Northern Pintail

(Anas acuta)

Category of conservation concern (IUCN, 2020) – Least Concern

Population size: 2020: 0-5 pairs (2007: 0-5 pairs)

Distribution pattern

Single isolated breeding sites along the Black Sea coast (Atanasovsko Lake), the Danube River (near Vidin), near the Rabisha Lake, in the Sofia Field and the foot of Derventa Hills. It is possible single pairs to breed incidentally in the Dragoman and Aldomirovtsi marshes, as well as in other former localities, but during the present mapping, these sites were not included in the observation.

Population estimation for the period 2013 – 2020:  During the period 2013-2020, the species was not established in the localities where it was found before 2013. In the main breeding site in the Atanasovsko Lake, no breeding has been confirmed in recent years. A possible new breeding site was registered in one square – in the area of Sungurlare, which is of irregular nature. 

Population size in Special Protection Areas of Natura 2000: 0-4 pairs. The only breeding site is in the “Atanasovsko Lake” SPA (0-4 pairs).

Comparative distribution of the species compared to the first breeding birds atlas (Iankov, 2007): Breeding locality until 2007 | Breeding locality until 2007, confirmed after 2015 – | New breeding locality after 2015. – The breeding localities after 2015 are identified on a base of raw data from smartbirds.org.

Habitats

Breeds in fresh waters or salt lakes with open and grassy areas within or around coastal lagoons and standing fresh waters, on saline terrains with halophytic vegetation, marshes, water fringe vegetation and other grass vegetation.

Trends in population changes for the period 2013-2020

Threats

Drainage of wetlands, changes in the water levels and in the hydrological regime of water bodies during the breeding season, disturbance, poaching.

Irina Kostadinova, Vladimir Mladenov