KAZAKHSTAN TRIP REPORT 2015

From 17 May to 27 May 2015, Pieter Duin and Arend Wassink visited Kazakhstan again, from which trip a short report is presented here. This time Zhabagly, the adjoining Talasskiy Alatau mountains, and some lakes in the north-eastern foothills of the Karatau were visited. Apart from Zhabagly, where we stayed at Ruslan guesthouse, we camped at the shores of Akkol and Kyzylkol lakes. The focus was on trapping and soundrecording. We collected DNA material of Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca and a number of other species for further analysis. Underneath, the map showing the mainly locations visited and the species list.

INTERESTING RECORDS An adult Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia flew southwest at Kyzylkol lake on 22 May. The bird was probably on its way to the Shoshkakol lakes, one of the few breeding sites of this very rare species in Kazakhstan. Migration of Blyth’s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum and Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca blythi was very much in evidence, with large numbers around the campsites. A migrant second calendar-year female Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria was trapped at Akkol lake (see photo). An Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Iduna pallida elaeica was singing http://www.xeno-canto.org/266994 at Kyzylkol lake, indicating that the species was still migrating, since it does not breed at this location. Also at Kyzylkol lake, many Sykes’s Warbler Iduna rama were singing. Most, if not all, were believed to be local breeding birds.

SPECIES LIST

We observed a total of 148 species. Subspecies names are given when a species is represented with more than one subspecies in Kazakhstan. The list follows the taxonomy and nomenclature used in Wassink (2015). Greylag Goose Anser anser Common Swift Apus apus pekinensis Mute Swan Cygnus olor European Roller Coracias garrulus

semenowi Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus Gadwall Anas strepera European Bee-eater Merops apiaster Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops Mallard Anas platyrhynchos White-winged Woodpecker

Dendrocopos leucopterus Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Garganey Anas querquedula Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo Eurasian Teal Anas crecca Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina Red-tailed Shrike Lanius phoenicuroides Common Pochard Aythya ferina Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar falki Indian Golden Oriole Oriolus kundoo Grey Partridge Perdix perdix robusta Eurasian Magpie Pica pica Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus mongolicus

Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus Western Jackdaw Corvus monedula Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Rook Corvus frugilegus Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris Carrion Crow Corvus corone Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

Azure Tit Cyanistes cyanus flavipectus

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Great Tit Parus major major and P m

bokharensis Purple Heron Ardea purpurea White-crowned Penduline Tit Remiz

coronatus coronatus Great Egret Ardea alba Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus

Crested Lark Galerida cristata magna

Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmeus Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla

Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus Lesser Short-toed Lark Alaudala

rufescens Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus Sand Martin Riparia riparia innominata Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos canadensis

Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti albiventris

Shikra Accipiter badius Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristis

Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter n nisus Hume’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus humei

Western Marsh Harrier Circus a aeruginosus

Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides

Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus

Black-eared Kite Milvus migrans lineatus (including intergrades)

Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon

Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola

Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Blyth’s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum

Eurasian Coot Fulica atra Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Demoiselle Crane Grus virgo Booted Warbler Iduna caligata Eurasian Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus

Sykes’s Warbler Iduna rama

Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Iduna pallida

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria

Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca althaea and blythi

Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Common Myna Acridotheres tristis Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Rosy Starling Pastor roseus Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris

porphyronotus Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus Common Blackbird Turdus merula

intermedius Common Redshank Tringa totanus Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus

bonapartei Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata ssp

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas galactotes

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos

Little Stint Calidris minuta Blue-whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus

Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina Dunlin Calidris alpina Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti Ruff Philomachus pugnax Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus

White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus leucogaster

Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola House Sparrow Passer domesticus domesticus and indicus

Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei

Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus dilutus

Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava beema, feldegg and thunbergi

Caspian Gull Larus c cachinnans Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica White Wagtail Motacilla alba personata Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris Little Tern Sternula albifrons Common Rosefinch Carpodacus

erythrinus erythrinus and ferghanensis Common Tern Sterna hirundo European Greenfinch Chloris chloris

turkestanicus Black Tern Chlidonias niger Common Linnet Linaria cannabina bella Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

paropanisi Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis

Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra

Rock Dove Columba livia neglecta (including forma domestica)

Rock Bunting Emberiza cia

Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus casiotis

Grey-necked Bunting Emberiza buchanani

Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia oientalis

Red-headed Bunting Emberiza bruniceps

Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

Common Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus pyrrhuloides

Laughing Dove Spilopedia senegalensis Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus ssp Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus ssp

Blyth’s Reed Warbler A dumetorum Akkol lake 21 May 2015 (Arend Wassink)

Sykes’s Warbler I rama Kyzylkol lake 24 May 2015 (Arend Wassink)

Barred Warbler S nisoria second calendar-year female Akkol lake 21 May 2015

(Arend Wassink)

Lesser Whitethroat S curruca blythi second calendar-year Kyzylkol lake 24 May 2015

(Arend Wassink)

REFERENCES

Wassink A 2015. The New Birds of Kazakhstan. De Cocksdorp, Texel. Arend Wassink email: arendwassink@kpnmail.nl