Preliminary assessment of distribution and population size of wintering Little Bustards Tetrax tetrax in Iran

Abstract

SummaryLittle Bustard Tetrax tetrax surveys were conducted in Iran in autumn and winter from 2005/2006 to 2008/2009. Across northern Iran, Little Bustard presence was confirmed at 15 of the 84 sites visited during the surveys. Three main wintering regions were identified: the Moghan Plain in the north-west of the country, the Turkmen Sahra Plain at the south-east corner of the Caspian Sea and the Sarakhs Plain in the north-east, close to the Afghan border. Up to 10,050 individuals were counted in winter 2009 in the Moghan Plain, which was recognised as the most important area for wintering Little Bustards in Iran. The species was also found in good numbers in Miankaleh, Gomishan, Soufikam, Shour Lake and Sarakhs. Flocks comprising 51 to 500 individuals were the most commonly observed and represented 32% of occurrences. A marked increase in wintering population size was noted in recent years. The main wintering period in Iran extends from November to February. At a national scale, we estimated the Iranian wintering population of Little Bustards at 5,000–10,000 individuals. This preliminary assessment suggests the need for a nationwide survey, emphasising in particular the western, south-western and central parts of the country that were overlooked in our study. It suggests further that Little Bustards in Iran would greatly benefit from national and regional conservation programmes.

Migratory behaviour of bird species occurring in critical numbers at Besh Barmag bottleneck in Azerbaijan

“…A number of individuals were shot in November 2011, when hunters drove through the steppes on board 4WD cars flushing birds and shooting at them. Poaching of Little Bustards was also reported from the same region in a previous study in autumn 2007 (Heiss and Gauger 2011), and is also known from the wintering grounds in Azerbaijan (Patrikeev 2004, Gauger 2007) and adjacent Iran (Sehhatisabet et al 2012). The low number of victims notwithstanding, it is abundantly clear that a significant number of local people regard this species as fair game and ignore or are unaware of the fact that with the majority of its eastern population converging at Besh Barmag on migration, the life history of this species depends largely on a safe through passage.…”

Distance to international border shapes the distribution pattern of the growing Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax winter population in Northern Iran

“…Winter surveys were carried out during October–February in 2010–2015 in northern Iran. A first assessment of the species’ distribution and population size was made by Sehhatisabet et al (2012). This earlier study, carried out between 2003 and 2010, identified the main wintering habitats used by the species in five northern Iranian provinces including the plains of Ardebil, Gilan, Mazandaran, Golestan and Khorasan-e-Razavi.…”

“…This earlier study, carried out between 2003 and 2010, identified the main wintering habitats used by the species in five northern Iranian provinces including the plains of Ardebil, Gilan, Mazandaran, Golestan and Khorasan-e-Razavi. In the present study we covered all Little Bustard areas previously identified by Sehhatisabet et al 2012 plus another 38 sites dominated by open agricultural landscapes that had not been surveyed in northern Iran. These sites were of variable size (mean = 2,136 ha, SD = ± 4,463) and surveyed by covering all available roads and tracks by car at slow speed and with regular stops to scan for Little Bustard flocks using binoculars.…”

“…In contrast to the western European populations which are mostly short-distance migrant birds (García de la Morena et al 2015), except for the French Atlantic populations, the eastern population is fully migratory (Cramp and Simmons 1980), wintering in the Caucasus, Azerbaijan and Iran (Gauger 2007). Recent Little Bustard winter counts in these wintering sites highlight the importance of the Iran/Azerbaijan region as a wintering site (Gauger 2007, Sehhatisabet et al 2012), possibly comprising the large majority of the eastern population (Iñigo and Borov 2010). Azerbaijan holds by far the highest known winter concentrations of Little Bustards in the world, with an estimated 150,000 birds found wintering in the region (Gauger 2007).…”

“…Every year between November and February, Iran harbours an important wintering population with an estimated size of 5,000–10,000 individuals (Sehhatisbet et al 2012). While alfalfa and other favourable agricultural crops for the species are expanding rapidly across northern parts of Iran and providing attractive winter habitat, hunting has been identified as a major threat (Sehhatisbet et al 2012).…”