KGZ31: Eastern Issyk-Kul Key Biodiversity Area

Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo)

Description
Much smaller than the gray crane. The general color of the plumage of the body is light gray, the head is black with a narrow gray "cap" and white feathers decorating behind the eyes, the shape of the head is more rounded than that of the Common Crane. The entire neck is black in front, with elongated black feathers hanging down to the chest. Juveniles are brownish and reddish-gray. Weight 2–3 kg, length 90–100 cm, wing 44.0–54.0 cm, wingspan 165–185 cm.
Biology
Nesting migratory bird. Inhabits steppe and semi-desert plains and foothills, often near water, sometimes nests in grain fields. Appears in March - early April in spring. A massive migration takes place in the foothills of the Western Tien Shan at the Chokpak Pass, through which flocks of up to several hundred and even thousands of birds fly day and night, in total more than 15 thousand cranes per season every year. Most birds observed from April 1 to April 20, and the last spring birds were recorded in mid-May, although in other regions the migration lasts until the end of May. Breeds in separate pairs not close to each other. The nest is located on bare ground or on ground with sparse vegetation and a few small stones. Clutch 1-3, usually 2 eggs occurs in late April - May. The female incubates the clutch for approximately one month from the date of laying the first egg, while the male guards the territory within a radius of up to 1.5 km around the nest. Chicks are born in late May - June, both parents take care of the offspring. Young birds begin to fly in late July - August. Autumn migration begins from the end of August, when the broods gather in flocks, and is not as impressive as the spring migration. Separate flocks fly through the mountains, but the number of each of them does not exceed 80-100 individuals. An unusual gathering of about 12,000 Demoiselle Cranes, stopping for rest, was observed on Kyzylkol Lake on September 7-8, 2005. On the Chokpak pass, the last autumn birds are observed at the end of October.

Source:
Source:

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.



Red-nosed pochard (Netta rufina)

Description
Quite a large duck, about the size of a mallard, with a dense build. In the spring, the male has a large red head, the upper feathers are elongated and form a golden crest, the beak is juicy red, the neck is rather long, in flight a longitudinal black stripe on the belly is visible from afar, which is not found in other ducks, including the red-headed duck - the most similar in appearance of the species. The female is brownish-gray, its characteristic feature is the light gray color of the cheeks, the beak is gray, with an orange tip. In flight, the male and female have a wide white mirror for the entire length of the wing; the male also has a white stripe along the front edge of the wing. The legs of the male and female are bright red, the eyes of the male are red, those of the female are brown. In the summer plume, the male is similar to the female, differing from her in a darker color of the body, a completely red beak, a red eye, and a brighter mirror. Juveniles look similar to the female, but darker, with more mottled underparts, a completely gray bill, and muddy orange legs. Young males differ from young females in a noticeably larger head (crest). Spring first-year males are in general mating coloration, but duller, with a paler beak, red-brown eyes, a short crest, black on the chest and belly has a clear brown tint. Weight 900-1400 g, length 53-57 cm, wing 23.7-27.5 cm, wingspan 84-88 cm.
Biology
Common, in places numerous, nesting migrant. Inhabits flat fresh and salt lakes, overgrown with reeds, but with large areas of open deep water. Arrives somewhat later than other ducks, rarely at the end of February, mostly in March - mid-April. Migration ends in mid-May. Flies in small (one-two dozen birds) flocks, in pairs and singly. The nest of dry grass stalks and down is located in a shallow hole on the ground under the cover of bushes not far from the water; or more often in reed beds among the water, in which case the nest is built from dry reed leaves and laid out with down. Breeds in separate pairs or in small groups of 5-15 pairs close to each other, often together with white-eyed pochards. Clutch of 5-12 eggs is produced from the second half of April, mainly in May. The female builds a nest and incubates the clutch for about 28 days. Chicks are born from mid-May to early July, and begin to fly in late July - late August. After the females begin to incubate the clutch, the males gather in large numbers for molting on lakes with deep water abundantly overgrown with reeds (end of June - July). Autumn migration (in large flocks up to a hundred or more birds) begins in September. From the southern regions, red-nosed pochards fly away from October until the freezing of water bodies.

Information sources:
Information sources:

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.



Ogar (Tadorna ferruginea) Anyr

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
[url=https://birds.kg/v2taxon.php?s=32&l=ru]Information sources:

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.



Bustard (Otis tarda)

Description
A large bird, about the size of a turkey. Sexual dimorphism is expressed mainly in size: the male is much larger, on his open wing white color prevails from above, in the female it is less because of the larger area of rufous coverts. On the folded wing, the white field is visible in the male, but not in the female, as a rule. Seasonal differences in coloration are insignificant. In spring, the male has a " whiskers" of elongated white feathers, and a red color prevails on the neck from below. After the middle of summer there are no "whiskers", the red feathers on the neck are mostly replaced by gray ones, like those of the female. Juveniles until September-October are similar to the female, but lighter and more red, gray feathers interspersed with red ones on the head and neck, black streaks on the back are less clear, striped undertail (in adults it is pure white). They acquire a full wedding dress at the age of 3 to 6 years. Males participating in breeding for the first time may have no "whiskers", the redness on the neck is weaker. The weight of adult males is 7–12 kg (up to 20 specimens are known), females – 4–8 kg, length 80–120, wing of males 59.5–70.0 cm, females – 47.0–66.0 cm, wingspan 190–260 cm.
Spreading
In the Issyk-Kul region, we can hardly meet it. Breeds sporadically in the steppes and semi-deserts of the northern half of Kazakhstan to the south to the village of Telnov in the Volga-Ural interfluve, the Aktau mountain in the Utva-Ilek interfluve, the lower reaches of the Turgai, the Kurgaldzhinskaya depression. In summer occasionally observed in the Maisky district and near the lake. Shiganak, Pavlodar region, on Ustyurt (June 4, 2001), in the Chemolgan valley and near Kanshengil. Breeds in Zaysan depression, foothills of Southern Altai and Tarbagatai, Chilikta valley. Nesting in the southern foothills of Tarbagatai is not ruled out, where in some places pairs stay in the summer almost every year. To the south it occurs on migration. Winters in the Northern Caspian region and south of Shymkent.
Biology
Rare breeding migrant bird. Inhabits flat and hilly steppe landscapes on plains and in mountains at altitudes up to 1500 m in Tarbagatai and up to 1800 m in Chilikta valley, prefers areas with a predominance of feather grass or wormwood, couch grass meadows with rare reeds on the shores of dry lakes or, very rarely, fallow lands . Appears in pairs or small flocks in late February - March in southern regions in spring, in April - early May in northern regions. At the Chokpak pass, the last migrants are observed in mid-May. It nests in separate pairs or in small groups if there are 2-3 females per male. The female arranges a nest on the ground in a very shallow hole, barely lined with dry grass. Laying of 1-3 eggs occurs in late April - May. Only the female incubates the clutch for 25-30 days, and then takes care of the offspring, which is born in May - June. At the end of July - August, young birds begin to fly and broods unite in flocks. Autumn migration begins in the second half of August and continues in September and October. Some birds linger until mid-November, and in case of favorable feeding conditions they overwinter in South Kazakhstan.

Information sources:
Information sources

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.



Bustard-beauty (Chlamydotis undulate)

Status: Endangered species (category I)
Description
A very rare, endangered species that is rapidly declining in numbers. This is a medium sized bustard. Its length is 55-65 cm, and the wingspan is 135-170 cm. They are buffy above and white below, with a black stripe on the sides of the neck. In flight, the long wings show large black-brown markings on the flight feathers. The bustard-beauty is slightly smaller and darker in color than Asian jacks. Females are much smaller and paler in color than males. Body weight is 1.15-2.4 kg in males and 1-1.7 kg in females. These are birds with strong legs, well adapted for fast, long runs.
Taxonomy. This Latin name for a long time applied to all representatives of this genus, which were considered one species. Thus, wobblers or jacks nesting in Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Russia were considered a subspecies of Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii. But since 2003, in the world ornithology, the division of Chlamydotis undulata in the broadest sense into two species has finally become firmly established: the Asian Chlamydotis macqueenii and the African Chlamydotis undulata. Since 2014, the global population of Chlamydotis undulata has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Spreading: In Kyrgyzstan, it has practically ceased to be found. It breeds in small numbers along the southern and western foothills of the Dzungarian Alatau, is rare in the northwestern Balkhash region, and is rare in the northern Aral region and northern Kyzylkum. In the central and southern Kyzylkums, the number of bustard-beauty is somewhat larger (on average 1 pair per 1000 ha, and on intensively grazing lands - 1700 ha). The number of birds encountered on road routes in these areas is half that of the previous decade.
Behavior and ecology. This species is omnivorous, feeding on seeds, insects and other small animals such as, for example, lizards. Like other bustards, this species has striking mating displays. The male raises the white feathers on his head and neck and moves his head back.
The nest is located on the ground, the female lays two to four eggs in a small hole.
The beauty bustard is very silent and almost never gives its voice.
Threats: The main threat to the beauty bustard is the hunting of it for the use of its meat for food. The main reasons for the reduction are also the intensive economic use of the lands that are the places of its nesting, as well as the increased disturbance factor. Clay and loess deserts, especially in areas of ancient deltas and foothill plains, are irrigated, plowed up and used for cotton sowing. Due to the withdrawal of land for agriculture, the intensity of pasture pressure on the remaining pastures increases. The construction of a large number of artesian wells makes it possible to make fuller use of desert pastures. There are very few places not used for grazing.
Security measures are in place. The species is listed in Appendix I to the CITES Convention. There are a number of international projects aimed at the conservation of this bird.
Recommended protection measures: In the nesting areas of the beauty bustard, it is necessary to create a network of reserves with a special land use regime. The latter should provide for the preservation of natural lands that provide nesting opportunities for birds, and prevent people from staying in sanctuaries, grazing livestock and traffic during the bustard breeding season. It seems possible to use captive breeding of bustard beauties in order to restore their livestock. Sexual maturity in this species occurs at the age of two years, and the usual clutch size is 3 - 4 eggs.

Information sources:
Information sources:



Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris)

Status: Endangered species (category I)
Number. The total number is unknown.
Description. A very rare and endangered species. Wing length 238-268 mm. Body length about 40 cm, weight - from 255 to 360 grams. Long legs and a long, sharp beak curved down; the plumage is earthy gray with dense stripes and speckles; light longitudinal stripes on the head; the coloration of males and females is the same.
Biology. Food: small animals: insects and their larvae, worms and snails, small crustaceans and mollusks on the shore. The nest is a small hole in the ground, barely lined with plant material; clutch consists of 4 olive-greenish eggs with brown spots; start laying eggs in May; one brood per year.
Habitat
The range is only approximately known. Meetings during the nesting period of pairs and flying young birds were noted until the 60-s of the XXth century (later data are not available); in the steppes of Kazakhstan from the Volga-Ural interfluve in the west to the river. Irtysh in the east, south to about 47 degrees north latitude. Indirect evidence of its decline follows from the fact that, despite the intensification of ornithological research in the places of the former residence of the species, new information about it has not been received. The migration area covers the northern coast of the Mediterranean, the Balkan Peninsula, the northern Black Sea region, the northern Caspian, Western, Central and Southern Kazakhstan.
Nesting biotope - vast swampy areas. Nests are arranged on hummocks, in relatively dry open areas. Nesting in small colonies has been noted.
Limiting factors. The main reasons causing a decrease in the number and a reduction in the range have not been clarified. It is possible that the leading ones may be: the reduction or destruction of habitats suitable for nesting as a result of intensive economic development of lands, as well as the shooting of the slender-billed curlew together with the curlew (in the natural setting, these species are difficult to distinguish) during the hunting period on the paths of migration.
Security measures. Included in Appendix II to the CITES Convention. It is necessary to organize studies to identify modern nesting sites and concentrations on migration and organize their protection. A popular field guide to hunting birds should be created with a description of similar species that are prohibited from hunting, including the slender-billed curlew.

Information source:
Information source: