Article
| Article name | MIGRATION PATTERNS OF ANSER ANSER RUBRIROSTRIS (ANSERIFORMES) ALONG THE CENTRAL ASIAN FLYWAY REVEALED BY GPS/GSM TELEMETRY |
| Authors | Ivan A. Zuban, Senior Lecturer, Senior Researcher of the North Kazakhstan University named after M. Kozybayev (150000, Kazakhstan, Petropavlovsk, Pushkina Street, 86); iD ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0839-0085; e-mail: zuban_ia@mail.ru |
| Reference to article | Zuban I.A., Timoshenko A.Yu., Meng F., Sedelnikov I.A., Cao L., Zhao Q. 2026. Migration patterns of Anser anser rubrirostris (Anseriformes) along the Central Asian flyway revealed by GPS/GSM telemetry. Nature Conservation Research 11(4). https://dx.doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2026.034 |
| Section | Research articles |
| DOI | https://dx.doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2026.034 |
| Abstract | Anser anser rubrirostris is one of the most widespread waterfowl species in Eurasia. However, its Central Asian populations have experienced pronounced historical declines. Between 2019 and 2022, we tracked 20 adult Anser anser rubrirostris breeding in Northern Kazakhstan using GPS/GSM telemetry, resulting in 34 complete migratory journeys from 15 individuals (21 autumn migration routes and 13 spring migration routes). During migration, individuals used between one and eight stopover sites per season, with stopover durations ranging from 1 to 51 days. Mean migration distances were 3289 ± 895 km in autumn and 3253 ± 453 km in spring. The mean migration speed was higher in autumn (132.4 ± 35.6 km day-1) than in spring (98.3 ± 24.4 km day-1), whereas route straightness remained similar between seasons (0.77–0.78). In total, 19 major stopover sites were identified along the Central Asian flyway, of which only 16.7% were located within Protected Areas. Most stopovers (83.3%) occurred at unprotected wetlands, including key staging areas in Uzbekistan (Jiltyrbas, Karakir, Aydarkol), Kazakhstan (Syrdarya floodplain), and the Caspian coastal zone of Turkmenistan and Russia. The longest stopovers were recorded at Barsakelmes State Nature Reserve (Kazakhstan, up to 41 days) and Lake Karakir (Uzbekistan, up to 51 days). This study provides the first telemetry-based assessment of migration ecology and stopover use of the Western Siberian Anser anser rubrirostris population along the Central Asian flyway, highlighting a strong dependence on unprotected wetlands and emphasising the urgent need to strengthen habitat protection across the flyway. |
| Keywords | Central Asia, flyway connectivity, satellite telemetry, seasonal migration, stopover ecology, waterbird conservation, wetland networks |
| Artice information | Received: 27.01.2026. Revised: 25.03.2026. Accepted: 16.05.2026. |
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