Portal to the Lesser White-fronted Goose

Literature type: Report

Language: English

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Full reference: Morozov, V.V., Øien, I.J. & Aarvak, T. 2016. Monitoring and satellite tracking of Lesser White-fronted Geese from the Russian European tundra in Russia in 2015. , NOF-BirdLife Norway - Report 2-2016. 13pp.

Keywords: Polar Urals, Bolshezemelskaya Tundra, Bolshaya Rogovaya River, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, production

Abstract:

Fieldwork was carried out between 6th June and 10th August 2015 at the western macro-slope of the Polar Urals and the eastern Bolshezemelskaya Tundra, Russia. In the Bolshaya Rogovaya River basin area, only one LWfG pair with five juveniles was located. However, the numbers of Bean Geese were high, with 92 adults and at least 58 juveniles in the same area. In the Polar Urals, Lesser White-fronted Geese were found on the rivers or watershed lakes in June, but repeated observations carried out in July and early August did not confirm the presence of LWfG, but also here many broods of Bean Goose were observed. Altogether, three broods of LWfG were found in one flock. One adult male was caught by a hoop net during fieldwork and equipped with a solar powered GPS satellite transmitter. This male LWfG migrated southwards along the Ob river valley, through Kazakhstan, but instead of crossing over to the western side of the Caspian Sea as expected, he was tracked to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. This is the first time that a Lesser White-fronted Goose has been tracked to this probably very important wintering area which is situated in the border area between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. By 7th January 2016 the bird was still alive and with a functioning transmitter.