Raptor Research and Conservation

Oman is home to over 30 species of raptors that occur as passage migrants, winter visitors or resident breeders. A number of the species are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, such as the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) and Lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos).

Egyptian vulture
(Neophron percnopterus)

Lappet-faced vulture
(Torgos tracheliotos)

ESO’s Raptors Research and Conservation Programme started in 2012 and aims to maintain the favorable conservation status of raptors in Oman, particularly vultures.

The objectives of this programme are:

To contribute to an improved understanding of raptor species.

To encourage communication and publication of findings.

To educate local communities on the role raptors play in the environment.

To advocate for conservation actions at the local and government level.

ESO’s research has strongly demonstrated the value of surveying raptors to inform conservation management. Efforts have mostly focused on Egyptian and Lappet-faced vultures, two species of particular conservation concern. Consistent research since 2012 has allowed us to gather vital data to understand population size, locate nests and monitor reproduction and lay the foundation to investigate their behavioural ecology.

In a first for Oman, our expert team have also fitted rings and satellite trackers to juvenile Lappet-faced vultures, allowing us to better understand their movements, indicating the areas they visit to feed and breed and how their movements change over time (daily, seasonally and yearly). A blog has been set up to track the movements of these endangered raptors.

Similar efforts have previously covered the movement of Egyptian vultures and Steppe eagles.

Our conservation efforts to support these species includes outreach initiatives with local communities to raise awareness about the important role raptors play in our environment and the behaviours we can all adopt to support their conservation.

We look forward to continuing our research and conservation efforts for these incredible animals and hope that our efforts will help fill some of the gaps that remain in our understanding of the behaviour, movement and ecology of Oman’s endangered raptors.