One Million Raptors Migrate Over Georgia's Black Sea Coast Despite Illegal Hunting

Photo: HT World

Over one million birds of prey migrate annually over Georgia's Black Sea coast, a major global raptor migration route where the Black Sea and Caucasus mountains create a bottleneck. Ornithologist Bart Hoekstra, co-chair of Batumi Raptor Count, reports that about 9,000 birds are illegally shot each autumn near Batumi. Species like honey buzzards, black kites, steppe buzzards, and lesser spotted eagles dominate the migration, with harriers especially vulnerable due to low flight.

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