Winter activities in the Nemunas delta
22-02-2021
Maintenance activities are carried out on islands of the Kintai fish ponds – bushes, reeds and reed mace are cut down. The Nemunas delta is an important habitat for Little and Common terns. More than 100 pairs of Little terns used to settle in the delta before 2000, however, only 30 breeding pairs are found lately. It accounts for 10 % of the national breeding population of Little terns. Here extinction of terns was caused by high grass vegetation, shrubs and tiny trees on open sand islands. In 2007, the number of breeding pairs of Common terns was 150, whereas in 2009 – only 90. The reason for such decrease was the same – prevailing grass and woody vegetation on the sites. 4 % of the national breeding population of Common terns are found in the Nemunas delta.
Bushy areas. Photo by Gediminas Petkus
