Slender-billed Curlew

Slender-billed Curlew

Status: III category, Critically Endangered, CR, C2a(ii); D. One of 3 representatives of the genus in the fauna of the Kyrgyz Republic. Monotypic species.

General distribution and in the country. Breeds presumably in the area occupied by the southern strip of the taiga zone of Western Siberia from the Ural Mountains eastward to the Ob River valley. Actual evidence of nesting exists for the regions of Tara and Barnaul. Occasionally encountered during migration in the wetlands of flat Kazakhstan [7, 43]. In the Kyrgyz Republic, vagrant individuals are found in the Issyk-Kul basin, and single encounters in the wetlands of the Chui Valley are not excluded [4].

Habitat. Prefers wetlands, low and middle mountains.

Population. No data on population numbers.

Life style (life cycles). For Kyrgyzstan, it is undoubtedly a vagrant species, as the territory of the republic lies outside the usual migration routes of the Slender-billed Curlew from nesting sites to wintering grounds in West Africa [91]. At the same time, such vagrancies cannot be excluded in the future, therefore, considering the extreme rarity of this species, any actions that harm the bird itself and its resting and feeding sites are extremely undesirable.

Limiting factors. Illegal shooting, drainage of feeding habitats.

Breeding (keeping in captivity). Not kept in captivity in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Existing conservation measures. There are no special conservation measures in the republic. The species is listed in the IUCN Red List in category III, Critically Endangered, CE.

Recommended conservation measures. It is necessary to protect sites suitable for resting and feeding during migration, manage water resources to prevent the drainage of habitats suitable for the Slender-billed Curlew. It is important to conduct awareness-raising work among the local population; all cases of Slender-billed Curlew sightings should be immediately reported to scientific institutions and relevant NGOs in Kyrgyzstan.

Ичкетумшуктуу тёёчулдук

Slender-billed Curlew
Numenius tenuirostris Vieillot, 1817
Status: III category, Critically Endangered, CR, C2a(ii); D. Monotypic species. Extremely rare vagrant bird in Issyk-Kul oblast. Prefers wetlands. No data on numbers is available. Kyrgyzstan is located out of major Slender-billed Curlew’s migrating routes. However, vagrant cases are not excluded in future both in Issyk-Kul oblast and Chu Valley. That is why any actions negatively affecting either the bird and/or its habitats are extremely undesirable. Limiting factors are drainage of suitable for roosting habitats and illegal poaching. No special protection measures are undertaken so far. It is important to protect those sites suitable for Curlew’s feeding and roosting against drainage and poor water management. It is recommended to conduct public awareness campaigns; all recorded cases should be immediately reported to Kyrgyz scientific institutions and environmental NGOs.