Present status and numbers of Curlew (Numenius arquata L.) and Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa L.) in Ukraine

• Published in: Acta Zoologica Lituanica
• Main Authors: Davydenko, Igor, Serebryakov, Valentin
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Lithuanian; English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: Curlew; Black-tailed Godwit; Distribution; Numbers; Ukraine; Numenius arquata; black-tailed godwit; Limosa limosa
• Online Access: http://lmavb.lvb.lt/LMAVB:ELABAPDB5789525&prefLang=en_US

The 2001–2002 research into the distribution and numbers of the Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit was conducted within the framework of the programme aimed at the evaluation of the status and numbers of breeding populations of OMPO-priority bird species in the Ukraine. The average breeding density of the Curlew in suitable types of habitats was 0.8 pairs /km². The total breeding population of this species in the Ukraine can be estimated at about 50–75 pairs. In the forest-steppe zone the Blacktailed Godwit breeds more often near fishponds, while in the forest zone it favours boggy meadows. The average numbers of this species for each zone are as follows: forest-steppe 2.02 pairs/km²; forest (Polissya) 3.3 pairs/km². About 4–5.5 thousand pairs of the Black-tailed Godwit breed in the territory of the Ukraine. The fluctuation in numbers of the two species recorded in different years is related to water level changes in wetlands. A small number of birds sometimes remain solitarily or in small groups to winter mainly in the region of the Azov-Black Sea seaside.