Medium-term changes in the number of Passerines captured in a forested area in the South Transtisza region
Abstract
In my study, I compared the annual number of captured individuals of 25 resident and migratory Passerine pecies in an oleaster-dominated forest and along an adjacent dried up channel in SouthEast Hungary. I used a total of 11,916 bird ringing data from the 9-year period spanning 2016 to 2024. Data collection was standardized during the entire period. Bird ringing took place every year between 1 August and 31 October, 2 days a week, 8 hours a day, using 13 Japanese-type mist-nets. For the study, we used the species of which at least one bird was captured each year and the total number of captured birds reached 90. The total annual capture of the first year (2016) was set as 100 percent, and a population index of the changes in captures was calculated. I used General Linear Modelling (GLM) to determine trends in the chain index rates. I also analysed the data by species and different groups: by habitat used in the breeding season, and by migratory distance. Overall, it is not possible to identify a clear trend for most species, the main reason being the strong annual fluctuations in the populations, depending on breeding success.Capture rates of species nesting in reedbeds decreased for all four species, but the results were not significant in any of the cases. Capture rates were stable for the three species associated with farmland. The results were more varied for forest species. The number of captured Icterine Warblers (Hippolais icterina) decreased significantly, while the captures of the Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) and the Lesser Whitethroat (Curruca curruca) increased significantly. There was also a strong increase in the numbers of the Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) and the Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos). Further field data collection is needed as some additional species with currently low sample sizes (e.g. River Warbler – Locustella fluviatilis, Common Redstart – Phoenicurus phoenicurus) have shown a marked decline in catches over the years, but statistical analysis is not yet possible.
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