Eastern Imperial Eagles - Ushaiqer
Whilst birding Ushaiqer waste dump I found at least two Eastern Imperial Eagles. The birds were seen sitting on the ground amongst about fifty Steppe Eagles and allowed close approach in the car. I took the below photos which are some of the best photos I have of the species. The Eastern Imperial Eagle is an uncommon winter visitor to Saudi Arabia with most records coming from the north of the country where they are generally seen inland rather than near the coast. The species breeds from Eastern Europe across Asia to China and winters in the Middle East, east Africa south to Tanzania, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and from Thailand to Korea. Currently Eastern Imperial Eagle is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List as it has a small global population and is likely to be undergoing continuing declines, primarily as a result of habitat loss and degradation, persecution and prey depletion.
Count of Steppe Eagles witnesses steep decline in Oman s Dhofar region
By: Times News Service
Muscat: The Office for Conservation of Environment recorded a remarkable decline in the number of Steppe Eagles by more than 80 per cent in parts of Dhofar within one year. Steppe Eagles are migratory birds that visit the Sultanate in winter every year.
Khalid bin Muhammad Al Hakmani, Head of the Natural Reserves Department at the Salalah Environmental Conservation Office and the supervisor of the specialised environmental study, said, “The preliminary results of the study showed a significant decrease in the number of migratory Steppe Eagles, with a decrease of 84 per cent during the study period, compared to 2019-2020, specifically during the months between (October until the end of December) every year.”
cheels), raptors are shy. So where does one find them?
Some are found in open spaces, circling the sky while scanning the fields for prey. Close to Dhaka, I have seen them over the grasslands of Purbachol. The Common Kestrel, a small falcon, can be easily seen there in winter, a reddish bird perched atop electric poles. Larger raptors circle high overhead. While most are
cheels, I have seen Booted and Steppe Eagles, Japanese Buzzards and Oriental Honey-Buzzards among them, discernible from photographs or with binoculars. The Black-winged Kite breeds in Purbachol. A magnificent black-and-white hunter, it sometimes hovers at one spot while looking for prey.