Monitoring of selected forest bird species 2013

During the monitoring of selected forest bird species, the test areas Hieflau and Gofer were processed in 2013. Both test areas were mapped in 2011 so that the results of both years can be compared here. Due to the snow depths and the duration of a continuous snow cover, the weather must be classified as very unfavourable in the early spring of 2013 (time of the area occupation for owls and woodpeckers). In the course of the first ascent in 2013, there was still about 1 m of snow from 800 m above sea level. In 2011, the test surfaces were already snow-free at the beginning of the tests. It was noteworthy that in 2013, in the course of the ascents, especially the first two, hardly small birds could be detected above about 800 m above sea level. Small birds form the food base of the sparrow caust. Due to the high snow conditions, small mammals were probably difficult to reach in spring 2013. Small mammals form the main food of the rough foot rabbit. Red beech wood is the most important food substrate for the whiteback woodpecker. Since standing deadwood of the red beech is only sparsely present in the national park, it can be assumed that even lying deadwood of the red beech is of great importance for the whiteback woodpecker. Due to the long-lasting, high snow conditions, lying dead wood was not reachable in spring for the whiteback woodpecker. It can therefore be assumed for 2013 that due to the high snow conditions in the area very unfavorable food conditions prevail for roughfoot and sparrow skew and possibly also for the whiteback woodpecker at the time of the occupation of the area. In contrast to the weather situation in early spring, the short warm weather phase in April, at the time of the occupation of the area, caused favorable conditions for mountaineerers and dwarf snappers.