Monitoring birds of prey

The nation-wide monitoring study on birds of prey, conducted in unison with the Ringing Centre and the Ministry of the Environment, started in 1982. Populations of birds of prey are studied at 10 km x 10 km raptor grid squares based on the National Grid and spread over the country. The aim is to find all nests - or at least all occupied territories of the birds of prey in the squares. From 1986, the monitoring was made more effective by starting to gather all information from the ringers on the nest sites checked and nests found outside the squares as well. One of the important aims of the project is to get information on nest sites, breeding performance and population trends needed for the protection of birds of prey. The species included in the programme consist of all species of birds of prey except the Golden Eagle, the White-tailed Eagle, the Peregrine and the Osprey, all of which have their own monitoring programmes. In 2005, 127 raptor grid squares (129 in 2004) were studied and altogether approx. 43,757 birds of prey territories (45,400 in 2004) were checked in Finland.

The data collected so far shows that the population of none of our birds of prey is in a steep decline at the moment. However, birds of prey are important indicators of the state of our environment in many ways, because they are at the top of food chains. Thus, many environmental changes are soon reflected in bird of prey populations. Indeed, the threats caused by mercury and chlorinated hydrocarbons were discovered from the increasing amount of breeding failures of birds of prey.

(Bird of prey = raptor)

Publications

• Taivalmäki, J.-P., Haapala, J. & Saurola, P. 1998: Petolintuvuosi 1998: vaisu sadekesä, myyrälaikut harvassa (Summary: Breeding and population trends of common raptors and owls in Finland in 1998). - Linnut-vuosikirja 1998: 38-53.
• Taivalmäki, J.-P., Haapala, J. & Saurola, P. 1999: Petolintuvuosi 1999: auringonpaistetta ja suuria poikueita (Summary: Breeding and population trends of common raptors and owls in Finland in 1999). - Linnut-vuosikirja 1999: 28-39.
• Taivalmäki, J.-P., Haapala, J. & Saurola, P. 2001: Petolintuvuosi 2000 - tuulihaukka ja varpuspöllö menestyivät (Summary: Breeding and population trends of common raptors and owls in Finland in 2000). - Linnut-vuosikirja 2000: 44-54.
• Hannula, H., Haapala, J. & Saurola, P. 2002: Petolintuvuosi 2001 - myyrät harvojen herkkua (Summary: Breeding and population trends of common raptors and owls in Finland in 2001 - a year with rodents almost absent). - Linnut-vuosikirja 2001: 15-25.
• Björklund, H., Saurola, P. & Haapala, J. 2003: Petolintuvuosi 2002 - karvapalleroita popsittaviksi (Summary: Breeding and population trends of common raptors and owls in Finland in 2002 - many new records saw the daylight). - Linnut-vuosikirja 2002: 28-40.
• Björklund, H. & Saurola, P. 2004: Petolintuvuosi 2003 - paikoittain huippuvuosi (Summary: Breeding and population trends of common raptors and owls in Finland in 2003 - a good vole year in Western Finland). - Linnut-vuosikirja 2003: 58-72.
• Honkala, J., Björklund, H. & Saurola, P. 2004: Petolintuvuosi 2004 - huono myyrävuosi ( Summary: Breeding and population trends of common raptors and owls in Finland in 2004). - Linnut-vuosikirja 2004: 44-56.
• Honkala, J. & Saurola, P. 2006: Petolintuvuosi 2005 - monien ennätysten vuosi (Summary: Breeding and population trends of common raptors and owls in Finland in 2005). - Linnut-vuosikirja 2005: 9-22.