0000000001329655
AUTHOR
Michael Lanz
Breeding habitat of a mysterious forest bird – the woodcock in the Swiss Prealps
The woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) is classified as vulnerable on the Red List of breeding bird species in Switzerland. In the past decades, the woodcock abandoned most breeding habitats in the lowlands and in the eastern part of Jura Mountains, and populations nowadays are restricted to areas in the Alps and the western parts of the Jura Mountains. The reasons for the decline are largely unknown. Moreover, there are no studies about breeding habitat use in eastern Switzerland. In this study we assessed the habitat use at a small scale in the forest reserve Amden (St. Gallen) in the eastern Prealps during the breeding season. To detect woodcock prescence we used a non-invasive method of samp…
Habitat selection of an old-growth forest specialist in managed forests
Old-growth specialists are among the species that are affected the most by commercial forestry, and as a result, many of these species are in decline. Knowing their habitat requirements is crucial for their effective conservation. The white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) is one such species that is negatively affected by intensive forest management. Because the species is highly dependent on the availability of high amounts of dead wood, it typically occurs in primeval forests. As a consequence, it has become a victim of habitat loss in several European countries. We investigated habitat selection of the white-backed woodpecker in Western Austria, Eastern Switzerland and Liechtens…