Native Birds Of Kazakhstan

The country of Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia and is the largest of all the Central Asian countries. Kazakhstan's range extends from the Caspian Sea on its western border to the Altai Mountains on its eastern border. Most of the geography of Kazakhstan is rugged terrain. The country is home to more than 500 different species of bird. This article will discuss some of these native birds and their physical characteristics, habitat and range as well as their current status.

Select Native Birds of Kazakhstan

Eurasian Oystercatcher

The Eurasian Oystercatcher, scientific name Haematopus ostralegus, is a species of bird that is a member of the Haematopodidae family that is made up of the oystercatcher groups of waders. These birds have white and black colored feathers, with the under-parts being white and the upper-parts being black, apart from white patches on the tail and wings. They also have red legs and a long, broad red bill. This species is mostly found in coastal estuarie mudflats, saltmarshes, sandy shoes and rocky shores. This species is found in an enormous number of different countries, ranging from as far east as Portugal to as far west as Japan and to as far south as Nigeria. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List the Eurasian Oystercatcher has been listed as a near threatened species since 2015 and its current population is decreasing. The major threats that the species faces is from the over-fishing of its main food source of shellfish, habitat degradation due to land reclamation, industrial development, coastal barrage construction and from sea level rise.

Ibisbill

The Ibisbill, scientific name Ibidorhyncha struthersii, is a species of bird that is unique enough to be a member of its own family, Ibidorhynchidae. Adults of the species grow to be around 15 to 16 inches in length. The species has grey feathers and a white belly that is contrasted by its red legs and black breast band and face. They also have a long, curved crimson colored bill. This species is usually found in shingle-bed river valleys that have almost no vegetation with patches of sand and silt mixed in with various small rocks. The species is native to all countries of Central Asia, as well as Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, India, China and Myanmar. According to the IUCN Red List the Ibisbill has been listed as a species of least concern since 2004 and its current population trend is presently unknown. This species is currently facing no major threats do to its large range and lack of a declining habitat.

Red-Throated Loon

The Red-Throated Loon, scientific name Gavia stellata, is a species of bird that is a member of the Gaviidae family of loons. The adults of this species are between 21 to 27 inches in length and weigh between 2.2 to 6 pounds. This species is the smallest and the lightest species of loon on Earth. This species has dark-grey brown colored feathers with a white underside and a dark grey head with a triangular red colored throat patch. Although migratory, it sticks to coastal areas after breeding and usually nests in smaller waters like freshwater lakes or open moorland. This species is found over a large swath of countries from Portugal as far west as Japan and south to Turkey. It is also found in the western hemisphere in Canada, the United States and Mexico. According to the IUCN Red List the Red-Throated Loon has been listed as a species of least concern since 2004 and its current population trend is decreasing. The major threats that this species faces are from water level fluctuations in its breeding waters, acid in its breeding waters and from human disturbance and construction in its habitats.

What is being done to help the native birds of Kazakhstan

There are actions that are being taken to help protect the native birds of Kazakhstan. The government of Kazakhstan, as well as some of the governments that these species are found it, have set up national parks and protected nature reserves to help protected these birds and other species. Some of these species are also protected with laws that have been put in place to help protect and conserve their environments and their food sources. There are also monitors set up for certain species to keep track of their population and breeding.