News

Read more about the article Red-footed Falcon conservation measures: counting roosting sites, tagging birds with satellite transmitters

Red-footed Falcon conservation measures: counting roosting sites, tagging birds with satellite transmitters

IMG_3665Following their long summer preparing, Red-footed Falcons start their migration in early autumn. On their way to south they roost in flocks of varying numbers (from a few individuals to even more than a thousand) on groups of trees. As they are faithful to their roosting sites, they arrive to these places each autumn. Milvus Group has been conducting Red-footed Falcon counts on roosting sites for several years now. Every week from mid-August until the first week of October synchronous observations are made in the Romanian, Hungarian and Serbian Red-footed Falcon roosting sites. Similarly to past years, this year observations have been made in 6 sites in western Romania (here we would like to thank all those helping us in these observations!). (more…)

Continue ReadingRed-footed Falcon conservation measures: counting roosting sites, tagging birds with satellite transmitters
Read more about the article Two European Ground Squirrel colonies moved from soon to be destroyed habitats

Two European Ground Squirrel colonies moved from soon to be destroyed habitats

IMG_9049Individuals from two colonies of European Ground Squirrel (also known as Souslik), whose habitats were faced with imminent destruction, have been moved to safer pastures. For five days over the May Day holiday, members of Milvus Group camped out among ground squirrel populations in the Banat region of Western Romania. Here there were two colonies whose habitats are soon to disappear. (more…)

Continue ReadingTwo European Ground Squirrel colonies moved from soon to be destroyed habitats
Read more about the article Milvus Group organizes ringing camp at Chituc sandbank

Milvus Group organizes ringing camp at Chituc sandbank

_DSC6547Chituc sandbank, located at the eastern extremity of Romania between Lake Sinoe and the Black Sea, is acting as a funnel regarding the migration of songbirds. To study the intensity and dynamics of migration, Milvus Group organized two ringing camps here in 1996 and 1997. This year between the 5th of August and 1st of November, the third ringing camp takes place on Chituc, and it’s one of the largest ever organized ringing camps in Romania and the largest ornithological event of 2014 in our country, because the continuous ringing activity lasts over 13 weeks. (more…)

Continue ReadingMilvus Group organizes ringing camp at Chituc sandbank
Read more about the article Saving a Golden Eagle chick

Saving a Golden Eagle chick

IMG_3406

Each year, raptor specialists from Milvus Group check nests in the breeding period. The primary aims are to ascertain the breeding status of the birds, to ring the chicks and to determine the threats to successful breeding.  On the 25th of June the specialists visited the nest of a pair of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), where they found an unpleasant scene. The original nest in a scots pine had fallen from its position, most likely due to damage caused by a storm. Fortunately, the chick was still alive, living in a part of the nest that had caught on the lower branches. The specialists assessed that the remains of the nest will not survive another storm and, as the life of the chicks was in danger, they decided to help it. They took the Golden Eagle chick to the Rehabilitation Centre from Tîrgu Mureș, where the veterinarian examined it, finding that the chick was in good shape. The following day they took it back to the nesting area. The team mounted an artificial nest in the place of the original nest and, after ringing the chick, put it in the new nest. When the ornithologists left the parent Golden Eagles were already there and watching their chick. After a just a month the chick had already been spotted flying.

(more…)

Continue ReadingSaving a Golden Eagle chick

For the first time in Romania two Lesser Spotted Eagle chicks have been found in one nest

Lesser Spotted Eagle nest with two chicks on sycamore tree (Vidacut)
Lesser Spotted Eagle nest with two chicks on sycamore tree (Vidacut)
This year, Members of Milvus Group continued to verify the Lesser Spotted Eagle nests, the breeding success and the threatening factors in the breeding season and ringing the chicks in the two Natura 2000 sites. The activity is part of “LIFE08 NAT/RO/000501 project – Conservation of the Lesser Spotted Eagle in Romania – other conservation activities were also implemented. On the 22th of July, during synchronic raptor observations on the Dealurile Târnavelor and Valea Nirajului Natura 2000 sites, we identified more Lesser Spotted Eagle territories and the approximate location of their nests. (more…)

Continue ReadingFor the first time in Romania two Lesser Spotted Eagle chicks have been found in one nest
Read more about the article Results of the 6th International “Milvus” Nature Photography Contest

Results of the 6th International “Milvus” Nature Photography Contest

photocontestlogoLocation: Tg.Mures – Romania Judging date: 28th of June 2014 Members of the jury: Tamás András AFIAP – RO, president of jury Kerekes István EFIAP/p – HU Dan Dinu AFIAP, PhotoLife – RO

 81 photographers sent pictures from 12 countries Free topic: 304 photos Photo essay: 480 photos in 95 essays

Sponsor:Photosetup logo ALB verticala pe NEGRU

THE WINNERS

The Grand Prize (First place winner of the competition)

Kis Csaba/Hungary – „Light and fantasy13 (more…)

Continue ReadingResults of the 6th International “Milvus” Nature Photography Contest
Read more about the article Several nests of Montagu’s Harriers, one of the rarest breeding raptor species in Romania, are in danger
/ Puii și un ou

Several nests of Montagu’s Harriers, one of the rarest breeding raptor species in Romania, are in danger

IMG_1289
Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus)
The Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus is a migratory raptor species, which has a large distribution from the Iberian Peninsula to Western Mongolia and which winters in Africa and India. It is mainly a lowland species, however in certain regions occupies high plateaus up to 1500m. The distribution of this species in Romania is poorly known, but the breeding population is most likely well below 100 pairs. (more…)

Continue ReadingSeveral nests of Montagu’s Harriers, one of the rarest breeding raptor species in Romania, are in danger

Successful breeding in a Romanian Saker Falcon artificial nest

P1150143Arthur – the first Saker Falcon to nest in Banat region after their return to the area – was first seen with his pair by Milvus Group ornithologists at the end of February in that year, near a high voltage pylon from Banat region. Atop of the pylon there was a nest made of twigs and the territorial behaviour of Arthur and his pair suggested that it could be the third Saker Falcon nest from Banat region. (more…)

Continue ReadingSuccessful breeding in a Romanian Saker Falcon artificial nest

Rescuing a Red-footed Falcon colony from disappearing

IMG_4983
Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus)
The Red-footed Falcon is our only migratory raptor species which breeds in colonies. Over the previous decades, Red-footed Falcon populations across much of its European habitat range have suffered a decrease and, for this reason, it has become a priority species in the European Union. Red-footed Falcons are unable to make their own nest, instead occupying rooks nests. As such, the destiny of Red-footed Falcon’s population is strictly related to the conservation status of Rook. (more…)

Continue ReadingRescuing a Red-footed Falcon colony from disappearing