Seasonal variation in home-range size, and habitat area requirement of thelesser spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor) in southern Sweden

Seasonal variation in home-range size and habitat area requirement of lesse r spotted woodpeckers (Dendrocopos minor) were studied by radio-tracking in southern Sweden for 6 years. Home-range size did not vary between age-grou ps or sexes, but varied with season and decreased successively from 742 ha in winter (n = 10), 355 ha in early spring (n = 15), 103 ha in late spring (n = 22) to 43 ha during nesting (n = 10). The home-range in late spring (i .e. the 3-5 weeks preceeding egg-laying) represents the defended breeding t erritory. This included on average 39 ha of forest utilised for foraging (r ange 31-46 ha, n = 15). Since food availability in late spring has a signif icant influence on reproductive success, and mortality is highest in this p eriod, we regard this as an estimate of the habitat area requirement. This estimate is valid primarily for birds in southern Sweden, but circumstantia l evidence indicate that the area requirement may not be grossly different in other areas with different forest types. For conservation of lesser spot ted woodpeckers, management should focus on a minimum of 40 ha of forest do minated by deciduous trees, which may be fragmented over a maximum of 200 h a, (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.