Arkadiusz Fröhlich, Wojciech Mrowiec, Michał Ciach
Ornis Polonica 2017, 58: 73–82
https://doi.org/10.12657/ornis.2017.2.1
Abstract: Transformations in agriculture, which have been intensifying in recent years often lead to changes in avifauna. One of the changing elements in farmland landscape are human settlements, which are increasingly used for residential purposes. This, in turn, leads to the disappearance of traditional agriculture. The aim of this study was to investigate the structure of wintering bird communities in build-up rural areas of S and SE Poland. Birds were surveyed using line transects (a total of 95 km) in 42 randomly selected villages in 2010 and 2011 winter seasons. Thirteen localities (38 km of transects in total) were visited in both years. In all localities, 44 bird species were recorded (range 2–22). The House Sparrow Passer domesticus (42% in 2010 and 25% in 2011), Great Tit Parus major (18% and 23%) and Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella (8% and 11%) were the dominant species. The Blackbird Turdus merula, Eurasian Siskin Spinus spinus, Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus and Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto were subdominant species. The total densities of birds reached 44.0 and 49.3 ind./10 ha during the two subsequent winters respectively, remarkably fewer than in other regions of the country. Results of this work demonstrate that species typical for farmlands are replaced by forest and synanthropic species in build-up rural areas. This phenomenon may be more intense in winter because of common bird feeding, which promotes plastic species. As a result, the avifauna of farmlands begins to resemble an urban bird community, losing its original diversity.
Keywords: farmland landscape, rural areas, urbanization, wintering avifauna
