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Sustaining Increasing Wintering Raptor Populations in Central Israel: A 38 Years Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Ezra Hadad

    (Israel Nature and Parks Authority, 3 Am Ve’Olamo St., Jerusalem 9546303, Israel)

  • Piotr Zduniak

    (Department of Avian Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland)

  • Reuven Yosef

    (Eilat Campus, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 272, Eilat 8810201, Israel
    Department of Environmental Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 411007, India)

Abstract

Censusing wintering raptors has proved useful in detecting changes in populations. Israel is a well-known bottleneck for soaring birds in the autumn and the spring. Despite the many studies on migratory raptors in Israel, none have undertaken the study of the overwintering raptors consistently over extended periods, such as 1985–2022, a period of 38 years. During the study, conducted in central Israel, we recorded 44,120 individuals from 32 species. The most frequently observed species were Black Kite ( Milvus migrans ; 59.1%), Common Kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ; 18.1%), and Steppe Buzzard ( Buteo vulpinus ; 6.6%). We found an increase in the total number of individuals, where the mean increase compared to the starting year was 851.6 ± 1071.2%, and the average annual growth was 43.7 ± 158.8%, respectively. A similar pattern was found in the number of species during the study period, where the mean annual increase was 17.1 ± 20.5%, and the average annual growth rate of species richness was 2.2 ± 16.2%. However, an evaluation of the mortality from power lines of two listed species suggests that the wintering raptors are not well protected in the study area. The conservation of these raptors and the possible sustainability of their wintering populations into the future, some of which are on the IUCN Red List, are of great importance, and the authorities should try and understand the human demographics and mesohabitat changes that appear to influence the wintering capabilities of the raptor populations.

Suggested Citation

  • Ezra Hadad & Piotr Zduniak & Reuven Yosef, 2022. "Sustaining Increasing Wintering Raptor Populations in Central Israel: A 38 Years Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-14, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:12481-:d:930506
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Scott R Loss & Tom Will & Peter P Marra, 2014. "Refining Estimates of Bird Collision and Electrocution Mortality at Power Lines in the United States," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(7), pages 1-10, July.
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