No Synonyms

Description

Common, in places rare breeding migrant. Inhabits plain or hilly deserts and half-deserts with dense soil (clay, crushed stone or saline soil) with scarce vegetation, and sometimes southern steppe with low vegetation, not very far from water. Arrives in end February – March, sometimes in early April. Nest is shallow hole on open ground without lining, under cover of grass sometimes. Clutches of 2-3 eggs, in end March – mid-July. Both parents incubate and care for juveniles. Two broods probably. Regularly flight for water, where occurs from late morning up to evening. Flying juveniles recorded from end May. Autumn migration in September – early October. Massive flight recorded at Dzhungarian “Gate”, where birds fly to China. Latest observed in early November.

Distribution

Breeds and occurs on migration in southern half of plain Kazakhstan, excepting Southern Ustyurt and sandy deserts, north up to Taysogan sands in area adjacent to Caspian Sea from north, in Kurgaldzhino and steppe between Semipalatinsk and Karaaul. On dispersal small flocks recorded in Volzhsko-Ural’skiye sands and lower reaches of Kushum river (early August 1957, 18 and 30 May 1964, 17 October 1975), in middle current of Ural valley (20 and 26 April 1976), lower reaches of Ilek, in Naurzum Reserve (in 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1986 and 1998), in steppe adjacent to Altai Mts., Bukhtarma valley, and also on Markakol’ lake. Wintering in small numbers in Kyzylkum, near Syrdarya valley, on Barsa-Kelmes and two birds recorded in winter 1962/63 at desert near Emba river.

References

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