Tuesday 28 / January / 2025
Muscat: A research team from the Environmental Conservation Office at the Environment Authority has recorded a promising increase in the sooty falcon ( Falco concolor ) population on an island in northern Oman. A survey conducted in 2024 counted 32 birds, up from 21 in 2023. This field study provides valuable evidence of a positive trend for this vulnerable species.
Sayyid Taimur bin Abdullah Al Said, Director of Environmental Affairs at the Environmental Conservation Office, explained that the sooty falcon survey team undertook field surveys in two phases. The first phase ran from 13th to 20th August, and the second from 22nd September to 3rd October 2024.
The primary objectives of the survey were multifaceted: to provide and update data on the sooty falcon’s status and nesting sites on these islands; to provide training for personnel; to prepare a comprehensive project report; and to publish the survey results in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
The sooty falcon is currently classified as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List due to a decline in its global population. This medium-sized falcon breeds in the Middle East and north-eastern Africa, and spends its winters along the south-eastern coast of Africa and Madagascar. The islands within the Muscat and South Al Batinah governorates in Oman are recognised as globally significant breeding sites for this species.
In an exciting development, the research team successfully tracked the migration route of a juvenile sooty falcon from Oman to Madagascar between October and December 2024 using satellite tracking devices. The bird, fitted with a tracking device on 3rd October 2024, travelled through Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South Sudan, western Kenya, and Mozambique, finally reaching Madagascar on 14th December 2024. The juvenile covered an impressive distance of 9,200 kilometres in approximately 50 days. The team anticipates tracking the return migration from Madagascar to Oman during the summer months.
