State of the White Stork population in Ukraine in 2010. - V.N. Grishchenko, E.D. Yablonovska-Grishchenko. - Berkut. 19 (1-2). 2010. - P. 81-92.
Data were obtained on 99 monitoring plots in all the regions of Ukraine. They had 1218 occupied nests on the overall area 7.8 ths km². Migration and breeding phenology, number dynamics and breeding success were studied. The year was favourable for the White Stork. The spring arrival was early. In separate regions deviations of mean first arrival dates from long-term mean dates (1992–2010) fluctuated from –7.8 to +1.4 (–3,49 ± 0,61 days (± se), 17 regions). Young birds left the nests since 10.07 till 5.08, majority of broods started to fly on 15–20.07. Mean date of the fledge is 18.07 (± 0,8 days, n = 34). The autumn passage started also unusually early. The first migrating flocks were observed in some points already in late July – early August. Last departures were registered since 16.08 till 5.10. In 2010 the White Stork population in Ukraine has renewed after drastic number decreasing in a catastrophic year 2009. On monitoring plots the number increased on average in 13,9 ± 2,4% (n = 75). It exceeded the decline in 2009 (–11,1 ± 1,5%, n = 77). The stork population has restored in the whole country and in majority of regions except the Carpathians. In Central Ukraine the renewal was incomplete (8,2 ± 5,4, n = 10 in 2010 vs. –8,3 ± 5,4, n = 8 in 2009). Storks raised on average 2,61 ± 0,05 fledged youngs per breeding pair and 2,96 ± 0,05 fledged youngs per successful pair. 11,6 ± 0,9 pairs bred unsuccessful. Reproductive parameters in 2010 some exceeded the long-term mean values. Productivity of breeding rose from the west to the east. Reproductive parameters were the lowest in the Carpathians and the highest in the left-bank part of Ukraine (to the east from the Dnieper). The highest part of unsuccessful pairs was found on 5 monitoring plots near the border of breeding range in South-East and East Ukraine but at the same time there were the largest broods here (JZm = 3,98 ± 0,12). In 2010 broods had from 1 to 6 fledglings. Majority of stork pairs raised 3 youngs (37,8%, n = 1035). 4 nests with 6 fledglings were registered in Chernigiv and Sumy regions. The share of broods with 5 fledglings rose from 0.7% in west regions to 15.0% in North-East Ukraine and 17.3% in East Ukraine. According to proposed index of favourability (Grishchenko, 2009) the year 2010 was one of the best during the period of monitoring (1992–2010). The actual number of White Stork population in Ukraine is estimated in at least 30–35 ths breeding pairs. [Russian].
Key words: White Stork, Ciconia ciconia, monitoring, breeding success, number dynamics, migration.
Address: V.N. Grishchenko, Kaniv Nature Reserve, 19000 Kaniv, Ukraine; e-mail: vgrishchenko@mail.ru.