Wintering Waterbird Census in the Azov-Black Sea... Wintering Waterbird Census in the Azov- Black Sea Coastal Wetlands of Ukraine, Georgia and Turkey Wetlands International Black Sea programme Kiev - 2011 1 Wintering Waterbird Census in the Azov-Black Sea... Kostiushyn V., Andryuschenko Yu., Goradze I., Abuladze A., Mamuchadze J., Erciyas K. Wintering Waterbird Census in the Azov– Black Sea Coastal Wetlands of Ukraine, Georgia and Turkey.– Wetlands International Black Sea programme.– 2011.– 130 pp. This publication presents the results of a gap analysis of the methodology and infrastructure of IWC on the Azov – Black Sea coasts of Georgia, Turkey and Ukraine, as well as presenting the results of wintering waterbird counts at key coastal wetlands of these three countries. Editing of text: Bradbeer P. Layout: Kulinichev B. Cover photo: Andryuschenko Yu., Beskaravainyi M. The publication is supported by Wetlands International through a grant from the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Netherlands (BBI-Matra Fund / Management Programme for International Biodiversity) 2 Wintering Waterbird Census in the Azov-Black Sea... Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................5 1 Ukraine..................................................................................................................................5 1.1. Brief history of wintering waterbirds count ...........................................................................5 1.2. Coordination of counts and network of counters ...................................................................6 1.3. Methodological aspects of organizing and conducting censuses ...........................................6 1.4. The time period and sites coverage ......................................................................................11 1.5. Species coverage and general count results .........................................................................14 1.6. Waterbird count results for key coastal wetlands of Ukraine ..............................................18 1.6.1. Western Pridunavie ..............................................................................................................19 1.6.1.1. Kagul, Kugurlui and Yalpug Lakes ......................................................................................19 1.6.2. Eastern Pridunavie ...............................................................................................................20 1.6.2.1. Katlabukh, Safi any and Kitai Lakes .....................................................................................20 1.6.3. Danube Wetlands .................................................................................................................21 1.6.3.1. Danube Delta .......................................................................................................................21 1.6.3.2. Stentsovsko–Zhebrianovskie Plavni ....................................................................................23 1.6.4. Tuzlovskie Limans ...............................................................................................................24 1.6.4.1. Sasyk Liman .........................................................................................................................24 1.6.4.2. Shagany, Alibei and Burnas Limans ....................................................................................25 1.6.5. Dniester Wetlands ................................................................................................................26 1.6.5.1 Budakskii & Gribovskii Limans ..........................................................................................26 1.6.5.2. Dniester Liman .....................................................................................................................27 1.6.5.3. Dniester Delta and Kuchurganskii Liman ............................................................................27 1.6.6. Odessa Limans .....................................................................................................................28 1.6.6.1. Sukhoi Liman ....................................................................................................................28 1.6.6.2. Khadzibeiskii Liman ............................................................................................................30 1.6.6.3. Odessa Bay ...........................................................................................................................31 1.6.6.4. Kuyalnitskii Liman ..............................................................................................................32 1.6.6.5. Adzhalykskii Limans ...........................................................................................................33 1.6.7. Tiligulskii and Berezanskii Limans .....................................................................................34 1.6.7.1. Tiligulskii Liman .................................................................................................................34 1.6.7.2. Berezanskii Liman ...............................................................................................................34 1.6.8. Dniepro–Bugskie Wetlands ..................................................................................................35 1.6.8.1. Dniepro–Bugskii Liman .......................................................................................................35 1.6.9. Tendrovsko–Yagorlytskie Wetlands .....................................................................................36 1.6.9.1. Yagorlytskii Bay ..................................................................................................................36 1.6.9.2 Tendrovskii Bay ..................................................................................................................37 1.6.10. Dzharylgachskii Bay ............................................................................................................38 1.6.11. Southern coast of Crimea .....................................................................................................40 1.6.11.1. Sevastopol Bays ...................................................................................................................40 1.6.12. Eastern Sivash ......................................................................................................................41 1.6.12.1. Southern part of Eastern Sivash ...........................................................................................41 1.6.12.2. Northern part of Eastern Sivash ...........................................................................................42 1.6.13. Central Sivash ......................................................................................................................44 1.6.13.1. Southern part of Central Sivash ...........................................................................................44 1.6.13.2. Northern part of Central Sivash ...........................................................................................45 1.6.14. Western Sivash .....................................................................................................................46 1.6.15. Utlyukskie Wetlands ............................................................................................................48 1.6.15.1. Utlukskii and Sivashik Limans ...........................................................................................48 1.6.16. Molochanskie Wetlands .......................................................................................................49 3 Wintering Waterbird Census in the Azov-Black Sea... 1.6.16.1. Molochnyi Liman .................................................................................................................49 1.7. References ............................................................................................................................49 2. Georgia ................................................................................................................................63 2.1. Coordination of counts and network of counters ................................................................63 2.2. Methodological aspects of organizing and conducting censuses .........................................63 2.3. The time period and sites coverage ......................................................................................63 2.4. Species coverage and general count results .........................................................................64 2.5. Waterbird count results for key coastal wetlands of Georgia ..............................................68 2.5.1. Churia Marshes ....................................................................................................................68 2.5.2. Black Sea Coast within Kolkheti National Park: Churia - Khobi and Khobi - Rioni ....................................................................................69 2.5.3. Black Sea Coast adjacent to Kolkheti National Park ..........................................................69 2.5.4. Partotskali Lake ...................................................................................................................70 2.5.5. Rioni River Delta ................................................................................................................71