Jerzy Michalczuk, Daniel Boruchalski, Paweł Mazurek, Monika Mazurek, Monika Michalczuk, Robert Cymbała
Ornis Polonica 2018, 59: 231–249
https://doi.org/10.12657/ornis.2018.4.0
Abstract: Numbers and distribution of woodpeckers were estimated in forests (covering about 15.6 km2) and non-forest tree stands (covering 10.4 km2) in the agricultural landscape of SE Poland in 2017. We used the combined cartographic method with voice stimulation to detect birds within 339 km2 of the study area. The dominant Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major represented 72% (N=428) of the total woodpecker community in the study area. Most territories of this species (97.7%, N=308) were located in forests, and reached the mean density of 19.3 breeding pairs/100 ha of the total forested area, and 0.91 breeding pairs/100 ha of the whole study area. All breeding territories of the Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocoptes medius (N=55), Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius (N=8) and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dryobates minor (N=14) were found in forests. Densities of these species constituted respectively 3.5, 0.5 and 0.9 breeding pairs/100 ha of the forested areas and 0.16, 0.02 and 0.04 breeding pairs/100 ha of the whole study plot. In contrast, territories of the Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus and Wryneck Jynx torquilla were located mainly in isolated tree stands outside forests (respectively 92% and 94%; N=25 and N=18). These species reached a mean density of 2.2 and 1.6 breeding pairs/100 ha of the total area of tree clumps, and 0.07 and 0.05 breeding pairs/100 ha of the total research area, respectively. The study has shown that despite considerable habitat fragmentation and small areas of forest patches (in total ca. 5% of the whole study area), small forests were still the basic habitat for primary hole nesters, including woodpeckers. Isolated forest patches hosted about 89% of woodpecker population. An important role in the agricultural landscape played also non-forest tree stands (orchards, parks, tree rows and clumps, cemeteries, etc.) that were the main habitats for Syrian Woodpecker and Wryneck.
Keywords: density, forests, hole nesters, non-forest tree stands, woodpeckers
