Przemysław Wylegała, Grzegorz Lorek, Lechosław Kuczyński
Ornis Polonica 2022, 63: 301–313
https://doi.org/10.12657/ornis.2022.4.1
Abstract: The census of the breeding population of the Crested Lark Galerida cristata was conducted in Wielkopolska (Greater Poland, 35,800 km2) in 2018–2019. The study was carried out in 351 out of 1,000 randomly generated 1 km2 plots, 60% of which were covered with agricultural land. On 38 plots, surveys were repeated twice by independent observers in order to estimate species detectability. In total, 342 pairs (range from 1 to 7 pairs per plot) of Crested Larks were recorded on 167 plots (47.6% of the sample). Crested Larks were detected in 11 types of habitats, it was most frequently found within rural housing (64.8% of all habitat types). The dominant breeding habitat of Crested Lark in Wielkopolska was rural housing with squares of bare ground, e.g. in the vicinity of manure or silage heaps, and in places of agricultural machinery storage. Mean detection probability during a survey visit was 0.54 (±95% CI: 0.42–0.65). In taking into account detectability, the total Crested Lark population in Greater Poland was estimated at 32,800 pairs (±95% CI: 25,900–42,300). The population trend in Greater Poland calculated for years 2000–2021, based on data obtained through the Polish Common Breeding Bird Survey, is increasing, with annual growth of 8.8% (λ=1.091, 95% CI: 1.038–1.147). In other regions of Poland, the population exhibits a moderate decrease by 5.8% per year (λ=0.944, 95% CI: 0.892–0.999).
Keywords: breeding habitats, Crested Lark, density, Galerida cristata, numbers, trends
