Features of Fulica atra nesting on reservoirs with significant recreational load in the city of Kharkiv

Abstract

One of the tasks of modern ecology is to study the formation and sustainability of ecosystems in urbanized areas. The study of species that have a wide ecological plasticity and successfully adapt to the conditions of the anthropogenic landscape is important for a qualitative assessment of the city's avifauna and the current state of the species population. Fulica atra L. is one of the types of wetlands that has adapted to life under conditions of significant anthropogenic pressure. The studies were conducted from March to October 2021. The features of the placement of coot nests in areas with significant anthropogenic pressure have been analyzed. The coordinates of the nests found are plotted on the map. It was investigated that in urban conditions the coot prefers closed reservoirs with a large amount of coastal vegetation, and nests on the river were found singly. Nests are usually built on the folds of last year's plants, but there were also atypical nesting sites. The distance between the nests on the lake was 77.37 ± 40.38 m. The average size of the nest (n = 8): D = 39 cm, d = 24 cm, h = 15.5 cm. The dates of the appearance of the first clutches on Lake Kvituchem and on the Kharkiv River are in the third decade of April, and the last ones on the lake are in the third decade of May, and on the river - in the first decade of July. The average clutch size on Lake Kvituchem in 2021 was 7.81 ± 1.66 eggs. The morphometric parameters of the eggs were determined, their average size was 53.65 ± 2.1 x 36.86 ± 1.7 mm, the average weight was 36.09 ± 3.13 g. The success of hatching chicks in reservoirs with a significant recreational load has been investigated. The first chicks will appear on May 10-13. The features of the behavior of the gloss in relation to a person along with the nest during the setting of eggs were investigated. It was noted that the gloss reacts rather calmly to the constant presence of people on the territory of the nesting territory, but, during the incubation of eggs, it rather aggressively protects its nest. The results presented in the article deserve further monitoring.