• Darolová A., Krištofík J. & Hoi H.: Are there habitat dependent differences in male quality in Eurasian reed warblers? The role of male song nad feeding investments

• Hrčková L., Baláž M. & Kocian Ľ.: Breeding biology of the White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) in two breeding seasons differing in temperature

• Kunstmüller I.: Breeding success of the Eurasian Eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) in different nesting habitats
  
• Korňan M.: Comparison of breeding bird assemblage structure between extensive and successional mountain pastures in the Muránska planina National Park
• Krištín A., Jarčuška B. & Kaňuch P.: Birds of wetland habitats in Kórea site near Zvolen (C Slovakia) in different periods

• Kerestúr D.: First record of the Paddyfield Warbler (Acrocephalus agricola) in Slovakia
  
• Trnka A. & Trnka M.: On the return rate and breeding territory fidelity in the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) in south-west Slovakia
• Baláž M., Hrčková L. & Flajs T.: Nests of the Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) in nests of the White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus)
• Figúr J. & Urban P.: The capercaille (Tetrao urogallus) in selected localities in the Stolické vrchy Mts. (West Carpathians)

• Jarčuška B., Krištín A., Topercer J. et al.: On priority questions of ornithological research in Slovakia
  
• Repel M., Slobodník R. & Slobodník V.: Bird-ringing results in Slovakia in 2013
  
• Kvetko R. et al.: The 14^th report of the Rarities Committee of the Slovak Ornithological Society/BirdLife Slovakia
• Ornithological observations
  

• Korňan M.: Ornitological event of the year - 26th International Ornithological Congress in Tokyo
• Murin B.: Book review: Trnka A, Grim T. (eds.) 2014: Ornitologická príručka
• Chronicle – Anniversary of ornithologist and naturalist Miroslav Saniga
• Chronicle – Dr. Jozef Palášthy (* 1. 3. 1929 – † 30. 12. 2014
• Annoucement: Marcin Antczak Award
  

      Existujú habitatové rozdiely v kvalite samcov trsteniarika bahenného? Úloha samčieho spevu a investície do kŕmenia

      Alžbeta DAROLOVÁ, Ján KRIŠTOFÍK & Herbert HOI

     Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia; alzbeta.darolova@savba.sk.    Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstr. 1a, A - 1160 Vienna, Austria;

      Abstract. Individuals of a species are usually adapted to a specific environment in terms of behavior, morphology or physiology. The question is whether fine tuned adaptations in a species may even exist within a habitat, but slightly different habitat features. Here we examine whether a marsh habitat consisting of patches of two different vegetation types (reed and reed mace) may result in male quality differences occupying them. We have already shown that in Eurasian reed warblers egg investment of females, but not their quality or condition differs between individuals breeding in the two vegetation types. In this study we want to know, whether these habitat dependent investment strategies might be a consequence of differential allocation due to variation in male quality. To determine male quality we used i) song in terms of song speed, song complexity and redundancy of male Eurasian reed warblers singing in reed and reed mace and ii) paternal investment in terms of feeding contribution of males breeding in reed or reed mace. Our results revealed differences in feeding rates between broods raised in reed and reed mace territories but neither male song nor male feeding contribution varies between reed and reed mace territories. Thus different female egg investment is due to habitat rather than male quality. Habitat parameters influencing nest protection and offspring survival remain to explain differences in maternal egg investment.

      Key words: Eurasian reed warbler, behavior, reed, reed mace, paternal investment, male attractiveness

 

Martin Korňan

Centrum pre ekologické štúdie, Ústredie 14, 013 62 Veľké Rovné, Slovensko; e-mail: martin.kornan@gmail.com.
Katedra ochrany lesa a poľovníctva, Lesnícka fakulta, Technická univerzita vo Zvolene, T.G. Masaryka 20, 960 53 Zvolen, Slovensko

Abstract. Species structure, species richness, diversity, population densities and total density of breeding bird assemblages of extensive pastures and successional pastures were compared in the Muránska planina National Park during the breeding season in 2014. Birds were censused using the point count method with fixed radius of 50 or 100 m depending on environmental conditions. In total, 19 point counts were conducted in extensive pastures three times during June and July, while 10 point counts were carried out in successional pastures. Species richness and diversity was not significantly different when tested by Monte Carlo rarefaction approach; however, in larger standardized samples extensive pasture had significantly higher species richness and diversity then successional pastures. The total assemblage density of extensive pastures (23.71 ind./10 ha considering territorial records, 41.93 ind./10 ha considering all records) was significantly lower than the total density of successional pastures (50.29 ind./10 ha considering territorial records, 74.80 ind./10 ha considering all records) when compared by two-sample t-test. Important grassland species such as corn crake Crex crex and Eurasian skylark Alauda arvensis were detected only in extensive pastures. Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella showed higher population densities in successional pastures compared to extensive pastures (5.09 ind./10 ha versus 3.51 ind./10 ha). Canonical correspondence analysis indicated contrasting species structure between extensive and successional pastures in response to the gradient of tree and shrub cover underling differences between these two types of bird assemblages.

Key words: bird community, species diversity, richness, population density, habitat associations, Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA)

Anton KRIŠTÍN, Benjamín JARČUŠKA & Peter KAŇUCH

      Ústav ekológie lesa SAV, Ľ. Štúra 2, 960 53 Zvolen, Slovensko; e-mail: kristin@savzv.sk

Abstract. The wetlands are important refuges of biodiversity. Study site Kórea, i.e. a wetland and surrounding habitats (7.3 ha), originated at agricultural land by construction of railway shunting yard 60 years ago. The structure of bird assemblages was evaluated there with regard to different seasons, periods and habitats. Altogether 104 bird species, of them 57 breeding, 26 hospites and 21 permigrants were registered during 61 visits in 2012–2014. Of them we found 32 water species, 15 of them bred there. The most dominant water species were there Anas platyrhynchos (34.8%), Fulica atra (21.4%), Tachybaptus ruficollis (8.9%), Gallinula chloropus (6.8%). These species were the most frequent, too (each > 53%). The most occupied habitat (from main six) was habitat forest and hedges (52% of bird species; 41% of site area) and litoral vegetation (21% species; 23% of area). The confirmed breeding of the teal Anas crecca was one of the most important faunistic records. Comparison of breeding assemblages between years 1995 and 2014 has shown similar bird species number (56, resp. 53), but increased abundance (from 146 on 177 pairs/ 7.3 ha). The species Perdix perdix, Coturnix coturnix and Troglodytes troglodytes were not breeding there in 2014, and no new species bred there. Increased abundance of breeding bird species can be explained by increased plot of litoral vegetation (Typha, Salix, Phragmites) by 13%, forest and hedges by 12% and their height as well as by increased plot of open water and transforming the  grasslands on tall-sedge growths.

      Key words: waterfowl, wetlands, mapping, distribution, seasonality

Katedra biológie a ekológie, Pedagogická fakulta Katolíckej univerzity, Hrabovská cesta 1, 034 01 Ružomberok; e-mail: michal.balaz@ku.sk

Katedra zoológie, Prírodovedecká fakulta Univerzity Komenského, Mlynská dolina, 842 15 Bratislava

Správa NP Malá Fatra, Hrnčiarska ul. 197, 013 03 Varín

      Hlucháň hôrny (Tetrao urogallus) vo vybraných lokalitách Stolických vrchov (Západné Karpaty)

      The capercaille (Tetrao urogallus) in selected localities in the Stolické vrchy Mts. (West Carpathians)

Jaroslav FIGÚR & Peter URBAN

Katedra biológie a ekológie, Fakulta prírodných vied UMB, Tajovského 40, 974 01 Banská Bystrica, Slovensko; e-mail: jarofigur@gmail.com, urbanlutra@gmail.com.

Abstract. Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) is an indicator of well-structured boreal and montane forest habitats, characterised by an intermediate canopy cover and abundant ground vegetation. It is seriously suffering from fragmentation of forests and habitat loss. We studied occurrence of this species on seven localities in the Stolica Mts. (E Slovakia) in 2011–2013 (October–November 2011 and 2012, April–May 2012, and March–April 2013).We recorded presence of capercaillie in six of seven sites. Predation is probably the most important factor of threats there at present.

Key words: Tetrao urogallus, Special Protection Area Muránska planina – Stolica, occurrence

K aktuálnym otázkam výskumu vtáctva na Slovensku
On priority questions of ornithological research in Slovakia

Benjamín JARČUŠKA¹, Anton KRIŠTÍN^{1, 2}, Ján TOPERCER³, Lucia DEUTSCHOVÁ⁴, Miroslav FULÍN⁵, Monika CHRENKOVÁ⁶, Dušan KARASKA⁷, Dušan KERESTÚR⁸, Martin KORŇAN^{9, 10}, Peter KRIŠOVSKÝ⁵, Jozef LENGYEL¹¹, Peter LEŠO⁹, Peter MIKULA¹², Marian MOJŽIŠ¹³, Vladimír NEMČEK⁴, Ján OBUCH³, Samuel PAČENOVSKݹ⁴, Peter PUCHALA¹⁵, Matej REPEL¹⁴, Miroslav SANIGA¹, Martin SÁROSSY¹⁶, Jozef SLÁDEK¹⁷, Roman SLOBODNÍK⁴, Vladimír SLOBODNÍK¹⁸, Andrej STOLLMANN¹⁹, Ivan ŠIPKOVSKݲ⁰, Karol ŠOTNÁR⁴ & Peter URBAN²¹

1 Ústav ekológie lesa SAV, Ľ. Štúra 2, 960 53 Zvolen, Slovensko, e-mail: benjamin.jarcuska@gmail.com, 2 kristin@savzv.sk;
3 Botanická záhrada Univerzity Komenského, 038 15 Blatnica 315, Slovensko;
4 Ochrana dravcov na Slovensku, Kuklovská 5, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovensko;
5 Východoslovenské múzeum, Hviezdoslavova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovensko;
6 Daphne - Inštitút aplikovanej ekológie, Podunajská 24, 821 06 Bratislava, Slovensko;
7 Štátna ochrana prírody SR, Správa CHKO Horná Orava, Bernolákova 408, 02901 Námestovo;
8 Tolstého 17, 98403 Lučenec, Slovensko;
9 Katedra ochrany lesa a poľovníctva, Lesnícka fakulta, Technická univerzita vo Zvolene, T. G. Masaryka 20, 960 53 Zvolen, Slovensko
10 Centrum pre ekologické štúdie, Ústredie 14, 013 62 Veľké Rovné, Slovensko;
11 Štátna ochrana prírody SR, CHKO Dunajské luhy, Korzo Bélu Bartóka 789/3, 929 01 Dunajská Streda, Slovensko;
12 Katedra zoologie, Přírodovědecká fakulta, Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Viničná 7, 128 43 Praha 2, Česká republika;
13 Školská 211, 985 31 Mučín, Slovensko;
14 Slovenská ornitologická spoločnosť/BirdLife Slovensko, Nám. Osloboditeľov 1,  071 01 Michalovce;
15 Štátna ochrana prírody SR, CHKO Malé Karpaty, Štúrova 115, 900 01 Modra, Slovensko;
16 M. R. Štefánika 43, 082 21 Veľký Šariš, Slovensko;
17 Kimovská 26, 960 53 Zvolen, Slovensko;
18 Štátna ochrana prírody SR, Správa CHKO Ponitrie, Dlhá 3, 971 01 Prievidza, Slovensko;
19 Krivá 3, 947 01 Hurbanovo, Slovensko;
20 Trakovice 58, 919 33 Trakovice, Slovensko;
21 Fakulta prírodných vied Univerzity Mateja Bela, Tajovského 40, 974 01 Banská Bystrica, Slovensko.

Abstract. Aimed to identify priority questions of ornithological research in Slovakia, 103 persons directly or indirectly involved in ornithological research and/or bird protection in the country were addressed by a simple questionary. The present paper brings synthesis of c. 130 answers gathered from 30 participants. The priority questions proposed for future research in Slovakia were grouped/divided into the following areas: bird census and monitoring; habitat and diet requirements; impacts of human activities on birds and economic damage caused by birds; factors affecting bird populations changes; data, publishing, education and working groups activities; and bird conservation and management. The most of proposed research questions were focused mainly on issues associated with protection of birds and their habitats, namely study of bird population trends and factors associated with the trends, species habitat requirements, and impact of human activities on birds. We anticipate that addressing these questions may help to improve conversation between professional and amateur ornithologists as there will be a need to collect a large amount of data.

Key words: ornithology, research priorities, habitats, agriculture, forestry, biodiversity conservation

Richard Kvetko & FK SOS BirdLife Slovensko

SNP 14, 903 01 Senec, Slovensko; richard.kvetko@centrum.sk

Abstract: In 2013, the Rarities Committee of the Slovak Ornithological Society/BirdLife Slovakia reviewed 83 records, of which 64 were accepted in the category A, 6 in category C, 6 records in category D and 3 breeding records. Two records were rejected. Two records of Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus), one record of Brant Goose (Branta bernicla), one record of Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus) and one record of Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) were the highlights of the year 2013. Rarities Committee accepted also some other noteworthy records from the years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013. E.g. in 2013, one sighting of Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus), three records of Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus), one record of Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus), one record of Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), seven records of Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis), three records of Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis), one record of Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca), two records of seven individuals Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata), first record of Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), four records of three individuals Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus), one record of Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), seven records of Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus), one record of Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), two records of Red Knot (Calidris canutus), one record of Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus), nineteen individuals of European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), two records of Greater Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus), two records of Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola), one record of Rosy Starling (Pastor roseus), one record of three individuals Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus), first breeding record of Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata), one breeding record of Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) and one breeding record of Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus). Furthermore, there were three records of Eurasian Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) in 2011, 2012 and 2013, seven records of Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012, one sighting of Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) in 2011,  one record of Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) in 2008, three records of Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) in 2009, 2012 and 2013.

Key words: birds, rarities committee, rarities report, Slovakia

Ornithological observations



Murin B.: Book review:

Trnka A, Grim T. (eds.) 2014: Ornitologická príručka

      Chronicle – Miroslav Saniga