Power lines kill 4,000 saker falcons each year in Mongolia: researchers
Xinhua, September 8, 2016 Adjust font size:
About 4,000 saker falcons died each year after hitting power lines in Mongolia's countryside, Mongolian ornithologists said on Thursday.
"According to observation, about 4,000 saker falcons hit power lines and die every year as there are about 6,000 km long high voltage power lines in the country," said Gombobaatar Sundev, head of the Mongolian Ornithological Society.
The cases of the bird species' hitting power lines has increased recently, ornithologists said at a forum held here to discuss ways to protect saker falcons in Mongolia.
They noted that more than half of the saker falcons of the world currently are in Mongolia and the Mongolian government used to export saker falcons to Gulf countries, such as Kuwait and Bahrain, to earn hard currencies.
However, the export of the saker falcons was banned in 2013 in the country as the number of this bird species dwindled, they said at the forum which was also attended by Mongolian environmental officials.
The bird researchers stressed that Mongolia needs to take measures to protect birds from power lines and install fans and seats for birds.
Saker falcons are large species of falcons that migrates among countries. They are mainly used in Gulf countries for falconry or catching prey animals. Endi