Ričardas Patapavičius1, Vytautas Jusys2,
Vytautas Pareigis3
1 Lithuanian Bird Ringing Centre, Zoological Museum, Laisves al. 106, LT-44253
Kaunas, Lithuania
2 Ornithological Station, Ventes ragas, Kintai, LT-99361 Šilute distr., Lithuania
3 Misko g. 4, Juodkrante, LT-93102 Neringa, Lithuania
zcentras@takas.lt 1, vros@takas.lt 2, pareigis@mail.lt 3
There are three Bird Ringing Stations in Lithuania: Ventes ragas
Ornithological Station, Neringa Bird Ringing Station and Juodkrante Bird Ringing
Station. All these Stations also operated in 2005 and 2006, except a spring in
2006 when bird ringing was forbidden due to a ?risk? of Bird Influenza. This has
been done by the Ministry of the Environment of Lithuanian Republic.
Vent÷s ragas Ornithological Station is located on the eastern shore of the
Courish Lagoon (55?21?N 21?12?E) and operates all year round. Different traps
(one ?Great? trap, four ?Zigzag? traps, mist-nets and other traps) were used for
trapping birds. A biotope of this Station is a shore of Lagoon, reedbeds, willow
bushes, alder and other tress.
In the Station a total of 69,762 birds of 97 species were ringed in 2005
and 62,468 birds of also 97 species in 2006. These figures are lower the mean
annual figure (76,122 birds) during the last decade (1995-2004).
Neringa Bird Ringing Station is located in the Courish Spit (peninsula)
(55?27?N 21?04?E), which is a narrow land between the Baltic Sea and The
Courish Bay (Lagoon). The Station with one Rybachy type trap is located in
about 30 km from the northern tip of the Spit (exactly in the same place since
the beginning, 1962). The trap is adopted to trap birds flying south-west
direction. The Station operates only in autumns. A biotope of this Station is dray
pine-birch-juniper young forest.
In 2005 a total of 9,017 birds of 30 species were trapped and ringed in
the Station. The Station operated from September 18 till November 18. For year
2006 these figures and dates are as follows: 2,058 birds, 23 species, from
September 21 till November 6.
Juodkrante Bird Ringing Station is located also in the Courish Spit (see
above) on the coast of the Courish Bay (Lagoon) (55?31?N 21?07?E) just ca. 0.5
km to north from the Juodkrant÷ settlement. The Station operates in springs
and autumns. A biotope is reedbeds, willow bushes, alder trees and small water
bodies. Only mist-nets are used for bird trapping. An overall length of all mistnets
is ca. 230 metres.
In 2005 a total numbers of ringed birds are as follows: 1,902 birds of 52 species
in spring and 6,194 birds of 55 species in autumn. A total number of birds
ringed in autumn 2006 is nearly twice less than in previous year ? 3,522 birds of
49 species.
In autumn 2005 was very strong irruption of Long-tailed Tits (Aegithalos
caudatus) and Common Redpolls (Carduelis flammea). The numbers of these
two species ringed per season were the biggest ever ringed in all three Stations.
One other species ? Goldcrest (R. regulus) ? are worth to mention having
second best trapping results. A number of Blue and Great Tits (Parus caeruleus,
P. major) was less than a mean annual figure during last decade (1995-2004).
Rarities were represented by two Palla?s Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus proregulus),
two Yellow-browed Warblers (Phylloscopus inornatus), one Hume?s Warbler
(Phylloscopus humei), five Firecrests (R. ignicapillus) and one Eurasian
Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla) (three days later, on April 25, this bird was
retrapped in Russia, at ?Fringilla? Bird Ringing Station on Courish Spit).
In 2006 two species had second biggest figures ever ringed per year.
These species are Willow Tit (Parus montanus) and Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs).
A number of Blue and Great Tits (Parus caeruleus, P. major) as well as in 2005
was less than a mean annual figure during last decade (1995-2004). Rarities
were represented by one Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans) ? the first for
Lithuania, was trapped in Ventes ragas on May 7, two Yellow-browed Warblers
(Phylloscopus inornatus), two Firecrests (R. ignicapillus) and one Siberian
Nuthatch (Sitta europaea asiatica).




