New nesting site for Dalmatian Pelican elecanus cispus in a polyspecific colony of aquatic birds on Taaul Lae Romania

Abstract

In the Natura 2000 site, ROSPA 0060 Taşaul - Corbu Lakes, the nesting of Dalmatian Pelican (elecanus crispus Bruch 1832) have been confirmed in 2016. The presence of the species in the breeding season was regurarly recorded in this location since 2008. The novelty is that it is the first proved nesting of the species in Romania, except the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve perimeter, in the last 100 years. The colony is located on the La Ostrov island on Taşaul Lake (Constanţa county). The island hosts a polyspecific colony of aquatic birds, 5 species being recorded during our investigations. In the first phase several counts have been performed from the lake shore using adequate optical equipment and on 24th of June 2016 a direct count on the island have been done. The colony comprises 3 orders elecaniformes, iconiiformes and haradriiformes: Dalmatian Pelican (elecanus crispus) - 12 pairs, 800-900 pairs of Great Cormorant (halacrocora carbo), 100-200 pairs of Little Egret (gretta garetta), 30-50 pairs of Night Heron (Ncticora ncticora) and about 1,000 pairs of Caspian Gull (arus cachinnans). Monitoring of the colony should continue in the following years. Access to the island should be allowed only outside the breeding season of the Dalmatian Pelicans. The colony should be treated as a core area in Natura 2000 site

Keywords

• :Dalmatian Pelican
• colony
• Natura 2000
• aquatic birds
• Taşaul Lake
• SPA
• Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve
• population