Научная статья на тему 'State of the Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus in Bulgaria'

State of the Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus in Bulgaria Текст научной статьи по специальности «Биологические науки»

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Аннотация научной статьи по биологическим наукам, автор научной работы — Nankinov Dimitar, Dalakchieva Svetla

Представлены результаты первого детального исследования распределения, численности и экологии авдотки в Болгарии. Помимо собственных материалов авторов, в статье обобщены все сведения из литературы. К настоящему времени авдотка зарегистрирована в 139 местах в 8 районах страны. Общая численность оценивается в 200-350 пар: северо-восточная Болгария - 100-200 пар, долина реки Марица - 30-50 пар, Нижнедунайская низменность - 20-30 пар, юго-восточная Болгария - 10-20 пар, долина реки Тунджа - 10-20 пар. Более 10 пар гнездится в Софийской котловине, по реке Арда и в долинах рек Струма и Места. За последние 30 лет авдотка расширила своё распространение в Болгарии, заселила новые места и увеличила свою численность. Гнездиться авдотки предпочитают в местах с каменистой почвой, поросшей травой и редким кустарником. Населяют берега водохранилищ. Места гнездования приурочены в основном к карстовым районам в предгорьях и в северо-восточной части страны. Более 90% авдоток гнездится на высотах до 500 м н.у.м. и лишь около 3% - на высотах до 700 м н.у.м. Весенняя миграция происходит в конце марта-апреле. Гнездовой период занимает апрель, май и июнь. Послегнездовые перемещения и осенняя миграция растянуты с середины июля до середины ноября. Вдоль берега Чёрного моря осенью наблюдается концентрация мигрантов. Групировки пролётных авдоток насчитывают до 20 птиц.

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Текст научной работы на тему «State of the Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus in Bulgaria»

ISSN 0869-4362

Русский орнитологический журнал 2001, Экспресс-выпуск 152: 603-613

State of the Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus in Bulgaria

Dimitar Nankinov, Svetla Dalakchieva

Institute of Zoology, BAS, Boul. "Tzar Osvoboditel", 1, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria E-mail: s_dalakchieva@hotmail.com

Received 15 June 2001

It is known (Gladkov 1951) that the Stone Curlew Burchinus oedicnemus inhabits North Africa and Southern Eurasia, from the Canary Islands, Portugal and England, to Indochina peninsula to east. It is patchedly distributed in Europe. This is one of the weakly studied birds in Bulgaria. The existing information about the species is reduced to accidental records of single individuals or flocks. Although there are short summaries about the state of the Stone Curlew (Nankinov 1989; Nankinov et al. 1997) and also 34 observations were cited (Uhlig, Baumgart 1995), there is no a complete research with generalisation of all existing information on the species in Bulgaria. Recently we felt the necessary of gathering the existing data and their putting in a detail article, which to give a correct idea of the state of the species and to stimulate the further researches. Still more in some contemporary European reference books (Cramp, Simmons 1983; Snow, Perrins 1998, Hagemejer, Blair 1997) the information about this bird in Bulgaria is poor and incorrect.

Materials and metods

In this article together with the results of our own field researches in different parts of the country, we try to generalise all known data on the Stone Curlew, published in Bulgarian and foreign literary sources from 1870 to nowadays (Elwes, Buckley 1870; Hristovich 1890; Reiser 1894; Varbanov 1934; Jordans 1940; Patev 1950; Petrov, Zla-tanov 1955; Boev et al. 1964; Prostov 1964; Grossler 1967; Baumgart 1970; Robel 1973; Robel et al. 1978; Donchev 1974, 1977, 1994; Hoyer 1975; Hoyer, Hoyer 1978; Mi-chev, Raikov 1980; Michev et al. 1999; Roberts 1980; Petrov 1981, 1985; Nankinov 1982, 1989; Nankinov et al. 1996, 1997, 1998; Ernst 1988; Btehme 1989; Milchev 1991, 1998; Milchev, Kovachev 1998; Katrandjiev 1995; Barov 1996 and others). We also used data from the collections of the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia and the country museums (Stribarni 1929; Peshev 1971; Dimitrov 1981; Nonev 1982). However most of the information was collected during the last 25 years, when the Bulgarian Ornithological Centre created a mass correspondent net, three field-stations and the bird observations became more regular.

Result and discussion

Territorial distribution

Until now the Stone Curlew has been recorded in 139 places on the territory of Bulgaria, which provisionally can be grouped in 8 regions.

1) The valleys of rivers Struma and Mesta (Southwest Bulgaria) are young, new habitats, which the Stone Curlew is reclaiming now. We observed a pair on

Рус. орнитол. журн. 2001 Экспресс-выпуск № 152 /ло

21.V.1974 to the east of the village Petrenik near the border with Greece. This is still the only record of the species on the Bulgarian part of river Mesta. We know about the breeding of Stone Curlews on the outfall of river Mesta in Greece from one specimen in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History -Sofia, collected on 2.Y.1942 near Kamimuty. At the beginning of August 1977 the species was observed in the valley of river Struma, by the town of Kresna (Ernst 1983) and later on to the south of Kresna, near the villages Valkovo, Star-chevo and the town of Bragoevgrad (Darakchiev, Filipova 1986). On 12.V.1986 we found a pair nesting on the sand in the outfall of river Melnishka at about 100 m from the railway line. According to people from the village Gorno Span-chevo the bird nests on the land of the village and they regularly listen to it. A just arrived bird was observed on 8.IV. 1990 by the fishing-pool of Blagoevgrad (Nankinov et al. 1996). R.Uhlig and W.Baugart (1995) announced an observation near Gorgoritsa.

2) The Sofia hollow. It is an old nesting place of the species in Bulgaria, situated mainly to Northwest from the capital. We judge for its existing from the exponents in the National Museum for Natural History: 7.IX. 1890 — the surrounding of Sofia, 9.IX.1903 - the town of Sofia, 9.X.1925 - by the palace Vranja, 18.VIII.1934 - near Dragotintsi. Birds caught in Sofia on 8.VTII.1899, 7.IX.1899 and 3.V.1947 were brought to Sofia Zoo. G.K.Hristovich (1890) recorded the species in Sofia, to the south of the town, by the town of Petarch and heard it by the railway station in Dragoman. According to him, the Stone Curlew is rare around Sofia. In the same time the bird has been common near Dragoman. There the dermatologist Chalopetzky collected a pair on 4.VIII.1892 (Reiser 1894). The species was recorded in Sofia area in 1894 ("Priroda" 1894, 4: 64). After that the Stone Curlew was observed on 29.IV. 1938 near Slivnitsa (Jor-dans 1940), in May 1965 near the marsh of Aldomirovo (Uhlig, Baumgart 1995), on 6.V. 1976 near Belidie Han (Michev, Raikov 1980; Roberts 1980). On 19.VI.1985 T.Nadskov trapped and ringed 3 non-flying young near the village of Opitsvet. Not far from there, by the village of Bezden, 2 pairs were living during the breeding period (8.V.-10.VI.1995) (Nankinov et al. 1998). Four birds (pair with two grown up young) were recorded on 15.VHI.2000 in the foot of Chepan Mountain by the marsh of Dragoman.

3) The Danube Lowlands. There are only 3 places where Stone Curlews has been recorded. In May 1929 one bird was collected for the Pleven Hunt Museum near the river Vit, by the town of Pleven. The second bird was shot on 19.VIII.1970 again near Pleven (Stribarni 1929; Dimitrov 1981). On 6 and 18.IV. 1987 O.Mladenov (pers. comm.) observed 8 and 13 birds on a dike between the Danube and the fishing-pools of the village Mechka (of Ruse). On the same place he found a dead bird on 23.IV. According to R.Uhlig and W.Baumgart (1995) 3-5 pairs were recorded in 1966 and 1968 by the town of Razgrad. It appears to us that the species breeds on some other places in North Bulgaria and rests and feeds during the spring and autumn migration on many areas in Danube lowlands. According to E.Djuninski (pers. comm.), the Stone Curlew was not recorded in Northwest Bulgaria until now.

4) Northeast Bulgaria is the most regular breeding place of the Stone Curlew in our country. The species inhabited the seacoast and the steppes of Dobrudja

even during the past century (Elwes, Buckley 1870; Sintenis 1877; Alleon 1886). In July 1926 at dawn, the entomologist A.Muller (1927) heard melodious whistling of a curlew Numenius in the area between the town of Kavarna and Cape Kaliakra and to north near the place Iailite and Tauk liman (Rusalka). According to E.Udjian (1985) this whistling belongs to the Stone Curlew who breeds there. During the 1950es Stone Curlew was a common breeding bird on the open areas in Dobrudja, in the districts of Balchik, General Toshevo and Dobrich (Petrov, Zlatanov 1955). On 30.IX. 1969 two birds were shot on the place "Pobitite kama-ni" for the collection of the Museum of Natural History in Varna (Peshev 1971).

A lot of information about records of Stone Curlews in Northeast Bulgaria was gathered during the last three decades. A part of it have been published: recorded breeding (Baumgart 1970); 8 specimens on 14.VII.1968 between Bolata and Rusalka; 12 birds on 17.VIII.1969 near Shabla (Robel et al 1978); 2 birds on 12.VIII.1972 by Tjulenovo (Hoyer 1975); on 20.IV. 1973 by the village of Krasen (Nonev 1982); 6-14.VIII.1976 — recording between Rusalka and Tjulenovo (Ernst 1983); 11 specimens on 28-30.VIII.1980 between Tjulenovo and Kamen briag (Uhlig 1991); at least 3 pairs on 2-3.VT.1986 between the villages of Sveti Nikola and Kamen briag (Brehme 1989); in June 1987 a pair near Kavarna, 4 pairs on Cape Kaliakra, 2 pairs at Kamen briag (Schimkat 1992). Interestingly, the observation of a Stone Curlew during the breeding season near the place Ka-nagiol by Alfatar (I.Mitev, pers. comm.). On 18.VIII.1988 about 10 breeding pairs and the nest with 3 eggs were found in Shumen district (Donchev 1994). In June 1992 a total of 32 pairs were observed in the area covering the village Balgarevo, place Zelenka, Cape Kaliakra, village Sveti Nikola, place Bolata, place Rusalka, place Iailite, village Kamen briag, village Tjulenovo, Shablenska tuzla, Shabla Lake, the villages of Ezerets, Krapets, Durankulak, Durankulak Lake and the boundary with Romania. In the next year 10 pairs were living between Cape Kaliakra and the village of Kamen briag. In July 1994 V.Katran-djiev (1995) observed a big colony of the species, numbering up to 173 individuals by the village of Spasovo. The adduced information shows that during the last decades the population of the Stone Curlew is extremely big in that part of Bulgaria.

5) In Southeast Bulgaria the species breeds regularly around Atanasovsko Lake. There is information on its founding there from 70 years ago. Around 1928-1929 the Stone Curlew began breeding on the bare hills by the villages of Rudnik and Laki. Five-six flocks of 9-10 birds were recorded there (Varbanov 1934). The birds were nesting on the same area during the 1950es too. A.Prostov (1964) found one bird on 11.VI.1954, the nest with 2 eggs on 13.V.1956 and shot a male bird on 31.V.1962. He observed the species also during the autumn migration. D.Fdrster recorded more than 2 birds near Atanasovsko Lake on 18.V.1962 (Grdssler 1962). In the same area the species (a nest) was recorded in June 1972 (Michev et al 1999) and also on 31.X.1976 (Roberts 1980). After the establishment of Ornithological field-station "Atanasovsko Lake" in 1978 the Stone Curlew was recorded nearly every year. 1-3 pairs breed there. It nests on the slopes by the inclined meadows to the north of the lake or on the hills by the village Rudnik. In 1990 a pair probably nests in a potato-field by the lake. On

26.VI.2000 we trapped and ringed a non-flying young in a meadow to the east of the lake and on 30.VI.2000 an adult bird was recorded on the same place. We suppose that Stone Curlew breeds on dry meadows and pastures to the south of Slanchev Briag, where K.Grossler (1967) regularly listened to it from 21.V to 14.VI.1962. Even during the past century O.Reiser (1894) found the species nesting on the sand dunes by Nesebar and around the Vaya lake in autumn. During the breeding season Stone Curlew was observed on 21-25.VII.1975 by the seacoast of village Lozenets (Hoyer, Hoyer 1978), between the villages Zornitsa and Voinika (Uhlig, Baumgart 1995), in May and June 1979 in a ploughed up field by the town of Karnobat (K.Nyagolov, pers. comm.), along the river Fakiiska (Milchev 1991) and on a small peninsula between the beach of Alepu and Zmiiski Island (one pair on 8.V.1989).

6) The valley of river Tundja. The Stone Curlew was recorded near the town of Maglish on 18.VI.1954, the town of Sliven on 8.X.1967, the village of Ovo-shnik on 19.IV. 1971 (Donchev 1974, 1977), to the west of Yambol on 26.VI.1970 (Robel et al. 1978), near the Kermen on 15.IV. 1976, Mladovo and Zlati Voivoda (Petrov 1981), Asenovets (P.Yankov, pers. comm.), in the ex-marsh of Straldja in June 1998 (Stefanov 1998). It breeds on the Dervenski Heights (Milchev 1991), by dam lake Malko Sharkovo and the village of Boliarovo (June 1979).

7) Along the valley of river Maritsa the Stone Curlew breeds long since. During the past century it has been common in the district of Pazardjik, by the villages of Sinitevo, Mokrishte, Aleko Konstantinovo, Dragor, Ivailovo, Naiden Gerovo and on other places (Hristovich 1890). O.Reiser (1894) founds the species on 19 and 20.VI.1893 by the town of Chirpan and the village of Borovo. There are birds in the collection of National Museum of Natural History - Sofia, collected from Svilengrad (29.IV. 1939) and the village of Katunitsa (of Plovdiv) on 13.VI. 1958. It was recorded in the Hunt Park of Harmanli — 4 + 2 birds on 16.VII.1962 (Boev et al. 1964), to the east of Harmanli on 6.VII.1971 and by the village of Bogomil on 8.VTI.1971 (Robel 1973), by the village Shishmantsi (of Plovdiv) (Michev, Raikov 1980), Ovchite Halmove (of Pazardjik) (Petrov 1981) and dam lake Trakiets on 4.VII.1972 (Yankov 1986). Three pairs were breeding by the artificial reservoirs in the Southwest part of Sakar mountain (Borisov 1988). They were recorded in that mountain again in 1994: 4.VIII — a pair, 11 and 14.VTII — pairs with 1 and 2 flying young (Milchev, Kovachev 1998). During the last 15 years Stone Curlew breeds regularly on islands in river Maritsa by the town of Parvomai (2-3 pairs) and by the dam lake Ovcharitsa. It has been recorded also by the fishing-pools of Plovdiv, by the dam lake Panicheri (H.Ni-kolov pers. comm.), by the villages Bogomil and Ovcharovo (of Topolovgrad), by the town of Svilengrad and the village Pravoslav (of Chirpan) (P.Yankov pers. comm.), and also by the village of Orizovo (of Plovdiv). During the period 1962-1965 pairs were breeding singly on the lands of each of the village Trivoditsi (of Plovdiv) and by the rivers Maritsa and Stara Reka.

8) The valley of river Arda came to be said to be a breeding ground of Stone Curlew after 1970. The birds were recorded on 7.VI.1970 by the village of Zlato-list (of Kardjali), on 30.IV.1972 and 11.IV.1982 by the town of Krumovgrad, on 18.IV. 1974 and 7-8.VI.1984 (nest with 2 eggs) by the village of Dolna Kula, one

egg was found in 1983 by the village of Lulichka, on 22.VTI.1984 on the outfall of river Varbitsa (Yankov 1986), on 4.VII.1971 to the south of Kardjali (Robel 1973), on 5-6.VIII.1977 by the dam lake Studen Kladenets (Ernst 1983), on the reserve Valchi Dol (Yankov, Nyagolov 1988), in the valley of river Krumovitsa near to its outfall in river Arda (Michev, Raikov 1980), adult and young birds were observed on 28.V. 1996 along the river Krumovitsa to the south of village Potochnitsa (Barov 1996) and pair on 16.V.1989 by the village Djanka (Bojilov pers. comm.).

Number of the population

The Stone Curlews has a peak incidence in Northeast Bulgaria — 47 or 33.8% of the total number of records in the country. There is also the highest density of the population. Except the already known concentration of more than 30 pairs in the coastal area between Cape Kaliakra and the Romanian boundary, there are many other, larger concentrations of breeding pairs in inland Dobrudja, one of them is already cited one by the village of Spasovo. We suppose that in different years the population of the Stone Curlew in that part of the country varies between 100 and 200 pairs, may be even more.

The valley of river Maritsa is the second place according to the number of breeding records of the species. There Stone Curlews were observed in 30 places (21.6% of all records in Bulgaria). There are no large concentrations of breeding pairs. One or a few pairs nest in each site. We suppose that the breeding population of the Stone Curlew varies between 30 and 50 pairs during the years.

There are at 13 observations of Stone Curlews on each: along the South Black Sea coast and the valley of river Tundja (9.35%). It is possible that the number of populations in these 2 regions vary between 10 and 20 pairs.

The records in the Sofia hollow are 12 (8.6%). Some of them are old, but we think that in the past few years no less than 10 pairs of Stone Curlew bred in Sofia hollow, mainly in its northwestern part. It is possible, that the number of breeding pairs along the valley of rivers Arda (11 records or 7.9%) and Struma and Mesta (10 records or 7.9%) to be the same.

The observations of Stone Curlews are few in the Danube Lowlands (3 records or 1.4%). This low number is due to the lack of concrete studies at this area, as there are abundant suitable habitats for the species. Actually there will breed no less than 20 pairs. For the sake of information a greater part of the Romanian populations breeds in adjacent areas on the other bank of river Danube (Cramp, Simmons 1983).

Stone Curlew enlarges its habitats in Bulgaria due to many favourable factors during the last 30 years, inhabits new areas. Population steady increases its number. According to the "Red Book of Bulgaria", number of the Stone Curlews in Bulgaria was unknown (Petrov 1985). During the 1980es, when "Fauna of Bulgaria" was writing, there were 30-60 pairs in the country (Nankinov 1989; Nankinov et al. 1991/. Later on the species number was estimated to 30-100 pairs (Snow, Perrins 1998) and 150-200 pairs (Uhlig, Baumgart 1995; Kosta-dinova 1997). As a whole, recent breeding population of the Stone Curlew in Bulgaria varies between 200 and 300 pairs with a trend to increase its number.

Habitats

Although the accepted determination that Stone Curlew is an inhabitant of dry areas, it is rather plastic and prefers various habitats in different parts of the country. The existence of a water reservoir even at dozens of kilometers away from the nest is an important precondition for the breeding of Stone Curlew in a certain region. In Northeast Bulgaria it inhabits steppes, unbroken new lands, stony areas, coastal dunes, desolated fields and yards, outskirts, pastures, dunghills, cultivated fields. From the place Zelenka and Cape Kaliakra to 15 km to north (to the place Malkata Iaila) it inhabits an area of bare limestone rocks, covered with steppe vegetation, about 1 km wide. It was found in similar places in Struma region and other areas in the country. On the south Black Sea coast it lives on bare hills, sloped grounds by wet meadows, on fields, dunes and open, level places by the sea. Along the valley of river Tundja it settles on hilly areas, desolated and cultivated fields near the river, lands conquered from previous marshes, fallow lands and meadows. C.Petrov (1981) found it "during the breeding period in thorny formation (Paleureta spinachristi)". According to G.K.Hri-stovich (1890), in the valley of river Maritsa the Stone Curlew "stays on sandy and clay soils rather than on black earth". It inhabits islands with sandy and gravel parts among the rivers, open grass areas, covered with thin shrubs, vineyards, ploughed fields, other cultivated areas and dry basins of the rice-fields. Riverside stony areas with poor vegetation, "the dry parts of riverbeds, dry parts of dam-lakes" (Yankov 1986) — these are its habitats along the valley of river Arda. However along the rivers Struma and Mesta it prefers sand and gravel parts in riverbeds and open dry and erosive lands. Around Sofia it has been found on stony hills, covered with sparse grass and shrubs, cultivated fields, dry parts of water reservoirs and — in Danube Lowlands — on desolated fields, sandy areas, pastures and dunes by reservoirs.

The attachment of the Stone Curlew to limestone areas, covered with grass and sparse shrub vegetation, determines its distribution, which coincides with the karst regions of the country, mainly in hilly grounds in the foothills and along the Northeast Coastline. It has been estimated (Modlinger 1979) that Stone Curlew prefers habitats with July air-humidity of 42-46% and average annual sunshine about and over 2000 hours.

Greater part of the population of Stone curlew in Bulgaria (90.65%) lives in habitats to 500 m above the sea level (to 100 m — 39.57%, from 100 to 200 m — 20.86%, from 200 to 300 m - 21.58% and from 300 to 500 m - 8.63%). Only small part (6.47%) lives from 500 to 700 m and only 2.,88% of its observation are over 700 m above S.L.. There is no expansion of the species in the mountains as it is in the Pyrenees, where it inhabits areas from 1100 to 2900 m above the sea level (Berlic 1986).

Spring migration and breeding biology

The spring migration of the species passes unnoticeably during the night. This fact as well as the secrecy of the birds in daytime are the reasons, that the first birds arriving in the end of March to remain unobserved. Usually we see them about 10 days after their arrival, during the pair formation by the displaying calls

of males: 5.IV.1986 - East Rhodopi Mountains (Yankov 1991), 6.IV.1987 - the fishing-pools by the village Mechka of Ruse (O.Mladenov, pers. comm.), 8.IV. 1990 — the fishing-pools by the town of Blagoevgrad (Nankinov et al. 1996), 12.IV. 1990 — in Strandja Mountain (Milchev 1998), 12.IV. 1993 — Atanasovsko Lake and so on.

The eggs are laid straight on the ground or in shallow scrape. Small stones, snails, twigs, bits of moss are used as nest-laying. Mainly the female broods, especially in nights and cooler hours of day. Male guards the nest. Most easily the brooding pair and the nest are recorded early in the morning, immediately after sunrise when the sun is still low over the horizon. The researcher has to move after his own shadow and to watch out for birds on the ground. Usually one of birds flies off far away from the nest, while the brooding one remains and slowly crawls away from the nest. The non-covered eggs shine in the sun and it is easy to find them. In mid-day the pair feeds around the nest.

The broods found until now consist of 2 eggs, 1 and even 3 eggs (Donchev 1994; Nankinov et al. 1998). Two eggs from Atanasovsko Lake have an average measure of 48.2x36.0 mm (Prostov 1964). Two other eggs found on 8.VI.1984 by the village Dolna Kula (of Kardjali) have the following measures: 51.5x37.45 and 50.7x37.6 mm (Yankov 1986). One egg found on 18.VIIL1988 near the town of Shumen was 54.lx 36.2 mm (Donchev 1994). Two eggs from the place Bolata (9.VL2000) are 51.0x39.1 and 51.8x39.8 mm.

The population of the Stone Curlew is engaged in eggs-laying, brooding and raising young during April, May and June. Broods were found most frequently in May and June. It is possible some pairs to have a second brood. Displaying males were listened to on 29-30.VII.2000 near Atanasovsko Lake, on 12.VHI.1972 by the village Tjulenovo (Hoyer 1975). A very late clutch with 3 eggs was found on 18.VII.1988 by the town of Shumen (Donchev 1994).

Post-breeding concentrations and autumn migration

In contrast to spring migration, which passes for a short time, the period of post-breeding roaming and autumn migration of the Stone Curlew is very long in Bulgaria and sometime continues from mid-July to mid-November. After mid-July, families and small flocks leave the breeding grounds and concentrate in places with abundant food. As V.Katrandjiev (1995) wrote out of the breeding period at dusk the adult birds first set off for the feeding places. After a definite sign young join them. They feed on suitable places (dunghills, pastures, steppes, fields), where dozens and hundreds of specimens may concentrate. They eat large insects, snails, warms, lizards, small mammals (Patev 1950). Remnants of 10 crickets Gtyllus campestris were found in the stomach of a Stone Curlew (Prostov 1964). In April 2000 a bird was resting and feeding on the beach of Obzor. Nearly all of the lizards found on the beach were without tails. Perhaps they were its main food on that place. Regularly every evening singly or in groups of 4-5 individuals the birds go to the nearest watering place. They return to the resting place for the day even after midnight. They rest and hide among deep grass and shrubs.

Migrants are recorded mainly on open areas along the Black Sea coast and the valleys of the south Bulgarian rivers (in steppes, desolated fields, fallow lands,

stubbles, vegetable gardens, lucerne fields, by the shores of water reservoirs with reed massifs and so on). Concentrations of flocks of autumn migrants were recorded in the ex-dune between Burgas and Lake Vaya — 2 flocks of 20 birds each in October (Reiser 1894). The species is very common during the autumn migration along the Black Sea coast (Petrov, Zlatanov 1955), more often during the period 15.IX-17.X (Prostov 1964). On 14.VIII.1968 8 birds were observed between the place Bolata and Rusalka, 12 specimens on 17.VIII.1969 by the town of Shabla (Robel et al. 1978), 7 specimens on 28.VII.1976 to the west of Albena resort (Uhlig, Baumgart 1995). Birds flies over Sofia district in September-October (Nankinov 1982).

According to the southwest direction of the birds ringed in Europe (Cramp, Simmons 1983) we suppose that the Stone Curlews migrating through our country are hatched in Romania, Ukraine and South Belorussia. Bulgarian birds probably fly to wintering grounds situated in South Greece and North Africa. Most lately a migrant was observed on 8.XI.1946 by the town of Burgas (Prostov 1964). It is possible in years with warm, snowless December single individuals to remain in suitable habitats along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and in the valleys of south Bulgarian rivers. Still in the previous century A.Alleon (1880) described the Stone Curlew as rare in winter and spring around Constantinople. The species winters also in Greece (Bauer et al. 1969). At our latitudes there are permanent wintering grounds in Spain and Portugal. Using individual marking it was established that part of the Britain population spend the winter months in England (Glue, Morgan 1974).

Negative and positive impact

Some nocturnal birds of prey are among the enemies of the Stone Curlew. "Six ossicles of two Stone Curlews" have been found in pellets of an Eagle Owl (Boev 1993). Predatory mammals, homeless dogs and domestic animals are destroying eggs and nests. Adult and young birds die on the roads in night (Michev, Raikov 1980). During the hunting season Stone Curlew becomes a victim of careless and unconscientious hunters, when the birds are surprised and forced to fly off in front of the dogs. This happens especially in the end of summer and in autumn and causes a considerable negative impact on the population. The scrapping up and trucking away of great amounts of inert materials (sand, gravel) from the dried out parts of the riverbeds lead to destruction of some broods (the summer of 1987 on the outfall of river Melnishka).

During the 1950es the population of Stone Curlew was submit to intense negative impact (destruction of habitats, pollution of environment, shooting and others) and its number decreased. However after 1970 and especially after 1990 the number starts increasing. Among the factors favouring the enlargement of the population is mainly the economic crisis in the country, as a result many of the cultivated fields now are desolated. There the species finds abundant food (mainly insects) and safety hidings.

The usage in agriculture of insecticides and rodenticides nearly stops. Many of the industrial enterprises work with decreased production capacities, some of them even stopped working or were liquidated. The water reservoirs became

more pure, air and soils are less polluted. The stock-breeding decreased and the pastures turn into safe breeding grounds for the birds. Because of the expensive hunting gears and fees the number of hunters decreased and the power of the hunting press became smaller.

This trend of enlargement of the Stone Curlew population may slow down and stop in case of intense agriculture and stock-breeding, sudden changes of the steppe habitats and of course under pollution of air, soils and water with different poisons.

The Stone Curlew is protected by the Law for Protection of Nature, it is included in the Red Book of Bulgaria. It is also in the Application II of Bern and Bonn Conventions and in Application I of the Directive of the Council of the European Commission on the conservation of wild animals. However beside the stable national and international status of Stone Curlew its protection is rather formal in Bulgaria.

Acknowledgements

We want to thank to Emil Djuninski, Nikolai Minchev, Konstantin Popov, Svetlan Kirilov, Valentin Bojilov, Petar Yankov, Konstantin Nyagolov, Hristo Nikolov, Ognian Mladenov and Ivan Mitev for the help in the field studies and for the personal communications on unpublished data.

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Современное состояние авдотки Burchinus oedicnemus в Болгарии

Димитр Нанкинов, Светла Далакчиева

Представлены результаты первого детального исследования распределения, численности и экологии авдотки в Болгарии. Помимо собственных материалов авторов, в статье обобщены все сведения из литературы. К настоящему времени авдотка зарегистрирована в 139 местах в 8 районах страны. Общая численность оценивается в 200-350 пар: северо-восточная Болгария — 100-200 пар, долина реки Марица — 30-50 пар, Нижнедунайская низменность — 20-30 пар, юго-восточная Болгария — 10-20 пар, долина реки Тунджа — 10-20 пар. Более 10 пар гнездится в Софийской котловине, по реке Арда и в долинах рек Струма и Места. За последние 30 лет авдотка расширила своё распространение в Болгарии, заселила новые места и увеличила свою численность. Гнездиться авдотки предпочитают в местах с каменистой почвой, поросшей травой и редким кустарником. Населяют берега водохранилищ. Места гнездования приурочены в основном к карстовым районам в предгорьях и в северо-восточной части страны. Более 90% авдоток гнездится на высотах до 500 м н.у.м. и лишь около 3% — на высотах до 700 м н.у.м. Весенняя миграция происходит в конце марта-апреле. Гнездовой период занимает апрель, май и июнь. Послегнездовые перемещения и осенняя миграция растянуты с середины июля до середины ноября. Вдоль берега Чёрного моря осенью наблюдается концентрация мигрантов. Групировки пролётных авдоток насчитывают до 20 птиц.

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