Distribution of Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) in the Ramena řeky Moravy National Nature Reserve (Czech Republic) in Relation to the Coppice-with-standard Forest Management

Abstract

The paper brings results of a long-term monitoring of a breeding population of the Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) carried out at the Morava River (an 11.11 km long section) in the Ramena řeky Moravy National Nature Reserve (Litovelské Pomoraví SPA, Czech Republic) in the years 1987–2012. Monitoring of breeding sites of the Common Kingfisher was performed using a modified nest searching method. In the study area, numbers of Common Kingfishers fluctuate significantly between 1 and 15 breeding pairs (i.e. between 0.09 and 1.26 breeding pairs per 1 km of the river). In a statistical analysis of data from the period 2005–2012, factors affecting distribution of Kingfisher nests in the study area were assessed. A statistically significant relationship was found between the distribution of Kingfisher breeding sites and the distribution of riparian stands of the floodplain forest in a coppice-with-standards forest. This finding is discussed in relation to the current tendencies to apply coppicing in areas of high conservation value.

Keywords

• <i>Alcedo atthis</i>
• breeding population
• floodplain forest
• coppice-with-standards
• monitoring
• Litovelské Pomoraví SPA