Roosting of the great tit, Parus major and the nuthatch, Sitta europaea innest boxes in an oak-hornbeam forest

Citation
A. Kristin et al., Roosting of the great tit, Parus major and the nuthatch, Sitta europaea innest boxes in an oak-hornbeam forest, FOL ZOOL, 50(1), 2001, pp. 43-53
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Animal Sciences
Journal title
FOLIA ZOOLOGICA
ISSN journal
01397893 → ACNP
Volume
50
Issue
1
Year of publication
2001
Pages
43 - 53
Database
ISI
SICI code
0139-7893(2001)50:1<43:ROTGTP>2.0.ZU;2-I
Abstract
In the years 1998-2000, research into the entitled species roosting in nest boxes was carried out in an oak-hornbeam forest in Central Slovakia. Withi n the study plot almost exclusively the species Parus major (71.3%) and Sit ta europaea (28%, n = 157) could be found roosting during the winter period (October - April). The sex ratio showed a prevalence of the males: Parus m ajor making 67.9M : 32.1F tin n%, n = 112 records) and for Sitta europaea 6 5.9M : 34.1F (n = 44). The highest numbers of roosting birds were found in November (64% of nest box occupancy). Nocturnal occupancy of the nest boxes slightly decreased from November up to April. From the total 157 roosting birds recorded in winter period, 71.3% were recaptures and 45 specimens wer e recorded only once. Roosting site fidelity was considerable and then was no significant difference either between the two observed bird species or b etween the individual sexes within, as well as between the species (P = 0.7 4, one factor ANOVA). The largest roosting territory was for major females (mean area diameter 126 m), the smallest one for S. europaea females (70 m) . The differences between these species in the case of females are marginal ly significant (P = 0.095, t-test). The birds roosted in nest boxes alone, but regularly alternating individuals and species on the roosting sites wer e noted. From 157 records only 10.2% showed repeated occurrence in the same nest box in two successive monthly checks.