40 Years of Breeding Bird Community Dynamics in a Primeval Temperate Forest (Białowieża National Park, Poland)

A 40-year study of breeding bird communities in Białowieża National Park, Poland, reveals remarkable stability in species composition and richness. The research found that 67 out of 85 breeding bird species (79% of the total) recorded between 1974–2014 persisted through 2010–2014, with 49 species (57%) breeding continuously for over three decades. While slight shifts in dominant species occurred—such as the decline of Phylloscopus sibilatrix and the local extinction of Anthus trivialis—overall densities remained consistent but lower than peak levels observed in 2001. The study employed an improved mapping technique across seven plots representing three old-growth forest types, confirming that habitat stability and cross-generational settlement criteria contribute to this constancy. Notably, changes in coniferous habitats due to die-back increased species richness, while reduced forest edges decreased edge-specialist populations.

Wesołowski, T., Czeszczewik, D., Hebda, G., Maziarz, M., Mitrus, C., & Rowiński, P. (2015). 40 Years of Breeding Bird Community Dynamics in a Primeval Temperate Forest (Białowieża National Park, Poland). Acta Ornithologica, 50(1), 95–120. https://doi.org/10.3161/00016454ao2015.50.1.010