Abstract
Abstract Hollow birds of 12 species were found breeding in nestboxes for tits and starlings in mixed forests of Lithuania. They were Ficedula hypoleuca, Parus major, Parus caeruleus, Parus cristatus, Parus ater, Parus montanus, Erithacus rubecula, Sitta europea, Sturnus vulgaris, Troglodytes troglodytes, Jynx torquila, Phoenicurus phoenicurus. The most abundant species were F. hypoleuca and P. major which made 50–60% and 30–40% respectively of all the birds breeding in nestboxes. Long-term investigations carried out in two sites (in 1984–1990 in Šakiai district and in 1984–1993 in Molėtai district) revealed, that the abundance of these species in separate years was rather stable, only a small fluctuation in number F. hypoleuca was revealed. An evident increase in number of F. hypoleuca in both sites was registered in 1990. The peaks of increase in number of these two species were observed during the first year after establishing of the nestboxes. Nestboxes established in a mixed spruce-birch forest in Šakiai district were used for roosting by five species of birds in post-breeding period: P. major, P. caeruleus, S. europea, Dendrocopos major and D. minor, among which P. major made 80%. The percentage of nestboxes occupied by roosting birds rose from 2.5% in August and September to 20.4% in November and then it was gradually decreasing. An insignificant increase was observed in March. These seasonal fluctuations of abundance are related not only to fall of temperature in autumn and deaths of birds in winter time, but also to autumnal migration of P. major from woods to the territories inhabited by people and their migration back to the forest in spring.
Published Version
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