Author: Abralov, Olim; Umirov, Ismoil

Annotation: The impact of habitat and land use on the populations of the Asian shrike (Chlamydotis macqueenii, IUCN “vulnerable”) has not been extensively studied. These birds are rare, secretive, and highly hunted, making accurate estimates of their numbers difficult. In the spring of 2024, male shrike tuvalogs were studied at 231 points in the 14,300 km² area of the Central Kyzylkum National Park. The study developed four sets of models that correlated male bird numbers with: Vegetation structure (shrub height and soil type), Shrub mass, Shrub species composition, and Satellite-based land cover (GLOBCOVER data). Each model also included relief unevenness. According to the results, the strongest effect was observed in vegetation structure factors; followed by shrub species composition and shrub mass. The GLOBCOVER model showed the least fit. Male shrike tuvalogs were most abundant in low shrubs, gravelly soil, and flat areas. The most birds were Salsola rigida shrubs, followed by Salsola arbuscula and Astragalus; Artemisia was lower in the areas, and Calligonum was the least abundant.

Keywords: globcover, distance, migration, Akaike information criterion, Sinai Peninsula

Pages in journal: 93 - 98