The present book reflects the results from six years of monthly monitoring of the waterbirds in the most important wetlands of Bulgaria - the Bourgas Lakes. Such a monitoring is carried out for the first time in the country. The book is divided in two parts. The first part consists of a comprehensive review of the literature data, the status, the numbers, the breeding and the seasonal dynamics of 149 waterbird species, which are recorded in the Bourgas Lakes during the monitoring. The information for each species is presented in text tables, graphs and maps. In the second part, a thorough look at the four Bourgas Lakes with their specific characteristics is made. The top ten most abundant species for each lake are presented. The changes in species composition and numbers are traced for different months, seasons, years and last century as a whole. The book is written by the members of the Bourgas Wetland Project, implemented for the period 1996-2004 as a part of Bulgarian-Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Programme. It will be especially useful for anyone interested in ornithology, birdwatching, nature conservation, wetland management and monitoring.
Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 8
GLOSSARY & ABBREVIATIONS 9
1. INTRODUCTION 10
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS 12
3. A BRIEF PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WETLANDS AROUND BOURGAS 14
3.1. Complex Pomoriysko Ezero 15
3.2. Complex Atanasovsko Ezero 16
3.3. Complex Ezero Vaya 18
3.4. Complex Mandrensko Ezero 19
4. SPECIES ACCOUNTS 23
4.1. Red-throated Diver – Gavia stellata 23
4.2. Black-throated Diver – Gavia arctica 23
4.3. Great Northern Diver – Gavia immer 24
4.4. Little Grebe – Tachybaptus ruficollis 24
4.5. (Great) Crested Grebe – Podiceps cristatus 24
4.6. Red-necked Grebe – Podiceps grisegena 25
4.7. (Horned) Slavonian Grebe – Podiceps auritus 26
4.8. Black-necked Grebe – Podiceps nigricollis 26
4.9. Yelkouan Shearwater – Puffinus yelkouan 27
4.10. (Northern) Gannet – Morus bassanus 27
4.11. (Great) Cormorant – Phalacrocorax carbo 27
4.12. (European) Shag – Phalacrocorax aristotelis 28
4.13. Pygmy Cormorant – Phalacrocorax pygmeus 28
4.14. (Great) White Pelican – Pelecanus onocrotalus 30
4.15. Dalmatian Pelican – Pelecanus crispus 31
4.16. (Great) Bittern – Botaurus stellaris 31
4.17. Little Bittern – Ixobrychus minutus 32
4.18. (Black-crowned) Night Heron – Nycticorax nycticorax 32
4.19. Squacco Heron – Ardeola ralloides 34
4.20. Cattle Egret – Bubulcus ibis 34
4.21. (Western) Reef Egret – Egretta gularis 35
4.22. Little Egret – Egretta garzetta 35
4.23. (Great) Egret – Egretta alba 36
4.24. Grey Heron – Ardea cinerea 37
4.25. Purple Heron – Ardea purpurea 38
4.26. Yellow-billed Stork – Mycteria ibis 40
4.27. Black Stork – Ciconia nigra 40
4.28. White Stork – Ciconia ciconia 40
4.29. Glossy Ibis – Plegadis falcinellus 40
4.30. (Eurasian) Spoonbill – Platalea leucorodia 42
4.31. (Greater) Flamingo – Phoenicopterus ruber 43
4.32. Mute Swan – Cygnus olor 43
4.33. Tundra Swan – Cygnus columbianus 44
4.34. Whooper Swan – Cygnus cygnus 45
4.35. Bean Goose – Anser fabalis 45
4.36. (Greater) White-fronted Goose – Anser albifrons 45
4.37. Lesser White-fronted Goose – Anser erythropus 46
4.38. Greylag Goose – Anser anser 47
4.39. Snow Goose – Anser caerulescens 47
4.40. Barnacle Goose – Branta leucopsis 47
4.41. Brent Goose – Branta bernicla 47
4.42. Red-breasted Goose – Branta ruficollis 47
4.43. Ruddy Shelduck – Tadorna ferruginea 48
4.44. (Common) Shelduck – Tadorna tadorna 49
4.45. (Eurasian) Wigeon – Anas penelope 50
4.46. Gadwall – Anas strepera 51
4.47. Teal – Anas crecca 52
4.48. Mallard – Anas platyrhynchos 53
4.49. (Northern) Pintail – Anas acuta 54
4.50. Garganey – Anas querquedula 55
4.51. (Northern) Shoveler – Anas clypeata 56
4.52. Marbled Duck – Marmaronetta angustirostris 57
4.53. Red-crested Pochard – Netta rufina 57
4.54. (Common) Pochard – Aythya ferina 57
4.55. Ferruginous Duck – Aythya nyroca 58
4.56. Tufted Duck – Aythya fuligula 59
4.57. (Greater) Scaup – Aythya marila 60
4.58. (Common) Eider – Somateria mollissima 60
4.59. Long-tailed Duck – Clangula hyemalis 60
4.60. Common Scoter – Melanitta nigra 60
4.61. Velvet Scoter – Melanitta fusca 60
4.62. (Common) Goldeneye – Bucephala clangula 61
4.63. Smew – Mergus albellus 61
4.64. Red-breasted Merganser – Mergus serrator 62
4.65. Goosander – Mergus merganser 62
4.66. White-headed Duck – Oxyura leucocephala 63
4.67. Water Rail – Rallus aquaticus 63
4.68. Spotted Crake – Porzana porzana 64
4.69. Little Crake – Porzana parva 64
4.70. Baillon’s Crake – Porzana pusilla 64
4.71. (Common) Moorhen – Gallinula chloropus 64
4.72. (Eurasian) Coot – Fulica atra 64
4.73. (Common) Crane – Grus grus 65
4.74. Demoiselle Crane – Antrhropoides virgo 65
4.75. (Eurasian) Oystercatcher – Haematopus ostralegus 66
4.76. Black-winged Stilt – Himantopus himantopus 66
4.77. (Pied) Avocet – Recurvirostra avosetta 67
4.78. Stone Curlew – Burhinus oedicnemus 69
4.79. Collared Pratincole – Glareola pratincola 69
4.80. Black-winged Pratincole – Glareola nordmanni 69
4.81. Little Ringed Plover – Charadrius dubius 70
4.82. (Common) Ringed Plover – Charadrius hiaticula 70
4.83. Kentish Plover – Charadrius alexandrinus 71
4.84. (Greater) Sand Plover – Charadrius leschenaultii 72
4.85. Caspian Plover – Charadrius asiaticus 72
4.86. (Eurasian) Dotterel – Charadrius morinellus 72
4.87. (European) Golden Plover – Pluvialis apricaria 72
4.88. Grey Plover – Pluvialis squatarola 72
4.89. Spur-winged Lapwing – Vanellus spinosus 73
4.90. Sociable Lapwing – Vanellus gregarius 73
4.91. White-tailed Lapwing – Vanellus leucurus 73
4.92. (Northern) Lapwing – Vanellus vanellus 73
4.93. (Red) Knot – Calidris canutus 74
4.94. Sanderling – Calidris alba 74
4.95. Little Stint – Calidris minuta 75
4.96. Temminck’s Stint – Calidris temminckii 76
4.97. Pectoral Sandpiper – Calidris melanotos 76
4.98. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper – Calidris acuminata 76
4.99. Curlew Sandpiper – Calidris ferruginea 76
4.100. Dunlin – Calidris alpina 77
4.101. Broad-billed Sandpiper – Limicola falcinellus 78
4.102. Buff-breasted Sandpiper – Tryngites subruficollis 78
4.103. Ruff – Philomachus pugnax 78
4.104. Jack Snipe – Lymnocryptes minimus 79
4.105. (Common) Snipe – Gallinago gallinago 79
4.106. (Great) Snipe – Gallinago media 80
4.107. (Eurasian) Woodcock – Scolopax rusticola 80
4.108. Black-tailed Godwit – Limosa limosa 80
4.109. Bar-tailed Godwit – Limosa lapponica 81
4.110. Whimbrel – Numenius phaeopus 81
4.111. Slender-billed Curlew – Numenius tenuirostris 82
4.112. (Eurasian) Curlew – Numenius arquata 82
4.113. Spotted Redshank – Tringa erythropus 83
4.114. (Common) Redshank – Tringa totanus 83
4.115. Marsh Sandpiper – Tringa stagnatilis 84
4.116. (Common) Greenshank – Tringa nebularia 85
4.117. Green Sandpiper – Tringa ochropus 86
4.118. Wood Sandpiper – Tringa glareola 86
4.119. Terek Sandpiper – Xenus cinereus 87
4.120. Common Sandpiper – Actitis hypoleucos 87
4.121. (Ruddy) Turnstone – Arenaria interpres 87
4.122. Red-necked Phalarope – Phalaropus lobatus 88
4.123. (Grey) Red Phalarope – Phalaropus fulicarius 88
4.124. Pomarine Skua – Stercorarius pomarinus 88
4.125. Arctic Skua – Stercorarius parasiticus 88
4.126. Long-tailed Skua – Stercorarius longicaudus 89
4.127. Great Skua – Catharacta skua 89
4.128. Pallas’s Gull – Larus ichthyaetus 89
4.129. (Mongolian) Relict Gull – Larus relictus 89
4.130. Mediterranean Gull – Larus melanocephalus 89
4.131. Little Gull – Larus minutus 90
4.132. Black-headed Gull – Larus ridibundus 91
4.133. Slender-billed Gull – Larus genei 92
4.134. Ring-billed Gull – Larus delawarensis 92
4.135. (Mew) Common Gull – Larus canus 92
4.136. Lesser Black-backed Gull – Larus fuscus 93
4.137. Herring Gull – Larus argentatus 93
4.138. Yellow-legged Gull – Larus cachinnans 93
4.139. Great Black-backed Gull – Larus marinus 94
4.140. (Black-legged) Kittiwake – Rissa tridactyla 94
4.141. Gull-billed Tern – Sterna nilotica 94
4.142. Caspian Tern – Sterna caspia 95
4.143. Sandwich Tern – Sterna sandvicensis 95
4.144. Common Tern – Sterna hirundo 96
4.145. Arctic Tern – Sterna paradisaea 97
4.146. Little Tern – Sterna albifrons 97
4.147. Whiskered Tern – Chlidonias hybridus 98
4.148. Black Tern – Chlidonias niger 99
4.149. (Black) White-winged Tern – Chlidonias leucopterus 100
5. ADDITIONAL SPECIES 101
5.1. SPECIES FOUND IN BWC AND THE NEIGHBORING REGIONS 101
5.1.1. (Common) Guillemot – Uria aalge 101
5.1.2. Laughing Gull – Larus atricilla 101
5.2. SPECIES OF ESCAPED OR FERAL ORIGIN 101
5.2.1. Black Swan – Cygnus atratus 101
5.2.2. Canada Goose – Branta canadensis 101
5.3. SPECIES WITH UNCLEAR STATUS 101
5.3.1. Wilson’s Phalarope – Stegonopus tricolor 101
6. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE SPECIES COMPOSITION 102
6.1. SPECIES CHARACTERISTIC 102
6.2. MONTHLY AND SEASONAL
CHARACTERISTIC 108
6.3. ANNUAL FLUCTUATIONS 109
6.4. LONG -TERM CHANGES110
7. ORNITHOLOGICAL ASSESMENT OF INDIVIDUAL WETLANDS 114
7.1. COMPLEX POMORIYSKO EZERO 114
7.1.1. Species Characteristic 114
7.1.2. Seasonal Characteristic 114
7.2. COMPLEX ATANASOVSKO EZERO 114
7.2.1. Species Characteristic 114
7.2.2. Seasonal Characteristic 115
7.2.3. Short – terms Changes 116
7.3. COMPLEX EZERO VAYA 116
7.3.1. Species Characteristic 116
7.3.2. Seasonal Characteristic 116
7.4. COMPLEX MANDRENSKO EZERO 116
7.4.1. Species Characteristic 116
7.4.2. Seasonal Characteristic 118
8. PRIORITIES FOR MONITORING AND IMPORTANCE OF BOURGAS LAKES FOR WATERBIRD CONSERVATION 119
8.1. PRIORITIES FOR MONITORING 119
8.2. IMPORTANCE OF BOURGAS LAKES FOR WATERBIRD CONSERVATION 119
9. MAIN THREATS, LIMITING FACTORS AND CONSERVATION MEASURES TAKEN FOR GLOBALLY THREATENED SPECIES 123
9.1. MAIN THREATS AND LIMITING FACTORS 123
9.1.1. Pygmy Cormorant – Phalacrocorax pygmeus 123
9.1.2. Dalmatian Pelican – Pelecanus crispus 123
9.1.3. Red-breasted Goose – Branta ruficollis 124
9.1.4. White-headed Duck – Oxyura leucocephala 124
9.1.5. Ferruginous Duck – Aythya nyroca 124
9.2. CONSERVATION MEASURES 124
10. THE FUTURE OF BOURGAS LAKES 125
SUMMARY IN BULGARIAN LANGUAGE (Ðåçþìå íà áúëãàðñêè åçèê) 127
REFERENCES 131
APPENDICES 141
APPENDIX 1. Monthly Averages of Waterbirds in the Bourgas Lakes 141
1.1. Monthly Average of Waterbirds at Complex Pomoriysko Ezero 141
1.2. Monthly Average of Waterbirds at Complex Atanasovsko Ezero 143
1.3. Monthly Average of Waterbirds at Complex Ezero Vaya 145
1.4. Monthly Average of Waterbirds at Complex Mandrensko Ezero 147
1.5. Monthly Average of Waterbirds at Bourgas Wetland Complex 149
APPENDIX 2. Comparison between Max Numbers of Waterbirds in Atanasovsko Ezero Given by Roberts 1978, 1981) and Present Study 151
APPENDIX 3. GPS GUIDE TO BOURGAS WETLANDS 153
INDEX OF WATERBIRDS’ ENGLISH AND LATIN NAMES AND BULGARIAN WETLANDS’ NAMES 154
| Данни за книгата |
| Език |
Английски |
| Издателство |
Пенсофт |
| Година на публикуване |
2005 |
| Страници |
160 |
| Вид на продукта |
PDF (защитен) |
| ISBN |
9789546423719 |
Български
Language
