Black kite with wingtags spotted

On September the 22nd, when 4257 black kites flew by station 1, we spotted a black kite with wingtags and a transmitter on his back. We were able to take a picture and luckily the wingtags could be read clearly: X99 written in white on a blue background on the wintag.

A quick look on the European Colour-Ring Birding website indicated that it was a project from Israel. Contact was made and the information we got back was astonishing.

A few days earlier they lost contact with the transmitter. They had no idea where X99 was and if he was even alive or not. Daniel Berkowic from the Israel Bird Ringing Center, Dudaim Recycling Center and Tel-Aviv University School of Zoology was very excited with this high quality information about the location of the black kite and the picture. He send us a picture of the black kite movement of other black kites. Every colour indicates a different black kite. Interesting to see how they move over Batumi, but also thee ast side from Vladikavkaz, Russia. It is very interesting to see how these black kites migrate through mountain passes and, after crossing Batumi, some follow the coast and others take the Coruk river valley (Borcka) south.

*Daniel Berkowic - Israel Bird Ringing Center, Dudaim Recycling Center and Tel-Aviv University School of Zoology*

X99 got his wingtags, rings and transmitter in Dudaim landfill, five km east of Ber Sheva, Israel on January the 23rd of 2018.

Fortunately they do have contact again with the transmitter of X99 and they could download the track of the autumn migration.

With a nice detailed map while flying past station 1

Autumn Report 2018 published

1 Million Raptors!

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