Rare raptors of Iran and recent conservation efforts

Abstract

Approximately, 57 species of birds of prey were recorded in Iran. According to the IUCN red list of threatened species, six of these raptors are considered threatened and rare. These include Saker Falcon, Steppe Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Egyptian Vulture, Lammergeyer and Black Vulture. These raptors spend a considerable portion of their migration in Iran. Therefore, there is a need to gather and update the recent knowledge about the conservation of these raptors in Iran. Several procedures, including the systematic search throughout different databases, and search for studies in the reference list of the peer reviewed journals, were applied to achieve a high-quality list of references for this review. The general trend of conservation studies of rare raptors in Iran is more towards understanding both habitat use and habitat suitability. The findings of these studies indicated reconsideration of the boundaries of current protected areas since these reserves were initially set based on the distribution of wild mammals.