Movement and home range of cinereous vulture Aegypius monachus during the wintering and summering periods in East Asia

Abstract

The present study was conducted to elucidate the movement and home range of 7 subadult cinereous vultures Aegypiusmonachus during the wintering and summering periods using a telemetry system from January 2015 to March 2017 in East Asia. Intotal, 7053 locations (180–1607 points per bird) were used to analyze the home range size and movement distance of the birds duringthe wintering, migration, and summering periods. The tracked birds overwintered in South Korea. They migrated between South Koreaand Mongolia during spring and autumn, respectively. Their movement and home range size varied considerably throughout the annualcycle between the wintering and summering grounds. The migration route and home range exhibited considerable overlap among thevultures tracked. Further studies on breeding ecology and habitat use pattern are necessary for the conservation of cinereous vulturesand their habitats in the wintering and summering grounds.