Andrzej Dombrowski
Ornis Polonica 2023, 64: 190–199
https://doi.org/10.12657/ornis.2023.3.2
Abstract: The paper presents the abundance and structure of breeding birds communities inhabiting agricultural fields in eastern Poland. Counts were carried out in the South Podlasie Lowland on seven sample plots sown with spring crops: large crop areas, viz. monocultures (5 plots, 134 ha in total) and small crop areas (2 plots with 48 agricultural parcels, 71 ha in total). All plots were surveyed 8 times during the 2007 breeding season using a combined version of the mapping method. The monocultures showed a total of 8 species considered territorial – from 3 to 6 per plot, and the density of breeding bird groups ranged from 2.5 to 5.5 pairs/10 ha (average 3.9 pairs/10 ha). Only three species – the Skylark Alauda arvensis, Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava and Whitethroat Curruca communis – were present in all controlled plots. The Skylark nested in a wide density gradient of 0.6–1.8 pairs/10 ha and Yellow Wagtail in a narrow range of 1.3–1.6 pairs/10 ha. The Whitethroat showed a strong variation in densities – 0.1–0.6 pairs/10 ha. The Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris, Corncrake Crex crex and Whinchat Saxicola rubetra nested only in rape crops. A total of 12 breeding species were recorded in the two plots of small crop areas. The density of breeding birds was 14.1 and 14.3 pairs/10 ha, respectively. The density of the most numerous species – Skylark – was 9.2 and 9.1 pairs/10 ha, and Yellow Wagtail – 2.2 pairs/10 ha and 1.8 pairs/10 ha, respectively. The species richness of birds inhabiting the small crop areas was higher than in the monocultures, despite the study area being almost twice as small. The total density of breeding birds in small crop areas was more than three times higher than in monocultures. Skylark densities in small crop areas were more than six times higher than in monocultures. Similarly, Whinchat, as well as Quail Coturnix coturnix and Grey Partridge Perdix perdix, were several times more numerous in small crop fields than in monocultures. The Yellow Wagtail was only one-third more numerous in the small-acreage fields, while the Marsh Warbler was more abundant in rape monocultures. The Whitethroat inhabited both habitats in similar densities.
Keywords: agricultural landscape, breeding birds, monocultures
