Results from satellite telemetry of Great Bustards in the Saratov region of Russia

Abstract

In 1999 and 2000 a total of six female Great Bustards from the Volga area southeast of Saratov were fitted with satellite transmitters. The greatest distance between the capture sitesp was 21 km. Four females were located during migration and in the wintering area in southern Ukraine, two of these during two to four separate periods in the breeding and wintering areas.Two transmitters were defective from the start of migration in the year of capture. The females showed breeding ground tenacity and occupied a maximum range of 75 km² before breeding starts. The total area used by the four females in the breeding grounds was 1,100 km², while the commonly used wintering area covered 6,600km². The arrival dates in the breeding grounds lay between 20 March and 10 April; the migration took place from 10 October to 10 November. The migration distance of some 1,100 km was covered in 5 to 9 days. The average migration speed was 120 to 220 km per day (maximum 325 km per day). Threat factors in the wintering area and the necessity of international conservation programmes were highlighted.

Full text

BUSTARD STUDIES
Great Bustards
in
Russia and Ukraine
Volume 6 - 2007
Zoological Society
Frankfurt 1858 e.V.
Society for the Protection of
Great Bustard e.V. (Germany)
Cover_1.eps - 11/8/2007 10:15 AM

BUSTARD STUDIES 6 (2007): 83 - 98
Results from satellite telemetry of Great Bustards
in the Saratov region of Russia
H. WATZKE
Förderverein Großtrappenschutz e.V.,Buckower Dorfstraße 34,14715 Nennhausen, Germany
bustard@t-online.de
Introduction
Within its European distribution the Great
Bustard is mostly sedentary. Among Central
European populations, the birds are known to
flee under extreme climatic conditions in win-
ter when foraging is prevented by deep and
continuous snow cover (HUMMEL & BERNDT
1971, HUMMEL 1983, 1990). It is known from
Eastern Europe that northern populations
migrate to, and winter in, more southern
regions. It was suspected that a partial migra-
tion of birds breeding in the Volga region to the
south took place,with wintering in areas of the
Lower Volga, north of the Caucasus and in the
south of Ukraine. However, some birds win-
tered in their breeding areas (IL’ISEV & FLINT
1989).
The Saratov Volga region (Russian Federation)
bordering Kazakhstan, and the Kerch peninsula
(Ukraine) are the only regions in the European
part of the former USSR where large and stable
breeding populations of Great Bustard still exist.
In order to protect the Saratov population effecti-
vely in the future it was considered necessary to
investigate in detail questions about its part
migration and wintering habitats.This was done
in the framework of the German-Russian project
“Great Bustard Conservation in the Saratov
Region”(1998 - 2000).
The migration of 3 females fitted with trans-
mitters in 1999 has already been reported in
brief (WATZKE et al. 2001).In the meantime,the
fitting of 3 more females with long-life satellite
transmitters enabled the collection of new and
extensive data.
Methods
The Great Bustard migration was studied with
the aid of satellite telemetry. For this purpose
breeding females were captured at their nests
in 1999 and 2000 and fitted with satellite trans-
mitters.The capture locations were in,or in the
immediate neighbourhood of, the survey
regions Lepechinka and Komsomolskoye
(KOVALSKAYA et al. 2007). Before capturing the
females, the eggs were replaced with wooden
substitutes. The subsequent incubation of the
eggs and rearing of the bustard chicks was part
of a joint Russian-Ukrainian agreement on the
transfer and reintroduction of young bustards
in Ukraine.
Captures were made using a transportable
25 m2net system with an automatic firing
mechanism manufactured by GETEC of
Leipzig (Germany) and modified for the pur-
pose. The net was released either by the fema-
les themselves via a sensor buried under the

84 BUSTARD STUDIES 6 (2007)
Erection of automatic net launchers in winter wheat.The cylindrically formed net container is screwed
into the launcher.It was activated by a radio signal to the antenna (above).A second type is activated by
a sensor buried directly under the clutch (below).In all trapping attempts eggs were removed for artifi-
cial incubation as part of a Russian-Ukrainian conservation project and wooden eggs were substituted.
Photo: H. LITZBARSKI

85WATZKE: Results from satellite telemetry of Great Bustards
Start of a night trapping operation of breeding Great Bustard hens. Clutches in black fallow just being
managed were targeted. Here the hens are used to vehicles passing close by, and remain on their nests as
the vehicles approach. The routes passing close to the nests are marked in daylight and led us to the nest
in the dark. Photo: H.LITZBARSKI
A solar powered transmitter for satellite telemetry is visible on the hen’s back. Photo: M. BORCHERT

86 BUSTARD STUDIES 6 (2007)
nest; or manually by the observer using a
remote control device. Another method used
was the throwing of a ring-mounted net (with
a diameter of some 2.5 m) over breeding fe-
males from a slowly moving vehicle. This latter
method could only be used at night when the
females remained firmly on the nest and the
vehicle could drive past at a distance of about
2 m. The females were caught in the early mor-
ning hours so that,after being fitted with trans-
mitters, they could be released in twilight and
not in darkness.
The captured bustards were weighed and fit-
ted with rings of the Moscow ringing centre.
Blood specimens were taken for genetic tests.
The transmitter was fastened to the back of the
female with a rucksack harness (WATZKE et al.
2001).
The transmitter used was a 50 g solar-powe-
red Platform Transmitter Terminal (PTT) from
Microwave Telemetry Inc., USA.The transmit-
ter and harness together weighed about 70 g.
The transmitter signalled every 31 hours and
for as long a period as possible depending on
the state of the battery. The tracking of the
device and the transmission of coordinates
were undertaken by the French company
Argos.
All subsequent sightings of hens fitted with transmitters showed that the transmitter and antenna
were still sitting correctly. Photo: M.BORCHERT

87WATZKE: Results from satellite telemetry of Great Bustards
Before their use in 2000, the transmitters
were checked for accuracy (Table 1). Taking
into account the recorded deviations, the evalu-
ation of the signals were based on the location
accuracy classifications used by Argos: 1,2 and
3 for the breeding area and 0, 1, 2 and 3 for the
migration route and wintering area. However,
data with the classification 0 which were regar-
ded as implausible as to time or location were
rejected.
In order to demarcate ranges, the Minimum
Convex Polygon Method (MCP, e.g. SCHOENER
1981) was used for all females, whereby the
most extreme recorded signals are joined to
one another. This is a very rough method as
areas such as human settlements are included
which bustards do not frequent. It was applied
therefore to females which had been tracked for
at least 3 years in the area, to circumscribe their
range based on frequency of use.For this a grid
with 2.5 km squares was employed. Every
record was evaluated on the basis of a distribu-
tion function to each grid point and thus mar-
ked the probability of presence in the grid
point. In the resulting contour line diagram,
areas of similar intensity of use were differenti-
ated (simplified according to NAEF-DAENZER
1993).
Results
The results presented here take account of records
obtained between 12 May 1999 and 22 June 2004,
when the last transmitter stopped to work.
General
In each of 1999 and 2000, three females that
had nested in winter wheat crops and unused
land were fitted with transmitters (Table 2).
The maximum distance between the capture
sites was 21 km.
The shortest length of transmission was 49
days (female 3/00); the longest 1,479 days (fe-
male 2/00). Females 1/99 and 3/00 could only
be tracked in the breeding grounds: after that
the transmitters failed.Three further transmit-
ters failed in the wintering region after 578, 610
and 957 days respectively.
In three cases, the on-board activity sensor
ceased some days before transmission stopped.
This indicated that the females had either lost
their transmitter or had died.At the end of the
study period three transmitters sent signals
less and less frequently from which it was
deduced that their efficiency was declining. No
adverse effect on the females’ activities through
the fitting of the transmitter were observed ei-
ther after initial release or later in the field.
The efficiency of the
transmitters differed
greatly. The number of
useful signals varied bet-
ween 0.9 and 8.2 per
week (Table 3). Transmit-
ters which had been in
operation for longer than
a year reached an effec-
tive value of between 0.9
(females 1/00 and 2/99)
and 3.3 (female 3/99).
Precision
Location
classification Argos definition Calculated precision
(n = 148)
3 < 150 m 0.3 km r 0.2 km (n = 6)
2 150 m d x < 350 m 1.1 km r 0.4 km (n = 10)
1 350 m d x < 1,000 m 2.3 km r 1.5 km (n = 12)
0 > 1,000 m 17.1 km r 13.7 km (n = 30)
A no data 17.1 km r 19.0 km (n = 24)
B no data 106 km r 64.0 km (n = 48)
Z no data 40.5 km r 54.0 km (n = 18)
Table 1: Comparison of the precision of the location classifications provided by
Argos with the actual location of transmitters used in 2000.

88 BUSTARD STUDIES 6 (2007)
The number of signals broadcast varied due
to the differing seasonal hours of sunshine.
This can be seen from the comparison of the
693 signals from four females in the breeding
area (April to October); 78 signals during
migration (end of March/beginning of April
and beginning of November); and 116 signals
from the wintering region (November to
March) (Fig. 1).These differences were mitiga-
ted by adding signals from location class 0 for
the migration and wintering periods.
The 1,061 analysed signals from six females lie
between 46.2° to 51.5° latitude North and 33.0°
to 47.4° longitude East (Fig. 2). The majority of
the signals diagonally connect the southwest and
northeast corners of this polygon. The area cove-
red included southern regions of Russia with the
cities of Saratov, Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don
as well as the lower reaches of the Volga and Don
rivers, the Kherson region of Ukraine north of
the Crimea, with the lower Dnepr and the coastal
areas of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Breeding grounds
The summer ranges of four Great Bustard
females calculated using the MCP method ave-
raged 181 ± 56 km2(signals in the year of cap-
ture were not taken into account) (Table 4).
The longest recorded occupations of the
breeding grounds were from mid-March to
mid-November (Table 5). During two to three
breeding seasons, the females used ranges of
between 274 km2(female 3/99) and 623 km2
(female 2/99); female 2/99 used 11.2 % and
female 3/99 used 34.3 % of the total area avai-
lable in each breeding season.
Analysis of the use intensity of the 2.5 km
grid (Fig. 4) gave a more stratified view of the
size of the breeding ranges of females 3/99 and
2/00: they generally kept within a core area of
75 km2(the split range of female 3/99 was due
to the area being divided by a river).
The arithmetical centre of the signals in the
individual years were almost identical for
Transmitter No. Bird No.* Fitting date Transmitter active
15571 1/99 12 May 1999 138 days to 27 September 1999
15552 2/99 17 May1999 578 days to 15 December 2000
15565 3/99 4 June 1999 957 days to 16 January 2002
21994 1/00 9 May 2000 610 days to 9 January 2002
21995 2/00 4 June 2000 1,479 days to 26 June 2004
21997 3/00 5 June 2000 49 days to 24 July 2000
*This No. is used to designate the bird throughout the rest of the paper.
Table 2: Overview of the Great Bustard females fitted with transmitters in 1999 and
2000.
Location class
Female
No.
Total number
of signals
Number of signals
analysed 3 2 1 0
Average number of
signals per week
1/99 474 162 (34.2 %) 7 26 129 - 8.2
2/99 476 77 (16.2 %) 212 54 90.9
3/99 1,594 449 (28.2 %) 20 100 285 44 3.3
1/00 375 78 (20.8 %) 215 56 50.9
2/00 1,588 284 (17.9 %) 16 64 156 48 1.3
3/00 78 11 (14.1 %) 0 2 9 - 1.6
Table 3: Overview of the total signals received and signals used for analysis.Signals of loca-
tion class 0 were used only during migration in spring and autumn and in the wintering
region.

89WATZKE: Results from satellite telemetry of Great Bustards
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
No. of analysed signals
hen 2/99
hen 1/00
hen 2/00
hen 3/99
Fig. 1: Numb er of ana -
lysed signals in the
course of the year for
four Great Bustard
females fitted with
transmitters. An ave-
rage of the values for
the same months of
different years is used.
Fig. 2: Location of
all signals (red dots)
received from six
Great Bustard fe-
males fitted with
transmitters (scale
approximately
1 : 12,000,000).

90 BUSTARD STUDIES 6 (2007)
females 3/99, 2/00 and 1/00, and were 6.4 km
(2/00) to 9.2 km (1/00) from the capture site.
However, the “range centres” for female 2/99
were noticeably different in 1999 and 2000.The
capture sites of the females lay mostly within
the ranges determined by MCP methods.
The total area of the breeding ranges of the
four females that were tracked for more than a
year was 1,110 km2.
It was not established whether the females
actually nested as there was no planned follow-
up.On the infrequent chance occasions that the
females were observed (n=6), no offspring
were observed.
Autumn and spring migration
In contrast with data from the breeding
grounds, the data flow during the migration
and winter period was fragmentary and not
sufficient to draw definite conclusions
(Table 5).
The earliest arrival date in the breeding
grounds was 14 March 2002 (female 2/99); the
other arrival dates lay between 21 March and
10 April. The earliest departure date in autumn
1999 was female 2/99 on 19 October, and the
latest female 3/99 on 17 November. The other
departure dates lay in the first 10 days of
November.
Continuous signals enabled the time line of
the autumn migration to be documented in 5
out of 11 cases.The females covered the south-
westerly route of some 1,100 km to the winte-
ring area in 6 to 9 days. This amounts to an ave-
rage migration speed of 120 to 180 km per day,
but most of the route was covered very quickly
with rests of several days made at the start and
end of the journey (Fig.5).
The earliest arrival date in the wintering area
was the 25 October (female 2/99 in 1999).The
other arrivals were between mid and the end of
November.The return migration from the win-
tering areas began in March: 6 March 2002 was
the earliest (female 2/00) and 30 March 2003
the latest (female 2/00) departure date from the
wintering quarters.
The duration of the return trip in spring (5 to
9 days) is almost identical to that of the
autumn migration. An exception was female
2/00, which in 2001 spent a long period of 21
days some 100 km north of her actual breeding
grounds, and arrived back after a total 31 day
migration period. The average flight speed in
spring was 120 - 220 km per day. The best
record was female 2/00 that on 7 to 8 March
2002 covered 650 km in two days.
The routes of the spring and autumn migra-
tions are almost identical (Fig. 2 & 5).The Great
Bustards fly from the breeding grounds in the
Saratov district mostly east of the Volga in a
south-westerly direction, cross the Volga at
Kamyshim in the direction of the Don, stay
Range (km2)
Female No. 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Total
Proportion (in %) in all years
of range occupied compared
with the total area available
1/99 (162) 263
2/99 (55) 503 133 623 11.2
3/99 (366) 216 206 114 274 34.3
1/00 (68) 234 100 283 30.0
2/00 (188) 103 199 206 312 452 13.7
3/00 (11) (39)
Tab. 4 : Summer ranges of Great Bustard females (No. of signals used in the MCP method in
brackets).

91WATZKE: Results from satellite telemetry of Great Bustards
50,55
50,75
50,95
46,80 47,00 47,20
Longitude (°)
Latitude (°)
Location of signal
1999 (operating area of the
hen; MCP)
2000
2001
2002
2003
Study area (10 km x 10 km)
Capture site
1999 (annual arithmetical
avarage of signals)
2000
2001
2002
2003
50,55
50,75
50,95
46,80 47,00 47,20
Longitude (°)
Latitude (°)
Fig. 3: Location of the signals
and their annual arithmetical
average, as well as the estab-
lished annual operating area
(MCP) in relation to capture
site and Komsomolskoye sur-
vey area (KOVALSKAYA et al.
2007). Females: 2/00 (above)
und 3/99 (below).

92 BUSTARD STUDIES 6 (2007)
Signals in the
breeding grounds
Signals in the
wintering grounds
Female
Period
first last
Duration of
spring migration
(days) first last
Duration of
autumn migration
(days)
1999/2000 19 Oct. 6 25 Oct. 27 Mar. 9
2/99 2000/2001 5 Apr. 7 Nov. 7 14 Nov.
1999/2000 17 Nov. 9 26 Nov. 25 Mar. 9
2000/2001 3 Apr. 5 Nov. 7 12 Nov. 17 Mar. 5
3/99
2001/2002 22 Mar. 6 Nov. 24 30 Nov.
2000/2001 29 Oct. 33 1 Dec. 11 Mar. 23
1/00 2001/2002 3 Apr. 9 Oct. 48 26 Nov.
2000/2001 9 Nov. 9 18 Nov. 11 Mar. 31
2001/2002 11 Apr. 22 Oct. 51 10 Dec. 6 Mar. 8
2002/2003 14 Mar. 12 Oct. 63 15 Dec. 30 Mar. 6
2003/2004 5 Apr. 25 Oct. 13 8 Nov. 20 Mar. 5
2/00
2004 25 Mar.
Tab. 5: First and last signals of Great Bustard females in the breeding and wintering grounds with established
duration of migration.(Details in bold type are well documented periods of regular signals).
75-90
60-75
45-60
30-45
15-30
0-15 Fig. 4: Centre of activity of Great
Bustard females 2/00 (2000 - 2002,
n = 108,above) and 3/99 (1999 - 2001,
n = 366, below). Contour lines within a
2.5 km grid.
10-15
5-10
0-5

93WATZKE: Results from satellite telemetry of Great Bustards
west of the Don and fly between Donetsk and
Rostov-on-Don in the region north of the Sea
of Azov into their wintering area mainly in
Kherson between the Dnepr and Crimea in the
south of Ukraine.
The wintering area
The wintering area of the Great Bustard females in
Ukraine was bordered in the north by the River
Dnepr and in the south by Crimea (Fig. 6).In 2004
alone were there three signals from Crimea and
the Kerch Peninsula.The area is demarcated to the
east and west respectively by the cities of Meli-
topol and Kherson. The former steppe region is
sparsely populated. The climate in winter is mild
and snow cover over a long period of time seldom
occurs. The area is for the most part cultivated.
Because of the low annual precipitation, irrigation
systems were installed across the whole area in
the 1970swith concrete channels and sprinklers
which now characterise the countryside.
Because of the paucity of signals from the
wintering area it was decided to consolidate the
location data for all 4 hens. The extent of the
wintering area which was used by all four
females amounted to some 6,600 km2, which is
considerably larger than the total area of the
breeding grounds (by some 1,100 km2). The
somewhat higher number of signals from
females 3/99 and 2/00 permitted an area calcu-
lation. These females used, in the course of
three winters,areas of 4,140 km2and 3,400 km2
respectively, compared with a total area (also
over three summers each) of 274 km2and
452 km2in the breeding grounds. In different
years,signals from female 3/99 were concentra-
ted in two to three separate areas.
Discussion
The results from the satellite telemetry of six
female Great Bustards gave a fairly precise pic-
Fig. 5: Location of the breeding and wintering areas with signals from four Great Bustard females during the
autumn and spring migration (1999-2004).Filled symbols are for autumn,open symbols for spring.
46,000
47,000
48,000
49,000
50,000
51,000
52,000
32,500 34,500 36,500 38,500 40,500 42,500 44,500 46,500 48,500
Longitude East (°)
Latitude North (°)
Wintering area
Breeding area
3/99 autumn
3/99 spring
2/00 autumn
2/00 spring
2/99 autumn
2/99 spring
1/00 autumn
1/00 spring
Volgograd
Saratov
Melitopol
Kherson
200 km

94 BUSTARD STUDIES 6 (2007)
ture of the phenology of their migration and of
the location and size of their breeding and win-
tering ranges. Together with the widespread
counts in these areas (WATZKE et al. 2007,
ANDRYUSHCHENKO 2007) this gives a comprehen-
sive picture of the territorial requirements of
this Great Bustard population during the course of
the year.
The habitats of this population are found
exclusively in the former steppe regions of
Russia and southern Ukraine. These areas have
been almost completely cultivated for decades,
in particular for field crops, and are sparsely
inhabited.
There was no evidence for migration from
the breeding grounds of the central and lower
Volga area southwards to the north Caucasus
and Kalmykia, which was suspected by IL’ISEV
& FLINT (1989) and ourselves. However, it was
known that there were large flocks of Great
Bustards in southern Ukraine in winter. BUZUN
& GOLOVATSH (1986) suggested that Great
Bustards from regions near to the Black Sea
and the Don area wintered in the vicinity of
Kherson. The females fitted with transmitters
came from more northerly areas and, with a
migration distance of over 1,000 km, can be
counted among the middle distance migrants.
The known breeding site tenacity of the
Great Bustard was supported by the results.All
females returned in spring to the immediate
vicinity of their capture site. The ranges used
during the year by the females overlapped to a
considerable degree. The annual arithmetical
44,500
45,500
46,500
47,500
33,000 34,000 35,000 36,000
Longitude East (°)
Latitude North (°)
Wintering area
Hen 3/99 1999/2000
Hen 3/99 2000/2001
Hen 3/99 2001/2002
Hen 2/00 2000/2001
Hen 2/00 2001/2002
Hen 2/00 2002/2003
Hen 2/00 2003/2004
Hen 2/99 1999/2000
Hen 1/00 2000/2001
Hen 1/00 2001/2002
Dnipro
BLACK SEA
AZOV SEA
C R I M E A
K E R C H
P E N I N S U L A
50 km
Fig. 6: Signals from four Great Bustard females from the wintering area in the south of Ukraine (1999-2004).

95WATZKE: Results from satellite telemetry of Great Bustards
centre of the signals from the females in the
breeding grounds were, with one exception,
almost identical.The distance of these “centres
of activity” from the capture site (= nest site) of
more than 6 km, recorded from the females
tracked over several breeding periods, led to
the conclusion that the females avoid the site of
their capture in the years thereafter; but stay
within the catchment area of their reproduc-
tion group. This was also true of all females
marked in a project in Spain; but only the half
of the males returned to their birthplace
(MORALES et al. 1996).
The core breeding range of 75 km2deter-
mined for two females appears realistic, and
fits in well with the 62 km2found in telemetry
trials with sedentary Great Bustards in
Germany (EISENBERG 1996). In comparison,
considerably larger ranges were observed for
males in Germany and Spain (BLOCK 1996,
EISENBERG 1996, MORALES et al.1996).
The start of the migration from the breeding
and wintering grounds was very different
among the females and could stretch over a
period of three to four weeks. The availability
of food did not seem to determine the start of
migration to and from the breeding grounds.In
November,for example, the average maximum
daytime temperature approaches freezing
point; but continuous snow cover is not usually
expected before the middle of the month.
However, the females usually left appreciably
earlier. It is therefore assumed that the migra-
tion behaviour of these Great Bustards is dri-
ven principally by endogenous and exogenous
factors,independent of food requirements.
The actual migration takes place rapidly
along the main route between the breeding and
wintering areas and lasts only a few days.Long
rests are made only in the immediate vicinity of
these areas; where other Great Bustards could
potentially breed or winter.
As Great Bustards gather in groups in
autumn and winter, the much larger wintering
area offers space for many more individuals
than just the females fitted with transmitters.
Larger gatherings of Great Bustards are more
often disturbed than individual birds and
therefore wander around more often. Conside-
rable disturbance is caused by the intensive
hunting of geese, which also winter in these
areas.
Great Bustards benefit from the mild winters
in southern Ukraine, where continuous snow
cover is rare. Winter seed crops, stubble fields
and areas with fodder plants are available for
foraging throughout the wintering period.
Hundreds of Great Bustard concentrate in some
areas (ANDRYUSHCHENKO 2007).
The question remains as to whether the
migration behaviour of Great Bustard females
and males from the Saratov region is the same.
A general similarity can be assumed since the
winter flights of male and female Great
Bustards in Germany follow the same routes;
however,the females leave earlier (STREICH et al.
2000) and the males migrate over a greater
distance (DORNBUSCH 1987).In addition it must
be clarified whether the whole breeding popu-
lation migrates in autumn and if the Great
Bustards observed in the Saratov region in win-
ter (Khrustov, pers. comm.) belong to the local
reproductive group.
The results of the satellite telemetry show a
close connection between the Saratov region,
which has the largest breeding population after
Spain, and southern Ukraine, the most impor-
tant wintering area for the Great Bustard
worldwide. The conservation of this East
European Great Bustard population is therefore
an international responsibility, requiring inter-
national activities secured by binding con-
tracts.
In parallel to the conservation of the Russian
breeding grounds, the same must apply for the
wintering habitats in southern Ukraine. These
g
area
1
999/2000
2
000/2001
2
001/2002
2
000/2001
2
001/2002
2
002/2003
2
003/2004
1
999/2000
2
000/2001
2
001/2002

96 BUSTARD STUDIES 6 (2007)
In autumn and winter quarters Russian Great Bustards form large groups, sometimes of several hun-
dred individuals.Photo: H.LITZBARSKI (The photo was taken in Germany.)
Great Bustards return to the breeding areas from winter quarters in April, when there is still some snow
on the ground.Photo:H.L
ITZBARSKI

97WATZKE: Results from satellite telemetry of Great Bustards
must be guaranteed on a long term basis and
losses of winter quarters prevented. Far-rea-
ching and damaging changes to these winte-
ring areas would be critical, as the Black Sea
and Sea of Azov form a natural barrier which
obstruct the Great Bustard’s passage to areas
further south. At present, shooting of Great
Bustards by hunters and collisions with over-
head power lines are regularly observed
(ANDRYUSHCHENKO 2007), but the actual losses
are unknown.
The relatively low reproduction rate of the
Great Bustard in the Saratov region (WATZKE
2007, STREICH et al. 2007) cannot adequately
compensate for high losses in wintering areas,
which is why their reduction is at the forefront
of Ukrainian conservation measures.The joint
poster campaign of the Förderverein Großtrap-
penschutz e.V. together with Y. Andryushchen-
ko (Melitopol) is a part of these efforts.
It is clear that in future the signals recorded
during migration must be reinforced by obser-
vations on the ground, in order to collate fin-
dings on losses and their causes; and on the
location and characteristics of Great Bustard
rest and foraging areas.
Summary
WATZKE, H.(2007): Results from satellite telemetry of Great Bustards in the Saratov region of
Russia.Bustard Studies 6: 83-98.
In 1999 and 2000 a total of six female Great
Bustards from the Volga area southeast of
Saratov were fitted with satellite transmitters.
The greatest distance between the capture sites
was 21 km. Four females were located during
migration and in the wintering area in sou-
thern Ukraine, two of these during two to four
separate periods in the breeding and wintering
areas.Two transmitters were defective from the
start of migration in the year of capture. The
females showed breeding ground tenacity and
occupied a maximum range of 75 km² before
breeding starts.The total area used by the four
females in the breeding grounds was 1,100
km², while the commonly used wintering area
covered 6,600km². The arrival dates in the
breeding grounds lay between 20 March and 10
April; the migration took place from 10
October to 10 November. The migration dis-
tance of some 1,100 km was covered in 5 to 9 days.
The average migration speed was 120 to
220 km per day (maximum 325 km per day).
Threat factors in the wintering area and the
necessity of international conservation pro-
grammes were highlighted.

98 BUSTARD STUDIES 6 (2007)
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