Autumn Migration of the Rare Yellow-Eyed Pigeon Columba eversmanni from Western Tian Shan (Tanyrtau), Kazakhstan

Bekzhan T. Berdikulov, Andrei Gavrilov, V Ilina, Gang Song, Fumin Lei

2024

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DOI 10.5253/arde.2023.a12
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

The Yellow-eyed Pigeon Columba eversmanni is globally endangered and one of the rarest pigeons with a predominantly Central Asian distribution, nesting in the valleys of the Syr Darya and Ili Rivers in Kazakhstan. The causes of the sharp population decline of the species are unknown, partially due to fragmentary migration data and a lack of information on their migration routes. In this study we aimed to gather novel information on the migration patterns of Yellow-eyed Pigeons by deploying GPS/GSM transmitters. Long-term ringing data showed a clear decline in the number of captured Yellow-eyed Pigeons. Two individuals were tagged in mid-September, during autumn passage at the Shakpak Pass in Kazakhstan. Both could be tracked over a migration distance of more than 1000 km, yielding precise data about the flight direction, speed, distance and stopover behaviour of these birds during their autumn migration. During migration, the two birds achieved maximum travel rates of 257 km/day and 243 km/day, respectively, with an average of 102 km/day. The flyway during autumn migration includes several stopover sites located in south Kazakhstan, east Uzbekistan and north Afghanistan. The birds primarily utilized forest belts, crop fields and trees in rural areas as stopover sites during autumn migration, while preferred night-time roosting in trees in crop fields and on buildings. These findings are significant as they underscore the importance of using GPS/GSM trackers to study Yellow-eyed Pigeon migration on a larger scale, which could provide more comprehensive data on their habitats and movements and facilitate the identification of potential threats.