International Single Species Action Plan for the ... - AEWA

AEWA Technical Series No. 36 - Annexes
A satellite-tagged bird of the Western main subpopulation, ringed in the Polar Ural region of
northern Russia in August 2004, staged briefly at Haçli Lake (an Important Bird Area, ref.
TR084) in eastern Turkey in late November 2004 before spending the winter in Iraq. (source:
www.piskulka.net/Satellite%20tracking.htm#results).
Other records since 1980 as follows:
• Three birds at Bafa Gölü, Aegean coast (IBA ref. TR021) on 24 December 1986
• Twelve birds at Seyfe Gölü, Inner Anatolia (IBA ref. TR053) on 6 April 1990; it is
though that the species is likely to occur regularly at this site and at the adjacent Tuz
Gölü, where tens of thousands of geese winter regularly but there are no regular
surveys in place to identify and count them at roost sites
• A single bird at the Büyükçekmece Istanbul (IBA ref. TR003) on 23 January 1993
• Three birds at the Göksu Delta, on the Mediterranean coast (IBA ref. TR073) on 24
January 1993, with two birds present there on 29 December 1997
• On 1 March 1997, a flock of 63 arrived on the Greek side of the Evros Delta from
Turkey (Lampila 1998).
Source: BirdLife Turkey, pers. comm.
Turkmenistan
Vernacular name: Kichi sakar gaz
Irregular migrant and wintering bird on the Turkmen Sea Shore. The distribution is irregular
with observations fluctuating widely during recent years. Average sightings are 330
individuals sighted in November, and circa 115 individauls sighted in in the month of
January, the average number of all wintering birds is 165 (Vasiliev et al. 2006). Lesser Whitefronted
Geese have only occasionally and rarely been reported to occurr at inland water
sources.
From 1975 to 2003 the maximum number of birds counted was 1850 individuals in
November 1999, while in 1982 only 2 birds were seen and no observations were made in the
years 1976-1978. 1986/7 and 1992-1996. However most wetlands in the country possess
suitable habitat hence it cannot be ruled out that the species occurred unreported.
The most important sites are Turmenbashy, Balkan, Mihkailovskiy and Severo-Cheleken Cay
holding more than 50% of all winter counts. The lower basin of the Atrek Delta, formerly
equally important for LWfG, has lost its value due to drainage of the area. Vasiliev et al.
(2006) provide further information.
Ukraine
Vernacular name: Mala guska
Little has been known about the status of migrating or wintering Lesser White-fronted Geese
in Ukraine. Indeed the first recent record was in 1995 (Rusev et al. 1996). Between 1998 and
2005, more detailed counts were conducted in the Azov-Black Sea region, with a peak
number of 579 birds in winter 1999/2000 in Crimea and 1,000 in winter 2000-2001 in the
vicinity of the Ukrainian-Moldovan border around the Dniester delta and Dniestrovsky liman
(Rusev, 2004). Between 1998 and 2000, more detailed counts were conducted in Crimea, with
a peak number of 579 birds in winter 1999/2000. A survey was planned for the whole
Crimean peninsula in January/February 2002, but this period immediately followed a spell of
severe weather, with heavy snowfall and temperatures as low as -28C; consequently only a
few Lesser white-fronted Geese were observed. Aarvak et al. 2004b.
International Single Species Action Plan Lesser White-fronted Goose –Annexes
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