Andrew Dixon

As an apex predator in arid steppe, saker falcon plays a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem balance. Understanding their movement patterns concerning conspecific competition and prey availability is important for their conservation. We aim to understand how movement pattern of breeding saker falcons relates to prey availability. Twelve adult sak...

Plain Language Summary This paper represents a synthesis of conceptual analyses, case study analyses, and practical thoughts on the application of convergence science in Arctic change studies. During a virtual workshop in 2020, a diverse, multi‐national team of authors consisting of social scientists, engineers, earth system scientists, and ecologi...

We report how artificial nests can be utilised at scale in nest site-limited areas of Mongolia to create a managed population of Saker Falcons (Falco cherrug), an "Endangered" species that is harvested for international trade. The provision of 5,000 artificial nests created an average annual saker population of 602 (SE ± 59) breeding pairs, produci...

Bird migration has long been a subject of fascination for humankind and is a behavior that is both intricate and multifaceted. In recent years, advances in technology, particularly in the fields of genomics and animal tracking, have enabled significant progress in our understanding of this phenomenon. In this review, we provide an overview of the l...

The delivery of electricity to widely dispersed communities across the open steppe grasslands of Mongolia depends on medium-voltage (10–35 kV) distribution lines, often carrying power over substantial distances. Previously utilizing wooden supports, upgraded and new distribution lines are now designed to be cheaper, using steel-reinforced concrete...

Steppe Eagles (Aquila nipalensis) and Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are species of conservation and cultural importance in Mongolia. Electrocution at electricity distribution lines is a threat faced by both species across Central Asia. We present the results of power line surveys conducted in the Mongolian steppe region to elucidate temporal pa...

In efforts to prevent extinction, resource managers are often tasked with increasing genetic diversity in a population of concern to prevent inbreeding depression or improve adaptive potential in a changing environment. The assumption that all small populations require measures to increase their genetic diversity may be unwarranted, and limited res...

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), possesses a climate as cold as that of the Arctic, and also presents uniquely low oxygen concentrations and intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation. QTP animals have adapted to these extreme conditions, but whether they obtained genetic variations from the Arctic during cold adaptation, and how genomic mutations in non-c...

Considered extinct as breeding species in the early 2000s, the Saker Falcon was recovered when the first active nest from the new history of the species in Bulgaria was discovered in 2018, formed of two birds that were re-introduced back in 2015. Currently, there is only one confirmed wild breeding pair in the country - the male from 2015 with a fe...

Millions of migratory birds occupy seasonally favourable breeding grounds in the Arctic¹, but we know little about the formation, maintenance and future of the migration routes of Arctic birds and the genetic determinants of migratory distance. Here we established a continental-scale migration system that used satellite tracking to follow 56 peregr...

We describe seasonal changes in the physiology of reproductive organs of Saker Falcons electrocuted on an electricity power line in Mongolia. Macroscopic examination of the gonads revealed asymmetry in testes size, with bias to the left body side. This asymmetry declined with seasonal increase in testes size during the main egg-laying period of the...

The Arctic is entering a new ecological state, with alarming consequences for humanity. Animal-borne sensors offer a window into these changes. Although substantial animal tracking data from the Arctic and subarctic exist, most are difficult to discover and access. Here, we present the new Arctic Animal Movement Archive (AAMA), a growing collection...

Ecological “big data” Human activities are rapidly altering the natural world. Nowhere is this more evident, perhaps, than in the Arctic, yet this region remains one of the most remote and difficult to study. Researchers have increasingly relied on animal tracking data in these regions to understand individual species' responses, but if we want to...

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

ABSTRACT.—We examined variation in the number and demographic composition of electrocuted Saker Falcons (Falco cherrug) in Mongolia. We found 1721 electrocuted Saker Falcons during our surveys of multiple power lines in 2013–2015 and 2018. At a single power line surveyed over a 16-mo period in 2013– 2014, the lowest electrocution rates occurred fro...

We examined variation in the number and demographic composition of electrocuted Saker Falcons (Falco cherrug) in Mongolia. We found 1721 electrocuted Saker Falcons during our surveys of multiple power lines in 2013–2015 and 2018. At a single power line surveyed over a 16-mo period in 2013–2014, the lowest electrocution rates occurred from December...

We conducted a trial of a mitigation technique aimed at reducing avian electrocution rates at a 15kV electricity distribution line in the Mongolian steppe. Electrocution resulted from birds contacting live conductor cables either when perched at the top of the grounded steel-reinforced concrete pole or when perched on the steel crossarm. Mitigation...

We describe the migration pathways of 12 Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus cali­dus breeding on the Yamal Peninsula, Russia. Overall, we tracked 30 complete (17 autumn and 13 spring) and 5 incomplete seasonal migration routes. Winter ranges extended from the Atlantic coast of southern Portugal in the west to Kish Island in the Arabian Gulf in the...

The relative frequency of Common Pigeons Columba livia in the diet of Peregrine Falcons differed across three areas of south-central Wales in line with racing pigeon availability. Peregrines exhibited a functional response to spatial and temporal availability of racing pigeons. During the pigeon-racing season (April–September), pigeons comprised 63...

Alternatively spliced transcript isoforms are thought to play a critical role for functional diversity. However, the mechanism generating the enormous diversity of spliced transcript isoforms remains unknown, and its biological significance remains unclear. We analyzed transcriptomes in saker falcons, chickens and mice to show that alternative spli...

Accurate individual identification is required to estimate survival rates in avian populations. For endangered species, non-invasive methods of obtaining individual identification, such as using molted feathers as a source of DNA for microsatellite markers, are preferred because of less disturbance, easy sample preparation and high efficiency. With...

The appearance of Raven Corvus corax nests on technogenic landscape elements associated with the extraction and transportation of oil and gas which has been taking place in the recent years on the Yamal Peninsula, has also promoted a northward expansion of the Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus breeding distribution. The first Gyrfalcon nest containing 4 e...

Low oxygen and temperature pose key physiological challenges for endotherms living on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Molecular adaptations to high-altitude living have been detected in the genomes of Tibetans, their domesticated animals and a few wild species, but the contribution of transcriptional variation to altitudinal adaptation remains t...

Birds migrating across the Himalayan region fly over the highest peaks in the world, facing immense physiological and climatic challenges. The authors show the different strategies used by birds to cope with these challenges. Many wetland avian species are seen in the high-altitude lakes of the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan Plateau, such as B...

Avian electrocution at power lines is a well-documented phenomenon, yet factors influencing the frequency of electrocution events and the efficacy of mitigation techniques remain relatively under-reported. During May-July, we surveyed a 56 km long 15 kV electricity distribution line running across open steppe in Mongolia recording electrocuted bird...

Between 1998 and 2011 we monitored the winter ranging behaviour of eight female Saker Falcons Falco cherrug fitted with satellite-received transmitters. Our tracking revealed that the winter home range area occupied by individual Saker Falcons varied greatly (median = 166 km ² , range = 5-18,469 km ² ). A random forest model showed that Saker Falco...

Falconry is important in the cultural heritage of the Arabic people (Ceballos 2009, Wakefield 2012), and has been carried out in the Arabian Peninsula, the wider Middle East and North African Maghreb region for centuries, with early documentation dating from 3000 yr ago (Canby 2002). Traditional falconry, as practiced by the Bedouin nomads of Arabi...

Capsule This study identifies lethal and sub-lethal effects associated with the deployment of harness-mounted satellite transmitters on a large falcon species.Aims We examined the effect of harness-mounted satellite transmitters and patagial tags on survival, behaviour and physical health of adult Saker Falcons.Methods We compared breeding turnover...

We monitored 100 artificial nests of four different designs to examine the occupancy and breeding success of predatory birds in nest site limited, steppe habitat of central Mongolia. Three species, upland buzzard Buteo hemilasius, common raven Corvus corax and saker falcon Falco cherrug, occupied artificial nests in all years and their number incre...

Ross’s Gull is one of the most emblematic Arctic birds and least known seabirds in the world; postbreeding movements and the use of sea-ice habitats have been long debated, but described only from scattered observations. We tracked two adults, a male and female, breeding in the Kolyma Delta, Russia, using the lightest (<5 g) satellite transmitters...

The Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) is a species of cultural importance for Arabian falconry that is highly valued and desired by many falconers in the Gulf States. Modern Arabian falconry has created a significant demand for falcons that is met primarily by international trade, both legal and illegal, of captive-bred and wild-sourced birds. This comm...

The status of the Peregrine Falco peregrinus in Mongolia is unclear, not only because of limited observations but also due to taxonomic uncertainty. Some taxonomic authorities treat the Barbary Falcon as a distinct species Falco pelegrinoides, with two subspecies F. p. pelegrinoides in North Africa and Middle East and F. p. babylonicus in Central A...

Ross’s Gull is one of the most emblematic Arctic birds and least known seabirds in the world; postbreeding movements and the use of sea-ice habitats have been long debated, but described only from scattered observations. We tracked two adults, a male and female, breeding in the Kolyma Delta, Russia, using the lightest (\5 g) satellite transmitters...

We used patagial tags, VHF radio transmitters, and satellite-received transmitters to investigate the movements and survival of juvenile saker falcons fledged from artificial nests in open landscapes and natural nest sites in hilly areas in Mongolia. During the post-fledging dependence period (PFDP) juveniles progressively moved farther from their...

Birds are the most species-rich class of tetrapod vertebrates and have wide relevance across many research fields. We explored bird macroevolution using full genomes from 48 avian species representing all major extant clades. The avian genome is principally characterized by its constrained size, which predominantly arose because of lineage-specific...

To better determine the history of modern birds, we performed a genome-scale phylogenetic analysis of 48 species representing all orders of Neoaves using phylogenomic methods created to handle genome-scale data. We recovered a highly resolved tree that confirms previously controversial sister or close relationships. We identified the first divergen...

Birds are the most species-rich class of tetrapod vertebrates and have wide relevance across many research fields. We explored bird macroevolution using full genomes from 48 avian species representing all major extant clades. The avian genome is principally characterized by its constrained size, which predominantly arose because of lineage-specific...

Birds are the most species-rich class of tetrapod vertebrates and have wide relevance across many research fields. We explored bird macroevolution using full genomes from 48 avian species representing all major extant clades. The avian genome is principally characterized by its constrained size, which predominantly arose because of lineage-specific...

Compared to other types of powerlines the 15kW lines present higher raptor electrocution risks in Mongolia. Our study aim is to estimate mortality rate of raptors, to identify some factors that affecting raptor electrocution, and to determine methods to reduce the raptor mortality based on 15kW lines between Uulbayan to Munkhkhaan soums of Sukhbaat...

Evidence for the presence of sakers in Bulgaria dates from 1500-3000 years ago. The first documented records of breeding sakers go back to the 13th century. We collected 337 breeding records of sakers in Bulgaria (1860-2013), comprising 176 locations (52 Confirmed, 16 Probable and 108 Possible). Our study suggests that in the 19th century the speci...

Many different ecological factors affecting the size, use, and spatial configuration of home ranges have been investigated, yet the chronology of the breeding cycle has been relatively under studied. Here, we studied peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) to describe variation in homerange within and between breeding seasons in the Yamal peninsula, a...

Recent years have seen considerable progress in applying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to population genetics studies. However, relatively few have attempted to use them to study the genetic differentiation of wild bird populations and none have examined possible differences of exonic and intronic SNPs in these studies. Here, using 144 SNP...

We present results from a study on the diet of Saker falcon (n = 15 nests) and Eastern imperial eagle (n = 2 nests) from south Kazakhstan, on the basis of food remains and pellets collected during the 2009 breeding season. The main prey for Saker falcon was predominantly rodents living in middle-size colonies – Spermophilus erytrogenys and Rhombomy...

Abstract Artificial nests are a commonly used management technique to increase the breeding population and/or productivity of birds with nest site limited populations. We compared nest survival of saker falcons breeding in artificial nests erected in a flat steppe landscape with those breeding in natural nests on rocks and cliffs in adjacent hills...

We report a large number of raptors electrocuted on recently erected electricity distribution lines in the open landscapes of the Mongolian steppe and Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, China. Upland Buzzards Buteo hemilasius and Saker Falcons Falco cherrug, characteristic raptors of these bioregions, were among those found to be electrocuted. Raptor electro...

In Britain the Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra population has increased markedly in abundance and range with the maturing of the post-war forestry plantations. However, little published information exists on the breeding ecology of the species in these plantations. Crossbills were more abundant in years of high Sitka Spruce Picea sitchensis cone...

As top predators, falcons possess unique morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptations that allow them to be successful hunters: for example, the peregrine is renowned as the world's fastest animal. To examine the evolutionary basis of predatory adaptations, we sequenced the genomes of both the peregrine (Falco peregrinus) and saker falco...

To date, our project, through the use of satellite telemetry, has obtained information on migration for birds (mainly adult females) from three different breeding areas in the Eurasian Arctic i.e., the Yamal Peninsula, the eastern Taimyr Peninsula and the Lena Delta. Peregrines from the Yamal Peninsula travelled 3,050 to 8,000 km and distributed th...

This paper discusses two mutually incompatible activities for the conservation of wild Saker Falcons. One action already being undertaken is to promote the use of captive-bred falcons instead of wild-sourced Saker Falcons in Arabic falconry. The promotion of captive-bred falcons depends largely on the production of hybrid falcons in order to overco...

A single nucleotide polymorphism (MC1R: c.376A>G) in the MC1R gene was found to be highly correlated with pigment phenotype in the Gyrfalcon. Homozygous genotypes c.376GG and c.376AA were found to dominate the extreme white and dark plumage types respectively, and heterozygotes occurred mainly in intermediate phenotypes. However, some heterozygotes...

TECHNOLOGICAL developments in telemetry techniques have meant that a wide range of tracking tools are now available for biologists to study the movements and demographics of free-living birds, while miniaturisation has significantly increased the number of species that can be tracked remotely. Furthermore, improvement in battery technology, especia...

The autumn migration pathway of a single Amur Falcon fitted with a satellite transmitter at its breeding site in central Mongolia. We fitted a 9.5 g solar-powered satellite transmitter (PTT-100, Microwave Telemetry Inc., Columbia, MD, USA) by means of a Teflon ribbon harness. The coverage period for our satellite tracking lasted 131 days from the d...

Arabian falconry creates a significant demand for falcons that is met through captive- breeding and wild-take. In relation to wild-take, the convention on International trade in Endangered species (cItEs) currently only allows the international trade of one important falconry species, the saker Falcon (Falco cherrug), and this trade is effectively...

The Saker Falcon Falco cherrug breeds in Turkey and also occurs in the country during passage and in winter. Turkey represents the southwestern range limit of the global breeding distribution of the species and is relatively isolated from the neighbouring population centres in Europe and Central Asia. A review of literature and other record sources...

El este de la cuenca de Junggar en el noroeste de China es un área de potencial simpatría entre Buteo rufinus y B. hemilasius. Sin embargo, durante un muestreo realizado en la época reproductiva del año 2005, B. rufinus fue la única especie registrada en esta región semidesértica. La densidad mínima de individuos reproductivos en nuestra área de mu...

In this paper I review current knowledge on the status of breeding Saker Falcons in the Asian part of their global breeding range. The species breeds in 10-13 different Asian countries with the greatest densities found in semi-desert, steppe and plateau habitats of Central Asian states (mainly within Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and China). Overall...

Peregrine population surveys typically rely on absolute counts of occupied breeding territories in a given area. In a validation study of the 2002 UK National Peregrine Survey results for South Wales we identified significant levels of under-recording. Under-recording in the count survey employed in the UK National Peregrine Surveys is at least par...

The morphology of the reproductive organs of both male and female Reed Buntings (Emberiza schoeniclus) are described in relation to the high level of sperm competition exhibited by the species as a result of extra-pair copulation behavior. In males, the volume of the cloacal protuberance in relation to body weight was 26.7 mm(3) g(-1), which is rel...

The frequency of extra-pair paternity was determined in broods of the yellowhammer using single-locus DNA fingerprinting. Of 32 analysed clutches, 69% contained at least one extra-pair young. Out of 123 nestlings, 37% were extra-pair sired young. The extra-pair male could be assigned to 23 (50%) nestlings. Successful extra-pair males were all at le...

Sex role reversal in birds is usually associated with paternal care of both eggs and chicks. This pattern of care typically leads to the potential rate of reproduction of males being lower than that of females. Hence, operational sex-ratio theory predicts that each male should be under strong selection to avoid being cuckolded. A male should, there...

Keywords:microsatellite DNA;passerine birds;reed bunting;Emberiza schoeniclus;Fringillidae

EXTRA-PAIR copulations, in which a female copulates with a male other than her mate, are known to occur in many bird species1. Here we study a wild population of reed buntings, Emberiza schoeniclus, using single-locus DNA fingerprinting2,3 and find an exceptionally high proportion of extra-pair paternity that accounts for 55% (118/216) of young and...