by the RSCN. Despite being in operation for River in southern Jordan (lat: 31.450602, more than ten years now, the Rehabilitation Lon: 35.599888). Center started to conduct the necessary On October 22, 2018 (445 days later), systematic documentation of raptors only the authors received a phone call from Saudi five years ago, during which more than Arabia informing the Center that a Lanner 140 raptors were admitted to the center Falcon holding the same ring was captured (Al Zoubi et al., 2020). Five causes for this in Hafirat Al-Aida site (lat: 26.434224, Lon: admission have been identified by Al Zoubi 39.260922) at Al Madinah Al Monawara et al. (2020 In. press) as: illegal possession, province, Saudi Arabia. The place where malnutrition, orphaned young, trauma, and it was captured is located around 850 km infectious diseases. When received, these south of the releasing site. This suggests that birds are usually evaluated and kept for some sort of movement or dispersion of rehabilitation. If they are recently captured this species has occurred in Jordan. Similar from the wild with no signs of illness, they movement patterns were recorded for the 56 Jordan Journal of Natural History 6, 2019

African populations as ringed birds in South was targeted by falcon trappers (Bin Othman Africa were found 695 and 1200 km away from 2016; Shobrak 2015). This activity probably the release sites (Global Raptor Information represents the most critical threat to the Network. 2020). The authors had asked the species in the Arabian Peninsula. trapper to release the bird for the purpose of In conclusion: the confiscation of research; however, no further information was Lanner Falcon chicks over three seasons available afterwards concerning this bird. suggests that the species is probably still In regard to the Saudi Arabian breeding in Jordan; however, this needs more population, the Lanner Falcon is known investigation. The recovery event of the Lanner to be formally breeding in Hijaz and the Falcon proves that the species is dispersing eastern province (Jennings 2010). In 2015, a southwards, similar to other populations in large survey was carried out in the Kingdom Africa. This finding is encouraging for further of Saudi Arabia to identity active nests at satellite tracking research in order to identify former breeding sites and locations known its movement patterns, and to determine the by falcon trappers. Sadly, no breeding pairs status of this species in the country. These or active nests were found (Bin Othman acts will probably help work out a proper 2016). According to Jennings (2010), there is species conservation plan, which takes into also a migrant and wintering population. consideration programs for raising awareness However, the species is traditionally among trappers and falconers to support the used by Arab falconers; therefore, the species conservation of the species in Jordan.

Figure 1. The Lanner Falcon at the releasing site © Hamidan, 3rd August, 2017. Mohammed Al-Zoubi et al. 57

References

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