black sea red data book - Department of Biology

similar. Often the two species gather food together, especially in mixed flocks during
the migrations. The joint feeding suggests that, like the White stork, the Black stork
helps in the destruction of small rodent and insect pests.
Population trends. Old sources suggest that until the middle of the last century the
Black stork was a comparatively common nesting bird along the Black Sea coast.
After that, its numbers decreased, especially in the first half of the twentieth century,
when the species left many areas. After 1960, a revival began. In Bulgaria the
nesting pairs increased from 35 to 122, and from 1975 till 1992 they reached 257
pairs. Of these, 20 pairs breed along the seashore. About 50 pairs breed now along the
whole Black Sea coast (Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia).
Threats. Destruction of habitats (urbanization, cutting down of old forests, water
pollution, intensive farming...), pursuit by ichtyophagous birds, egg collecting. In the
past of prejudices by people in Bulgaria had a negative effect on the Black stork.
Conservation measures taken. The species is included in Appendix II of the
Washington Convention. In Bulgaria and in some other countries in the Black Sea
region the Black stork is protected for. It is included in the Red Books of Bulgaria,
Ukraine, Russia and Georgia. Some nesting areas and resting places during migration
along the Black Sea coast are within protected areas.
Conservation measures proposed. Ceasing habitat destruction, mainly the cutting
down of old forests and the pollution of river basins. Ceasing shooting and egg
collecting. All nesting sites along the Black Sea coast should be protected.
References
Abuladze A., 1993. The Black Stork in the West and Central Transcaucasus. irlst Int
Black Stork Conservation and Ecology Symposium, 19-23 April 1993, Jurmalal 9,
Abstracts: 22.
Cramp S. & K. Simmons (Eds), 1977. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Oxford 1:
1-722.
Elwes H. & T. Buckley, 1870. A list of the Birds of Turkey. Ibis 2:6-59, 188-201,
327-341.
Kostin , J., 1983. Pticia Krima. Moscow, Nauka: 241 pp.
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