The practice of trapping migratory sparrowhawks Accipiter spp. for falconry and the indiscriminate hunting of other
migratory raptors, together with an alleged trade in raptors, were investigated in the eastern Black Sea coastal region
of the Republic of Georgia in 1998. Falconry and hunting are deeply rooted in Georgian tradition, exacerbated by the
current socioeconomic crisis, and result in significant mortality of migratory raptors during the autumn migration along
strategic bottlenecks in the Kolkheti Lowland and along the Atchara-Imereti mountain range. The mortality of migratory raptors resulting directly from hunting and trapping ranges between 1,500 and 3,000 birds during the autumn
migration. Education of trappers and hunters through constructive dialogue and advocating best practice is practicable
and imperative to reduce the magnitude of raptors killed.