Ferruginous Duck
Status: VI category, Near Threatened, NT. Monotypic species. One of four species of the genus in the avifauna of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Distribution general and in the country. In North Africa, in northern Morocco, northeastern Algeria, northwestern Tunisia, locally in southern Libya and eastern Saudi Arabia. Eurasia from the southern Iberian Peninsula, east to the upper reaches of the Ob, the foothills of Altai, the Urunyu Valley, the upper reaches of the Huang He. To the north - to the central part of Western Europe, to the areas of Pskov, Smolensk, Kaluga, Ryazan, Kazan, Ufa, between the Ural Mountains and Lake Chany north to the 56th parallel, east of the lake the northern border of the range drops south into the foothills of Altai and to Zaysan. To the south to the Mediterranean coast, Asia Minor, northern Iran, Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Ladakh. The northern border of the range is unstable, and the eastern limits require clarification [7, 15]. In the Kyrgyz Republic, it is observed during migration in the Chui Valley, in the Issyk-Kul region, and in the lake areas of the Inner Tien-Shan [2, 6, 16].
Habitat. Prefers lakes, reservoirs, and ponds with rich aquatic vegetation and populated by small aquatic animals.
Population. The Ferruginous Duck is more commonly observed during migration in autumn than in spring. In the Chui Valley, flocks of up to 15 individuals were noted in spring [21], while in the first half of summer, the duck is quite rare. At Issyk-Kul, it is found in much smaller numbers, no more than 1-2 pairs along a 5-kilometer route [2, 17, 18]. In autumn, at high-altitude lakes Son-Kul and Chatyr-Kul, flocks of Ferruginous Ducks ranging from 15-20 to 40-50 are regularly observed during migration. Molting birds are observed from July [6].
Life style (life cycles). Migratory species. During winter, it is found almost throughout India, in Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as in the Yangtze River basin [19, 20]. In spring, the first birds appear in the Kyrgyz Republic in the 1st-3rd decades of April. After nesting in northern latitudes, molting birds appear in summer at high-altitude lakes. Autumn migrations are observed in September-October. Feeding preferences include vegetative parts of aquatic plants, seeds of legumes, buckwheat, borage, buttercups; remnants of ephedra and horsetail have been observed, and less frequently - caddisflies, their larvae, and small fish [2, 17, 19].
Limiting factors. Increasing recreational and economic pressure on water bodies suitable for molting and feeding of the Ferruginous Duck.
Breeding (keeping in captivity). Not kept in captivity in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Existing conservation measures. Protected, along with other species, in reserves and protected areas of Kyrgyzstan. No other special measures are provided. Included in the IUCN Red List of globally threatened species, VI, NT [1].
Recommended conservation measures. It is recommended to exclude the species from the list of hunting birds in the Kyrgyz Republic, conduct targeted conservation activities, and carry out awareness campaigns among the local population near lakes Son-Kul and Chatyr-Kul, in areas of mass molting of this species, and actively engage activists in conservation activities. Regular counts of the duck population should be conducted in migration areas to monitor the status of migrating populations. The Ferruginous Duck was observed in May in the Chui Valley and in the Issyk-Kul region. A male captured in the Chui Valley had enlarged testes, which does not exclude the possibility of nesting in these areas, thus searching for potential nesting sites in Northern Kyrgyzstan should be considered a priority [2, 18].
Aккоз ордогу
Ferruginous Duck
Aythya nyroca (Guldenstadt, 1770)
Status: VI category, Near Threatened, NT. Monotypic species. Migrates through Chu, Issyk-Kul Valleys, highland lakes of Inner Tien-Shan. There were flocks observed up to 15 birds in Chu valley during spring time. The number of ducks in Issyk-Kul is 1-2 pairs for 5 km transect. Big flocks of Ferruginous Ducks consisting of 15-50 birds are seen in autumn in highland lakes higher 3,000 m (9,800 feet) above sea level. The species is not held in captivity in the country. No special conservation measures are currently undertaken. It is recommended to exclude the species from the list of hunting birds, conduct awareness campaigns in order to help hunters to identify the bird before game shooting and minimize such cases.
