Goose survey in Kalmykia
In the period 11-22 March 2009 a survey for Red-breasted and other geese was organized in Kalmykia, Russia. The expedition found few geese due to a very late and very cold spring (sometimes -19 at night and a lot of snow), so no real and clear geese spring migration in Kalmykia this year. Below follows a summary of the Lesser White-fronted Goose observations: 17/03: Two LWFG in the flock of WFG in Rostov district, Volotchaevka village, 18/03: A) Reserve Tzernie zemli field station (46.15.927:042.51.731) Morning counting: at 06:02 five LWFG to the south. B) Kikinur bay affront of Pushetcny island (the same region) 12 LWFG in the feeding flock of 700 RBG, 800 WFG and 200 shellducks. 20/03: A) Reserve Tzernie zemli field station (300 m from the house) at 05:50 16 LWFG in the feeding flock of 3500 RBG and 300 WFG. B) Buffer zone of the reserve pasture near small freshwater reservoir in (46.16.579:042.47.887). 2) LWFG in the feeding flock of 330 RBG and 2400 WFG. 22/03: Reserve Tzernie zemli field station. Morning counting: at 05:44. 1 LWFG in the flock of 12 RBG.
0 0 2009 by Sonia Rozenfeld Institute of ecology and evolution, Russian academy of sciences.
Survey of KBAs in Iraq
BirdLife in Iraq has undertaken their fifth winter survey of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) across the country. This winter?s KBA surveys covered 65 sites, of which 12 in Kurdistan, and 53 in the middle and south of Iraq - including 14 new locations. ?This winter we observed a flock of 410 Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus and considerable numbers of Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca ? both Vulnerable - in Kurdistan?, said Korsh Ararat ? leader of Nature Iraq?s KBA surveys in northern Iraq. Read more at Uncovering Iraq's unique wildlife?
6 April 2009 by
New Action Plans for 14 threatened bird species has been published for the Caucasus eco-region
Among the species with new action plans are the Lesser White-fronted Goose and the Red-breasted Goose. The publication covers the Caucasus eco-region, which is one of the 25 most biologically diverse areas of the Earth. The region was selected by the experts of Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) as being under the threat of degradation. The northern limit of Caucasus eco-region is drawn along Kuma-Manych depression. The experts of Russian Bird Conservation Union (RBCU) have prepared the action plans for the conservation of the 14 threatened species occurring in the Russian part of Caucasian eco-region: Daghestan Republic, Stavropol Territory, Chechen Republic, Republic of Ingushetia, Republic of Northern Osetia-Alania, Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Karachaevo-Cherkessia Republic, Krasnodar Territory, Republic of Adygeya, and also in southern parts of Rostov region and Republic of Kalmykia.The Lesser White-fronted Goose Action Plan (pp.121-126) lists eight urgent measures for conservation of LWfG in the region, of which ban of spring hunting is listed first - high priority. The full reference is: Action plans for conservation of globally threatened bird species in Caucasus eco-region / Ed. by G.S. Dzhamirzoev & S.A. Bukreev. ? Moscow?Makhachkala: Russian Bird Conservation Union, Institute of Biogeography and Landscape Ecology at Daghestan State Pedagogical University, 2008. ? 208 p. Download?
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LIFEnews features 2009 - Sustainable hunting in the EU
The Birds Directive bans activities that directly threaten birds. However, it also recognises hunting as a legitimate activity. While the Directive aims to provide a comprehensive system for the management of hunting, it could not provide clear answers to all the conflicts that arose between hunters and bird protection agencies over what activities were permitted. This led the Commission to launch, in 2001, a Sustainable Hunting Initiative. See more here?
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Feasibility study of how to capture Swedish Lesser White-fronted Geese
A new report with focus on the Swedish reintroduced population of the Lesser White-fronted Goose was recently made publicly available. The report was ordered by Norrbotten Administration County and in discussions with Swedish Environmental Protection Agency it was decided that 12 issues should be investigated related to the discovery in the 1990s, that the population of Lesser White-fronted Geese held in captivity in Sweden contained DNA from Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons, probably due to previous hybridization events in captivity (Ruokonen et al. 2000). Since a moratorium of releasing geese into the wild was established in 2000, there has been strong controversy of which actions that should be taken against the Swedish free-flying flock. The report is a feasibility study of how to capture Swedish Lesser White-fronted Geese and how to proceed with DNA-analyses. The feasibility of a refinement of the population is considered and cost estimates of various actions are presented. The full reference: Ottvall, R. 2008. Feasibility study of catching and genetic screening of Swedish Lesser White-fronted Geese Anser erythropus. Department of Ecology, Lund University. 36 pp. The full report can be downloaded here?
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