SPA 2 — Alazani Valley

Protection status: 73.71% of territory is covered by IBA (GEO25). 39.83% of IBA (GEO25) is represented by SPA 2.

Species of concern

Pygmy Cormorant (Microcarbo pygmaeus), Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna feruginea), Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax), Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis). Ruddy Shelduck, Black-bellied Sandgrouse and Little Bustard use Alazani valley for migration. Following species of birds are breeding at Alazani valley SPA: 1-2 pairs of Eastern Imperial Eagle; 1-2 pairs of White-tailed Eagle; 20-30 pairs of Pygmy Cormorant. Ruddy Shelduck, Eastern Imperial Eagle and Little Bustard are included on the red list of Georgia as Vulnerable (VU) and White-tailed Eagle – as Endangered (EN). Eastern Imperial Eagle is also classified on the IUCN red list as Vulnerable (VU) and Little Bustard and White-tailed Eagle – as Near Threatened.

Description of the site

Alazani valley SPA is located in the eastern part of Georgia, at an altitude of 200 – 250 meters. Riparian forests are stretching along the river Alazani. Poplar (Populus canescens; Populus nigra), Alder (Alnus barbata), Hawthorn (Crataegus kyrtostyla), and Reed (Svida australis) (Kvachakidze 2010) dominate river Alazani riparian forests. See the bird list below for Avifauna.

Monitoring

Large Raptors

Method: Nest count & assessment of breeding success

Period: April- July

Needed Equipment: 20X60 magnification spotting scope; 8X or 10X magnification binoculars; GPS.

Description: At least two field expeditions are required to count nesting pairs and to assess breeding success. During the first expedition nests should be discovered and nestling should be counted. Date, GPS location of the nest and number of nestling should be recorded. During the second expedition, the breeding success should be assessed, by counting number of chicks in the same nests which were discovered during the first expedition. Species, expedition dates and nesting habitat description see in table 1.

Table1

Pygmy Cormorant

Method: Count of breeding pairs

Period: May – June

Needed Equipment: 20X60 magnification spotting scope; 8X or 10X magnification binoculars; GPS; Inflatable boat.

Description: Pygmy cormorants live in pairs or in colonies. For breeding they choose lake and river banks with dense vegetation.  Field expedition should take place at the beginning of June during incubation. Colonies and separated nest should be discovered and unique names should be given to each nesting place. Date, number of total and among them occupied nests and GPS locations for each nesting place should be recorded.

Ruddy Shelduck, Black-bellied Sandgrouse and Little Bustard

Method: Direct count

Period: Spring and autumn

Needed Equipment: 4 wheel drive car; 20X60 magnification spotting scope; 8X or 10X magnification binoculars; GPS.

Description: Counts should take place in every month in spring and in autumn. The whole territory should be covered using vehicle. For good visibility, fields should be scanned from elevated places using binoculars and scope. Already discovered bird flocks should be directly counted using spotting scope. Time, GPS coordinates and number of birds should be recorded.

Birds recorded in the area 223

Photos and maps