DISTRIBUTION OF ARDEIDAE DURING POST-BREEDING PERIOD IN NORTH AZOV SEA AREA

Materials of the surveys over nesting herons, conducted in 1988-2003 on model plots inNorth Azov Sea area, data about their distribution and abundance dynamics during postbreedingnomad flights are presented. About of 420 daily counts were conducted, 28thousand of individuals from 8 species were banded. The process of formation of massaccumulations of herons was traced in breeding period on the places of feeding, rest, diurnaland nocturnal rests at steeping sites were registered. The intraspecific and interspecificrelations of herons were considered during feeding. Data about the terms of arriving andflying away were presented together with terms of mass migratory flights.