The autumn aggregation of migratory waterfowl and waterbirds in the central part of Kremenchuk Reservoir in 2015-2017

Main Article Content

M. N. Gavryliuk
M. M. Borysenko
O. V. Iliukha

Abstract

Introduction. Kremenchuk Reservoir plays an important part in maintaining populations of waterfowl and waterbirds in the migration period. They stop to rest and feed here. The upper part of the Reservoir is promising for inclusion in the Ramsar list. A significant part of this area is occupied by the Lypivsky Ornithological Reserve with a total area of 4631 hectares. We have been monitoring waterfowl and waterbirds around the reserve for over 20 years.

The purpose of the study is to establish the species composition and relative number of waterfowl and waterbirds in the central part of the Kremenchuk Reservoir, to study their seasonal and long-term dynamics.

Methods. The records cover the central part of the Kremenchuk Reservoir: along the right bank - within the city of Cherkasy, along the left one - from the village Kedyna Hora to the village of Blagodatne (former village of Chapaiivka) (Zolotonosha district of Cherkasy region), as well as along the dam that crosses the Reservoir. The study was conducted by the point count method from the shore and the dam. 17 records were conducted during autumn periods of 2015-2017.

Results. In total for three years, we have found 44 species belonging to 8 series. The core of the avifauna consisted of Mallard (Anas plathyrhynchos), Coot (Fulica atra), the Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) and Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) making 82.3% - 86.1% of the total number of birds in different years. The Shannon species diversity index in 2015 were 1.50-2.61, in 2016 – 1.17-1.97, in 2017 – 1.37-2.72. The maximum number of birds stopping to rest and feed during a season in the central part of the Kremenchuk Reservoir was from about 13,600 up to about 29,500 birds in different years. During 2015-2017, among the mass species for three ones (Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus), the Tufted Duck and the Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)), there was the highest number for more than 20 years of the research. 6 species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine were identified. Among them, the studied area plays a significant role in maintaining the populations of the Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) and White-Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla).

Originality. The number and bird diversity of the ornithocomplex due to climate change has been described. The number of some numerous species is increasing compared to previous years.

Conclusion. The results of the research confirm the importance of the Lypivsky Ornithological Reserve, where more birds than in the surrounding areas, are concentrated. Such preferences are associated with more attractive conditions for feeding and resting of mass species.

Article Details

Section
Статті

References

Vodno-bolotni uhiddja Ukrainy (2006). Za red. H.B. Marushevskoho, I.S. Zharuk (Directory of Ukraine’s Wetlands. Ed. by Gennadiy Marushevsky & Inna Zharuk). Kyiv, Wetlands International Black Sea Programme. 1-312. [in Ukr.]

Gavrilyuk, M. N. (1998). About ornithofauna Lypivsky Ornithological Reserve (Cherkasy region). Materialy 3 Konferencii molodysh ornitologiv Ukrainy (Mater. 3th Conf. of young ornithologists of Ukraine). Chernivtsi, 22-26. [in Ukr.]

Gavrilyuk, M. N. (2002). Autumn monitoring of ornithofauna of the Lypivsky Ornithological Reserve (Cherkasy region) in 1998–2002. Avifauna Ukrainy (Avifauna of Ukraine). 2, 59-61. [in Ukr.]

Gavrilyuk, M. N. (2008). New data about ornithofauna of Lypivsky Ornithological Reserve (Cherkasy region) in autumn period. Visnyk Cherkaskoho Universytetu: Biologichni nauky (Cherkasy University Bulletin: Biological sciences series). 128, 9-24. [in Ukr.]

Gavrilyuk, M. N., Borysenko, M. M. & Ilyukha, O. V. (2009). Number of hydrophilic birds in Lypivsky Ornithological Reserve (Cherkasy region) in autumn period of 2006–2008. Zapovidna Sprava v Ukraine (Nature Reserves in Ukraine), 15, 60-64. [in Ukr.]

Gavrilyuk, M. N., Ilyukha, O. V. & Borysenko, M. M. (2012). Monitoring of ornithofauna of Lypivsky Ornithological Reserve in autumn period of 2009–2011. Visnyk Cherkaskoho Universytetu: Biologichni nauky (Cherkasy University Bulletin: Biological sciences series). 252, 14-47. [in Ukr.]

Gavrilyuk, M., Ilyukha, O. & Borysenko, M. (2016). The autumn aggregation of migratory waterfowl and waterbirds in Lypivsky Ornithological Reserve (Cherkasy region) in 2012–2014. Visnyk Lvivskogo Universytetu: Biologichni nauky (Visnyk of the Lviv University: Series Biology). 71, 163-170. [in Ukr.]

Klestov, N. L. (1983). Ornitofauna Srednego Dnepra i yee izmenenie pod vlijaniem gidrostroitelstva. Atoreferat dissertacii kandidata biologicheskich nauk (Ornithofauna of the Middle Dnieper and its change due to influence of the water engineering. Thesis of the dissertation). Kyiv. 1-26. [in Rus.]

Protasov, A. A. (2002). Bioraznoobrazie i ego ocenka. Kobceptualnaja diversikologija (Biodiversity and its estimation. Conceptual diversicology). Kyiv, Akademperyodika. 1-105. [in Rus.]

Reva, P. P. (1972). Okhotnichye-promyslovyye ptitsy Kremenchugskogo vodokhranilishcha i puti ikh ratsionalnogo ispolzovaniya. Atoreferat dissertacii kandidata biologicheskich nauk (Hunting birds of Kremenchuk reservoir and ways of their rational use. Thesis of the dissertation). Kyiv. 1-23. [in Rus.]