Density variation in "rare" breeding birds in native forests and urban parks. -O. Dubovyk, H. Kuzyo, A. Bokotey. -Biodiversity protection and conservation of rare species are typically the main goals of protected areas. Protected areas are commonly created within native ecosystems where anthropogenic pressure is low. Meanwhile, a growing body of literature has focused on the effectiveness of protected areas to provide important habitats for rare taxa. To highlight this issue, we examined avian species, the most diverse vertebrate class in Ukraine. Forest ecosystems vary relative to conservation status and native integrity. With this in mind, we considered Lviv, Ukraine and outskirts. To determine conservation status, we used regulatory instruments such as the National Red Book of Ukraine, Resolution 6 of the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats and appendices, the Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals and appendices, and Species of European Conservation Concern (SPEC) status to define rare species. The weighted density of SPEC species and those listed in the Bern Convention and Bonn Convention vary considerably and are higher in forests where native integrity has been lost to various degrees. The density of rare taxa within forests exhibiting high biodiversity loss (e.g. urban parks) was starkly evident. Degree of urbanization, as a function of distance from Lviv, was an insignificant predictor of a species listed in Resolution 6 of the Bern Convention or Red Book of Ukraine. We found that weighted density of species with mean species statuses weight were lower in more native forests than parks. Given that weighted densities were highly correlated with general density, we attribute this finding to the luxury effect. That is, density of birds is higher in more urbanized areas of a particular habitat type (e.g. forests and parks). Our conclusion supports previous findings that an increase in overall bird density is common among European cities. To a lesser extent, these findings suggest ineffective nature conservation management of forests in the Lviv region of Ukraine and imply the lack of interest in urban parks as habitat for rare taxa.

Bird migration occurring on the Polonyna Borzhava ridge was studied. Material was collected during 52-days in 307 hours from September till November 2018. It was found that despite diffi cult terrain and variable weather conditions at least 49 species of birds migrate over Polonyna Borzhava. Among them the following species dominate: Chaffi nch, Fringilla coelebs, Common Crane, Grus grus, Eurasian Siskin, Spinus spinus, Common Wood Pigeon, Columba palumbus, Great Tit, Parus major, Goldfi nch, Carduelis carduelis, Water Pipit, Anthus spinoletta, Blue Tit, Cyanistes caeruleus, and also raptors: Sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus, Common Buzzard, Buteo buteo, Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis, Hen Harrier, Circus cyaneus, Marsh Harrier, Circus aeruginosus and other species. Among detected species six are under protection of the Red Data Book of Ukraine: Common Crane, Hen Harrier, Stock Dove, Columba oenas, Alpine Accentor, Prunella collaris, Osprey, Pandion haliaetus, and Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus. Median date of the overall bird passage falls on 9 October. Passage dynamics diff ers among species. Most of species prefer fl ight heights not higher than 55 m above the ridge, but some numerous species choose higher altitudes, for instance Wood Pigeon (85.6 ± 62.7 m), and Common Crane (227.5 ± 62.5 m).

Species and numeric composition of bird communities were analyzed in parks of Lviv based on results of monthly censuses on 20 linear transects on eight study plots. During the year, 79 bird species that belong to eight taxonomic orders were registered Birds' diversity was assessed by species number and Simpson index and it varies throu ghout the year and denotes higher level during the breeding season. Similarly, birds' density is the highest in breeding season, but it also has a less expressed peak in winter period. This shows that biotopical preferences to be presented in urban greenery of parti cular birds are especially notable only while breeding, but in non-breeding season those birds stay resident in scale of the city though disperse in other habitat types. Between-months, stability of species composition (assessed by Jaccard index) and numeric composition (by Bray-Curtis index) was analyzed. Communities were the most stable during the breeding season as birds are related to their nesting sites. According to zoogeographic classification, European species dominate during all months. Siberian, Transpalearctic and Medite rranean species also play role in forming of the community structure. The main food resources type which compensates energy demands of birds during the breeding season is inver te brates; this shows the importance of birds in controlling the abundance of invertebrates in urban ecosystems. Seeds are also important food resour ce types, especially during the non-breeding period. Abundance variability of part of spe cies is related with season. Three main groups of these species were defined: breeding migrants (mainly songbirds such as Fringilla coelebs, Erithacus rubecula, Sylvia atricapilla, Phylloscopus collybita etc., also Columba palumbus), wintering migrants (Spinus spinus, Turdus viscivorus, Bombycilla garrulus, Pyrrhula pyrrhula) and residents (typical synanthropic species whose numbers vary: Turdus merula, Coccothraustes coccothraustes, Troglodytes 80 O. Dubovyk ISSN 1996-4536 (print) • ISSN 2311-0783 (on-line) • Біологічні Студії / Studia Biologica • 2019 • Том 13/№2 • С. 79-98 troglodytes, Cyanistes caeruleus etc.). The last ones, probably, migrate in non-breeding seasons to other habitat types, that can explain their abundance variability. (on-line) • Біологічні Студії / Studia Biologica • 2019 • Том 13/№2 • С. 79-98Osvytsky Gai park is located in the southern suburbs near the Zubra river. A = 82 ha, n t = 2. Acer platanoides, Alnus glutinosa, Quercus robur and Fraxinus excelsior are the most common.Bird surveys. Bird surveys were conducted on each linear transect every month during a period from December 2017 to November 2018. Linear transects method was chosen and data obtained using this method are the most representative concerning the whole community structure [18,3]. Birds were located at the same distance (50 m on both sides from observer) in all months. Surveys were carried out during 20-30 min time period on each transect in morning hours of days without strong wind, rain, o...

In the present study we performed a comparative dietary analysis of two predatory birds, the Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) and the Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) in the district of Lviv city. We found that the Long-eared Owl and the Common Kestrel are typical small mammal specialists within the urban ecosystem. Considering the abundance and biomass of prey, small mammals comprise 98.4% of the Long-eared Owl’s diet. The species composition of mammals coincides almost 50% in the food intake comparison of the two birds. It has been established that the main prey of both species is the Common Vole (Microtus arvalis). The diet of the Common Kestrel is more varied, compared to the Long-eared Owl, due to the consumption of different species of insects (families Gryllotalpidae, Tettigoniidae, Carabidae and Scarabaeidae), reptiles and birds. This result suggested that dietary plasticity of the Common Kestrel facilitate successful adaptation to the urban landscape. The Long-eared Owl is more narrowly specialized in feeding on murine rodents, which reduces the trophic competition between the two predatory birds and allows the coexistence of two predators in the urban ecosystem.