j Raptor Res. 28(3):186-191 ¸ 1994 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc. A RAPTOR ROADSIDE SURVEY IN WESTERN TURKEY AND EASTERN GREECE WADE L. EAKLE 1 World WorkingGroup on Birdsof Prey and Owls, Wangenheimstr.32, D-1000 Berlin 33, Germany ABSTR•CT.--Roadsidesurveys were conductedin westernTurkey and easternGreece in April-May 1993 to determine the relative abundanceof observedraptors. Ten diurnal species,as well as unidentified buzzardsand unidentifiedharriers, and one nocturnalspecies were observedduring 177 hr 30 min of observationover 4395 km travelled. Lesser kestrels(Falco naumanni), commonkestrels (F. tinnunculus), commonbuzzards (Buteo spp.) and harriers(Circus spp.) were the mostfrequently observed species. More individuals(N = 145) and species(N = 8) were observedin agriculturallands than other habitattypes. Indicesof relativeabundance were calculatedfor eachspecies based on the numberof individualsobserved p•erkilometer travelled. KEY WORDS: Greece;raptor roadsidesurvey; relative abundance; Turkey. Observaci6nde rapacesen rutas del oestede Turqula y el estede Grecia RESUMEN.--Unestudio de ruta fue hechoen el oestede Turquia yen el estede Grecia entre abril y mayode 1993, para determinarla abundanciarelativa de rapacesobservados. Se observarondiez especies diurnas,incluyendo Buteo spp. y Circusspp. no identificados,y una especienocturna, en un recorridode 4395 km realizadoen 177 hr 30 min. Falconaumanni, F. tinnunculus,Buteo spp. y Circusspp. fueron las especiesobservadas con mayor frecuencia.Se observaronmils individuos(N = 145) y especies(N = 8) en tierrasde usoagricola queen otrostipos de hilbitat.Se calcularonindices relativos para cadaespecie basadosen el nfimerode individuosobservados por ki16metrorecorrido. [Traducci6n de Ivan Lazo] Raptor populationdensities in Turkey and Greece, eightnocturnal species in Greece,and Gensbol(1987) particularlyTurkey, are poorlydocumented. Belkis for 27 diurnal speciesin Greece and 28 diurnal et al. (1977) and Beaman and Porter (1985) sum- speciesin Turkey, but again,no discussionof meth- marized the statusof 37 diurnal raptors known to odsused to developthese population estimateswere winter or breedin Turkey. Vagliano(1977) reported providedby the authors. on the status of 36 diurnal speciesin Greece and Relative abundanceestimates have been widely summarizedtheir occurrenceby habitat types.Cos- used in raptor inventoriesand monitoring studies son (1985) recorded six diurnal and two nocturnal for investigatingpopulation dynamics, monitoring speciesbreeding on Rhodesand estimatedrelative status,and evaluating responsesto changesin the abundanceindices for the long-leggedbuzzard (Bu- environment (Fuller and Mosher 1987). Relative teo rufinus). Additionally, the number of breeding abundancegenerally refers to the contributiona spe- pairs and population trends for the four vultures in cies makes to the total abundance of that wildlife Greecewere estimatedby Handrinos (1985), while community(Jones 1986). There are severalways to Vagliano (1985) reportedon little owl (Athenenoc- estimaterelative abundance,including the number tua) populations on Crete. Hallmann (1985) re- of raptors seenper hr of observationor per linear ported that 26 diurnal speciesbreed in Greece, but distance,and the number of owl calls heard per hr providedno discussionof methodsused to derive this (Kochert 1986). In this study I used numbers of populationestimate. Handrinos and Demetropoulos individuals observedper kilometer travelled for a (1983) estimatedbreeding pairs of 36 diurnal and roadsidesurvey of raptors in western Turkey and easternGreece. These resultsrepresent perhaps the • Present address:U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San first and most comprehensivelyreported indices of FranciscoDistrict, RegulatoryBranch, 211 Main Street, observedrelative abundance collected by suchmeth- San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 U.S.A. od for raptor populationsin this part of the world. 186 SEPTEMBER 1994 RAPTORS IN TURKEY AND GREECE 187 BULGARIA BLACK SEA Istanb ALBAN Galltp• Ankara Bursa Canakkale ß SEA Troy REE •Nevsehtr Bersama TURKEY •] ';' Selcuk ]ythto Dlros i Rhode• Kyth• Hanta Kastellt KarpathosRHODES • Samaria Gorse KaY,magiCRETE CYPRUS MEDITERRANEAN SEA Figure 1. Raptor surveyroute in westernTurkey and easternGreece, including the islandsof Rhodesand Crete, 9 April to 13 May 1993. 21øC in Istanbul, 9-22øC in Ankara, 11-23øC in Bursa, STUDY AREA AND METHODS and 14-26øC in Izmir (Brosnahan 1990). WesternTurkey, which is part of Asia Minor, includes Eastern Greece, the southernmostof the Balkan states, easternThrace from the city of Edirne to Istanbul, the includesthe Peloponnesefrom the Mani to Corinthia and peninsulaof Gallipoli, the Sea of Marmara, the coastal Argolis (including Laconia and Arcadia), Thessaly, Mac- region of the Aegean Sea, and central Anatolia including edonia, and western Thrace. Roadside counts on the island the regionof Capadocia.On the southernshore of the Sea of Crete included the region near Iraklio to Kastelli on of Marmara are low hills usedfor grazing, farming and the western end of the island. Landscapesand land uses industry, and higher pine-forestedmountains, such as similar to thoseobserved in Turkey were found on main- Uludag (Mr. Olympus) near Bursa which reaches2583 land Greece and Crete. These included mountains in the m (Fig. 1). The mean annual rainfall in this region is Mani peninsula,plains and mountains (Mt. Olympus, approximately670 mm. The AegeanSea coastis a region 2917 m) in Thessaly, black pine (Pinus nigra) forestsin of plains and river valleys. Olive, fig and fruit orchards Macedonia, and the Evros River valley and Porto-Lagos can be seen on hillsides, and tobaccoand sunflower fields wetlands in Thrace (Fig. 1). in valleys.Central Anatolia which embracesCapadocia is On Crete, largest of the Greek islands, climatic and a vast plateau (rolling steppe)with a mean elevationof geographicconditions are similar to North Africa, al- 1000 m where sheepgrazing and wheat growing are pri- though mountains such as Mt. Ida (2456 m), are snow- mary land uses.The plateauis surroundedby mountain cappedfor severalmonths of the year (Handrinos and ranges with elevationsto 2500 m, some being volcanoes Demetropoulos1983). Lower mountain slopesand hills with snow-cappedpeaks (Dubin and Lucas 1989, Bros- supportlow phrygana or maquis vegetation,Kermes oak nahan 1990). (Querquscoccifera), locust (Ceratonia siliqua), and juniper In the month of March, the mean daily minimum and (Juniperusspp.; Handrinos 1985; Fig. 1). maximum temperaturesin Istanbul are 3-30øC, in Ankara My study area is classifiedas two biomes.The region 0-11øC, in Bursa 4-13øC, and in Izmir (on the Aegean around the Aegean Sea included Crete, the Sea of Mar- Sea coast) 6-16øC. In May, thesetemperatures are 12- mara, and Gallipoli was classifiedas evergreensclero- 188 WADE L. EARLE VOL. 28, NO. 3 Table 1. Surveyroutes, mode of travel, and distancetravelled for raptor surveysconducted in Turkey and Greece, April-May 1993. MODE OF DATE SURVEYROUTE TIME OF DAY TRANSPORTATIONDISTANCE (km) 9 April Istanbul-Ankara 1030-1800 train 450 10 April Nevsehir-Derinkuyu 0900-1600 bus/foot 60 11 April Nevsehir-Goreme 1030-2000 bus/foot 20 12 April Goreme-Cavusin-Zelve 0900-1730 foot 15 13 April Goreme-Bursa 0700-1800 bus 695 14 April Bursa-Uludag 0900-1700 car/foot 65 15 April Bursa-Canakkale 1000-1430 bus 310 16 April Gallipoli 1000-1600 bus/foot 50 17 April Troy-Canakkale-Bergama 1000-2000 bus/foot 300 18 April Bergama(Pergamum) 1000-1700 foot 10 19 April Bergama-Seleuk 1200-1530 bus 180 20 April Selcuk (Ephesus) 0800-1600 foot 15 21 April Seleuk-Bodrum 1200-1500 bus 170 22 April Bodrum 1000-1600 foot 5 23 April Bodrum-Marmaris 1000-1330 bus 165 26 April Iraklio-Knossos 1000-1600 bus/foot 15 27 April Iraklio-Kalimaki 1130-1630 bus/foot 65 28 April Kalimaki-Hania 0800-1700 bus/foot 150 29 April H ania-Samaria-Kastelli 0730-2130 bus/foot 170 1 May Gythio-Caves of Diros 1000-1400 bus 70 2 May Gythio-Naphlio 0830-1630 bus 180 3 May Naphlio-Myceane 1000-1400 bus 65 4 May Naphlio 1030-1830 foot 10 5 May Naphlio-Athens 1000-1430 bus 145 10 May Athens-Thessaloniki 0700-1330 train 530 12 May Thessaloniki-Komotini 1400-2030 train 415 13 May Kabakca-Istanbul 0630-0730 train 70 Total distance 4395 Total observation time 177 hr 30 min phyllus forests,scrub or woodlands,and central Anatolia Thrace) on 13 May 1993. Surveytimes ranged from 0630- as cold winter (continental) desert and/or semi-desert 2130 H. Weather conditions were variable during the (UNESCO 1987). surveyperiod, but mostly without any precipitation. Roadsidecounts were conductedprimarily by meansof I usedthe methoddeveloped by Woffindenand Murphy public bus, but someroutes were surveyedby train, car, (1977) to calculatean index of observedrelative abundance and on foot. All meansof transportationprovided excellent for each raptor speciessighted: viewing opportunities,allowing two observersto focuson locatingand identifying raptors on both sidesof the road Index= Totalnumber ofa species observed x 1000 or railroad track. Unfortunately, drivingspeeds were vari- Total kilometers travelled able and not always known, nor was it possibleto stop the vehicleto identify distantbirds or estimatethe distance RESULTS AND DISCUSSION of the raptor from the surveyvehicle. Visibility was com- parable for busesand trains. Data recordedfor each ob- Nearly 4400 km were travelled and approxi- servationincluded date, time, location, species,age and mately 177 hr of observationtime logged(Table 1), sex(if