Search

In large parts of Europe biodiversity in agricultural landscapes has experienced strong declines over the past decades because of land-use change and intensification of cultivation methods, but more recently also due to modernization of villages. One of the aspects of modernization is the arising of large specialized poultry and pig farms. Our study carried out in central and east-central Poland focused on the role of habitats within 101 animal farms in relation to bird species richness and number of pairs. We also compared the density of some bird species on farms and in neighbouring villages to determine the importance of the farm environment for the birds. Species richness increased with the number of buildings, the number of trees and the presence of piles of rubble. The number of pairs increased with the number of trees, and the presence of ponds and piles of rubble. Many-times higher densities on farms than in surrounding villages of several species were noteworthy: Black Redstart, Northern Wheatear, White Wagtail and Crested Lark. Animal farms are an important refuge for several species, including those belonging to drastically declining farmland species. Despite the opinion that the modernization of the villages is having a disastrous effect on the avifauna, the modernization may also have positive aspects for some bird species.

Despite being one of the most common congenital hand abnormalities in humans, polydactyly remains extremely rare in bats. To date, it has been observed only in two insectivorous families in North America (Molossidae and Vespertilionidae) and a single case for the New World fruit bats (Phyllostomidae). We report the first case of polydactyly in a European bat – a Myotis daubentonii (Vespertilionidae), with eight toes. The bat was found alive, hibernating in the Natura 2000 site (PLH080003 “Nietoperek”) in Poland.

The Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) is considered as the most important factor in the dispersal and spread of oak species. We conducted studies in oak stands in four countries (Poland, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine) in the autumn of 2015 and 2016. To identify the preferences of Jays for both acorns and trees, we compared the size of acorns and tree characteristics between each selected tree and the closest unused oak. We found that acorns from selected oaks were smaller (narrower) than those from unused trees. We found no differences in the characteristics of selected and unused oaks. These results indicate that the size of acorns can be an important indicator determining the choices of foraging birds. The Jays’ preferences for specific trees may influence the composition of oak populations. Trees with certain phenotypic and genomic characteristics may be favoured and dominate in the ecosystem.

Numerous studies have investigated the nest-site characteristics and selection of bird species, because these features often play a determining role in bird breeding success. In recent years researchers focused on urban environments as a source of novel conditions which provide breeding opportunities for species that are able to survive in human-altered environments. Although thrushes Turdus spp. are among the species which frequently inhabit urban areas, the fieldfare Turdus pilaris only recently has started to colonize human settlements and reports on populations in urban ecosystem are rare. The aim of our study was to investigate the fieldfare density and nest-site selection in urban parks of Rzeszow, Poland. We found that the average density of breeding pairs in study area was 2.92 pair/ha. Fieldfares nested entirely on deciduous trees, despite the presence of numerous coniferous trees in parks. They built their nests mostly on those tree species which were the most abundant in particular study plot, which indicates that the studied urban population of the fieldfare is rather opportunistic in the selection of a nest-tree species. Also nest-tree surroundings consisted of the trees that dominated in the parks. The results of our study suggest that the fieldfare is among the species that synurbize easily and may reach even higher breeding densities in towns than in natural habitats.

We examined the relationship between individual heterozygosity of male Red-breasted Flycatchers (Ficedula parva; a small long-distance migratory, socially monogamous bird species) and their mating success, arrival time and age. Using eight polymorphic microsatellite loci, we found that male heterozygosity is related to both mating success and arrival time, but not to age. Mated and earlier arriving males had higher heterozygosity than later arrivals and bachelors, but we did not find a relationship between age and individual heterozygosity of males. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide evidence about the relationship between individual genetic diversity and arrival time, thus arrival time could be used as a signal of individual heterozygosity and quality.

Domestic and wild mammals, domestic birds and particularly wild birds are considered to be reservoirs of many species of Enterobacteriaceae, and also important human enteric pathogens, e.g., the bacteria of the genus Campylobacter that occur in their digestive tracts. These species may be vectors of antimicrobial resistance dissemination in the environment, because they may have contact with an environment contaminated with antibiotics. Bird feeders have been suggested as potential dispersal centres between wild wintering birds whose feeding is supported by humans. Therefore, we checked for the presence of Campylobacter bacteria among great tits Parus major, the most common bird species on bird feeders in Poland. Samples (n = 787 cloacal swabs) were collected in urban and rural areas of Poland. Bacterial species were identified using multiplex PCR, and 23 (2.9%) positive tests for Campylobacter spp. were found; in ten samples, C. jejuni was detected. The odds ratio of Campylobacter infection in rural birds was over 2.5 times higher than urban birds. Ten samples with C. jejuni were tested for antibiotic resistance, and all were sensitive to azithromycin, erythromycin and gentamycin, while six isolates were resistant to tetracycline, and five were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Four Campylobacter isolates were resistant to both these antibiotics.

The nest is an important part of reproduction of many altricial bird species and nest construction is varied, for example in site selection, shape and construction material. We studied nest composition in the Red-breasted Flycatcher ( Ficedula parva), breeding in natural holes in primeval stands of the Białtowieża Forest. The nests were constructed of three main elements: moss, which was detected in all nests, dry leaves and hair. Moss was found in all nests and comprised on average more than 84% of nest mass. The proportion of moss was dependent on the living/dead status of the tree but not on the depth of the nest cavity or its height above the ground. In cavities located in live trees the proportion of moss in the nest was, on average, higher than in dead trees. The moss in the nests of the Red-breasted Flycatcher can regulate moisture (humidity), provide protection from rain and water from the tree, i.e. from the inner walls of the nest cavity, and can play a role as camouflage in passive protection against predators. Variation in nest construction suggests plasticity in the behaviour of the female Red-breasted Flycatcher in using nest components in relation to nest site characteristics and environmental conditions.

We documented the composition and structure of the breeding bird assemblage in the primeval temperate forest of the Bialowieza National Park (BNP), during 2010-2014, and used 40 years of data to assess patterns of its diver- sity. We applied an improved version of the mapping technique (a combined mapping method) for forest birds in seven plots located in three old-growth forest types: ash-alder riverine, oak-hornbeam, and mixed coniferous. The composi- tion of the breeding avifauna and species richness remained basically unchanged. Jointly 67 (79% of 40-year total) breeding species were recorded in 2010-2014. Overall 49 (57%) of all species bred in the study plots in more than 35 years, they formed c. 97% of the pairs in the breeding assemblage. The composition of the group of dominants changed slightly; Phylloscopus sibilatrix became much less numerous in comparison to the earlier periods. Anthus trivialis ceased to breed — possibly due to disappearance of its habitat. The numbers of Sylvia atricapilla reached the highest ever level, and those of Columba palumbus and Dendrocopos medius equalled the maxima observed during 40 years. The overall breeding densities did not change significantly but they were substantially lower than in the peak year (2001). Crown insectivores, crown nesters and short-distance migrants remained the most numerous foraging, nesting and migratory groups, respectively. The earlier observed density gradient across habitats - highest in the riverine, lowest in the conif- erous stands - was retained. Overall composition of the breeding avifauna did not change during 40 years, and no col- onization of forest areas by a new species, nor extinction of a formerly widespread species, except A. trivialis, were observed. Some local changes of species richness occurred, however. Large-scale changes in coniferous habitats due to die-back of Picea abies and appearance of canopy gaps were followed by the increase in species richness there, while dis- appearance of former sharp forest edges reduced the number of species breeding in the "edge" plots. We suggest that the high constancy of species composition of the breeding bird assemblage in BNP results largely from the interplay of two factors: 1) long-term stability of the forest habitats, causing places suitable in one year to remain so over many sea- sons, and 2) cross-generational reproducibility of the selection criteria used by the birds in their settlement decisions.

Recent avian studies suggest that offspring sex ratios can vary with environmental or parental characteristics. One example is that females may adjust brood sex ratio of fledglings in response to the sexual attractiveness of their mate and are expected to produce more sons when mated with older or more ornamented males. We determined offspring sex ratios at fledging (158 nestlings from 33 broods) in a population of migratory bird species, Red-breasted Flycatchers (Ficedula parva) that were breeding on the western edge of their geographic range, in the strictly protected part of the Bialowieza Forest (north-eastern Poland). The ratio of individual broods ranged from all male to all female, but the average offspring sex ratio at the population level did not deviate significantly from the expected 50:50 sex ratio. Moreover, we found no evidence that sex ratio varied significantly with year, with the incidence of extra-pair paternity, with partial brood losses, or with brood size. However, females ma...

Anthropogenic changes, including road network, have strongly influenced biodiversity of Europe. For the past 100 years road networks have become a conspicuous part of European landscape and strongly affected environment and human well-being, including effect by noise. To reduce impact of noise the special barriers (mainly transparent) are installed along a road. Annually thousands of birds die in collision with glass and acrylic screens, and these are important causes of avian mortality. Here we report about and describe how to prevent the lethal hazards that clear and acrylic (plastic) noise barriers along an urban road in eastern Poland pose to birds. A total of 114 fatal strikes representing 26 species were documented along transparent noise barriers. In unmodified sections in both study periods (2012/2013 and 2013/2014) we observed differences in number of fatalities between the seasons, the dead birds were found mostly in the summer, less in the spring and autumn and fewest in winter, but no differences were found between study periods (2012/2013 v. 2013/2014). These result we treat as base line or control data and compare them to experimental modification of the same barriers. After applying a film consisting of horizontal black thick stripes the number of fatal strikes decreased significantly. The average number of fatalities decreased from 1.02 to 0.06 ind./km for all panels of all sections combined and the number of species killed decreased from 19 in unmodified to 4 in modified sections. We highly recommend this effective and inexpensive application as a responsible public utility measure to protect bird life found near roads.

Individuals that arrive earlier on the breeding grounds may obtain many advantages but they also have to spend time waiting for a mate. I studied the waiting times of male red-breasted flycatchers Ficedula parva, a small, migratory, sexually dichromatic passerine bird species under natural conditions (Bialowieza National Park, Poland) in relation to year, arrival time, age of male and morphological parameters. The length of waiting time was dependent on males’ arrival time. The males which arrived later waited a shorter time for females than earlier arrivals. In some years older males spent more time waiting for mates than younger males, but in other years they waited for shorter times. A significant interaction between age of male and year was also observed. Despite the significantly earlier arrival of older males, the waiting time was not related to male age. The waiting time was also not related to body biometric parameters of the male. Despite waiting longer, early male red-breasted flycatchers have an advantage over later arrivals given this greater chance of mating.

Artur Golawski and Cezary Mitrus (2018) Birds show considerable variation in egg size, both within and between clutches. There are many factors affecting egg dimensions including features of the birds themselves, territory quality, food abundance and weather conditions. One feature that varies in clutches is repeatability of egg dimensions within a clutch. We studied variation in egg size in clutches of the Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio in east-central Poland and examined the effects of territory quality and weather conditions on egg size repeatability. Repeatability of egg size was low and ranged from 0.51 to 0.55. No significant differences in egg dimensions were found between clutch size classes (3 to 7 eggs, modal clutch size of 6). Weather conditions only influenced repeatability of egg volume. This parameter was affected by the year and one environmental factor - total rainfall immediately before egg laying. With increasing rainfall, the repeatability of egg volume decreased. Weather conditions can influence food availability and in this way also affect egg size. The Red- backed Shrike diet consists mainly of insects, the activity of which significantly decreased during rainfall. In such conditions, birds have to spend more energy to gain food, which could consequently lead to differences in egg size.

Marie Vaugoyeau [et al.], The increase in size of human populations in urban and agricultural areas has resulted in considerable habitat conversion globally. Such anthropogenic areas have specific environmental characteristics, which influence the physiology, life history, and population dynamics of plants and animals. For example, the date of bud burst is advanced in urban compared to nearby natural areas. In some birds, breeding success is determined by synchrony between timing of breeding and peak food abundance. Pertinently, caterpillars are an important food source for the nestlings of many bird species, and their abundance is influenced by environmental factors such as temperature and date of bud burst. Higher temperatures and advanced date of bud burst in urban areas could advance peak caterpillar abundance and thus affect breeding phenology of birds. In order to test whether laying date advance and clutch sizes decrease with the intensity of urbanization, we analyzed the timing of breeding and clutch size in relation to intensity of urbanization as a measure of human impact in 199 nest box plots across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East (i.e., the Western Palearctic) for four species of hole-nesters: blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), great tits (Parus major), collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis), and pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca). Meanwhile, we estimated the intensity of urbanization as the density of buildings surrounding study plots measured on orthophotographs. For the four study species, the intensity of urbanization was not correlated with laying date. Clutch size in blue and great tits does not seem affected by the intensity of urbanization, while in collared and pied flycatchers it decreased with increasing intensity of urbanization. This is the first large-scale study showing a species-specific major correlation between intensity of urbanization and the ecology of breeding. The underlying mechanisms for the relationships between life history and urbanization remain to be determined. We propose that effects of food abundance or quality, temperature, noise, pollution, or disturbance by humans may on their own or in combination affect laying date and/or clutch size., E. Barba acknowledges funding of project CGL2013-48001-C2-1-P (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation).

Urban environments cover vast areas with a high density of humans and their dogs and cats causing problems for exploitation of new resources by wild animals. Such resources facilitate colonization by individuals with a high level of neophilia predicting that urban animals should show more neophilia than rural conspecifics. We provided bird-feeders across urban environments in 14 Polish cities and matched nearby rural habitats, testing whether the presence of a novel item (a brightly coloured green object made out of gum with a tuft of hair) differentially delayed arrival at feeders in rural compared to urban habitats. The presence of a novel object reduced the number of great tits Parus major, but also the total number of all species of birds although differentially so in urban compared to rural areas. That was the case independent of the potentially confounding effects of temperature, population density of birds and the abundance of cats, dogs and pedestrians. The number of great tits and the total number of birds attending feeders increased in urban compared to rural areas independent of local population density of birds. This implies that urban birds have high levels of neophilia allowing them to readily exploit unpredictable resources in urban environments.

Adapting to exploit new food sources may be essential, particularly in winter, when the impact of food limitation on survival of individuals is critical. One of the most important additional sources of food for birds in human settlements is birdfeeders. At a large spatial scale, we experimentally provided birdfeeders with four different kinds of food to analyze exploitation and use of a novel food supply provided by humans. Nine species started foraging at the new birdfeeders. The species that exploited the new feeders the fastest was the great tit. Use of novel food sources was faster in urban habitats and the presence of other feeders reduced the time until a new feeder was located. Urbanization may be associated with behavioural skills, technical innovations and neophilia resulting in faster discovery of new food sources. This process is accelerated by the experience of feeder use in the vicinity, with a strong modifying effect of the number of domestic cats.