Milvus Group - Bird and Nature Protection Association

Starting ceremony of the “Conservation of Aquila pomarina in Romania” Life+ project

koma — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:11:39 +0000

The starting ceremony of the “Conservation of Aquila pomarina in Romania” LIFE+ project was held at 10th of February 2010 in Sibiu at the Continental Forum Hotel.
Participants at the meeting were the three partners of the project: the Regional Environmental Agency from Sibiu, the Milvus Group and the Romanian Ornithological Society.
The project is financed by the LIFE+ program of the European Commission (Nature and Biodiversity section) will last four years (2010 – 2013) and is targeting 12 Natura 2000 sites, considered by us, the most important ones for the species. Most of the activities will be carried out in 3 from the 12 sites, the ones with the most important population of the species: Podişul Hârtibaciului, Dealurile Târnavelor – Valea Nirajului and Piemontul Făgăraşului.
The initiative of this project belongs to the Milvus Group. The ornithologists of the association are dealing with the conservation of the species from many years. They conducted a national census of the population which lasted 3 years and monitored the conservation priorities of the species. This work was the base of the current Life+ project.
According to this census, the Lesser spotted eagle population of Romania is estimated between 1700 and 2200 pairs, representing 22,2% of the European Union’s population and 12,5% of the global population.

Exotic turtle measuring day

koma — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:13:08 +0000

From January we will restart the exotic Turtle Measuring Day! This is an initiative of the Amphibian and Reptile Protection Group in collaboration with Trachemys Adoption – Romanian Coalition. Every turtle lover who keeps an exotic turtle can participate. Active participants will have to measure in every 23th day of the month 4 data of the turtle and these must be sent to the project coordinator (tibor.sos(at)gmail.com). The most active participants will be prized! The goal of this activity is to raise awareness in the circle of potential turtle buyers on the idea of accelerated growing rhythm of several exotic turtles (like Pond Sliders, Trachemys scripta ssp.). These turtles can reach in just 3-4 years the maximum size of the species, and thus the lovely miniturtle evolves to a problem, which is resolved by giving it further or even releasing it in nature! At the same time the main goal of the coalition is to popularize the problem of released exotic turtles in nature and to manage the adoption of the unwanted turtles. Other informations and the data file of the Measuring Day could be found here: http://www.freewebs.com/trachemysadoption/masurareatestoaselor.htm

2nd International “Milvus” Nature Photography Contest

koma — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:55:00 +0000

Association Milvus Group is organizing for the second the “International “Milvus” Nature Photography Contest”.

Photos can be sent for two categories:

A category – Free topic – any nature photo can be submitted (landscape, animal, plant, macro, etc.)
B category – Predators – only pictures related to predators (birds, mammals, etc) can be submitted .

Deadline for photo submissions is 30th of May 2010.

More information on application procedure can be downloaded here: (pdfEN), (pdfRO), pdf(HU).

Application form is available here: (docEN).

Milvus Scholarship-2010

koma — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:23:35 +0000

Milvus Group is launching the Milvus scholarship dedicated for student researchers interested in biology, ecology or nature conservation for year 2010. Our main objective is to help students to implement original research or conservation projects built upon original ideas and implemented by the new generation of researchers. The projects should be in line with the mission of the Milvus Group (protected animal and plant species, protected areas, future Natura 2000 sites, species monitoring, etc.) The maximum funding for individual projects is 850 RON while for “team projects” is up to 2000 RON.
Deadline for submission: 22nd February 2010
Further details and the application forms can be downloaded from here (in romanian) or required from the office@milvus.ro or istvan.komaromi@milvus.ro email addresses.

Synchronous winter census of Long-eared Owl

koma — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:34:00 +0000

International Long-eared Owl Network (ILEON) decided to initiate for winter 2009/2010 a synchronous winter census of Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) in Central and Eastern Europe. Till now, several countries from this geographical region manifest the willingness to participate in this program. Synchronous shall be done by a standard method, identical for each country and it is addressed for all volunteers who want to get involved in it. This program is a first step for getting a clearer picture about the number of the wintering Long-eared Owls in different regions of the country. Another major aim is to test the method in the preparation for the winter 2010/2011 a comprehensive international program on knowledge of population that winters in the up mentioned region. Therefore, the involvement of as many volunteers as possible is welcome.
In Romania, the coordinator of the program is the “Milvus Group” Association. If you decided to participate in this activity, please send the filled form of your census for the mentioned address (form available only in Hungarian and Romanian). For additional information and questions about the census, also please contact the coordinator at: szilard.daroczi(at)milvus.ro.

Information panel about bears

koma — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:46:11 +0000

On the 28th of November 2009, we have inaugurated in the Tg. Mures ZOO a bilingual (Romanian and Hungarian) information panel about bears. The panel – located next to the bears’ paddock – is intended for the education-information of the wider public (visitors) by presenting facts about the species’ biology, ecology, threats, etc. The panel also has some interactive features, namely 2 wooden boxes mounted on its bottom, in which children can get a “hands-on” experience by touching and feeling a bear’s teeth and footprint (both exact replicas after natural samples). The panel – realized within the “Brown bear conservation and research programme in a model area in Romania” and in co-operation with the Tg. Mures ZOO – was financially supported by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Romania (through the Matra Small Nature Management Projects).

We also plan to distribute information brochures to the visitors wanting more detailed information about bears. The brochures will soon be available at the ZOO’s entrance, free of charge, both in Romanian and Hungarian languages.

Trans European Wildlife Networks Conference

koma — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:51:14 +0000

On the 25th of November 2009, the Trans European Wildlife Networks Conference was held in Bucharest, at the Rin Grand Hotel. The conference – organized in partnership by the Milvus Group, the National Environmental Protection Agency, as well as Euronatur – was the closing event of a one and a half year long project, bearing the same title. The international project, implemented by partner organizations and institutions from 6 countries (with the Milvus Group being the Romanian project partner) focused on the following:

· mitigation of fragmentation in South Eastern and Central European countries with focus on existing and planned transport infrastructure & general landscape change; species focus: large carnivores

· establishment of an expert network on national and international level

· capacity building, mainly in Bulgaria and Romania

The conference was attended by the project partners (presenting their experiences from Romania and abroad), the representative of the European Commission, Environment Directorate-General (for Romania), as well as by stakeholders from Romania, such as representatives of the National Company for Highways and National Roads, companies performing environmental impact assessments for various transport infrastructure projects, Regional Environmental Protection Agencies, protected areas’ representatives, interested NGOs, etc. The total number of more, than 60 participants confirmed the importance of the subject.

We consider the event a very important stepping stone in this perspective, since this was the first such occasion in Romania, when all interested parties met and had the chance to openly debate on the issue.

The presentation from the conference can be downloaded from here (in PDF format).

mitigation of fragmentation in South Eastern and Central European countries with focus on existing and planned transport infrastructure & general landscape change; species focus: large carnivores
establishment of an expert network on national and international level
capacity building, mainly in Bulgaria and Romania

The presentations from the conference can be downloaded from here (in PDF format).

Examination for ringing licese

szilard — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:33:03 +0000

On 21st November 2009 Milvus Group organized the second examination for persons who wanted to obtain ringing license for wild birds. The examination was held at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Targu Mures. A number of eight persons expressed their willingness to participate on the examination. A total of six participants had take the exam only for birds of prey and owls, and two people the general test which is focused on Passeriformes. The examination, as in the previous year, had three steps, which should be completed in succession: test of ringing ethics and ringing rules, written test with questions about identification and comparison of different species in hand, and recognition of stuffed and naturalized bird species. The next exam will take place in February 2010. We request those all the enquirers who want to acquire the ringing license in the session of February to contact for details István Kovács (istvan.kovacs (at)milvus.ro) and Daróczi J. Szilárd (szilard.daroczi (at)milvus.ro)

Drawing contest at Iernut

koma — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:56:53 +0000

Last month was held the opening ceremony of the “My favourite waterfowl” drawing contest at Iernut elementary school. More than 190 drawings sent to the contest were prized in two categories classes I-IV and V-VIII. The event was organized as part of the project “Popularization of the Elesteele Iernut Cipau Natura 2000 site and preparation of its managemnt plan involving local stakeholders” financed by the Environmental Partnership Foundation and MOL Romania.

Red-footed Falcons tagged with satellite transmitters

szilard — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:29:45 +0000

On 15^th July 2009 has come to us a satellite telemetry transmitter to be mounted on a Red-Footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus). The transmitter with only five grams is currently the smallest existing transmitter can be mounted on birds.
In total purchased eight transmitters of which seven were mounted birds in Hungary and one in Romania. We believe that this event is a very important step in knowledge of the migration of this endangered species.

Together with a large number of members of the Milvus Group and colleagues at BirdLife Hungary, on 15^th July have mounted the transmitter on an adult female of 178 grams. The bird, named Anita, was caught at the colony near Livada de Bihor (Bihor County), having an exceptional physical condition.
The transmitter, who for some time already entered into service will transmit us data about all the movements and will sketch the bird migration route and wintering areas in Africa.
A better knowledge of migration routes and places of agglomeration is very essential for the proper conservation of the species.
Anita, like other birds with satellite tags, is monitored daily, and a map about the migration rotes, updated every three days, can be found on the link: http://www.kekvercse.mme.hu/en/gmap
For further details on the Conservation of Falco even in the Pannonian region, funded by LIFE project (LIFE05/NAT/H/000122), please visit: http://www.falcoproject.hu/en/content/show