The distribution and dynamics of synanthropisation of the common wood pigeon in the Stavropol region

Abstract

Aim . To establish the relevant condition and nature of the distribution of the woodpigeon Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 in the Stavropol region and to analyse the synanthropisation trends of the species. Material and Methods . The spatial distribution, biology and ecology of the wood pigeon were studied in 2006–2019 according to generally accepted methods in ornithology, followed by statistical processing. The total length of routes monitored in various types of biotopes throughout the Stavropol region amounted to more than 3,500 km. Results . According to the study results, the wood pigeon inhabits 27 territorial units of the Stavropol region (municipal districts, cities of regional significance/urban district). In the steppe regions it is mainly found in artificial planting of agricultural entities (forest belts along fields, brigades, barns, landscaping of linear features ‐ roads and railways). In the region of the Caucasian Mineralnie Vodi, the wood pigeon can be observed in the green spaces of resort towns. During the study period, 78 species nests were found. Conclusion . The results of the study confirm the steady expansion of the range of the wood pigeon in the region. The occupation of anthropogenic landscapes by the species is uneven. It has widely adapted to agrocenoses and linear features in the landscape. The rate of synanatropisation, in general, is increasing. However, in settlements the species predominantly develops habitats close to nature ‐ large green areas, remote from residential buildings.