Races:
Ixobrychus minutus minutus Linnaeus, 1766

No Synonyms

Description

Common and in places abundant breeding migrant. Inhabits mainly rivers, ponds and small lakes with reed-beds, bushes and trees on plains. Arrives in early April - early May in singly or in small groups, and migration comes to an end in mid-May. Breeding in single pairs sometimes not far from one another. Nest is built in reeds very close to water (up to 0.5 m above) from reed stems and leaves, or on bushes or trees from dry twigs scantily lined with dry grass up to 3 m off ground. Clutches of 4-9 eggs found in May. Both parents incubate 16-19 days, and feed juveniles both by day and by night. If disturbed, they leave nest at 17-18 days old, but return after some time. Flying young observed from end of July up to early September. Autumn migration in small flocks begins in second half of August, but peaks in September. Last birds observed end September, but in southern areas they seen up to end October or even early November.

Distribution

Widely breeds and migrates on plain lakes and reservoirs, north up to Ural'sk, Utva-Ilek area, Naurzum Reserve (Gordienko, 1983; Bragin, Bragina, 2002), Kurgaldzhino Reserve, Semipalatinsk and Zaysan lake. In June 1986 recorded in Chernyy Irtysh valley. During migration occur on plains mostly, but many birds recorded in foothills of Western Tien Shan (mainly in mid – end September).

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005
Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.