In the article is analyzed own field data of the authors and scientific publications on the wintering of Anserinae in the Azov-Black Sea region of Ukraine in 1900–2017, but the main data was obtained in frame of international mid-winter counts (IWC) in 2005–2017. It was found that 9 species of Anserinae occur in this region during the different seasons of the year: Anser anser — nesting, wintering and migrating; Rufibrenta ruficollis, A. albifrons, A. erythropus, A. fabalis — migrating and wintering; Branta canadensis, Branta leucopsis, Branta bernicla, Chen caerulescens — vagrant or birds which flew away from captivity (zoo etc.). Eulabeia indica — is possible vagrant species. The most numerous wintering species is A. albifrons, common — Rufibrenta ruficollis, not numerous — Anser anser, the other species are not met annually and registered in a very small number. There was almost tenfold drop in number of wintering geese in the Azov-Black Sea region of Ukraine during the period of counts. The main reasons of such reducing of geese amount are the followwing: weather and climate conditions, changes in the forage acessibility, hunting and poaching pressure, poisoning as a result of deratization of agricultural lands, and from 2014 — the militarization of the Syvash area and stop of water supplying of Crimea through the North Crimean channell. It is likely that the factors mentioned above led to relocating of wintering areas of Anserinae, and resulted in decreasing of their amount in this region.

The classifications of the grouping of the birds reflect the faunistic or the ecological position of the species in certain habitats and landscapes. Most of them consider the species diversity of the birds of the studied regions in general, including synanthropic, invasive and widespread species. This approach prevents singling out the habitats which are important for supporting the existence of native (or autochtonous) species and their groupings. Native groupings of the birds in the dry steppe zone of Ukraine are almost not studied despite the rapid contraction in the range and population of most component species, especially Anthropoides virgo, Otis tarda, Tetrax tetrax and Burhinus oedicnemus. The definition of the taxonomic and the ecological composition of these grouping will help in understanding the strategy of the reproduction and the protection of native avifauna. In connection with this, the faunistic-topomorphic classification of native birds in the dry steppes zone of Ukraine according to the following scheme is proposed: ornithofaunistic complex (by priority landscapes and habitats) – the place of the feeding (by priority substrate on/in which a species’ diet is extracted) – the nesting place (by the priority substrate of the location of the nest for nesting individuals) – the place of rest (the priority substrate where non-nesting individuals rest). The classification is aimed at the definition of the general requirements of native birds and their groupings in terms of the landscapes and the habitats which provide the conditions for their preservation and the protection in the researched region. It has been determined that in the south of Ukraine 33 nesting species are dry-steppe autochthons (18.3% of nesting species of the region), of which 18 species form the ornithofaunistic complex of dry steppes (Buteo rufinus, Perdix perdix, Anthropoides virgo, Otis tarda, Tetrax tetrax, Burhinus oedicnemus, Glareola nordmanni, Galerida cristata, Calandrella cinerea, C. rufescens, Melanocorypha calandra, Anthus campestris, Motacilla feldegg, Saxicola rubetra, S. torquata, Oenanthe oenanthe, Oe. isabellina, Emberiza melanocephala), and 15 species form the complex of the sea coast (Phalacrocoraх aristotelis, Phoenicopterus roseus, Tadorna ferruginea, T. tadorna, Mergus serrator, Charadrius alexandrinus, Recurvirostra avosetta, Larus ichthyaetus, L. melanocephalus, L. genei, L. cachinnans, L. michahellis, Gelochelidon nilotica, Hydroprogne caspia, Thalasseus sandvicensis). The above-mentioned species are mainly xerophiles (54.6% of species) and hygrophils (24.2% of species), and they are in the most threatened position because they feed, nest and rest mainly or exclusively on the soil surface. According to the proposed classification, native birds of dry steppes require: for xerophiles – areas of soil without vegetation or with rarefied low grass, which does not prevent birds from moving freely, searching and obtaining food, leading their chicks, looking over their territories; for hygrophiles – shallow water bodies with islands, surface vegetation, shallows, adjacent meadows and salt-marshes; for dendrophiles – single shrubs and trees or small groves; for most xerophiles and dendrophiles – fresh or slightly saline water bodies for drinking. Unfortunately, in the protected natural territories of the researched region, most native birds do not have this combination of the above-mentioned habitats, which are simultaneously suitable for feeding, nesting and resting.

Over the period 2007–2019, the author’s censuses of steppe birds in the Azov-Black Sea dry-steppe enclave determined five species as dominants and co-dominants by their abundance. Thus, Melanocorypha calandra dominates throughout the whole area, Emberiza calandra dominates in 4 subregions and co-dominates in 5 subregions, Motacilla feldegg, Emberiza hortulana, Anthus campestris, Alauda arvensis dominate in 1 subregion and do not dominate or co-dominate in 1–4 subregions. There is a general increasing trend in the total abundance of steppe birds and the number of their rare breeding species from north-west to south-east, whereas the number of their dominants and co-dominants grows in the opposite direction. According to the list, the correlation between the dominants/co-dominants and the number of rare breeding steppe species, it was revealed that the most valuable for the support of the steppe bird populations are subregions with the largest areas of virgin steppes (the Kerch Peninsula, Western and Central Crimea). The least important are the subregions with the highest degree of anthropogenic transformation (northern part of the Syvash region, western part of the Black Sea region) and the Lower Dnipro wetlands. Therefore, it is a high abundance of steppe birds and the maximum number of rare steppe species which should be a specific ornithological indicator of the status of zonal landscapes in the dry steppe zone (especially within protected natural areas of Ukraine) rather than general avian species diversity including introduced, invasive species, synanthropes, etc.