First attempt of wetland restoration in Ararat Plain of Armenia and its influence on the waterbird fauna

Abstract

The paper describes the process of restoration of a portion of wetlands in the Ararat Plain of Armenia and the associated changes in the richness and abundance of breeding and migratory waterbirds. During 2019, a total of 1.61 ha of wetlands were restored in Khor Virap Sanctuary, a candidate Emerald Site, a Ramsar Site, and an international stopover point, protected under the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement. The design of the wetlands was developed considering the nesting and foraging requirements of various breeding and migratory waterbird species. Monitoring of the birds before and after the intervention (in 2017–2019 and 2020–2021) showed that the fauna of breeding birds changed from 38 to 55 species and the fauna of migratory species changed from 31 to 61 species. The conservation value of the area increased as the number of species included in the IUCN Red List increased from 0 to 1 for breeding birds and from 0 to 4 for migratory ones, in the Red Book of Animals of Armenia from 1 to 3 and from 5 to 19, and in Resolution 6 of Bern Convention from 5 to 12 and from 6 to 22 respectively. The fauna of waders is underrepresented, though, most probably due to a lack of mudflats. The success of the intervention justifies the continuation of wetland restoration on the rest of Khor Virap Sanctuary (almost 50 ha) and beyond it. It is also suggested to review the design of the wetlands to make them more suitable for a wider variety of waterbirds, including waders.