Arkadiusz Sikora, Łukasz Ławicki, Krzysztof Stępniewski, Marcin Sołowiej, Paweł Malczyk, Bogusław Czerwiński, Adam Janczyszyn, Michał Barcz, Dawid Cząstkiewicz, Marcin Borowik, Tomasz Chodkiewicz
Ornis Polonica 2018, 59: 273–290
https://doi.org/10.12657/ornis.2018.4.3
Abstract: Until recently the Siberian Accentor Prunella montanella was recorded extremely rarely outside its breeding areas in Russia. In 1800–1974 the species was observed only 5 times. In 1975–2015 the number of European records (outside Russia) increased: the species was observed 29 times (31 ind. in total). In autumn 2016 an unprecedented irruption of the Siberian Accentor in Europe was noted. A total of 231 birds were observed including 75 in Finland, 72 in Sweden, 14 in Great Britain, 13 in Denmark, 11 in Norway, 10 in Poland, 9 in Latvia, 8 in both Germany and Estonia, 4 in Lithuania and Ukraine, and single individuals in the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Most birds were recorded on the Baltic coast and in the Danish Straits (195 individuals; 84%). Most records came from the areas within 5 km of the shore and from sea islands (177 birds; 77%). The irruption peaked between 14 and 20 October, when 41% of all individuals were noted (12–16 birds/day). In October and November 95% (N=220) of all records were made, and the remaining observations (N=11) between December 2016 and March 2017. The number of re-sighted birds started to outnumber the new records starting from the second pentad of November and continued until the irruption end in March 2017. A total of 57% birds were noted on a single day, and other individuals (43%) stayed at the observation sites from 2 to 95 days. The average duration of an individual stay was 5 days. A total of 23% of individuals (N=55) were aged, and all of them were juveniles. In autumn 2016 other passerine species originating from eastern Siberia were frequently observed in Europe. The most plausible reasons for this unprecedented irruption include weather conditions, common wildfires in Siberia, eastern winds and early winter. In contrast to large numbers of Siberian Accentor observed in autumn, their numbers in winter and spring dropped heavily indicating high mortality and/or their return to the east.
Keywords: Prunella montanella, reasons of irruption, Siberian Accentor, wildfires, winds
