Characteristics and utilization of old Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius holes by hole‐nesting species

Abstract

Old nest holes made by the Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius were examined in two study areas in Sweden. We found a large variation in nest hole characteristics and that the height in the tree and depth of the hole were important factors in the choice of nest hole by secondary hole nesters. A large proportion of old nest holes remained unoccupied. Many holes were probably of poor quality due to shallow depth, low height or narrow entrance. Nest holes in the vicinity of farmland (<200 m from the field‐forest edge) were more often occupied than nest holes deeper into the forest. This was because Jackdaws Corvus monedula, the numerically dominant species, only used nest holes near farmland. Jackdaws usually used the best nest holes, while other subordinate species had to use inferior holes near fields or nest holes in areas with less competition, deeper in the forest. Besides birds, some mammals and bees were found using old Black Woodpecker holes.

The effectiveness of nest-box supplementation for the conservation of European rollers (Coracias garrulus)

“…Other cavity-nesting species occupy the abandoned hollows of woodpeckers, therefore their populations highly depend on the availability of these nesting holes, especially for species which need larger woodpecker hollows to breed. Good examples are stock doves (Columba oenas) and Tengmalm's owls (Aegolius funereus), which breed in the abandoned hollows of black woodpeckers (Dryocopus martius; Johnsson et al 1993). The decrease in the availability of nesting sites is one of the main factors responsible for the population decline in many cavity-nesting birds (Sutherland et al 2004).…”

The Successional Change of Hollow Oaks Affects their Suitability for an Inhabiting Beetle,Osmoderma eremita

“…For the associated fauna the quality of the hollow trees is often important. For nesting birds and small mammals, the number of entrances per tree , the size of the entrances , Remm et al 2006, and distance from the ground (Johnsson et al 1993, Ruczyński & Bogdanowicz 2005 are critical factors for the suitability of hollow trees. For a species-rich and specialized invertebrate fauna (consisting mainly of beetles, dipterans, and acarids), the presence of wood mould (i.e.…”

Nest-site Characteristics of Hole-Nesting Birds in a Primeval Boreal Forest of Mongolia

“…We did not measure the inner dimension of holes, which was suggested to be an important factor of hole occupancy and often differs among species (van Balen et al 1982, Johnsson et al 1993, Carlson et al 1998. Different types of natural holes could reflect difference in inner dimensions to certain extent.…”

“…In the Netherlands, competition with the Starling shaped nest-site use and population size of the Great Tit (van Balen et al 1982). In Sweden, the dominance of the Jackdaw Corvus monedula forced other users of Black Woodpecker holes to use shallower and lower ones, and made Stock Doves Columba oenas move deeper into forest (Johnsson et al 1993). In the United States, the nest niche of the introduced European Starling and House Sparrow Passer domesticus overlapped with native Bluebirds Sialia spp., and caused great decline of their populations (Erskine & McLaren 1976, Sedgwick 1997.…”

“…Predator abundance and potential predator species may also differ between managed forests and natural ones. Even in unmanaged forest fragments surrounded by modified landscape, forest edge species usually dominate hole-nesting birds communities (Johnsson et al 1993), and the extent and the pattern of predation may differ from that under natural conditions (Sandström 1991, Walankiewicz 2002, Wesoło-wski 2002.…”