The influence of urban environmental factors on wetland birds of the city of Uzhhorod, Ukraine

[Вплив факторів урбосередовища на водно-болотяних птахів міста Ужгорода]

Oksana Stankiewicz-Volosianchuk https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8150-7465

Viktoriia Dzhemyha https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0049-6345

Uzhhorod National University

Cite as

Stankiewicz-Volosianchuk, O., V. Dzhemyha. 2025. The influence of urban environmental factors on wetland birds of the city of Uzhhorod, Ukraine. GEO&BIO, 27: 203-214. [Ukrainian, with English summary]

doi: https://doi.org/10.53452/gb2716

pdf: gb2716_203-214-stan-fin.pdf

Abstract

Research on wetland birds in Uzhhorod has been conducted on the Uzh River year-round since 1994: until 2002, it had been regular and later it became sporadic. Since 2020, research has resumed on the Uzh. Lake Tsehelne has been studied since 2010. The Radvansky Quarry was explored in 2021, while the Black Lakes in 2024. A total of 41 species of wetland birds were identified during the research conducted in Uzhhorod. Of these, 30 were observed on the Uzh River, 20 on the Black Lakes, 9 on the Tsehelne Lake, and 5 on the Radvanka Quarry. The structural and resource features of water bodies in urban environments, in conjunction with the urbanisation factor, serve to determine the species and numbers of wetland birds present in urban areas, including the distribution of these birds across different seasons. Water bodies with a sufficient content of biogenic elements, with aquatic and riparian plants, rich aquatic fauna are trophically attractive. In Uzhhorod, such water bodies include the former clay quarries (Black Lakes and Lake Tsehelne) and the mountain river Uzh. Places with fast and slow currents in the river provide a variety of food resources. Waterfowl mainly feed in deep-water areas. Shallow water is important for herons, storks, and waders. Shallow water and fast currents are a favourable condition for the white-throated dipper Cinclus cinclus and the grey wagtail Motacilla cinerea. The Uzh River is attractive for migratory species as a migration corridor. For the breeding of wetland birds, the degree of coverage of the water body by aquatic plants and riparian thickets, and the area of water bodies are important factors. The size of the area directly correlates with the number of species and abundance of birds that inhabit it. The factor of disturbance of birds by humans (dogs, domestic cats) also affects the breeding resources of the environment. The Black Lakes are the main nesting place for wetland birds in Uzhhorod. Feeding of birds in the city by people in winter and protection from hunters play a positive role. Urban water bodies are an important habitat and breeding ground for wetland birds of Zakarpattia, the especially valuable ones of which can be considered as candidates for having the status of ornithological sanctuaries of local importance.

Key words

urban environment, water bodies, wetland birds, rare species, biodiversity

Correspondence to

Dr. Oksana Stankiewicz-Volosianchuk; Uzhhorod National University; 32 A. Voloshyna Street, Uzhhorod, 88000 Ukraine; Email: oksana.stankiewicz-volosianchuk@uzhnu.edu.ua; orcid: 0000-0002-8150-7465

Article info

Submitted: 05.02.2025. Revised: 13.05.2025. Accepted: 30.06.2025

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