Branta Issues > Issue №8 (2005)

Observation of rare birds in the vicinity of Kuchurhans’ky Lyman

A.M. Arkhipov, H.V. Fesenko.

Since 1982 all the year round studies of avifauna have been carried out in the vicinity of Kuchurhans'ky Lyman located in the Odessa region, Ukraine. Several species that were not seen by authors of this article and former explorers in the past years, as well as new registrations of rare ones, were recorded in the study area during 2002, 2003 and the beginning of 2004. Species revealed for the first time in the study period were Red-throated Diver (migratory and wintering), Shelduck (breeding), Long-legged Buzzard (possible breeding), Egyptian Vulture (vagrant), Turnstone (migratory), and Citrine Wagtail (breeding).

Appearance of Pygmy Cormorant on the liman in the late 1990s and regular records of the species in recent years can be caused by increasing numbers of it in the neighbouring Dniester delta. Birds are seen mainly in midwinter period, sometimes up to 100 individuals on the liman. They forage near ice-free water in the lower part of the basin. Numbers of the species reaches maximum in moderate cold winter and decreases in severe and mild winters, because birds prefer to fly south during frost spills in the study area or to gather in the Dniester delta during warm winters.

For the last years, growing numb

Glossy Ibis is also recorded in the Dniester delta. Colony of the species is on Lake Tudorovo in 14 km of Kuchurhans'ky Lyman. However, the species is infrequently observed in the study area. During 22 observation periods, there were nine years when the species was recorded in spring and only five years with autumn registrations.

Black-tailed Godwit is one of rare migratory birds, while in the neighbouring Dnister delta it is common on passage. That can be explained by absence of vast foraging area suitable for stopovers of large numbers of this species on the liman and they fly past it. Curlew is rarer than other waders. Occurrence of the species decreased noticeably in comparison with 1980s. Crane also becomes occuring seldom.

Citrine Wagtail is recorded more often on migration near the liman that corresponds to increasing trend of its number for the last ten years. Spotted Eagle and Lesser Spotted Eagle also like to increase in their numbers thus they become occurring more frequently in migration period. Numbers of other rare birds are stable in the study area.