Branta Issues > Issue №6 (2003)

Current state of the Numenius populations during their migration on Dzharylgach Island

Ardamatskaya T.B., Diadicheva E.A., Lugovoy O.A.

Observations of the Numenius species migration were carried out on Dzharylgach Island (north-western part of  the Black Sea, Dzharylgach Bay) in spring and autumn 2001 and spring 2002 (Table 1).

These studies were organized and supported by the Ukrainian Union for Bird Conservation and BirdLife International UNEP/CMS. Seasonal number dynamics (Table 2-4), terms of migration, habitat and territorial distribution (Table 5, Fig. 2-4) are discussed for 3 Numenius species: Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) and Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris). Eurasian Curlew is shown to be the most numerous of these species, especially during their autumn migration. Only in the end of April and early May Whimbrel became more numerous. Peak numbers of Curlews were estimated in the end of March in spring and in the second half of September in autumn. Observations of 19 Slender-billed Curlews (including 6 birds in April 2001, 2 birds in August-September 2001 and 11 ones in March 2002) are described in details.