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Date: 5th July – 15th August 2010

Location: Dzungarian Alatau Mountains, Tekeli, Almaty Region

Organisation: ExpAnd (University of St Andrews Expedition Society)

Authors: Eve Blumson, Niall Currie, Andrew Griffiths, Hugh Hanmer, Ed Morgan

Email expand@st-andrews.ac.uk August 2011

Scientific Abstract

Several species of Gyps vultures were until recently among the most abundant raptors in the world, however massive declines in at least three Gyps species Gyps bengalensis, Gyps indicus and Gyps tenuirostris endemic to South East Asia occurred during the mid 1990’s because of the use of the veterinary drug diclofenac, which causes visceral gout and consequently leads to acute renal failure. Habitat destruction reducing the abundance of natural prey items and changes to agriculture have also led to widespread declines in vulture species. Virtually nothing is known about the conservation status of vultures in the former Soviet countries, including the Dzungarian Mountain Range. This study aimed to 1) to produce baseline counts of vultures present in the Western Dzungarian Alatau and 2) to produce an inventory of all bird species encountered during fieldwork and their related altitudinal distributions. A total of 2 Gypaetus barbatus, 78 Gyps himalayensis and 2 Aegyptius monarchus encounters were recorded. The mean daily encounter rate was Gypaetus barbatus: 0.20, Gyps himalayensis: 5.20 and Aegyptius monarchus: 0.47. Vultures and other raptor species do not appear to face as great threats in the Dzungarian Alatau Mountains as populations in other nearby mountain ranges since traditional practices have been retained in livestock farming and no evidence of Diclofenac use or ill vultures was found. Hunting appears to be controlled at a low level. The daily encounter rate and peak counts suggest healthy populations of both vultures and other raptor species encountered in the study area. A total of 78 bird species were recorded in the study area and Black kite Milvus migrans was the most common species based on its Mackinnon List commonness ranking. Raptor species also featured highly in this ranking indicating high abundance and widespread distribution of this group. Although there appears to have been a bias towards these large and conspicuous species it does suggest a healthy ecosystem for raptor breeding.

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Contents Introduction 1 The Team 2 Country Background 4 Local Geography 4 Scientific Report 6 Administration and Logistics 27 Permission and permits 27 Accounts 29 Fundraising 30 Equipment 30 Transport 31 Accommodation 31 Medical Arrangements and Risks 31 Environmental and Social impacts 33 Acknowledgments 35 Bibliography 36 Appendices 37 Appendix 1 - Itinerary 37 Appendix 2 – Medical Kit List 39

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ExpAnd Kazakhstan Vulture Expedition 2010

5th July – 15th August 2010

“What is a scientist after all? It is a curious man looking through a keyhole of nature, trying to know what’s going on.”

Jacques Cousteau (French Explorer, 1910-1997)

Introduction In November 2009, planning for the second ExpAnd (University of St Andrews Expedition Society) expedition was underway after a successful first expedition to Tanzania the previous summer. Both Andrew Griffiths (2nd Year, Ecology and Conservation) and Niall Currie (4th Year, Biology), members of the Tanzania expedition, set out once more to organise a second expedition to a relatively unexplored part of the world in search of science, adventure and personal development. The expedition aimed to continue the objectives laid down by the founder of ExpAnd, Simon McAdams (3rd Year, Biology), which include: encouraging research, grow confident in independent travel and develop friendly contacts with other cultures and societies overseas. The expedition was inspired by a talk given by Ed Lemon (M.Litt, Middle Eastern and Central Asian Security) to ExpAnd in September 2009 about his expedition to Central Asia. By March 2010, the final team was selected and comprised 5 undergraduates of St Andrews University. The destination was finalised and the relatively unknown Dzungarian Alatau mountain range in South Eastern Kazakhstan was chosen as our area of study and exploration. Moreover, the team had put forward a research problem for investigation: to access the abundance of vultures in the mountain range. Due to the areas absence on the usual tourist and scientific radar, the area provided an intriguing opportunity for research – an opportunity not to be missed! This report serves as both a scientific report and as a memoir to the efforts of the 5 team members and many others who helped put this adventure together. It intends to give the reader an insight into this rarely visited area as well as advice as to how to conduct a further expedition this mountain range. Although we didn’t achieve all our objectives, we feel our efforts were not without merit, and we all had a grand adventure. We hope you enjoy this report.

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The Team Andrew Griffiths – Chief Leader Age: 19 2nd Year, Ecology & Conservation Having grown up on a small dairy farm in West Sussex, Andrew is always keen to explore and find new experiences. Andrew has completed a couple of long distance trails and has been walking in all the major mountain regions in the UK. He has been on many expeditions including one to Corsica in 2007 and he was a member of the ExpAnd expedition to Tanzania in 2009. He is an active member of St Andrews University Mountaineering Club, often leading walking and climbing routes. He attended a wilderness medical training course in preperation for the expedition. Niall Currie – Heath, Safety and Medical Officer Age: 22 4th Year, Biology Niall lives near Aberdeen and has a passion for travelling, the outdoors and a keen interest in Conservation Biology. He regularly visits the wilder parts of Scotland on hillwalking and kayaking trips. Niall was a founding member of the University of St Andrews Expedition Society, taking part in its maiden expedition to Tanzania in 2009. Expedition experience also includes Frontier expedition to Tanzania 2005, which involved bird transect surveys. Niall completed GPS and GIS training and Wilderness Medical Training course at the Royal Geographical Society. In the future he intends to pursue a career in conservation. Eve Blumson – Treasurer Age: 19 2nd Year, Biochemistry Eve has a interest in travel and experiencing different cultures. She is originally from London but has quickly developed an enjoyment in many outdoor activities since moving to the Highlands of Scotland 3 years ago. She is secretary of St Andrews University Mountaineering Club and organises all mountain meets and completed a mountain safety seminar, has GPS experience and attended a WMT course this year.

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Edward Morgan – Geographic Technician Age: 19 1st Year, Geography Edward, from Surrey, has been passionate about the outdoors from a young age and has been fortunate to travel extensively throughout the UK and many parts of Europe. Having completed a successful British Schools Exploring Society Expedition (BSES Expeditions) to South-Western Greenland in 2009, Edward now works part time for BSES, promoting wilderness expeditions and alternative methods of education to schools and youth groups. In his spare time, Edward works as a volunteer outdoor instructor for the Scout Association, specialising in hill walking, rock climbing and caving. Hugh Hanmer – Ornithological Specialist Age: 20 2nd Year, Zoology Hugh, from Northumberland, has a passionate interest in conservation with a lifelong interest in birds and in the great outdoors. He regularly visits the wilder parts of Scotland as an active member of the university canoe club and has competed at Scottish and British University level in several disciplines. He has travelled fairly extensively round the world during a gap year principally assisting in projects involving studying migratory birds through scientific bird ringing and other forms of surveying in countries including Canada and Australia. He currently holds a BTO C permit bird ringing licence and has assisted in various projects throughout the UK.

The Expedition team

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Country Background Kazakhstan emerged in 1991 out of the old Soviet Union as the 9th largest country in the world. It stretches from the Tian Shan Mountains in the east, that border China and Kyrgyzstan, to the low lands and semi deserts that lie next to the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan has changed a lot since the communist era and has started to embrace a more modern future through liberalisation of their society and economics. Whilst still not a true democracy, the urban regions of Astana and Almaty boast cosmopolitan environments with modern shopping malls, boutiques and a bustling nightlife along with some striking examples of relative poverty left over from the soviet era. Local geography of the study area Our study area consisted of the Western Kazakh section of the Dzungarian Alatau mountain range which straddles the Kazakh-Chinese border, consisting of peaks that reach a maximum height of 4464m. The geology of our study area consists of sandstones, aleurolites, and schists of the Devonian and Carboniferous periods. The topography was formed primarily as a result of Cenozoic tectonic movements, consists of alternating mountain ranges and intermontane basins divided by steep tectonic scarps. Biogeographically, the mountain slopes below 2500m are heavily vegetated and contain a great diversity of flora and fauna. Despite, most of the biomass living under snow and ice for 5 months of the year, biomass is at its climatic climax and genetically diverse leading to tall species of pine and large mammals such as the Tian Shan Brown Bear inhabiting the area. Most of the larger species of flora and fauna tend to inhabit the shady areas of the northern facing slopes that receive less sunlight. Climatically, the area can be described as extreme continental with winter temperatures dropping to -15°C and summer temperatures in excess of 30°C. The study area is 1500 miles from the nearest ocean and so this has little influence over the areas climate.

Map: Campsite areas

3.7km

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Kazakhstan has a transition economy, that is to say, the country is moving away from its pre- independence centrally planned economy to a more free market economy with greater private ownership. Society is far more conservative than its western counterparts and although strongly encouraged, English is rarely spoken. Tourists and black ethnic minorities are almost non-existent and although the cities of Almaty and Astana are showing real cosmopolitan characteristics the rural areas are still incredibly poor, with high levels of unemployment, poor sanitation and epidemic levels of corruption. All this taken into account makes for implementing an expedition a real challenge.

Group members in a Yurt in Taldykorgan. Photo: Niall Currie

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Vulture survey and bird species altitudinal distribution in the Western, Dzungarian Alatau mountain range

Introduction

Vulture and species background Vultures are almost exclusively scavenging species, consuming the soft tissues primarily of ungulates as well as other large mammals. The old world vultures are members of the family Accipitridae. The species that have previously been recorded in the Almaty region of Kazakhstan are; Eurasian Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), Himalayan Griffon vulture (Gyps himalayensis), Eurasian Black vulture (Aegyptius monarchus), Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) and Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) (Katzner & Skylarenko, 2002). Gyps species are colonial nesters and communal feeders; feeding alongside both conspecific and heterospecific vulture individuals at carcass feeding sites. Declines, diclofenac and current conservation status Several species of Gyps vultures were until recently among the most abundant raptors in the world with widespread distributions and relatively high abundance in suitable habitats. However, massive declines in at least three Gyps species Gyps bengalensis, Gyps indicus and Gyps tenuirostris endemic to South East Asia occurred during the mid 1990’s. All three species now appear on the IUCN critically endangered list. Strong evidence (Green et al 2006) has linked these catastrophic declines with the veterinary, anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac sodium (diclofenac), which causes visceral gout and consequently leads to acute renal failure. Since its introduction to veterinary medicine in India and Pakistan in 1993 diclofenac’s use became widespread in livestock farming in this region. Experimental studies have proven this link between diclofenac use and death in these species. Subsequent experimentation has shown that it has similarly lethal effects in African white-backed vultures and Eurasian griffon vultures. This suggests that other Gyps vultures and perhaps other closely related species are likely to be susceptible to the effects of diclofenac contaminated carrion (Swan et al, 2006). Other forms of toxicity and direct persecution have also impacted on vulture numbers. More diffuse effects are also likely to have contributed to declines in vulture populations since the second half of the 20th century, including habitat destruction reducing the abundance of natural prey items and changes to agriculture and animal husbandry reducing livestock carrion availability (Pain et al, 2003). These potential threats highlight the need for monitoring of other vulture species in the Central Asian region, which may also be affected either during the breeding season, or when wintering in south Asia. Of the species listed above as being potentially present in the study area, Eurasian Black Vultures Aegypius monachus are at the highest risk, being listed as ‘Near threatened’ by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature http://www.iucnredlist.org/). Eurasian Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus and Himalayan Griffon Vultures Gyps himalayensis are both in the Least Concern category, although both have experienced range reductions having become locally extirpated in some areas (Slotta-Bachmayr et al, 2004). However, their total populations have not been accurately assessed and Gyps himalayensis is poorly studied in comparison to Gyps Fulvus (Xin Lui et al, 2009). Virtually nothing is known about the conservation status of vultures in the former Soviet countries (Katzner & Sklyarenko, 2002), including the Dzungarian Mountain Range. Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus are listed as ‘Rare’ on the Kazakh Red Book (Institute of Zoology, 1996) and Himalayan Griffon vultures are considered ‘Vulnerable’ but there is currently a lack of data available to base this status on.

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Other bird species Little is known about the presence and distribution of the avifauna of the Dzungarian Alatau Mountains. Altitude affects bird distribution by determining the structure of ecological communities. This is thought to be caused in three main ways: firstly by causing sudden differences in habitat type, secondly by gradual changes in environmental parameters along a gradient and thirdly competition (Terborgh, 1971; Terborgh & Weske, 1975). The main threats to virtually all birds of Kazakhstan are land use changes, hunting and disturbance. Hunting of a wide range of bird species is a common pursuit with variable levels of regulation and enforcement for many species (Chemonics International Inc., 2001). Objectives Here we present the results of a survey conducted in the Western section of the Dzungarian Alatau mountain range. Our objectives were 1) to produce baseline counts of vultures present in this area and 2) to produce an inventory of all bird species encountered during fieldwork and their related altitudinal distributions. Due to the continuation of traditional livestock rearing methods and the relative lack of human disturbance, it was expected that healthy vulture populations would be found in this area. Fieldwork took place between 10th July and 6th August 2010 with fieldwork taking place on 19 days.

Methods

Aim 1: Vulture counts Trekking transects were used to record vulture species and other raptors encountered. As vulture populations are of low density the aim was to cover as much ground as possible although this proved difficult due to challenging terrain and access problems. The study aimed to cover as many habitat types as possible, however this was limited by logistical constraints. Transects were further split into 500m sections. Counts of raptor species were recorded opportunistically whilst scanning the sky when walking along a path transect. Species, number, age class (adult/sub-adult/juvenile/unknown) and direction along with estimated distance were recorded for each sighting. Griffon vulture age was determined by general body colour, bill colour and shape of ruff feathers (Blanco and Martinez 1996, Elosegi 1989). The position of all sightings of raptor species were marked with GPS units and routes walked were tracked. Counts did not take place in conditions of high wind or heavy rain and days of unsuitable weather were removed from the encounter rate data where indicated. Sampling was conducted between 9.30 - 18.00 on days with fair weather, since vultures require thermals to soar. Different routes were walked each day, attempting to avoid double counting. Routes were chosen with no bias to number of sightings of vultures and tried to cover all possible directions radiating from each campsite. Distant raptors were identified using binoculars and a high quality spotting scope using The Collins Bird Guide 2nd Edition and The Princeton Birds of East Asia. ‘The birds of Kazakhstan’ (Wassink, A. & Oreel, G. J. (2007), ISBN 978-90-811462-1-0, ordered at www.birdsofkazakhstan.com) was used for species distribution information. Where possible, photos of raptors were taken to allow confirmation of identification at a later time. Observations were made by 3 team members and identification and age class were determined by the team member with the most ornithological experience (Hugh Hanmer). Other team member recorded sightings and GPS data.

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While the team rested at the end of each transect, point counts were conducted from high vantage points, which generally >270 degree views. From distance and direction data, vulture encounter positions could be plotted. Double counting Double counting was expected to be the greatest problem for gaining accurate counts especially for walking transects. Splitting the study area into habitat types, and clearly defined 500m transect sections, help to reduce this as each section should be reasonably independent of double counts. Point counts conducted from vantage points give a better indication of typical foraging behaviour and may indicate the likelihood of double counting on walking routes. Additional information such as time sighted, flock size, age class (adult or juvenile), condition, height, speed and flight direction were recorded and used to distinguish between individuals to some extent (Viriani et al, 2008). This allowed informed decisions to be made about the likelihood of the bird being the same or a different individual. The time interval between successive sightings was also important in this respect. For example if a vulture appeared from the direction another vulture disappeared from within 15 minutes previously and it appears indistinguishable from the first, then there would be a strong case for not recording this second sighting. Double counting will in any case similarly affect other subsequent surveys using this technique, so will give comparable data allowing future population trends to be assessed. Data analysis Due to difficult terrain and highly variable visibility depending on altitude and location, vulture encounter rate was more dependent on time rather than distant travelled. Therefore data displayed in based on encounter rate per day. Although fieldwork still took place on some days with weather conditions unsuitable for vulture activity, these days were removed from the analysis. Weather was recorded on each day and those with high cloud cover or rain and low air temperature were discounted. Interviews of locals When the opportunity arose, locals were questioned on possible sightings of vultures and their attitude to vultures and the local use of Diclofenac. This provided some indication of breeding sites, seasonal trends and changes over time and direct human influence on vulture abundance (see questionnaire). This data has been treated with caution. Aim 2: Species list and MacKinnon Lists A Species list was produced based on opportunistic sightings of all bird species along the route. The study area was split into different habitat types and altitudinal zones. MacKinnon lists were produced in each study area, providing data on species present and relative abundance. A list of 10 species was recorded in order they were observed. Each species was only recorded once per list even if multiple individuals were sighted. This allowed the commonness of species to be assessed. MacKinnon Lists have the benefit over timed bird counts in reducing variability in data caused by observer skill and walking speed. A minimum of 10 lists were completed for each study area. Lists were recorded at different times of day in each habitat to reduce time of day effects. A mixture of walking counts and point counts were used to produce lists. Where paths covered several altitudinal zones, species that had already been noted in each zone were listed separately to determine altitudinal distributions. Data analysis A species accumulation curve was generated by adding those species not recorded on any previous list to the total species number. This number was then plotted as a function of list number to produce an indication of whether the complete bird assemblage was being approached in the list of species recorded.

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Species boundaries were ascertained simply by using the minimum and maximum altitudes that each species was observed at. This data only included altitude of the observer and not the soaring height of raptors. The mechanism behind this i.e. competition or environmental factors is beyond the scope of this project and has not been investigated. The Mackinnon commonness index was produced by calculating the mean MacKinnon List rank for each species across all the lists comprising of 10 species sightings. Percentage of lists that each species appeared in was also calculated.

Results Vultures/raptors Three different species of vulture were encountered in the study; Lammergier Gypaetus barbatus, Himalyan Griffon Gyps himalayensis and Eurasian Black Vulture Aegyptius monarchus. Vultures were encountered at ten separate sites and these locations have been mapped onto figure 1. Himalayan Griffon Vultures were encountered most frequently, with 78 sightings in total over nine out of the ten sights. Lammergiers were encountered the least frequently with only two being seen over two sites. Six Eurasian Black vultures were seen in total over two sites. At one site all three vulture species were seen together, indicating that they can co-occur in close proximity. Despite having slightly different food resource niches, competition is known to exist in Europe over nest sites between Eurasian Griffons Gyps Himalayensis and both Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus and Eurasian Black vultures Aegyptius monarchus (Katzner et al, 2004). All age classes of Himalayan Griffon vultures were sighted (Table 1); juvenile, sub-adult and adult. One of the two Lammergiers seen was identified as a juvenile and one of the five Eurasian Black vultures seen was a sub-adult. Table 1. Total vulture sightings and ages The total number of each vulture species sighted, split by age class.

Age class Species Juvenile Sub-adult Adult Age unknown Total sightings

Lammergier Vulture 1 - - 1 2 Himalyan Griffon Vulture 7 4 8 59 78

Eurasian Black Vulture - 1 - 5 6

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Figure 1. Study area The four campsites and hotel Isbek are labelled and denoted by dark circles. The vulture sighting locations are denoted by light circles and labelled VS1-10. Table 2. Vulture sightings The date and time of each sighting along with the number and species of vulture seen. The sighting locations refer to figure 1. PC = point count location.

Date of sighting

(dd/mm/yy)

Time of sighting (24hr clock)

No. of vultures Vulture species Location on figure 1

12/07/10 08:53 3 Himalayan Griffon VS1 26 Himalayan Griffon 14/07/10 12:27 – 15:26 5 Eurasian Black

VS2 - PC

15/07/10 09:37 2 Himalayan Griffon VS3 15/07/10 09:48 – 12:07 9 Himalayan Griffon VS4 - PC 20/07/10 11:12 2 Himalayan Griffon VS5 27/07/10 09:30 – 13:45 10 Himalayan Griffon VS6 - PC 28/07/10 14:05 1 Lammergier VS7 29/07/10 09:35 1 Himalayan Griffon VS6

11:42 – 15:08 11 Himalayan Griffon 14:51 1 Lammergier

29/07/10

16:10 1 Eurasian Black

VS8 - PC

03/08/10 14:33 – 15:16 8 Himalayan Griffon VS9 – PC 06/08/10 09:22 6 Himalayan Griffon VS10

3.2km

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Vulture sightings were highly heterogeneous in their distribution (Fig. 1), with several sightings containing the majority of the individuals seen. These sites appeared to be in areas of good thermal uplift where soaring behaviour was observed. Table 3. Raptors encountered Mean daily raptor encounter rate by species per camp site study area +/- Standard Error and total number of encounters. Target species (vultures) in bold. It should be noted that the mean Gyps himalayensis encounter rate is inflated by the group of 26 individuals encountered on 14/07/10.

Species Camp

1 Camp

2 Camp

3 Camp

4 Overall mean SE +/-

Total Encounters

Lammergier Gypaetus barbatus 0.00 0.00 0.40 0.00

0.20 0.20 0.09 2

Himalyan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis 10.00 0.67 2.00 0.00

5.20 5.20 1.86 78

Eurasian Black Vulture Aegyptius monarchus 1.25 0.00 0.40 0.00

0.47 0.47 0.35 7

Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaytos 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.20

0.06 0.06 0.06 1

Short toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.00

0.07 0.07 0.07 3

Booted Eagle Aquila pennata 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.00

0.07 0.07 0.07 1

Black Kite Milvus migrans 4.00 2.40 3.80 5.40

3.89 3.89 0.64 74

Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus 2.00 0.60 0.20 0.00

0.63 0.63 0.27 12

Long legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus 0.50 0.20 0.20 0.00

0.21 0.21 0.11 4

Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus 1.00 1.20 2.00 3.60

0.20 0.20 0.57 38

Eurasian sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus 0.75 0.00 1.60 0.00

0.73 0.73 0.41 11

Common Kestrel Falco tinnumculus 0.50 6.40 3.80 2.40

3.42 3.42 0.86 65

Eurasian Hobby Falco Subbuteo 0.00 0.40 1.00 0.20

0.42 0.42 0.19 8

Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides 0.50 0.00 0.20 0.00

0.20 2.00 0.11 3

Merlin Falco columbarius 0.00 0.20 0.00 0.00

0.05 0.05 0.05 1

In addition to focusing on vulture species, all raptor sightings were recorded (Table 3). Kestrel Falco tinnumculus, Black Kite Milvus migrans and Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus sightings were numerous with sightings of these species on most field days. Other species A total of 78 species (Appendix 1) were recorded in the study area. Species number continued to increase with the cumulative number of Mackinnon Lists. This was partly due to coverage of new habitats in each new study area (Fig. 2). The first few lists in each new study area saw a sharp rise in species discovery, although this was least pronounced in the last camp. Area 4 also experienced a levelling off of new species. This suggests that most species present were encountered in the habitats covered, although it was not possible to access the higher altitude areas of the mountain which may been inhabited by more specialist species not found elsewhere.

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Graph 1. Species accumulation curve The cumulative number of species plotted against the cumulative number of Mackinnon Lists split into the four different study areas with differing habitat. Black kites Milvus migrans were the most commonly sighted species (Table 4) and Himalayan Griffon Vultures Gyps himalyensis had the 9th highest encounter rate.

Vulture sighting. Photo: Hugh Hamner.

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Table 4. 20 most common species The 20 most common species recorded in order of commonness rank calculated from Mackinnon Lists. % of lists sighted gives an indication of commonness but ranking was calculated by finding the mean rank in each Mackinnon list recorded. Vulture species are shown in red and other raptor species in blue. The percentage of lists containing the two other vulture species is also shown for comparison.

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No vultre species were encountered below 1500m (Fig. 3). Certain species such as Moticilla personata were restricted to riparian habitat and therefore distribution may have been influenced more directly by habitat availability. Some species were fairly ubiquitous across altitudes including Carrion Crow Corvus corone, and Eastern Stonechat Saxicola torquatus maurus.

Species (common name) Species (scientific name) % of lists sighted Black Kite Milvus migrans 68.33 Common Kestrel Falco tinnumculus 55.00 European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis 50.00 Carrion Crow Corvus corone 48.33 Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus 41.67 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 31.67 Eastern Stonechat Saxicola torquatus maurus 25.00 Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus 26.67 Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis 21.67 Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides 16.67 Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis 23.33 Black-Billed Magpie Pica pica 20.00 Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrimus 20.00 Eurasian Hobby Falco Subbuteo 13.33 Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus 13.33 Hume's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei 13.33 Red-headed bunting Emberiza bruniceps 13.33 Black Stork Ciconia nigra 11.67 Long-legged buzzard Buteo rufinus 8.33 Great Grey Shrike Lanius Major 10.00

Other vulture species Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus 5.00 Eurasian Black Vulture Aegyptius monarchus 5.00

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Graph 2. M

aximum

and minim

um altitudes of species encounters. D

oes not include species only encountered once. Maxim

um height reached 2586m

minim

um

1100m

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Discussion

Aim 1: Vultures counts Carcass feeding sites No carcass feeding sites were encountered during the expedition. It is however possible that more vultures may have been present around the higher pastures which we could not reach. From interviews with locals it was ascertained that much of the grazing at this time was taking place on high altitude pasture and therefore carcass feeding sites may have been in these areas since livestock carrion is likely to make up a large percentage of the diet of all three vulture species encountered (Heredia, 1996; Lu et al 2009; Margalida et al, 2009). Breeding sites and age structure No breeding sites were found, although it is likely that these would be found at higher altitude in rockier regions deeper in the mountain range since cliffs and gorges are typical nesting sites for all 3 species. Lammergeier are particularly associated with cliffs and high altitude rocky mountainous terrain. Interviews with locals suggested that Lammergeier nesting sites were known at higher altitude locations but this information must be treated with caution as it was not possible to confirm these sites. It is also likely that chicks of all three species would have fledged the breeding sites by the time of the fieldwork in July and August making the detectibility of nesting sites low while they were unoccupied. Vulture sightings were often from a long distance away, making judgment of age classes difficult even with the use of a telescope. Where age could be determined, a large proportion of the Himalayan Griffon Vultures Gyps himalayensis, were determined as sub-adults or juveniles. This suggests that this species may be breeding successfully in the Dzungarian Mountain region studied. There were too few sightings of the other vulture species for any inferences about their population structure to be made. However the Gyps himalayensis individuals whose age could be determined suggested a high proportion of juveniles and sub-adults in the population. Distribution and population size The main sightings were in areas where thermal uplifts formed and soaring behaviour or grouping on the ground around these sites was observed in Gyps Himalyensis and Aegyptius monarchus. Several of the sightings involved individuals engaged in foraging behaviour. The lowest vulture encounter rate per day was at the Chazha study area (Area 2, Fig. 1). This may have been because it was too near the edge of the mountain range to have a large vulture presence, although it may also have been due to the number of days of unsuitable weather for vulture foraging. There may be low food availability of natural prey in this area as a result of greater exploitation by man although cattle were present here. Not enough data was collected to determine which explanation might account for the lower encounter rate. The altitude in itself should not have prevented vulture presence, since in South-East Asia Gyps Himalyensis has been observed at elevations at 600m (Yong Ding Li & Kazorndorkbua, 2008) which is well below the height of Area 2. Power lines were present in this area and may have discouraged large raptors flying low. Habitats at higher altitude were not surveyed because of the logistical difficulties of travel, so it was not possible to produce an abundance estimate for any of the vulture species encountered. Distance being surveyed also varied greatly throughout the day since point counts took place at high vantage points, whereas data was still collected on route where visibility was far poorer. This makes it difficult to produce a reliable encounter rate per km figure. Since all habitat types and altitudinal bands were not surveyed it

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would be inappropriate to extrapolate the vulture abundance seen in the study area to a larger section of the Dzungarian Alatau mountain range. The only possible population estimate that can be suggested is the maximum number of individuals of each species encountered at one time, since it is possible that all the other Gyps Himalyensis encounters on other days were in fact re-sightings of the same individuals. However this is likely to give a very conservative number. Radio tracking studies (Xirouchakis & Andreou, 2009) have shown that the better studied Gyps fulvus can cover a foraging range of 390–1300 km2 , So Gyps himalayensis is likely to be similar The mean home range of young Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus was 4,932 sq km (Heredia & Heredia, 1997) so all our study sites were easily within the foraging range of both species. 26 Gyps himalayensis were seen in one location as were 5 Aegyptius monarchus. Gypaetus barbatus sightings were of single individuals. The low abundance of the latter is expected since Lammergeir are known to hold territories of up to 500 sq km in summer in the Alps. One of the sightings was identified as a juvenile, which is congruent with the fact young disperse widely and may travel large distances from natal nesting sites. Whereas the adults control the same territories year round and would be expected to be found in optimal nesting habitat. Such habitat was not covered in this study which was on the periphery of the main mountain range. Reports from locals suggested that a healthy population existed towards more rugged peaks. As no previous baseline population estimate has been ventured for the Dzungarian Alatau Mountains it is not possible to determine whether population changes in vulture numbers have occurred. However, anecdotal evidence from the small number of locals questioned suggests that no decline has been experienced. In fact one herder interviewed thought that overall numbers had increased over the last 5-10 years. The vulture species that interviewees claimed to have seen concurred with our sightings. Threats and conservation As well as habitat destruction and changes to farming methods, common cause of decline for many of red listed birds, especially in raptor species is shooting by poachers, electrocution on electrical transmission lines for larger birds, which were present in some areas of the study (Chemonics International Inc., 2001). Electricity pylons were found in Area 2, which may have some impact on the populations of large bird species in the area. Diclofenac, changes in farming methods and habitat destruction Diclofenac did not appear to be in use in the area studied as far as could be determined. No vultures seen displayed neck droop, or any other signs of ill health. A local vet interviewed in Tekeli was not aware of its use in the region. However, government vets rather than private businesses deal with cattle inoculations and treatment. Still, it is likely that Diclofenac has not been widely used in this area for economic and cultural regions. Livestock herding has retained its traditional practices, with herders living in yurts in the mountain pastures during the summer month. It appears that the mountainous topography has not allowed intensification of livestock farming methods. A new threat to vulture populations for the species affected by Diclofenac as Ketroprofen has emerged as a second livestock drug with toxic side effects to scavengers (Taggart et al, 2009). The extent of this problem appears to be far more limited since Ketroprofen is not used nearly as extensively and there is no evidence to suggest it is in use in the area studied. The local geography has probably also protected against habitat loss and mining activities that took place at the edge of the mountains during the Soviet era largely appear to have ceased.

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Hunting Hunting is a popular activity in Kazakhstan involving all sizes of birds and many mammal species as quarry. Interviews revealed that it is illegal for locals to hunt birds in the study area, but permits can be obtained by tourists for certain species. When a herder was asked whether he hunted vultures, he replied no, but revealed that he would like to if it was not illegal to do so. Another herder told us that some occasional hunting of vultures still takes place for use of their organs in traditional medicine. There was no evidence of vultures being persecuted as pests like certain vulture species are in other parts of the world. It therefore appears that laws are helping to protect vulture populations to some extent and that hunting in the region is at a low and probably sustainable level. Still, some occasional hunting for use of organs in traditional medicine takes place. There was no evidence of vultures being persecuted as pests like certain vulture species are in other parts of the world. In conclusion, it appears that vultures and other raptor species do not face the same threats as populations in other nearby mountain ranges as reported by Katzner & Skylarenko (2002). The daily encounter rate and peak counts suggest healthy populations of both vultures and other raptor species encountered in the study area. Aim 2: Avifauna encountered The Mackinnon List Commonness index appears to show bias towards raptor species. Reasons for this may include conspicuousness of these species due to size and height of flight. Bias towards soaring species may have arisen from focus on the sky and speed of walking because of the main study objective. A lack of bird identification experience in some expedition members could also have reduced the probability of small species being observed and identified. However, many raptor species forage widely across many habitats giving such species a higher probability of being encountered on many occasions than those species that are restricted to one particular habitat type or narrow altitude band. Recording times were mainly aimed at Vulture peak activity times which are during mid day, which tends to be a time of low activity for many smaller species. Sampling was especially likely to miss nocturnal species, for example only one encounter of each of the two owl species was recorded. The expedition did not reach high enough altitudes to find upper limits of some species. The results indicate the high abundance and ubiquity across habitats (Appendix 3) of several raptor species as well as several other generalists. Some IUCN Red List ‘Near Threatened’ species were encountered (Eurasian Black Vulture; Aegyptius monarchus and European Roller; Coracias garrulus), as well as Kazakh Red Book endangered (Category 1 and 2) species such as Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides and Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus, demonstrating the importance of the Dzungarian Alatau Mountains as a breeding stronghold for threatened species.

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References Chemonics International Inc. (2001). Biodiversity Assessment for Kazakhstan Available at: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNACN468.pdf. Last accessed 12/08/11. Heredia, B. (1996) Action plan for the Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) in Europe. Available at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/wildbirds/action_plans/docs/aegypius_monachus.pdf. Last accessed 13/08/11. Ed.s Heredia, R. & Heredia, B. (1997). European Union Species Action Plan for the Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus). Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/wildbirds/action_plans/docs/gypaetus_barbatus.pdf. Last accessed 12/08/11 Institute of Zoology (1996). Kazakh Red List. http://www.redbookkz.info/list.php?taxon=302&lang=en. Last accessed 12/08/11. Katzner, T. & Sklyarenko, S. (2002) Conservation Status of Griffon and other Vultures in Central Asia. Pp 14-17 In: Katzner, T. & Parry-Jones, J. (Eds.) THE NATIONAL BIRDS OF PREY CENTRE REPORTS FROM THE WORKSHOP: CONSERVATION OF GYPS VULTURES IN ASIA 24-28 September 2002. Available at: http://www.aviary.org/cons/pdf/Vulture%20Workshop%20Reports%20NAOC_2002.pdf. Last accessed 12/08/11. Katzner, T., Hsun Lai, C., Gardiner, J.D., Foggin, M.J., Pearson, D. & Smith, A.T. (2004). Adjacent nesting by Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus and Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis on the Tibetan Plateau, China. Forktail 20. Margalida, A., Bertran, J. & Heredia, R. (2009). Diet and food preferences of the endangered Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus: a basis for their conservation. Ibis: 151, Pp 235-243. Pain, D. J, .A. A. Cunningham, P. F. Donald, J. W. Duckworth, D. C. Houston, T. Katzner, J. Parry-Jones, C. Poole, V. Prakash, P. Round, R. Timmins. (2003) Causes and Effects of Temporospatial Declines of Gyps Vultures in Asia. Conservation Biology Volume 17:3 Slotta-Bachmayr, L., Bogel, R. and Camina Cardinal, A. (2004). The Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus fulvus) in Europe and the Mediterranean: Status report and action plan. East European / Mediterranean Griffon Vulture Working Group. Swan, E. G., Cuthbert, R., Quevedo, M., Green, R. E., Pain, D. J., Bartels, P., Cunningham, A., Duncan, N., Meharg, A. A., Oaks, L., Parry-Jones, J., Shultz, S., Taggart, M. A., Verdoorn, G. and Wolter, K. (2006) Toxicity of diclofenac to Gyps vultures. Biology Letters 2: 279–282 Blackwell Publishin Taggart, M. A., Leon Venter, L., Cuthbert, R., Naidoo, V., Wolter, K., Cromarty, D., Diekmann, M., Duncan, N., Meharg, A. A. (2009). Toxicity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to Gyps vultures: a new threat from ketoprofen. Biology Letters. Available at: http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2009/12/04/rsbl.2009.0818.full.html. Last accessed 12/08/11.

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Terborgh, J. (1971). Distribution on environmental gradients: theory and a preliminary interpretation of distributional patterns in the avifauna of the Cordillera Vilcabamba, Peru. Ecology 52:23-40. Terborgh, J. & Weske, J. S. (1975). The role of competition in the distribution of Andean birds. Ecology 56:562-576 Viriani M., Giri, J., Watson R., Baral H. (2008) Surveys of Himalayan Vultures (Gyps Himalayensis) in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Mustang, Nepal. Journal of Raptor Research 42(3): 197-203.

Xin Lu, Dianhua Ke, Xianhai Zeng, Guohong Gong, and Ren Ci. (2009). Status, Ecology, and Conservation of the Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis (Aves, Accipitridae) in the Tibetan Plateau. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment 38(3):166-173

Xirouchakis, S. M.& Andreou, G. (2009) Foraging Behaviour and Flight Characteristics of Eurasian Griffons Gyps fulvus in the Island of Crete, Greece. Wildlife Biology 15(1):37-52

Yong Ding Li & Kasorndorkbua, C. (2008). The status of the Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis in South-East Asia. Forktail 24: 57–62

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Scientific Report Appendices Appendix 1 List of species recorded with IUCN and Kazakh conservation status

Common name Scientific name IUCN redlist status Red list of Kazakhstan status

Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar Least concern Not red listed Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Least concern Not red listed Black Stork Ciconia nigra Least concern rare (Category III) Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus Least concern rare (Category III) Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis Least concern vulnerable (Category IV) Eurasian Black Vulture Aegyptius monarchus Near threatened Not red listed Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaytos Least concern rare (Category III) Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus Least concern endangered (Category II) Booted Eagle Aquila pennata Least concern rare (Category III) Black Kite Milvus migrans Least concern Not red listed Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus Least concern Not red listed Long-legged buzzard Buteo rufinus Least concern Not red listed Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus Least concern Not red listed Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Least concern Not red listed Common Kestrel Falco tinnumculus Least concern Not red listed Eurasian Hobby Falco Subbuteo Least concern Not red listed Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides Least concern endangered (Category I) Merlin Falco columbarius Least concern Not red listed

Demiselle Crane Grus virgo Least concern out of danger (Category V) - previously threatened

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Least concern Not red listed Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Least concern Not red listed Common Tern Sterna hirundo Least concern Not red listed Feral Pigeon Columba livia (domesticus) Least concern Not red listed Wood Pigeon Colunba palumbus Least concern Not red listed Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis Least concern Not red listed Common Cuckoo * Cuculus canorus* Least concern Not red listed Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus Least concern Not red listed Scops Owl Otus scops Least concern Not red listed Common Swift Apus apus Least concern Not red listed Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops Least concern Not red listed European Bee-eater Merops apiaster Least concern Not red listed European Roller Coracias garrulus Near threatened Not red listed Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Least concern

Not red listed

Eurasian Skylark Alauda arbensis Least concern Not red listed Eurasian Craig Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris Least concern Not red listed Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Least concern Not red listed Common House Martin Delichon urbicum Least concern Not red listed Tawny Pipit Anthus camestris Least concern Not red listed Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta Least concern Not red listed Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis Least concern Not red listed Masked Wagtail Motacilla personata Least concern Not red listed Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Least concern Not red listed

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White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus Least concern Not red listed Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus Least concern Not red listed Blue Capped Redstart Phoenicurus caeruleocephalus Least concern Not red listed Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe Least concern Not red listed Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina Least concern Not red listed Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka Least concern Not red listed Eastern Stonechat Saxicola torquatus maurus Least concern Not red listed Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus Least concern Not red listed Blackbird Turdus merula Least concern Not red listed Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca Least concern Not red listed Eastern Orphean Warbler Sylvia crassirostris Least concern Not red listed Blyth's Reed Warbler Actrocephalus dumetroum Least concern Not red listed Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata Least concern Not red listed Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita Least concern Not red listed Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides Least concern Not red listed Hume's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei Least concern Not red listed Northern Wren Trogglodytes trogglodytes Least concern Not red listed Spotted Flycatcher Nuscicapa striata Least concern Not red listed Turkistan Tit Parus bokharensis Least concern Not red listed Coal Tit Peripars ater Least concern Not red listed Azure tit Cyanistes cyanus Least concern Not red listed Great Grey Shrike Lanius Major Least concern Not red listed Black-Billed Magpie Pica pica Least concern Not red listed Carrion Crow Corvus corone Least concern Not red listed Common Raven Corvus corax Least concern Not red listed Common Myna Acridotheres tristis Least concern Not red listed Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus Least concern Not red listed Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus Least concern Not red listed Common Linnet Carduelis cannabina Least concern Not red listed European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Least concern Not red listed Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrimus Least concern Not red listed Red-headed bunting Emberiza bruniceps Least concern Not red listed Corn Bunting Embriza calandra Least concern Not red listed Rock Bunting Embriza cia Least concern Not red listed Meadow Bunting Emberiza cioides Least concern Not red listed Total species encountered 78 * may not be separable from Oriental Cuckoo from brief observations

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Appendix 2 Species list including altitude range and habitat

Species Alt (m) highest Alt (m) lowest Habitat Black grouse 1650 Open woodland

chucka partridge 1568 1538 Grassland Black stork 1290 1110 Next to river Lamergeier 2525 1800 Grassland Pine woodland slope (open) Mixed pine and birch woodland

Himalayan griffon vulture 2087 1286 Pine woodland slope (open) Shrubland (juniper) Open grass On ridge Ridge Grassy hilltop

Black vulture 2525 1800 Open grass Grass hill slope Golden eagle 1404 1404

Short toed eagle 2087 1500 Grass slope booted eagle 1318 1318

Black kite 2087 1234 Grassland, Open birch woodland, River woodland, Next to river, Grass slope, Grass Plateau, Riverine

Hen Harrier 1800 1234 Meadow Deep grass Open grass Grassland

long legged buzzard 2087 2087

Steppe Buzzard 2103 1238 Deep Grass Open grass Grassland Pine Woodland Trees River Riverine Sparrow Hawk 2087 1803 Meadow Pine woodland slope (open) Shrubland (juniper)

Kestrel 2087 1187 Grassland River shrubs Open grass next to river Grass slope Trees

Hobby 2087 1234 Next to river Pine forest Merlin 1234 1234

Peregrine falcon 1900 1553 Craggy top Open woodland Deep grass Little ringed plover 1335 Grassland Common sandpiper 1381 1110 Next to river

Common tern 1500 1500 Grassland/river habitat Feral pigeon 1525 1116 Next to river Grass Grassland Riverine woodland Riverine Wood pigeon 1748 1116 Next to river Riverine woodland Turtle doves 2499 Grass

Oriental turtle dove 1870 1110 Steep grassland

Common cuckoo 2231 Pine woodland slope (open)

Scops owl 1650 open wood Common swift 2129 2129 Grass slope

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Hoopoe 1642 1318 Open grass Eurasian roller 1346 1185 Grassland mixed pine and birch forest Riverine woodland Riverine

Greater spotted woodpecker 2029 Skylark 1334 Grassland

Crag martins 2129 Grass slope Barn swallow 1337 1337 Grassland Grassland Housemartin 2314 1550 Grass slope

Red throated pippit 1292 River habitat Grassland Tawny Pippit 1846 1319

Tree pipit 2129 1425 open woodland shrubby woodland Masked wagtail 1425 1345

Motacilla personnata (wagtail) 1404 1318 Riverine

Grey wagtail 1821 1110 next to river Dipper 1210 1111 next to river

Redstart 2388 1320 Habitat shrubby slope Northern wheater 2574 2565

Isabelline Wheatear 1530 1317 Grassland Pied wheater 2129 2087 Grass slope

Eastern stonechat 1953 1319 Grassland Grassland (riverine) Grassland Stonechat 2574 1178 Grassland River habitat

Mistle thrush 1318 1185 Next to river Meadow Grassland

Common white thrush 1425 Rock thrush 1753 Open grass

Black throated thrush 2423 Black bird 1587 1569 Grassland Grass slope

Lesser white throat 1320 1320

Blythes reed warbler 1630 1569 Deep grass Grassland

Eastern Orphean Warbler 1334 1334 Grassland

Greenish Warbler 2011 1238 Grassland

Booted warbler 1320 Habitat shrubby slope Greenish warbler 1320 Habitat shrubby slope

Humes leaf warbler 2252 1425 Pine woodland slope (open) Common white throat 1320

Wren 1778 Mixed pine and birch forest Winter wren 2011

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Flycatcher 1849 Turkistan tit 1548 1303 Meadow

Coal tit 1970 1748 Pine woodland slope (open) Azure tit 1649 1425

Greater grey shrike 1348 1232 Grassland Magpie 1368 1110 Next to river

Carrion crow 2423 1110 Meadow Grassland Common mya 1338 1337 Grassland Golden oriole 1210 1146 Next to river

Eurasian tree sparrow 1329 tree sparrow 1341 Grassland

Linnet 2574 1265 Grassland Next to river Grass slope Riverine woodland

Goldfinch 2423 1210 Meadow River habitat Common rose finch 2556 1425 Open grass Red headed bunting 2314 1219 Grassland Grassland/river habitat

Corn bunting 1219 1219 Grassland Shrubby slope Closed woodland Rock bunting 1320 1110 Open Grass

Meadow bunting 1219 1219 Grassland

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Appendix 3 Questionnaire of locals data recording sheet Date: Place (including GPS coordinates): Occupation of interviewee: Have you seen vultures: Show picture of each vulture species from bird identification books Have you seen any of these species (varieties)? How certain are you it was that species (variety)? Year(s): Months present: How long have you lived here? Have you noticed a change in vulture numbers in the last 5 years? Do you know if the drug Diclofenac has been used to treat cattle? Which medicines are used for cattle here? Do people hunt/catch/poison vultures? General attitude towards vultures:

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Administration and Logistics To make the expedition possible we met with our two translators; Elmira Kerimbayeva (19) and Aizhan Abdrakhman (19), both students at the Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research (KIMEP). They helped translate both the Kazakh and Russian language during our 6 week stay and proved invaluable on the expedition. Our expedition brought us to the Almaty Province in Kazakhstan. It is a large province covering 224,000 square kilometres and home to 1.6 million people, of which most live in the city of Almaty. Almaty is a large cosmopolitan city and an economic hub of the country. In the summer, the city is very warm and thick with smog, however when it clears the snow-capped Tian Shan mountains provide a stunning backdrop. Almaty is a useful base to launch expeditions from. The Almaty Province has a wide variety of terrain, varying from alpine style mountains, low lying deltas, large lakes and grassy steppe. A 5 hour drive from Almaty to Taldykorgan will show you almost all of the types of terrain that exist in this part of Kazakhstan. With the exception of Almaty, Taldykorgan is the regions largest settlement and is one of the better kept settlements in Kazakhstan. We spent a day visiting this town of 141,000 people and built upon an economy manufacturing industries. This town is useful for an expedition due to its good medical facilities and proximity to the expedition area. Tekeli, like Fort William or Aviemore, provides a gateway to the mountains. Although unlike Fort William or Aviemore, this is not a town set up for tourists. It is set in a pleasant location at the foot of the mountains however its past industrial woes are all too apparent giving Tekeli a rather run down feel. However, basic services are plentiful and quick to find in the centre of town. Right: Market day in Tekeli. Photo: Niall Currie Permission and Permits Visas: A 30 day tourist visa can be obtained from Kazakh embassies within the UK or at Almaty airport upon arrival. Visas for longer than 30 days proved difficult for us to find. As our trip was for 41 days we ended up getting double entry tourist visas, which allowed us to stay for two 30 day periods. We obtained the visas from the consulate in Aberdeen. Double entry visas meant we had to leave the country after 30 days, we obtained Chinese visas from the consulate in Edinburgh and passed into China via the land border at Khorgos, north of Almaty. This was an inconvenience that we could not avoid. Once in the country you must register your location with the local immigration police within five days of arrival. This is done automatically upon entry into Almaty airport. When entering Kazakhstan from China via the land border, we were given five days to register with the

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Taldykorgan immigration police and the owner of hotel Isbek in Tekeli aided us with this process. Permits: To travel within the Dzungarian mountain range you are required to have a border permit due to the proximity to the Chinese border. We sought border permits before entering the country. Jibek Joly, a tourist company we had contact with prior to arrival, had organised permits and the initial plan was to pay them only for the border permits and then to stay in our chosen accommodation. When in country it became apparent that if we were to receive the permits from Jibek Joly, we would have to stay in accommodation provided by one of their contacts. This accommodation was too expensive for our budget and we had already organised accommodation with a hotel in Tekeli named Isbek. After talking with the owner of hotel Isbek via telephone we were assured she could provide us with border permits via a local permit enforcer who was an acquaintance of hers. This is a shortened version of the process that took place and we can be contacted for further details if you are interested.

Kazakhstan visa

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Accounts Group expenditure Group Equipment

Medical kit (update from ExpAnd kit, initial cost around £600) Satellite phone hire Bird identification book

Travel Insurance (personal) Flights (personal) Visas (In country)

Field Expenses Almaty hotel (9 nights) China hotel Food (outwith field centre) Tekeli hotel food and board (29 nights) Guide Transport Translators wage Jibek Joly invitation fee ATM fees Thank you gifts from Scotland Postcards and postage

Post Expedition Report Printing Report Postage

TOTAL TOTAL (minus personal)

£38.38

£400.00

£20.00

£405.00 £2,985.00

£425.00

£280.00 £120.00 £220.00

£2,260.00 £250.00 £960.00 £670.00 £225.00 £108.95

£20.00 £20.00

£25.00 £25.00

£9,452.33 £6,062.33

The local currency is Kazakh Tenge and is a closed currency. There were many cash machines located in Almaty most with a limit of 30,000T per transaction. However, these transactions could be repeated immediately up until the limit of your account was reached. The town of Tekeli also had a cash machine and we used this to withdraw money to pay the hotel. The hotel did not have any way of accepting a credit/debit card. US Dollars and Euros could be exchanged in Almaty and Tekeli provided the notes were new and of good quality. It is advised to have some small change handy for taxi drivers and buses.

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Fundraising The following details the various trusts and societies who kindly donated money to help make the expedition possible. Personal fundraising was done through bake sales, film nights, running the cloakroom at St Andrews university union and a raffle. The Matthew Trust The Lindeth Charitable Society The Lethendy Trust The Arrol Trust St Andrews University Geography Department (Maciver Award) Royal Geographic Society St Andrews University Travel Scholarship The Churchill Trust The Gilchrist Trust The John Ray Trust Personal fundraising Total

£1,600.00 £400.00 £700.00 £600.00 £250.00 £750.00

£1,200.00 £250.00 £500.00 £150.00 £300.00

£6,700

Equipment We were kindly loaned the use of a telescope by Dr Will Cresswell of St Andrews University and three high quality Terra Nova ‘Hyperspace’ tents from Braythay Expedition Society. The five British members of the expedition provided their own sleeping bags and mats, while hotel Isbek provided them for our two translators. Hotel Isbek also provided a stove, gas cylinders, cooking utensils and food. The British members provided binoculars and a tripod. Individual members provided all clothing and footwear. Individuals paid for beverages and occasional meals out. Travel inoculations, flights and insurance were paid for personally. Any money left over from our fundraising was split equally between expedition members to partly reimburse these costs.

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Transport Long distance taxis were used to take us from Almaty to Tekeli. Price negotiations were carried out and many taxi drivers were keen to help. Around Almaty and Tekeli you could stop any car to see if they were going the same way as you and how much a lift would cost. However unless you have a good guide official taxis are recommended. There were also buses running in Tekeli and Almaty, which were cheaper then taxi travel. Bus drivers asked for your money after you had completed you journey. There were also trolley buses which ran within Almaty cite centre. Our transport into the mountains was the use of Soviet-era vans and trucks that were large and powerful enough to carry us and all our equipment through the mountainous terrain to where we were camped. For travel logistics see appendix 5.

Soviet era vehicle. Photo: Niall Currie. Accommodation Within Almaty we stayed in the ГOCTNHNЧHЬIЙ KOMПΛEKC hotel which was recommended by our translators. This hotel was situated in the suburban area of Almaty as hotels in central Almaty are much more expensive. Within Tekeli, Hotel Isbek was the base for our camping trips into the Dzungarian Alatau mountain range. We used a guide and a cook supplied by the hotel whilst camping in the mountains and carrying out our field research. Within both accommodations there were flushing toilets and running water however hot water within the Tekeli accommodation was temperamental. Medical Arrangements and Risks During the early stages of the expedition planning, Niall Currie was appointed health and safety/medical officer for the team. His role was to make provisions for the prevention and treatment of injury and illness to the team. Prior to the start of the trip 3 team members attended a Wilderness Medical Training course and all UK members held basic first aid qualifications. Team members, including the in country translators, were issued with a medical questionnaire to give details of existing medical problems, blood type and next of kin contact details. A list of necessary vaccinations were provided several months before departure (see table 3). Vaccination Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Rabies pre-exposure Tick Borne Encephalitis Typhoid

Essential/recommended Essential Recommended Recommended Recommended Essential

Table 3 Essential and recommended vaccinations for the expedition area.

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A comprehensive medical kit was procured (see Appendix 2). This was kept at each base camp and included sterile surgery kit in case of hospitalisation. A smaller medical kit was taken into the field and included items such as splints, neck brace and dressings for trauma injuries, designed to stabilise a casualty prior to evacuation. A satellite phone was hired in order to call for emergency assistance or medical advice via a remote medical support card (which can be bought from several companies) which allows the holder to speak to English speaking medical experts. A risk assessment was created and was read thoroughly by all members of the team to help make them aware of the possible risks. A crisis management plan was drawn up, which included evacuation protocol and time to medical facilities from research locations. Tekeli, the town in which the hotel facilitating our transport and accommodation was based has basic primary healthcare services. For secondary care, evacuation to Taldyqorgan would have taken approximately 1 hour by road and casualties would need to be taken to Almaty for a high level of tertiary care. Hospital care in Kazakhstan is similar to the level available in many European countries. General good health was maintained by good food and fluid intake, regular rest days and application of sun screen to avoid sunburn.

Practising with the medical equipment in the field. Photo: Niall Currie. Medical risks encountered Several gastrointestinal infections were encountered by the team, however in all cases recovery was rapid after sufficient rest and rehydration. Drinking water from mountain rivers was a potential health risk due to the high numbers of grazing livestock upstream, which could facilitate the transfer of Giardia or Cryptosporidium cysts. Therefore water from larger rivers was either boiled or chemically treated before drinking. Insect bites were an occasional nuisance but were not a greatly problematic, probably because of the high abundance of dragonflies predating such species. Ticks posed a more significant risk and were encountered on several occasions despite some sources suggesting that they would not occur at this altitude. Tick borne encephalitis is prevalent in this region, so inoculation against this disease is advised (see table 3). The team also commonly suffered from scratches and stings from plants, since much of the fieldwork was conducted away from substantial paths. Photosensitising plant sap caused persistent hypersensitisation to areas of skin exposed to sunlight. Antihistamine creams helped treatment to some extent. Acute mountain sickness is a potential medical problem above 2500m, however the team did not

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ascend beyond this height during the trip and consequently did not suffer from AMS symptoms. It may be necessary to consider AMS for other expeditions travelling in this mountain range, since some of the interior peaks rise above 4500m. Other risks Probably the greatest risk posed to the team was from vehicles. Road vehicles in Kazakhstan are not highly serviced, so bare tyres and broken windscreens are common. Many roads are also poorly maintained, causing drivers to swerve to avoid potholes. Similar issues were encountered when taking transport to camping locations since the off-road vehicles available were from the Soviet era. A further risk was posed by Russian-Kazakhs’ affinity for alcohol. In some areas of steep mountainside loose soil and rocks were encountered on scrambles. In these areas it was necessary to proceed slowly and where possible such areas were avoided. The Dzungarian Mountains are home to several large predators such as brown and Tien Shan bear, lynx and snow leopard. These animals generally seek to avoid contact with humans and none were encountered during the expedition, although there were reports of bear sightings from local herders near campsite 4. We were advised that it was not necessary to keep food separate from sleeping areas on camp for fear of bear foraging since bears in this area are timid. Several venomous snakes also occur in the region and the team encountered two snakes during fieldwork, although both were very small but their species was not identified. According to official statistics, no one has died in Kazakhstan from snake envenoming in the last 10-15 years. As with any country there is always the risk of theft and mugging, but both the urban and rural areas the team visited were considered low risk in this regard. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office were not aware of any specific threats to British Nationals in Kazakhstan at the time of travel. Insurance The team were insured with Towergate Chase Parkinsons Premier Blue cover travel insurance, which included £10,000,0000 medical expenses and repatriation and £5,000 for search and rescue. No claims needed to be made on the policy. Environmental and Social Impacts Environmental: While camping we operated to minimise environmental impact. All non- biodegrable rubbish was bagged and taken back to the hotel for proper disposal. When washing in rivers, only biodegradable soap was used. Human waste was managed by digging toilet pits at least 100m from the campsite and away from rivers. Only biodegradable toilet paper was used. The pits were filled in after leaving each campsite. On a few occasions we made an open campfire at night. Only fallen, deadwood found on the forest floor was used for this to ensure we did not add to deforestation. This allowed us a chance to burn any combustible rubbish such as paper and cardboard. All fires were thoroughly dosed and disguised after use. We did find that locals were not as environmentally aware and it seemed to be the norm for rubbish to be left in the mountains, next to roads or even thrown out of car windows!

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Typical remains of previous visitors to the area. Photo: Andrew Griffiths.

Social: When meeting local people we found that they were mostly very interested in our expedition and eager to talk with us about their country. Many were very hospitable, inviting us for meals and offering any help they could. We found talking with herders in the mountains very insightful. They were often able to provide us with information about logistical issues such as whether a bridge crossing would be viable, as well as willing to help us with questionnaires about vultures in the area. Kazakh people are very proud of their country and children and taxi drivers readily sing the national anthem! The larger cities of Kazakhstan such as Almaty and Taldykorgan are developing rapidly and the residents are becoming quickly westernised. The smaller rural towns such as Tekeli are less developed and we were often assumed to be very rich just because we were westerners. We tried to keep our cultural impact to a minimum by paying the local prices for food and eating the local produce.

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Acknowledgements Without the assistance of many individuals and organisations this expedition would simply not have been possible. We owe our gratitude to those named in the following list as well as countless others who helped us on our way. Elmira Kerimbayeva and Aizhan Abdrakhman, KIMEP students - our amazing translators. Dr. Sergey Sklyarenko: Conservation and Science Director, for the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan – suggested project ideas. Dr Will Cresswell : University of St Andrews, School of Biology – gave guidance on methods and lent equipment. Simon McAdams: University of St Andrews expedition society president – gave us the inspiration and guidance needed to conceive this expedition. Morgan Riley: Medical Officer of the 2004 Newcastle university Kazakhstan expedition – aided expedition logistics. Albina Kozhakhmetova: KIMEP University Almaty, International Student Recruiter – put us in touch with our translators. Gulmira Kaldina – Helped with translation during the planning phase and made initial contact with in-country hosts Anel Dospulova – Helped with translation during the planning phase. Sponsors We would like to thank the following organisations whose financial aid made the expedition possible The Arrol Trust The Churchill Trust Gilchrist educational trust The John Ray Trust The Lethendy Trust The Lindeth Charitable Trust The Matthew Trust Royal Geographical Society St Andrews University Travel Scholarship University of St Andrews Geography Department (Maciver Award)

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Bibliography Arend Wassink and Gerald J Oreel. (2007). The birds of Kazakhstan. Ordered at: www.birdsofkazakstan.com Bibby C., Jones M., Marsden S. (1998). Expedition Field Techniques - Bird Surveys. Expedition Advisory Centre, Royal Geographical Society, London. Birdlife International. (2005). Cambodia Vulture Action Plan 2005. Available at: http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/asia_vulture_crisis/cambodia_vulture_action_pla n_04_05.pdf. Katzner, T., Sklyarenko, S. (2002). Reports from workshop: Conservation of Gyps vultures in Asia. Available at: http://www.aviary.org/cons/pdf/Vulture%20Workshop%20Reports%20NAOC_2002.pdf Rhys E. Green et al. (2006). Collapse of Asian vulture populations: risk of mortality from residues of the veterinary drug diclofenac in carcasses of treated cattle. Journal of Applied Ecology, 43, 949- 956. Riddell, M (2004). University of Newcastle Snow Leopard Expedition Kazakhstan 2004 Report. http://snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Riddell_2004.pdf. Pual Brummell. (2008). Kazakhstan The Bradt Travel Guide. The Globe Pequot Press Inc: Connecticut. Sutherland, Newton & Green. (2004). Bird census and survey techniques. Bird Ecology and Conservation: A handbook of techniques. Oxford University Press: Oxford.

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Appendices

Appendix 1 - Itinerary

July 5th Depart from Edinburgh (Niall, Hugh, Eve, Andy) and Heathrow (Ed) to Amsterdam and then onto Almaty.

July

6th Arrive early morning in Almaty. Meet translators and settle in hotel.

7th Pay for letters in invitation. Arrange transport.

8th Heard about severe flooding experienced in Tekeli and damage to local bridge which would make access difficult. Organised to leave the next day.

9th Travelled to Isbek hotel in Tekeli and met Kazakhstan’s olympic gold medal winning weight lifter.

10th Got acclimatized to surroundings and did a short walk into the mountains to do some observations.

11th Set off for our first camping trip.

12th Field work at our first location - saw first vulture on a high level 2000m walk.

13th Field work at our first location.

14th Field work at our first location

15th Field work at our first location/Travelled back to hotel.

16th Rest day at the hotel while next camping trip was organised.

17th Travelled to the next campsite – a small hut owned by a local landowner. Evening fieldwork

18th Field work at our second location.

19th Field work at our second location

20th Field work at our second location/21st Travelled back to hotel.

22nd Left for China very early in the morning and spent the night in Zharkent.

23rd Visited China and travelled back to Tekeli in the afternoon.

24th Rested in Hotel.

25th Planned for next camping trip.

26th Travelled to campsite/evening fieldwork

27th Field work at our third location.

28th Field work at our third location

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29th Field work at our third location

30th Field work at our third location/Travelled back to the hotel.

31st Rest day at hotel.

August

1st Additional rest day due to transport issues, visted Taldykorgan.

2nd Travelled to campsite/afternoon fieldwork.

3rd Fieldwork at our 4th location.

4th Fieldwork at our 4th location

5th Fieldwork at our 4th location

6th Fieldwork at our 4th location/Travelled back to hotel.

7th Rest day at hotel

8th Travelled to campsite, but fieldwork abandoned due to logistical difficulties.

9th Travelled back to hotel and left for Almaty that evening.

10th Sightseeing in Almaty.

11th Sightseeing in Almaty

12th Sightseeing in Almaty

13th Sightseeing in Almaty

14th Sightseeing in Almaty

15th Left early for flights back to London and Edinburgh.

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Appendix 2 Medical Kit List

Item Quantity Required Anusol Cream 1 tube

Bactroban Ointment 15g 2 tubes Savlon Dry Powder Spray 2

Povidone Iodine Antiseptic 100ml 1 Benadryl Cream 42g 1 tube

Gentisone HC Drops 10ml 1 bottle Clotrimazole Cream 1% 20g 1 tube

E45 Cream 50g 1 tube Hydrocortisone 1% Cream 15g 2 tubes

Antiseptic Wipes 25 wipes Adhesive Plasters - W/Proof 2 x 20

Cotton Wool 4 x 15g Crepe Bandage 7.5cm 4

Wound Dressing No. 15 2 Eye Dressing No. 16 1

Fluorescein Eye Test Strips 10 Gauze Swabs 7.5cm Sq. Sterile 5 packs

Alcohol Swabs 100 Melolin Type Dressing 10cm sq. 5 Melolin Type Dressing 5cm sq. 5

Micropore Tape 2.5cm 2 rolls Steri-strips - Assorted 4 envelopes Triangular Bandage 4

Vaseline Gauze 10cm sq. Box of 10 Zinc Oxide Tape 2.5cm x 10m 2 rolls

Sam Splint 2 Alternative Splint 2

Safety Pins Pack of 12 Sterile Supplies Kit 1 Dental First Aid Kit 1 Disposable Scalpels 2

Digital Thermometer 1 Resusciade Resus Aid 1

Foil Blanket 4 Economy Stethoscope 1

Otoscope & Pentorch Combined 1 Stiffneck Collar 1

Gloves (Sterile) Medium 10 pairs Gloves (Latex non-sterile) Med Box of 100

Fucithalmic Eye Drops 2.5g 3 tubes Ciprofloxacin 250mg tabs 2 x 20

Clarithromycin 250mg tabs 2 x 14 Quinine Sulphate 200mg tabs 1 x 28

Fansidar tabs 3 x 3 Co-Amoxiclav 375mg tabs 3 x 21 Metronidazole 200mg tabs 4 x 21

Doxycycline 100mg tabs 2 x 8 Amethocaine (Tetracaine) 1% drops 20 minims

Aspirin 300mg Soluble tabs Pack of 32 Co-Codamol 500mg/30mg tabs Pack of 100

Ibuprofen 400mg tabs Pack of 84 Paracetamol 500mg tabs Pack of 100

BiSoDol tabs Pack of 100 Chlorphenamine 4mg tabs Pack of 28

Rehydration Sachets 4 x 10 Loperamide 2mg caps Pack of 30

Movicol Sachets 10 Prochlorperazine 5mg tabs Pack of 84 Salbutamol Inhaler 100mcg 1

Acetazolamide (Diamox) 250mg tabs Pack of 112 Dexamethazone 2mg tabs Pack of 20 Nifedipine MR 10mg tabs Pack of 28