ИСТИНА

Gallery forests and shrub thickets along river valleys in mountainous and arid regions are known as highly vulnerable natural communities. In 2011–2012 yrs an international group of Russian and Tadjik biologists surveyed these communities in the lowland and mountainous regions of Tajikistan, with financial support from the Rufford Small Grants Foundation. We described the reptile fauna and refined the bird diversity of the lower reaches of the Vakhsh and Kafirnigan rivers, refined the bird fauna of the river valleys in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, and for the first time described the features of the biology of several bird species. In Gorno-Badakhshan, data on vegetation and invertebrates have also been collected. This report presents the results of ornithological observations in Gorno-Badakhshan, carried out in the valleys of the Gunt and Pyanj rivers (Ishkoshim and Shugnan districts), as well as in the environs of Murghab (Murghab district). We found two bird species not recorded previously in Tajikistan: the Brahminy starling Sturnus pagodarum and the Tickell's thrush Turdus unicolor. Breeding has been proven for the Brahminy starling. Both species need old parks and relict poplar groves for nesting. Information was obtained on the distribution and nesting biology of the Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti, that was observed for the first time in the Pamirs only in 1937 yr and had not been studied there. This species inhabits thickets of sea buckthorn, willow and dig-rose in river valleys and along the edges of agricultural fields up to altitude of 3420 m. Spreading from lowlands into the mountains, the Cetti's Warbler retains characteristic features of biology such as a tendency to polygamy and to have more than one nesting cycle in season. Cetti's Warblers start egg laying at the end of the first week of May; the known brood size is 4 chicks. We have made descriptions of five nests. For the first time for the Pamirs, the nesting biology of the Mountain Chiffchaff Phylloscopus sindianus was described. The bird inhabits floodplain thickets with the participation of sea buckthorn, dig-rose and tamarisk, at altitudes of 2000–3650 m. The species is predominantly monogamous (although one case of polygamy has been recorded). Chiffchaffs start egg laying at an altitude of 2600 m in the first week of May, at an altitude of 2770 m – from the first days of June, at an altitude of 2800 m – from mid-June. The clutch size is 4–5 eggs. We made descriptions of 14 nests. The Large-billed warbler currently inhabits only the river valley of Pyanj and its tributaries in Gorno-Badakhshan and in Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan. The species is common in floodplain thickets and shrubs at the edges of agricultural fields at altitudes of 1800–3200 m. Large-billed warblers start laying eggs in early June, but nests with fresh clutches are found at least till mid-July. The clutch size is 2–5 eggs. The species is monogamous, the male shows increased care for the chicks, is able to rise them after the death of the female. We made descriptions of 59 nests. Based on to the results of our research, the Brahminy starling, the Mountain Chiffchaff and the Large-billed warbler were listed in the Red Book of Tajikistan (2015), that gives hope for the preservation of not only these species, but also the entire community of gallery shrub thickets in Gorno-Badakhshan.