abstract |
Passerines
are the most threatened by predators during the
nesting period. According to the results of visual
observations conducted during 2019–2021 in forests
of north-eastern Ukraine, a high proportion of bird
nests destructed by the pine marten (Martes martes)
in artificial nest boxes was revealed. The impact
of the predator was assessed according to the following
signs: the front wall of the nest box fell off,
the bird’s nest was destroyed and torn, traces of
claws on the front wall of the nest box, fragments
of feathers and bones of the bird found nearby.
In the pine forest of the Hetmansky National Nature
Park near Kamenka village, the share of destroyed
by the pine marten nests increased during 2019–2021
from 15.6% to 36.0% and 45.2%, respectively. In
a forest of the Homilshansky Lisy National Nature
Park near Zadonetske village, the largest share
of nests ruined by the forest marten was 51.1% in
2020 and 33.3% in 2021. Cases of predation predominated
in net boxes with nests of Parus major in the third
decade of May (21.05–31.05)—15.9% (n = 47) in the
Homilshansky Lisy National Nature Park; F. albicollis
in the first decade of June (01.06–10.06)—19.1%
(n = 43) in the Hetmansky National Nature Park near
Kamenka village. In general, the results indicate
an increase in the destruction of nests in nest
boxes by the pine marten in the first decade of
June (01.06–10.06) and in the first or second decade
of July (01.07–20.07) for most bird species, including
Parus major, Ficedula albicollis, Phoenicurus phoenicurus,
Ficedula hypoleuca, and Erithacus rubecula. At the
end of the third decade of February and during March,
an inspection of nest boxes showed that a large
number of adults of Parus major spend the night
in the nest boxes. At the same time, in 2021, their
share was 15% (n = 100), of which 10% became victims
to the forest marten in the Homilshansky Lisy National
Nature Park near Zadonetske village. In the territory
of Hetmansky National Nature Park near Kamenka village,
in 2020, Parus major was also the main victim of
the pine marten, with a share of 5.0% (n = 120).
Among the adult birds in the nest boxes that did
not form breeding pairs or of which, eventually,
the male or female died, the inspection of nest
boxes also revealed cases of predation by the pine
marten. |
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