A film on the life of migrant Sooty Falcons

[gallery columns='4' link='file' ids='358263,358264,358265,358266'] MAi AL ABRIA - They breed during the boreal summer. They are migrants. These are the two facts many people are sure about the Sooty Falcon (Falco concolor). But other than that, their habits and their way of life are seldom captured on film. “The Migrant — Sooty Falcons in Oman” documentary by Robin Jahne (Camera, Director & Editor) and Sarah Herbort (Director & Editor) was launched yesterday under the patronage of Sayyid Khalid al Busaidy, Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court at Oasis Club. The fascinating documentary highlights the efforts exerted in the Sultanate to study and protect this long-range flyer. Capturing the footages that made up the documentary wasn’t easy. As the team shared, they have to accompany the falcons during their breeding seasons and watch out for them as they settle in their habitat on the breathtaking islands in the Sea of Oman. “We follow the migration route of juvenile falcons, crossing the Al Hajar mountains and the Rub Al Khali desert (Empty Quarter) in Oman, resting in the Horn of Africa, finally reaching Madagascar — the Sooty falcon’s non-breeding season destination,” the team said. The Sooty Falcon breeds on the islands and costal cliffs overlooking the Sea of Oman. Studies conducted during the late 1970’s suggested that up to 10 per cent of its global population bred in Oman. More recent studies indicate that the sooty Falcon’s global population may have suffered a 15 per cent decline since then. In 2007, the Office for Conservation of the Environment (OCE), in collaboration with specialised local and international organisations, initiated a research project. The purpose of the project was to gather ecological information about the Sooty Falcon that could be used to develop conservation and protection plans, including information on its numbers, reproductive success and diet. Since 2012, the project has cooperated with international and regional organisations to intensify efforts in the field of Sooty Falcon protection. These collaborative efforts teamed Oman with neighbouring countries where the falcons breed, and with countries where falcons spend the non-breeding season (e.g. Madagascar). “In this movie, we accompany the scientists from OCE during their research and conservation activities in Oman and Madagascar. Latest recording technologies provide unique and so far unknown insights in the life cycle of this remarkable falcon — from the mating and breeding behaviour, to the growth of the falcon chicks, and then to their maiden migration flight,” Jahne and Herbort narrated. “It was a journey through breathtaking landscapes from Oman to East Africa, and further reaching the final destination, Madagascar,” they added. Dr Mansour al Jahdhami, OCE Sooty Falcon Project Manager, said, “About 528 species of birds are registered in our database, most of them are immigrants and some are settlers.” He said, “Sooty Falcon specifically is one of the migrating birds that have a distinctive life cycle that vary from other birds and deserves to be told on film as a good example for the conservation of other species of migratory endangered species of birds.” He added, “The conservation requires concerted efforts at the international level because immigrant birds travel across many countries, and they are exposed to many risks and this will automatically affect the global census of this bird.” The team members of the documentary film included Henning Schwarze (Executive producer), Khalid al Tobi (Executive producer), Robin Jahne (Camera, Director & Editor), Sarah Herbort (Director & Editor), Dr Mansoor al Jahdhami (OCE Sooty Falcon Project Manager), Dr Mike Mcgrady (Scientific Advice), Waheed al Fazari (OCE Wildlife Biologist), Sultan al Balushi (OCE Wildlife Biologist), and Abdulrahman al Ouasi (OCE Wildlife Biologist).