Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project ...

Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project – Annual report 1999
Table 3. Total numbers (counts) of geese at the surveyed roosting lakes in the Kurgaldzhino–Tengiz area, proportions of the four most
numerous goose species based on random sample data, and respective estimates of numbers of individuals. For Lake Zhylandyshalkar,
where no sample data was obtained and no rough estimate of species proportion was made in the field, a weighted mean of the proportion of
these species at the sampled lakes was applied (marked with * in the table), and the estimates for each species was counted using these
weighted mean proportions. For Lake Kumkol, a rough estimate for the species proportion was achieved without sampling in the field (marked
with ** in the table). For the sampled lakes, the 95% confidence intervals for the species proportion estimate and for the corresponding
estimate of the number of individuals are given below the values.
Lake Total no. no. ind. Anser albifrons Anser anser Anser erythropus Branta ruficollis
of geese sampled % estimate % estimate % estimate % estimate
Zhylandyshalkar 15,800 0 *91.9 *14,500 *6.1 *970 *0.2 *31 *1.8 *277
Kumdykol & Ashi–Kumkol 11,800 330 96.97 11,400 3.03 360 0.00 0 0.00 0
:95% c.i.: 95.12–98.82 11,200–11,700 1.18–4.88 140–580 – – – –
Kubikol 176,800 5,910 92.17 162,900 5.97 10,600 0.20 360 1.61 2,840
:95% c.i.: 91.49–92.85 161,700–164,200 5.37–6.57 9,480–11,600 0.09–0.31 150–560 1.29–1.93 2,280–3,410
Sochinskoye 35,300 1,080 92.01 32,500 4.83 1,710 0.19 66 2.97 1,050
:95% c.i.: 90.39–93.63 31,900–33,100 3.55–6.11 1,250–2,160 0–0.45 0–160 1.96–3.98 690–1,400
Baumanskoye 29,300 3,810 97.48 28,600 0.26 77 0.89 260 1.36 400
:95% c.i.: 96.98–97.98 28,400–28,700 0.10–0.42 29–124 0.59–1.19 170–350 0.99–1.73 290–510
Shandykol 115,300 6,150 87.14 100,500 9.50 11,000 0.03 37 3.33 3,840
:95% c.i.: 86.30–87.98 99,500–101,400 8.77–10.23 10,100–11,800 0–0.07 0–84 2.88–3.78 3,320–4,360
Shunkyrkol 10,000 1,080 98.70 9,870 0.56 56 0.74 74 0.00 0
:95% c.i.: 98.02–99,38 9,800–9,940 0.11–1.01 11–101 0.23–1.25 23–125 – –
Alakol 35,300 1,290 91.86 32,400 8.06 2,850 0.08 27 0.00 0
:95% c.i.: 90.37–93.35 31,900–33,000 6.57–9.55 2,320–3,370 0–0.23 0–83 – –
Burevestnik 49,700 3,390 98.61 49,000 0.94 470 0.15 73 0.29 150
:95% c.i.: 98.22–99.00 48,800–49,200 0.62–1.26 310–630 0.02–0.28 10–139 0.11–0.47 50–230
Kumkol 9,300 **0 **80 **7,440 **20 **1,860 **0 **0 **0 **0
Sholak 12,100 3,300 81.76 9,900 17.48 2,120 0.33 40 0.39 48
:95% c.i.. 80.44–83.08 9,700–10,100 16.18–18.78 1,960–2,270 0.13–0.53 16–64 0.18–0.60 21–73
Total 500,700 26,340 459,000 32,100 970 8,600
for the lakes Ayke and Bozshakol, together with the combined figure
for the Tyuntyugur–Zhanshura–Biesoygan lake system were rather
similar to 1998 (cf. Tolvanen et al. 1999b).
The percentage and total number of LWfG this year was markedly
lower as compared with the 1996 and 1998 surveys (Table 5). Nearly
all LWfG were seen at the two southern lakes; Kulykol and Ayke,
both already known to be very important staging areas for the species.
Both of these lakes differed to some extent from the other lakes in
lacking extensive reed beds on the shores. The relative proportion of
White-fronted Geese was much higher and those of Greylag and
Red-breasted Geese were lower than in autumn 1996, but closer to
the level of autumn 1998 (Table 3, cf. Tolvanen et al. 1999b).
The estimates derived for Lake Batpakkol are based on calculated
weighted means of the proportions of Anser geese at the lakes Kulykol
and Ayke, without any actual sample data set from this lake. Thus,
the estimates for Anser species at Lake Batpakkol have to be treated
with caution.
4.2. Kurgaldzhino–Tengiz region
For the Kurgaldzhino–Tengiz region, comparison of the 1999 data
with previous surveys is not possible. However, the area is known
as a traditional stop-over for migrating arctic geese (Vinogradov
1990), and the results of this survey confirm that this area is still a
very important autumn staging area for White-fronted Geese, and
(although not as important as the Kustanay region) also for LWfG
and Red-breasted Goose, numbers equalling c. 6% of the western
population of LWfG (current estimate c. 15,000 ind., Lorentsen et
al. 1999) and c. 12% of the world population of Red-breasted Goose
(70,000 ind. according to Hunter et al. 1999) were estimated in the
area during the survey.
4.3. Breeding success of LWfG and White-fronted Goose
The results indicate a very successful breeding season for Whitefronted
Geese, and a relatively high juvenile proportion also for
LWfG (Table 5). This is another indication supporting the assumption
that in general the juvenile production of LWfG populations is high,
and that the reason for the population decline is due to high (hunting)
mortality during the migration and wintering periods (Tolvanen et
al. 1999a). In Kustanay region the mean brood size of observed LWfG
broods was 2.0 ad and 3.4 juv (n = 10 broods) and in the Kurgaldhino-
Tengiz region 1.7 ad and 2.7 juv (n = 12 broods) (Table 4).
Tolvanen et al: Monitoring the autumn staging of Lesser White-fronted Geese in Kazakstan, October 1999
Photo. An adult Lesser White-fronted Goose (second from right in
the lower row) in a flock of White-fronted Geese at Lake Korzhynkol,
Kazakstan © Petteri Tolvanen, October 1999
4.4. Conservation status and hunting control
The main threats for LWfG in the region are hunting and disturbance
at the staging areas. LWfG is not yet protected in Kazakstan, although
a proposal to include the species in the Red Data Book of Kazakstan
has been made.
None of the surveyed roosting lakes or feeding areas in either of
the regions is included in nature reserves. Around most of the lakes
in both areas, local hunting inspection has established 500–1500m
wide hunting-free zones. The main reason for the establishment of
these hunting-free zones, however, is not the conservation of the
geese, but to avoid scaring of the roosting geese and other waterfowl
away to other roosts for hunting purposes. For the same reason,
hunting of geese is normally forbidden in some weekdays during
the hunting season.
Hunting regulations of geese vary between different lakes and
between years. In 1999 in the Kustanay region, the open season for
goose hunting was 28 August – 8 November, but hunting of LWfG
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