Nest types and nest-site selection of the Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus breeding in fishpond habitat in south-eastern Poland

摘要

The paper describes chosen habitat conditions determining the occurrence and nesting of the Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus and their effect on the nest type (breeding nest BN or mock nest MN). The Little Bittern is a monogamous bird whose male can build a couple of nests during the breeding season. The main questions posed in this work are: (1) what habitat is chosen for the nesting site, and (2) do habitat conditions influence the nest type? The study was carried out in a fishpond complex in the Lasy Janowskie Landscape Park (SE Poland) during the breeding seasons of 2010-2012. All 44 nests (23 BN and 21 MN) were built in a waterside belt of perennial Common Reed Phragmites australis. All nests were built at sites with water depth between 11 and 101 cm. The type of the nest did not depend on the date when it was built during the breeding season. There was a significant difference in the width of the nests between breeding and mock nests. Moreover, obtained results showed a significant influence of the reed belt height and reed stem diameter on the nest type. Further studies on the Little Bittern's nesting habitat, protection of suitable wetlands, and proper water management are important for the conservation of this vulnerable species.