White–throated robin: Red Data Book of Armenia

Thrushes, robins, chats and wheatears - Turdidae

Status. A rare, poorly studied oligotopic species. Listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 3.1) as Least Concern. According to IUCN criteria categorized as Data Deficient DD.

Distribution. Distributed from Turkey eastwards to Asia Minor and Iran.

Distribution in Armenia. Occurs in the central, southern and south–eastern parts of the country, in semi–deserts and mountain grasslands.

Habitats. Lives in semi–deserts and arid mountain grasslands, inhabiting quite steep slopes with arid vegetation and an essential presence of trees and scrubs.

Biological traits. Four to five eggs are laid once a year. Feeds predominantly on insects.

Population size and its trends. Available information is insufficient to judge about the population size. Population density considerably varies between different parts of the range.

Major threats. The population has been affected by the agricultural use of semi–deserts and mountain grasslands and the use of toxic chemicals to combat rodents.

Conservation measures. The population is partly protected in Khosrov Forest Reserve. Taking into accound the lack of information on the population size, it is essential to include this species into the plan of biodiversity monitoring for annual census in late April – early May. Limited habitat selectivity and loss of suitable landscapes make it important to reconsider the land use policies in semi–deserts and to proceed with the establishment of sanctuaries. It is also crucial to transform the use of toxic chemicals into an environmentally friendly approach.