First breeding record of the Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus, Linnaeus, 1758) in man-made wetlands, northeast Iran: Implications of agricultural expansion and farm damming.

Document Type : Research articles

Authors

1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

3 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran Research Department of Zoological Innovations, Institute of Applied Zoology and Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University

Abstract

The man-made farm dam surrounding the Kashaf-Rud Protected Area has created artificial wetlands, providing an ideal habitat for various bird species. One such species is the Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus), which has made the dam its breeding ground. A total of 42 nests of black-winged Stilts were investigated during the study period from early May onwards in the Kashaf-Rud Protected Area. Our study revealed that nests were built on small patches near the water's edge without aquatic plant incorporation. The mean distance between nests was 3.97±3.281 m, with a mean distance from nests to water of 2.76±1.866 m. We found differences in the mean of clutch size and nest depth compared to previous research in Guilan province of Iran and southern part of Spain highlighting the influence of environmental conditions on nesting attributes within the species. Our results underscore the significance of wetlands in northeastern Iran as favorable habitats for a variety of waterbird species.

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