Transactions
of the Azov-Black Sea Ornithological Station

Branta Cover Language of the article: Ukrainian Cite: Sydorenko, A. I. (2022). Current status of the Great Cormorant’s (Phalacrocorax carbo L.) population in the Azov-Black sea region of Ukraine. Branta: Transactions of the Azov-Black Sea Ornithological Station, 24, 23-46 Keywords: population dynamics, nesting, duration of existence, types of nesting settlements Views: 87 Branta copyright Branta license

Branta Issues

Branta: Transactions of the Azov-Black Sea Ornithological Station, 23-46

Current status of the Great Cormorant’s (Phalacrocorax carbo L.) population in the Azov-Black sea region of Ukraine

A. I. Sydorenko

Bogdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University

The population of the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in European countries has dramatically increased over the past decades, from several tens of thousands of breeding pairs in the early 1980s to more than 370 thousand pairs in 2012, although at the moment there is some stabilization, and even a decrease in a number of countries.
These trends have also affected our country. In the Azov-Black Sea region of Ukraine, the most intensive growth of the nesting population of this species and its active dispersal were observed in the mid-1980s – late 1990s, but the population reached its maximum size only by the mid-2010s; according to estimates made in 2012, it was approximately 43,500 pairs, of which 18,000 (41.38%) were in the colony located on the Obytichna Spit. But, as of 2021, the number of great cormorants in the region has declined, and now barely exceeds 34,000 pairs.
All colonies of the species in the region can be divided into 5 subregional complexes (Danube-Dniester-Tylihul; Dnieper-Bug-Yahorlyk-Tendra; Dzharylhach-Karkinit; Kerch-Syvash; North-Azov) having connections both among themselves and with each other and with other nesting territories inside and outside the country. Within them, according to own and literary data, in the period from 1946 to 2021. the appearance of 72 cormorant settlements was established (not all of which were stable and existed for a long time). As of 2021, the presence of 23 reliably inhabited colonies was recorded in the region, 4 – probably inhabited and 2 – probably uninhabited.

Read the paper in a PDF file
References:
  1. Ardamatskaya, T. B., Siokhin, V. D., Kostyushin, V. A., & Gorlov, P. I. 2016. Lower Dnieper. The role of various wetlands for the breeding population of the great cormorant in Ukraine. Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Ukraine: the number, territorial distribution and their changes. Bulletin of Zoology 34: 172-181 [in Russian].
  2. Beskaravayny, M. M. 2016. Southern coast of Crimea. The role of various wetlands for the breeding population of the great cormorant in Ukraine. Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Ukraine: the number, territorial distribution and their changes. Bulletin of Zoology 34: 122‑129 [in Russian].
  3. Gerzhik, I. P., Redinov, K. A., & Derkach, O. M. 2016. Tiligul Estuary. The role of various wetlands for the breeding population of the great cormorant in Ukraine. Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Ukraine: the number, territorial distribution and their changes. Bulletin of Zoology 34: 31 [in Russian].
  4. Gorlov, P. I., Sidorenko, A. I., & Siokhin, V. D. 2015. Current status of the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) on the islands of the Kakhovka Reservoir. Proceedings of the VIII International Scientific Conference (Zoocenosis–2015. Biodiversity and the role of creatures in ecosystems), 219-221 [in Russian].
  5. Gorlov, P. I., & Siokhin, V. D. 2016. Kazantip Peninsula. The role of various wetlands for the breeding population of the great cormorant in Ukraine. Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Ukraine: the number, territorial distribution and their changes. Bulletin of Zoology 34: 65-73 [in Russian].
  6. Gorlov, P. I., Siokhin, V. D., Kostyushin, V. A., & Sidorenko, A. I. 2016. Obitochnaya Spit. The role of various wetlands for the breeding population of the great cormorant in Ukraine. Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Ukraine: the number, territorial distribution and their changes. Bulletin of Zoology 34: 136-164 [in Russian].
  7. Zhmud, M. E., & Yakovlev, M. V.  2016. Danube Delta. The role of various wetlands for the breeding population of the great cormorant in Ukraine. Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Ukraine: the number, territorial distribution and their changes. Bulletin of Zoology 34: 21-25 [in Russian].
  8. Klimov, O. V., Nadtochiy, G. S., Klimov, D. O., & Gaidrich, I. M. 2019. Identified threats to the ecological status of wetlands of international importance by assessing their ecosystem functions and services. Report on the scientific follow-up work on topic No. 18/1.1.1-19. Kharkiv [in Ukrainian].
  9. Kostin, S. Yu., & Tarina, N. A. 2016. Karkinit Bay – Swan Islands. The role of various wetlands for the breeding population of the great cormorant in Ukraine. Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Ukraine: the number, territorial distribution and their changes. Bulletin of Zoology 34: 58-64 [in Russian].
  10. Molodan, G. N., Bronskova, M. A., & Bui, G. A. 2016. Krivaya Spit. The role of various wetlands for the breeding population of the great cormorant in Ukraine. Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Ukraine: the number, territorial distribution and their changes. Bulletin of Zoology 34: 165-171 [in Russian].
  11. Moskalenko, Yu. A. 2016. Yagorlyk and Tendra Bays. The role of various wetlands for the breeding population of the great cormorant in Ukraine. Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Ukraine: the number, territorial distribution and their changes. Bulletin of Zoology 34: 35-46 [in Russian].
  12. Redinov, K. A., & Petrovich, Z. O. 2020. Number of nesting birds on the Kinburn Spit (Nikolaev region) in 2016-2020. ROM Bulletin: Results of the regional ornithological monitoring 14: 13 [in Russian & English].
  13. Rudenko, A. G., & Rudenko, V. P. 2020. Census of nesting birds on the island Dzharylgach (Small Spit) in 2016-2019. ROM Bulletin: Results of the regional ornithological monitoring 14: 14-15 [in Russian & English].
  14. Rusev, I. T. 2016. Dniester Delta. The role of various wetlands for the breeding population of the great cormorant in Ukraine. Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Ukraine: the number, territorial distribution and their changes. Bulletin of Zoology 34: 26-29 [in Russian].
  15. Sidorenko, A. I. 2017. Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo L.) in the reserve “Obitochnaya spit”. Proceedings of the All-Ukrainian scientific and practical conference in Urzuf village, March 14-15, 2017 (Conservation in the Steppe zone of Ukraine. Up to 90 years from the creation of the Nadmorski reserves), 273-278 [in Russian].
  16. Siokhin, V. D., Gorlov, P. I., & Kostyushin, V. A. 2021. The historical dynamics of the number of birds on the islands of Syvash and Dzharylhats’ka Bay during the nesting period. Daily research of birds in Ukraine. Branta. Melitopol [in Ukrainian].
  17. Chernichko, I. I., & Vinokurova, S. V. 2020a. Number of nesting birds on the Bolgradsky Sivashik estuary in 2020 ROM Bulletin: Results of regional ornithological monitoring 14: 29-30 [in Russian & English].
  18. Chernichko, I. I., & Vinokurova, S. V. 2020b. Number of nesting birds on the Molochny Estuary in 2020. ROM Bulletin: Results of the regional ornithological monitoring 14: 33 [in Russian].
  19. Chernichko, R. N. 2016. Molochnyi estuary. The role of various wetlands for the breeding population of the great cormorant in Ukraine. Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Ukraine: the number, territorial distribution and their changes. Bulletin of Zoology 34: 130-135 [in Russian].
  20. Yakovlev, M. V., & Gaidash, A. M. 2020. Number of breeding birds in the lower part of the Ukrainian Danube delta in 2016-2020. ROM Bulletin: Results of the regional ornithological monitoring 14: 3-5 [in Russian & English].
  21. Bregnballe, T., Lynch, J., Parz-Gollner, R., Marion, L., Volponi, S., Paquet, J.-Y., Carss, D.N, & van Eerden, M. R. (eds.). 2014. Breeding numbers of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo in the Western Palearctic, 2012-2013. IUCN-Wetlands International Cormorant Research Group Report. Danish Centre for Environment and Energy http://dce2.au.dk/pub/SR99.pdf  [in English].
  22. de Rijk, J. H. 2022. Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo in the Netherlands: Five Centuries of Protection Amidst Almost European-Wide Persecution Ardea 109 (3): 381-388, https://doi.org/10.5253/arde.v109i2.a10 [in English].
  23. Dehnhard, N., Langset, M., Aglen, A., Lorentsen, S-A., & Anker-Nilssen, T. 2021. Fish consumption by great cormorants in Norwegian coastal waters – a human-wildlife conflict for wrasses, but not gadids ICES Journal of Marine Science 78 (3): 1074-1089, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsab004 [in English].
  24. Heikinheimo, O., Marjomäki, T. J., Olin, M., & Rusanen, P. 2022. Cormorant predation mortality of perch (Perca fluviatilis) in coastal and archipelago areas, northern Baltic Sea ICES Journal of Marine Science 79 (2): 337-349, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsab258 [in English].
  25. Herrmann, C., Bregnballe, T., Larsson, K., Leivits, M., & Rusanen, P. 2019. Population Development of Baltic Bird Species: Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis). HELCOM Baltic Sea Environment Fact Sheets, HELCOM. [in English].
  26. Jones, D., Ovegårdb, M., Dahlgren, H., Danielsson, S., Greger, M., Landberg, T., Garbaras, A. & Karlson, A. M. L. 2022. A multi-isotope approach to evaluate the potential of great cormorant eggs for contaminant monitoring Ecological Indicators 136: 108649, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.108649 [in English].
  27. Marion, L., & Bergerot, B. 2018. Northern range shift may be due to increased competition induced by protection of species rather than to climate change alone Ecology and Evolution 8 (16): 8364-8379, https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4348 [in English].
  28. Odum E. P. 197). Fundamentals of Ecology. 3rd edition. W.B. Saunders Company. Philadelphia – London – Toronto. [in English].
  29. van Rijn, S., Carss, D. N., & van Eerden, M. R. (eds.) 2015. Cormorant Research Group Bulletin, 8 [in English].
Editorial Board of “Branta”, Hetmanska str, 20, Melitopol, Ukraine, 72312
[email protected] +38 0619 44 04 09