SPA 9 — Khevi

Protection status: 9.46% of territory is covered Kazbegi Protected Areas.  SPA 9 is same as IBA (GEO21).

Species of concern

Caucasian Grouse (Lyrurus mlokosiewiczi), Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus), Guldenstadt’s Redstart (Phoenicurus erythrogastrus), Great Rosefinch (Carpodacus rubicilla), Soaring birds. There are  large breeding populations of Caucasian grouse (Gavashelishvili et al. 2010), Guldenstadt’s Redstart and Great Rosefinch in the Khevi SPA. 2-3 pairs of Bearded vulture and 15-20 pairs Griffon Vulture breed in Khevi. Black Vulture is Year-round visitor (Galvez et al. 2005).  An area is used by over 30 000 raptors for migration in autumn and spring. All of species (except Black Vulture) are included on the red list of Georgia as Vulnerable (VU) and Black Vulture as Endangered (EN). Caucasian Grouse and Black Vulture are also classified on the IUCN red list as Near Threatened (NT).

Description of the site

Khevi SPA is located in the north part of Georgia, at an altitude of 1300 – 5000 meters. Mountain slopes up to 2000 meters above sea level are covered with mountain forests dominated by Pine (Pinus Sosnowskyi), Birches (Betula litwinowii, Betula pendula), Poplar (Populus tremula), Sorb (Sorbus caucasigena) and Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides). Above 2000 meters, subalpine and alpine meadows and scrublands are dominated with following vegetation: Rhododendron (Rhododendron caucasicum), Meadow Fescue (Festuca varia), Bellflower (Campanula latifolia), Mat-grass (Nardus stricta), Sosnowsky Hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi), and Monkshood (Aconitum nasutum). (Kvachakidze 2010). See the bird list below for Avifauna.

Monitoring

Caucasian Black Grouse

Method: Lekking male count

Period: May

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

Description: Field expedition should take place every May. During the expedition grouse leks should be discovered, GPS locations of the leks should be recorded and lekking males should be counted. Counts should be repeated at least once more during the season. Leks should be given unique names, mapped using coordinates collected on the field and number of males attending the lek should be recorded, date and weather conditions should be recorded as well. Results should be recorded in the database.

Large Raptors

Method: Nest count & assessment of breeding success

Period: April- July

Needed Equipment: 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

Guldenstadt’s Redstart and Great Rosefinch

Method: Point count

Period: December-January

Needed Equipment: 8X or 10X magnification binoculars; GPS.

Description: Counts for both species should take place in the winter, when whole area is covered with snow. In that kind of conditions see buckthorn stays only food source for them. Birds of both species concentrate near Town Stepantsminda where Sea buckthorn bushes are creating dominant vegetation in riparian zone of riv. Tergi and Snostskali. That makes easier to estimate abundance of concentrated birds. Birds are directly counted from predetermined points. Count from each point lasts 5 minutes. Maximum number of different individuals of both species and sexes are separately recorded. Counts should take place between 8:00 – 10:00a.m.

Soaring birds

Method: Migrating birds count

September – October

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

Description: Migrating raptors should be counted at “bottleneck” sites along their migration routes. During two months (September-October), number and species of counted migrating birds should be recorded daily. Date and weather conditions should be recorded as well. Count data should be entered in the database at the end of the day. Observing point see below (Map 2).

Counting point 1: 42.664778°/44.639703°

Counting point 2: 42.665979°/44.637819°

Counting point 3: 42.651890°/44.655259°

Counting point 4: 42.647859°/44.639623°

Counting point 5: 42.647336°/44.647818°

Counting point 6: 42.643514°/44.632810°

Counting point 7: 42.634295°/44.627889°

Counting point 8: 42.636417°/44.630194°

Counting point 9: 42.635835°/44.626084°

Counting point 10: 42.674480°/ 44.646979°

Coordinates: 42.662088°°/44.620543°

Birds recorded in the area 179

Photos and maps