Abstract
The Steinfeld in Lower Austria supports a population of European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) which was extensively studied during 1997 and 1998. The study area encompassed a pine forest of 20 km2. The population densities of 1.05 and 1.25 territories/km2, respectively, lies within the range found in central European populations. Annual monitoring until 2001 has shown the population to be stable. To gain an insight into habitat use of the species, various habitat-related parameters were measured inside and outside the territories, namely structure of trees, density of trees, structure of undergrowth vegetation and structure of clearings. Discriminant analysis was applied to assess the factors responsible for habitat choice of the Nightjar population. The findings showed that the Nightjars’ territories were frequently centered on a large clearing with an area of at least 0.7 ha. Clearings less than 50 m wide were not colonized. The requirement for a minimum width of a clearing in addition to a minimum area probably relates to better hunting conditions. Nightjars prefer trees where the lower edge of the crown is on average 4.38 m higher than at control points so that males can churr from dead branches immediately below the canopy. Such trees were found on the edge of clearings in the forest, and the edge of a clearing thus had a pronounced effect on the quality of a territory. In contrast to reports in the literature, neither the proportion of bare patches of ground nor the average height of undergrowth vegetation was found to be decisive for territory selection.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank everybody who helped me in the course of this work. G. Spitzer (Institute for Zoology, University of Vienna) supervised my minor thesis and was always ready with helpful advice, although he allowed me considerable freedom. In long discussions about statistical methods H. Nemeschkal (Institute for Zoology, University of Vienna) was extremely patient. J. Frühauf (BirdLife Austria) was always ready to discuss issues of methodology and G. Bieringer was a very helpful expert on the Steinfeld. H.-M. Berg (Bird Collection of the Natural History Museum of Vienna) provided assistance on the acquisition of literature and T. Schuster accompanied me while I was measuring the vegetation. I am grateful to J. Hegelbach and another anonymous reviewer for commenting on an earlier version of the manuscript. I would like to thank in particular G. Tebb for translating this study into English.
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Wichmann, G. Habitat use of nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) in an Austrian pine forest. J Ornithol 145, 69–73 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-003-0013-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-003-0013-6