No Synonyms

Description

Common, in places rare breeding migrant. Inhabits salty or rare fresh lakes with salt marsh, sandy or crushed stone shores and islands. Arrives in end March – early April, but in northern areas in end April – early May in flocks of two-three dozen birds. Breeds in colonies (mainly on islands) up to 70 pairs, with stilts, terns, gulls and other waders often. Nest is built on bare ground in shallow hole lined with several dry grass pieces, or without lining usually. Clutches of 2-5 eggs in end April – early June. Both parents incubate for 25-26 days, and care for juveniles, which hatch in May – June and become flying in end June – early August. Nests loss out of flooding in windy feather often, and repeated breeding is not rare. On Caspian and Aral Sea, as on big salty lakes, in August concentrates in big flocks of up to 200-500 birds. Autumn migration begins early, in August mostly, and latest birds recorded end September – early November.

Distribution

Episodically breeds on salty lakes to north up to Kamysh-Samarskiye lakes, Chelkar lake, lower reaches of Ilek river, Mokroye and Teniz lakes in Kustanay oblast, Petropavlovsk, Pavlodarskoye Trans-Irtysh'e and Zaysan depression. On migration occurs in plains everywhere.

References

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