Abstract
SummaryThe Great Bustard Otis tarda is a globally threatened species with populations inhabiting the steppe zones of Turkey. In recent decades, its populations in Turkey have suffered severe declines in range and size. Although the remaining populations are in urgent need of protection, there has been no national-scale study on the species since 2009, and huge information gaps remain concerning its range, abundance, and movements in the country. Here, we combined data from five years of fieldwork together with all available sight and literature records to present up-to-date estimates of distribution and population size in Turkey, to better understand its movement patterns, to reveal its recent and historical population changes, and to assess its national extinction risk and threats. We find that the species’ breeding population has shrunk by 20–29% over the last five years, and there are only 559–780 breeding Great Bustards in Turkey distributed in two discrete subpopulations. Comparison with historical records shows that the species’ range has shrunk by at least 60% since the beginning of the 20th century. We suggest possible migratory routes within and through Turkey and that Turkey might have a higher regional importance for the species than previously thought. Illegal hunting, agricultural intensification, shift to irrigated crops, overgrazing, collision with powerlines, and disturbance are the most severe threats to the species in Turkey. Our national Red List assessment yields an Endangered categorisation. Further studies are needed to understand the metapopulation structure and movements of the species and to conserve its remaining populations in Turkey.
Highlights
The Great Bustard Otis tarda is a globally threatened species that once naturally inhabited steppe in the grassland zones of Asia, Anatolia, Europe, Britain, and North Africa (Kollar 1996, Nagy 2018)
Because of ever-increasing habitat loss and disturbance resulting mostly from agricultural intensification and hunting, the species has suffered dramatic declines throughout its range, it became extinct in many localities in the last century, and has been listed as globally ‘Vulnerable’ since 1994 (BirdLife International 2017)
By combining data from our fieldwork over the last five years with monitoring studies conducted by public institutions, sightings submitted to online databases, and literature searches, we aim to (i) provide up-to-date distributional and population estimates for the Great Bustard in Turkey, (ii) investigate its mostly unknown in-country movement patterns, (iii) conduct a new national Red List assessment, (iv) determine the identity and intensity of the threats facing the species, and (v) make recommendations to guide future studies and to ensure the protection of the remaining populations
Summary
The Great Bustard Otis tarda is a globally threatened species that once naturally inhabited steppe in the grassland zones of Asia, Anatolia, Europe, Britain, and North Africa (Kollar 1996, Nagy 2018). Because of ever-increasing habitat loss and disturbance resulting mostly from agricultural intensification and hunting, the species has suffered dramatic declines throughout its range, it became extinct in many localities in the last century, and has been listed as globally ‘Vulnerable’ since 1994 (BirdLife International 2017). With 21 sites triggering Important Bird Area (IBA) criteria for Great Bustards (Eken et al 2006), Turkey once was a stronghold for the species, which occurred in more than 80 localities and had 3,000–4,000 breeding individuals (Goriup and Parr 1985, Kasparek 1989). Due to widespread habitat loss, agricultural intensification, and illegal hunting, the species’ range in Turkey has shrunk substantially, and its population has declined by around 70–77% over the last four decades (Goriup and Parr 1985, Ozbagdatlı et al 2004). According to the most recent estimate produced upon request by BirdLife International, there were 700–1,180 Great Bustards in Turkey in 2016 (BirdLife International 2021)
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