Habitat preferences of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopus minor

Abstract

We analysed the habitat preferences of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers Dendrocopos minor in deciduous stands relative to forest type, snag density, tree age, area of the stand and latitude . Data were collected in 1985-1988 in 104 census areas, each of 200 ha, in south and central Sweden. We compared the stands with and without observations of the species using log-linear modelling, with the area of the stands as a covariate. We found that the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker preferred stands with many snags (P = 0.0004) and old stands (P = 0.011), while it avoided stands without snags (P = 0.0011) and with mixed coniferous / deciduous forest (P =0.00004). Whether the area of the stand was less than or greater than the median size was less important (P = 1) . The preferences were the same in all the different regions studied (P = 1) . We regard snag density, stand age and forest type as good indicators of the habitat preferences of the the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Since these variables are easily measured in the field, they may serve as a starting-point for preservation of the habitats of the species.