The first winter record in Kazakhstan, confirmed by photography.

First reliable record of Herring Gull for Kazakhstan confirmed by photos, considering the new status of different forms of former subspecies of Larus argentatus sensu lato.

The first photo fixation of this species in the region of Mangyshlak at the beginning of the winter.

The third record of species in Kazakhstan. The first two ones were recorded on Sorbulak: July 16, 2009 (Kovalenko, Dyakin, 2009) and December 7, 2013, (Belyalov, Fedorenko, 2014). See the gallery of species in the site.

The second record of this species in winter perod. The first time two birds kept on the canal at the confluence of Sorbulak on December 22, 2007 and January 2, 2008 (Belyalov, Karpov, 2012).

The second record of this species in the Caspian Sea during the winter. In the city of Aktau, one bird was recorded on January 16, 2009 (Kovshar, Karpov, 2009, photo is in the gallery of species).

The first record in winter in the coast of Mangyshlak. Winter records are known a century ago in the Ili river basin (Zarudnyi, Koreiev, 1905), and recent ones were recorded by A.V. Kovalenko in 2010 and 2011 at the Chardara (Berezovikov, 2012).

The second photo fixation of the species for the Mangystau region. The first time was photographed on April 26, 2011 in Kokesem, the western chink of Ustyurt (Zh. Nurmukhambetov, see the gallery of the species). For the first time in Mangyshlak was recorded on May 1, 1993 in Western Karatau by VA. Gorbatov (Gavrilov & Gavrilov, 2005).

The first photo fixation of the rare species in the northern regions of Kazakhstan. Several records are known for the valley of Irtysh river, the foothills of the Altai and the Zaysan depression. It was recorded in the vicinity of Alma-Ata and other places of the Semirechie. Single birds were recorded in Kurgaldzhino and the lower reaches of Sarysu.

The third breeding record in Kazakhstan. The previous ones are located at 500 km to the east, in the forests of the Kokchetav upland (Korelov, 1972) and at 800 km to the west, in the floodplain of the Ural river (Gubin, Levin, 1982). A new record is located slightly north of the first two ones.

The 13th record of vagrant of this species in Kazakhstan (Kovshar, 1966, Gubin, 1989; Starikov, Tsikh, 1990; Khrokov et al., 1991; Kovalenko, 2002; Koshkin, 2002; Gavrilov & Gavrilov, 2005; Chalikova, 2005; Kovalenko, Belousov, www.birds.kz).

The first record of the species in Mangystau. The nearest records were on Northern Trans-Caspian area.

The first record in the eastern part of Kazakhstan. Before that, only a few records were registered (birds were caught) in the western, southern and south-eastern regions of the country (Gavrilov & Gavrilov, 2005). Records at Sorbulak in 2012-2014 confirmed by photo fixation. (see the gallery of the species www.birds.kz).

The first record confirmed by photo in Kostanay region. It was previously recorded twice in October 1996 and 1998 (Bragin, Bragina, 2002), but the species was not included in the list of local fauna without confirmation of the record.

The first record in Kostanay region confirmed by photography.

The rare record for Sorbulak. Earlier, Little Gull was recorded here on the autumn migration on August 9, 2003, November 6, 2004 and October 27, 2006 (Belyalov, Karpov, 2012).

The northernmost point of Macqueen’s Bustard's record confirmed by photography for Kazakhstan. For many years, there were no reliable information from Semipalatinsk region. The obtained photos confirm the literature data of the species’ records in the region of Semipalatinsk in the past (Khakhlov, Selevin, 1928; Gavrin, 1962; Gubin, 2004).

The first record of Pomarine Skua in Almaty region. In general, there are a little more than a ten records for Kazakhstan, the closest of which are known from Chokpak on September 13, 1967 and 1972. (Gavrilov, Gistsov, 1985).

The second vagrant to the Naurzum reserve area in recent years. The first one was recorded on October 10, 2012 (Timoshenko, Moiseyev, 2012). The nearest record was in 1920 in the Kostanay area, 200 km to the north (Geptner, 1925).

Naurzum's lakes always be the place of traditional stop-offs of Siberian Cranes of the West Siberian population on the migration route passing through the Aral-Turgai depression. Earlier records were regular (Kovshar, 1982). In recent years, birds are not seen annually. The last ones were August records of singles in 2007 and 2010 (Bragin, 2011).

The first reliable record of Long-billed Dowitcher in Kazakhstan. This species nests in tundra zone of Chukotka and Yakutia. Known only several records in the inside of continent: in spring migration of 1972 in Baikal lake (Durnev etc, 1996); 21-22 of September in vicinity of Sahyurte village, Maloe More (Pyzhyanov, 1989); 26 of September young male was shot in fish factory Filippovka, Kirovo-Chepetzky region, Kirovskaya oblast (Sotnikov, 2009); from 22 to 29 of September of 2011 juvenile bird was observed in taiga zone of NE Trans-Baikal area in Charskaya depression, in the edge of Chara village (Goroshko, 2014).

For the first time bird of mollis subspecies was photographed in the territory of Kazakhstan. The Great Grey Shrike of this subspecies is described by Eversmann in 1853. The breeding range covers Altai, Sayan, Khangai and Kentei. There are several winter specimens shot in the area of Katon-Karagaya and in the vicinity of Alma-Ata. The only one summer record of the young male was made by Y.N. Grachev on Markakol on July 17, 1966 (Korelov, 1970).

Until recently, was known in Kazakhstan only on migration, but the records are rare till present day. E.I. Gavrilov (1999) assumed that in the Kazakh Altai it should be recorded not only on migration, but also on nesting. The lack of data of the species he explained by the fact that Oive-backed Pipit is easily confused with Tree Pipits which is commonest bird here. In 2001, in the upper reaches of Bukhtarma (the area of Berel village, 1200m) was first recorded on the breeding (N. Berezovikov, B.Rubinich, Selevinia-2001, p. 60); it was assumed the expansion of the species breeding range from the Russian part of Central Altai to the west. Photo confirms that nesting in the Kazakh part of Altai is not an exceptional case.

First photos of this species in the territory of Kazakhstan. High mountain range of Karzhantau, the only place where the breeding population is known; and there are reliable data about it. M.N. Korelov (1956) in 1949 found it here as numerous, it was confirmed by the observations of V.I Kapitonov (1969) in 1961 and 1962. The next data were reported only many years later: in the summer of 2003. E.S Chalikova saw birds here (KOB-2003, p. 96). In Aksu-Jabagly was recorded in 1930-40 years (shot by LM Shulpin and DF Zheleznyakov), but later disappeared for unknown reasons (Kovshar, 1966, Korelov, 1970).

Photographed in the vicinity of Semipalatinsk for he first time. More than 80 years ago the only record of the species in this region was published (Zalesskie, 1931). For the eastern regions of Kazakhstan this record is the northernmost.

The first record at Sorbulak confirmed by photography. Previously, there is record of two vagrant birds here of June 5, 2011 (Belyalov, Karpov, 2012). The nearest known breeding range is the Alakol system of lakes, where the first nests were found in 2000 (Berezovikov, 2004, Berezovikov, Levinsky, 2008).

For the first time ever recorded in the Northern Pre-Caspian. Breeding in Kazakhstan is known only for Kyzylkum. Several vagrants were recorded to the east of the breeding range: at Bilikol (Gubin, 1991, oral report); at Aksu-Jabagly (Kolbintsev, 1999); at Chokpak (Gavrilov & Gavrilov, 2005); at Sorbulak (Kovalenko, 2007, www.birds.kz), and to the west from the breeding range: in Mangyshlak (Gubin, Vilyaev, 2012, www.birds.kz). The northernmost until this day record is the report about male of May 14, 1882, near Orenburg (Zarudny, 1897).

The Menetries Warbler breeds in Kazakhstan along the valley of the Syrdarya river. However for a long time Oleg Belyalov suggested that Menetries Warblers regularly caught at the Chokpak station can breed much to east from the known breeding range. After more than 10 years these assumptions were confirmed. This is the first record of a Menetries Warbler proving its breeding on the Chu river, at 400 km to the east of the previously known breeding spots.

And then one even more eastern record of the Menetries Warbler confirming its habitat in the floodplain of the Ile river. That expands the range of the habitat for more than 600 km to the east of the previously known breeding spots in Kazakhstan.

The first vagrant confirmed by a photography. In addition to this record there are several more ones are known: in 1900-1901 birds were observed on the Irtysh in autumn (Yablonsky, N.I, 1904); on August 27, 1998 a flock was observed on the Sorkol lake, on May 4, 1999 single bird was observed in the mixed flock between the Bozshakol and Pyatikhatka lakes (Erokhov SN, Berezovikov N.N, 2000); on February 13, 2006, on Shoshkakol lakes 6 Barnacle Gees were observed (A.V Kovalenko, SA Kravchenko, 2006).

For the first time Common Oystercatcher breeds in Sorbulak last year. But the eggs were not measured, and the history of the nest was not traced. This year the birds made the clutch in the same place. The size of the eggs and the behavior of the bird confirmed their breeding.

For the first time recorded on Altay. The nearest records are known from Alakol depression (Berezovikov,2008).

Two birds were observed on Sorbulak.

First record from Sorbulak.

The first record in Semirechye confirmed by photography. The spring records are known in two places: on Ile in the mouth of Khorgos (Alferaki, 1891) and in the delta of Tentek river (Berezovikov, 2002). On Sorbulak it was previously recorded once in the beginning of winter (Belyalov, Karpov, 2012).

First winter record in western part of Kazakhstan. Earlier only several records were in Southern Kazakhstan, Zhambyl and Almaty oblasts.

First record of Laughing Dove on Mangyshlak.

First winter record in Kazakhstan confirmed by photos. Earlier the latest records in Ural river delta were in the third ten days of October (Gistsov, 2012). There is the information about December record in foothills of Western Tien Shan (Kolbintsev, 1997).

First confirmed by photos record of Great Rosefinch in Kazakhstan part of Altai. Earlier at July 20 of 2005 Raffael Aye observed couple in upper of Katun river near the border with Russia (KOB-2005, p183).

New species of fauna of Kazakhstan. First birds were shot in Zhabagly (Southern Kazakhstan) at January 12 2014 by E.Belousov. In same place at 8-9 of February A.Isabekov, A.Kovalenko and V.Fedorenko also photographed these birds. Previously known in localities of Uzbekistan bordered to Kazakhstan territory, nests in Ugam and Pskem ridges.