Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21857/94kl4c1q4m
Breeding distribution, population estimate, and nesting habitat of the Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus in Baranya (East Croatia)
Adrian Tomik
orcid.org/0000-0002-1243-2025
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The Marsh Harrier is a regular breeding species in Croatia, nesting
mainly in reedbeds of various wetland habitats. There was no systematic
survey of breeding pairs of Marsh Harriers in Croatia and the population
size was poorly assessed (40-60 pairs in total with 10-15 pairs
in Baranya). This paper introduces the results of the first mapping of
nesting pairs of Marsh Harriers in Baranya area in eastern Croatia. The
study was conducted during 2017-2018 by surveying all suitable wetland
habitats using the vantage point method. A total of 52 confirmed
nesting pairs of Marsh Harriers was found on 37 locations, with an additional
12 probable pairs recorded, which gives an overall population
estimate of 52-64 pairs. The majority of the pairs nested in old flooded
reedbeds in the reclaimed alluvial areas of Drava, Danube, and
Karašica rivers. Mostly they chose oxbows, wide channels and various
reedbeds in natural depressions for nesting, occupying relatively
small reedbeds with 77% of confirmed pairs nesting in vegetation less
than 100 meters wide which was in 53% of the cases smaller than 10 ha
in size. The habitat around the assumed nests was dominated by open
agricultural fields (68.34%), typically intensively managed arable land.
Monitoring of the breeding population of Marsh Harriers in Baranya
is highly recommended, especially in the light of climate change and
other human activities which may have negative effects on the habitat
quality and prey abundance.
Keywords
Marsh Harrier; East Croatia; breeding; distribution; population; habitat
Hrčak ID:
323309
URI
Publication date:
10.12.2024.
Visits: 0 *