Unusual wintering of the Lesser White-fronted Goose
in Kyiv vicinities
According
to the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the
Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus) is referred to the globally threatened
species. It is included in Appendix I in the Birds Directive I, Appendix I of the
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (the Bonn Convention)
and in Appendix ²² of the Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and
natural habitats (the Bern Convention). During the recent decade of years, we are
witnessing a drastic reduction of its population. If in the middle of the 20th century
the world population of the said species of goose was estimated in a few hundred
of thousands, then currently it is only 25 to 30 thousand. Unfortunately, so far
this species has been included in the Red Book of Ukraine.
The mentioned above species of goose nestles in the Northern Eurasia from Norway
to the peninsula of Chukotka. The European and West-Siberian populations spend winter
in the area of the Black Sea and Caspian Sea (chiefly, in Azerbaijan).
The lesser white-fronted goose can be quite rarely found in Ukraine
and mainly in northern oblasts. At Polissia it was seen the last time almost 20 years
ago, on October 6 7, 1985. Μ. Golovushkin fixed three flocks of these geese in
Vyshhorod Raion, Kyiv Oblast. That is why it was rather unexpectedly to see a flock
of these birds on 9 December, 2003 in the vicinity of Kyiv, when the migration movements
of this species is, as a rule, is over. Ten geese were flying from the north-east.
Down the stream, beyond the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant they landed on a small
island near the northern cape of the Island of Velykyi. For half an hour they were
resting, drinking water, cleared their furthering. After the appearance in that area
of two White-tailed Eagles (Haliaetus albicilla), the geese took off and flew to
the south-eat. The behaviour of the geese suggested the idea that they migrate to
the place of their hibernation and stop in that place for having a rest.
In the second half of December we were surprised at the news of
shooting in that area of one goose from a small flock. Judging by the description
of the hunter, that was to be a Lesser White-fronted Goose; he paid attention to
the small size of its body and at a miniature beak.
The next time we noticed lesser white-fronted geese at the same
place on 11 January 2004, but there were only 9 of them. Most probably, the tenth
bird had already been shot. The birds regularly to stay on that area till 4-5 March,
2004 we saw them almost every day. Then the geese left the area most probably,
they flew to the places of their nestling.
There was rather interesting the behaviour of the geese while they
were feeding. Usually, when other species of geese are hibernating (Greylag Goose,
Anser anser; Bean Goose, Anser fabalis; American white-fronted geese, Anser albifrons
frontalis), they 1-2 times a day make feeding flights to agricultural areas. The
geese in question for almost two months were staying on a small area on a small
island whose area was even less than 0.1 hectare. Sometimes the geese flew up (particularly,
when white-tailed eagles approached), made in the air a cycle or two and landed on
the island (water or ice) again. We failed to notice at least once their movements
for feeding beyond the borders of the said locality. It is not clear where and what
they fed with, in particular bearing in mind that it the January and the first half
of the February were quite cold the temperature often dropped up to 10 15 degrees
below the zero Centigrade. An interesting point is that the birds managed to get
used to a continuous variation of the water level, which is accounted for by the
functioning of the hydroelectric power plant. In the operation of the turbines started
to work, which resulted in an intensive evacuation of water from the water basin
began, that is why down the stream beyond the dam a significant rise in the water
level was brought; the latter caused flooding of a large area of the geese island.
Therefore, the island was freed from the ice and snow, which enabled the birds feeding.
When the eater level dropped, the feeding area increased still more. It is strange,
but such a small area provided food for 9 geese for two months. On some days, when
the Hydroelectric Power Plant was not operated, actually the whole water area got
covered with ice, and the geese had no opportunity for feeding. However, they did
not leave the locality they were staying on the ice and waiting (often longer than
for a day and night) for the water level to rise, so as an opportunity for them to
feed to happen.
Successful hibernation of the white-fronted geese in the area of
the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant does not exclude a possibility for their coming
there the next winter too.
A. Poluda,
National Centre for Cross-Feeding of Birds, Director
© The Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Birds 2004