
Oriental stork tracking will be launched in a few days in the Amur-Heilong ecoregion
At the workshop the specialists discussed technical characteristics and the methodology of fixing transmitters on birds. They also discussed the method to mount the belt so it neither harms the bird no damages in the course of movements, the method of safe fixing of the transmitter to prevent it from falling down. Experts figured out what additional morphological parameters should be measured in the course of tracking: length of the body, beak and other. Tracking will be carried out on the chicks of the Oriental stork.
The chicks have to be big enough to be fitted with the transmitters. One of the important results was the experience in bird tracking shared by Chinese specialists. After theoretical part of the workshop the specialists continued practicing tracking in the field.
According to Anna Barma the data will be received on migration routes of the Oriental stork in their breeding and wintering sites. It is of a high interest to compare the picture of migration route 20 years after the first surveys taking into account all the landscape changes and rapid agricultural development. It is important to register the main stopover sites and bird concentrations for further protection measures in Russia and China.
WWF and the Amur Coalition of environmental NGOs announced 2018 the Year of the Oriental stork. More than 90% of the Oriental stork nests are located in Russia in the Amur River basin, and according to the expert estimates the world population of this are bird has increased at 4000 birds. This winter the pioneer search of the trees with stork nests was carried out in remote areas, and in April-May the aerial surveys were organized to check the number of occupied nests. Tracking of the Oriental stork will open the window into the life of this rare bird of the Amur-Heilong ecoregion.