FIRST CONFIRMED BREEDING RECORD OF THE WHITE STORK (CICONIA CICONIA L.) IN KOTAYK REGION, ARMENIA

Abstract

The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia L.) is one of the best monitored bird species in the Western Palearctic, with national censuses conducted roughly every ten years since 1934. In Armenia, systematic monitoring between 2005 and 2016 documen-ted breeding pairs in seven of the country's eleven administrative regions – Ararat, Armavir, Aragatsotn, Yerevan, Lori, Shirak, and Vayots Dzor – with no confirmed breeding records from Kotayk Region. During Armenia's participation in the 8th International White Stork Census in June 2024, seven breeding pairs were confirmed across three settlements in Kotayk (Yeghvard, Kanakeravan, and Mrgashen), all nesting on electric poles. This represents the first documented breeding occurrence of the species in this region. We report the details of this finding and discuss two non-exclusive explanations: genuine range expansion associated with Armenia's broader national population increase in 2024, and improved survey coverage relative to earlier monitoring efforts that did not include Kotayk. Continued monitoring will be needed to determine whether this represents a stable and expanding foothold for the species in the region.