A rare vagrant species for Kazakhstan. On February 27 and 28, two birds kept in the thickets of silverberries near the village of Uzynagash (43 km west of Almaty). This is the sixth record of the Dusky Thrush for Kazakhstan. Records of this species are known for the Syrdarya, near the village of Dzhulek (October 16, 1927), near Almaty (February 16, 2013), as well as Ust-Kamenogorsk (October 14 and 16, 2016), Kurgaldzhino (May 7, 2020).

The first record of Pygmy Cormorant in Almaty in general and, in particular, during the winter. The expansion of the Pygmy Cormorant to the northeast concerns not only the probable nesting area, but also the wintering grounds. The nearest winter finds are Sorbulak and Taldykorgan (winter 2017-18, one bird each). In this connection, it is worth noting a significant number of birds in the Almaty (40) and Sorbulak (20) records this winter.

First winter record for Sorbulak (-10 ° С). Before that, the latest sighting at Sorbulak was on November 24, 2006 (3 birds, Belyalov, Karpov, 2013). Twice the wintering of Pied Avocet were recorded on Shardara (7 birds on January 14, 2018 and 35 birds on January 11, 2020, B. M. Gubin, S. Baskakova, A. Isabekov).

First winter record of the Buff-bellied Pipit.

rare record for Almaty region

Rare record for Kazakhstan. Paleotropical species, living in tropical and subtropical areas of Easter Hemisphere. Collected in large number at July 18-23, 1900 by L.S.Berg in Menshikov, Chushka-Bas, Uyaly islands of Aral sea which now are part of eastern coast.

П.Горбунов. "Высшие чешуекрылые (Macrolepidoptera) пустынь и южных степей Западного Казахстана"Екатеринбург 2011.

Very rare or probably unique case of nesting of Long-legged Buzzards in the center of large city.

Third record of Red-throated Thrush in Kyrgyz Republic. First one was shot at March 22, 1958 in valley of At-Bashi river (Yanushevich et al, 1960). Second record of Red-throated Thrush was at February 10, 2002 near Ananievo village, coast of Issyk-Kul lake (Kulagin, 2009). Basing in this records Red-throated Thrush was included to checklist of birds of Kyrgyz Republic with a status of vagrant bird (Toropova, Kulagin, 2006).

Торопова В.И., Кулагин С.В. Третий систематический список птиц Кыргызстана// Selevinia, 2006. – С. 44-54.
Янушевич А.И., Тюрин П.С., Яковлева И.Д., Кыдыралиев А., Семёнова Н.И. 1960. Птицы Киргизии. Фрунзе, 2: 1-272.
Кулагин С.В. Воробьиные птицы Иссык-Кульской котловины // Русский орнитологический журнал, 2009. – Т. 18. – Вып. 478. – С. 639-658; Вып. 479. – С. 667-683.

First record in Sorbulak, and generally in southern part of Kazakhstan. First winter record.

Third record for Sorbulak. Previously was observed at June 5, 2011 (2 birds) (Belyalov, Karpov, 2013), and June 21, 2014 (birds.kz).

Rare bird in SE Kazakhstan. Group of 2 adult and 3 juvenile birds was observed. Fifth record in Sorbulak since 2003. Previously also observed only in autumn migration: August 9, 2003 (1 adult), October 27, 2006 (1), November 6 2004 (2) (Belyalov, Karpov, 2013); and October 5, 2014 (birds.kz).

Second record for Sorbulak. First one was at May 17, 2002 (Kovshar AF, 2002).

Red-breasted Goose is a rare vagrant in southern part of Kazakhstan. First obeservation in Sorbulak. Single bird was in flock of Ruddy Shelducks.

First record of Yellow-browed Bunting in Kazakhstan.

Rare vagrant, far from the basic migration path.

Second photo record of Long-billed Dowitcher in Kazakhstan. The first one was recorded in Sorbulak lakes too at September 7th, 2014 (Fedorenko, Isabekov, Dyakin, 2014). Group of birdwatchers with Peter Kennely also watched this bird in Sholak lake near Kurgaldzhino village at May 15, 2005, but unfortunately no evidence of this record was provided.
Орнитологический вестник Казахстана и Средней Азии, вып. 3, Алматы, 2014: 211-212

rare record

First photo of rare wintering species in Sorbulak, and generelly in SE Kazakhstan. Before this record male and female were observed in flock of Tufted Ducks at February 2nd, 2003; and single bird at Jabuary 18th, February 21st, and March 13th of 2004 (Belyalov, Karpov 2012).

First winter record in Sorbulak lakes. Only spring records are known before this one: May 30, 1995 (Erokhov, 2002), April 11, 1999 (Grachev, 2002), and April 23, 2017 (Dyakin, www.birds.kz). In winter time Pygmy Cormorant is not rare in Chardara reservoir (Erokhov et al, 2006; Kovalenko, Kravchenko, 2007; Kovalenko, Karpov, 2008); recent years was observed in Taraz (Kolbintsev, 2009; M.Nukusbekov, www.birds.kz; A.Balykin, www.birds.kz), in foothill part of Chu river valley (Belyalov, Karpov, 2009), one specimen was photographed at December 23, 2017 in Taldykurgan vicinity (A.Belyaev, www.birds.kz).

The fourth record of the Eurasian Redstart (Ph.ph.samamisicus) in the territory of Kazakhstan. This is the first record on the autumn migration. The bird was recorded by Askar Isabekov and Alexander Belyaev. Before the vagrant was shot in Mangyshlak (Mitropolsky, 1965); also spring observations were on April 20, 2016 in Aktau, Mangistau region (A. Yasko, birds.kz) and April 28, 2016 in the Chagan floodplain in the West Kazakhstan region (A.Isabekov, birds.kz).

First reliable record of Harlequine Duck in Kazakhstan. There is only note of E.A.Eversmann (1866) about winter records in the lakes of southern steppes, but this record is too unclear. Near the borders of Kazakhstan recorded only at Nezhinka village near Orenburg where male duck was shot by N.A.Zarudny (1888). Both records related to the second half of XIX centure.

Rare record

Rare probably first record of Oriental Turtle Dove in European territory at breeding time. The closest breeding sites in Kazakhstan are in Kustanai oblast (780 km). Probably there are closer breeding sites in Southern Ural in Russian Federation.

Couple of Black-eared Wheatears were observed during 5 days on territory of das station near Inderborsk (Atyrau oblast). The northernmost record of the Black-eared Wheatear (170 km north of Atyrau, where it was observed June 26, 2009, June 10 2013, by Victoria Kovshar).

Recorded June 14, 2016 by finnish birdwatcher Ilkka Sahi in Victory park, Atyrau. June 25, 2016 Feodor Sarayev observed two birds in the same place. August 12, 1987 recorded in Beineu (440 km from Atyrau) Closest breeding areas are in Syrdaria river and Bukhara oazis (1100 km).

The second winter record of The Grey Wagtail. The first one was on January 6th,1986 (Korelov, Gubin, Levin, 1988). The Grey Wagtails start to migrate in September. The latest migrants were observed until the middle of October.

The third record of the species at the end of December in the South-East of Kazakhstan. The first was recorded on Sorbulak in 1998, and the second one was in 2007 at the Alakol hollow (Berezovikov, 2008).

The second photo fixation of the species for the Mangystau region. The first time was photographed on April 26, 2011 in Kokesem, the western chink of Ustyurt (Zh. Nurmukhambetov, see the gallery of the species). For the first time in Mangyshlak was recorded on May 1, 1993 in Western Karatau by VA. Gorbatov (Gavrilov & Gavrilov, 2005).

The second record of this species in the Caspian Sea during the winter. In the city of Aktau, one bird was recorded on January 16, 2009 (Kovshar, Karpov, 2009, photo is in the gallery of species).

The first record of the species in Mangystau. The nearest records were on Northern Trans-Caspian area.

The rare record for Sorbulak. Earlier, Little Gull was recorded here on the autumn migration on August 9, 2003, November 6, 2004 and October 27, 2006 (Belyalov, Karpov, 2012).

The first record at Sorbulak confirmed by photography. Previously, there is record of two vagrant birds here of June 5, 2011 (Belyalov, Karpov, 2012). The nearest known breeding range is the Alakol system of lakes, where the first nests were found in 2000 (Berezovikov, 2004, Berezovikov, Levinsky, 2008).

And then one even more eastern record of the Menetries Warbler confirming its habitat in the floodplain of the Ile river. That expands the range of the habitat for more than 600 km to the east of the previously known breeding spots in Kazakhstan.

The first winter record in Kazakhstan. Breeds only on Lineisky and Ivanovsky ridges of Altai (Scherbakov, 2002). In all the rest territory only six autumn records are known: in 1920 near Kustanai (Geptner, 1925); in 1925 near Semipalatinsk (Selevin, 1930); in 1960 at Kurgaldzhino (Krivitsky et al, 1985); in 2011 at Aktobe steppes (Timoshenko, 2012) and near Sorbulak (V.Fedorenko, www.birds.kz); in 2012 at Betpak-Dala (A.Vilyaev, www.birds.kz).

The latest date record in Kazakhstan. In prior only some records were known in the south of the country, but all of them belonged to the end of October (Kovshar, 1966; Gavrilov, Gistsov, 1985). That the latest date record was the observation by Severtsov N.A. at October 26 in Shymkent, but it was about 150 years ago.

One foraging on thuja bird was observed in flock with Black-throated Thrushes and Blackbirds at 25th November 2012. Next days this bird was also noticed by other birdwatchers.