Intern. Stud. Sparrows 2014, 38: 4-10

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1 Intern. Stud. Sparrws 04, 8: 4-0 DOI: 0./isspar Jasmina MUŽINIĆ, Dragica PURGER, Jenő J. PURGER Department f Ornithlgy, Cratian Academy f Sciences and Arts, Gundulićeva 4, 0000 Zagreb, Cratia, jasmina@hazu.hr BiRes Unlimited Partnership, H-764 Pécs, Barackvirág utca 7, Hungary, dragica@gamma.ttk.pte.hu Department f Eclgy, Institute f Bilgy, Faculty f Sciences, University f Pécs, H-764 Pécs, Ifjúság útja 6, Hungary, purger@gamma.ttk.pte.hu (crrespnding authr) Ppulatin size and nest site selectin f THE Spanish Sparrw Passer hispanilensis In the REGION OF THE RIVER Krka (Cratia) ABSTRACT The breeding range f the Spanish sparrw, Passer hispanilensis, in Cratia is rapidly expanding. We studied the size f the nesting ppulatin and selectin f nest site in an area partially included in the Krka Natinal Park. Our results cnfirm that between 004 and 007 in the wider area f the Krka Natinal Park the Spanish sparrw had ccupied new lcalities, and that the number f 60 pairs recrded in 00 had mre than dubled (00 0) by 007. In the study area, Spanish sparrws nest mst cmmnly in the canpies f intrduced planted trees (e.g. Mrus alba, Platanus ccidentalis, Ppulus nigra cv. italica). This strategy, with a gd access t and diversity f ptential nesting sites, enables a further expansin f the species. Keywrds: Spanish sparrw Passer hispanilensis, invasive species, dispersal, range, Skradin, Krka Natinal Park INTRODUCTION The Spanish sparrw Passer hispanilensis (Fig. ) is a Suthwestern Palearctic species (Cramp and Perrins 994). In Cratia the Spanish sparrw is a breeding bird (Kralj 997, Lukač 007) with up t tw clutches per year (Cramp & Perrins 994). The species is expanding its breeding range alng the adriatic cast frm suth t nrthwest, r frm suthern Dalmatia t Istria (Rubinič 00, Lukač 004). The dynamics f its expansin in the Balkans has been investigated intensively (Lukač 988, 004) but the rle f the selectin f nest sites has nt been adequately explred. The Spanish sparrw in Dalmatia nests in mre than tree species, in mst cases in the canpy f planted Pine (Pinus halepensis, P. nigra, P. maritima), Almnd (Prunus amygdalus), and Plane (Platanus rientalis), and less frequently in the canpy f Dwny ak (Quercus pubescens), Black lcust (Rbinia pseudacacia), Wild live (Olea silvestris), Green live tree (Phillyrea latiflia), Mediterranean cypress (Cupres sussempervirens), Elm (Ulmus sp.),

2 Vl. 8 / 04 Tamarisk (Tamarix sp.) and Palm (Palma sp.) trees, and in riverine areas n Silver and Black pplar (Ppulus alba, P. nigra) and Willw (Salix sp.) trees (Rubinič 00, Lukač 004, Mužinić and Purger 006). The imprtance f these tree species selected fr nesting fr the Spanish sparrws s range expansin is nt understd. The gal f this study was t investigate the significance f nest sites f the invasive bird species Spanish sparrw with respect t the selected tree species and t estimate the ppulatin size in the lwer curse f river Krka. Fig.. Spanish sparrw Passer hispanilensis (Pht by J. Mužinić) MATERIAL AND METHODS Study area The study was cnducted in the twn f Skradin and in Čulišićke bare in the vicinity f the village Dubravice (WJ7 accrding t 0 0 km UTM grid), situated in the wider area f the lwer curse f river Krka. Skradin is a small twn lcated n the right bank f the Krka (Fig. ). It des nt have a develped city centre and mst buildings (except fr thse alng the main street) are up t tw streys high, surrunded by gardens and rchards. The unique feature f this twn are avenues f ld mulberry trees (Mrus alba) in the alley f Skradin sericulturists (Aleja skradinskih svilara, Fig. ), planted t breed silk-wrms (Bmbix mri). The wetland area Čulišićke bare is situated between the Pdbare bay f river Krka and the village Dubravice, suth f the hamlet Čulišić (Fig. 4), and is administered by the Krka Natinal Park. The riverside is br dered by reed beds, marshlands and meadws, and the area gradually Fig.. Twn Skradin lcated n the right bank f Krka (Pht by ascends twards the J. Mužinić)

3 6 Internatinal Studies On Sparrws Fig.. Alley f Skradin sericulturists (Aleja skradinskih svilara) in Skradin, the lcatin f Spanish sparrw, nests (Pht by J.J. Purger) Fig. 4. Čulišićke bare, the area f the expansin f the nesting area f the Spanish sparrw (Pht by J.J. Purger)

4 7 Vl. 8 / 04 hamlet (49-6 m a.s.l.). Čulišić cnsists f several small huses surrunded by rchards, vineyards and smaller agricultural fields. Nest cunting T estimate the Spanish sparrw ppulatin, nests were cunted utside the breeding seasn in early spring and autumn after defliatin, t ensure adequate cnditins fr detecting nests. Nests fund in spring belnged t the breeding seasn f the previus year while thse fund in autumn t the current year. The exact number f nests is difficult t estimate because sme pairs f the Spanish sparrw may have tw clutches per year, and, furthermre, a certain number f nests may fail in the curse f the year (Mužinić and Purger 006). Because f the absence f the Spanish sparrw during winter and because the Huse sparrw Passer dmesticus nests tgether with this species and builds similar nests, it is nt pssible t determine with certainty the exact number f nesting pairs f Spanish sparrws n buildings in a settlement. Due t these meth- dlgical prblems, the ttal number f nests cunted utside the breeding seasn prbably underestimates slightly the true number f the Spanish sparrw ppulatin in the study area. We first cunted nests in Skradin n March 00, representative fr Spanish sparrws nesting in 004 (Table ). With the same methd we cunted nests again n April 006, but immediately befre the cunt several trees had been cut dwn and branches f thershad been pruned, s the results culd nt be cnsidered. We repeated the nest cunt n Octber 007. The data n the prbable size f the breeding ppulatin f the Spanish sparrw refer t 004 and 007 (Table ). In the area f Čulišićke bare, nests were cunted in the same perid and with the same methd. During the study we recrded all species f trees where nests were lcated as well as the ttal number f nests n each tree. Table. The presence f the Spanish sparrw, Passer hispanilensis, in Skradin in 004 and in 007 with respect t the tree species (native, +intrduced, *invasive) Tree species Mrus alba Platanus ccidentalis Ppulus nigra cv. italica Acer negund Ulmus minr Rbinia pseudacacia Juglans regia Prunus amygdalus Celtis australis Ttal: * +* Number f trees with nests Ttal number f nests

5 8 Internatinal Studies On Sparrws RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Data cllected in the past (Kralj 007) shw that the Spanish sparrw had been nesting in the Krka Natinal Park area since the 990s. Clnies were n the plateau near Brnjica (UTM WJ8) and in the bays f Čulišićke bare (UTM WJ7) and Plje (Rupe) (UTM WJ76). Birds were sighted in ther areas f the Natinal Park (Miljevci, Grnji Radići) but nesting was nt cnfirmed (Kralj 007). The ppulatin size in the Krka Natinal Park in 00 was arund 60 pairs (Kralj 007). On April 004 we detected Spanish sparrws nesting in Pakv Sel (UTM WJ8), with nests in the canpies f five Mediterranean hackberry trees, Celtis australis, and six nests and 0- birds n three Mediterranean hackberry trees in a curtyard in Knjevrate (UTM WJ84). Because the Spanish sparrw had nt been recrded in the Knjevrate area in the past and because Marguš (00) did nt include the species in the list f the birds f that area, it is pssible that the bserved pairs were the first t settle in the area. We were nt able t cunt r estimate the number f pairs nesting n buildings in Skradin. In this area, the Spanish sparrw mstly has chsen canpies f planted intrduced trees (Table ). In 004 native trees accunted fr 7% (n = ) f all nest trees, and in 007 fr n mre than 6% (n = 0) (Table ). In 007, 7 nests were recrded in Skradin (UTM WJ7) alne (Table ). This number exceeds the entire ppulatin f the Krka Natinal Park recrded by Kralj (007) in 00. In Skradin, the number f trees with nests in 007 was smewhat smaller than in 004 (Table ), but the difference was nt statistically significant (chi-square with Yates s crrectin = 0., P = 0.6). Hwever, the number f nests in 007 was higher, althugh, again, nt statistically significant (chi-square with Yates s crrectin =.9, P = 0.07). In Čulišićke bare eight t ten pairs f Spanish sparrws were fund nesting n huses and in the canpies f Pplar (Ppulus nigra cv. italica) and Almnd (Prunus amygdalus) trees frm 004 t 00 (Mužinić and Purger 007). N new nests were recrded in 006. Frm 004 t 006, in Čulišićke bare 0-60% f nests (n = -6) were lcated n buildings. In 007, we cunted 8 nests (8%) n 0 Pplar trees, and eight nests (%) n three Walnut (Juglans regia) trees. Fur nests (6%) were fund under eaves and gutters f huses in Čulišić. While between 004 and 006 nly arund ten pairs nested in Čulišićke bare, the number had increased t 70 in 007. Marques et al. (00) als reprted that nest lcatin was highly variable with respect t the chsen tree species, age and structure. In the study area, Spanish sparrws mst ften nested in the canpies f planted intrduced tree species (e.g. Mrus alba, Platanus ccidentalis, Ppulus nigra cv. italica) (Table ), which, cmbined gd access t and diversity f ptential nesting sites, enables a further expansin f the species.

6 9 Vl. 8 / 04 Taking all results int accunt, we cnclude that 00-0 pairs f Spanish sparrws nested in the wider area f Krka Natinal Park in 007. The number f nests in relatin t available nesting lcatins prbably did nt reach its limit yet in Skradin r Čulišićke bare. This is cnfirmed by the finding that 60 nests f Spanish sparrws were bserved n a single Plane tree in the centre f Skradin, while a neighburing Plane tree had n nests at all. It is als evident that nests were fund n 6 (6%) f the ttal number f 60 existing mulberry trees in Skradin. In Čulišićke bare, Spanish sparrws placed their nests in Pplars, using arund 0 f the ttal f 4 trees in the avenues. We prpse that the size f the Spanish sparrw ppulatin was nt limited by access t nest sites but by sme ther limiting factr such as fd r cmpetitin. Our bservatins f differential nest distributin within a clny, with highest density in the central part, supprt reprts by Marques et al. (00), cnfirming that clnies are cnstrained by nest predatin. The clny f 60 nests n a single plane tree in Skradin in 007 is clse t the largest clny f Spanish sparrws ever recrded n a single tree in Cratia. A clny f 00 nests was bserved in Islam Latinski, District f Zadar, n July 00, n the abut 0 years ld Green ak, Quercus viridis, a hybrid between the Austrian ak (Quercus cerris f. austriaca) and the evergreen Hlm ak (Q. ilex) (Štahan 00, Devčić- -Buzv 006). Our results cnfirm that between 004 and 007 in the wider area f the Krka Natinal Park the Spanish sparrw had ccupied new lcalities and that the number f 60 pairs recrded in 00 had mre than dubled by 007. Nests were preferably built in canpies f planted intrduced tree species, cnfirming the adaptability f the Spanish sparrw. Our cnclusins supprt thse by Martin and Fitzgerald (00) wh argued fr the Huse sparrw, Passer dmesticus, that a predilectin fr trying new fds and being attracted t nvel bjects may in part explain hw this species has s successfully invaded new areas. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The study was supprted by the grant Internatinal Prject Cratian Academy f Sciences and Arts and Hungarian Academy f Sciences, within an agreement f scientific c-peratin ( and ). REFERENCES Cramp S., Perrins C.M. 994 Handbk f the Birds f Eurpe the Middle East and Nrth Africa: The Birds f the Western Palearctic 8. Oxfrd University Press. Oxfrd, Lndn, New Yrk. Devčić-Buzv I. 006 Zeleni ili vučji hrast Hrvatske šume 0 (-6): 8. Kralj J. 997 Cratian Ornithfauna in the Last 00 Years - Larus 46: -.

7 0 Internatinal Studies On Sparrws Kralj J. 007 Ornithfauna f the Natinal Park Krka changes and trends in 0-years perid In: Marguš D. (ed.) Zbrnik radva sa Simpzija Rijeka Krka i Nacinalni Park Krka: prirdna i kulturna baština, zaštita i drživi razvitak. pp. 7-78, Javna ustanva Nacinalni park Krka. Šibenik. Lukač G. 988 Neue Brutstätten des Weidensperlings (Passer hispanilensis) im nördlichen Dalmatien, Jugslawien Ornithl. Mitt. 40: Lukač G. 004 Abut the widening f the range and the status f the Spanish sparrw hispanilensis) in Cratia at the beginning f the th century Paklenički zbrnik : -. (Passer Lukač G. 007 List f Cratian Birds Natura Cratica, 6 (suppl. ): -48. Marguš D. 00 Flra i fauna Nacinalng parka Krka na prstru župe Knjevrate In: Gulin A. (Ed.) Zbrnik radva znanstveng skupa: Sela šibenskg zaleđa župa Knjevrate i Mirlvić Zagra u pršlsti. pp. -7, HAZU. Zagreb. Marques P.A.M., Vicente L.M., Márquez R. 00 Nest placement in the Spanish sparrw Passer hispanilensis Int. Stud. Sparrws 9: -. Martin L.B., Fitzgerald L. 00 A taste fr nvelty in invading huse sparrws, Passer dmesticus Behav. Ecl. 6: Mužinić J., Purger J.J. 006 The number f Spanish sparrw Passer hispanilensis nests in the Neretva delta (S Dalmatia, Cratia) Acrcephalus 7 (8-9): Mužinić J., Purger J.J. 007 Prblems f the preservatin f bird diversity in lcality Čulišićke bare (Krka Natinal Park, Cratia) In: Marguš D. (Ed.) Zbrnik radva sa Simpzija Rijeka Krka i Nacinalni Park Krka: prirdna i kulturna baština, zaštita i drživi razvitak. pp , Javna ustanva Nacinalni park Krka. Šibenik. Rubinič B. 00 Širjenje severzahdne meje gnezditvenega areala travniškega vrabca Passer hispanilensis v zdlž Jadranske bale: kak se vedenva ppulacija v Hrvaški Istri Acrcephalus (09): 07-. Štahan Ž. 00 Priča Zelenm hrastu Hrvatske šume (-6): 0-