The Peculiarities of Territorial Distribution and Abundance of Birds of Prey in Kharkiv Region, Ukraine

• Published in: Raptors Conservation
• Main Author: Stanislav G. Viter
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Russian
• Published: LLC Sibecocenter 2014
• Subjects: хищные птицы; пернатые хищники; Falconiformes; популяционный статус; Харьковская область; Украина; General. Including nature conservation; geographical distribution; QH1-199.5; Zoology; QL1-991; Accipiter gentilis; Haliaeetus albicilla; Northern Goshawk; White-tailed eagle
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.19074/1814-8654-2014-28-38-62; https://doaj.org/article/c3414ac4de9d47e4b9c4d360d18f3211

This study investigates the features of the spatial distribution and abundance of birds of prey in the Kharkov region, Ukraine. Investigations were carried out in 2003–2013 years. Totaly we found 1569 nest sites of Falconiformes. There are 29 species of raptors in avifauna of Kharkiv region. Nine of them are wintering species and 16 – nesting. The highest number of nest sites we found in agricultural landscapes – 677 pairs. However, population density here is low, and high number of nest sites can be explained by large extension of this type of habitat. Also significant populations of birds of prey inhabit forest-steppe areas of Central Russian Upland (East European Plain) – 468 pairs, steppe areas of Central Russian Upland – at least 279 pairs (notable that the size of steppe areas are 4 times smaller then forest-steppe areas), and gully forests on the spurs of Donets Ridge – 205 pairs (the size of this habitat in Kharkiv region is no more than 3 000 km2). The other habitats includes highlands in the forest-steppe zone covered with oak forests – 431 pairs, and floodplain forests in the valley of river Siverskyi Donets – 148 pairs (with rather small area of this habitat). These last two habitats are refuge for local populations of Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennata) and Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus) because these areas held the most stable nest sites and the highest density of these two species. The same could be said about gully forests on the spurs of Donets Ridge. The estimate number of breeding pairs of Falconiformes in gully forests is around 290 pairs. In this study, we also assessed the total number of breeding Birds of Prey in Kharkiv region. Here are our estimates: Honey Buzzard – 142–156 pairs, Black Kite (Milvus migrans) – 133–148 pairs, White-Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) – 26–28 pairs, Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus) – 174–191, Marsh Harrier (C. aeruginosus) – 344–359, Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) – 214–224, Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Ac. nisus) – 336–365, Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) ...