The birds of Pasvik / E. I. Khlebosolov, O. A. Makarova, O. A. Khlebosolova [et al. ; English transl. Nikita Chernetsov]. - Ryazan : Golosgubernii, 2007. - 175 с. : ил., портр.

The most characteristic gulls of the Pasvik valley are the Common Gull, Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull. Common and Herring Gulls are widely distrib­ uted along the sea coast, rivers, and lakes. The Lesser Black-backed Gull in the study area prefers to settle in inland water bodies. On the Pasvik river they breed in solitary pairs 1—1.5 km from each other. The Greater Black-backed Gull is quite abundant on the sea coast, but sometimes settles in large inland water bodies. The Black-legged Kittiwake is a characteristic bird o f the sea coast; in inland waters it is only recorded during migration. The Black-headed Gull gradually expands its range towards the north. In the vicinity of Lapland nature reserve this species was first recorded in 1970 (Semenov-Tian-Shansky & Gilyazov 1991). Currently the Black-headed Gull occurs in small numbers on lakes and rivers of Pasvik. The Little Gull is also a relatively novel species in the northwestern Kola Peninsula. In Russia, the northwestern border of its breeding range until recently went through Lake Ladoga region and the southern Baltic coast. However, in the recent decades the numbers o f the Little Gull have grown; it quickly expands its range towards the northwest and colonises new areas (Zubakin 1988, Malchevsky & Pukinsky 1983, Pukinsky 1988, Bakkal 1996, Hagemeijer & Blair 1997). Migrants have been repeatedly recorded in the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea and at Lake Imandra. Vagrants are known from the Ainovy Isles (Bianchi & Flerov 1960, Kokhanov 1987, Semenov-Tian-Shansky & Gilyazov 1991). The first breeding colony o f Little Gulls on the Kola Peninsula was found in 1992 by V.D. Kokhanov (1993) at the southern tip o f Lake Imandra. In June 1996, S.N. Bakkal (1996) saw a flock o f Little Gulls in the middle flow o f the Pasvik river. In the subsequent years, summer records became more frequent, giving indirect evidence o f the possible breeding (Annals o f Nature... 2003a, b, 2005a, b). In late June 2004, we found a pair o f Little Gulls in the wide Pasvik valley near Hevoskosskaya hydro power sta­ tion. The behaviour o f the birds suggested breeding. One o f the birds was sitting on a hillock in the m id­ dle o f the bay and probably incubated; the other bird anxiously circling nearby. Then the partners changed their position. Unfortunately, we could not come closer and make sure that the nest was there. During the spring and summer season o f 2005 we found a Little Gull nest on the Ainovy Isles (Khlebosolov et al. 2005). All these data allow us to include the west­ ern part o f the Kola Peninsula into the breeding range o f this species. 103 S.L. Eliseev The Little Gull actively expands its range towards the north and currently regularly occurs in Pasvik.