Number of Pelicans (Pelecanidae) Breeding on the Territory of the Rostovsky Reserve and Causes of Abundance Variation
2021
Malinovskaya, Yu. V. | Minoransky, V. A. | Kolesnikov, S. I.
The number and distribution of nesting sites of the white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus Linnaeus, 1758) and Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus Bruch, 1832) in the Rostovsky Reserve from the moment of its establishment (1995) to the present time have been estimated. In this area, the Dalmatian pelican is a rare, regularly breeding species, while the white pelican is very rare species that occasionally breeds. Both species nest mainly on the islands of Lake Manych-Gudilo, rarely on large ponds with coarse, above-water vegetation with multispecies colonies of semiaquatic and waterfowl species. The Dalmatian pelican arrives early in the spring (in March) and usually forms small groups. The white pelican appears later (in April), when the scarce nesting sites are already occupied by other bird species (cormorants, gulls, etc.). In addition, it often forms large colonies. The creation of the reserve made it possible to preserve the pelicans in this area. The restricting factors limiting their number are a lack of breeding grounds, predatory mammals, an increase in water salinity, and a decrease in fish resources. The breeding of pelicans has been negatively affected in recent decades by climate aridization, which has led to the drying up of waterbodies and the intensification of economic activities of the population. The article proposes measures for the further preservation of pelicans, as well as other rare and valuable animals in the reserve.
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