Vanellus gregarious (Pallas, 1771)

Sociable lapwing –

Vanellus gregarious

The sociable lapwing is a strikingly patterned plover species listed as Critically Endangered (CR) by the IUCN.

It is listed as CR due to recent dramatic declines in population size across its range, with an estimated 5,600 pairs remaining globally. It is thought that illegal hunting during migration and on wintering grounds may now be the species primary threat, although the reasons for its recent decline are poorly understood (Birdlife International, 2018).

The species breeds in Northern Kazakhstan during the summer months, and a large percentage of the population flies south-west to spend the winter in Syria and Sudan between September and March. A recently discovered migratory population however migrate to the east to winter in Pakistan, crossing Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on their journey, and resting at stopover sites along their route (Birdlife International, 2018).

The Tallymerjan area on the Uzbekistan/Turkmenistan border (approx. 140km south of the project area) has been highlighted as a key stopover site for the eastern flyway, with all birds monitored on the eastern flyway using this site as a stopover site during their migration. This indicates that one third of the global population may be using this site.

Consultation with ecologists from the Emirate Centre for the Conservation of the Houbara (ECCH) at the Uzbekistan ECCH headquarters (to the east of Lake Tudakul) undertaken during the March field survey visit confirmed that low numbers of sociable lapwing utilise the steppe habitats associated with the hinterland of Lake Tudakul IBA as a stopover site during their migration (a single bird was recorded in 2019 and this species prefers wet steppe habitat [ECCH, pers comm]).

It is possible that birds fly over the proposed project site (see map below of tracked birds in 2015). It is also therefore possible that birds could use habitat surrounding the project as stopover sites during migration, however there is no reasonable likelihood that the proposed Project site is a stopover site for this species considering the relatively small size of the steppe habitat which is ubiquitous throughout the region and the relative remoteness from the known stopover site associated with Lake Tudakul IBA. Additionally, the dry steppe habitat within the proposed Project site is less favourable for this species compared to wetter areas of steppe and cultivated habitat in the wider landscape.