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Breeding Ecology and Population Decline of the Crested Lark Galerida Cristata in Warsaw, Poland

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Breeding Ecology and Population Decline of the Crested Lark Galerida Cristata in Warsaw, Poland Ornis Hungarica (2009) 17-18: 1-11. Breeding ecology and population decline of the crested lark Galerida cristata in Warsaw, Poland G. Lesiński Lesiński, G. 2009. Breeding ecology and population decline of the crested lark Galerida crista- ta in Warsaw, Poland – Ornis Hung. 17-18: 1-11. Abstract The crested lark Galerida cristata inhabited almost exclusively open areas in the out- skirts of new settlements of Warsaw in the years 1980-2006. The highest density of the species (0.11 pairs/km2) in the entire city (494 km2) was recorded in 1986, and locally (a plot of 2.6 km2) – 5.7 pairs/km2 in 1980. Breeding period lasted from April 12th (the first egg) to July 31st (the last fledgeling) with broods most inten- sively initiated in May. There were usually 4-5 eggs per brood, rarely 3 (mean 4.36±0.60 sD). The mean number of eggs in the first brood was 4.47±0.64 eggs, in the first repeated brood – 4.17±0.98 eggs and in the second brood – 4.09±0.70 eggs. Most pairs (71%) performed the second brood. Reproductive success of the population of 17 pairs studied in 1980 was 3.47 fledgelings leaving the nest per nesting pair (nearly 40% of broods were destroyed). Breeding losses resulted mostly from human activity and intensive rainfalls. Population of G. cristata in Warsaw was characterized by a great dynamics. None of the 17 pairs living on the plot of 2.6 km2 in 1980 remained in 1987 due to the management of new settlements. The species strongly regressed throughout the city: 53 pairs were found in 1986 but only 2 in 2002, one pair in 2003-2005, with a total extinction in 2006. One of probable reasons for this decline could be the development of populations of corvid predators – mainly Pica pica (its density has increased near 20 times) and Corvus cornix in peripheral Warsaw. Department of Functional Food and Commodity, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159C, PL-02-787 Warsaw, Poland. e-mail: [email protected] 1. Introduction few studies. More attention to this topic was paid in areas, where the species is abundant specifics of an urban area with its frequent – in western europe (Labitte 1957), north- and intensive penetration by people and ern Africa (Heim de Balsac & Mayaud 1962 rapid changes strongly affect biology of after Roselaar 1988), and south-western synanthropic birds. The crested lark Galer- Asia (Hartley 1946, Belskaya 1974, shkedy ida cristata is one of the unique species & safriel 1992). in central europe popula- building its nests on the ground, which has tions of G. cristata were studied in details accommodated to living near human settle- in Germany (sudhaus 1966, Witsack 1968, ments. such species are threatened mostly 1969, krüger 1977, Pätzold 1986, Baumann because of the practices connected with a 1987, Zang & südbeck 2000, Vökler 2005), ground managing, and their habitat selec- Denmark (Møller 1978), southern swe- tion and reproductive success strongly de- den (Hultén et al. 1989), the Netherlands pend on anthropogenic factors. Breeding (Hazevoet et al. 1993), switzerland (Hagel- ecology of G. cristata was the subject of bach et al. 2003), Czech Republic (Línek 2 Ornis Hungarica 17–18 (2009) 1999) and Hungary (Orbán 2004). Data on sible in a way to avoid attracting the atten- the breeding ecology of this species from tion of people or predators. Poland, where it lives now near geographic intensity of the studies carried out in range border, are missing. 1980 allows for the supposition that al- This study was aimed to analyse breed- most 100% of nests containing broods were ing ecology of the species in central Poland found (n=57). some nests abandoned by and to evaluate the differences in relation to birds during construction could, however, other populations. Having in mind the ob- be overlooked. For broods found at the served decline of G. cristata in many places stage of lying eggs, incubation or feeding in europe (Roselaar 1988, Hazevoet et al. the hatchlings, the starting point was esti- 1993, Línek 1999, Zang & südbeck 2000, mated assuming that one egg was laid per Hegelbach et al. 2003) and shrinking range day, incubation starts with lying the last but of the species, a long-term monitoring was one egg and lasts 13 days on average and planned and attempts were undertaken to that hatchlings leave the nest 10 days after explain possible factors determining popu- hatching (Dementiev & Gladkov 1954, Fer- lation changes. guson-Lees 1962). More information about the breeding phenology, brood size, reasons of breeding 2. Methods losses or nest location was obtained during long-term monitoring of the numbers of G. 2. 1. Study area and field methods cristata between 1982 and 2000. Data on 58 broods were collected in that period. studies were carried out in Warsaw (central Census of the nesting pairs of G. cristata Poland) within the administrative borders in the entire city was performed in 1986, (20°51’ – 21°09’ e; 52°06’ – 52°20’ N) in 1988, 1990, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2004, the area of 494 km2. Observations started 2005 and 2006. Open areas with low herb in 1980 in residential areas with buildings layer were surveyed, particularly those, 0-15 years old and up to 30 m tall, in north- where the vegetation was partly destroyed. western part of the city (plot “Bielany” of Old dense housing, parks, forests, fertile an area of 2.6 km2). since the beginning of meadows, waters with their riparian zones April till the middle of August the area was and barren lands densely overgrown with surveyed every 1-2 days for 2-7 hours a day tansy and goldenrod were ignored. Potential in various periods of a day. The studies con- colonisation grounds occupied 8-10% of the sisted in mapping the records and estimating city area. Census was also performed on two territories of breeding pairs. special atten- smaller plots (where the process of urbaniza- tion was paid to finding nests and tracing the tion has increased): on “Bielany” (described breeding history. Phenology and the effects above) in 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, of hatching (numbers of hatchlings leaving 1987 and „Bemowo” (a new residential area the nest) were estimated and possible rea- and a fragment of grassy airport of an area sons of the brood destruction were recorded. of 2.5 km2 in the western part of the city) in Location of nests (lawns versus barren lands 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, covered with herb vegetation) was noted. 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, studies near the nests were as short as pos- 2005, 2006. G. Lesiński 3 2. 2. Statistical analyses always a residential housing at a distance of several hundred meters nearby. initial stages Differences between the distributions or of building sites resulted in marked destruc- proportions were estimated using χ2 test. tion of vegetation, later on lawns, paved Decreasing sizes of the first brood, the first roads and sidewalks appeared. in peripher- repeated brood (after the first was distroyed) ies, where land management was delayed, and the second brood (after the first succes- wastelands became overgrown by various full) were tested with one-way ANOVA. plant species. Progressing management of the spearman rank correlation coefficient was terrain (replacement of wastelands by lawns, calculated to show trends in changes in growth of trees and shrubs) made these habi- numbers during the study period. in all cas- tats inappropriate for G. cristata. es adopted significance level was P=0.05. High local density of breeding pairs was statistical analyses were performed using noted near housing on plot “Bemowo” in sPss for Windows. 1985 and 1986 – 4.0 pairs/km2, and the high- est one on plot “Bielany” in 1980 – 5.7 pairs/ km2. in the whole city, density of this species 3. Results reached only 0.11 pairs/km2 (1986) and the colonised area constituted c. 5% of the city. 3. 1. Habitat and density 3. 2. Breeding season G. cristata in Warsaw inhabited almost ex- clusively the outskirts of new housings with Breeding season of the Warsaw population large open areas. single pairs were found near of G. cristata lasted over 3.5 months (Ta- railways and in industrial areas but there was ble 1). On April 12th 1990 the first initiated Table 1. General characteristics of reproductive biology of G. cristata in Warsaw Sample size Characteristics Value Unit N The earliest term of egg lying Brood 115 12 April The latest term of leaving the nest by fledgeling Brood 115 31 July Mean number of eggs in a brood Brood 96 4.36±0.60* Mean number of eggs in the first brood** Brood 15 4.47±0.64* Mean number of eggs in the first repeated brood** Brood 6 4.17±0.98* Mean number of eggs in the second brood** Brood 11 4.09±0.70* Percent of pairs assuming the second brood** Pair 17 71 Percent of destroyed broods** Brood 38 39 Percent of non-fertilised eggs or eggs with dead Egg 105 11 embryos** * - standard deviation, ** - data from only 1980 4 Ornis Hungarica 17–18 (2009) brood was recorded. Relatively highest in- between the roadway and the sidewalk (Ta- tensity of breeding was noted in May. in the ble 2). The smallest distance between the second half of April and in June the number nest and the sidewalk was c. 2 m. of initiated broods was slightly lower and The longer axis of territories of many it was markedly lower in the first half of breeding pairs was situated perpendicularly July (Fig.
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