Tomasz Wilk, Łukasz Bednarz, Arnold Cholewa
Ornis Polonica 2022, 63: 45–57
https://doi.org/10.12657/ornis.2022.1.4
Abstract: The aim of the study was to survey the waterbirds breeding along the 95-km section of the Vistula riverbed, between Szczucin and Zawichost (SE Poland). The fieldwork was carried out during canoeing trips over the course of three years – 2018, 2020 and 2021. Breeding of 12 waterbird species was confirmed in the riverbed. The results of the study show that the surveyed section of the Vistula is especially important as a breeding site for Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus (4–6 breeding pairs) and Little Tern Sternula albifrons (44–65 pairs) holding respectively 18% and 6% of the national population. Other taxa recorded during the study, i.e. Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula (1 pair), Common Gull Larus canus (9–13 pairs), Common Tern Sterna hirundo (120–165 pairs). Population of the above mentioned five species are the most numerous in the region of SE Poland. Due to the lack of data, evaluation of long-term trends of the avifauna is not possible, except for the Eurasian Oystercatcher, which inhabited this area probably in 1990s and since then its population has been increasing. The short-term (10 year period) trend shows strong decline of two species of gulls – Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus and Common Gull, probably as an effect of local habitat loss, human disturbance and increased predation. The avifauna of the most important/valuable part of the studied section of the Vistula riverbed, situated between Połaniec and Tarnobrzeg, is not effectively protected, despite the fact that the place fulfils criteria of an Important Bird Area. The Special Protection Area of Natura 2000 network should be urgently established and proper conservation measures should be implemented.
Keywords: Eurasian Oystercatcher, gulls, Haematopus ostralegus, Larinae, Sterninae, terns, Vistula, waterbirds
