KGZ 25 Key Biodiversity Area Lake Chatyr-Kul

Tadorna ferruginea

Description. Big duck. In all outfits, the plumage is dominated by a bright red color, which makes it possible to accurately distinguish the shelduck from other anseriformes. On the wing there is a green "mirror" and a large white field. The male has a narrow black collar; this collar is absent in the autumn coloration. The female is somewhat duller, whitish than the male. Juveniles are even more faded, brownish above. Weight 1000-1600 g, length 61-67, male wing 35.4-40.0, female 32.1-36.9, wingspan 121-145 cm.
Biology. Nesting migratory bird. Inhabits steppes and deserts near fresh and salty lakes, ponds and intermittent drying puddles, as well as in rocky mountains near lakes, usually poorly forested, at altitudes up to 3000 m in the Tien Shan mountains and up to 2000 m in Altai. During the migration it occurs mainly on lakes, also visits both mowed and unmowed grain fields. Appears in mid-February or March in the south of Kazakhstan in spring, and in April in the northern regions. It flies in pairs or small flocks of up to ten birds. Breeds in separate pairs, often close to each other. Sometimes it nests up to 10 km from the water, in which case the young chicks have to cover this distance on foot while going to the water. Parents accompany the chicks, but many die or become victims of predators. Ogar nests are built underground, in the burrows of mammals (mainly foxes, corsacs, marmots and wolves) or under stones in rocks, in hollows of poplars, or, rarely, in old haystacks. Clutch of 7-17, more often 9-12 eggs is produced in early April - mid-May. Only the female incubates, the male guards her, being nearby. Chicks are born in mid-May - late June. Both parents nurse the young until they are ready to fly, until mid-July - the first decade of August.
Before departure, very often shelducks feed on mowed fields. In autumn, flocks of 50 or more birds fly away, mainly in September, the latest records of Ogar encounters date back to the end of October - the end of November.
Information sources: https://birds.kg/v2taxon.php?s=32&l=ru
Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. E.I. Gavrilov. "Fauna and spreading of birds in Kazakhstan". Almaty, 1999. V.K. Ryabitsev. "Birds of the Urals, the Urals and Western Siberia". Ekaterinburg. Publishing House of the Ural University, 2000.



Tianschaniella umbellifera

Genus: Tienshanochka - family: Borageaceae - order: Borageaceae - class: Dicotyledonous - division: Flowering.
Status: VU. A significantly declining narrowly endemic species of the Central Tien Shan. Representative of a monotypic genus.
Botanical description of the species: Perennial. The root is thin, vertical. The stems are weak, ascending 30 - 40 cm in height, thin, simple or branched, glabrous or slightly pubescent. Rosettes of basal leaves of 6 - 10 oblong leaflets, sparsely bristly. Stem leaves are alternate, appressed and gray-fluffy. The inflorescence is racemose of individual cymose inflorescences forming false umbrellas. Flowers are on thin, long stalks arranged in bunches in the shape of an umbrella. The calyx is grey-fluffy. The corolla is blue, whitish, the tube is short, about 1 mm in length, the pharynx has arches, the apex of which is thickened and papillary. Four fruitlets-nuts are attached by the ventral side to a short gynophore; the edges of the nut are wing-shaped with anchor spines. A peculiar monotypic genus with umbrella-shaped flowers. Flowering in August-September
Features of biology. Blooms in VII-VIII; bears fruit in VIII-IX. Reproduction is by seed.
The distribution is general in the country. Kyrgyzstan: Central Tien Shan (syrts of the Issyk-Kul region, southern macroslope of Terskey Ala-Too, Torugartsky ridge, surroundings of Lake Chatyr-Kel).
Places of growth. Rocky, thin, fine-earth soils along river banks and gorges, in the upper mountain belt.
Number. Within its range it grows, apparently in single specimens or in small groups.
Limiting factors. Habitat disturbance as a result of unsystematic grazing.
Cultivation. No information.
Security measures exist. Included in the Red Book of the Kirghiz SSR (1985).
Recommended security measures. Study the habitat and state of populations. In places of greatest concentration of the species, organize a botanical reserve.
Sources of information : https://openfito.ru/vids/vid/59505
https://open.kg/about-kyrgyzstan/nature/red-book/fungi-and-higher-plants/31863-tyanshanochka-zontikonosnaya-chatyrchaluu-tyanshanchek-tianschaniella.html
Source o photo: https://www.plantarium.ru/page/view/item/38492.html



Common Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug)

Other names: Turkestan saker falcon.
Status: The saker falcon is listed in the International Red Book (category IV) as an endangered species. The number of the species has decreased sharply over the past 5 years in Kyrgyzstan.
Description. In size and build it is very similar to the gyrfalcon (almost never found together), a little smaller. The main color tone is reddish-gray, lighter underneath, most often fawn or close to it, with longitudinal dark streaks. It differs from the peregrine falcon in its reddish coloration, the absence of distinct black “whiskers,” and the light top of the head. Males and females are colored similarly, females are larger. The legs, cere and leathery ring around the eye are yellow. Juveniles are similar to adults, but are generally darker, with a denser dark mottled pattern underneath being especially noticeable; the legs, cere and eye ring are bluish-gray. The flight is strong, but they usually fly with infrequent flaps, alternating active flight with gliding. Sometimes they “shake” like a kestrel. They often soar, and quite high. Weight of males 730-950, females - 970-1300 g, length 42-59, wing of males 34.7-37.2, females - 38.6-42.3, wingspan - 102-129 cm.
National distribution. In Kyrgyzstan, it nests exclusively in the mountainous part of the country, and at an altitude of at least 1300-1500 m. It goes up to 3000 m in the vertical direction. During hunting, it also appears in lower-lying areas.
Number. The total number has not been established. Rare view. The number is declining everywhere.
Habitat. Middle and upper mountain belt, from 1300 to 3000 m above sea level. Low desert mountains and dry foothills of large ranges, river canyons, chinks, tugai, floodplain forests, mixed spruce forests, rocks and cliffs.
In Kyrgyzstan, the nominate subspecies Falco cherrug JF Gray, 1834 occurs on migration and in winter. The remaining subspecies are sedentary: Fc milvipes Jerdon, 1871, Fc coatsi, Dementiev, 1945, Fc hendersoni Hume, 1871.
In Kazakhstan, it lives in steppes and deserts, in areas with the presence of individual trees or groves, power lines, geodetic towers; as well as in chinks, near river cliffs, in rocky outcrops, and gorges in the mountains. The proximity of the habitat of a large number of rodents and birds, which are the main food of saker falcons, is a necessary condition for nesting both on the plains and in the mountains.
Lifestyle. A sedentary nomadic bird. The saker falcon hunts in open areas where there are trees or rocks from which it is convenient to look out for prey. Having seen a suitable object, the saker falcon hovers over the prey in flight, and then dives down at high speed or catches the prey in horizontal flight. Saker falcons never hunt near the nest and always fly away to significant distances (up to 20 km). This feature of saker falcons is often used by small birds. They live quietly and reproduce in the neighborhood, feeling protected because... other birds of prey do not hunt in the Saker Falcon's nesting territory. In the wild, saker falcons have virtually no enemies other than humans.
Nutrition. Saker falcons feed mainly on small mammals: gophers, pikas, and less often large lizards. Can catch hares, marmots and small passerine birds.
Reproduction. Monogamous bird with pronounced nesting conservatism. Appears in breeding areas from late March to April. It nests in separate pairs at a distance of at least 300-400 m (usually 1-10 km or more) from each other; nests can be located on a tree, on a rock or a pole. One nest is used for several years, but if there is no shortage of nests suitable for breeding, the nest is changed annually. Laying of 2-6 (usually 3-5) eggs occurs from late March to May, the chicks hatch in 33-35 days. Only the female incubates for 30 days, the male brings food for the female and initially for the chicks. Chicks are born from early May to early June. Both parents feed the young, which fledge at the age of 45 days, in late May - July. Autumn migration begins in late August - September.
Limiting factors. Habitat degradation as a result of human economic activity. Predation of nests by removing chicks for the purpose of sale. Catching. Gipel on power line supports. Recently, the saker falcon was common, but currently, due to the uncontrolled capture of saker falcons in the wild over the past 10-15 years by Arab poachers and their accomplices from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the saker falcon has become a rare breeding bird.
Existing security measures: Listed in the Red Book of the USSR (1984). The species is protected by the Red Book of Kyrgyzstan in the country's reserves. It is listed in Appendix II of CITES, Appendix II of the Bonn Convention, Appendix II of the Berne Convention. The bird is endangered due to rapid population decline in Central Asian breeding territories.
Recommended security measures: Identify nesting sites and strengthen their protection. Ban the capture of falcons. Create a network of protected areas in the main nesting areas. Find out the total size and status of the population in Kyrgyzstan. Create a captive breeding nursery.
Breeding (captivity)). There are several captive breeding projects in the United States, Canada and Europe. Successfully bred in the Kyrgyz State Game Management Agency of the USSR Ministry of Agriculture in 1979.
Information sources: https://birds.kg/v2taxon.php?s=84&l=ru, https://redbookrf.ru/baloban-falco-cherrug
Gavrilov EI, Gavrilov AE "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. E.I. Gavrilov. "Fauna and distribution of birds of Kazakhstan." Almaty, 1999. V.K. Ryabitsev. "Birds of the Urals, the Urals and Western Siberia." Ekaterinburg. Publishing house of the Ural University, 2000.
Photo source: https://redbookrf.ru/baloban-falco-cherrug



Bar-headed goose [Anser indicus]

Description of the specie. Thanks to its plumage, this species is easily recognized. Almost the entire body of the Mountain Goose is covered with light gray feathers, only the dewlap and undertail are white. The head is small, with small light feathers, the neck is dark gray, the forehead and occipital region are crossed by two wide black stripes.
The bird's legs are long, covered with rough yellow skin, its beak is medium-sized, yellowish in color. Due to the length of its limbs, the feathered gait seems clumsy; it waddles on land, but in the water it has no equal - it is an excellent swimmer. The body weight is small - 2.5-3 kg, length - 65-70 cm, wingspan - up to one meter. It is considered one of the highest flying species; it can rise to a height of 10,175 thousand meters; only vultures, which soar 12,150 thousand meters above the ground, can break such a record.
Habitat
The mountain goose is an endemic bird of Central Asia, which is a characteristic highland Asian species, only in some places extending beyond the borders of Central Asia. The extreme northwestern points of the range are the Ukok plateau and the Kurai steppe in Altai. The northern limits of distribution here pass through the Chui steppe and further within the Mongolian People's Republic along Lake Uryug-Nor, the river basin. Tes, a tributary of Lake Ubsa-Nor, along Lake Kosogol, the valleys of the Tola and Kerulen rivers.
In summer, the bar-headed goose is also found north of these limits - in the southern Baikal region, along the river. Selenge and Lake Tarey-Nor, but there is no reliable data on nesting here. To the south and southeast from here it goes to Ordos, Lake Kuku-Hop and along the southern outskirts of Tibet to Ladakh, Kashmir, the Pamirs and the Alai Valley, which are the extreme southwestern points of the range. To the northeast of here along the Tien Shan, Semirechye, where it is found on the high mountain lakes of Chatyr-Kule (3500 m above sea level), on Son-Kule, on the mountain lake Dzhasyl-Kule. on lakes in the upper reaches of the lake. Zauki, at the mouth of Kuelyu and on Bayankol. Even further to the northeast it breeds in Dzungaria and Chinese Turkestan. Within the boundaries of the range outlined in this way, it nests sporadically in the high-mountain waters of Central Asia. Winters in Pakistan, Punjab, Assam and northern India. To the south it reaches Sindh, the Bombay region and occasionally the southern provinces. It is also found in winter on large rivers of Northern Burma. Wintering in Balochistan is also possible.
Spreading
Distributed in the high mountainous regions of Central Asia. The territory of Kyrgyzstan is the peripheral part of its nesting range. Its habitats have been preserved on lakes Son-Kul (3016m) and Chatyr-Kul (3530m)
Nutrition
Mountain geese are characterized by a mixed diet. They equally consume plant (sedge and other grass along the banks of reservoirs) and animal (molluscs, small crustaceans, insects) food.
Biology
A rare breeding species in the highlands of Kyrgyzstan. Habitats. Alpine lakes, alpine meadows with sedge and other vegetation. They nest on small islands that are currently being destroyed by waves. Arrival in March, departure in November. The mating season lasts 10-12 days and egg laying begins from mid-March to early April. Clutch consists of 4-6 eggs, chicks appear in early June. On Lake Chatyr-Kul, egg laying begins two weeks later.
Interesting facts about the bird
Experts know the mountain representative by his high flight. This is one of the highest flying birds. Scientists recorded a height of 10.175 thousand meters, to which they rose, moving from the Central Asian continent over the Himalayas. And this despite the fact that the thin air at such a height makes it impossible for even helicopters to fly.
In their ability to reach aerial heights, mountain geese are second only to black vultures, which can fly at an altitude of 12,150 thousand meters.
During the flight, the leading individual changes with the next one every next 5 minutes. When descending onto the water surface, mountain geese initially circle and then descend, turning over in the air.
Sources of information and photos:
Ryabitsev V.K., Kovshar A.F., Kovshar V.A., Berezovikov N.N. “Field guide to birds of Kazakhstan”, Almaty, 2014. Red Data Book of the Kyrgyz Republic. 2007. Bishkek: 1-541.
https://kyrgyz.birds.watch/v2checklist.php?l=ru
https://rarebirds.ru/anseriformes/gornyy-gus
Great encyclopedia of birds. Rare birds of our planet. © 2019–2024 – RareBirds.ru Catalog and community of bird lovers Source: https://rarebirds.ru The mountain goose is a bright highlight of nature.