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Raptor migration at Guantouling, south-west China: phenology, weather influence and persecution pressure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2021

XU SHI Open the ORCID record for XU SHI [Opens in a new window] ,
XIAOBO XIAO ,
XINYI ZHAO ,
RENJIE SUN ,
XINGFENG ZHAO ,
CHI-YEUNG CHOI Open the ORCID record for CHI-YEUNG CHOI [Opens in a new window]  and
WUYING LIN Open the ORCID record for WUYING LIN [Opens in a new window]
XU SHI
Affiliation:
Guangxi Biodiversity Research and Conservation Association, Nanning, China. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072 Qld, Australia. Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK.
XIAOBO XIAO
Affiliation:
Guangxi Biodiversity Research and Conservation Association, Nanning, China.
XINYI ZHAO
Affiliation:
Guangxi Biodiversity Research and Conservation Association, Nanning, China.
RENJIE SUN
Affiliation:
Guangxi Key Laboratory of Mangrove Conservation and Utilization, Guangxi Mangrove Research Center, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Beihai 536000, China.
XINGFENG ZHAO
Affiliation:
Guangxi Ejdrone technology co. LTD, Beihai, China.
CHI-YEUNG CHOI
Affiliation:
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
WUYING LIN*
Affiliation:
Guangxi Biodiversity Research and Conservation Association, Nanning, China.
*
*Author for correspondence: linwuying@gxbrc.org
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Summary

South-west China, particularly between the Himalayas and the Beibu Gulf, constitutes an important corridor for migratory raptors along the East-Asian continental flyway. However, a lack of ornithological assessment and the common practice of illegal hunting in this region emphasize the need for research and conservation actions. To investigate the ecology of migration and scale of persecution, we launched one of the first citizen-science projects in mainland China to record southward-migrating raptors and hunting gunshots from 2015 to 2019 on Guantouling, a well-known raptor site in South-west China. A total of 42,891 raptors were recorded, belonging to 30 diurnal raptor species. Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus, Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus and Amur Falcon Falco amurensis were the three most abundant species recorded. The bulk of Grey-faced Buzzard and Amur Falcon migrated through Guantouling from mid-October till early November, while Oriental Honey Buzzard migrated throughout October and early November. Precipitation slowed down migration significantly while increasing cloud cover was favoured by the three most abundant species. We found hunting mostly occurred in the afternoon, coinciding with an increasing number of Oriental Honey Buzzard, which may become a major victim of hunting. It is thus suggested to prioritize peak raptor migration period for law enforcement actions, especially on cloudy days and after passage of cold fronts, when Oriental Honey Buzzards and other species are likely to migrate. The annual counting scheme on Guantouling is not only an ecological survey, but also an effective way of engaging the public to counter raptor persecution.

Keywords

East-Asian continental flywayraptor persecutionweather influencephenologyOriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus
Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 33 , 2023 , e2
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of BirdLife International

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