Rafał Bobrek, Tomasz Wilk, Aleksandra Pępkowska-Król
Ornis Polonica 2020, 61: 284–304
https://doi.org/10.12657/ornis.2020.4.2
Abstract: In autumns 2012–2013 and spring 2015, migration of true finches Fringillidae in the Polish Carpathians was studied. On the basis of regular observations carried out in 19 points in autumn and 12 points in spring, seasonal dynamics of migration, flock sizes and flight directions of individual species were characterized. In autumn, the highest migration intensity (on average 302.4 individuals per 10 h of observation) was recorded in the Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, followed by the Siskin Spinus spinus (27.2), Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis (14.3), Brambling F. montifringilla (12.9), Linnet Linaria cannabina (12.4), Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes (11.2), Greenfinch Chloris chloris (9.2), Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula (7.3), Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra (6.3), Redpoll Acanthis flammea (1.1), Serin Serinus serinus (0.6), and Twite L. flavirostris. We were not able to determine whether the observations of the Crossbill represented proper migration or rather local dispersive movements. In spring, the passage was noticeably less intense. The most numerous migrant was the Chaffinch (28.6/10 h), and other records included the Linnet (5.4), Goldfinch (3.0), Greenfinch (2.1), Hawfinch (1.0), Brambling (0.9) and Serin (0.7). In spring, the number of recorded Siskins (0.9), Bullfinches (0.5), Crossbills and Redpolls was considerably lower than in autumn, which makes it difficult to assess whether their movements were associated with migration. The Twite was not recorded in spring. In all observed species, flocks of 1–5 individuals were recorded most often. With the exception of the Brambling and Serin, flocks formed in spring were smaller than those in autumn. In the autumn season, flocks > 50 individuals were recorded for the Chaffinch, Siskin, Crossbill and Hawfinch, while in spring no such big groups were recorded. The dominance of the southern and southwestern direction of flight among finches migrating in autumn in the Carpathians suggests that they utilize the Balkan and Apennine wintering grounds.
Keywords: directions of passage, finches, flocking, invasive movements, migrations, mountains
