Branta Issues > Issue №10 (2007)

Birds of rocky banks of the Dniester - 40 years later.

Tsvelykh A. N., Klestov N.L., Osipova M.A.

Avifauna of rocky banks of the Dniester River within bilateral border of Ukraine and Moldavia is investigated. At present of 13 species known before on breeding (Gania, 1969), only 6 species (Bubo bubo, Upupa epops, Corvus corax, Phoenicurus ochruros, Motacilla alba, Passer montanus) survived in the most large rocky areas. Numbers of these species decreased in some level for 40 years. Neophron percnopterus, Falco cherrug, Falco tinnunculus, Merops apiaster, Corvus monedula, Oenanthe oenanthe, Monticola saxatilis disappeared on breeding. Three species, namely Delichon urbica, Hirundo rustica, Passer domesticus, appeared on breeding. Phoenicurus ochruros, breeding before exclusively in rocky habitats, now nests also in settlements. It is assumed that settlements probably are populated not with birds, breeding in natural habitats, but with ones of synanthropic population rapidly expanding to Eastern Europe. Disappearance of the most stony slopes and rocky areas is caused by cardinal transformation of breeding and feeding habitats as a result of their overgrowing with tree and bush and dense grass. Presently the most of these habitats are populated with birds of a tree and bush complex. Regeneration of natural vegetable cover became possible after a sharp decline press of stock grazing for the last 40 years.