ИСТИНА

During spring migration, stopover sites of geese are decisively linked to agricultural land where the food recourses are available. In Russia, where spring hunting is still allowed, geese are forced to choose their stopover sites not only by the availability of food resources, but also by the presence of safe places to rest. All permanent stopover sites are located in the protected areas or places inaccessible to hunters. In the first decades of the post-Soviet period, the agricultural activity decreased dramatically in European Russia, but hunting pressure increased. As a result, the number of geese migrating throw the central part of European Russia has declined. Simultaneously, the number of geese on stopover sites in countries with prohibited spring hunting has increased. Currently, the agricultural activity is restoring in some regions of European Russia. However, the number of geese migrating throw the central part of European Russia is still limited due to increased hunting pressure. Most geese prefer to make a stopover in the Baltic States and then use the White Sea-Baltic migratory route or go throw the southern part of European Russia to Northern Kazakhstan. One of the largest permanent stopover sites in European Russia is located in “Kologriv floodplain” reserve in Kostroma region. Monitoring of this stopover site including ringing and observations of the neckbands has been carried out since 2008. In total, 512 White-fronted geese, 11 Bean geese and 1 Barnacle goose were ringed in 2008-2019. Annually, we observe the same birds on this stopover site that confirms the constancy of stopover sites for geese during spring migration. Birds ringed here were observed in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, Bulgaria, Latvia, UK, Sweden, Czech Republic, France and Austria.