Late June 2015

143580 continues to move around just south of Muscat, and has shown some recent preference for roosting in cliffs in the Al Sareen Nature Reserve, about 7 km south of the Al Amerat rubbish dump.  It has also spent some time during the last week in the area just west of Yiti.

Movements of subadult Egyptian vulture in late June 2015

Mid June 2015

The vulture we have been tracking has probably just had a birthday.   This also means that his plumage is probably changing and he will look a bit different (more white) than he did when we caught him.  I keep calling 143580, "him", but it might be a "she".  We'd need to analyse the blood to determine its sex.

In the last weeks 143580 seems to have abandoned Quriyat, at least temporarily.  It has mostly been south of Muscat, and has made the occasional visit to the Al Amerat rubbish dump.  on 20 June, It visited Al Sareen Nature Reserve.

Movements of a three year old Egyptian vultures during 14-21 June 2015.

Cyclone Ashobaa

Looks like Oman might get hit by cyclone Ashobaa http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/oman-to-pakistan-remain-on-ale/48386959 It is unlikelythat such an event would have much effect on our tagged Egyptian vulture or on the breeding vultures in Oman, although they maynot be able to forage as efficiently if there is a lot of rain.  That effect will likely pass relatively quickly.

Early June 2015

The young bird we have been tracking has moved up from Quriyat toward Muscat, and on 1 June visited the municipal rubbish dump at Al Amerat, and the northern part of Wadi Sareen Reserve.  Since then it has been moving in the mountains to the east of Al Amerat.  Just to remind you, this is a bird that is too young to breed, but it seems to be a bird that was probably reared in Oman.  It may take another three years before we know if and where it will breed.

Movements of a second year Egyptian vulture during 1-9 June 2015.

Egyptian vulture in Wadi Sareen

The vulture we have been tracking, which is now about 2 years of age was near Quriyat during the beginning of this week, moved up to a location between Al Hajar and Yiti on the 20th and 21st, then moved back down to Quriyat.  After that it moved west and was last located (26 May) in the mountains of the Wadi Sareen Reserve, east of Tool.  Although no comprehensive survey of Wadi Sareen for Egyptian vultures has been made,  The reserve and the rest of the eastern Hajar Mountains likely hold a healthy breeding population of this globally endangered species.  It seems also that the mountains are used in the winter by vultures that have migrated to Oman from northern areas.  Of course, the Wadi Sareen Reserve is well known for its population of a globally endangered mammal species, the Arabian Tahr.

Movements of a two year old Egyptian vulture, most recently located in the Wadi Sareen  Reserve, which is managed by the Office for Conservation of the Environment.

Mid May 2015

The vulture we have been tracking has fallen into a steady routine.  It seems to divide its time mostly between the rubbish dump at Quriyat, the coast, a roost site inland and the area around the village of Hayl al Ghaf.  While this seems pretty unexciting, most of what we know about the movements of Egyptian vultures is from migratory populations and breeders.  This is a non-breeding bird.  Although non-breeders are often viewed as of secondary importance, obviously without surviving immature birds there would be no future generations of breeding adults.  For this reason, these data are useful for conservation.

Movements of immature vulture during early May 2015.

Zoomed view of map above showing the use of the coast, the local rubbish dump, the area around Hayl al Ghaf and a roost site at a communications tower.

First week of May 2015

For the last few weeks, the immature Egyptian vulture that we have been tracking has been spending its time in the Quriyat area, mostly just south and southwest of the town.  It seems also to spend alot of time roosting on a communications tower and foraging down on the beach. (Reeminder: If you click on the maps below, they should open up in another window and be larger and easier to see.)

Movements of an immature Egyptian vulture during the first week of May 2015

Location of a roosting site for the Egyptian vulture we are tracking on a communications mast near Quriyat.