Short Communication |
Corresponding author: Nika Budagashvili ( nika.budagashvili.1@iliauni.edu.ge ) Academic editor: Levan Mumladze
© 2024 Nika Budagashvili, Josip Turkalj.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Budagashvili N, Turkalj J (2024) The first documented breeding record of White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus (Lichtenstein, 1823) in Georgia. Caucasiana 3: 163-169. https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.3.e128928
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This paper reports the first documented breeding record of the White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus in Georgia, with additional information on its status in Georgia and in the adjacent countries.
Avifauna, Breeding, Georgia, White-tailed Lapwing
The White-tailed Lapwing (Fig.
White-tailed Lapwing is classified as an irregular visitor in Georgia (
Azerbaijan. According to
Armenia. The first record of White-tailed Lapwing in Armenia was from Armash fishponds in July 1989. The first possible breeding was found in late May of 1999. One year later the species was found presumably incubating at the same location (Armash fishponds) in late May 2000. The breeding was finally confirmed on 9 June 2001 (
Türkiye. The first breeding White-tailed Lapwings in Türkiye were found in the 1970s, at least around five different sites (
Russia. The breeding of the White-tailed Lapwing was seen in southern Russia in the west of the Volga river, close to the Russia-Kazakhstan border (
The potential nesting area was checked by the spotting scope (Swarovski ATX 25-60x85) and binoculars (ZEISS Victory 10x42 mm, Swarovski Optik EL Swarovision Binocular, 10x42 mm) from a safe distance. Additionally, digital DSLR cameras and mobile phones were used to document the species, nests, and habitat. After discovering the territorial individual possibly protecting the incubating pair, the approximate distance and location to the possible nest were determined to check and confirm breeding. The potential territorial behaviour of the pair has been observed for half an hour. Additionally, personal communications have been sourced from one other observer, who observed six individuals of the species around the same location.
As the first observation in 2024, two White-tailed Lapwings were reported to be seen in the Gardabani municipality on Kumisi Lake, Kvemo Kartli region (Fig.
Our observations. In total, four individuals of the White-tailed Lapwings were seen by us on 27 May 2024, close to Kumisi Lake. The birds were observed in a colony of breeding Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus), and Northern Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus). While observing the pair from a distance, from dense bushes, without causing any disturbance, the territorial behaviour of the White-tailed Lapwing was seen. The territorial pair was chasing away Black-winged stilts walking close to the possible incubating pair/nest. Agitated behaviour was also observed when White-tailed Lapwing started to chase flying Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) from its territory. In addition to observing territorial behaviour, one individual was observed sitting on the nest. The presence of the species was also checked and confirmed on 8 June (2 individuals, still on the nest) and 6 July (6 individuals).
Habitat. The breeding pair was observed in the close vicinity of a shallow standing pond and a slow-flowing creek, close to the reservoir (Kumisi) (Fig.
Details regarding the presence of White-tailed Lapwings (Vanellus leucurus) in Georgia from 1984 to 2023.
Number of recorded individuals | Location of the observation | Date of the observation | Source/observers |
5 | Paravani Lake | 18.08.1984 | |
2 | Alazani river valley | 28.10.1991 | |
1 | Madatapa Lake | 24.05.2003 | |
1 | Chorokhi River Delta | 01.05.2012 | Roland Schlegel |
1 | Jandari Lake | 21.09.2016 | Kristof Goemaere, Olivier Dochy, Kristof Goemaere |
2 | Gurjaani Fishpond | 05.04.2019 | Zakro Songhulashvili |
1 | Shida Kartli | 15.04.2021 | Alexander Abuladze |
1 | Jandari Lake | 05.09.2021 | Christian Goenner |
1 | Chorokhi River Delta | 13.04.2022 | Tohar Tal, Erik Jansen, Marc Heetkamp |
2 | Kumisi Lake | 17.04.2022 | Christian Goenner, Asmus Schröter |
6 | Chorokhi River Delta | 28.04.2022 | Nika Budagashvili, Zura Gurgenidze |
2 | Maltakva River mouth | 30.04.2022 | Nika Budagashvili, Zura Gurgenidze |
3 | Chorokhi River Delta | 30.04.2022 | Nika Budagashvili, Zura Gurgenidze |
2 | Chorokhi River Delta | 01.05.2022 | Erik Jansen, Marc Heetkamp |
4 | Chorokhi River Delta | 06.05.2022 | Erik Jansen, Marc Heetkamp |
2 | Chorokhi River Delta | 09.05.2022 | Erik Jansen, Marc Heetkamp |
1 | Chorokhi River Delta | 13.05.2022 | Erik Jansen, Marc Heetkamp, Elien Hoekstra |
2 | Jandari Lake | 18.04.2023 | David Berten, Wouter Van Gompel, Raf Plas |
1 | Chorokhi River Delta | 25.04.2023 | Natalia Pytigina |
2 | Jandari Lake | 27.04.2023 | Asmus Schröter |
Kumisi Lake provides an important habitat as a stop-over site during the migration for Charadriiformes and other bird species. There are several notable bird species that are observed using the lake or the vicinity of the lake, such as Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), Greater Sand Plover (Anarhynchus leschenaultii), Eurasian Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia), Terek Sandpipers (Xenus cinereus), Broad-billed Sandpipers (Calidris falcinellus), Red-footed Falcons (Falco vespertinus), Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus), etc. The lake is more important as a wintering location for many waterfowl species, as when the lakes on the Javakheti Plateau are frozen in winter, most of the wintering waterfowl search for other resting places nearby. Kumisi Lake provides habitat for the globally vulnerable Common Pochards (Aythya ferina) (
As of today, the lake is not protected by Georgian law and is a well-known hunting spot locally. As a habitat for breeding, Kumisi Lake is considered less significant, but it still provides small populations of some local species. As a waterside species, Black-winged stilts are nesting around the lake in small colonies. Occasionally, Whiskered Terns (Chlidonias hybrida) also breed on the lake, as well as Great-crested Grebes (Podiceps cristatus), Little Grebes (Tachybaptus ruficollis), Black-necked Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), and Ruddy Shelducks (Tadorna ferruginea). The newly discovered nesting White-tailed Lapwing is an important addition to the breeding birds of the lake and country, and to consider that the species became a common breeder in its originally discovered locations in the adjacent countries after the first confirmation, additional conservation efforts are required in Georgia. Therefore, we recommend strengthening the legal protection of the lake to preserve newly established species on the lake and maintain a stable future population as it expanded and increased in the neighbouring countries (
We are grateful to Tohar Tal for providing information that allowed us to confirm breeding. Extra gratitude is owed to Nayib Hamdoun, Fernando Casado Angulo, and Miguel Pérez Sainz for their prompt submission of species-related data.
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
No ethical statement was reported.
No funding body is reported.
All authors have contributed equally.
Nika Budagashvili https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6166-9945
Josip Turkalj https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2740-7428
All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text or Supplementary Information.