Trailblazing for Armenian Raptors
Posted on in In the Field by Levon Harutyunyan, former conservation science trainee Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
My bird conservation path went parallel to my Hawk Mountain “era” since autumn of 2017, when I was accepted as an International Trainee of the international training program in conservation science. Despite that I had built some experience by that time working in the field of wildlife conservation for several years, those four months of training at HMS were another level, another challenge, and a unique experience for my entire professional career. Working side by side with world-known ornithologists and conservation professionals, is apparently the best way of gaining hands-on experience and motivation for working harder to foster further devotion to nature and birds.
I left the Sanctuary in the beginning of the winter, but with warm emotions, memories, and new knowledge of raptor migration and conservation. With inspiration and confidence, I returned to work at the Institute of Zoology of National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and the Armenian Society for the Protection of Birds NGO. Several weeks later, together with the Acopian Center for the Environment, we organized information sessions in 3 Armenian universities, featuring the International Training Program in Conservation Science at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary’s Acopian Center for Conservation Learning. During these sessions, the program alumni presented the training program and shared their stories about Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and its conservation practice.
Following that year, I was actively involved in annual bird census programs and bird monitoring projects for the corporate sector, but I have always considered developing my own project proposal regarding raptor conservation. I had many ideas, but none of them were called into action.
However, after a long period of exploration, in late 2018 I became a PhD student at the Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology NAS RA and finally defined the topic of my research. I decided to study the raptor migration in my country. Being located between the two large flyways connecting Eurasia with Africa, Armenia serves as a one of the migration corridors for northern populations of birds of prey. In the country 39 raptor species are recorded in total, of which more than 20 migrate different distances from Armenia and through Armenia during autumn and spring migration.
Armenia is not an exception in terms of the threats to migratory species. Nevertheless, the volume of migration of birds of prey across Armenia has not yet been assessed, and this fact triggered the necessity for the study. The main goal of my research is to determine the raptor migration stopover sites in the country, assess their importance and ecological aspects, and identify existing threats the types of potential barriers. Although some people think that this is a very ambitious task, I believe that if you love what you do, you will succeed. At present, I am working on the detailed planning of this project and field study design.
In the end, my short story is just one among hundreds of others that have been somehow shaped up by the Hawk Mountain experience. This is the place that can change the minds and attitudes towards nature and wildlife, and one of the important locations in the world to be visited by any prospective student of ornithology or potential bird conservation professional.