Title:

Habitat use and Hunting Behaviour of Common Buzzards Buteo buteo Wintering in South-Western Poland

Subtitle:

Wybiórczość środowiskowa i zachowania łowieckie myszołowów zimujących w południowo-zachodniej Polsce ; Winter behaviour of Buzzards

Creator:

Wuczyński, Andrzej

Contributor:

Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Publisher:

Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Place of publishing:

Warsaw

Date issued/created:

2005

Description:

pg(s) 147–154

Type of object:

Journal/Article

Subject and Keywords:

Buzzard ; Buteo buteo ; birds ; habitat preferences ; hunting behaviour ; perch-site use ; wintering ; farmland ; myszołów zwyczajny ; myszołów

Abstract:

During seven winter seasons (1993/1994–1999/2000) 107 roadside counts (28 km each) in agricultural area of south-western Poland were conducted. From among 1526 Buzzards, 1293 were recorded in winter months (November—February) and 233 in March. Birds were non-randomly distributed on nine vegetation types met along the transect route. Permanent papilionaceous crops, along with cereal stubbles, margin habitats, meadows and maize stubbles were preferentially used, whereas bare tillage and winter cereals were avoided. In general, Buzzards preferred habitats of the least amount in the studied area and avoided those which dominated. These data support the idea of high importance of small landscape structures for the biodiversity protection in intensively used farmland. During winter months, most Buzzards (59.5%) were perched when first sighted, most often on trees and in the middle part of their height. The percent of birds sitting on the ground amounted to 34.7%. The smallest amount of individuals (5.8% ) was observed flying (flap-sailing, hovering and soaring), however this activity significantly increased in March (up to 17.1%). The significance of various hunting methods for wintering Buzzards is discussed. Even though it is a typical perch hunting raptor, the method of hunting from the ground seems to be particularly suitable for the conditions of winter farmland: common scarcity of perches, poor and low vegetation, local and temporary prey concentrations.

Relation:

Acta Ornithologica

Volume:

40

Issue:

2

Start page:

147

End page:

154

Resource type:

Text

Detailed Resource Type:

Journal

Format:

text/xml

Resource Identifier:

10.3161/068.040.0210

Source:

MiIZ PAN, call no. P.257 ; MiIZ PAN, call no. P.4568 ; click here to follow the link

Language:

eng

Language of abstract:

pol ; eng

Rights:

Rights Reserved - Free Access

Terms of use:

Copyright-protected material. May be used within the limits of statutory user freedoms

Digitizing institution:

Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Original in:

Library of the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Access:

Open