Source numérique : http://www.geocities.com/berkut_ua/selected/roller.htm
Source publiée : Berkut. Vol. 10. Is. 1. 2001. P. 111-114.

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PHENOLOGY OF AUTUMN MIGRATION OF THE ROLLER IN UKRAINE

V.N. Grishchenko

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Abstract. Phenological data were collected for the period since 1961 till 2000. Total 238 dates of last observation for all 25 regions of Ukraine were analysed. Last rollers are observed in various places from middle of August up to the second half of September and the first ten-day of October. Average long-term dates of the last ob­servation in separate regions fluctuate from 30.08 till 4.10 (Table). Variation (standard deviation) of times of departure fluctuates from 7,8 to 16,4 days in different regions, on average it makes 12,3 ± 0,5 days (n = 25). Phenological map of de­-parture was prepared. For a longest time rollers stay in north-west, central and south-east parts of Ukraine (Fig.).

Key words: Roller, Coracias garrulus, Ukraine, migration, phenology, autumn, phenological map.
Address: V.N. Grishchenko, Kaniv Nature Reserve, 19000 Kaniv, Ukraine. e-mail: vitaly@aquila.freenet.kiev.ua.

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The Roller (Coracias garrulus) was a common and widespread bird species in Uk­raine. In last decades its number has considerably decreased. In many regions this bird became a rare species or has stopped breeding (Knysh, Matviyenko, 1995; Grishchenko, 1998; Skilsky, 1998, etc.). Number decreasing and range contraction have been occurring prac­tically in whole Europe since the 1950s, since the 1970s the decline has accelerated (Tucker, Heath, 1994; Bauer, Berthold, 1997; Sam­wald, Štumberger, 1997).

Breeding range of the Roller covers the whole territory of Ukraine. It breeds also in countries to the north: Baltic states, Bela­rus, Russia. Main wintering grounds are situated in Africa to the south of the Sahara (Glutz von Blotzheim, Bauer, 1994; Samwald, Štum­berger, 1997; Fry, 2001).

Rollers migrate in the daytime (Strese­mann, 1944; Fry, 2001).

Material and methods

Phenology of bird migrations was studied in Kyiv university with the help of special phe­nological questionnaire. The department of zoo­logy have been sending it on the whole ter­ritory of Ukraine since 1975. This work was directed by Dr. V.V. Serebrya­kov. Questionnaires were received by teachers, schoolchildren, scientists, amateur-ornithologists, etc. We have processed data about autumn migration of 30 bird species, including the Roller (Grish­chenko, 1994a). They have made a basis of this work. Later the additional information was obtained from birdwatchers. The literature data (Kostin, 1983; Gorban, Khi­min, 1991; Klestov, Osipova, 1992; Marisova et al., 1992; Volove ochko..., 1993; Potapov, 1995; Kuzmenko, 1996; Afanasyev, 1998; Polyushkevich, 1998; Skilsky, 1998; Tarina, Kostin, 1999; Grishchenko, Gavrilyuk, 2000) and own observations were used too. The time interval was extended.

Last observation of the Roller was registered. Obtained data cover the period in 40 years (1961-2000). Total we have 235 records from all 25 regions of Ukraine. They were grouped by regions. For them average dates of departure were calculated (Table). In the Table main statistic information is presented: mean value, standard error, standard deviation, extreme dates. Phenological map of migration were built on the ground of these data (Fig.). We have used the territorial method of phenological map­ping: the average date is attributed to the geographic centre of a territory, in this case it is an administrative region (Grish­chenko, 1994b).

Results and discussion

Last rollers are observed in various places from middle of August up to the second half of September and the first ten-day of October, there are only several records in later times. Average long-term dates of the last ob­servation in separate regions fluctuate from 30.08 till 4.10, the majority of them accounts for the first half of September (Table). Variation (standard deviation) of times of departure fluctuates from 7,8 to 16,4 days in different regions, on average it makes 12,3 ± 0,5 days (n = 25).

Times of last observation of the Roller in Ukraine in 1961-2000

Сроки последнего наблюдения сизоворонки в Украине в 1961-2000 гг.

Region	n	M	SE	SD	Lim
Vinnitsa	10	7.09	4,4	13,8	13.08 – 20.09
Volynia	12	21.09	4,0	13,8	3.09 – 12.10
Dnipropetrovsk	17	10.09	2,7	11,1	26.08 – 2.10
Donetsk	6	16.09	5,8	14,2	28.08 – 5.10
Zhitomir	9	31.08	3,6	10,8	15.08 – 14.09
Transcarpathians	4	30.08	7,1	14,3	14.08 – 12.09
Zaporizhzhya	5	4.10	6,1	13,7	18.09 – 25.10
Ivano–Frankivsk	3	6.09	4,8	8,3	30.08 – 15.09
Kyiv	8	11.09	3,7	10,6	30.08 – 3.10
Kirovograd	3	11.09	7,8	13,5	29.08 – 25.09
Crimea	15	12.09	2,6	10,1	28.08 – 28.09
Lugansk	17	9.09	3,1	12,8	13.08 – 5.10
Lviv	11	15.09	4,1	13,4	20.08 – 30.09
Mykolayiv	13	13.09	3,1	11,2	17.08 – 28.09
Odesa	9	12.09	4,7	14,2	20.08 – 2.10
Poltava	10	4.09	4,3	13,7	15.08 – 27.09
Rivne	12	8.09	2,7	9,5	20.08 – 20.09
Sumy	11	8.09	2,5	8,3	25.08 – 20.09
Ternopil	7	7.09	4,8	12,6	26.08 – 28.09
Kharkiv	7	17.09	3,0	7,8	6.09 – 30.09
Kherson	7	18.09	5,2	13,7	27.08 – 4.10
Khmelnitskiy	5	16.09	7,3	16,4	20.08 – 3.10
Cherkasy	10	8.09	3,6	11,2	24.08 – 25.09
Chernigiv	23	7.09	2,8	13,5	14.08 – 3.10
Chernivtsi	4	17.09	7,6	15,1	29.08 – 5.10
Total:	238			12,3 ± 0,5	13.08 – 25.10

The departure goes uneven. There are areas with earlier and later times of the last observation. For a longest time rollers stay in north-west, central and south-east parts of Uk­raine. Stripes of the early departure pass in the south-west direction over the Carpa­thi­ans, to the south over Zhitomir region, Vin­nitsa region and Da­nube mouth, to the south from Sumy, Pol­tava and Dnipropetrovsk regions over the Crimea, to the south over Lu­gansk region.


Phenological map of the end of migration of the Roller in Ukraine.
Фенологическая карта окончания осенней миграции сизоворонки в Украине.

• 1 – isophenes изофены;
• 2 – supposed isophenes предполагаемые изофены.

In last two decades the number of records during migrations has distinctly decreased, especially in northern and western regions. Now rollers are more common migrants only in southern regions of Ukraine.

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