Winter Wildfowl Counts in South-East Europe and Western Turkey

22 Wildfowl Winter wildfowl counts in south-east Europe and western Turkey ALAN JOHNSON and HEINZ HAFNER Introduction Although fragmentary data over several In the last decade the International Wild years are available from some of the fowl Research Bureau began special efforts countries, it was not until the winter of to make wildfowl counts in the circum- 1966-67 that regular missions were under Mediterranean area. It was known that taken, to Rumania, Greece and Turkey. large numbers of Anatidae were wintering This work has been carried out mainly in this area and that rapid changes were by a small but increasing number of taking place in their habitats. The future reliable ornithologists, experienced at of a large proportion of the European estimating numbers of wildfowl, whose migratory wildfowl populations seemed, deep interest has assured fairly regular therefore, to depend on the way the visits. These missions have sometimes situation around the Mediterranean only been made possible by special developed. grants but not a small contribution has With very few ornithologists, amateur been made by counters themselves. or professional, residing in these countries, The area under review lies between and in view of the extent of many of the latitudes 36°N. and 46°N. and between wetlands, it would obviously not be pos longitudes 14°E. and 36°E., is bordered sible to organise at once the monthly in the north by the Soviet Union, Hun counts practised in several west European gary and Austria, and in the south, east countries over more than twenty years. and west by the Mediterranean, Black So it was thought desirable to start by and Adriatic Seas respectively. Only the carrying out one annual mid-winter western half of Turkey, with its abun count, at a time when the wildfowl dance of lakes, and deltas is reviewed, populations are most stationary. Mid- the few lakes in the east being situated January was thought to be the best time at high altitudes and usually frozen over (though the possibility of cold-weather for two or three months of the year. movements could not be ruled out), dur Regarding Albania it is unfortunate that ing the fortnight around the nearest no data are available, either on the status Sunday to the 15th January. of the wetlands or the wildfowl visiting Wildfowl in south-east Europe 23 them. Although the interior of the country cold. However, influence from the Black is for the greater part mountainous, it Sea over the delta and coastal regions is would appear from maps that the deltas very marked, the winters being less severe and wetlands along the coast might well here than throughout the rest of the be suitable to important numbers of country. There are strong winds and it is ducks and geese, particularly during hard often cloudy or foggy. Although the winters. greater part of this region may be com The time appears ripe for the results pletely frozen over for certain periods so far obtained to be made available in each winter, the cold spells, though some the form of an interim report. This paper times severe, are not generally of long then, is based on an accumulation of the duration. At such times there is no doubt data gathered by 27 missions, mainly an exodus of wildfowl, as can be seen during the period of the mid-winter from the figures below, but the majority counts^ a full list of these being given at of birds can rest and feed on the sea. the end of this paper. The delta proper covers some 5,640 sq. Although we only attempt to reveal the km., of which 4,350 sq. km. are on distribution and approximate numbers of Rumanian territory, the rest belonging to the species of wildfowl visiting the area the Soviet Union. After the delta of the under study, a mass of information has Volga it is the largest in Europe, 87% also been collected on other aquatic being water. The dominant vegetation species: grebes, herons, waders, and also over the major part of the delta area is on birds of prey. reed Phragmites communis intermingled Each winter new findings come to light with common sallow Salix cinerea. These concerning the numbers, distribution and extensive reed-forests are interspersed movements of the Anatidae through these with open stretches of water, many of countries, and new wetlands are some them taking on the form of lakes, some, times discovered. Thus in Greece in like Lake Rosu, being as much as 9 km. January 1970 a relatively small area com long and 4 km. wide. Being generally prising four lakes, the existence of which more than a metre deep they do not was seemingly unknown to ornithologists, attract many surface-feeding ducks, but revealed a total of 266,000 Anatidae and are the stronghold of Pochard Aythya Coots. Often, because of the absence of ferina in particular. roads and the necessity to have a vehicle To the south of the delta a series of capable of crossing difficult terrain, certain lakes extends as far as the Bulgarian areas might be counted effectively one border. All of these are brackish or salty, year but not another. the complex Razelm/Sinoie being in In view of this the data drawn up will direct contact with the sea. It is in this be subjected to many corrections in future latter complex and also around the island years. It does, however, serve to show of Sahalin in particular, that most of the the important rôle which the wetlands in surface-feeding ducks are to be found. these countries play for these migratory Lake Techirghiol has a salt content of birds who know no frontiers, and whose between 80 and 110 g./l. and even during future is an international responsibility. the coldest spells never freezes. This lake is important for wintering Shelduck Rumania Tadorna tadorna and White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala. Having a depth of Although there are several wetlands between one and ten metres, it is extremely situated along the River Danube which rich in Arthropoda and Crustacea, and are of importance to wildfowl either on the density of brine shrimps Artemia passage or for breeding, these are gener salina may reach around 100,000 per cubic ally frozen over during the winter. This metre, an important source of food which leaves, then, the delta of the Danube and is possibly taken by the Shelducks. the complex of lakes to the south (Razelm, Along practically the whole of the Sinoie), comprising a total surface area of coastline there exists a shelf where the some 435,000 ha. Not only is this the most sea is little deeper than a metre. About important wetland area on the Balkan 150 metres wide over the major part, this Peninsula but one of the most, if not the shelf broadens out to at least 500 metres most important in the whole of Europe. in the whole of the delta and to as much Situated roughly between latitudes as a kilometre around the island of 44°N. and 48°N. and longitudes 21°E. Sahalin. This condition gives rise to a and 30°E., Rumania is subjected to a proliferation of eel grass Zostera marina moderate continental climate, the sum and about 150 species of algae, of which mers being hot and the winters generally the commonest are: Enteromorpha linza, 24 Wildfowl Laurenzia corcoronopus, Ceramium ele Hoekstra and Hafner, with the assistance gans, Ulva lactuca, etc. This abundant of the Commission for the Preservation flora is without doubt the principal food of Natural Monuments in Rumania, were of the wildfowl during severe cold spells. able to cover the greater part of this It is understandable that such a vast region by car and by boat. Also two flights region, much of which is difficult of were made on 9th and 13th January 1969, access, should have remained little ex when practically the whole of the delta plored by the ornithologist, particularly area and complex of lakes was covered. during the winter. The first indications A cold spell had just begun and many of of the numbers and species of wildfowl the lakes had started to freeze. By the wintering here date back to 1958-59. The 13th there was very little open water following is an extract from the report by remaining and this influenced the distri J. Vielliard, made available by M. bution of the Anatidae (Figure 1). How Talpeanu. ever, a thaw set in the following day. 1958-59: 940,000 birds in the delta The results obtained give a rather dif and lagoons in November. During the ferent view from that gained from previous first two weeks of December with a light missions and the most abundant winter frost, 530,000 in the delta and the lagoons ing species were diving ducks. Full data and 1,000,000 on the sea. In January are given in Table I. There is a striking 159.000 in the lagoons, the delta being difference in the numbers of Pochard frozen. In the last two weeks of February Aythya ferina and Red-crested Pochard 250.000 on the sea, the delta and the seen in past winters and the vast quanti lagoons being frozen. ties recorded in 1968-69. The total of 1959-60: No permanent frost; total Pochard seen in November/December census (delta, lagoons and sea) 133,500 in 1968 approached a million, and during the October, 128,700 in November, 119,400 two flights in January 1969, 308,000 and in December, 103,900 in January, 140,800 136,000 respectively.

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