Western Flyway
Western Flyway>Migration stopovers>Kazakhstan,Russia, Azerbaijan
The migration route the Western Population of Siberian Cranes extends from the breeding area in Tyumen Region in a southwest direction to the northern shore of the Caspian Sea in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The most important stopover sites are at the Naurzum Nature Reserve (Kazakhstan) and the Volga River Delta (Astrakhan Nature Reserve, Russian Federation). Siberian Cranes have spent one to four weeks at these two sites in different years. Potential migration stopovers in Kazakhstan are Zharsor and Urkash Lakes, Kulykol Lake and Ural River Delta.
The migration continues south along the west side of the Caspian Sea over Dagestan (including the important stopover at the Agrakhan Federal Zakaznik in the Terek River estuary) and then on to Azerbaijan. The most significant stopover sites for Siberian Cranes in Azerbaijan include the Sharabad Cape (to the north from Baku), Shirvan Steppe National Park, and Kurinskaya Kosa in the Kyzyl-Agachsky Nature Reserve. Migration continues to the east along the south side of the Caspian Sea the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Naurzum State Nature Reserve (Kostanay Region) is only site in Northern Kazakhstan where the Siberian Crane stages for a long time during autumn migration. In the 1930s flocks of up to 80 birds were registered in the reserve and in 1970-1980s – up to 7 birds. Then birds were registered more and more seldom. In 2001 and 2002 only three birds were met. In the autumn of 2003 and 2004, Siberian Cranes have not been registered on flyway in the territory of the Kostanay Region.
In the autumn of 2003, first time for the last several years, Siberian Cranes have not been registered on flyway in the territory of the Naurzum Nature Reserve, Kostanay Region, Kazakhstan. Perhaps, that was caused by the lack of observations: the surveys of the lakes were restricted both in time and in space. Firstly, we did not have enough resources, and secondly, the number of sites suitable for cranes to stop has increased several times. During the period of lake depression in 1997-2001, cranes could be found only on some small basins where water remained. In 2002 soon after the lake reservoirs were filled again, there were only a few places suitable for Siberian Crane stops because waters stayed rather deep and shores became almost completely overgrown with reeds. By autumn 2003 the situation changed. The second half of July and August were extremely windy and dry, which is why the water level quickly dropped and vast areas of shallow water with open shores appeared.
Two big lake systems of Naurzum Nature Reserve, Aksuat and Sarymoin, have very long and indented coastlines, which substantially reduces the chances of discovering white cranes.
The questionnaire, which was carried out very widely, gave us two probable spots where Siberian Cranes were seen. Still there are some doubts as to their trustworthiness because of unusually early terms of those meetings. The first account was given by a hunting inspector of Naurzum Nature Reserve, who was supposed to have seen three Siberian Cranes at Jarkol Lake on approximately the 12-15 August 2003. Unfortunately, this account was not checked for two reasons: it did not seem trustworthy and it was given several days after the observation. Moreover, the birds were watched without any binoculars. The same inspector announced in 2001 that he had seen Siberian Cranes, but after a detailed interrogation, it turned out that he had seen great White Herons, which are also very rare in the periods of drought.
The second account was given by V.Sahno, chairman of Kamystrinsky Regional Society of Hunters. It proves the possibility that Siberian Cranes passed the territory of the region in the middle of August or in the beginning of its second half. According to his story, a hunter saw a couple of Siberian Cranes on around 18-20 August on a small open lake to the north of Kulukol Lake. At first, he took them for Great White Herons, but the birds were obviously bigger and had red bills. This point is 190-200 km to the west from Naurzum (there was a reliable report of an encounter with white cranes there in 1997). The dates of both encounters are very close and this fact adds reliability to the accounts.
It is worth mentioning, that in the past Siberian Cranes used to appear in Naurzum even at the beginning of August (Miheev, 1939), but in the last three decades all the encounters were registered at the beginning of October and rarely at the end of August, and only once, in 1984, a Siberian Crane was registered on Bolshoy Aksuat on 11 August.
Based upon these accounts, let us suppose, that, as it happened in previous years, three Siberian Cranes, one adult individual and a couple, passed the territory on their flyway. Although they came 2-2.5 weeks earlier than usual, and did not stay for long. If it actually happened this way, I might have missed them, because there were no observations carried out at the lakes at that time. Perhaps the early terms of flyway could be explained by the supposition that they did not spend the main part of the reproductive season on their usual breeding grounds, but somewhere to the south of them.
No Siberian Cranes were sighted during this spring surveys in Naurzum Nature Reserve, Kostanay Region, Kazakhstan, neither were they seen by hunters and shepherds interviewed by our team. Sightings of Siberian Cranes during spring migration, however, have been rather typically extremely rare in this area even in the past, before their number has drastically declined. This phenomena can be explained by the fact that in the spring cranes pass this region non-stop; besides, the spring impassability of roads makes it very difficult to survey this area. In the fall, however, the floods allow cranes to stop on crop fields where it is easy to spot them.
Comparing to the last spring, this year in most parts of the Kostanay Region there were practically no areas with high water. It was caused by late and slow spring; small heaps of snow sustained all over the region for an unusually long time. Night frosts and intensive snow melting in day time proceeded up to mid April and, as a result, almost all the water was absorbed by soil and froze. Even on Turgai River and its inflows the floods were minimal. Only in the northeast areas adjoining to Kurgan Region of Russia and Northern Kazakhstan, where numerous snowfalls happened this winter, the water was high and even exceeded the last year level.
During the autumn migration through Northern Kazakhstan a Siberian Crane pair and a single adult were recorded. At first the pair was met on 9 September near Kemel Lake in Naurzum Nature Reserve. Later it was observed on 15 and 24 September near Large Aksaut Lake. Kemel Lake and Large Aksaut Lake are part of the Naurzum System of Lakes, the distance between them is 12 km. On 18 September the lone Siberian Crane was sighted on Small Aksaut Lake. Presumably this bird was not from the pair noticed on the previous days. The cranes were not banded.
On 4 September 2001 three adult Siberian Cranes came to Kulagol Lake near the Naurzum Nature Reserve (Northern Kazakhstan). During the entire period of observations the cranes stayed on the eastern lakeside. Two were a pair, but they were not aggressive toward the single bird. The cranes left Kulagol Lake on 25 September. According to information received from local hunters, one Siberian Crane was recorded on 8-9 September on Batum Lake, which is far enough from Kulagol Lake. It most likely was a different bird from those observed at Kulagol Lake.
For more infromation:
Yevgeni Bragin, Naurzum State Nature Reserve
Russia Astrakhan State Nature Reserve includes Obzhorovo and Damchik sites, where Siberian Cranes used to stay in autumn migration (more often at Objorovo site). The conditions for them there are favorable enough. There are a lot of spits at the mouths of the channel and the vast areas of shallow water of sea bays. The level of disturbance is usually relatively low. Weather conditions also are satisfactory.
In 2001 three adult Siberian Cranes were recorded. In the spring of 2002 and autumn of 2002. 2003 and 2004 there were no migrating Siberian Cranes observed on the delta of the Volga River.
By German Rusanov
Astrakhan State Nature Reserve
On 31 March, two adult cranes were sighted at Obzhorovo site in the Astrakhan State Nature Reserve. This site is located in the eastern part of Volga River Delta, not far from Kazakhstan border. Birds were observed at close enough range to see that they had no bands. During the follow up check on 3 April, these Siberian Cranes stayed at the same site.
By German Rusanov, Anatoli Kashin
Astrakhan State Nature Reserve
In autumn 2003 there were no migrating Siberian Cranes observed on the delta of the Volga River in Astrakhan Nature Reserve.
The observations at the sites of the possible stopover of Siberian Crane at Objorovo site were carried out by ornithologists of the reserve (N.D. Reutzky, D.V. Bondarev), inspectors (A.A. Kashin and others) and A.I.Moldovsky. At Damchik site the observations were carried out by the author, ornithologist N.N.Gavrilov and inspectors from the Reserve. The survey of the Reserve and some other places of the Volga Delta for the sites of the possible stops of Siberian Crane, which was carried out from the air on the 6 of November 2003 by A. Sorokin and Y. Markin, did not give any new information on Siberian Crane.
In spring 2003 there were no sightings of the migrating Siberian Cranes in Astrakhan Nature Reserve. In the 3rd decade of March, when Volga tributaries became free from ice, we began our observations at Obzhorovo and Damchik sites (where Siberian Cranes had stopped during their migration in the past), but there were no Sibe sightings so far. Weather conditions this spring are favourable but water level is slightly above average.
On 29 and 30 October aerial surveys of the Volga Delta, Russia, were conducted. Reservoirs in the bottom zone of delta where we felt it likely to find cranes, but inaccessible to ground survey, were examined carefully. Although conditions for Siberian Cranes this year were favorable, they were not found. I constantly interrogated everyone likely to see cranes, especially where the birds were seen last time (Damchik area), but, unfortunately, without success.
There is no information available about Siberian Crane migration through the Astrakhan nature reserve in spring 2002. From 7 to 9 March there was a terrible fire at the Obzhorovo site (where Siberian Cranes regularly stop during migration). Probably sight of a fire frightened the Siberian Cranes away. According to information from Iran, Siberian Cranes were expected to fly near Astrakhan in the second week of March.
On 4 October 2001 three adult Siberian Cranes were recorded in the Astrakhan Biosphere Nature Reserve, Russia,on the Obzhorovo site. They probably left the territory on 9 October, because the first wave of cold weather came on the night of 9-10 October.
For more information:
German Rusanov, Anatoly Kashin, and Alexander Gorbunov
Astrakhan State Nature Reserve
The most significant stopover sites for Siberian Cranes in Azerbaijan include the Sharabad Cape (to the north from Baku), Shirvan Steppe National Park and Kurinskaya Kosa in the Kyzyl-Agachsky Nature Reserve. 28 May of 2002 three Siberian Cranes were registered in the flock of 11 Eurasian Crane on the island Kurdili (Kyzylagach State Nature Reserve). In 2003 three flying birds were recorded in Shirvan National Park.
For more information:
Elchin Sultanov, Institute of Zoology of NAS of Azerbaijan
On 12 November 2003 between 15:30 and 16:00, in Shirvan National Park, Azerbaijan, I watched three flying birds. Unfortunately, I did not see them very well. Shirvan National Park is situated 80-100 km northward of Baku, in the coastal zone of the Caspian Sea. I was visiting an exhibition at the museum located in the base of an observation tower, when some of the park employees came running in and announced that they had just seen flying flamingoes. (They were speaking Azerbaijani and Russian, so my colleague Mehty had to interpret for me).
I ran out and saw the birds flying several hundred meters away from me, so that I could see their silhouettes, but not the color. However I am a hundred percent sure, that they were not flamingoes but cranes (I participated several times in flamingo and other wading bird counts in Africa). I am also a hundred percent sure that those cranes were of the Grus genus species and not of the Anthropoides genus. As I saw only the silhouettes, I cannot tell for sure whether they were adult birds or chicks, and whether they had rings.
The birds were flying southward to Iran along the coastal line of the Caspian Sea, approximately 10 km into the mainland. The territory of the park is covered with low growth of saline semi-desert vegetation.
I discussed the event with Azerbaijani ornithologist Elchin Sultanov and suggested that the birds we had seen were Eurasian Cranes. Elchin said, though, that the local people know both flamingoes and Eurasian Cranes very well and could not mix them up. However, the Siberian Crane is completely unfamiliar to them, because the bird is very rare, so they could confuse it with a flamingo. What is more, it is very unusual for Eurasian Cranes to fly in small groups in Azerbaijan in November. Therefore I propose that they were Siberian Cranes.
For more information:
Chris Magin, Fauna & Flora International, Great Eastern House, UK
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© 2004 by SCFC