Black stork Ciconia nigra in Irkutsk oblast

The black stork meets in the territory of Irkutsk Oblast excluding Far North, highlands and steppes. Almost everywhere it is a very rare species, with the exception of the upper reaches of the Lena and Kirenga rivers and some localities of Prisayanye. The black stork is included in the Red Data Lists of the Russian Federation, Irkutsk Oblast and the neighboring regions. The Red Book of Irkutsk Oblast estimates the abundance of the black stork as approximately several hundreds of couples. It is difficult to establish the exact number of black storks in Irkutsk Oblast because of their hidden way of life and habitation in remote places. In 1980- 1990s a weak growth in number of black storks and expansion of their habitat were observed. To some extent it could be explained by the decrease in the factor of their disturbing in the times of perestroika, associated with fuel price hikes and reduction of visits to taiga. Now the number of black storks is slightly decreased. In our opinion it is caused by the droughty period of the two last decades. According to the expert assessment, at least 150-200 couples of a black stork inhabit the territory of Irkutsk Oblast. It is a quite high rate in comparison with the rates in other regions of the Russian Federation, and this situation imposes the responsibility of the oblast for preservation of this species.