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- Title
Habitat preferences of Picidae woodpeckers in the agricultural landscape of SE Poland: Is the Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus colonizing a vacant ecological niche?
- Authors
MICHALCZUK, Jerzy; MICHALCZUK, Monika
- Abstract
In 2007 - 2009, we assessed the degree of colonization by woodpeckers in woods and trees of anthropogenic origin in the agricultural landscape of SE Poland. In order to determine the territorial boundaries of the birds (in an area of 305 km2), we used the mapping method combined with voice stimulation. The Great Spotted Woodpecker dominated in forests, present in 93% of territories found there, whereas the Syrian Woodpecker dominated in anthropogenic tree stands, occupying 90% of these territories. This species reached a density of 8.63 - 10.55 breeding p a irs/10 km2 in anthropogenic tree stands. Low numbers of Great Spotted Woodpeckers also nest in this habitat. Densities of these species were 0.72 - 1.68 breeding pairs per 10 km2 of anthropogenic tree stands. Orchards made up the greatest proportion of Syrian Woodpecker territories at 53.5% and were the only type of tree stand preferred by this species. Parks made up a significant proportion (19.4%) of territories occupied by the Great Spotted Woodpecker, which were clearly favored only by this species. The habitat niches of these two species of woodpeckers overlap. The Syrian Woodpecker does not fully penetrate the available ecological niche of anthropogenic habitats, but compared to forest habitats, where the Great Spotted Woodpecker dominates, it encounters less competition there from native woodpecker species. As its primary competitor, this species is a potential biological barrier inhibiting the Syrian Woodpecker's colonization of forests in areas of the sympatric occurrence of these two species. Therefore, anthropogenic tree stands are the main gateways and corridors of Syrian Woodpecker expansion in Europe.
- Subjects
WOODPECKERS; PICIDAE; DENDROCOPOS
- Publication
North-Western Journal of Zoology, 2016, Vol 12, Issue 1, p14
- ISSN
1584-9074
- Publication type
Article