Fauna
The image of terrestrial fauna of Koryaksky reserve is rather poor, first of all, in truly forest species. Typical tundra species are also scarce here. Among beasts of prey living in the reserve the most common are East Siberian Brown Bear and Anadyr Fox (Vulpes vulpes beringiana). Bears occur everywhere here: from the sea coast to the Alpine belt. The fox prefers coastal and low-mountain habitats.
The Polar Wolf occurs rarely, although before this species extermination activities which took place in the end of the 1960s the wolf had been common all over the Koryakskoye upland. The mainland Arctic Fox comes to the reserve during its nomadic migrations when a number of animals go down from the north-eastern areas of the Koryakskoye upland and Prianadyrye to the Gulf of Korf and Parapolsky Dale. Sable and East Siberian Lynx occasionally come to the reserve.
As for small predators, the most common species in the territory of the reserve is East Siberian Stoat. It dwells everywhere, with the exception of lifeless mountain summits and slopes. Siberian Weasel rarely occurs in the reserve, North River Otters are also not numerous.
As for the even-hoofed animals, Koryak Bighorn Sheep (Ovis nivicola koriakorum) and Buturlin Moose (Alces americana buturlini) dwell in Koryaksky reserve. The Koryakskoye upland is one of the most important centers of the bighorn sheep habitation in the north-east of Asia, and one of the local groups is situated within the borders of Cape Govena. The moose mostly occurs in Parapolsky Dale in the valleys of the Kuyul and Uineyvayam rivers.
One of the biggest but non-permanent coastal rookeries of Steller’s Sea Lions is located on Cape Govena that contains from 300 to 2.5 thousand individuals. The animals live here in spring and in summer. Temporary feeding rookeries of the Pacific Walrus are situated on the coast of Cape Govena.
Ornithological complexes of moss-grass tundras and valley forests are typical for Parapolsky Dale, and the ornithological complex of rocky sea coasts – for the mountainous Govena peninsula. The lacustrine-boggy landscapes of Parapolsky Dale are inhabited by 21 species of the Anseriformes, 15 of which are nesting birds. Among them the greater scaup duck (Aythya marila), long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis), water pheasant (Anas acuta), Eurasian widgeon (Anas penelope) can be observed. The total number of ducks is 100-120 thousand individuals. 14 species of sandpipers nest in the reserve, among which the most numerous are wood sandpiper (Tringa glareola), red-backed sandpiper (Calidris alpina), red-necked northern phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus). The ornithological complex of the lacustrine-boggy landscapes of Parapolsky Dale is one of the most abundant in the north-east of Asia.
In the lower reaches of big rivers of Parapolsky Dale sizable areas of poplar and chosenia forests are observed where typical taiga species nest – rustic bunting, scarlet grosbeak, dusky leaf warbler,, nuthatch, red-breasted flycatcher and others. Their populations are mosaic, are divided into small “islands”, but the total number of species is rather high. The white-tailed eagle nest in band bottomland forests. On the whole, 35 species of nesting birds are represented in the forest complex of the reserve.
About 30 colonies of sea-birds with the total number of over 12 thousand couples are situated on the rocky coasts of Govena. Not far from the bird colonies peregrine falcons nest, and along the rocky slopes of river valleys gyrfalcons are observed.
Main lines of bird migration run along the territory of the reserve. Auklets, cormorants, larids, sandpipers and sea ducks manly migrate along the coastal line of the Bering Sea, and geese, ducks and swans move along Parapolsky Dale. The flyby along Parapolsky Dale reaches its culmination point in spring. The autumn flyby is gradual and not so noticeable.
Such water-bodies of Parapolsky Dale as Talovskoye Lake and the Kuyul River are distinguished by the abundance of fresh water ichthyofauna. There are about 20 species of fish in them, among which the most numerous is the pike. The whitefish are represented in Parapol by such species as Siberian whitefish,
Penzhinsky cisco, Broad whitefish, round whitefish and Siberian cisco. It is nowhere else in Kamchatka that one can find the whitefish in such a composition. Penzhinsky cisco is an endemic species of North Koryakiya, it does not occur anywhere except the basin of the Penzhina River and the Talovka River (including Kuyul Lake). As for anadromous salmon, Dog salmon, Humpy salmon and Sockey salmon in small quantities run up to Talovskoye Lake. Besides, white-spotted char red-spotted char constantly dwell here. In the basin of the Kuyul River Kamchatka grayling is a common species, river minnow, burbot, lake silver smelt, smallmouth silver smelt, armoured nine-spined and three-spined stickleback, lamprey, northern sculpin can be seen. In the rivers and lakes of the Govena peninsula the most numerous are humpy salmon, Dog salmon and Sockey salmon. Practically all the rivers of this region are spawning ones.
