Branta Issues > Issue №20 (2017)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/branta2017.20.039

Birds of the wetland “Shallow part of the Utliukskyi Liman” (north-western part of the Azov Sea region)

I. I. Chernichko, E. A. Diadicheva, V. M. Popenko, R. N. Chernichko

The value of the shallow part of the Utliukskyi Liman for birds in all seasons of the year is poorly studied. Periodical censuses, carried out during synchronized August censuses under the ROM Programme, showed the simultaneous presence from 70,000 to 120,000 waterbirds. Regular winter censuses also confirm the liman importance. Though significantly transformed by human activity, this area still demonstrate high ornithological value, and recent inclusion of several parts of the Utliukskyi Liman in the territory of the Priazovskyi National Nature Park requires more detailed description of its bird population. 
To prepare this paper we used disaggregated published information about birds of the liman, and, predominantly, the data collected by the staff of the ornithological station in the course of 66 complete and opportunistic counts (1987-2016), most of them participated by the authors of this publication. A method of absolute bird counts using telescopes and binoculars, and less frequently a method of linear transects on coastal areas were applied.
The spring season (March-May) was assessed according to 13 counts, during which 121 bird species were recorded. Their summarized number for all counts amounted to 145,121 individuals (Table 1). The dominants were Charadriiformes (38 species), then, with a large gap, Anseriformes followed (17 species). The number of Passeriformes in spite of high diversity of their species (30) was insignificant due to specificities of a basic method of absolute bird counts in the area.
Among 121 species, registered during spring migration, only 43 (14 of 26 wader, 7 of 17 geese, and 5 of 30 passerine species were recorded during all three months. The most stable was the species composition of gulls (4 of 7 species). Relating to species composition it should be noted that in March and April the number of registered species was almost the same (69/90), though the similarity index (2.03 Sorensen index) between months was low. According to the number, undoubted leaders were the Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) and Coot (Fulica atra).
On breeding, 86 bird species were recorded (Table 2), of them for 4 species - Ardeolla ralloides, Platalea leucorodia, Buteo rufinus, and Falco subbuteo (judging from registration of their pairs in suitable habitats) - the nesting is highly probable though not proved.  
Summering is known for 55 bird species (Table 3), with a total number for all counts equaling to 25,036 individuals. In addition to the species, mentioned in the table, Cygnus cygnus is mentioned among summering birds in the last century (1965) (Lysenko, 1991).
Autumn migrations are the most numerous and excel spring ones. During 31 (21 complete) counts a total of 163 species were recorded (Table 4). In autumn, the number of Anseriformes, daytime birds of prey and Passeriformes species increased. The autumn migrations also dominate according to the number of rare species (35), included in the Red Data Book of Ukraine (2009). According to the published data, the autumn bird community is added by 3 species: Anser erythropus, Anser fabalis, and Chen caerulescens (Lysenko, 1991). Possible reasons of more abundant autumn migrations, compared with spring ones, are discussed. 
Wintering is rather numerous though having less number of species than in other seasons. During 13 (including 8 complete) counts there were recorded 146,265 individuals, 75 species, of them 14 are rare, included in the Red Data Book of Ukraine (2009), with a total number of 4,835 individuals (Table 5).
For all known period of observations at the Utliukskyi Liman a total of 192 bird species were recorded. Taking into account the importance of the Utliukslyi Liman in supporting numbers of migratory populations of birds (usually more than 20,000 individuals for watebird species) and a considerable portion of rare bird species in the overall bird community, this area corresponds to a status of the wetland of international importance according to criteria 2, 4, 5 (Table 5, Fig. 5).