Swamps as habitats of rare raptor species in the Nizhny Novgorod region

Abstract

This article presents relevant contribution to the distribution and number of six species of birds of prey listed in the Red Data Book of RF, in the territory of swamps in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Three species of rare birds of prey in the Nizhny Novgorod region demonstrate a very strong relationship with the swamps of the region - Golden Eagle, Short-toed Eagle and Osprey. All the nesting sites of Golden Eagles are rigidly connected with bog complexes; 66.1% sites of the Short-toed Eagle sites are located in swamps. Osprey can also nest along rivers, but, most likely, the loss of densely located nesting sites in bogs (45.8%) will lead to catastrophic consequences for the species. The Greater Spotted Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle are associated with swamps for the second time, and their rates are 11.8% and 11.7%. Earlier the Peregrine Falcon in the region had a significant percentage of nesting sites in wetlands (26.7%), but now seems to be lost as a breeding species. The total percentage of neting sites located in wetlands for all raptor species listed in the Red Data Book of RF in the Nizhny Novgorod region is 39.5%. All the species under consideration are bioindicators of wetlands and adjacent habitats and allow assessing the conditions of this habitat.