SEASONAL VARIATION IN THE CLUTCH SIZE AND BREEDING SUCCESS IN THE BARN SWALLOW Hirundo rustica, IN RELATION TO THE COLONY LOCATION AND TYPE OF FARM BUILDINGS OCCUPIED

摘要

The Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica is one of the most widespread (Turner, 2006) and the best studied bird species (Kopij, 2004) in the world. Despite this, some aspects of its breeding ecology are still not well understood, especially in areas outside Western Europe. In Poland, for example, breeding ecology of this species was investigated only in Silesia (AbramciOw, Kopij 1997; Nizyns-ka-Bubel, Kopij 2007) and Wielkopolska provinces (Kuniak, 1967; Nitecki, 1962; Lorek, 1992). Also no attempt has everbeen made to investigate the relationship between the basic breeding parameters and type of buildings occupied by the Barn Swallow and their distance from nearest water bodies (Glutz von Blotzheim, 1985; Turner, 2006). This study attempts to address these issues.