Nesting Requirements of the Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus (Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1833) (Aves: Picidae) in the Rural Landscape of SE Poland.

This study assessed the nesting preferences of the Syrian woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus. For this purpose, basic tree parameters (trunk diameter, health condition and species diversity of trees) of 22 nest tree stands were compared to the tree stands present in the territories of the Syrian woodpecker (n=22) and those outside breeding territories (n=22). The study was conducted in 2006 in the agricultural landscape of SE Poland. During the study, no significant differences were found between the tree stands situated in and outside the woodpeckers' breeding territories. This may be an indication of the high ecological flexibility of the Syrian woodpecker as well as the wide availability of suitable habitats for this species in the studied region. However, in order to protect the nesting habitats of the Syrian woodpecker in the agricultural landscape, the presence of older trees in poor health condition, which also often includes dead trees or trees with visible mycelia, is needed. Tree stands with higher species diversity and numbers of trees may also be important for these woodpeckers, as this may positively affect foraging conditions in nesting territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]