A BIRD MAINA WON HUNTERS

Maina — Afghan Starling. This bird penetrated into the territory of Uzbekistan in the sixties of the twentieth century. Maina supplanted many other species of birds. She became a persona-non-grata. Several years ago a decision was taken to reduce the number of this bird and start shooting. What are the results? «The shooting of birds Maina was recognized as ineffective and hopeless», — this is the answer of the Department of nature reserves, national parks and hunting.Maina — Afghan Starling. This bird penetrated into the territory of Uzbekistan in the sixties of the twentieth century. Maina supplanted many other species of birds. She became a persona-non-grata. Several years ago a decision was taken to reduce the number of this bird and start shooting. What are the results? «The shooting of birds Maina was recognized as ineffective and hopeless», — this is the answer of the Department of nature reserves, national parks and hunting.

Let me remind you, that the impulses to start firing, were complaints from owners of gardens and vineyards. They argued that birds eat harvest. In the beginning of summer 2003 the municipality of Tashkent discussed the question. In June the government adopted a corresponding instruction \»Regulation on withdrawal from the nature of the birds «Maina».

In Uzbekistan it was planned to withdraw more than 952 thousand individuals during hunting season. It was assumed that the total number of this bird in the country is 1360 thousand. Seventy percent should be removed from nature. Under the import contract Uzbekistan gained hunting cartridges of 12-gauge. These cartridges wеrе transferred free of charge to the Uzbek society of hunters and fishermen. The Ministry of internal Affairs supervised these actions. Arrow-athletes were involved in the capital for withdrawal the birds «Maina» from the nature. Outside the capital brigades were created from the regular staff of the local society of hunters and fishermen, forest and hunting farms, inspectors for nature protection, a number of activists of public organizations.

Paws of the birds were brought to Tashkent for the counting. Specialists of Uzbek society of hunters and fishermen, Ministry of interior, State Committee for environmental protection, Department of nature reserves, national parks and hunting were counting paws, which were brought from all over the Republic. Counting was important not only for the official report, but for the shooters: one cartridge was the payment for a couple of paws.

Campaigns were held. After each paws were delivered from all over the country to Tashkent for the accounting and destruction.

But the the idea to minimize birds failed. The reasons, as they say, several. Initially, no one knew the exact statistics for Maina. Institute of Zoology researched of Starling only in the eighties of last century. Therefore, ornithologists evaluated differently the number of this birds. Some talked about two millions in the country, others called three million only in one Tashkent.

Scientists remembered neuro-humoral regulation of the number of rats and mains. This complex term means that they have the same biological mechanisms of reproduction: reach certain density and further regulate the process.

«Until now, people lost in a fight with rats. People will destroy part of rats, and immediately rats increase the birth rate. The same is possible with the Maina». «What is the border of shooting?» — «The first casualty» (here I quote from my article «Let\’s go into the attack on the «rat in feathers», published in «Pravda Vostoka» in 2003).

Accidents associated with shooting, were not. But it was an accident, associated with the paws. Employee suffered who was directly involved in the reception and consideration. He got the disease from birds — sores on the body.

But not this fact became a reason to stop the shooting. The reason — neuro-humoral regulation. Scientists were right: the greater the damage to the flock, the greater will be Maina offspring. Why then shoot? We discussed this topic with arrows, employed in the company. Population «rats in feathers» in the capital recovered, but not increased. Part of them, apparently, went to conquer new regions, and already up to the Urals reached. Well, the rest has limitations to all be nourished.

How many the birds Maina in Tashkent and in the Republic, the number of which for a century has grown from zero to millions? Still to this question is no reply. Study is necessary.

Nataliya SHULEPINA
sreda.uz
Photo — from Internet
Russian text — bird

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