Original scientific paper
Habitat characteristics and the importance of some plant species as singing places for Marsh Warblers (Acrocephalus palustris, Aves) in Croatian neophyte structures
Gordan Lukač
; Paklenica National Park, 23244 Starigrad-Paklenica, Croatia
Snježana Vujčić-Karlo
; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Roosevelt's square 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Over five years (1987–1991), 238 neophyte stands in north-west Croatia (190 ha) with a total of 390 Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris) territories were investigated during the nesting season. As neophyte vegetation consisting of Solidago gigantea and Helianthus tuberosus are predominantly present near streams in north-west Croatia, Marsh Warblers usually choose these plant communities for nesting. The nest usually can be found near higher plants like bushes, solitary two-year old and perennial plants, which males also use as singing places. The main woody plant species of these singing places were found to be Salix alba, S. cinerea, S. purpurea, Alnus glutinosa and others. Males also sing on old, withered previous year’s herbaceous plants distinguished by their greater height than the surrounding vegetation (Solidago gigantea, Helianthus tuberosus, Urtica dioica, Artemisia vulgaris etc.).
Keywords
Marsh Warbler; singing place; woody plant species; herbaceous neophyte structures; habitat
Hrčak ID:
30857
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2000.
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