I received an e-mail recently from Khalifa Al Dhaheri saying he had found on social media
a sighting of an immature Steppe Eagle seen and photographed in
Abha two years ago with 200 other wintering Steppe Eagles by Ahmed Niazi.
Interestingly, in the picture there was a tag that carried a code usually
placed on birds by environmental organizations with the aim of trying to track
their migration routes and thus help protect them. When Khalifa saw the photo
he sent the data to the research centre in Russia and received the information below. Khalifa also kindly obtained permission from Ahmed for me to use Ahmed's photograph of the bird that is shown below and I am very greatful to him for his help and sharing the information with me and thus my readers. If any photogrpahers are in regions where Steppe Eagles winter it is worth looking out for wing-tagged birds and trying to get details including photogrpahs of them. The more data we have from tagged and ringed birds in Saudi Arabia the better we can help protect them.
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis
Wing Tag: White P8
Ringing date: 8-Jul-2012
Ringing Place: Volgagrad Region, Russia
Age: Pullus
Ringer:
Finding date: 10-Feb-2013
Finding Place: Southwest Abha, between Abha and Marabah, Asir, Saudi
Arabia (Co-ords: 18.060602N, 42.490365E)
Finding Condition: Bird found alive and photographed.
Duration: 218 days
Distance: 3495 km
Direction: 188 deg (S)
Finder: Ahmed Niazi
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