Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.31298/sl.141.11-12.4
Advances in arrival date of the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus L.) in the forests of northwestern Croatia
Zdravko Dolenec
; Zoologijski zavod, Biološki odsjek, Prirodoslovno-matematički fakultet u Zagrebu
Abstract
The Earth is getting warmer at its surface and this global warming can be linked to numerous different phenomena worldwide and it has great impact on ecosystems. Responses to climate change vary interspecies, intraspecies and among different area. Most of the birds in the temperate regions arrive earlier from their wintering places and it is believed that this is a response to the significantly higher spring temperatures. The main aim of this work is to describe changes in spring arrival dates of Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) in the period between 1989 and 2016, and also, to identify relationship between dates of arrival and mean spring temperature in the researched period. The Common Cuckoo is an obligate brood parasite and common bird species in study area. In this research, mean April temperature is used as the mean spring temperature because April is the month when this bird species returns from wintering. First arrival date is the common type of data in investigation of connections between climate change and timing of migration. In research of the most bird species this is when the birds are observed for the first time that year, but in the Common Cuckoo, noting the first time hearing them sing is more usual method. Results of this study suggest that climate changes cause earlier arrival of the Common Cuckoo from the wintering place to the breeding area. Their first arrival date in northwestern Croatia has advanced (significantly) by seven days over the past 28 years. Correlation between first arrival date and average April temperature is also significant. Mean spring temperature increased significantly from 1989 to 2016. This result indicates that mean spring temperature has an influence on the date of the Common Cuckoo first arrival. For the Common Cuckoo, it is important that climate changes don’t cause significant differences in the timing of breeding between them and their host bird species.
Keywords
Common Cuckoo; Cuculus canorus; spring temperature; spring migration; forests
Hrčak ID:
190220
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2017.
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