Collective roost of corvids in Melitopol (Zaporozhye region) in 2014–2015

  • A. О. Dranga Bohdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University
  • P. I. Gorlov Biodiversity Research Institute of Ukraine
Keywords: corvids, gathering of birds, roost, Ukraine

Abstract

The article contains the results of observations on the formation, existence and the dissociation of the collective winter roost of corvids (crow species) in 2014–2015 in Melitopol (Zaporozhye region). A detailed study of the concentration and the dynamics of its functioning during the winter period was carried out. By the method of absolute counting of birds, the estimation of the gathering process on the roost in the night and dispersal from roost in the morning was carried out twice a week (a total of 47 days of observation in the morning and evening). We selected the following essential parameters: time of the beginning and ending of the process of dispersal from the roost in the morning and gathering at the roost in the evening; time – study of birds’ flight activity in these intervals; the number and species composition of birds; directions of flights with their mapping; weather conditions. Within the city of Melitopol during the winter period of 2014–2015, corvids (Rook, Western Jackdaw, Eurasian Magpie and Common Raven) form one central roost. The total number of birds at the roost was typically 18 thousand individuals. The collective roost exists from the beginning of October till the end of March. The analysis of dynamics of the birds’ number during the existence of the collective showed a wide amplitude of fluctuation in the range of 1,000–5,000 individuals during autumn (10 times) and spring (5 times) migration. By the end of November migration ends, the number of birds has stabilized, and the location of the night roost becomes permanent. In winter the gathering is more stable and fluctuations in number lie within the limits of 500 individuals (8 times). The number of birds that roost collectively decreased from mid – March. In this article considerable attention is paid to processes of the birds’ dispersal from the roost site and gathering at the roost at night. The observations showed a high degree of dependence on day length and different intensity of these types of daily activity. During the analysis of the process of morning dispersal of birds from the collective roost, seasonal differences in the time of dispersal were found. In the winter months this period was significantly shorter than in the autumn and spring. The duration of dispersal of birds from the roost (28.4 ± 9 min; lim – 15–45 min) was reliably less than that of gathering at the roost (87.9 ± 14.8 min; lim – 30–115 min); the difference of averages is significant for the highest probability threshold of р ≥ 0.001 for the entire observation period. As a result of research on dispersal and gathering of birds at the roost site, the basic strategies of the birds’ behaviour were revealled. For morning dispersal of birds from the territory of the roost the strategy of “gathering with a pause” (16 registrations; 35.6%) is dominant. The strategy of “the damped wave” is sub dominant (14; 31.1%). The lowest percentage was taken up by the strategy of “three peaks” (1; 2.2%). For the evening gathering of birds at the roost, the strategy of “two peaks” is dominant. The lowest percentage was taken up by the strategy of “gathering with a pause” (2; 4.5%). The overall species diversity within a gathering and on the routes of birds’ flights reached 24 species. The undisputed dominant in numbers was the Rook, and the subdominan was the Jackdaw. Thus, corvids form the basis of the ornithological complex of the forest – park zone of Melitopol in the autumn and spring period. 

References

Ardamatskaya, T.V., 1968. Materialy po sezonnomu razmeshcheniyu i biologii grachei v severnom Prichernomor’e [The materials on seasonal placement and biology of rooks in northern Black Sea Area]. Migratsii Zhivotnykh 5, 146–152 (in Russian).

Atkinson, P.W., Fuller, R.J., Vickery, J.A., 2002. Large-scale patterns of summer and winter bird distribution in relation to farmland type in England and Wales. Ecography 25, 466–488.

Bibbi, K., Jones, M., Marsden, S, 2000. Metody polevykh ekspeditsionnykh issledovanii. Issledovaniya i uchety ptits [Exedition field techniques. Bird surveys]. Bird Life International, Moscow (in Russian).

Brezgunova, O.A., 2005. Organizatsiya kommunal’nykh nochevok seroi vorony (Corvus cornix) v g. Khar’kove [The organization of the hooded crow (Corvus cornix) communal roosts in Kharkov]. Visnyk Harkivs’kogo Natsional’nogo Universytetu Imeni V.N. Karazina. Serija: Biologija 116–121 (in Ukrainian).

Chantrey, D.F., 1982. Foraging strategies of Rooks (Corvus frugilegus): A simulation. Z. Tierpsych. 59, 157–171.

Dranga, A., 2015. Formuvannja voronovymy ptahamy spil’noi’ nochivli v zymovyj period u misti Melitopol’ (Zaporiz’ka oblast’) [The formation by corvids birds of joint roost during the winter period in the city of Melitopol (Zaporozhye region)]. Ekologija i pryrodokorystuvannja v systemi optymizacii’ vidnosyn pryrody i suspil’stva: Materialy II Mizhnar. Nauk.-Prakt. Internet-Konf. Krok, Ternopil’. 56–58 (in Ukrainian).

Dranga, A.O., Gorlov, P.I., 2015. Prostranstvenno-strukturnaja harakteristika kolonial’nyh poselenij gracha (Corvus frugilegus) na territorii Botievskoj vetrostancii (Zaporozhskaja oblast’) v 2015 godu [The spatial and structural characteristic of colonial settlements of a rook (Corvus frugilegus) in the Botievo wind farm (Zaporozhye region) in 2015]. Vestnik Zaporozhskogo Nacional’nogo Universiteta. Biologicheskie nauki 2, 69–83 (in Ukrainian).

Feare, C., Dunnet, G., Patterson, I., 1974. Ecological studies of the rook (Corvus frugilegus) in north-east Scotland: Food intake and feeding behavior. J. Appl. Ecol. 11, 867–896.

Gorlov, P.I., 1998. Predmigratsionnoe skoplenie serykh zhuravlei na Tsentral’nom Sivashe [A premigratory congestion of gray cranes on the Central Sivash]. Branta 1, 103–110 (in Russian).

Hordowski, J., 2009. Gawron Corvus frugilegus na Podkarpaciu. Arboretum i Zakład Fizjografii, Bolestraszyce.

Hubalek, Z., 1999. Seasonal changes of bird community in a managed lowland riverine ecosystem. Folia Zool. 48, 203–210.

Jadczyk, P., 1994. Winter roosting of Rooks Corvus frugilegus in Wroclaw. Acta Ornithol. 29, 39–47.

Jadczyk, P., Jakubiec, Z., 1995. Winter roosting of Rooks Corvus frugilegus in Europe. Przegląd Zoologiczny 39, 297–312 (in Polish).

Jadczyk, P., Jakubiec, Z., 2005. Zimowanie gawronow Corvus frugilegus w Polsce [Wintering of Rooks Corvus frugilegus in Poland]. In: Jerzak, L., Kavanagh, B.P., Tryjanowski, P. (Eds). Corvids of Poland. Bogucki Wyd. Nauk., Poznań. 541–556.

Jakubiec, Z., Jadczyk, P., 2004. Zimowanie gawronów Corvus frugilegus we Wrocławiu w latach 1946–2004 [Wintering of Rooks Corvus frugilegus in Wrocław in 1946–2004]. Not. Ornitol. 45, 69–82.

Janish, J.J., Lopar’ov, S.O., 2007. Zymivlja voronovyh ptahiv (Corvidae) na terytorii’ Kyjeva v suchasnyh umovah [Wintering of corvids birds on the territory of Kyiv in modern conditions]. Vestnik Zoologii 41(2), 143–152 (in Ukrainian).

Kasprzykowski, Z., 2003. Habitat preferences of foraging rooks, Corvus frugilegus, during the breeding period in agricultural landscape of eastern Poland. Acta Ornithol. 38, 27–31.

Konovalenko, O.A., Krivitskii, I.A., Konovalenko, S.V., 2003. O grup¬povykh zimnikh nochevkakh sorok Pica pica (Passeriformes, Corvidae) v g. Khar’kove [About group of wintering Pica pica (Passeriformes, Corvidae) in Kharkov city]. Vìsn. Dnìpropetr. Unìv. Ser. Bìol. Ekol. 11(1), 174–177 (in Ukrainian).

Konstantinov, V.M., Ponomarev, V.A., Zorina, Z.A., Lebedev, I.G., Malovichko, L.V., Margolin, V.A., Rahimov, I.I., Rezanov, A.G., Rodimtsev, A.S., Fadeeva, E.O., 2009. Grach (Corvus frugilegus L.) v antropogennyh landshaftah Palearktiki [A rook (Corvus frugilegus L.) in anthropogenous landscapes of Palearctic]. Ministerstvo Obrazovanija i Nauki, Moscow (in Russian).

Loman, J., 1980. Habitat distribution and feeding strategies of four south Swedish corvid species during winter. Ekol. Pol. 28, 95–108.

Loparev, S.O., 1996. Ornitofauna naselennyh punktiv Centru Ukrai’ny ta i’i’ zminy [Avifauna of human settlements and its changes in Central Ukraine]. Institute of Zoology, Kyiv (in Ukrainian).

Mason, C.F., Macdonald, S.M., 2004. Distribution of foraging rooks, Corvus frugilegus, and rookeries in a landscape in eastern England dominated by winter cereals. Folia Zool. 53, 179–188.

Mazgajski, T.D., 2008. Long-term population trends of corvids wintering in urban parks in central Poland. Pol. J. Ecol. 56, 521–526.

Mazgajski, T.D., Woźniak, A., Żmihorski, M., 2005. Changes in the number of corvids wintering in Warsaw over thirty years 1975–2004. In: Jerzak, L., Kavanagh, B.P., Tryjanowski, P. (Eds). Corvids of Poland. Bogucki Wyd. Nauk., Poznań. 419–426.

Møller, A.P., 2008. Flight distance of urban birds, predation and selection for urban life. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 63(1), 63–75.

Poluda, A.M., Сukanova, S.V., 2012. Osobennosti prostranstvenno-vremennogo raspredeleniya grachey (Corvus frugilegus), svyazannyih s territoriey Ukrainy [Features of spatio-temporal distribution of the rooks (Corvus frugilegus) related to territory of Ukraine]. Branta 15, 103–120 (in Ukrainian).

Rolando, A., Peila, P., Marchisio, M., 1998. Foraging behaviour and habitat use in corvids wintering on farmland in northern Italy. Avocetta 22, 56–64.

Scheid, C., Schmidt, J., Noe, R., 2008. Distinct patterns of food offering and cofeeding in rooks. Anim. Behav. 76(5), 1701–1707.

Tikhonova, A.O., Matsyura, O.V., 2014. Osoblivosti gnizduvannya i poshirennya voronovih ptahiv u selitebnih landshaftah [Features of nesting and distribution of corvids birds are in man – altered landscape]. Materialy X Miedzynarodowej Naukowi – Praktycznej Konferencji «Aktualne Problem Nowoczesnych Nauk – 2014». Nauka i Studia, Przemysl. 20, 25–28.

Waite, R.K., 1984. Winter habitat selection and foraging behaviour in sympatric corvids. Ornis Scand. 15, 55–62.

Wilson, J.D., Taylor, R., Muirhead, L.B., 1996. Field use by farmland birds in winter: An analysis of field type preferences using resampling methods. Bird Study 43, 320–332.

Winiecki, A., 2000. The wintering strategy of Rooks Corvus frugilegus Linnaeus, 1758, in Poznan, west Poland. Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia 43, 135–164.

Zhimorski, M., Halba, R., Mazgajski, T.D., 2010. Long-term spatio-temporal dynamics of corvids wintering in urban parks of Warsaw, Poland. Ornis Fennica 87, 61–68.

Published
2016-02-11
Section
Articles