ИСТИНА

Birds are the main component of the Arctic ecosystems. Under implementing of UNDP/GEF/Russian Ministry of Nature project “Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation into Russia’s Energy Sector Policies and Operations”, an avifauna database was developed for the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) located within Russian European Arctic. The database comprises spatially referenced observations of bird species according to the literature data published since 1876 till present time. For this moment, the database contains more than 10000 records from more than 750 literature sources. Avifauna of NAO includes 234 bird species from 18 orders, from which 149 species are nesting. The most diverse groups are Passeriformes (76 species), Charadriiformes (61 species) and Anseriformes (38 species). 7 orders (Podicipediformes, Procelleriiformes, Pelecaniformes, Ciconiiformes, Caprimulgiformes, Upupiformes and Apodiformes) are presented by vagrant species only. The most numerous species complex of the avifauna in the region is arctic (often circumpolar) species (29%). This category includes typical tundra- and open-nesting species. 24% of birds are comprised of Siberian species, 14% – European species and 26% are widely distributed species. Avifauna of Bolshezemelskaya tundra, Malozemelskaya tundra and the Pechora Delta is the best studied within the mainland part of NAO. In the last decade, Kolguev, Vaygach and Dolgy Islands were actively studied. Nevertheless, ornithological studies even in these areas are very local due to logistic problems. Based on the database, the territory of NAO was ranked according to the importance of the habitats for birds. The most significant areas are coastal zones and island ecosystems.