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Ametov Yakub Idrisovich, Berdakh Karakalpak State University Republic of Uzbekistan E-mail: [email protected] Jumanov Muratbay Arepbayevich, Berdakh Karakalpak State University Republic of Uzbekistan E-mail: [email protected] Arepbayev Islombek Muratbayevich, Berdakh Karakalpak State University Republic of Uzbekistan E-mail: [email protected]
THE RESULTS OF ORNITHOLOGICAL SURVEY IN THE SUDOCHYE LAKE SYSTEM (2014-2015)
Abstract: The article contains material collected in the Lake Sudochye area in 2014-2015. The distribution and abundance of the commonest and rarest birds was studied. For the first time in Uzbekistan the authors found the largest breeding colony of flamingos and studied their breeding ecology. Recommendations for the protection and conservation of rare birds are provided.
Keywords: Area description, orders, bird, location, drought, illegal hunting, fishing, Sudochye lake system, Ustyurt plateau, Kizilkum desert.
1. Introduction
The unique geographical location of the Sudochye Lake System, which neighbours the Aral Sea in the south, Ustyurt Plateau in the west, Kizilkum Desert in the east and Amudarya River in the south, accounts for its high degree of biodiversity. Lake Sudochye is an important habitat and nesting place for a number of hydrophilic species of animals and the main resting place for migrating birds on their West Asian migration. Among them there are a number of rare and threatened species ofbirds.
There up to 230 species of birds have been recorded, with about 86.000 individuals aggregating on the lake shores during migration. It's worth mentioning that in 1999-2005 the number of individuals in some groups of migrating White-headed Ducks was over 4.000, which comprises almost half of this bird's world population [6; 7].
In recent years, the unstable water level, illegal hunting and fishing have led to a significant transformation of the natural habitats of this wetland system. Consequently, the territorial distribution of animal species, including rare and endangered ones, has changed.
The facts stated above confirmed the necessity of carrying out a survey of the lake and marshy territories around it, as well as its practical importance for hunt planning and rational use of biological resources.
Many researchers had run numerous ornithological surveys on this lake [1; 4, 5; 6; 7].
2. Materials and methods
Ornithological research into the Sudochye Lake system, including the Ustyurt escarpments, was conducted in the spring-summer of 2014-2015 (18-27 May 2014 and 12-13 July 2014, 21-25 May 2015 and 16-20 October 2015). The research was carried out using the standard methods of stationary and transect survey [8; 11].
The total length of the car survey was 410 km. The stationary survey was conducted in 134 places; the total duration of the survey was 22 days. The coordinates of all survey places and reference points were recorded using a Garmin GPS navigator.
3. Results and discussion
Area Description. The Sudochye Lake System consists of Big Sudochye, Karateren, Begdulla Aydin and Akushpa which are situated 220 km north-west of Nukus. The area of the lake is 50,000 ha, the depth is 1.0-2.2 m.
At present Sudochye is a group of shallow lakes varying in area and water salinity. The water comes to this wetland from Kungrad and Sudochye drainage canals.
According to our data, the salinity of the lake is almost 6 g/l, and in its far end near Lake West Karateren it reaches 14.01 g/l, with a smell of hydrogen sulphide present.
Birds. The escarpments of the Ustyurt plateau and the desert area around the lake are inhabited by Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug), Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) and Hou-bara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata). The first nest of White-
Section 1. Biology
tailed Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Uzbekistan was found in this area [7; 9]. During the spring and autumn migrating large numbers of White Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), herons from the family Ardeidae, Great White Pelican (Pelecanus crispus), Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus ono-crotalus), Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocoraxpygmaeus), Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Anseriformes, Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), Numenius, Limosa and Black-winged Pratincole (Glareola nordmanni) can be observed.
During the 2014-2015 survey period in spring, summer and autumn we recorded a total of111 species of birds belonging to 15 orders and 36 families.
By their behavior 94 species (84.68%) are nesting birds, 16 (14.4%) of which are settled species. The other 17 species (15.32%) are purely migrating ones that do not breed in the area.
Among the mentioned orders of birds recorded in the lake area the commonest are Passeriformes - 42 species or 37.83%, Charadriiformes - 20 species (18.01%), Anseriformes - 11 (9.90%), Ciconiiformes - 9 (8.10%) and Falconiformes - 6 species (5.40%). Together all these 5 orders make up 79.24% of all species of birds. After them come Gruiformes - 4.5%, Pelecaniformes - 3.6%, Podicipediformes and Coraciiformes (2.7% each), Galliformes and Columbiformes (1.8% each). The portion of each of the remaining four groups is less than 1%.
Of the mentioned 111 species, 13 were entered in the Red Book ofthe Republic Uzbekistan in 2009. They are Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus), Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus), Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), White Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), Mute Swan (Cygnus olor), Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca), White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala), White-
tailed Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and Great Black-headed Gull (Larus ichthyaetus). Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus), Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocoraxpygmaeus), Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca), White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) and White-tailed Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) are present in IUCN's international list of globally threatened species [10; 12].
On 23 May 2014 for the first time in Uzbekistan we discovered a big nesting colony of Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus in the north extremity of Lake Sudochye, on a small island in a shallow brackish body ofwater (N43°38.702' E058°27.087'). We counted about 7,000 flamingos. That is 1.4% of the world population of this bird, as across the world there are about 500 thousand individuals of this bird [10]. Kazakhstan is a home for 50 to 100 thousand birds [2; 3]. The total number of nests found on the island was 2,985, with 2,594 (86.9%) having eggs in them. 391 nests were empty of eggs (13.1%). In 2,570 nests (99.07%) there was only 1 egg, 23 nests had 2 eggs and there was only one nest (0.03%) with 3 eggs.
The nests were built of clay and had round bowl-like shape. The diameter of the bottom was a little larger than the diameter of the hollow. The nests had the following dimensions (n = 17): height - 8.2-51.4 cm, diameter - 37.6-54.3 cm, diameter of the hollow - 17.1-28.7 cm, depth of the tray 3.46.4 cm. The eggs were white and ellipsoid. The eggs had the following dimensions (n = 28): 83.0-96.2 x 51.5-59.3 mm, 89.4 x 55.3 mm on average, weight of newly hatched eggs -129.7-159.6, 144.7 g on average [4].
In 2015 we didn't find any of these nests but we counted 3.000 birds during one day. We suppose that it could be because of the high level of water, as in that year the lake was full. As a result, all islands favorable for the nesting of flamingos were underwater.
nesting settling wintering migrating
Figure 1. The character of birds staying on Lake Sudochye
Also, a considerable number of aquatic and semi-aquatic birds were recorded on the lake. During the first expedition (May 2014) for one day we recorded 838 Red-nosed Pochards, 237 Great Cormorants, 222 Pygmy Cormorants, 191 Swans, 169 Common Terns, 148 Little Terns and 136 Glossy Ibises. In the course of the second expedition we recorded 340 Great Egrets, 280 Little Egrets, 258 White Spoonbills, 96 Great White Pelicans and 75 Dalmatian Pelicans.
By the end of the autumn survey (16-20 October 2015) the total number of birds recorded near the Sudochye Lake system reached 159.649.
Based on the survey data, the following aquatic and semi-aquatic birds can be regarded as numerous. On 17 and 18 October during one day we recorded 103 Great Crested Grebes, 154 Great Cormorants, 100 Pygmy Cormorants, 200 Garganeys, 1.000 Common Pochards and 350 Black-Headed Gulls. The most numerous were Red-Crested Pochards and Coots, as during one day we recorded 30.000 Red-Crested Pochards and 40.000 Coots.
As we analysed literary data and the results of our survey we came to the conclusion that at present the Sudochye Lake System is inhabited by 240 species of birds belonging to 18 orders and 48 families. Among them 113 species are hydro-philic, 111 nesting, 22 wintering, 25 non-migratory and 82 transient (Figure).
The birds are divided into the following orders; Podici-pediformes-5 species, Pelecaniformes-4, Ciconiiformes-10, Phoenicopteriformes-1, Anseriformes-24, Falconiformes-21, Galliformes-3, Gruiformes-7, Charadriiformes-56, Colum-biformes-7, Cuculiformes-1, Strigiformes-3, Caprimulgi-
formes-2, Coraciformes-4, Upupiformes-1, Apodaformes-1, Piciformes-2, Passeriformes-88.
As usual, the list includes vulnerable, rare and near-extinct species of birds present in the Red Book of Uzbekistan and IUCN. They comprise 28 species [12].
The main threats and problems in bird protection. The shores of Lake Sudochye are not inhabited by people, except for single fishing teams.
Drought is the main limiting factor constantly affecting on the lake. The existence of all components of biodiversity here is completely dependent upon the water volume.
Illegal hunting is one of the more crucial factors for wildlife, especially for birds. Year after year the lake attracts the increasingly large numbers of poachers who hunt aquatic birds and cut shrubs for fuel, which causes some threat to the fauna and flora.
Fishing is conducted using illegal types of fishing nets, which results in the death of many diving aquatic birds.
Based on the analysis of our material and other data we recommend that conditions should be created for adequate water supply to Lake Sudochye for flamingoes and other rare birds (White-headed Duck, Great White Pelican, Dalmatian Pelican, Mute Swan Glossy Ibis and others) to use them as breeding areas. We also recommend that birds be treated with care, their nests be protected and poaching control become stricter.
The Sudochye Lake System must be included in the list of Ramsar bodies of water, as it meets all the requirements of the Ramsar Convention. We also hope that, as a result, this will attract more of the Government's attention towards the protection of the lake.
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