Łukasz Kajtoch, Bartłomiej Kusal
Ornis Polonica 2023, 64: 119–128
https://doi.org/10.12657/ornis.2023.2.3
Abstract: The Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus, species listed in Bird Directive of European Union, is present in Poland for almost half a century. After a period of expansion, there was a regress of the rural population in its core range in the SE part of the country. This species is widespread in cities of southern, eastern and central Poland, but the knowledge on urban populations is limited. This results in only populations of the agricultural landscape being protected within the Natura 2000 network in Poland.. This study compares the status of the Syrian Woodpecker population in the Krakow agglomeration between 2012–2015 and 2021. Within that period the abundance of the species decreased by 50% (from c. 21 to 12 sites in three examined plots). At the same time, an increase in the share of mixed pairs with the Great Spotted Woodpecker D. major and pairs formed by hybrids was observed. The decline in the abundance was probably related to the loss of favourable habitats (woodlands and orchards). Competition with the Great Spotted Woodpecker, which increases in number in the country, and hybridization between these species may also have had an impact on territory disappearance. The decline of the Syrian Woodpecker in south-eastern Poland may contribute to its becoming endangered in the future. It is advisable to take into account the species protection requirements in the spatial development planning of urban areas (maintaining and reconstructing preferred woodlots), and the implementation of population monitoring programmes.
Keywords: decline, Dendrocopos syriacus, Kraków, Syrian Woodpecker, threats
