Bird species of the Kletsky region

Human economic activity and anthropogenic climate change, disruption of the cycle of substances, and energy transformation inevitably lead to changes in the living conditions of living beings on Earth. Anthropogenic changes in ecosystem components also inevitably lead to disruption of ecological connections and affect the conditions of existence of living organisms. Natural landscapes are either destroyed or transformed into anthropogenic ones. And this process cannot be stopped.

An integral part of any landscape is the animal population, and this, as we know, is the most vulnerable link in the biosphere. Currently, many animal species are in danger of extinction, and we must make efforts to preserve them.

To do this, it is necessary to have a good knowledge of the laws of functioning of ecosystems, patterns of population dynamics of individual species, in general, the current state of biodiversity and specifically each species, its requirements for changing environmental conditions.

An integral and active part of most ecosystems and their components are birds. They are the most common of vertebrates and inhabit all continents and the most remote corners of the globe. They live wherever there is food for them: in forests, steppes, swamps, reservoirs, mountains and deserts.

WHITE STORK Ciconia ciconia

Status. V category. A rare species spreading in the region, remote from the main range.

Distribution. In the 70s it appeared in the Don basin in the northwestern regions of the Volgograd region. In the Kletsky district, it presumably nests in the Don floodplain. Long-term nesting in St. is reliably known. Raspopinskaya on a telegraph pole in the courtyard of Gerasimenko I.P. until 1997. After the death of the owner, the storks flew away and never returned. But birds were repeatedly observed at fish ponds in the last year of observations. Survey data indicate regular sightings of birds in the meadows of X. Digging.

Number. In the Kletsky district, 2-3 pairs are possible.

Ecology. Monogamous birds have long been a symbol of marital fidelity and longevity. Under favorable conditions, they nest in the same place for several years in a row. It prefers to nest in human settlements close to an amphibious landscape - large damp meadows and stagnant bodies of water, where storks get food (frogs, lizards, fish, mollusks, small animals and other animal food).

Limiting factors. In the Volgograd region, a real and potential threat hindering the further spread of the white stork is associated with the frequency of natural flooding of floodplains and limited feeding grounds; pesticide pollution and disturbance of birds in feeding areas.

Security measures. The patronizing attitude of people towards this beautiful bird, which, according to legend, brings family happiness and children; elimination of disturbance factors associated with livestock grazing, haymaking and increased recreational loads.

Red-breasted Goose Rufibrenta ruficollis

Status. I category. Globally rare, endemic species of Russia with a narrow range and declining numbers. Listed in the Red Books of Russia and the IUCN.

Distribution. In the Kletsky region it occurs during the migration period.

Number. Migratory flocks now number only dozens of individuals. In the southern half of the region, the species is more common on spring migrations than in autumn.

Ecology. During the migration period, in resting places it feeds (in autumn) with shoots of winter wheat, lily bulbs, tubers and rhizomes of steppe plants and ephemeral cereals (in spring).

Limiting factors. Deterioration of feeding conditions along the flight routes and especially poaching.

Security measures. It is necessary to tighten the fight against poaching and promote protection in the areas where this most beautiful goose flies and rests.

WHITE-EYED DIVERS Aythya nyroca

Status. I category. Globally rare, peripheral species, sharply reducing numbers and range. Listed in the Red Books of Russia and the IUCN.

Distribution. In the Kletsky region it was caught by hunters during the spring migrations.

Number. Not known.

Ecology. Inhabits large bodies of water overgrown with tough hydrophilic vegetation with open water areas. It feeds on both plant and animal foods (larvae of aquatic insects, gastropods).

Limiting factors. Increased anthropogenic pressure on water bodies, disruption of their flooding regime, hunting and poaching. Security measures. It is necessary to organize wildlife sanctuaries or temporary reserves during the breeding season of these ducks, preserve the birds’ habitats, and legitimize them as key ornithological areas (IBAs).

OSCOPA Pandion haliaetus

Status. III category. Rare, vulnerable, although widespread species. Listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Distribution. Settles near water bodies rich in fish.

Number. In the Kletsky district it was found near the Melo-Kletsky village and to the northeast of the Karazhensky village, possibly nesting in the vicinity of Perekopskaya station.

Ecology. It makes nests only on tall trees with dead tops. Typical ichthyopagus; demanding of the cleanliness (transparency) of the reservoir and the abundance of fish.

Limiting factors. Food specialization and characteristic nest structure; water pollution; factors of disturbance during the nesting period and poaching.

Security measures. It is necessary to organize the protection of nesting sites, build special platforms for nests, strengthen the fight against poaching and promote knowledge about this rare, amazingly beautiful bird.

WHITE-TAILED EAGLE Haliaeetus albicilla

Status. I category. Widespread, but rare species with relatively stable numbers. Listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

Distribution. In the Kletsky district, we identified nesting sites of the white-tailed eagle in the Don floodplain near Kremenskaya station and Perekopka village.

Number. There are probably at least 5 pairs of sea eagles nesting in the study area.

Ecology. It is a very cautious bird and therefore inconspicuous; it rarely lands on the ground. Inhabits floodplains of rivers and near large lakes with the obligatory presence of tall, powerful trees, on which they build nests from year to year.

Limiting factors. Reduction of nesting trees due to clearing of floodplain forests, disturbance of birds during reproductive time due to increasing recreational loads in the nesting areas of eagles, poaching.

Security measures. Regular winter feeding with dead animals is necessary.

Snake-Eater Circaetus gallicus

Status. I category. A very rare, endangered species. Listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Distribution. The southern edge of the broken habitat in the Kletsky district in the forest north of the village of Perekopskaya passes through the territory of our region.

Number. During our study, the snake eagle was observed only once.

Ecology. It is distinguished by its narrow food specialization, reflected in the species name of the snake eagle, and its low reproductive capacity. It makes nests on tall trees, less often on cliffs, next to damp meadows.

Limiting factors. Features of the biology of reproduction and stenophagy with a decrease in food objects; anxiety factor.

Security measures. Identify and protect the snake eagle nesting sites. Raise the conservation status of hunting reserves in which this species nests to IBAs and state reserves.

TUVIK Accipiter brevipes

Status. IV category. A little studied, rare species of the south of Russia. Included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

Distribution. Found in the forests of the Don region (Perekopskaya, Raspopinskaya, Logovsky villages)

Number. Probably 8-12 breeding pairs.

Ecology. This hawk is characterized by nesting groups and banded habitat, mainly in floodplain forests. It prefers to nest in the crowns of poplars, aspens, and less often on willows. It has a wide food spectrum - from large insects to reptiles.

Limiting factors. Economic development of floodplain lands and disturbance of birds during the reproductive period, poaching.

Security measures. It is necessary to carry out educational work among hunters who confuse the tyuvik with a hawk and, out of ignorance, continue to shoot them.

BURIAL EAGLE Aquila heliaca

Status. I category. A globally rare and vulnerable species whose numbers are declining. Listed in the Red Books of the Russian Federation and IUCN.

Distribution. We met it near Orekhov village, possibly nesting in the southwest of the area (Koponya, Kurganny village).

Number. According to expert data, 2-3 pairs nest.

Ecology. It prefers to nest in floodplain and island forests, hunts in open spaces, looking for prey in soaring flight, and likes to sit for a long time on elevated surfaces. It feeds on gophers and other rodents, and catches lizards and snakes.

Limiting factors. The same as for the steppe eagle.

Security measures. Keep records of all nesting sites.

STEPPE EAGLE Aquila nipalensis

Status. II category. A rapidly declining species. Listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Distribution. On the territory of the Kletsky district, the steppe eagle is found in remote uninhabited areas (the territory of the former farmsteads of Platonov and Svechnikovsky).

Number. According to surveys, there are 2-3 breeding pairs.

Ecology. Inhabitant of fescue-feather grass steppes and semi-deserts. It nests both on the ground and on all kinds of elevations. The main prey of the steppe eagle are small gophers.

Limiting factors. Disturbance of birds, destruction of nests by people, environmentally illiterate hunters and shepherds.

Security measures. In places where birds of prey nest, completely prohibit the use of pesticides for baiting rodents, as well as the capture of small ground squirrels.

Demoiselle Anthropoides virgo

Status. II category. A species whose numbers are insignificant. Listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Distribution. It has a mosaic-island character. There has been a tendency for demoiselle cranes to settle in the Kletsky district.

Number. According to observations and survey data, 10-14 pairs nested annually.

Ecology. They prefer fescue and wormwood-grass steppes. Sticks to bodies of water. They feed on a variety of plant foods, rarely eating animals (worms, insects, small vertebrates).

Limiting factors. Economic use of indigenous habitats and the use of pesticides.

Security measures. It is nominally protected in the Eltonsky landscape reserve.

CREX crex

Status. I category. A globally rare, although widespread, species with a sharp decline in numbers. Listed in the Red Books of the Russian Federation and IUCN.

Distribution. Found in the water meadows of the Don region (near Raspopinskaya station)

Number. Extremely low.

Ecology. It nests in separate pairs that are distant from each other. The female incubates and leads the chicks. It feeds on both animal and plant foods. When disturbed, they take off reluctantly, active mainly at night.

Limiting factors. Anthropogenic transformation of nesting and feeding grounds and disruption of the floodplain flooding regime.

Security measures. Not accepted and not developed. Temporary reserves should be created in bird nesting areas during the reproductive period (May-July).

Bustard Otis tarda

Status. I category. A globally rare and endangered species. Listed in the Red Books of Russia and the IUCN.

Distribution. Single nesting bustards are observed almost throughout the entire territory of the Kletsky district. We observed in the area Platonov, Svechnikovsky, Borisov, Kazachiy villages.

Number. The total number of bustards in the area is estimated from personal observations and survey data at 10-12 pairs.

Ecology. Virgin areas and fallow lands, but always with the presence of reservoirs. They are very careful, thanks to their well-developed vision, they notice danger in advance. Active mainly at dawn, in the heat they lie in bread and herbs. They love to “bathe” in dust. In the evening they fly to a watering hole. They feed by season: in summer - locusts, grasshoppers, beetles, less often toads, lizards, small rodents; in spring and autumn they mainly consume plant foods.

Limiting factors. Disturbance when grazing livestock in the nesting areas of bustards, death of clutches and chicks during agrotechnical cultivation of farmland, etc.

Security measures. No special security measures are taken in the area. Strengthen penalties for poachers and increase public awareness of the need to preserve the species.

STREAM Otis tetrax

Status. I category. A globally rare and endangered species. Listed in the Red Books of Russia and the IUCN.

Distribution. In the Kletsky district they are concentrated south of the Platonov and Orekhov villages to the Mayorovsky and Svechnikovsky villages

Number. Relatively high – estimated up to 100-120 individuals; we observed flocks of up to 18-20 birds.

Ecology. They are reluctant to nest in grain fields. They prefer virgin areas and fallow lands. The diet is similar to that of bustards.

Limiting factors. Intensive economic use of habitats, especially during grazing and violation of the gentle haymaking regime; death of clutches due to trampling by livestock, poaching of little bustards.

Security measures. It is necessary to create seasonal species reserves in places where little bustards nest compactly, and to strengthen the fight against poaching.

STILTER Himantopus himantopus

Status. III category. Rare, declining species. Listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

Distribution. During the reproductive period, it was observed sporadically on salt marshes adjacent to steppe reservoirs.

Number. It was not possible to establish the number and nature of stay in the Kletsky district.

Ecology. Inhabits low, sparsely overgrown coastal areas of brackish, less often fresh, shallow lakes and estuaries, sometimes nesting in colonies of terns and avocets. When disturbed, they do not fly away from their nests and circle for a long time with a piercing cry. They feed on invertebrates, mainly hydrophilic insects and their larvae.

Limiting factors. Economic use and periodic fluctuations in water content of habitats; factors of disturbance and nest destruction.

Security measures. It is necessary to conduct an inventory of the remaining nesting sites of stilts, where a customized protection regime for the species should be established.

Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

Status. II category. Rare, locally widespread species in the region, with small numbers. Listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Distribution. In the area it nests on the Perikopsky and Kremensky rifts of the Don River.

Number. No more than 150 pairs; 17-20 pairs in the middle reaches of the Don and 30-50 pairs on the islands of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir.

Ecology. Breeds in small colonies or isolated pairs on sandy shores and islands. Actively protects clutches and chicks. They feed on mollusks, crustaceans, insects and their larvae.

Limiting factors. Increased anthropogenic pressure in bird habitats and disturbance factors caused by increased recreational pressure.

Security measures. Not developed, and the proposed prohibited measures are either difficult to control or not feasible.

GREAT Godwit Limosa limosa

Status. II category. A rare, endangered species with the southern border of its range in the Lower Volga region.

Distribution. It is found in the Donskoy zaimishche (Raspopinskaya station).

Number. There are at least 2-3 nesting pairs in the area.

Ecology. Inhabits damp meadows and marshy banks of water bodies. Sometimes nests together with other waders. Eats ground insects and obtains food in mud.

Limiting factors. Deterioration of the habitat caused by economic activities. Changes in humidity and disturbance of birds during the breeding season.

Security measures. They were not accepted. It is necessary to exclude economic activity in April-June in the godwit nesting areas.

GREAT CURLEW Numenius arguata

Status. III category. A rare species, decreasing in number and range. Listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Distribution. Sightings were recorded in water meadows near the Akhimovsky, Krepkiy, and Topolevy ponds. Nesting has not been established.

Number. According to expert estimates, probably no more than 50-150 pairs.

Ecology. A flexible species that prefers marshy meadows near water bodies with trees and shrubs; nests are made only on the ground. A very careful bird.

Limiting factors. Economic use of habitats and disturbance of birds during the nesting period.

Security measures. They were not accepted. It is necessary to protect nesting stations, which must be declared at least seasonal wildlife sanctuaries or species reserves.

BLACK-HEADED LAUGH Lotus ichthyaetus

Status. II category. A rare species whose habitat is spotty, and its outskirts cover the territory of the region. Listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Distribution. Regularly observed on the Don.

Number. The number varies greatly from year to year and can range from a few to hundreds of individuals.

Ecology. It nests in colonies or individual pairs in a community of other gulls on low islands that are not flooded and along the shores of brackish lakes with poorly developed vegetation. A typical ichthyophage with predatory tendencies.

Limiting factors. Peculiarities of biology - low reproductive success and food specialization; disturbance during the breeding season and direct persecution by humans.

Security measures. It is necessary to establish seasonal reserves in the breeding areas of gulls, to strengthen explanatory work in all media about the need to preserve this majestic and most beautiful gull in the world.

LITTLE TERN Sterna albifrom

Status. II category. Rare, declining species. Listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Distribution. Isolated cases are known, apparently migratory and nomadic individuals.

Number. Currently, estimates are 800-1500 pairs.

Ecology. It settles on the sandy shallows of islands and barns on reservoirs and large rivers. Prefers to nest in mixed colonies with Little Plover and other waders. The diet is dominated by small fish.

Limiting factors. Anthropogenic transformation of nesting sites and biotopes; disturbance of birds during the reproductive period.

Security measures. Not accepted and not developed. Indirectly protected in the “quiet zones” of hunting farms.

OWL Bubo bubo

Status. III category. A rare, although widespread, species whose numbers are declining everywhere. Listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Distribution. Found in the floodplain forest near Kremenskaya station and in ravine forests.

Number. There are probably no more than 2-3 pairs nesting in the study area.

Ecology. A sedentary species, it migrates in the autumn-winter period; sticks to forested areas, although in the recent past it also nested in the open steppe. It makes nests on the ground, in remote places rarely visited by people. The main diet consists of rodents, less often hares and birds. Active at night and at dusk.

Limiting factors. Deterioration of the food supply and disturbance of birds during the reproductive period.

Security measures. Not developed and not accepted. In reality, conservation of the eagle owl is only possible in the IBA system or strict protection in nature reserves. Educating the population about the need to protect the species; tougher penalties for poaching and destruction of eagle owl nests.