Andrzej Węgrzynowicz
Ornis Polonica 2017, 58: 61–72
https://doi.org/10.12657/ornis.2017.2.0
Abstract: The survey of breeding Non-Passeriformes associated with wetlands (water reservoirs, watercourses, marshes, midfield overflow areas etc.) was conducted in 2014 and 2016 at the study plot (320 km2) situated in the northern part of the Mazovian Lowland (Central Poland), in a typical agricultural landscape. In total, 19 species were recorded. The dominant species were the Mallard Anas platyrhynchos (density of up to 116 pairs/100 km2), Moorhen Gallinula chloropus (up to 27–29 pairs/100 km2), Coot Fulica atra (25–28 pairs/100 km2) and Water Rail Rallus aquaticus (18–20 pairs/100 km2). In the “wet“ season of 2014, the coverage of these species was relatively high (particularly of Moorhen and Coot – 54% and 43%, respectively); they often reached high habitat densities (up to 1.5–1.7 pair/ha for Moorhen and Water Rail and 4.7 for Coot). The level of groundwater has been recognized as a key factor affecting the number of individuals and species richness – the numbers of most species (especially Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus, Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis, Moorhen, Water Rail and Coot) differed significantly between two seasons differing in this variable.
Keywords: agricultural landscape, habitat preferences, Mazovian Lowland, wetland birds
