Monitoring of Raptors in the Forest of Aragats Mountain – 2005-2009
- Acopian Center for the Environment
- Yerevan State University
In 2005 we have started a pilot survey of raptors at the forest area of Aragats Mountain, with following objectives:
- to determine a sample area for long term monitoring of forest raptors
- to create a platform for training students in field data collection.
We started the project with full involvement of two students Maro Kochinyan and Hayk Harutyunyan and with occasional involvement of several younger students – volunteers of the “Birds of Armenia” project.
Forest area of Aragats mountain
The forest area of Aragats is rather small (about 2 sq km) but includes almost all diurnal forest raptor species found in Armenia.
Nestlings of Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Particularly we found the following species:
- Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus – 1 pair
- Black Kite Milvus migrans – 1 pair
- Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus – 1 pair
- Common Buzzard Buteo buteo – 4 pairs
- Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina – 1 pair
- Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus – 1 pair
- Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus – 2 pair
- Goshawk Accipiter gentilis – 1 pair
We continue annual use of this place to train the students and to track Raptors life.
The results of the survey were published in Russian Conservation News No.39 Summer 2005