Habitat associations of breeding peatland passerine species in eastern Finland

Abstrakti

We studied breeding bird assemblages in three different types ofpeatland habitat: open, shrub, and forests. We measured ten habitat variables in breeding territories and assessed nine microhabitat characteristics for fourteen passerine species found in these peatlands . Motacillaflava and Anthus pratensis were most abundant in the open habitats . Species most abundant in shrub habitats were Emberiza schoeniclus and Acrocephalus schoenobaenus while Phylloscopus trochilus, Fringilla coelebs andAnthus trivialis were most abundant in forested peatlands. Discriminant function analysis of microhabitat use revealed differences between two Fringilla species (F. coelebs and F. montifringilla) and within species (between foraging and singing sites for Motacilla flava and Anthus trivialis) . Using quantitative vegetation data and habitat associations of the bird species we propose a qualitative model that predicts the changes in the bird assemblage along with the changes in the environment. Such a model would be useful in the environmental management of peatland habitats .