INTRODUCTION
Vladivostok is a unique city, largely due to its geographic position and diversity in urban, suburban and surrounding landscapes. Vladivostok is the capital of Primorskyi Krai (Primorye), the southernmost area of the Russian Far East, and it is located on the Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula and adjoining islands on a rocky and crenellated shore of Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan. There are numerous hills, called “sopka”, and moderately high mountains are not far from populated areas. Some nearby rivers are short and run through the hills and mountains, some are long and flow through a variety of landscapes, including plains and marshy valleys. There are natural and artificial lakes. Coniferous and wide-leaved forests, called “taiga”, surround the city and cover the local hills. Grassy meadows grow on bald mountainous areas. Because of the seasonal monsoon climate and complex broken relief, winters here are frosty and windy; however, summer months resemble the tropics, and are warm and humid, with frequent fogs. As a result, species from northern subarctic and southern subtropical faunas and floras surprisingly co-occur in this southern part of the Russian Far East. This region is known for its high diversity of plants and animals, especially birds. Over 500 bird species have been recorded in Primorye, and many of them occur either regularly or occasionally in Vladivostok, in different seasons, mostly during their migrations.
Vladivostok is a city where, in different seasons throughout the year, one can meet a wide variety of birds of prey, diurnal raptors such as hawks, eagles, sea eagles, buzzards, and falcons: up to 26 species have been encountered in the city and its surroundings! It is likely that no other city and no other regional capital in the World can boast such a variety of diurnal feathery carnivores! In winter, white-tailed and Steller’s sea eagles soar above the downtown area, and common and rough-legged buzzards frequently sit on power line poles looking for voles in the city and suburban area; peregrine falcons hunt for pigeons in the city, even in its central square, practically all year round; common kestrels search for small rodents; and goshawks and sparrow hawks ambush their prey, mainly birds, in the city parks and yards! In spring and summer, forests in the city and surroundings serve as nesting areas for hawks, common, grey-faced and honey buzzards, and even mountain hawk-eagles. Peregrines and kestrels breed within the city area; and in summer and autumn ospreys searching for fish fly over the shallow bays, lakes and rivers close to the city. Many birds of prey occur in the vicinity of Vladivostok during their migrations in spring and autumn: hawks and honey buzzards; pied, hen and eastern marsh harriers; black kites; small falcons (kestrels, hobbies, Amur falcons, and merlins).
This book provides concise information on the birds of prey species inhabiting the southern areas of the Russian Far East (south Primorye), and in particular, the city of Vladivostok and its surroundings. The text is supplemented with numerous original photos of raptors, most of them in the wild, and some in captivity. The latter photos are either of wounded birds, or those weak and unable to fly for various reasons, after being picked up in the city streets and suburban territories and brought in for rehabilitation to veterinary clinics or local zoos by compassionate citizens, with the ultimate goal of returning them to their natural habitat.
Birds of prey are a diverse, beautiful and majestic group of birds, and since ancient times, they have evinced exceptional interest in their culture by different nations, including the peoples of Russia. These magnificent birds were frequently admired and even worshiped, their images were printed on coins and portrayed on coats of arms and flags. They were kept in captivity and used for hunting purposes, and their feathers were used to decorate the garments of different tribes. In contrast, these birds were believed to cause damage (e.g., to cattle and poultry) and therefore were regularly killed by humans. It appears, however, that birds of prey play a key role in nature. Firstly, these birds are orderlies of nature, limiting the spread of diseases by seeking out and eating ill and weak animals. Secondly, they help to regulate the numbers of highly abundant species such as various rodents, which may cause serious damage to crops and natural ecosystems. Finally, raptors play a decisive role in evolution by stimulating adaptations of their prey to increase their survival.
Diverse direct and indirect anthropogenic pressures on birds of prey have resulted in a sharp decrease in their numbers, frequently down to critically low levels, which has led to a realization of the necessity of taking measures to protect them by including them in Red Data Books and international nature conservation agreements. As a result, all species of diurnal raptors are now included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Nowadays, 18 of the 30 (60%) of birds of prey species encountered in Primorye are included in the Red Data Books of the Russian Federation and/or Primorskyi Krai.
Diurnal raptors are relatively well studied but there still remains controversy among scientists on such issues as phylogenetic relationships among the living species. Until recently, bird taxonomists included all bird-of-prey species within a single order, Falconiformes. This order was believed to include five families: Accipitridae (hawks and eagles – 257 species), Pandionidae (ospreys – 2 species), Sagittariidae (secretary birds – 1 species), Cathartidae (New World, or American vultures – 7 species), and Falconidae (falcons and caracaras – 67 species). Rapid development of advanced methods in molecular systematics and phylogeny changed our knowledge and “classic” views on bird taxonomy, and nowadays it is frequently assumed that there exist three separate orders of birds of prey: Accipitriformes, Cathartiformes and Falconiformes. It appears that falcons constitute a separate lineage, which evolved independently from the lineage of hawks and American vultures, and representatives of these latter two lineages acquired the external features of raptors independently. Interestingly, according to molecular phylogeny, falcons are close relatives of parrots on the evolutionary tree of birds, and so can be considered as kinds of “carnivorous parrots”!
This book includes representatives from three bird-of-prey families occurring in Vladivostok and adjoining southern areas of the Russian Far East: Accipitridae (hawks, buzzards, eagles, harriers, sea eagles and kites), Pandionidae (ospreys), and Falconidae (peregrine falcons, hobbies and their relatives). Most information on the birds of prey of the region was taken from the fundamental review “Birds of Primorsky Krai” (“Birds of Primorye Territory”) by Gluschenko et al. (2016). Other sources of printed information (see References), as well as original personal observations and data from various internet resources were also used to compile short species profiles.
Vladivostok is a city where, in different seasons throughout the year, one can meet a wide variety of birds of prey, diurnal raptors such as hawks, eagles, sea eagles, buzzards, and falcons: up to 26 species have been encountered in the city and its surroundings! It is likely that no other city and no other regional capital in the World can boast such a variety of diurnal feathery carnivores! In winter, white-tailed and Steller’s sea eagles soar above the downtown area, and common and rough-legged buzzards frequently sit on power line poles looking for voles in the city and suburban area; peregrine falcons hunt for pigeons in the city, even in its central square, practically all year round; common kestrels search for small rodents; and goshawks and sparrow hawks ambush their prey, mainly birds, in the city parks and yards! In spring and summer, forests in the city and surroundings serve as nesting areas for hawks, common, grey-faced and honey buzzards, and even mountain hawk-eagles. Peregrines and kestrels breed within the city area; and in summer and autumn ospreys searching for fish fly over the shallow bays, lakes and rivers close to the city. Many birds of prey occur in the vicinity of Vladivostok during their migrations in spring and autumn: hawks and honey buzzards; pied, hen and eastern marsh harriers; black kites; small falcons (kestrels, hobbies, Amur falcons, and merlins).
This book provides concise information on the birds of prey species inhabiting the southern areas of the Russian Far East (south Primorye), and in particular, the city of Vladivostok and its surroundings. The text is supplemented with numerous original photos of raptors, most of them in the wild, and some in captivity. The latter photos are either of wounded birds, or those weak and unable to fly for various reasons, after being picked up in the city streets and suburban territories and brought in for rehabilitation to veterinary clinics or local zoos by compassionate citizens, with the ultimate goal of returning them to their natural habitat.
Birds of prey are a diverse, beautiful and majestic group of birds, and since ancient times, they have evinced exceptional interest in their culture by different nations, including the peoples of Russia. These magnificent birds were frequently admired and even worshiped, their images were printed on coins and portrayed on coats of arms and flags. They were kept in captivity and used for hunting purposes, and their feathers were used to decorate the garments of different tribes. In contrast, these birds were believed to cause damage (e.g., to cattle and poultry) and therefore were regularly killed by humans. It appears, however, that birds of prey play a key role in nature. Firstly, these birds are orderlies of nature, limiting the spread of diseases by seeking out and eating ill and weak animals. Secondly, they help to regulate the numbers of highly abundant species such as various rodents, which may cause serious damage to crops and natural ecosystems. Finally, raptors play a decisive role in evolution by stimulating adaptations of their prey to increase their survival.
Diverse direct and indirect anthropogenic pressures on birds of prey have resulted in a sharp decrease in their numbers, frequently down to critically low levels, which has led to a realization of the necessity of taking measures to protect them by including them in Red Data Books and international nature conservation agreements. As a result, all species of diurnal raptors are now included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Nowadays, 18 of the 30 (60%) of birds of prey species encountered in Primorye are included in the Red Data Books of the Russian Federation and/or Primorskyi Krai.
Diurnal raptors are relatively well studied but there still remains controversy among scientists on such issues as phylogenetic relationships among the living species. Until recently, bird taxonomists included all bird-of-prey species within a single order, Falconiformes. This order was believed to include five families: Accipitridae (hawks and eagles – 257 species), Pandionidae (ospreys – 2 species), Sagittariidae (secretary birds – 1 species), Cathartidae (New World, or American vultures – 7 species), and Falconidae (falcons and caracaras – 67 species). Rapid development of advanced methods in molecular systematics and phylogeny changed our knowledge and “classic” views on bird taxonomy, and nowadays it is frequently assumed that there exist three separate orders of birds of prey: Accipitriformes, Cathartiformes and Falconiformes. It appears that falcons constitute a separate lineage, which evolved independently from the lineage of hawks and American vultures, and representatives of these latter two lineages acquired the external features of raptors independently. Interestingly, according to molecular phylogeny, falcons are close relatives of parrots on the evolutionary tree of birds, and so can be considered as kinds of “carnivorous parrots”!
This book includes representatives from three bird-of-prey families occurring in Vladivostok and adjoining southern areas of the Russian Far East: Accipitridae (hawks, buzzards, eagles, harriers, sea eagles and kites), Pandionidae (ospreys), and Falconidae (peregrine falcons, hobbies and their relatives). Most information on the birds of prey of the region was taken from the fundamental review “Birds of Primorsky Krai” (“Birds of Primorye Territory”) by Gluschenko et al. (2016). Other sources of printed information (see References), as well as original personal observations and data from various internet resources were also used to compile short species profiles.
Katugin O.N. Raptors of Vladivostok and south Primorye.
Vladivostok, 2025, 392 p.
ISBN 978-5-6054815-0-8
Vladivostok, 2025, 392 p.
ISBN 978-5-6054815-0-8
This book is dedicated to the memory of Georgyi P. Dementyev, professor of the M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, world renowned ornithologist, famous expert on birds of prey, the editor and one of the authors of the fundamental six-volume publication “Birds of the Soviet Union” (1951-1954).
