Columba Oenas Research Articles

New distribution and breeding location of the Stock Dove Columba oenas in Algeria

Abstract Algeria hosts seven species of the Columbidae family, including pigeons and doves, the majority of which have been the subject of numerous studies, but none have been conducted on the Stock Dove (Columba oenas). Data on this species are still scarce, and its distribution is limited only to Kabylie in northern Algeria. Species occurrence data were collected from September 2022 to August 2023 using the point count method. However, the species was recently recorded in several new localities (20 stations) in West Algeria, at Sidi Bel Abbès and Tlemcen. All our observations were made in a semi-arid bioclimatic area at an altitude ranging between 750 and 1,216 m. Nesting sites were located on woodland and forest edges, not far from water sources, and feeding sites were located in open, natural, or agricultural environments where cereal seeds, grasses, flower buds, and young green shoots were consumed. It could also cohabit with other species of pigeons and doves.

New Breeding Localities of Stock Pigeon (Columba oenas Linnaeus, 1758) in Bulgaria: Do Game Feeding Grounds Contribute to Increasing Distribution of the Species?

Between 2020-2023, seven UTM squares were visited in Balkan Mountain and Sarnena Sredna Gora Mountain. Five new localities of Stock Pigeon with a certain breeding category were reported. In three of them, the birds regularly visited feeding grounds for big game. In two of the localities, the breeding category was determined as confirmed breeding, and in the remaining three was probable breeding. In the present study, food complexes in some of the squares provided the seed supply at the beginning of the breeding season, and croplands, pastures, and meadows provided food resources during the fledging period, this is also the most likely reason for the increase in the breeding distribution of the species in the studied area.

Effects of habitat heterogeneity on bird communities in the forests of northeastern Germany

Habitat heterogeneity is a key factor for regulating biodiversity in temperate lowland forests. Specifically, stands associated with late forest development phases provide important habitat structures for many rare and threatened forest bird species. However, how forest stands that differ in their structural complexity, canopy conditions and tree species composition affect forest bird assemblages both at the local and landscape scale remains largely unclear. In a young moraine lake landscape of northeastern Germany, we assessed correlations of bird diversity and bird composition with stand properties. We used data from 48 transects (400 m) established in (1) unmanaged, closed-canopy, mature stands that were dominated by Fagus sylvatica (UDS), and (2) diverse managed, mixed coniferous stands with a mosaic of open and closed canopy patches (MCS). We found that bird communities of the UDS strongly differed from those in the MCS, with open habitat species being more frequent in the MCS. By contrast, differences in diversity measures were less distinct. Moreover, we identified nine indicator species for the UDS (Columba oenas, Cyanistes caeruleus, Muscicapa striata, Leiopicus medius, Certhia brachydactyla, Ficedula parva, Dryobates minor, Sturnus vulgaris, Ficedula hypoleuca) and seven indicator species for the MCS (Periparus ater, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Regulus regulus, Prunella modularis, Lophophanus cristatus, Emberiza citronella, Anthus trivialis). Several famous ancient beech forest patches in Müritz National Park and the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve “Schorfheide-Chorin” were found to harbour the set of the UDS indicator species. The UDS support of bird coenosis is typical for old mature broadleaved forests and can be considered as an effective tool for bird conservation. Our results further indicate that the combination of unmanaged and managed stands associated with different habitat complexities would benefit forest bird assemblages at the landscape scale. Key words: forest specialist birds, bird conservation, non-managed forests, old-growth patches, Ficedula parva, Leiopicus medius, coniferous forest

Trends in counts of Columbiformes at Shakpak Pass, Kazakhstan

Abstract. Bekzhan BT, Ivan FG, Andrey GE, Aizhan TE, Syrymgul ZKH. 2023. Trends in counts of Columbiformes at Shakpak Pass, Kazakhstan. Biodiversitas 24: 4661-4667. This study aims to determine the trends in counts of Columbiformes (pigeons and doves) at Shakpak Pass in Western Tien Shan (southern Kazakhstan). The analysis is based on long-term ringing data collected from 1966 to 2023, encompassing eight pigeon and dove species. The results reveal notable trends in the counts of Columbiformes over time, which can reflect changes in population sizes. Different species show different numbers in counts among different seasons. The Rock Dove population, predominantly non-migratory, displays no pronounced trend. The Stock Dove population has experienced a decline in recent years, yet it remains consistent throughout the entire research period. Counts of the Woodpigeon demonstrate an increasing trend during autumn migration, whereas the Yellow-eyed Pigeon exhibits a noteworthy decrease in both spring and autumn migrations. The Oriental Turtle Dove appears abundant during both spring and autumn migrations, with its count data exhibiting fluctuations devoid of any significant trend. The Laughing Dove is considered rare at Shakpak Pass, which makes determining a clear trend challenging; however, a negative trend is noted in autumn. Counts of the Turtle Dove have markedly decreased in both spring and autumn migrations, resulting in the species being nearly absent at Shakpak Pass since 2005. Regarding the Collared Dove, a non-migratory species, its abundance at Shakpak Pass is also limited. These findings provide valuable insights into the population trends of Columbiformes in Kazakhstan and highlight the importance of long-term monitoring and conservation efforts for these species.

Species and structural diversity of flora and avifauna on the territory of urban water treatment facilities

Background. The territories of urban wastewater treatment facilities, where the natural vegetation has been radically changed to synanthropic vegetation, promote the spread of ruderal plant species, including invasive ones, but at the same time create a favourable environment for nesting and staying of many bird species, including rare and those listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. The aim of this study is to investigate the species and structural diversity of vegetation on the territory of urban wastewater treatment facilities in order to determine their significance for the conservation of avifauna. Materials and Methods. To analyse the state of biodiversity, an inventory of species of higher plant and avifauna in the technogenic areas of Kharkiv wastewater treatment facilities in the spring and summer of 2020–2021 was carried out using conventional methods. Results. The flora of higher vascular plants includes 90 species belonging to 78 genera, 30 families, and 2 classes of the Magnoliophyta division. The leading families are: Asteraceae (30.0 %; n = 90), Poaceae (12.2 %), Brassicaceae (6.7 %), Fabaceae and Polygonaceae (4.4 % each). Herbaceous plant species (92.0 %; n = 90) dominated according to the С. Raunkiær classification (1934), with a predominance of hemicryptophytes (54.0 %) and terophytes (37.0 %). The increased proportion of the latter, compared to the zonal flora, indicates a significant disturbance of the habitat by anthropogenic factors. This is also evidenced by the predominance of synanthropic plant species (81.1 %; n = 90), including 40 species (54.8 %; n = 73) belonging to the apophyte group, and the remaining 45.2 % are adventitious species. In relation to moisture, most plants are mesophytes (71.0%; n = 90). In terms of geographical structure, the flora has a Holarctic-European-Eurasian character with admixtures of North American, Mediterranean, Nomadic and Mediterranean-Asian geoelements. The avifauna includes 95 species belonging to 13 orders and 29 families. Birds of Passeriformes (32.6 %), Charadriiformes (24.2 %) and Anseriformes (13.7 %) predominate. The treatment facilities are important for nesting of 53 species (55.8 %; n = 95), and are also a trophic base for 23 (24.2 %) of wandering and 19 (20.0 %) of transient bird species. The nine faunal groups were dominated by boreal 26.6 % (n = 95) and tropical 13.8 %, as well as limnophilous (12.8 %) and nemoral (11.7 %) species. The nesting avifauna was formed mainly by nemoral 17.0 % (n = 53) and tropical 15.1 %, as well as alluviophilous and boreal (13.2 % each) species. The greatest bird diversity is found in the overgrown silt areas, where vegetation with a projected cover of 50–70 % is interspersed with shallow water as close as possible to natural areas. Among the identified bird species, the following breeding birds are listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine: Himantopus himantopus, also transient and wandering species: Milvus migrans, Hieraaetus pennatus, Columba oenas. Conclusion. The established plant communities with rich avifauna, including rare bird species, and the location of the treatment facilities within their migration routes, indicate the importance of these areas for the conservation of biota.

Diet composition of wild columbiform birds: next-generation sequencing of plant and metazoan DNA in faecal samples

Accurate knowledge of a species’ diets is fundamental to understand their ecological requirements. Next-generation sequencing technology has become a powerful and non-invasive tool for diet reconstruction through DNA metabarcoding. Here, we applied those methods on faecal samples of Common Woodpigeons Columba palumbus, European Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur, and Stock Doves C. oenas to investigate their dietary composition. By applying primer pairs targeting both the ITS2 region of plant nuclear DNA and the mitochondrial COI region of metazoan DNA, we provide a complete picture of the food ingested and estimate the dietary overlap between the columbiform species during the breeding season. Animal DNA was present very rarely, and a diverse range of plants from the class Spermatopsida dominated the diet, with Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, and Poaceae as the most frequently represented families. Generally, we detected a variability between species but also amongst individual samples. Plant species already known from previous studies, mainly visual analyses, could be confirmed for our individuals sampled in Germany and the Netherlands. Our molecular approach revealed new plant taxa, e.g. plants of the families Malvaceae for Woodpigeons, Lythraceae for Turtle Doves, and Pinaceae for Stock Doves, not found in previous studies using visual analyses. Although most of the plant species observed were of wild origin, the majority of cultivated plants found were present in higher frequencies of occurrence, suggesting that cultivated food items likely constitute an important part of the diet of the studied species. For Turtle Doves, a comparison with previous studies suggested regional differences, and that food items (historically) considered as important part of their diet, such as Fumitory Fumaria sp. and Chickweed Stellaria media, were missing in our samples. This indicates that regional variations as well as historic and current data on diet should be considered to plan tailored seed mixtures, which are currently proposed as an important management measure for conservation of the rapidly declining Turtle Dove.

The main factors and prospects for the restoration of biodiversity in technogenic territories (on the example of the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant)

Mining activities radically change natural ecosystems, the recovery of which is not possible without the restoration of native or transformed communities of autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms. In order to analyze the success of biodiversity restoration using unified methods, an inventory of higher plant flora and avifauna species in the technogenic territories of the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant was carried out. The dominant species identified in mining dumps, tailings, bypass and drainage canals, urban wastewater treatment and bioengineering facilities and on the PMP territory have been studied in detail. The studies were carried out in the spring-summer period of 2021–2022. The avifauna includes 140 species belonging to 18 orders and 45 families (Passeriformes predominate – 62.0%). 103 species nest on the PMP territory, 32 nomadic and 5 transient species are also registered. The nesting avifauna is dominated by representatives of both native nemoral (16.0%, n = 103) and forest-steppe (13.0%) and tropical (14.0%) avifauna. A significant number of birds belong to limnophiles, which prevail in the territories of the urban wastewater treatment plant (66.7%, n = 30) and tailings (62.5%, n = 24). They are also common in the bypass and drainage canals, where hydro- and hygrophilous phytocenoses have formed, similar to floodplain and real meadows as part of adjacent wetland ecosystems. Among the surrounding natural biogeocenoses, there are no steppe ones with their inherent unique floristic composition, which explains the small number of stepants in the studied flora and campophiles in the avifauna. In recovery successions, general patterns were revealed: biogeocenoses surrounding the technogenic territories of the PMP are the main source of producer diasporas and a variety of consumers, which are so necessary for the restoration of degraded landscapes. Phanerophytes from the genera Populus, Pinus, Fraxinus, Ulmus, Morus, Juglans, etc. are determinants in the sylvacenoses formed on the dumps and territories of the plant. Therefore, dendrophiles characteristic of neighbouring pine and floodplain forests, as well as garden phytocenoses in the private sector territory, dominate in the ornithocomplexes. Nationally rare avifauna includes 5 species, two of which nest. Among the identified bird species, the following nesting species are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine: Columba oenas, Himantopus himantopus, as well as transient and nomadic species: Hieraaetus pennatus, Haliaeetus allbicilla, Milvus migrans. The success of the natural formation of plant communities, the rich ornithological complex with the participation of rare species, and the location of the PMP territory within the migration routes indicate the expediency of further research into the possibilities of their inclusion in the nature reserve fund with the status of “territory of renaturalization”.

The diet of the White-Tailed Sea Eagle in South Moravia, Czech Republic

White-Tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) re-settled the area of South Moravia (the south-eastern region of Czech Republic) in 1984. It became a regular breeding species in 2004 and since then, the population rose up to present ca 30 breeding pairs. Its diet was studied by identification of food remains on nests, mainly during ringing of nestlings (i.e. usually late April / first half of May). 605 food items were identified during 97 nest checks within the period of 1999–2023. Fish composed 47%, birds 28% and mammals 25% of the identified items. The most numerous taxa were European Hare (Lepus europaeus) – 151 inds, Carp (Cyprinus carpio) – 87, Silver Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus) – 61, Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) – 54, Northern Pike (Esox lucius) – 50, and Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) – 33. The number of food items per nest varied between 1 and 28. The interesting findings included e.g. Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna), Stock Dove (Columba oenas), Tawny Owl (Strix aluco), or Long-Eared Owl (Asio otus).

Temporal variation in the peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) diet after the extinction of the original population and the emergence of a new population in Slovakia

Abstract We made an analysis of the osteological remains of prey that had been captured by the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and was collected from eyries perched high in rocky cliffs of Slovakia. Birds dominated the 7,233 vertebrates identified (class Aves, with minimum of 98 species and 97.2% of the total). Bones from mammals (class Mammalia, 24 species, 2.5%) were rarely found, and sporadic remains from lower vertebrate species (classes Amphibia, Reptilia, Pisces, 0.3%) were also noted. The collected specimens were divided over three distinct periods. Before domestic pigeons became a major component in the juvenile peregrine falcon diet (Period A), wild pigeons and doves were the most common prey; specifically stock doves (Columba oenas) caught at lower elevations, and wood pigeons (Columba palumbus) in mountainous areas. The Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) was a frequent prey . The diversity of peregrine falcon diet reached its maximum between the 1930s and the 1950s (Period B), with the domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) present in the diet at a similar abundance (16.1%) to wild pigeons and doves. The peregrine falcon population tailed off in the 1960s as pesticides became more commonly used in agriculture. A new population started expanding from Western Europe during the 1990s and has stabilised at around 150 breeding pairs in recent years. Since the turn of the millennium (Period C), domestic pigeons have become the dominant prey (51.1%) along with smaller songbirds such as hawfinches (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) and common starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), at 15.5% and 14.6% of total osteological remains collected, respectively.

Landscape -scale predictors of persistence of an urban stock dove Columba oenas population

While a few species may thrive in urban areas, urban expansion is a major driver of biodiversity loss. Columbids such as feral Rock Doves (Columba livia domestica) and Common Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) have adapted extremely well to the urban environment in Europe and beyond, but the Stock Dove (Columba oenas), a bird of farmland and woodland edge in the UK and of national conservation concern, is encountered infrequently in urban areas. Here we explore the multi-scale landscape associations of the little-studied Stock Dove within the urban matrix of Greater Manchester, UK, in order to identify its habitat requirements. We built a pilot model from historical citizen science records to identify potentially occupied sites within the city, and then surveyed these sites for Stock Dove during Spring 2019. We combined the survey results with citizen science records from the same period and described the habitat and landscape characteristics of sites occupied by Stock Dove using four variables at different scales plus twelve unscaled variables. We used a three-stage random forest approach to identify a subset of these variables for interpretation and a subset for prediction for the presence of Stock Dove within these sites. Key variables for predicting Stock Dove presence were their relative abundance in the landscape immediately beyond the core urban area, the greenness (NDVI) of the environment around sites, and the canopy cover of individual trees over 20 m high within sites. Stock Doves tended to be associated with habitats with more surface water during the non-breeding season than the breeding season. Our results highlight the importance of large trees within urban greenspace for this cavity-nesting species, softer boundaries around urban sites for Stock Doves and stock dove presence in nearby areas. While Stock Dove share many traits with species that are successful in the urban environment, they remain relatively poor urban adapters.

Spatial Distribution and Habitat Overlap of Five Columbidae Species in the Czech Republic.

Simple SummaryThe spatial distribution of species and their utilisation of resources are essential for better understanding species ecology. Using data gathered by ornithologists in Czech Republic, we studied land use type utilisation of five pigeons and doves. Our study aimed to understand which species and type of land use are positively associated and whether the species are positively associated with land use heterogeneity. Additionally, we quantified the amount of land use type utilisation by each species and their spatial overlap in these land use types. We hypothesised that the species would mostly overlap in farmlands and urban areas. We found an almost complete overlap between the domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) and the Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto), as well as between the common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) and the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur). We confirmed our hypothesis that the species distribution not only overlapped in farmlands and urban areas, but also in forests. Our study provides insight into these common species distributions and habitat affinities.Habitat overlap occurs when two species co-exist in the same habitat and utilise the same resources. Using common bird monitoring data in Czech Republic from 2015 and 2016, we compared the affinities of five Columbidae species regarding land use types. Moreover, we analysed the effects of land use types and land use heterogeneity on five species distributions. The aim of the study was to quantify the habitat overlap of five Columbidae species regarding types of land use and land use heterogeneity. We predicted a high level of habitat overlap between most of the species and its occurrence in farmlands and urban areas. Our results confirmed the high habitat overlap of all five Columbidae species in farmlands. An almost complete overlap was recorded between Columba livia domestica and Streptopelia decaocto, as well as between Columba palumbus and Streptopelia turtur. Considering land use utilisation, C. livia and S. decaocto mainly utilised farmlands and urban areas. Furthermore, deciduous forests were utilised by Columba oenas and coniferous and mixed forests by C. palumbus. Finally, S. turtur mainly utilised grasslands and avoided urban areas. We conclude that Columbidae species overlap in spatial distributions, mostly in urban areas, forests, and farmlands. Our study provides a summary of these common species habitat affinities.

Columba oenas

This datasheet on Columba oenas covers Identity, Distribution.

Stock Dove (Columba oenas) nesting in hollow concrete pillars for power lines in Ryazan Region, European Russia

Stock Dove (Columba oenas) nesting in hollow concrete pillars for power lines in Ryazan Region, European Russia

Sex and age differences in the diet of the Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) using web‐sourced photographs: exploring the feasibility of a new citizen science approach

Diet differences between the sexes and ages have often been recorded for bird species. Many raptor species show extreme sexual size dimorphism, with females often considerably larger than the males and these differences may be reflected in their diets. Diet studies in raptors most frequently focus on analysing prey remains or pellets collected at nest‐sites. These methods are subsequently limited to breeding birds in the breeding season and are also restricted by their inability to distinguish prey items between the sexes. The use of web‐sourced photographs to examine raptor diet has the potential to overcome some limitations of more traditional methods used to assess diet. We used this approach for the Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus in the United Kingdom, exploring diet between the sexes and ages throughout the entire year. In total, we obtained 843 web‐sourced photographs of Sparrowhawks with their prey items. There were 12 key prey items that had a frequency ≥ 10 in the Sparrowhawk diet: Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus, Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris, Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto, Rock Dove Columba livia, Common Blackbird Turdus merula, House Sparrow Passer domesticus, unidentified ‘small’ and ‘medium’ birds, European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis, European Greenfinch Chloris chloris, Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus and Stock Dove Columba oenas. Several prey species were more often seen in the diet of one sex or age group. Overall, average prey weights of adult females were two and a half times heavier than for adult males and one and a half times heavier for juvenile females. However, this method may be slightly biased towards larger prey items, which should be considered in future studies. Despite this limitation, our method enabled dietary differences between the sexes and ages of this highly sexual size dimorphic raptor species to be explored throughout the year.

Autumn migration of birds over Polonyna Borzhava (Ukrainian Carpathians)

Migration processes of birds occurring on the Polonyna Borzhava ridge were studied. Material was collected during 52-days period since September till November 2018 and total duration of observations was equal to 307 hours. It was found that despite difficult terrain and variable weather conditions at least 48 species of birds migrate over Polonyna Borzhava. Among them the following species dominate: Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, Common Crane Grus grus, Eurasian Siskin Spinus spinus, Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus, Great Tit Parus major, Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis, Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta, Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus, and also raptors: Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, Common Buzzard Buteo buteo, Goshawk Accipiter gentilis, Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus, Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus and other species. Among detected species six are under protection of the Red Data Book of Ukraine: Common Crane, Hen Harrier, Stock Dove Columba oenas, Alpine Accentor  Prunella collaris, Osprey Pandion haliaetus, and Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus. Median date of the overall bird passage falls on 9 October. Passage dynamics differs among species. Most of species prefer flight heights not higher than 55 m above the ridge, but some numerous species choose higher altitudes, for instance Wood Pigeon (85.6±62.7 m), and Common Crane (227.5±62.5 m).

Breeding avifauna of Opava Mountains and their foothills, Opole Silesia

Abstract In 2010, an attempt was made to quantify bird species breeding in the Opava Mts. and their foothill (c. 135 km2, including c. 40 km2 [31%] of forests). The area is situated in the extreme south of Opole Silesia, SSW Poland. For most non-passerine species, total counts were made for the whole area (distribution of their breeding pairs is shown on maps), while for most passerine species, semi-quantitative studies were conducted. A total of 116 breeding and two probably breeding bird species were recorded. Changes in breeding avifauna of the area during the years 1880-2010 are also analysed based on literature search. A total of 134 breeding bird species were recorded over the 130 years. During the years 1990-2010, decreae in numbers has been evidenced for the following species: Perdix perdix, Tetrastes bonasia, Tyto alba, Athene noctua, Corvus frugilegus, and Nycifraga caryocatactes, In the same period, increase in numbers has been documented for species such as: Accipiter gentilis, Falco tinnunculus, Columba oenas, Jynx torquilla, Dryocopus martius, Picus canus, Picus viridis, Motacilla cinerea, Luscinia megarhynchos, Phoenicurus phoenicurus, Saxicola rubicola, Locustella naevia, Locustella fluviatilis, Corvus corax and Corvus cornix. Opava Mts. and its foothills constitute an imporant conservation area. Fifteen species listed in Annex I of the Bird Directive of the E.U. were recorded there, including a sizable population of Ficedula albicollis.

Lead in terrestrial game birds from Spain.

We analysed exposure to Pb and its relationship with lead-based ammunition in seven species of terrestrial game birds-common woodpigeon (Columba palumbus), rock dove (Columba livia), stock dove (Columba oenas), European turtle-dove (Streptopelia turtur), red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa), Barbary partridge (Alectoris barbara) and common quail (Coturnix coturnix)-from rural and urban areas in different parts of Spain (Valencia, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Madrid, Islas Canarias and Navarra). A total of 530 liver samples were analysed, and the presence of Pb pellets was studied in the crop, gizzard and intestine; the state and appearance of these organs were also analysed. The number of specimens suspected to have ingested Pb shot was 28 (5.6%), and the geometric mean concentration of hepatic Pb was 0.054 μg g-1 (wet weight, ww). A low percentage of samples (4.8%) were above the abnormal exposure threshold (0.65 μg g-1 ww), and, in these specimens, renal Pb concentrations were determined. Common woodpigeons and rock doves from Madrid were found to have high concentrations of Pb in their livers, and, so, both species can be considered to be good bioindicators of Pb contamination in rural (common woodpigeons) and urban (rock doves) environments. Partridges bred for hunting may be more prone to ingesting pellets from the environment, a fact that should be taken into account in management decisions.

Current condition of the ornithofauna of the Alexandria Dendrological Park

The species composition of birds of the Alexandria Dendrological Park has been analyzed. The studies were conducted in 2008–2018. In total 148 bird species were registered (35% of the ornithofauna of Ukraine). Birds were analyzed by biotopic groups, nature of stay and type of nesting. It was found that in the conditions of the Alexandria Dendrological Park, the dominant ecological groups were dendrophiles (80 species). According to the nature of their stay, nesting birds accounted for 90 species, migratory – 48 species, wintering – 31 species. Depending on the type of nesting, canopy-nesting and hole-nesting birds prevailed – 27.8 and 24.4% respectively. Representatives of Piciformes and Passeriformes make up a significant part of the nesting species, which is 10 and 57.8% respectively. Falconiformes are represented by 4 species, which is 4.4% of the total number of nesting species. The value of the park also consists in the presence of favorable wetlands for wintering and forage migration of a number of taxon birds in its territory. As a result, the bird population is growing. The emergence of new bird species in recent years can provide a unique indication of the importance of ornithocenosis in these areas. This concerns in particular Green Woodpecker, Black kite, Honey Buzzard, Night Heron, Stock Dove, Spotted Crake. It has been established that new species appear in the park, settling from nearby or remote areas. During the years of observation, 9 species from the Red Data Book of Ukraine (Ciconia nigra, Netta rufina, Haliaeetus albicilla, Milvus migrans, Buteo rufinus, Pandion haliaetus, Bucephala clangula, Picus viridis, Columba oenas) have been recorded. The factors influencing the species composition of birds have been analyzed. They include felling of trees, thinning of shrubs, uncontrolled recreation and direct predation from dogs. One of the main problems limiting the number of birds in the park is trespassing of logging processes, in particular during the nesting period. In the future, more comprehensive studies are planned on the quantitative composition of birds, as well as features of the topical distribution according to the biocenosis.

Prevalence and genotyping of Trichomonas infections in wild birds in central Germany.

Avian trichomonosis is a widespread disease in columbids and other birds, caused by ingestion of the unicellular flagellate Trichomonas gallinae which proliferate primarily in the upper respiratory tracts. Studies using genetic analyses have determined some highly pathogenic lineages in birds, but the prevalence and distribution of potentially pathogenic and non-pathogenic T. gallinae lineages in wild birds is still not well known. We examined 440 oral swab samples of 35 bird species collected between 2015 and 2017 in Hesse, central Germany, for Trichomonas spp. infection and for determining the genetic lineages. Of these birds, 152 individuals were caught in the wild and 288 individuals were admitted from the wild to a veterinary clinic. The overall Trichomonas spp. prevalence was 35.6%. We observed significant differences between bird orders, with the highest prevalence in owls (58%) and columbids (50%), while other orders had slightly lower prevalences, with 36% in Accipitriformes, 28% in Falconiformes and 28% in Passeriformes. Among 71 successfully sequenced samples, we found 13 different haplotypes, including two previously described common lineages A/B (20 samples) and C/V/N (36 samples). The lineage A/B has been described as pathogenic, causing lesions and mortality in columbids, raptors and finches. This lineage was found in 11 of the 35 species, including columbids (feral pigeon, woodpigeon, stock dove), passerines (greenfinch, chaffinch, blackbird) and raptors (common kestrel, sparrowhawk, red kite, peregrine falcon and common buzzard). One new lineage (R) was found in a sample of a chaffinch. In conclusion, we found that the prevalence of Trichomonas spp. infection in wild birds was high overall, and the potentially pathogenic lineage A/B was widespread. Our findings are worrying, as epidemic outbreaks of trichomonosis have already been observed in Germany in several years and can have severe negative effects on bird populations. This disease may add to the multiple pressures that birds face in areas under high land-use intensity.

The decline of the Turtle Dove: Dietary associations with body condition and competition with other columbids analysed using high-throughput sequencing.

Dietary changes linked to the availability of anthropogenic food resources can have complex implications for species and ecosystems, especially when species are in decline. Here, we use recently developed primers targeting the ITS2 region of plants to characterize diet from faecal samples of four UK columbids, with particular focus on the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), a rapidly declining obligate granivore. We examine dietary overlap between species (potential competition), associations with body condition in turtle doves and spatiotemporal variation in diet. We identified 143 taxonomic units, of which we classified 55% to species, another 34% to genus and the remaining 11% to family. We found significant dietary overlap between all columbid species, with the highest between turtle doves and stock doves (Columba oenas), then between turtle doves and woodpigeons (Columba palumbus). The lowest overlap was between woodpigeons and collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto). We show considerable change in columbid diets compared to previous studies, probably reflecting opportunistic foraging behaviour by columbids within a highly anthropogenically modified landscape, although our data for nonturtle doves should be considered preliminary. Nestling turtle doves in better condition had a higher dietary proportion of taxonomic units from natural arable plant species and a lower proportion of taxonomic units from anthropogenic food resources such as garden bird seed mixes and brassicas. This suggests that breeding ground conservation strategies for turtle doves should include provision of anthropogenic seeds for adults early in the breeding season, coupled with habitat rich in accessible seeds from arable plants once chicks have hatched.