Branta Issues > Issue №14 (2011)

Dynamics of bird population of Simferopol Reservoir during spring migrations

V. N. Kucherenko, V. I. Chirniy

The paper presents data on ornithofauna dynamics at Simferopol Reservoir during spring migrations. In a total 94 species of birds were recorded, of them 32 species are breeding, 12 – roaming, and other - migratory. It has been found out that the hydrophilic complex is poor, and the main species diversity is provided by species of the tree-shrub complex. There is given the number of species and birds recorded along a fixed route, per decades. The highest number of birds at relatively small species diversity was observed from the beginning of bird passage to the second decade of March and chiefly connected with the Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and Yellowlegged Gull (Larus cachinnans). Starting from the third decade of March the total ratio of hydrophilic and tree-shrub birds along the route began equaling, and further the portion of the tree-shrub birds is increasing which is explained by departure of the Mallard and changes in roaming movements of the Yellow-legged Gull. Since the third decade of May the share of hydrophilic birds in counts increases again (56.4% of all birds counted in this period) due to appearance of roaming flocks of the Yellowlegged Gull.