The status of Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia in ...wildherzegovina.com/bibliography/Kotrosan-2015a.pdf · May 1885 Reiser (l.c.) noted the nesting of spoonbills ... (2011/12)

ADRIATIC FLYWAY - BIRD CONSERVATION ON THE BALKANS 151

The status of Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Summary

The Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) belongs to two dozens of bird species which stopped breeding in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the past 100 years. Nesting activity was last observed in the area of Bardača, close to the Croatian border, in 1974. Since then, Eurasian Spoonbills were mostly recorded during migration with some occasional winter re-cords. For the period from 2000 - 2014 a total of 101 records of the species were collected in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Overall, 2,890 individuals were registe-red in 16 sites. The data illustrate that in the south of the country the most important stopover sites are situated in karst poljes, particularly in Mostarsko blato, in Livanjsko and Duvanjsko Polje, as well as in the Bardača area in the north. Since 2000 12 co-lour-ringed birds were seen of which 6 birds were ringed as nestlings in Hungary, and the rings on six remaining birds could not be read due to poor quali-ty of photographs. Habitat destruction, especially of stopover sites, is the greatest pressure on the po-pulation migrating through Bosnia and Herzegovina. At present, no action plan exists for the protection of Eurasian Spoonbills and its significant resting and feeding habitats in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Keywords

Eurasian Spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, distribution, migration, population numbers.

1. Introduc�on

The Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) is one of two dozens of bird species which stopped breeding in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the past 100 years. Sys-tematic research on the bird fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina started only in the late 19th century. First evidence for the nesting of Eurasian Spoonbill were found in Livanjsko Polje by Reiser (1939). On 28 May 1885 Reiser (l.c.) noted the nesting of spoonbills in the Ždralovac area in the northern part of Livanjs-ko Polje and managed to collect an egg, which is still deposited in the collection of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo. More recent nesting activities were observed in the Bardača ponds in Posavina in 1973 and 1974 (Obratil 1974, 1983).

Although the Eurasian Spoonbill is one of the most important species, which migrate along the Adriatic Flyway (Stumberger et al. 2013), during the past 30 years in Bosnia and Herzegovina the species was mainly noted during migration with some occasional winter records. Since 2012 observations of Eurasian Spoonbills were collected systematically within the „Identification and Promotion of Karst Poljes in Bosnia and Herzegovina as Wetlands of National and International Importance“ and the „Adriatic Flyway 2“ projects, which will help to identify the signifi-cance of the Adriatic Flyway for the species. For the present paper, based on data gathered since 2000, the current status and migration patterns of the species in Bosnia and Herzegovina was analysed.

Dražen Kotrošan1, Ilhan Dervović1, Mirko Šarac2, Jovica Sjeničić3, Goran Topić1, Nermina Sarajlić1

1 Ornithological Society „Naše p�ce“, Semira Frašte 6, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; E-mail: [email protected] Associa�on „Naša Baš�na“, Mandino Selo bb, 80240 Tomislavgrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina; E-mail: [email protected] Society for Research and Protec�on of Biodiversity, Braće Potkonjaka 16, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina; E-mail: [email protected]

ADRIATIC FLYWAY - BIRD CONSERVATION ON THE BALKANS152

Fig. 1: Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) migra�ng over Plivsko jezero, 22 March 2011.

2. Materials and methods

The data were collected between 2000 and 2014 du-ring individual and group excursions of the authors and by associates of the Birdwatchers‘ Network in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Observation data include basic information on the numbers of birds, location, altitude, habitat type, flight altitude and direction of flight, the presence of rings and readings of colour rings or other markings. Observations of marked birds were forwarded to associates abroad which in most cases provided the life histories of resighted birds. In addition, a photographic documentation was com-piled.

The most intensive collecting of data was done in the period 2012 - 2014 during activities within EuroNatur‘s „Identification and Promotion of Karst Poljes in Bosnia and Herzegovina as Wetlands of Na-tional and International Importance“ and „Adriatic Flyway 2“ projects. Data collected regularly during International Waterbird Censuses (IWCs) are also in-cluded. Additionally, observation data published as short communications, in reports and technical pa-pers from the following sources were used: Dervović (2008/09), Dervović & Kotrošan (2011/12), Kotrošan & Dervović (2008/09), Kitonić & Sackl (2008/09), Ob-ratil (2000), Sjeničić (2011/12a,b), Sjeničić & Drocić (2013), Stumberger & Sackl (2008/09), Stumberger et al. (2007, 2013), Topić (2013), Topić & Kotrošan (2011/12) and Topić et al. (2011/12).

3. Results

During the period from 7 April 2000 - 25 August 2014 101 records of Eurasian Spoonbills from 16 si-tes which concern a total of 2,890 individuals (ind.) were collected in Bosnia and Herzegovina (cf. Tab. 1, Fig. 2).

The largest numbers of ind. were recorded in the area of Bardača, in Mostarsko blato and on Buško Lake in Livanjsko Polje. The highest daily maximum of 500 flying birds on 20 September 2012 was recorded in Bardača. Although some birds were recorded during the breeding period, no nesting activity was confir-med. Thus, birds from the nearby breeding colony in Croatia enter Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly the Bardača area, on a daily routine for feeding. In winter smaller flocks up to a maximum of 9 ind. were registered (Tab. 1).

EURASIAN SPOONBILL IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

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Tab. 1: Seasonal numbers of Eurasian Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia) observed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2000 – 2014 (101 records).

Area Daily maximum per month Total numbers of birds

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

1. Bardača 3 20 15 50 500 2 2 784

2. Duvanjsko polje 26 9 92

3. Prnjavor ponds 26 26

4. Drežnica 22 22

5. Haljinići 8 17 4 3 2 56

6. Hutovo blato 18 18

7. Livanjsko polje (incl. Buško Lake)

107 32 16 22 16 68 63 138 7 868

8. Ljoljići – Pliva river 1 1

9. Bosna river (Miloševac, Tarevci)

9 18

10. Modričko polje (Moriča) 1 11 11 23

11. Mostarsko blato 5 26 200 22 930

12. Tišina and Odmut 11 20 31

13. Popovo polje 7 7

14. Plivsko Lake 1 1

15. Šipovo – Pliva river 2 2

16. Sijekovac 9 2 11

Total 12 5 157 321 58 37 100 88 572 168 14 2 2.890

„The most important stopover sites are situated in karst poljes, i.e. in Mostarsko

blato, Livanjsko and Duvanjsko Polje, in the south as well as in the Bardača area

in the north of the country“


Fig. 2: Loca�on of records of Eurasian Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2000 – 2014.

Most spoonbills were registered during spring migra-tion (Fig. 2). The migration routes generally coincide with the migration corridor of Eurasian Crane (Grus grus) through Bosnia and Herzegovina and confirms the importance of the Adriatic Flyway for the species (Topić et al., this volume).

The most important stopover sites are situated in karst poljes, i.e. in Mostarsko blato, Livanjsko and Duvan-jsko Polje, in the south as well as in the Bardača area in the north of the country (Fig. 3). With records of > 200 ind. Mostarsko blato appears to be one of the



most important stopover sites of Eurasian Spoonbills in the western Balkans (cf. Stumberger et al. 2013).

During the present study records of 12 colour-ringed birds were compiled. Of these 6 ind. were ringed as

Fig. 3: Loca�on of records of Eurasian Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia) in Bosnia and Herzegovina during spring and autumn migra�on, 2010 – 2014.

nestlings in Hungary (Pigniczki & Karcza 2013). The rings on another 6 birds couldn‘t be read due to poor quality of photographs (Fig. 4).



Fig. 4: Colour-ringed Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) in Modričko Polje, 27 June 2010.

4. Threats and protec�on of spoonbills

The destruction of habitats, which the species uses as stop-over sites during migration or for feeding during summer, is currently the most urgent conser-vation issue for the Eurasian Spoonbill in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the past few years floodplain mea-dows in Bardača – one of the most important sum-mer feeding sites for spoonbills in the country – have been drained and converted into agricultural lands for maize production (Fig. 5 & 6). On the other hand, shooting and poisoning are not as common, although individual cases were registered.

In 2011 and 2012, the entity ministries of the Fede-ration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska have both initiated projects for the preparati-on of a Red List, with the task to prepare draft propo-

sals. Both drafts were published as official documents (decrees and regulations) which cause some confusi-on, because it is uncertain if they are official lists or not. The Red List for the Republic of Srpska contains 304 species, including the Eurasian Spoonbill, but is giving no information on the conservation status of the species listed (Anonymus 2012). In the „Red List“ of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Škrijelj et al. 2013) the Eurasian Spoonbill is listed together with 62 migratory, wintering or non-breeding species and labeled as EN (Endangered).

At present no action plan for the protection of the Eurasian Spoonbill and its habitats in Bosnia and Herzegovina exists.


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Sje

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Fig. 5 and 6: Destroyed habitats of Eurasian Spoonbill in Bardača, 23 January 2013.


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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Borut Stumberger, Narcis and Sumeja Drocić, Mato Gotovac, Nataša Crnković, Peter Sackl, Davorka Kitonić and Dejan Kulijer for coopera-tion and providing their observations for the present study.

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Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), Paratuk Island, Montenegro, 20 March 2016.

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Documents

The status of Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia in ...wildherzegovina.com/bibliography/Kotrosan-2015a.pdf · May 1885 Reiser (l.c.) noted the nesting of spoonbills ... (2011/12)