Seasonal patterns of habitat use of resident birds in Białowieża Forest and its links to post-disturbance management

Resident bird species in Białowieża Forest exhibit distinct seasonal habitat preferences, with winter and spring distributions often diverging. A study found no spatial overlap between winter and spring bird diversity hotspots, indicating that resident forest birds do not rely on the same habitats year-round. Post-disturbance management, particularly following European spruce bark beetle outbreaks, further influences these patterns. While the overall wintering community and invertivore arboreal gleaners favored moderately salvage-logged sites, avoiding strongly logged areas, invertivore bark foragers shifted towards both salvage-logged and natural regeneration sites. Species-specific responses were observed, with no universal habitat preference across seasons or disturbance levels. The research underscores the need to consider non-breeding season habitat use when assessing forest bird communities and highlights the importance of maintaining habitat heterogeneity in post-disturbance management.

Michielsen, R. J., Żmihorski, M., Pärt, T., Walesiak, M., & Mikusiński, G. (2024). Seasonal patterns of habitat use of resident birds in Białowieża Forest and its links to post-disturbance management. Forest Ecology and Management, 554, 121669. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2023.121669