The Significance of Cereal Stubble and Manure Heaps for Birds Wintering in the Farmland of Eastern Poland

Goławski, Artur; Kasprzykowski, Zbigniew

doi:10.13157/arla.58.2.2011.277

Cited by 19 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The wintering period in the context of the effect of road/ rail noise on birds is as yet poorly understood. Weatherwise, winter is a period of hardship for birds (Goławski and Kasprzykowski 2010). In contrast to the breeding period, when the priority is reproduction and care of the young, the fundamental problem in winter is finding food and avoiding the attention of predators.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The results we obtained during our winter research along a railway line showed that insectivorous and granivorous birds were distributed fairly evenly at different distances from the tracks: this behaviour was consistent in every month of the study. During winter in eastern Poland, the forest floor is usually covered to varying depths with snow, which hinders birds in their search for food, just as is the case in open country like farmland (Goławski and Kasprzykowski 2010). Moreover, the snow layer cancels out any differences in the availability of food on the ground; only along the woodland edges, where levels of insolation are high, as a result of which the snow melts faster, is food more accessible.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The least understood period in the life cycle of birds is the wintering period. The winter weather in central and eastern Europe is a severe test for the birds because of the low temperatures, falls of snow and frequent changes in intensity of these factors (Goławski and Kasprzykowski 2010). That is why the activities of birds during winter take quite different forms from those typical of spring and summer, when they are building nests and looking after their young.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does railway noise affect forest birds during the winter?

et al. 2019

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The construction of new railway routes and the modernisation of existing ones usually have an adverse effect on the natural environment in the vicinity of such transport corridors. Negative effects of the construction of the railway line can be observed even at a considerable distance. The high frequency of wildlife-train-collisions (wtc) can lead to the death of many animals. Many groups of animals, including birds, are exposed to noise, which modifies their densities in the neighbourhood of railway lines. The relevant literature reports both positive and negative effects of railway lines on birds. The present study addressed the question of how noise generated by trains affects woodland birds during winter. Birds were counted at 45 observation/ listening points located along three rows running parallel to the railway line (15 points in each row) at different distances from the tracks (30 m, 280 m and 530 m). Each point was described in detail with the aid of a suite of environmental parameters. Three hundred and forty-eight birds from 20 species were recorded during the study. The level of noise decreased with distance from the tracks. The numbers and species diversity of birds were both higher close to the railway line than deep in the forest. The richer structure of the forest edge was an attractive habitat for birds. Birds belonging to different feeding and social guilds were distributed evenly right across the study plot. Passing trains and the noise they generated did not cause a drop in bird density by the tracks. The results of this study may be useful during the planning of new railway routes and the modernisation of existing ones in the context of applying measures to minimise the negative effects of a railway line on the environment through which it passes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does railway noise affect forest birds during the winter?

et al. 2019

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“…In doing so, individuals adopt various tactics of movement (Newton 2008, Phillips et al 2009), foraging (McClellan et al 2010) and habitat use (Tranquilla et al 2014). Defined as the way individuals use environmental components to meet their life history needs (Block andBrennan 1993, Jones 2001), habitat use can be influenced by multiple factors during winter such as food abundance or its accessibility, which can be limited by environmental factors such as snow cover in winter (Greenwood andBaillie 1991, Golawski andKasprzykowski 2010). Despite such environmental variability, some migrating species will show relatively high fidelity to a specific wintering site because familiarity with a given site may improve foraging efficiency, predator avoidance or maintain a dominant status, which could ultimately increase individual fitness (Cresswell 2014, Blackburn and Cresswell 2016, Latta et al 2016.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wintering space use and site fidelity in a nomadic species, the snowy owl

Robillard

Gauthier

Therrien

et al. 2018

Journal of Avian Biology

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Migratory species can exploit many habitats over vast geographic areas and adopt various patterns of space and habitat use throughout their annual cycle. In nomadic species, determinants of habitat use during the non‐breeding season are poorly known due to the unpredictability of their movement patterns. Here, we analysed variability in wintering space and habitat use by a highly nomadic species, the snowy owl, in eastern North America. Using 21 females tracked by satellite telemetry between 2007 and 2016, we 1) assessed how space use patterns in winter varied according to the type of environment (marine vs terrestrial), latitudinal zone (Arctic vs temperate), local snow conditions and lemming densities and 2) investigated winter habitat and site fidelity. Our results confirmed a high inter‐individual variation in patterns of habitat use by wintering snowy owls. Highly‐used areas were concentrated in the Arctic and in the marine and coastal environments. Owls wintering in the marine environment travelled over longer distances during the winter, had larger home ranges and these were divided in more smaller zones than individuals in terrestrial environments. Wintering home range sizes decreased with high winter lemming densities, use of the marine environment increased following high summer lemming densities, and a thick snow cover in autumn led to later settlement on the wintering ground. Contrary to expectations, snowy owls tended to make greater use of the marine environment when snow cover was thin. Snowy owls were highly consistent in their use of a given wintering environment and a specific latitudinal zone between years, but demonstrated flexibility in their space use and a modest site fidelity. The snowy owls’ consistency in wintering habitat use may provide them with advantages in terms of experience but their mobility and flexibility may help them to cope with changing environmental conditions at fine spatial scale.

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“…Furthermore, during winter, especially with increasing snow cover or with falling temperatures, numbers of Yellowhammers increase in built-up areas, manure heaps or straw stacks, where they consume food from crop-free sites (e.g. domestic fowl feed) or crop fields (Górski 1976, Härdi 1989, Goławski & Kasprzykowski 2010, cf. Cramp 1998.…”

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confidence: 99%