Tracking data suggest that Oman's Egyptian Vulture population is much larger than expected

摘要

We tracked 12 adult Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus, captured at a landfill near Muscat, Oman, in January 2018. By 31st May 2018, none had migrated, although one had moved to southern Iran. Assuming that the tracked birds were representative,it seems likely that the majority of Egyptian Vultures found in Oman in winter are resident. Together with findings from other studies, including counts at landfill sites and surveys of breeding birds on Masirah Island, tracking suggests that the Omani population must greatly exceed the published estimate of 100 pairs.This, and the apparent low level of current threats in Oman, is welcome news for a species suffering steep declines across most of its range.