The diet spectrum of the song thrush (Turdus philomelos Brehm, 1831; Passeriformes, Turdidae) was studied with the aim of supporting the population of the species in transformed forests of North-Eastern Ukraine. Four forest ecosystems were surveyed: three model sites in oak woodlands with different stages of recreational digression, and the fourth model site in a pine-oak forest. A total of 45 invertebrate taxa with the dominance of Insecta (64.6%, n = 1321), Oligochaеta (16.7%), and Gastropoda (12.0%) were revealed in the diet of the song thrush. At the level of orders, Lepidoptera (66.2%) was dominant. In the qualitative structure of the song thrush nestling diet, the highest number of taxa (40.5–59.1%) was represented by phytophages. Phytophagous species also comprised the majority of the consumed prey items (44.7–80.3%). Environmental conditions are an important factor, affecting the diet composition of birds. The most favourable foraging conditions for the thrushes were revealed in natural protected areas. The analysis has shown a fairly even foraging efficiency of the thrushes in all the studied sites. The highest biodiversity indices were found in a protected area of the National Nature Park “Homilshanski Forests”. The results of the research indicate an important role of T. philomelos in the population management of potentially dangerous agricultural pests.
The role of the robin, Erithacus rubecula Linnaeus, 1758 as a consort of autotrophic consortia is considered. It has been found that representatives of 9 higher taxa of animals (Mammalia, Aves, Gastropoda, Insecta, Arachnida, Acarina, Malacostraca, Diplopoda, Clitellata) have trophic and topical links with the robin. At the same time, the robin is a consort of determinants of autotrophic consortia, which core is represented mostly by dominating species of deciduous trees (Quercus robur Linnaeus, 1753 (24.6 %), Tilia cordata Miller, 1768 (17.5 %), Acer platanoides Linnaeus, 1753 (22.8 %), Acer campestre Linnaeus, 1753), and also by sedges (Carex sp.) and grasses (Poaceae). The robin also belongs to the concentre of the second and higher orders as a component of forest biogeocenoses and forms a complex trophic system. In the diet of its nestlings, there have been found 717 objects from 32 invertebrate taxa, belonging to the phylums Arthropoda (99.2 %, 31 species) and Annelida (0.8 %, 1 species). The phylum Arthropoda was represented by the most numerous class Insecta (76.9 %), in which 10 orders (Lepidoptera (46.8 %) dominates) and 20 families were recorded, and also by the classes Arachnida (15.0 %), Malacostraca (5.3 %) and Diplopoda (1.9 %). The invertebrate species composition was dominated by representatives of a trophic group of zoophages (14 species; 43.8 %); the portion of phytophages (7 species; 21.9 %), saprophages (18.7 %), and necrophages (15.6 %) was the less. The highest number of food items was represented by phytophages (N = 717; 51 %), followed by zoophages (34 %), saprophages (12 %), and necrophages (3 %). The difference among study areas according to the number of food items and the number of species in the robin nestling diet is shown. In NNP “HF”, the highest number of food items was represented by phytophages - 47 % (N = 443), whereas zoophages were the most species-rich group (43.3 %, 13 species). In NNP “H”, phytophages also prevailed in food items - 62.3 % (N = 164), but the number of phyto-, zoo- and saprophage species was equal (30.8 %, 13 species). In the forest park, zoophages were more frequent - 45.5 % (N = 110), but phytophages were the most species-rich (42.9 %).
Досліджено кормовий раціон пташенят і склад нідиколів (мешканців гнізд) мухоловки білошийої (Ficedula albicollis (Temminck, 1815)), завдяки чому проаналізовано аутекологічні особливості птахів та їх специфічну кормову поведінку. Матеріали зібрано у травні-липні 2009-2014 рр. на території Північно-Східної України. Розглянуто функціонування трофоценотичної структури біогеоценозу за участі мухоловки білошийої як гетеротрофного ядра великого автотрофного угрупування. Описано топічні та трофічні зв'язки мухоловки з деревною рослинністю та комахами-фітофагами (листоїди, цикадки, вусачі). У кормовому раціоні пташенят мухоловки переважають представники надкласу Hexapoda (83%): Lepidoptera-16 родин (24%), Hymenoptera-12 родин (23%) та Coleoptera-40 родин (16%). Охарактеризовано трофічні групи членистоногих у консорції мухоловок: фітофаги-33%, зоофаги-45%, паразити, кровососи, сапрофаги-16%, некрофаги-4%, копрофаги, кератофаги. Проаналізовано фауну членистоногих гнізд мухоловки білошийої. Гнізда птахів як гетеротрофний консорцій-місце існування безхребетних 293 таксонів, які належать до членистоногих (надкласу Hexapoda, класів Arachnida, Malacostraca та надкласу Мyriароda), інколи молюски. У трофоценотичній структурі населення гнізд мухоловки білошийої переважають представники Hexapoda (278 видів), де перше місце посідають зоофаги 127 видів, включаючи паразитів, а також таких гематофагів як Culicidae, Tabanidae, Mallophaga, Hippoboscidae, Aphaniptera. На другому місці фітофаги (78 видів), сапрофаги та детритофаги (48 видів), некрофаги (27 видів). Виявлено постійні ектопаразитичні види мухоловок: Ricinus sp. (Mallophaga), Ornithomyia avicularia L. (Diptera), кровосисні личинки Protocalliphora azurea chrysorrhea Mg. (Diptera), Ceratophyllus sp. (Aphaniptera). Охарактеризовано екологічні особливості нідиколів, установлено їх консортивні зв'язки.
During migration, the availability of food that affects the success of bird movements, the nature and timing of their movements, is critical for many bird species. The relationship between migration routes and the ripening of fruit and berry plants along the route is important. Four types of forest belts were studied: wind-blown maple-ash, latticed maple-linden, dense oak-maple-linden, wind-blown oak-maple-poplar. During the study 43 bird species were identified consuming 9 major fruit and berry plant species: Sambucus nigra, Prunus spinosa, Crataegus laevigata, Rosa canina, Prunus padus, Sorbus aucuparia, Rhamnus cathartica, Morus nigra, Prunus cerasus. The highest average number of birds feeding in forest belts (4.14 ind./km) was registered in oak-maple-linden dense forest belts, while the lowest number (1.48 ind./km) was recorded in wind-blown maple-ash ones. Maple-linden latticed forest belts characterize the best index data of α-diversity of birds. In the summer-autumn diet, succulent fruit are the most important: Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) – 11.8% of the total number of birds observed to feed on this food resource, Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) – 11.3%, Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) – 9.3%, Song thrush (Turdus philomelos) – 7.3%, Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) – 7.1%, Blackbird (Turdus merula) – 5.4%. 42 species of birds were observed to feed on black elderberry. More than half (51.2%) of the species composition of birds feeding on fruit and berry plants were migratory birds. Consequently, juicy berries are an important food during bird migrations.
Th e role of the robin as a determinant of heterotrophic consortia is considered. Th e robin is a consort of determinants of autotrophic consortia, which core is represented mostly by dominating species of deciduous trees (Quercus robur Linnaeus, 1753, Tilia cordata Miller, 1768, Acer platanoides Linnaeus, 1753, Acer campestre Linnaeus, 1753), and also by sedges (Carex sp.) and grasses (Poaceae), connected with the determinants by fabric links. Th e robin also belongs to the concentr of the second and higher orders as a component of forest biogeocenoses and it is also the main determinant in species composition of the insects inhabiting bird nests. As a result of the taxonomic analysis of invertebrates in the robin nests, it has been found out that the most numerous class was Insecta (9 orders and 27 families), with the dominance of Coleoptera (30.7 %). Th e nidicolous fauna of the robin (38 species) was dominated by zoophages along with parasites and hematophages such as Hippoboscidae (46.4 %). Th e percentage of phytophages and saprophages among the invertebrate nest inhabitants was somewhat less (21 % each), then followed necrophages (12 %). Zoophages and parasites also dominated according to the number of objects in the nests (42 %; n = 150), the less was the portion of phytophages (34 %), saprophages (18 %), and necrophages (6 %). Th e highest number of species and objects of zoophages was recorded for climax and mature biocenoses (oak forests in NNP "HL" and pine cenoses in NNP "H").
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