10 Heinicke 2 Pp77-99:4 Number of Mute Swa#91BF78.Qxd

Status of the Bean Goose Anser fabalis wintering in central Asia

THOMAS HEINICKE

Chausseestr. 1, D-18581 Vilmnitz, Germany. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract The discovery of Bean Geese Anser fabalis around Lake Issyk-Kul in east Kyrgyzstan in the late 1990s suggested that a little-known Bean Goose population or subspecies wintered in central Asia. A review of published data on Bean Goose numbers and distribution in central Asian countries was undertaken to clarify the historic and current status of Bean Geese wintering in the region. Recent counts suggest that there is a small wintering population of 2,000–5,000 birds in central Asia, which is concentrated in a few areas in southeast Kazakhstan, east Kyrgyzstan and northwest China. Assessment of museum specimens of birds collected in central Asia, and also field observations, found that the geese were of the Taiga Bean Goose Anser f. fabalis subspecies. Bean Geese from central Asia have previously been classed as johanseni, but there was no evidence found in the present study for a johanseni subspecies. The lack of regular counts meant that population trends could not be determined with any accuracy, but the small numbers suggest that the population has declined and is now threatened. Formal recognition of the population is important for its management and conservation. Further research into the numbers and distribution of Bean Geese in central Asia is strongly recommended.

Key words: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Taiga Bean Goose, Uzbekistan.

The Bean Goose Anser fabalis breeds across International (Rose & Scott 1994, 1997) large parts of the Palaearctic tundra and taiga currently considers there to be four wintering belt, from Scandinavia in the west to the populations: the two western subspecies Chukotka Peninsula in the east. Four or five rossicus and fabalis wintering in Europe and the different subspecies are recognised: the two eastern subspecies serrirostris and smaller, thick-billed birds nest on tundra and middendorffi wintering in east Asia. The latest larger, longer-billed birds breed in taiga population estimates suggest that all Bean habitat, with an increase in the size and length Goose populations except for rossicus are in of the bill from west to east also contributing decline (Wetlands International 2006). A to their classification as different subspecies comparison of counts made of geese in east (Fox 2005; Mooij & Zöckler 1999). Wetlands Asia in 2000–2002 with those made in the

©Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Wildfowl (2009) 59: 77–99 78 Bean Geese wintering in central Asia mid 1980s further indicate that most east and Tajikistan, and also in the Xinjiang Asian goose populations decreased in province of northwest China. The only numbers during the late 20th century, regular records of Bean Geese wintering in including both of the Bean Goose subspecies the region in recent years were counts made wintering in east Asia (Syroechkovskiy at Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, in 1999–2000 2006). and 2002–2005 for the annual International A fifth subspecies of Bean Goose Waterbird Census (IWC) coordinated by breeding in the west Siberian lowlands and Wetlands International (Heinicke 2008; wintering in central Asia has been described Gilissen et al. 2002; Solokha 2006). The IWC as A. f. johanseni, intermediate between fabalis does not focus particularly on geese, so an and middendorffi (Delacour 1954; Dolgushin unknown number may have been overlooked 1960; Fox 2005), but this was not included if the birds were feeding away from the in waterbird population estimates from the monitored wetlands or if site coverage was 1990s onwards (Rose & Scott 1994, 1997). incomplete. There have been no special Following the discovery of Bean Geese surveys of geese in the region. A wintering at Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan comprehensive literature search, mostly of (42°30’N, 77°30’E) in the late 1990s regional Russian literature, therefore was (Heinicke 2008), Wetlands International undertaken to augment information on provisionally recognised a separate goose numbers and distribution in the region. wintering population in central Asia (Delany Data obtained from the literature search & Scott 2002), but no population estimates were digitised and analysed using ArcView® or trends were provided. geographic information system (GIS) This paper reviews recent published data software. For each of the records, on the numbers and distribution of Bean the location (including geographical Geese in central Asian countries, with a view coordinates), number of birds and exact to clarifying the current status of Bean dates or time periods were recorded. Geese in central Asia. The collated data are Additional unpublished recent data from compared with historical records to Kyrgyzstan and from the Chinese Anatidae determine any changes in winter distribution database (M. Barter, Wang Xin & Cao Lei, and numbers. Additionally, the taxonomic pers. comm.) were also collected and status of the geese is investigated, as the included in the GIS. All data were grouped validity of the subspecies johanseni is thought into one of three time periods: group I = > to be questionable (Burgers et al. 1991; 1995 records, group II = 1960–1995 records Mooij & Zöckler 1999; Fox 2005). and group III = < 1960 records. The year 1960 was taken as the limit for group III for Methods practical reasons; a main source of early data Records were collated of Bean Geese for Kazakhstan (Dolgushin 1960) gave reported in the central-Asian former Soviet sightings without exact dates. If precise Republics of Kazakhstan (southern part dates were available, the birds were classified only), Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan as being passage migrants (September–

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November and March–May) or winter period. All were located in a relatively small visitors (December–February). The reporting area, in the Ily River basin, southeast effort was random for each of the countries, Kazakhstan, around Lake Issyk-Kul in because Bean Geese were not considered to eastern Kyrgyzstan and near Bole in be of special interest or concern. northwest China (Fig. 1, Appendix 1). The The taxonomic position of the Bean geese were recorded at or near lakes or Goose wintering in central Asia was reservoirs, surrounded by agricultural fields investigated by comparing measurements which provided potential feeding areas. recorded for several museum specimens of Observations from late autumn and during birds from the region with those for other winter indicate that the birds remained in Bean Goose populations. Single specimens that region for at least part of the winter were found in the Museum of the Issyk-Kul season. The numbers reported suggest that zapovednik, Ananevo, in the Natural a wintering population of at least a few History Museum, Berlin, and in the Koenig thousand birds was present in 1990s and Museum, Bonn. Photographs from two early 2000s, with a maximum count of type-specimens of johanseni were obtained ~ 5,000 geese at Lake Kolzhazskoe in the from the American Museum of Natural 1990s (Erokhov 2002a, Appendix 1). A History, New York, and another record decline in the number of Bean Geese from Afghanistan was found in the online wintering at Lake Issyk-Kul, the only catalogue of the same museum. consistently monitored site, from 587 Additionally, ring recoveries of Bean individuals in January 1998 to 48 birds in Geese from central Asia and neighbouring mid-winter 2005 (Heinicke 2008), may be areas were collected and analysed. The only indicative of a decline of the wintering available data were recoveries of birds population. originally ringed in the Netherlands. From Although Gavrilov (2000) states that the 1957–1987, > 13,000 Bean Geese wintering Bean Goose occurs only as a migrant in the Netherlands were ringed and most species in Kazakhstan, recent data show that were identified to subspecies level (4,623 the birds do winter in the southeast part of fabalis and 7,056 rossicus) (B. Ebbinge, in litt.). the country (Belyalov & Kovshar 2002). In contrast, there were no recoveries of Dolgushin (1960) reported regular wintering birds ringed in Russia or the former USSR of Bean Geese in south Kazakhstan in the from central Asia (K. Litvin/Bird Ringing first half of the 20th century, but these areas Centre Moscow, pers. comm.). seem to be completely deserted in the 2000s. Bean Geese were not recorded in Results Uzbekistan during the winter counts made in 2003–2006 (Lanovenko 2008). The only Observations and published records of recent observation is from October 2006, Bean Geese in central Asia when a Bean Goose flock was reported Only eight records of Bean Geese reported migrating at Ayakagitma Lake near Buchara in central Asia were found for the post-1995 (Lanovenko 2008). The current status for

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Figure 1. Geographical location of Bean Goose records in central Asia from 1995 onwards. Numbers are for the sites listed in Appendix 1.

Uzbekistan is unknown, but the Bean mentions wintering of johanseni Bean Geese Goose is now most likely only an irregular in Qinghai province (Zheng Guangmei visitor to the country. 2005) and the northern part of the Red The species is considered to be an Basin, Sichuan province (Lu Tai-Chun occasional visitor to Turkmenistan, with no 1979). The extent to which these areas are recent observations (E. Rustamov, pers. still used by wintering Bean Geese is not comm.). There were also no recent records known. found for Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran. Bean Geese were recorded at > 20 The current status of Bean Geese different locations in central Asia between wintering in Xinjiang province, China, is 1960–1995 (Fig. 2, Appendix 2). The data unclear. The occurrence of larger flocks indicate a wider range of staging and during spring and autumn migration in east wintering sites in central Asia during that Kyrgyzstan and the disappearance of Bean period (Fig. 2). This includes wintering areas Geese from southeast Kazakhstan when the in the Amudarya lowlands (southeast lakes and reservoirs freeze (Erokhov 2002a) Turkmenistan, southern Uzbekistan and suggest final wintering places somewhere in southern Tajikistan; site numbers 13, 16, 18, northwest China. The Chinese literature 20 and 21 in Fig. 2), in the Syrdarya lowlands

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Figure 2. Geographical location of Bean Goose records in central Asia from 1960–1995 inclusive. Numbers are for the sites listed in Appendix 2. Black shading = Bean Goose wintering area reported in Fauna Sinica (Lu Tai-Chun 1979).

(southern Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and The situation for the geese in northern Tajikistan; site numbers 4, 10–12, Uzbekistan from 1960–1995 is described in 14–15 and 19 in Fig. 2), in the Lake Balchash greater detail by Kashkarov (1987), who region (site 3 in Fig. 2) and in the Ily River described a substantial decline in numbers floodplain (southeast Kazakhstan; site during the 1970s, with only very small numbers 2, 5–7 and 9 in Fig. 2). The few numbers thereafter. He attributed this data from Xinjiang province, China, indicate decline to changes in agriculture and land wintering places (site numbers 22 and 23) in use in Uzbekistan, which are thought to the transition zone between the southern have made the country less suitable for slopes of the Tianshan, the eastern slopes of migrating and wintering Bean Geese. the Kunlun Mountains and the Tarim Basin, Most records were from the period including the Takla Makan Desert. Another before 1960, with many observations made wintering area (site number 24) seems to be before 1920 (Appendix 3). Migrating and situated within the range of the Dzhungar wintering Bean Geese were reported from a Gate (the border area between China and number of sites across central Asia (Fig. 3) Kazakhstan), east and southeast of Lake Reports from the Lake Aral region (site Alakol. numbers 23 and 34 in Fig. 3) and also from

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Figure 3. Geographical location of Bean Goose records in central Asia prior to 1960. Numbers are for the sites listed in Appendix 3. the Seistan region (site numbers 37 and 38 in a rare winter visitor in the Zagros region and Fig. 3) are only for the period before 1960, Khuzestan. but apart from these records the distribution The early references provide little is similar to that recorded for 1960–1995 information on the numbers of Bean (Figs. 2, 3), albeit that there were no data Geese in central Asia historically, but the available from northwest China. The old number and distribution of the pre-1960 records of Bean Geese in the Seistan region records suggest that the species was once (nowadays southwest Afghanistan and east a regular migrant and winter visitor, Iran) suggest that the extensive wetlands especially in south Kazakhstan and (Lake Puzak, Daryachen-ye-Sistan, Lake Uzbekistan. Although only two records Zereh depression) and the floodplain of the (numbers 1 and 21 in Appendix 3) Helmand River may once have been part of mentioned thousands of birds, the general the winter range. This view is supported by lack of exact numbers in most historic descriptions of Sarudny (1911), who ornithological records across Europe and reported the Bean Goose as a common Asia means that thousands or even tens of winter visitor in the south Caspian lowlands, thousands of geese may once have used the Seistan and the Parapamis region and as the whole region.

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Ring recoveries of Bean Geese in present and digital photographs were taken central Asia to reinforce identification. All birds were considered in the field to be of the Taiga There have been very few ring recoveries of Bean Goose subspecies. Typical features Bean Geese from central Asia; none for were long necks, long and slender bills, and birds marked in Russia (K. Litvin, pers. an elongated shape to the head and bill. comm.), but six birds with Dutch metal Many birds showed more orange than black rings were found shot in central Asia (B. colouration on the bill, with bill colour being Ebbinge, pers. comm., Table 1). All of these at least two-thirds orange for ~ 20% (n = birds were ringed whilst wintering in the 48) of the birds. In the field, all birds Netherlands and were identified as Taiga appeared to have the same structural Bean Geese Anser fabalis fabalis. Four of the features as the Taiga Bean Geese of fabalis six birds were recovered 2–3 years after subspecies, which winter in Europe. ringing, one adult female (goose 8026598) In addition to the field identification, changed winter quarters in the first winter three different specimens from Kyrgyzstan after ringing and one bird (goose 8502769) were examined in the hand and several body was recovered 13 years later (Table 1). and bill measurements were taken. All birds A further 176 Dutch-ringed Taiga Bean had a roundish nail and 25–27 teeth in the Geese have been reported from other parts upper mandible, which are distinctive of Asia, ranging from the west Siberian features of the Taiga-group subspecies lowlands eastwards to the Krasnoyarsk (Alpheraky 1905). A comparison of (River Yenisey), Novosibirsk and Tomsk measurements taken of Taiga Bean Geese regions (B. Ebbinge, pers. comm.). Most from the middendorffi subspecies (samples birds were shot during spring and autumn from Mongolia and Japan) and the fabalis migration, but 33 birds were reported subspecies (samples from Germany and between June–August. The two easternmost Poland) found that all of the specimens records were from the Sayan Mountains from Kyrgyzstan fitted into the range of near Krasnaya Zvezda (Krasnoyarsk Kray; measures recorded for fabalis, most 52°06’N 92°36’E) and near Turan (Tuva obviously for culmen length (Table 2). Republic, 52°06’N, 93°54’E), to the east Inspection of photographs of two of the central Asian area covered in this johanseni type specimens from the American paper. Both birds were reported shot in Museum of Natural History in New York mid–late September, one the following (adult male AMNH 730751 and adult female winter, the other in the second winter after AMHH 730752, both collected in 1905 in ringing. the Tsinling Mountains, Shaanxi province, China) found that the birds had longish, Taxonomy slender bills with a roundish nail and with up The birds seen wintering in Kyrgyzstan to 50% orange colour on the bill. The during the IWCs in 1998–2005 were original description (Delacour 1951) and the observed carefully to identify the subspecies only drawing of johanseni (Delacour 1954)

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Table 1. Ring recoveries for Bean Geese Anser fabalis ringed in the Netherlands and reported shot in central Asia (B. Ebbinge, pers. comm.).

Ring Ringing Age/sex Recovery Recovery site Record number date on ringing date no. in Appendix 2

308036 22.01.1960 Juvenile male 22.11.1964 Tashkent (UZ) 12 8026598 19.01.1971 Adult female 28.12.1971 South of Lake Aidarkul, 14 west of Uzynkuduk (UZ) 8026480 13.01.1971 Adult male 16.11.1973 South of Shak, mouth of 18 River Kifirnigan (TD) 8502769 11.01.1968 Adult female 15.05.1981 North of Michailovka, near 1 Dzhambul (KZ) 8034629 19.12.1983 Adult male 15.09.1985 North shore of Lake 3 Balkhash, near Balkhash (KZ) 8035168 15.01.1985 Adult female 28.11.1986 River Kashkadarya near 16 Karshi (UZ)

reported slightly larger measurements than Geese from Kyrgyzstan as middendorffi, this recorded for fabalis and specified a black bill opinion was corrected by Alpheraky (1905), with a narrow orange band near the tip of who reviewed the taxonomic status of the the bill. On comparing the photographs Kyrgyzstan Bean Geese. He re-examined with the drawing, the latter appears to be the specimen from the Severtzov collection, incorrect for johanseni. Interestingly, the and corrected these as being fabalis form and colouration of the bills for the (“Yellow-billed Bean Goose”, a synonym of two specimens of the type series fit well ssp. fabalis). The most recent systematic list with fabalis subspecies from European of birds in Kyrgyzstan (Shukurov 1991) wintering grounds (e.g. Burgers et al. mentions the Bean Goose as being fabalis. 1991). Measurements of the wing, tarsus Historic records of Bean Geese in west and bill are also within the fabalis range Turkestan and Seistan, described them as (Table 2). Melanonyx arvensis, which is also a synonym Literature data also indicate an of A. f. fabalis (Sarudny 1911; Zarudny 1910, occurrence of fabalis in central Asia. 1916; Zarudny & Bilkevitch 1918; Although Severtzov (1873b) described Bean Steinbacher 1926).

©Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Wildfowl (2009) 59: 77–99 Bean Geese wintering in central Asia 85 = b (1983) et al. 5374) subspecies. The recorded nail was subspecies. fabalis of lower and mandible (mm) = wing length not taken because birds in moult; = wing length not taken a middendorffi , johanseni = all recorded in Germany Poland. and west d values) are given in parentheses. in parentheses. are given values) (9) (9) (9) (9) (9) (9) n 90–101 81–91 75.2–89.1 69.3–75.8 9.3–12.3 8.0–10.0 comm.) M. Gilbert (pers. = sex not determined; c (1)(1)(1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) Museum (ZMB 35.665) (1) specimen museum (1) Museum, Bonn (ZFMK 431456455 85 83 73 60.8 55.8 60.7 9.4 Berlin Issyk-Kul/KS, 8.3 zapovednik, Issyk-Kul 8.4 Koenig Sonkul/KS, (31)(12) (31) (12) (31) (12) (31) (12) 440–530 75–115 70.3–91.0 8.3–12.6 Kurechi 430–487 67–87 56.1–69.3 7.0–9.4 (unpubl. data) Heinicke T. (7) (10) (1) (7) (10) (1) (10) ♂♀♂♀♂ ♀♂♀ (16) (12) (16) (12) (16) (12) (16) (12) 454–487 425–458 82 63–72 61–70 8 7–10 Delacour (1951) 415–509 425–485 70–84 64–88 54.2–74.9 57.2–64.0 7.1–9.5 6.6–9.0 (unpubl. data) Heinicke T. d c, d a, b c . Comparison of for the measurements for adult Bean Geese, Anser f. middendorfi Anser f. middendorfi Anser f. fabalis Anser f. fabalis Anser f. fabalis Table 2 Table Species (mm) Wing Anser f. johanseni (mm) Tarsus Culmen (mm) depth Visible Source Anser f. fabalis geese caught in central Mongolia; Anser f. fabalis as being round in each case. Sample sizes ( case. as being round in each

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Discussion T. Heinicke unpubl. data), more attention should be paid to the protection of fabalis Recent status of Bean Geese wintering Bean Geese at a global scale. Further in central Asia research on the Bean Geese in central Recent observations from Lake Issyk-Kul in Asia would provide better information on Kyrgyzstan, southeast Kazakhstan and its distribution, population trends and northwest China show that the Bean Goose ecological requirements, including whether still migrates and winters regularly in central fabalis winters in central and eastern China. Asia. The few larger flocks indicate a relatively small population which, Taxonomic status of Bean Geese tentatively, can be estimated at 2,000–5,000 wintering in central Asia birds. Due to the fragmented nature of the The field observations of Bean Geese information and the lack of coordinated wintering at Lake Issyk-Kul and counts, it was not possible to give any recent investigation of three specimens from trends in numbers. Nevertheless it seems Kyrgyzstan suggested that these birds likely that this small winter population has belong to the fabalis subspecies. This view declined and is now threatened. Hunting was supported by recoveries of Dutch- and changes in agriculture and land use ringed Taiga Bean Geese A. f. fabalis which (notably desertification, large-scale cotton were reported shot in central Asia. farming and abandonment of agricultural Delacour’s (1951) suggestion that birds fields) are probably the most important in Turkestan were a separate johanseni threats. A lack of recent data from the subspecies was not supported in the present former western part of its central Asian study, with further investigation of winter range suggests that the Bean Goose photographs from type specimens and a may have disappeared as a regular winter comparison of body size measurements visitor from these areas. with those of known fabalis individuals also Recognition of the Taiga Bean Geese suggesting that the johanseni classification wintering in central Asia as a separate was not valid. This supports the views of population is important for its future Burgers et al. (1991), Mooij & Zöckler (1999) management and conservation. This has and Fox (2005), who also questioned the been taken forward by Wetlands existence of johanseni. A genetics study of International, who put the central Asian the Bean Goose complex (Rukonen et al. population at 5,000 birds in its most recent 2008) found no indication of a separate waterbird population estimates (Wetlands johanseni subspecies. It therefore seems likely International 2006). Since the winter that birds in Xinjiang province are also of population of Taiga Bean Geese in Europe the fabalis subspecies, but the taxonomic (Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Poland and status of birds in central China still needs Great Britain) is also relatively small and confirmation. decreasing (< 70,000 individuals in winter The presence of the Tundra Bean 2008/09; Wetlands International 2006 and Goose (rossicus and serrirostris subspecies)

©Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Wildfowl (2009) 59: 77–99 Bean Geese wintering in central Asia 87 or Middendorff ’s Bean Goose (Anser Yenisey River. Also, a specimen shot in May middendorffi) in central Asia was not verified 2002 north of Tomsk was a typical fabalis in this study, but it is possible that they do (K. Litvin, pers. comm.). These records all occur. There have been several reports of suggest that Taiga Bean Geese from the Middendorff ’s Bean Geese wintering in eastern part of their breeding range migrate central Asia (Dolgushin 1960; Gavrilov south along the rivers Ob and Yenisey to 1999; Shnitnikov 1949; Salikhbaev & winter in central Asia (Fig. 4). According to Bogdanov 1961), but these are likely to be Dolgushin (1960), the geese may also follow misidentified Taiga Bean Geese A. f. fabalis. the River Irtysh basin, as they were reported At least one of the observations mentioned as regular migrants near Pavlodar, common by Shnitnikov (1949) (number 5 in near Semipalatinsk and very common at Appendix 3) is a clear misidentification, as Lake Zaysan. The Lake Zaysan depression an orange bill is not a middendorffi trait. The seems to be an important autumn staging occurrence of dark-billed fabalis individuals area, from where the birds fly either to and occasional large fabalis males are the southeast Kazakhstan and east Kyrgyzstan most likely reasons for misidentifying or directly to northwest China. subspecies. A definite record of middendorffi The western part of the former (for instance a museum specimen and/or wintering range in central Asia may have photographs) has not yet been obtained been reached by another more westerly from central Asia. migratory route, passing the Kustanai district of northwest Kazakhstan and the Origin and possible migration routes Turgai depression to staging areas around of Bean Geese wintering in central Lake Aral, then following the Amudarya and Asia Syrdarya River basins to the wintering sites. The Taiga Bean Goose breeding range in the Passage migrants have been reported in the West Siberian lowlands is not known in Lake Aral region and the middle reaches of detail, but it stretches from the Ural Syr-Darya historically (Zarudny 1910, 1916). Mountains eastwards to the Yenisey River. By the early 2000s, the Bean Goose was Its southern limit is thought to be close to an extremely rare passage migrants in 60° latitude (Stepanyan 2003). Alpheraky northwest and central Kazakhstan (Heinicke (1905) mentioned that fabalis from the 2008; Markkola et al. 1997; Tolvanen et al. Taimyr Peninsula migrated through the 1999, 2000; Tolvanen & Pynnönen 1997), Tomsk region and west Tian-Shan to winter suggesting that the geese have now almost in Russian Turkestan. He also examined disappeared from former wintering areas in several specimens from Tomsk (collected in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and May 1902 by Prof. Kashchenko) as ‘Yellow- south Kazakhstan. billed Bean Geese’ (synonym of sp. fabalis). Historic records suggest that a third These findings are supported by recoveries more easterly migration route may have of Dutch ringed Taiga Bean Geese near existed in the past. Two ring recoveries of Omsk, Tomsk, Novosibirsk and along the Taiga Bean Geese from the Sayan

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Figure 4. Overview of possible migration routes between the breeding and wintering areas for Taiga Bean Geese wintering in Asia. Dotted black = breeding area in West Siberia; hatched black = wintering areas, after Fauna Sinica. 1 = ring recoveries in Sayan Mountains; 2 = specimen from Irkutsk; 3 = johanseni-type specimen; 4 = specimen from Tsingtau; 5 = records in Iran (Sarudny 1911); 6 = ring recoveries near Omsk, Tomsk and Novosibirsk. Records in Mongolia from Kozlova (1930).

Mountains (in September 1968 and 1972) during spring and autumn migration and an old fabalis specimen from Irkutsk (Kozlova 1930) suggest that these birds may (collected < 1930, Natural History Museum have crossed Mongolia to wintering areas in Berlin, ZMB 33.629) indicate that at least a central and eastern China. Johanseni small number of birds followed the upper specimens collected in 1905 at the Tai-pai- Yenisey River to staging areas in Tuva Shan and Tsinling Mountains (Shaanxi region, or flew along the northern slopes of province, 33°57’N, 107°45’E) provide the Sayan Mountains to staging areas near tentative evidence for a historical wintering Lake Baikal, although it is not known area in China beyond Xinjiang province. whether this was an established route. Another fabalis specimen was collected Observations of Taiga Bean Geese A. f. around 1900 at Tsingtau (now Qingdao, fabalis in northern and central Mongolia 36°04’N, 120°18’E) in east China (Natural

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History Museum Berlin: ZMB B.163c; T. central Europe to western Europe in a Heinicke unpubl. data). similar way (Mooij et al. 1999; van den Bergh 1999). Changes in winter distribution and numbers Acknowledgements Historical data suggests that the Taiga Bean I am most grateful to Bart Ebbinge for checking Goose A. f. fabalis once commonly occurred and providing data of Dutch-ringed Bean Geese across central Asia in winter. According to recovered in Asia, and to Mark Barter, Cao Lei Sarudny (1911), it even wintered in Persia and Wang Xin for providing data from the Chinese Anatidae database. Wang Xin also (now Iran). Although little information helped in translating the Bean Goose account in was available for China, there was some Fauna Sinica. Simon Delany, Martin Gilbert, indication that its pre-1960 wintering area Konstantin Litvin, Eldar Rustamov and Sasha not only reached northwest China but Yakovlev kindly provided additional information. extended to sites in central and eastern Paul Sweet from the American Museum of National History, New York, provided invaluable China. Winter distribution has since assistance with photographs and measurements contracted, particularly in the second half of of the johanseni-type specimen. Many thanks also the 20th century, with western and probably to Adriaan de Jong, Eileen Rees and two also eastern parts of the birds’ earlier range anonymous referees for improving the almost abandoned by the early 2000s. The manuscript. small winter population of a few thousand birds may be a remnant of a formerly much References bigger population. Although exact numbers Abdusalyamov, I.A. 1971. Fauna Tadzhikskoy SSR, are very scarce in the historic records, the Tom XIX, chast 1: Ptitzy. Donish, Dushanbe, Tajikistan. [In Russian.] range contraction seems likely to be connected with a decline in numbers. Akhmedov, M.M. 1950. Raspredelenie Recoveries of Taiga Bean Geese ringed okhotnichikh promyslovykh ptitz Zerafshanskoy dliny po vremenam goda s in the Netherlands and shot in central Asia nekotorymi bio-ekologicheskimi dannymi. show that there is some but probably limited Trudy Samarkand. Ped. Inst., t.7: 84–87. [In exchange between the populations wintering Russian.] in Europe and in central Asia. Nevertheless, Alpheraky, S. 1905. The Geese of Europe and Asia. a major shift in wintering areas from central Rowland Ward, Ltd., London, UK. Asia to western Europe during the last Belyalov, O.V. & Kovshar, V.A. 2002. 30–40 years may have occurred for birds Kazakhstanckiy ornitologicheskiy byulleten 2002. breeding in western Siberia, which could at Tethys, Almaty, Kazakhstan. [In Russian.] least partly explain the low numbers and Bogdanov, A.N. 1956. Ptitzy basseyna reki reduced distribution for birds wintering in Zerafshan. Trudy inst. Zool. i Parasitol. AN central Asia. The Greater White-fronted USSR, t.5: 107–163. [In Russian.] Goose Anser albifrons and the Western Burgers, J., Smit, J.J. & van der Voet, H. 1991. Tundra Bean Goose A. f. rossicus are thought Origins and systematics of two types of the to have shifted wintering grounds from Bean Goose Anser fabalis (Latham, 1787)

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wintering in the Netherlands. Ardea 79: situation in other Central Asian countries. 307–315. Casarca 11: 53–75. Delacour, J. 1951. Taxonomic notes on the Bean Kashkarov, D.Yu. 1987. Order Anseriformes. In Geese, Anser fabalis Lath. Ardea 39: 135–142. Ptitzy Uzbekistana, Tom. 1 [Birds of Uzbekistan, Vol. 1], pp. 57–123. FAN, Delacour, J. 1954. The Waterfowl of the World, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Volume 1. Country Life, London, UK. Kashkarov, D.Yu. 2007. Bean Goose (Anser Delany, S. & Scott, D.A. 2002. Waterbird fabalis). In A.K. Rustamov & A.F. Kovshar Population Estimates – Third Edition. Wetlands (eds.), The Birds of Middle Asia, Volume 1. International Global Series No. 12. Wetlands Almaty, Kazakhstan. International, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Kozlova, E.V. 1930. Ptitzy yugo-zapadnogo Dolgushin, I.A. 1960. Ptitzy Kazakhstana, Tom I. Zabaykalya, severnoy Mongolii i zentralnoy Gobi. AN Kaz SSR, Alma-Ata [now Almaty], AN SSSR, Leningrad, Russia. Kazakhstan. [In Russian.] Kurechi, M., Yokota, Y. & Otsu, M. 1983. Notes Erokhov, S.N. 2002a. Massovaya zimovka on the Field Identification of Anser fabalis gumennika v Almatinskoy oblasti. serrirostris and A. f. middendorfi. Tori 32: Kazakhstanckiy ornitologicheskiy byulleten 2002: 95–108. 95. Lanovenko, Ye. 2008. Current status of wintering Erokhov, S.N. 2002b. Nablyudeniya gumennika na geese in Uzbekistan (central Asia). Vogelwelt vodoeme-nakopitele Sorbulak (Almatinskaya 129: 215–217. oblast) vesnoy 1985. Kazakhstanckiy ornitologicheskiy byulleten 2002: 94–95. Lu Tai-Chun 1979. Anser fabalis (Latham). In Fauna Sinica. Aves, Vol. 2: Anseriformes, pp. Fox, T. 2005. Bean Goose Anser fabalis. In J. Kear 30–34. Science press, Academia Sinica, (ed.), Birds Families of the World: Ducks, Geese Peking, China. and Swans, pp. 266–270. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Markkola, J., Pynnönen, P., Tolvanen, P., Veersula, A. & Yerohov, S. 1997. The second Gavrilov, E.I. 1999. Fauna i rasprostranenie ptitz International Lesser White-fronted Goose Kazakhstana. Almaty, Kazakhstan. [In Anser erythropus expedition in NW Russian.] Kazakhstan in May 1997. In P. Tolvanen, K. Ruokolainen, J. Markkola & R. Karvonen Gavrilov, E.I. 2000. Guide to the birds of the (eds.), Finnish Lesser White-fronted Goose Kazakhstan Republic (names, distribution, conservation project. Annual report 1997, pp. abundance). Almaty, Kazakhstan. 21–22. WWF Finland Report No. 9. WWF Gilissen, N., Haanstra, L., Delany, S., Boere, G. Finland, Helsinki, Finland. & Hagemeijer, W. 2002. Numbers and Menzbir, M.A. 1914. Zoologicheskiy uchastki distribution of wintering waterbirds in the Turkestanskogo kraya i veroyatne proiskhoshdenie Western Palearctic and Southwest Asia in fauny poslednego. Moscow, Russia. [In Russian.] 1991, 1998 and 1999. Results from the International Waterbird Census. Wetlands Mooij, J. & Zöckler, C. 1999. Reflections on the International Global Series No. 11. Wetlands systematics, distribution and status of Anser International, Wageningen, The Netherlands. fabalis (Latham, 1787). Casarca 5: 103–120. Heinicke, T. 2008. Wintering Bean Geese in Mooij, J.H., Faragó, S. & Kirby, J.S. (1999). White- Kyrgyzstan, with annotations on the fronted Goose Anser albifrons albifrons. In J.

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Madsen, G. Cracknell & A.D. Fox (eds.), Severtzov, N.A. 1873b. Vertikalnoe I gorizontalnoe Goose populations of the Western Palearctic. A rasprostranenie turkestanskikh shivotnykh. Isv. review of status and distribution, pp. 94–128. Ob-va lyubit. Estestv.,Aantr. i Etnogr. [Notes Wetlands International Publ. No. 48. of the Association of Friends for Nature, Wetlands International, Wageningen, The Anthropology and Ethnography], Vol. Netherlands. National Environmental VIII(2). [In Russian.] Research Institute, Rönde, Denmark. Shestoperov, E.L. 1929. Materialy dlya Paludan, K. 1959. On the Birds of Afghanistan. ornitologicheskoy fauny Iliyskogo kraya. Zoologisk Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark. Bull. MOIP, Otd. Biol., t.38: 154–204. [In Russian.] Pleske, T. 1888. Revision der turkestanischen Ornis nach Sammlungen des verstorbenen Shnitnikov, V.N. 1949. Ptitzy Semirechya. AN SSSR, Konservators V. Russow. Mem. Academy Moscow and Leningrad, [In Russian.] Sciences, St.-Petersburg, Ser. 7. t-36: 58. Shukurov, Ye.D. 1991. Systematic list of the birds Robson, G. 2007. From the field. Birding Asia 7: of Kyrgyzstan. In Fauna and ecology of 92–96. terrestrial vertebrates of Kyrgyzstan, pp. 3–22. Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. [In Russian.] Rose, P.M. & Scott, D.A. 1994. Waterfowl Population Estimates. IWRB Publ. No. 29, Solokha, A. 2006. Results from the International International Waterfowl & Wetlands Waterbird Census in Central Asia and the Research Bureau, Slimbridge, UK. Caucasus 2003–2005. Wetlands International, Moscow, Russia. Rose, P.M. & Scott, D.A. 1997. Waterfowl Population Estimates – Second edition. Wetlands Steinbacher, F. 1926. N.A. Sarudny und seine International Publ. No. 44. Wageningen, The letzten Arbeiten. Journal für Ornithologie 74: Netherlands. 490–496.

Rukonen, M., Litvin, K. & Aarvak, T. 2008. Stepanyan, L.S. 2003. Konspekt ornitologicheskoy Taxonomy of the bean goose – pink-footed fauny Rossii I sopredelnykh territoriy (v granitzakh goose. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 48: SSSR kak istoricheskoy oblasti). Akademkniga, 554–562. Moscow, Russia. [In Russian.]

Salikhbaev, Kh. S. & Bogdanov, A.N. 1961. Fauna Syroechkovskiy, Jr., E.E. 2006. Long-term Uzbekskoy SSR, Tom II: Ptitzy, chast 3. AN declines in Arctic goose populations in Uzbek. SSR, Tashkent, Uzbekestan. [In eastern Asia. In G.C. Boere, C.A. Galbraith & Russian.] D.A. Stroud (eds.), Waterbirds around the world, Sarudny, N.A. 1911. Verzeichnis der Vögel pp. 649–662. The Stationery Office, Persiens. Journal für Ornithologie 59: 185–241. Edinburgh, UK. Seleznev, V.F. & Bidos, V.S. 1984. Zimovki Tolvanen, P. & Pynnönen, P. 1997. Monitoring bodoplavayushchykh ptitz v Yugo-Zapadnom I the autumn staging of Lesser White-fronted Severnom Tadchikistane. Prirodnye resursy I Geese Anser erythropus and other geese in NW zapoden. Fond Tadshikistana, Dushanbe, pp. Kazakhstan in October 1996. In P. Tolvanen, 144–156. [In Russian.] K. Ruokolainen, J. Markkola & R. Karvonen (eds.), Finnish Lesser White-fronted Goose Severtzov, N.A. 1873a. A trip to the Turkestan conservation project: annual report 1997, pp. Region and survey of the Tien Shan Mountain 19–20. WWF Finland Report No. 9. WWF Country. St. Petersburg, Russia. [In Russian.] Finland, Helsinki, Finland.

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Tolvanen, P., Litvin, K.E. & Lampila, P. 1999. Wetlands International 2006. Waterbird Population Monitoring the autumn staging of Lesser Estimates – Fourth Edition. Wetlands White-fronted Geese in north-western International, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Kazakhstan, October 1998. In P. Tolvanen, Yanushevitch, A.I., Tyurin, P.S., Yakovleva, I.D., I.J.Øien & K. Ruokolainen (eds.), Kydyraliev, A. & Semenova, N.I. 1959. Ptitzy Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose Kirgizii, Tom 1. Izvestiya Akademii Nauk conservation project: annual report 1998, pp. Kirgizskoj, Frunze, Kyrgystan. [In Russian.] 42–46. WWF Finland Report No. 10 and Zarudny, N.A. 1910. Zametki po ornitologii Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF Turkestana. Ornitol. Vestnik: 99–117, 171– Rapportserie Report No. 1–1999. WWF 178. [In Russian.] Finland, Helsinki, Finland. Zarudny, N.A. 1916. Ptitzy Aralskogo Morya. Tolvanen, P., Eskelin, T., Aarvak, T., Eichhorn, Izvestiya Turkmenskogo Otd. RGO, G., Øien, I.J. & Gurtovaya, E. 2000. t12(1):1–229. [In Russian.] Monitoring the autumn staging of Lesser Zarudny, N.A. & Bilkevitch, S.I. 1918. Spisok White-fronted Geese in Kazakhstan, ptitz Zakaspiyskoy oblasti i raspredelenie ikh October 1999. In P. Tolvanen, I.J. Øien & K. po zoologicheskim uchastkam emoy strany. Ruokolainen (eds.), Fennoscandian Lesser White- Izvestiya Zakaspiiskovo Muzeya [Proc. of fronted Goose conservation project: annual report Transcaspian Museum], kn. 1: 1–48. [In 1999, pp. 43–50. WWF Finland Report 12 Russian.] and Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF Zheng Guangmei 2005. A checklist on the Rapportserie Report no.1–2000. WWF Classification and Distribution of the Birds of Finland, Helsinki, Finland. China. Science Press, Chinese Academy of Van den Bergh, L. 1999. Tundra Bean Goose Sciences, Shanghai, China. www.sciencep. Anser fabalis rossicus. In J. Madsen, G. com. [In Chinese with English summary.] Cracknell & A.D. Fox (eds.), Goose populations Zinchenko, E.I., Chernogaev, E.A. & Kashkarov, of the Western Palearctic. A review of status and D.Yu. 1984. Aviauchet zimuyushchykh distribution, pp. 38–66. Wetlands International bodoplavayushchykh I okolovodnykh ptitz Publ. No. 48. Wetlands International, na vodoemakh Chardshoyskoy oblasti. In Wageningen, The Netherlands and National Primenenie aviatzii dlya okhrany i ispolzovaniya Environmental Research Institute, Rönde, shivotnogo mira, pp. 41–43. Moscow, Russia. Denmark. [In Russian.]

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Appendix 1. Records of Bean Geese reported in central Asia from 1995 onwards. KZ = Kazakhstan, KS = Kyrgyzstan, CN = China.

Record Country Date No. of Location Comments Source No. birds recorded

1 KZ Mid 5 Turgen River valley, near On fields Belyalov & December Kayrat Kovshar (2002) 1998 (43°32’N, 77°36’E) 2 KZ Late Some Kapchagay Reservoir Roosting on the Belyalov & December 100s (43°52’N, 78°15’E) River Ili delta Kovshar (2002) 2002 3 KZ 1990s 1,000– Lake Kolzhazskoe, River Ili Feeding on surrounding Erokhov (2002a) 5,000 valley, near Chinese border maize stubble fields. (43°55’N, 80°02’E) When the lake froze in mid December the geese left this area 4 KS January 3 Lake Issyk-Kul On south shore of the van der Veen 1997 (42°09’N, 77°25’E) lake (unpubl. data) 5 KS March 5 Ananevo/Issyk-Kul district One bird collected; S. Sagymbaev 1998 (42°43’N, 77°42’E) specimen now in the (pers. comm.) Issyk-Kul zapovednik museum, Ananevo 6 KS Early 48–587 Lake Issyk-Kul Counted for the Heinicke (2008) to mid (42°25’N, 77°09’E) International Waterbird February Census (IWC). Geese 1998–2005 mainly feeding in fields on cereal stubbles 7 KS Spring and Several Tyup saliv, eastern part In mixed flocks of up A. Yakovlev autumn 1,000s of Lake Issyk-Kul to 12,500 birds with (pers. comm.) 2005/2006 (42°44’N, 78°12’E) Greylag Geese Anser anser 8 CN 31 October 2,300 Bole Reservoir/ Zhongguo Seen by a “Sunbird Robson (2007) 2005 (44°52’N, 82°48’E) Tour” expedition

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Appendix 2. Records of Bean Geese reported in central Asia, 1960–1995. KZ = Kazakhstan, UZ = Uzbekistan, TD = Tajikistan, TM = Turkmenistan, CN = China.

Record Country Date No. of Location Comments Source No. birds recorded

1 KZ 15 May 1 Michailovka, near Shot, Dutch metal ring B. Ebbinge 1981 Dzhambul NLA 8502769 (in litt.) (43°04’N, 71°31’E) 2 KZ 3–12 7 Sorbulak Reservoir Sometimes small flocks Erokhov March (43°40’N, 76°34’E) together with Anser (2002b) 1985 anser in November/ December 3 KZ 15 1 Lake Balchash, north shore Shot, Dutch metal ring B. Ebbinge September (46°54’N, 75°01’E) NLA 8034629 (in litt.) 1985 4 KZ December 1 Chardarinskiy reservoir Shot; reported as Kashkarov 1985 (41°11’N, 68°06’E) A.f.fabalis (2007) 5 KZ 15 October 2 near Bakanas Ily river floodplain Belyalov & 1991 (44°49’N, 76°09’E) Kovshar (2002) 6 KZ 12 October 400 Lake Altynkol near Roost Belyalov & 1992 Zharkent Kovshar (2002) (44°06’N, 80°18’E) 7 KZ 3 October– 1–5 Kapchagay Reservoir Belyalov & 8 November near Karachenggel Kovshar (2002) 1992 (43°44’N, 77°37’E) 8 KZ 16–24 2 Turarskye dachi, 40 km On fields Belyalov & December NE of Almaty Kovshar (2002) 1993 (43°33’N, 77°14’E) 9 KZ 26 200 Lower reaches of River Roosting at delta of Belyalov & November Chilik, Kysylzhida river Ili/Kapchagay Kovshar (2002) 1995 hunting farm reservoir (43°52’N, 78°15’E) 10 UZ 11 March 1 Dalverzinsky lakes Kashkarov 1962 (40°32’N, 69°09’E) (2007) 11 UZ 12 March 1 River Kly, mouth into One male shot Kashkarov 1962 Lake Tuzkan (2007) (40°32’N, 67°35’E) 12 UZ 22 1 Tashkent Shot, Dutch metal ring B. Ebbinge November (41°18’N, 69°12’E) NLA 308036 (in litt.) 1964 13 UZ January 2 Surkhandarya lowlands Identified as A.f.fabalis Kashkarov 1965 near Termez (1987) (37°15’N, 67°20’E)

Appendix 2 (continued).

Record Country Date No. of Location Comments Source No. birds recorded

14 UZ 28 1 South of Lake Aidarkul, Shot, Dutch metal ring B. Ebbinge December west of Uzynkuduk NLA 8026598 (in litt.) 1971 (40°36’N, 66°53’E) 15 UZ Mid 14 Lake Sultankul Aerial survey Zinchenko et al. February (40°19’N, 69°03’E) (1984) 1983 16 UZ 28 1 River Kashkadarya near Shot, Dutch metal ring B. Ebbinge November Karshi NLA 8035168 (in litt.) 1986 (38°53’N, 65°48’E) 17 UZ January 23 Lake Ayakkagitma, north Reported as A.f. Kashkarov 1991 of Buchara middendorfii (2007) (40°37’N, 64°32’E) 18 TD 16 1 Shak, mouth of River Shot, Dutch metal ring B. Ebbinge November Kifirnigan NLA 8026480 (in litt.) 1973 (37°00’N, 68°07’E) 19 TD 1973/1974 60–76 Kayrakkum Reservoir Seleznev & (40°17’N, 69°48’E) Bidos (1984) 20 TM December 23 Amudarya near Chardzhoy Reported as A.f. Kashkarov 1984 (39°08’N, 63°32’E) middendorfii et al. (1986) 21 TM December 270 Amudarya lowlands, SE Aerial survey Kashkarov 1990 Turkmenistan (2007) (38°04’N, 64°58’E) 22 CN 20 January 50 Aketao Counted for the Chinese 1988 and 25 (39°05’N, 75°50’E) International Waterbird Anatidae December Census (IWC). database (M. 1990 Barter, Wang Xin & Cao Lei, pers. comm.) 23 CN 29 January 16 Aketao Counted for the 1991 (39°05’N, 75°50’E) International Waterbird Census (IWC). 24 CN 12 January 60 Nanhu Caochang Counted for the 1991 (46°20’N, 83°20’E) International Waterbird Census (IWC).

Appendix 3. Records of Bean Geese reported in central Asia before 1960. KZ = Kazakhstan, KS = Kyrgyzstan, UZ = Uzbekistan, TD = Tajikistan, TM = Turkmenistan, AFG = Afghanistan.

Record Country Date No. of Location Comments Source No. birds recorded

1 KZ Before 1,000s River Keles Migrant and winter Menzbir (1914); 1900 (41°07’N, 68°43’E) visitor; Severtzov Dolgushin reported thousands (1960) of birds 2 KZ Before ? Chimkent Regular migrant and Alpheraky 1900 (42°24’N, 69°37’E) winter visitor; several (1905) birds collected by Severtzov 3 KZ 26 March 1 Ak-Aral southwest of Shot; said to be Shnitnikov 1900 Dzharkent middendorffi (1949) (44°04’N, 79°56’E) 4 KZ 23 March 2 Near mouth of Kaskelen Shot; said to be Shnitnikov 1903 River middendorffi (1949) (43°45’N, 77°05’E) 5 KZ September 1 Near Baskan, Kopal region Shot; orange feet and Shnitnikov 1908 (45°49’N, 79°41’E) bill (1949) 6 KZ Before ? Middle reaches of Syrdarya Migrant and winter Zarudny (1910) 1910 River visitor (43°29’N, 67°31’E) 7 KZ Before 7–8 Ily River basin near Small flocks during Shestoperov 1929 Kapchagay (formerly Iliysk) autumn migration (1929) (43°55’N, 77°05’E) 8 KZ Before 6 Lower reaches of River Ily Small flock on 26 Shestoperov 1929 near Akkul November (1929) (45°00’N, 75°38’E) 9 KZ Winter ? Near Uzun-Agach, west of Small numbers Dolgushin 1946/47 Almaty wintering at open (1960) (43°14’N, 76°16’E) springs 10 KZ Winter ? Lake Alakol Small flocks wintering Dolgushin 1953 (46°21’N, 81°24’E) (1960) 11 KZ Before ? River Bugun Regular wintering of Dolgushin 1960 (42°44’N, 69°00’E) small numbers (1960) 12 KZ Before ? Lake Zaysan Common passage Samusev, cited 1960 (47°55’N, 84°03’E) migrant in autumn in Dolgushin (September–early (1960) November)

Appendix 3 (continued).

Record Country Date No. of Location Comments Source No. birds recorded

13 KZ Before ? Lake Alakol Common passage Dolgushin 1960 (46°21’N, 81°24’E) migrant in autumn (1960) (early October–mid December), occasionally wintering in small numbers 14 KS 11–13 ? South shore of Lake Severtzov October Issyk-Kul (1873a,b) 1867 (42°09’N, 77°25’E) 15 KS 15 1 Fergana valley, between Severtzov collection Yanushevitch November Andishan and Utch-Kurgan et al. (1959) 1878 (41°00’N, 72°11’E) 16 KS 9 1 Southeast shore of Lake Shot; in Museum of Heinicke (2008) November Issyk-Kul Natural History, Berlin 1904 (42°22’N, 77°54’E) (no. ZMB 35.665) 17 KS 8 1 Lake Sonkul Shot; in A. Koenig T. Heinicke December (41°48’N, 75°15’E) Museum, Bonn (no. (unpubl. data) 1904 ZFMK 5374) 18 UZ Before 2 Fergana basin Severtzov collection Alpheraky 1900 (40°46’N, 71°33’E) (1905) 19 UZ Before ? Near Samarkand Winter visitor Severtzov, cited 1900 (39°36’N, 66°55’E) in Salikhbaev & Bogdanov (1961) 20 UZ Before ? Syrdarya River valley near Migrant and winter Severtzov, cited 1900 Chinaz visitor in Salikhbaev & (40°55’N, 68°43’E) Bogdanov (1961), Pleske (1888) 21 UZ Before 1,000s River Chirchik Migrant and winter Menzbir (1914), 1900 (41°03’N, 69°04’E) visitor, Severtzov Dolgushin reported thousands of (1960) birds 22 UZ Before ? Angren River valley Migrant and winter Menzbir (1914) 1914 between Ablyk and visitor Kondzhigaly (40°55’N, 69°53’E) 23 UZ Before ? Lake Aral region Migrant Zarudny (1916) 1916 (43°32’N, 59°05’E)

Appendix 3 (continued).

Record Country Date No. of Location Comments Source No. birds recorded

24 UZ Before 100s Near Tashkent Melanonyx neglectus very Steinbacher 1918 (41°12’N, 69°17’E) rarely shot, about 1 (1926) among 100 M. arvensis 25 UZ Before ? Lake Sardoba Several observations Zarudny, cited 1920 (40°35’N, 68°33’E) between October and in Salikhbaev & February Bogdanov (1961) 26 UZ 27 ? Near Samarkand Migrant Salikhbaev & February (39°36’N, 66°55’E) Bogdanov 1939 (1961) 27 UZ Before ? Rivers Dargom, Siab and Migrant and winter Akhmedov 1950 Karasu near Samarkand visitor in small numbers (1950) (39°33’N, 67°06’E) 28 UZ Before ? River Zerafshan Big flocks in early May Ugryumov, cited 1905 (39°37’N, 67°08’E) in Kashkarov (1987) 29 UZ Before ? River Zerafshan Migrant and winter Bogdanov 1956 (39°37’N, 67°08’E) visitor in small numbers (1956) 30 UZ 21 12 Lake Sardoba 1 individual shot Salikhbaev & February (40°35’N, 68°33’E) Bogdanov 1958 (1961) 31 UZ Before ? Lower reaches of the Winter visitor in small Kashkarov 1960 Surkhandari River numbers (1987) (37°18’N, 67°22’E) 32 UZ Before ? Near Sherabad Winter visitor in small Kashkarov 1960 (37°39’N, 67°08’E) numbers (1987) 33 TM ~1900 ? Amudarya River near Kelif Migrant and winter Zarudny (37°21’N, 66°15’E) visitor & Bilkevitch (1918) 34 TM 1936 ? Lower reaches of the During migration time Shestoperov, Amudarya River near cited in Tashauz Salikhbaev & (41°48’N, 59°55’E) Bogdanov (1961) 35 TD ~1900 ? Amudarya River near Migrant and winter Zarudny & Pjandsh (formerly visitor Bilkevitch Kirovabad) (1918) (37°14’N, 69°04’E)

Appendix 3 (continued).

Record Country Date No. of Location Comments Source No. birds recorded

36 TD ~1900 ? Floodplain of Kyzyl-Su Winter visitor, rarer Abdusalyamov River than Anser anser (1971) (37°39’N, 69°28’E) 37 AFG 9 1 Seistan One female shot by American December (31°41’N, 61°15’E) Zarudny. Originally Museum of 1900 reported as Anser Natural History, neglectus; in AMN online catalogue collection (no. 730791) 38 AFG 4 March ? Hamun-i-Sabari Large flock among Paludan (1959) 1949 (31°29’N, 61°16’E) Anser anser