Long-term dynamics of breeding birds in broad-leaved deciduous forest on Hanikatsi Island in the West-Estonian archipelago

Abstract

The temporal dynamics (1974-2004) of the breeding bird community in broad-leaved de- ciduous forest on Hanikatsi Island on the eastern side of the Baltic Sea was studied. Alto- gether 33 bird species of seven orders were recorded. The year-to-year variation in the number of species (CV = 10.99%) and in the total numbers (CV = 15.17%) were relatively small. No significant trends in the number of bird species and in their abundances were detected, though an abrupt change in community structure took place at the beginning of the 1990s. No significant relationships between abundance of single bird species were de- tected, except for Turdus merula and Turdus philomelos.