OSME

OSME OSME - the Ornithological Society of the Middle East, the Caucasus & Central Asia - is a charity base

The Ornithological Society of the Middle East was formed in April 1978. Its aims are as follows:

To collect, collate and publish ornithological data on birds of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. To encourage an interest in and conservation of birds of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. To assist environmental and conservation organisations and natural history societ

ies in and concerned with ornithological studies and activities in the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

One of our most exciting recent initiatives, with ripple effects in the region, is the OSME-BRC Flyway Monitoring Tra...
08/04/2026



One of our most exciting recent initiatives, with ripple effects in the region, is the OSME-BRC Flyway Monitoring Traineeship. We are happy to announce this will continues also in 2026 - and here is the call for applications. ONE MONTH, fully funded including travels, at the raptor migration paradise of Batumi!

"The traineeship aims to strengthen bird migration monitoring capacity along the East Afro-Eurasian Flyway. This fully-funded opportunity enables ambitious conservationists from the OSME region to gain hands-on experience they can implement in their home countries.
Are you ready to spend a month immersed in the Batumi Raptor Count, participating as a long-term counter, and learning all about what it takes to run a count like the BRC? The traineeship covers accommodation and travel up to €1300, making this position accessible to aspiring and ambitious conservationists across the OSME region."

Please, share this call for trainees with anyone who might be interested to apply. Applications are at least open until April 25th.

See more details on the BRC web and social media, or get in touch with us! See also the recent guest blogs on the OSME web with personal reflections and stories from last years lucky trainees.

www.osme.org www.batumiraptorcount.org

05/04/2026



The raptor migration counts at Galala, Egypt, had one of their best days ever on April 3rd! Over 117.000 raptors were tallied heading north along the mountains, on their journey from Eastern Africa across the Suez and Sinai into the Eurasian landmass. That’s one hundred and seventeen thousand pairs of raptor wings! As could be suspected a dramatic weather pattern preceded this day; a couple of days of sand- and thunderstorms had likely suppressed migration and when it cleared, all the birds got moving again.

The vast bulk, over 75.000, of the raptors were Steppe Buzzards. A really good day count also of Steppe Eagle with 5.200, an increasingly threatened species of the OSME region that recently saw a new action plan launched for its conservation. See the numbers from the day at Trektellen, https://www.trektellen.nl/count/view/3335/20260403

Attached is an exciting brief video from Watter Albahry, that catches the moment; kettle upon kettle of raptors appearing along the ridge. The intense chatter and ”click-click-click” of handheld counting devices in the background.

OSME has been involved since the early days in the development of this bird observatory, and recently supported another round of field training for young coming conservationists and migration enthusiasts!

Observatory

25/03/2026



Meet the stunning male Pallid Harrier! This bird is handled by professionals for research purpose - NOT injured after being shot down by criminal hunters as too often is the case! At the Aras Bird Ringing Station in NE Türkiye harriers are regularly trapped with nets and fitted with a tiny metal ring on the leg for research purpose. Sometimes also gps transmitters or other small devices. Bird ringing is an excellent way to come close with our feathered friends for school groups, students, eco tourists and also local officials and decision makers. Bring on the spring migration ya Aras Kuş Araştırma ve Eğitim Merkezi!

Today the 10th of March saw a new bird species for Türkiye being discovered; a Three-banded Plover! The site in questio...
10/03/2026



Today the 10th of March saw a new bird species for Türkiye being discovered; a Three-banded Plover! The site in question is in the Gaziantep province, near the Syrian border in the southeast of the country. A hotspot for rare birds with several country-firsts in recent years.

The Three-banded Plover is an African species, extending in East Africa up to Sudan and with a well-known breeding site just into southernmost Egypt. Records of single birds have also been done notably in Georgia, Israel and Lebanon, raising the question of these birds as possible ”scouts” for further breeding expansion.

Congratulations Türkiye and the sharp-eyed finder Yakup Yener, who also snapped this photo. Exciting!

06/03/2026

Enjoy this enormous ”kettle” of migrating White Storks over Lebanon yesterday, as a beautiful and soothing contrast to the current dark news flow from the region. The cycle of Mother Nature goes on. Thanks Lebanese Association for Migratory Birds الجمعية اللبنانية للطيور المهاجرةfor keeping up your work despite tough conditions!

Great to see the cheerful faces and upbeat atmosphere at Galala Bird Observatory where again OSME is funding training ...
24/02/2026



Great to see the cheerful faces and upbeat atmosphere at Galala Bird Observatory where again OSME is funding training for local raptor migration enthusiasts! Building local capacity and making it well anchored in the local community is absolute key for a sustainable conservation effort. Excellent work by the NCE and partners to keep these activities up, and spring migration should be just upon them now! Be sure to follow Galala and NCE on their Facebook and Instagram spaces.

The Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax) is considered one of the most threatened steppe bird species across its wide distribu...
13/02/2026

The Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax) is considered one of the most threatened steppe bird species across its wide distribution range, extending from Western Europe through the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and parts of the Middle East 🐦🌍. Throughout these regions, the species relies strongly on open steppe habitats, semi natural grasslands, and traditional agricultural landscapes, particularly during the winter season 🌾❄️.

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan holds globally important wintering areas for this species. Current assessments indicate that up to 70% of the global population may winter in the country. Historically, the central lowlands, especially the Mil steppe, supported approximately 20,000 to 30,000 wintering individuals. These landscapes continue to serve as critical wintering habitats with high conservation value 🌱🦆.

Across its entire distribution range, the Little Bustard faces increasing pressures linked to habitat loss, agricultural intensification, infrastructure development, disturbance, and illegal hunting 🚜🏗️. Wintering flocks often gather in open and predictable landscapes, which can increase their exposure to human activities.

Falconry activities in several steppe regions, including parts of Azerbaijan, are sometimes discussed within conservation circles due to potential impacts in areas where large wintering aggregations occur 🦅. Although the species is legally protected in many countries, cases of illegal hunting continue to be reported in different parts of its range. Field observations in some regions have also indicated that the same visiting falconry groups may return to specific wintering locations across multiple years. Available estimates suggest that illegal killing may affect around 10% of the global population annually, highlighting the importance of continued monitoring and conservation attention 📊⚠️.

The long term survival of the Little Bustard depends on coordinated international conservation efforts, including protection of key habitats, promotion of sustainable land use practices, effective enforcement of wildlife protection laws, and strengthened monitoring of wintering populations 🤝🌿. Conserving steppe ecosystems is essential not only for this species but also for many other wildlife species that depend on these rapidly changing habitats.

Photo was taken from recent hunting party operating in Mil steppes of Azerbaijan

New blog on the OSME web! And one highly anticipated, by many of us at least. Its about humans more than birds, actua...
13/02/2026



New blog on the OSME web! And one highly anticipated, by many of us at least. Its about humans more than birds, actually. Its about those local young conservationists-to-be that both international community, donors and nature itself are looking at to do the job. We need to support them, create learning and field practice, and opportunities for their early career.

The Eymir Ornithological Research Center in Türkiye has received funding from OSME for several field seasons, and in this first-part-of-two guest blog you will see testament to the importance of sustained funding. Read the reflections from Havva, Esad, Furkan and their fellow students on what their time at Eymir has meant to them.

Enjoy the guest blog on the OSME web, and look out for the second part coming later this spring!

As always, feel free to share the OSME Facebook posts that you find inspiring and informative. Lets make that 6.000 followers milestone!

https://osme.org/2026/02/journeys-with-turkiyes-eymir-ornithological-research-center-part-one/

Do you remember Alyona? A young conservationist from Kazakhstan, she was one of the first two participants of the OSME-...
10/02/2026



Do you remember Alyona? A young conservationist from Kazakhstan, she was one of the first two participants of the OSME-BRC Flyway Monitoring Traineeship in 2024. That initiative is all about learning, early-career steps, building your network and trying your hands at the international conservation stage. After the period at Batumi she continued working with raptor conservation in Kazakhstan, and was just recently invited to India to deliver a speech at a conference! Big congrats from OSME to this excellent achievement!

"This January, I had the apportunity to participate in the International Conference for Applied Zoology in India (hosted by VPM’s BN Bandodkar College of Science).

On the first day, I delivered a presentation titled «Transboundary raptor conservation along the Indo-palearctic flyway». I spoke about the projects we are implementing at BRCC and highlighted why cooperation between Kazakhstan and India is so vital. I was also very impressed by the research presented by the students. I truly hope that by sharing my experience, I was able to inspire them to pursue careers in science and nature conservation.
A huge thank you for the invitation!"

OSME celebrates the World Wetlands Day, 2 February, with this nice post from one of the least known countries of the OS...
02/02/2026



OSME celebrates the World Wetlands Day, 2 February, with this nice post from one of the least known countries of the OSME region. Photos and field records from the Tajikistan Nature Foundation as a reminder that nature and birds have their diligent champions even in the most remote of places. Great work TNF and thanks for sharing! Stay tuned for more updates on OSME-supported conservation work in this country 🇹🇯 👏🏼

OSME has been closely involved in funding and building the Egyptian ornithological community, and it’s simply great t...
29/01/2026



OSME has been closely involved in funding and building the Egyptian ornithological community, and it’s simply great to see the current developments! In the recent issue of Sandgrouse, which should have arrived with our members recently, no less than four papers are from Egypt. To cheer for this and to highlight the many good aspects of such publications, Nature Conservation Egypt (NCE) has arranged a webinar taking place today Thursday afternoon. OSME will be represented by our Youth Development Officer, Tomas Axén Haraldsson, who will share some reflections on the aspects of the webinar headline; ”From Field to Publication”. Welcome to watch this live on the NCE page later today!

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