Long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus) ©Hamad alSehaib

Although our focus has been mostly on tracking Greater spotted eagles (e.g. here, here, here) that winter in Kuwait (Al Jahra Pools), we have also captured and tracked other species, including Steppe eagle (here, here) and Long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus). This posts about the movements of two Long-legged buzzards. They were marked with transmitters 8696 and 8697.

Fitting a tracking device to a Long-legged buzzard ©Dr Mahdi Gholoum

8696

8696 was captured on 22 March 2022 at Al Jahra Pools, fitted with a tracking device and released. After release it wandered around the northern Gulf area (Kuwait, northern Saudi Arabia, southwestern Iran, and southern Iraq). It started concerted spring migration on 13 April from north of Basra, Iraq. By 17 April it had settled into a location SW of Mahabad, Iran (approx. 36.501N, 45.428E). It stayed at that location until 28 May, except for a two-day (7-8 May) excursive loop to the north. On 28 May it pushed farther north, and settled at a location west of Lake Sevan, near the town of Dzoragyukh, Armenia (approx. 50 km E of Yerevan, 40.169N, 45.146E). Map below.

Movements of a Long-legged buzzard (8696) during 22 March – 9 June 2022.

8697

8697 was captured on 27 March 2022 at Al Jahra Pools, fitted with a tracking device and released. Unlike 8696, 8697 embarked on spring migration immediately after release, moving rather slowly north. On 17 April it stopped over at a location just south of the city of Van, Turkey (approx. 38.369N, 43.347E), and wandered to the east of the city. It eventually flew east from there, and during 21 April – 22 May was located SW of Ardabil, Iran (approx. 37.98N, 47.98E). On 22 May it departed and flew back to the location south of Van that it had visited previously. Since 22 May 8697 has been settled in the area just south of Van.