SPA 3 — Chachuna

Protection status: 11.68% of territory is covered by Chachuna Managed Reserve. 100% of territory is covered by IBA (GEO11). 11.66% IBA (GEO11) is represented by SPA 3.

Species of concern

Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug), Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus), Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus), Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), Ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus), Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax), Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus), Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni), White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). Following species of birds are breeding at Chachuna SPA: 1-2 pairs of Saker Falcon; 1 pair of Lanner Falcon; 4-6 pairs of Eastern Imperial Eagle; 10-12 pairs of Griffon Vulture; 8-10 pairs of Black Vulture; 3-5 pairs of Egyptian Vulture; 15-20 pairs of Lesser Kestrel; 1-2 pairs of White-tailed Eagle; 20-25 pairs of Ruddy Shelduck and 5-6 pairs of Stone Curlew. SPA is important wintering habitat for about 2000 Ruddy Shelducks, 40 Dalmatian Pelicans and 10000 Little Bustards. All species are included in the red list of Georgia, Saker Falcon and Lesser Kestrel as Critically Endangered (CR); Black Vulture, Dalmatian Pelican and White-tailed Eagle – Endangered (EN); Lanner Falcon, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Ruddy shelduck, Little Bustard and Stone Curlew – Vulnerable (VU). Most of them are also included in the IUCN red list, Saker Falcon and Egyptian Vulture as Endangered (EN); Eastern Imperial Eagle, Dalmatian Pelican and Lesser Kestrel – Vulnerable (VU); Black Vulture, Little Bustard and White-tailed Eagle – Near Threatened (NT).

Description of the site

Chachuna SPA is located in the southeastern part of Georgia, at an altitude of 250 – 500 meters. Chachuna has wide variety of habitats.  Riparian forest stretch along the river Iori with dominant species as: Poplar (Populus canescens; Populus nigra), Oak (Quercus longipes), White willow (Salix alba). Riverbanks are covered with Reeds (Phragmites australis). River valley is surrounded with badlands, steppe and savanna type forests with arid light forest, semi-desert and steppe vegetation. Dominant Species of arid light forest are: Mastic tree (Pistacia mutica), two species of Juniper (Juniperus foetidissima; Juniperus polycarpos), Wormwood (Artemisia lerchiana) and Perennial grass (Botriochlora ischaemum) (Kvachakidze 2010). 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 nestlings should be counted. Date of the field expedition, GPS location of the nest and number of nestlings 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

Falcons

Method: Direct count of nesting pairs.

Period: April- May

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

Description: The most falcon Species breed on the ledges of the cliffs or in the cavities of rocks. Lesser kestrel might also nest in old building and in electricity pylons. Usually nests are well concealed. Therefore, counting chicks is challenging. So, the best periods for field expeditions to monitor saker and lanner falcons are second half of April and for lesser kestrel – second half of May. During the expedition falcon nests should be discovered and breeding pairs should be counted. Date of the field expedition, GPS location of the occupied nests (or colony in case of lesser kestrel) and number of breeding pairs should be recorded.

Stone Curlew

Method: Playback count

Period: April- May

Needed Equipment: 4 wheel drive car; player with loud speaker and GPS.

Description: Counting should be performed during dusk or night on predetermined transect from slowly moving vehicle (Map 1)During driving, stone curlews call should be played on player. Stone curlew responds to a call if it’s in the range of 500 meters. GPS coordinates of each response should be recorded. The best time for playback count is during the incubation period, which might varies from April to late May in Chachuna. In order to get the best results, counts should take place at least two times – first in late April and second in mid-May.

Little Bustard

Method: Direct count

Period: January

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

Description: Counts should take place in January. All little bustard wintering territory is covered with vehicle. For good visibility fields should be scanned from elevated places using binoculars and scope. Discovered little bustard flocks should be directly counted using spotting scope. Time, GPS location and number of birds should be recorded. Little bustard counts should be coordinated between Chachuna and Vashlovani SPAs.

Ruddy Shelduck

Method: Direct count

Period: May – January

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

Description: At least two counts should be performed annually. First field expedition should take place in the first half of May to count breeding pairs and their ducklings. After ruddy shelducks hatch, parents with their ducklings appear near the lake. For this time, they are well visible and are much easier to count. Second field expedition should take place in January to count wintering birds. In both cases, Ruddy shelducks should be directly counted on water reservoir (Map 2).

Dalmatian Pelican

Method: Direct count

Period: December – February

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

Description: Wintering Dalmatian pelicans should be directly counted in every month on Dali water reservoir simultaneously with Ruddy Shelducks from the same counting points (map 2).

Coordinates

Transect 1

Start: 41.323438°/45.748000°

End: 41.212852°/45.977836°

Transect 2

Start: 41.343712°/45.869118°

End: 41.281979°/45.903322°

Counting point 1: Coordinates:

Counting point 2: 41.299577°/45.861820°

Birds recorded in the area 268

Photos and maps