Łukasz Ławicki, Sebastian Guentzel, Michał Jasiński, Zbigniew Kajzer, Marcin Sołowiej, Paweł Stańczak, Tomasz Rek, Grzegorz Neubauer
Ornis Polonica 2025, 66: 253-277
https://doi.org/10.12657/ornis.2025.4.1
Abstract: In 2020–2021, 20 breeding bird species were surveyed in the Ińska Special Protection Area (SPA) in north-western Poland (total area 877 km2). Four species were counted on 2 × 2 km sample plots: Corn Crake Crex crex (40 plots), Common Crane Grus grus, Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus and Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius (32 plots). The other 16 species were censused in suitable habitats in the entire SPA area. Considerable numbers at a national scale were found for 18 species, which qualifies this area as one of the most important bird areas in Poland. For 11 species, more than 1% of the national population were recorded in the Ińska SPA: Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus (23–25 pairs; 6.7% of Polish population), Green Sandpiper (439–651 p.; 4.2%), Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula (180–261 p.; 4.1%), Gadwall Mareca strepera (151–177 p.; 3.6%), Common Crane (795 p.; 2.1%), Greylag Goose Anser anser (253–292 p.; 1.8%), Black Tern Chlidonias niger (43–82 p.; 1.8%), Eurasian Teal Anas crecca (17–42 p.; 1.7%), Mute Swan C. olor (113–125 p.; 1.3%), Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena (4–10 p.; 1.0%) and Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus (78–87 p.; 1.0%). In addition, significant populations were found for Common Merganser Mergus merganser (11–24 p.), Garganey Spatula querquedula (8–21 p.), Corn Crake (77–216 p.), Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris (31–37 p.), Grey Heron Ardea cinerea (96–103 p.), Black Woodpecker (260–286 p.), and Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis (65–75 p. in 2020 and a population collapse after the cold winter to 15 pairs in 2021). The density of Whooper Swan in the Ińska SPA (2.7 pairs/100 km²) is among the highest in the country. The Common Crane occurs in this area at one of the highest densities in the country (91 pairs/100 km²) – the Ińska SPA is the most important Natura 2000 area for this species in Poland. Similarly, the population of the Green Sandpiper in the Ińska SPA is among the largest in Natura 2000 areas in Poland.
Keywords: breeding birds, census, Common Crane, Green Sandpiper, Important Bird Area, Ińska, Pomerania, sample plots, Special Protection Area, Whooper Swan
