Satellite tracking from Polar Ural in European Russia and southwards in 2006  

Introduction

In summer 2004 the Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose Conservation Project and the Goose, Swan and Duck Study Group of Northern Eurasia (GSDSG) started a cooperation project to unveil the migration route from one of the most important breeding areas for the Lesser White-fronted Goose; the Polar Ural in European Russia. And, for the first time, the whole migratory journey of a single Lesser White-fronted Goose was mapped. For results and details about this extraordinary migration from Russia to Iraq and back again see the page "From Polar Ural in European Russia and southwards in 2004-2005»" 

On 6th August 2006 Vladimir V. Morozov and his colleagues from the GSDSG managed, despite very difficulty field conditions, to catch and ring a pair of adult Lesser White-fronted Geese in the Polar Urals (67º15N 64º25E). The birds were then equipped with ordinary 30» grams satellite transmitters from Microwave Telemetry, Inc». The birds got satellite transmitters with IDs 3502 and 19189.

A thorough description of the Polar Ural area, European Russia, can be found in Morozov 2000: Surveys for LWfG in the Bolshezemelskaya Tundra, European Russia, in 1999 (PDF - 680KB»).

 

Results

Latest 28 May, 2007, Russia The bird 3502 was on 27 May located in the area where it was caught during moult on 6 August 2006!! This is the second bird from this area that has completed the whole migration circle from the breeding areas to the wintering sites and back with a satellite transmitter on its back!

The complete migration track of the LesserWhite-fronted Goose with PTT 3502: from August 2006 to May 2007

20 May, 2007, Russia The bird has now travelled 950 km further north, and was today located (64.35N 69.53E) in an area that seems to be large uninhabited just within the sothern border of the Yamalo-Nenetskiy Oblast. This is just 380 km southeast from the moulting site where it was caught!

Migration tracks of the male 3502 up to 20 May 2007

8 May, 2007, Russia The bird has moved ca 120 km further north and was located today in the eastern part of the Kurganskaya region, close to the Maloye Stepnoye and Bolshoye Stepnoye Lakes where the LWfG male Imre (64249) was located on 29-30 September 2006, see the record of 5 October on the Satellite tracking of LWfG from Fennoscandia in 2006» page.

16 April, 2007, Kazakstan The bird has migrated ca 600 km further northeast to Kostanay region, and it was located on 16 April on the agricultural lands some 30-40 km north of the Lake Batpakkol (that is known as an autumn staging site). 

10 April, 2007, Kazakstan The bird has migrated 425 km northeast from the Caspian Sea to the steppe areas in western Kazakstan. On 9 April it was located (49.59N 45.14E) ca 5 km N of the village Tushchikara (appr. 30 km south of  the larger village Almasnoye) in the Batys Qazaqstan district. 

Migration tracks of the male 3502 through West Kazakstan.	The location of male 3502 on 9 April 2007, Western Kazakstan

Latest 3 April, 2007, Kazakstan The bird has moved ca 430 km northeast from Kalmykia to westernmost Kazakstan, and it was located on 3 April ca 10 km SW of a village named Kyzylbas, on the northern shore of the Caspian Sea, close to the Ural River Delta.

Migration of the male 3502 through Azerbaijan since October and up to the outlet of the Ural River in the Caspian Sea.	The locations of male 3502 on 3 April 2007 close to the Ural River Delta in the Caspian Sea, West Kazakstan

28 March, 2007, Russia On 28 March the bird 3502 was still located at the same site in southernmost Kalmykia.

18 March, 2007, Russia On 15 and 18 March the bird 3502 was still located at the same site in southernmost Kalmykia.

12 March, 2007, Russia On 12 March the bird 3502 had again moved and was now located 230 km further southeast from the Manych-Gudilo reservoir. The bird was located at 45.18N 43.01E, just 40 km from the Dadynskiye Lake (BirdLife IBA RU164»). The site which is a system of salt-lakes and adjoining steppe-grassland in the north of Stavropolski region, on the border with Kalmykiya Republic, is also known to be utilised by lessers.  

9 March, 2007, Russia On 5-9 March the bird 3502 was located at the Manych-Gudilo reservoir.This site is a known staging/wintering site for lessers. BirdLife IBA RU165» 

The locations of male 3502 on 8-9 March 2007 at the Manych-Gudilo lake, Russia

5 March, 2007, Russia The spring migration has started. On 2 March, the bird 3502 was located in the Rostovskaya region, Russia, ca 50 km north of the Manych-Gudilo reservoir (46.53N 43.01E). The nearest village is called Khutorskoy. The distance traveled from the Lake Hadjinour is 735 km.

Migration of the male 3502 through Azerbaijan since October and up to the Rostov region in Russia (green track).	The location of male 3502 on 2 March 2007 in the Rostov area, Russia

24 February, 2007, Azerbaijan The bird 3502 is still located in Lake Hadjinour - Hadjinour Steppe, Azerbaijan.

13 February, 2007, Azerbaijan On 11 February the bird 3502 had moved another 150 km from the Mil Steppe and northwards to Lake Hadjinour - Hadjinour Steppe, which is situated NE of the large Mingechevir reservoir. Also Lake Hadjinour (also called Acinohur Golu or ) is now as a staging area for Lessers (M. Patrikeev 2004: the Birds of Azerbaijan. Pensoft, Sofia-Moscow). The city Mingachevir» located in the south of the large resrvoir is Azerbaijans fourth biggest. 

Migration of the male 3502 within Azerbaijan since it arrived here in late October

10 February, 2007, Azerbaijan The bird 3502 moved between 27 January and 2 February from Kizil Agach up to the Mil Steppe between Lake Sarisu and the Aras River. The site is a well known spring staging site, which is mainly used in March (M. Patrikeev 2004: the Birds of Azerbaijan. Pensoft, Sofia-Moscow). On 3 March 2001, Thomas Heinicke with others found 1800-2000 Lessers in this area (Ag-Gel Zapovednik, BirdLife IBA AZ030»). Download the pdf report here (1.3MB)»  

20 January, 2007, Azerbaijan The bird 3502 is still in Kizil Agach.

14 January, 2007, Azerbaijan The bird 3502 is still in Kizil Agach; the latest location on 14 January.

11 January, 2007, Azerbaijan The bird 3502 is still in Kizil Agach; the latest location on 11 January. 

2 January, 2007, Azerbaijan The bird 3502 is still on the northern side of Big Kizil Agach Bay; the latest location on 2 January, 00:41 UTC. 

17 December, Azerbaijan At least the bird 3502 is still on the northern side of Big Kizil Agach Bay; the latest location on 17 December, 00:26 UTC. Only the transmitter 3502 gives positions, while there is signals from the other (but, not good enough for giving locations). 

4 December, Azerbaijan At least the bird 3502 is still on the northern side of Big Kizil Agach Bay. Only the transmitter 3502 gives positions, while there is signals from the other (but, not good enough for giving locations). 

26 November, Azerbaijan The pair is still on the northern side of Big Kizil Agach Bay.

8 November, Azerbaijan The pair has migrated further south from the Absheron Peninsula. On 3 November the pair had moved to the nothern part of the big bay Kizil Agach (Birdlife IBA AZ048»). This site is know as one of the most important sites for lesser white-fronted geese in Azerbaijan. The rightmost plot in the below satellite image is the same site where 1058 birds where seen in 1996. The number of lessers in Kizil Agach have varied between 1500-7000 birds in the late 1980s-early 1990s, with greater numbers in years with less precipitation (M. Patrikeev 2004: the Birds of Azerbaijan. Pensoft, Sofia-Moscow). The site is threatened by reduction in habitats and extremely heavy hunting pressure.

Locations of the male 3502 on the north side of the Kizil Agach Bay in Azerbaijan	Flying Lwfg (and some few white-fronts) in Kizil Agach in 1996. © T. Aarvak	Subsistence hunting is widespread and important for locals in Azerbaijan. © T. Aarvak

30 October, Azerbaijan The pair is still on the Absehron Peninsula as since 21 October.

27 October, Azerbaijan The Polar Ural pair (3502 male & 19189 female) is still around the lakes Massasyr-Gel and Mirzaladi Golu on the north side on the Absheron Peninsula, just 15 km north of Baku, in Azerbaijan (40.30N 49.47E). The site has no formal protection. According to M. Patrikeev (2004: The birds of Azerbaijan. Pensoft series Faunistica no 38 , Sofia, Moscow), lessers arrive in Azerbaijan from early October with a conspicuous passage in late October-early November. They passes non-stop through the Samur-Divichi Lowlands, crosses the base of the Absheron Peninsula and arrive at Kizil Agach Reserve and Mil Steppe.

Locations of the Polar Ural pair at the Absheron Peninsula, Azerbaijan

21 October, Azerbaijan The Polar Ural pair (3502 male & 19189 female) arrived today at the west coast of the Caspian Sea: The pair was located between the lakes Massasyr-Gel and Mirzaladi Golu on the north side on the Absheron Peninsula, just 15 km north of Baku, in Azerbaijan (40.30N 49.47E).

18 October, north Caspian Sea, Kazakstan The Polar Ural pair (3502 male & 19189 female) was still located in the Kustanay area on the 15 October, but on 18 the pair had migrated down to the river delta of the Ural River on the north side of the Caspian Sea (47.04N 52.19E).

Migration track per 18/10-06

12 October, north-western Kazakstan The The Polar Ural pair (3502 male & 19189 female) was located at Lake Kulykol today. They arrived there on 5 October, but also had a short visit on 8 October to Lake Kindikti (south of the village Karasu) which is situated approximately 30 km east of Lake Kulykol.

Migration tracks per 12/10-06.	Lake Kulykol

1 October, north-western Kazakstan The pair has moved ca 430 km southwest to the Kostanay region, and they were located on 29 September - 1 October at the lakes in the northern part of the Naurzum Nature Reserve.

 21 September, north-western Kazakstan The pair left the Ob Valley and arrived in the lakes Qarasor Kol / Balykty in Northern Kazakstan on 19 September (54.17N 69.17E). This site which is situated just 70 km south of  Petropavlovsk is not know from earlier surveys of Lesser White-fronted Geese in Kazakstan.

Migration tracks per 20/9-06.	Northern Kazakstan 20/9-06	Lake Qarasor Kol , North kazakstan

18 September, Ob Valley, Russia The pair migrated from the Kara Sea and down into the Ob Valley on 15 September. On 16 they were located on 65.44N 65.07E, but moved on after just a few hours. In the evening they were located close to the village Azovy at 64.56N 65.07E in the Ob River. The site is situated just 30 km west of the site that was used by the PTT bird 24677 from 3 to 17 September 2004 (see Day to day tracking results: autumn 2004 to autumn 2005»). The distances flown from Kara Sea to the first stop was 285 km, while the other short leg was just 110 km. 

Migration track of the pair up to 18 September (green line. The red line is male 64249 from Norway.

07 September, Yamal Peninsula, Russia The pair has now moved additional 22 km and was on 3 September located on the coast of the Baydaratskaya Bay in the Kara Sea.

27 August, Polar Ural, Russia The pair left the moulting area after 22 august and was located on 25 August close to where a large river enters the Baydaratskaya Bay in the Kara Sea on the west side of the Yamal Peninsula.

Migration track of the pair up to 25 August	Location of the pair on 25 August

23 August, Polar Ural, Russia The pair is still present in the area they were caught.

06 August, Polar Ural, Russia A LWfG pair is caught at 67º15N 64º25E.

 

© The material on the present page concerning satellite telemetry on Lesser White-fronted Geese and the results presented are copyrighted by the Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose Conservation Project and the Goose, Swan and Duck Study Group of Northern Eurasia, and should not be reproduced by any means without written permission. Contact Tomas Aarvak for details (see "contacts pages" for contact details).

The project is sponsored by the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management.

 

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