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Southern Russia

Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus ©Doug Janson CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Website

Southern Russia Federal District, one of the eight Russian districts, consists of the republics of Kalmykia and Adygeya; the krai of Krasnodar; and the oblasts of Rostov, Volgograd and Astrakhan. Its territory lies mostly on the Pontic–Caspian steppe of Southern Russia. It shares borders with Ukraine, the Azov Sea, and the Black Sea in the west, and Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea in the east.

It covers an area of 418,500 km² and has a population of almost 14 million people. The administrative capital is Rostov-on-Don, a city of around 1,125,000 people; the second city is Volgograd.

The landscape of the district is diverse. The republic of Adygeya in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains is 40% woodland. It is entirely surrounded by Krasnodar Krai, which is split into two distinct parts by the Kuban River, which gave its name to the geographical region. In the south and west is the Caucasus range of mountains, with a Mediterranean or even subtropical climate. The northern part is a step zone, which has a continental climate. The highest mountains in the south reach 9,800 feet. It has a Black Sea coast stretching, to the Caucasus Mountains.

Grand Tkhach Mountain, Adygea – ©Altushkin CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Kalmykia is mostly lower lying and in addition to a small stretch of the Volga has a number of major rivers such as the Yegorlyk, the Kuma and the Manych. Its highest point nis just 728 feet in the Yergeni hills.

While Astrakhan is dominated by the Volga and its massive delta it also has steppe and semi-desert areas as does Rostov.

Bogdo-Baskunchak Nature Reserve – ©Екатерина, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Birding Southern Russia

The spacious valleys of South Russia can will gi9ve plenty of interest to even the most demanding birdwatchers and travellers. Here you can enjoy the Russian steppes, which are most attractive in spring. At this time, they look like an unbroken carpet of flowers. The largest and arguably the most beautiful European river – the Volga – flows through the region with its lakes, wetlands and magnificent delta.

Manych-Gudilo Lake – ©Elenakasatova CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

It is a draw for a number of waterfowl and water-associated bird species; Herons, Ducks and Gulls all breed on reed-covered river channels. Pelicans can be found on the lakes near the Caspian Sea Shore. For example, Manych-Gudilo Lake is a large saltwater relict lake, straddling the Kalmykia republic and Rostov Oblast. A remnant of an ancient strait connecting the Black and Caspian seas., which has nesting Dalmatian Pelicans. It forms part of the Chernye Zemli Biosphere Reserve and the Rostov Nature Reserve and attracts migrants including Flamingos.

Typical floodplain vegetation near Volgograd Reservoir – ©www.volganet.ru CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The district is rich in wetlands with the dammed Volga reservoirs supporting a wide variety of wildlife. For example, the Tcherebayevskaya Floodplain is a renowned, biodiversity-rich wetland on the shoreline of the Volgogradskoe reservoir. Located within the broader Volga Delta region, most of which is within Astrakhan oblast. This crucial wildlife sanctuary features a mix of cattails, willow bushes, and sandy islands that provide an important habitat for migratory water birds. You can find numerous colonies of White Egret. Other bird species present include Red-necked Grebe, Terek Sandpiper and White-tailed Eagle, which also breed here. In summer, mostly during July and August, there are large gatherings (more than 200 birds) of Great Black-headed Gulls on the shoals. In the autumn migration season a wide diversity of Ducks arrive, the largest in number being Mallard, Goldeneye, Scaup and Tufted Duck.

Volga Delta – ©Markv CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Astrakhan Nature Reserve has a rich flora and fauna. There are four broad types of vegetation in the delta: bush, forest, meadow and waterplants. The forests communities are riparian with white willow, grass-forb and blackberry bush. The meadow areas feature tallgrass, cane and sedge; the marshy meadows mostly reeds. The high number of fish species in the reserve (50 species recorded, including beluga sturgeon) are due to the shallow waters and abundant vegetation. There are relatively few mammal species, but muskrats, hedgehogs, stoats, weasels and various rodents are present, and mass migrations of bats are seen in late spring and early autumn. There are wolves living permanently in all three sectors of the reserve. The reserve has recorded 283 species of birds, 99 of which nest on the site (and 27 of which are listed as vulnerable in the Red Book of Russia) and 155 of which are seen in periods of migration and wintering. It is a Russian ‘zapovednik’ (strict nature reserve) covering an area including the islands and wetlands of the Volga Delta, where the Volga River enters the northwest sector of the Caspian Sea. The landscape is one of extensive reeds and willows and is an important nesting area for waterfowl and wading birds. The areas is part of a Ramsar wetlands site of international importance, and included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Spring in the Rostov Steppes – ©Безуглова Екатерина CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

If you are interested in steppe avifauna this is the place to be. The terrain encompasses the Rostov Oblast, Krasnodar Krai, and the Republic of Kalmykia, where the dry grasslands transition into semi-desert. The Steppe avifauna is, of course, very different to that of the wetlands. Here you can find such interesting species as Steppe Eagle, Serpent Eagle, Demoiselle Crane, Ruddy Shelduck and Little Bustard.

Top Sites

  • Manych-Gudilo Lake

    InformationSatellite View
    This lake is interesting because of its water, which is saline rather then fresh. The most important areas for birds are the lake islands. Numerous colonies of Slender-Billed Gull, Black-winged Stilt and Pratincole can be found here. Also it’s easy to observe other water loving species around the islands, such as Herring Gull, Common Tern, Gull-billed Tern, White Heron, Glossy Ibis and so on. Moreover, Manych-Gudilo Lake serves as the breeding site of colonial waterbirds. Among then the most attractive are White and Dalmatin Pelicans and Pied Avocet. The lake is situated along the largest migration airway, which connects West Siberia, Taimyr with the Middle East and North-West Africa. This lake is one of the largest stopover points of migrating Geese. For example, more than 30% of the world population of Red-breasted Geese stops over every year and it’s a really unforgettable sight.

  • Tcherebayevskaya Floodplain

    This site includes a part of the Volgogrsdskoe reservoir shoreline lined with reeds, cattail and willow bushes, and some sand islands. You can find numerous colonies of White Egret. Some other unusual bird species are present, for example, Red-necked Grebe, Mute Swan, Water Rail, Terek Sandpiper and White-tailed Eagle which also breed here. In summer, mostly during July and August, big gatherings (more than 200 birds) of Great Black-headed Gulls can be found on the shoals. In the autumn migration season a large diversity of Ducks arrive, the largest in number of them are Mallard, Golden-eye, Scaup and Tufted Duck.

  • Volgo-Achtubinskay Floodplain

    The system of river channels, lakes and streams form different wetland complexes. The most common of these are floodplain meadows, oak forests and river valley mixed forests. These exceptional landscapes represent the last naturally retained part of the Volga-river valley. More than 200 species of birds have been recorded in the Volgo-Achtubinskay Floodplain. Among them there are such interesting birds as Purple Heron, Pond Heron, Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, White-eyed Duck, White-headed Duck, Osprey, Serpent Eagle, Avocet, Shelduck, Caspian Tern, Thickknee and Marsh Sandpiper. The collection of passerine birds is also rich, and maybe the most unusual of them is Penduline tit.
Contributors
Checklist

  • eBird - Astrakhan

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
Organisations

  • Birds Russia

    Information
    Birds Russia regional groups

  • RRRCN - Russian Raptor Research and Conservation Network

    Information
    Birds of Southern Russia – Non-Passerines
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • BR Volga-Akhtuba Floodplain Biosphere Reserve

    InformationSatellite View
    The Volga-Akhtuba Floodplain Biosphere Reserve, based on the existing nature park of the same name, is one of the most significant and unique natural territorial complexes in the south of Russia.

  • NR Astrakhan

    InformationSatellite View
    Astrakhan Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' (strict nature reserve) covering an area including the islands and wetlands of the Volga Delta, where the Volga River enters the northwest sector of the Caspian Sea. The landscape is one of extensive reeds, cattails and willows and is an important nesting area for waterfowl and wading birds. The areas is rich in fish, with 50 species recorded, including beluga sturgeon. There are wolves living permanently in all three sectors of the reserve. The migratory bird season is March to November. The reserve has recorded 283 species of birds, 99 of which nest on the site (and 27 of which are listed as vulnerable in the Red Book of Russia) and 155 of which are seen in periods of migration and wintering.

  • NR Bogdo-Baskunchak Nature Reserve

    InformationSatellite View
    It is a semi-arid area around two notable features: Lake Baskunchak, Russia's largest undrained salt lake, and Big Bogdo Mountain, the highest point (at 147 meters) in the Caspian Depression and home to the "singing rocks".

  • NR Caucasus Nature Reserve

    InformationSatellite View
    ...89 species of mammal, 15 species of reptile, 9 of amphibian, 21 of fish, over 100 species of mollusc, and more than 10,000 species of insect. Bird life is also prolific, with 248 species of bird, including 112 that nest within the borders of the reserve.

  • NR Rostov Nature Reserve

    InformationSatellite View
    protects a variety of sensitive southern European steppe wetlands, the largest herd of wild horses in Europe (the Don Mustangs), and also wetland habitat for birds.
Sightings, News & Forums

  • eBird - Astrakhan

    Sightings
    This nyear's bird list
Guides & Tour Operators

  • Ecological Travel Center - Migrating birds of Volga delta

    Tour Operator
    The Volga delta is the largest in Europe and it occupies a triangle of 100 (length) x 200 (wide) km. A lot of different landscapes can be found when on the way from Astrakhan through the delta to the Caspian Sea. Extensive pastures are crisscrossed by broad waterways and fast running streams, which turn into well developed floodplain forests with huge amounts of willows, poplars and alders. Typical birds of the area are: Great Black-headed Gull, White-tailed Eagle, Caspian Tern, Dalmatian Pelican, Penduline Tit, Night Heron and Cetti's Warbler
Trip Reports

  • 2016 [06 June] - Ben Macdonald - The Astrakhan Steppes

    PDF Report
    One of the great privileges of the working for the Netflix ‘Our Planet’ series, from 2015 to 2017, was the rare opportunity to see both the Mongolian & Russian steppe over the course of eight week’s filming, along with the wonderful cameraman and fellow birder John Aitchison forcompany. Working eighteen-hour days to capture the intimate lives of Saiga Antelope, Corsac Foxes and Steppe Eagles made this anything but a holiday, but we were nonetheless able to observe a range of species in a part of southern Russia visited by few other birders. We were able to enter the country, and the Stepnoi Reserve, on a carefully-negotiated filming Visa, but those seeking to follow should first email Anna Lushkenina (saigak@hotmail.com) for Stepnoi access. Nikolai Stepkin (n_stepkin@mail.ru), a keen birder, is also an excellent translator who could be of great help to anyone wishing to bird around the Astrakhan and Liman steppes.

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