Selection of mature and old stands byCorsicanNuthatchSitta whiteheadiin harvested forests

Abstract

In harvested forests, the bird community is largely determined by stand structure, which itself is determined by forestry practices. This study aimed to identify habitat variables determining the presence of Corsican Nuthatch Sitta whiteheadi – a threatened island endemic – in harvested Corsican Pine Pinus nigra laricio woods, with the aim of mitigating the impact of timber harvest on the bird. Comparison of occupied and unoccupied plots showed that this bird is found mostly in pure Corsican Pine stands, and is absent when more than 50% of trees are not this species. Nests were built in decaying pine snags between 20 and 100 cm diameter at breast height (dbh), but birds avoided stands with live pines < 70 cm dbh, and selected stands with pines > 80 cm dbh. Conservation of Corsican Nuthatch therefore depends on maintaining harvest rotations of more than 200 years, reducing the size of felling coupes in clear‐cutting systems or, preferably, practising selective cutting, maintaining a sufficient density of old trees and snags, and checking the encroachment of other tree species into Corsican Pine stands.

Quaternary History of an Endemic Passerine Bird on Corsica Island: Glacial Refugium and Impact of Recent Forest Regression

“…This estimate, however, depends on the proportion of deciduous species mixed with the pine stands after the LGM, which is unknown. Today the nuthatches do not tolerate mixed stands where the proportion of deciduous trees (mainly beeches Fagus sylvatica) exceeds 50% (Villard et al, 2014). They can also occupy pure Maritime Pine stands at low elevations (Thibault et al, 2011), relying only on insects as they cannot eat the too large and hard seeds: clearly this habitat, which is recent (Carcaillet et al, 1997;see below) and has been favored by anthropic actions, is suboptimal for the survival of the nuthatch.…”

Status and distribution of the Algerian Nuthatch’s population (Sitta ledanti Vielliard, 1976) in the Tamentout forest (north-eastern Algeria)

“…18,24–26 At each point and for 20 min, we noticed the presence, absence and the number of solitary and breeding pairs of Sitta ledanti ’s individuals, 18 using sound and/or visual identification, by following the ‘Echantillonnage Fréquentiel Progressif’ (EFP) method. 6,19,27,28 The distinction between Sitta ledanti ’s individuals was made by considering an observed pair, a busy nest, a singing male defending and/or visiting his nest and a warning call as a pair, and a solitary male and/or on a perch calling out as a solitary individual. 18 To confirm the presence and absence of the Algerian Nuthatch, we used the technique of singing and shouting of the species, used on different nuthatches’ species.…”

Distribution and demographic trend of Algerian Nuthatch (Sitta ledanti) population of Mount Babor forest in Babor-Tababort National Park

“…This absence may be due to its preference for forests with older trees (Brichetti & Di Capi 1987). The same is true for the Corsican Nuthatch (Tibault et al 2006), which chooses trees with diameters greater than 80 cm due to the greater availability of pine seeds from older trees (Villard et al 2014). In the higher altitudes, we encountered many overlapping nesting territories (the distance between nests was less than 100 m).…”