PROTECTION OF BIRDS IN KĘPNO PL AND SURROUNDING

PROTECTION OF BIRDS IN KĘPNO (PL) AND SURROUNDING AREA

1. FACTORS AFFECTING LIFE OF BIRDS IN KĘPNO AND THE SURROUNDING AREA To basic factors affecting life of birds in urban areas belong:

FOOD Natural food sources for birds in Kępno and the surrounding area are numerous. Natural food is delivered by trees and shrubs, lawns, greens or flower beds. These are seed sources, fruits, buds and area of distribution many invertebrates. For all birds living in the city people deliver specific food.

NESTING PLACE For most of the species inhabiting Kępno basic nesting places are trees and shrubs. A large part of clusters of trees and shrubs has a linear character, which results from frequent arrangement of trees and shrubs along the communication string e. g. roads and pavements.

In built-up areas of Kępno lacks a large, open or semi- open areas with low vegetation, but birds find countless potential places to nest offered by urban infrastructure. Its main feature is the building (cracks in the walls, shelves, balconies and bay windows).

PLACES TO REST AND ACCOMODATION Compared to non-urban habitats, in Kępno we observed far fewer predators who are a threat to birds living there. Kępno thus becomes an attractive area, even for those species that do not nest in it (jackdaws, rooks). This usually happens outside the breeding season, especially in winter.

FOR BIRDS VERY IMPORTANT ARE: ● a place for nesting, which are: roofs, hollows, recesses, chimneys and structures of bridges, viaducts, ● rest and accommodation (during the day predators rest in the city), ● useful elements to build their nests, ● food, which is likely to be found in the area;

2. BIRDS IN DIFFERENT AREAS IN KĘPNO About number of birds in cities decide a lot of factors. In Poland’s towns like Kępno, there about 60 do 70 species of birds. In Kępno we have different types of biotops:

OLD TOWN On Kępno’s town hall and on nearby tenement houses there are birds, which live there through the whole year–mostly pigeons. They live in attics, lofts and all kinds of nooks and crannies. They are extensively fed by people.

HOUSING ESTATES (HIGH BUILDINGS) In Kępno they are mostly living on trees on housing estates growing among blocks of flats. They are feeding themselves mostly on lawns.

RESIDENTIAL AREAS (LOW BUILDINGS) Housing estates which are on the outskirts and which consist of low buildings are similar to rural area. There are more species of birds than in the city center.

INDUSTRIAL ZONES AND AREAS RUDERAL Those areas include old farmland , neglected fields often overgrown with grass. In these seemingly difficult conditions live about 20 species of birds.

MUNICIPAL GREENERY (PARK AND CEMETERY) Our park and cemetery in Kępno are similar to natural forest, that is why the greatest variety of species is visible there.

MUNICIPAL WATER Sources of water, for example ponds, our river: Niesób are meaningful for increasing the number of species of birds. Water settlements are obviously great breeding places for dozens of species (mostly swans and ducks).

3. ANTHROPOGENIC THREATS TO BIRDS IN KĘPNO Cities make specific birds living environment. For this reason their population are subjected to the impact of specific (resulting from human activities), limiting factors of their population. To them belong all interactions resulting from development of civilization and pressure of urbanization, in it:

IMPOVERISHMENT OF NATURAL HABITATS Kepno constantly develops and changes their landscape, increases its area and creates other structure buildings. This process isn’t neutral to birds, which so far occupied areas convenient for them. Some forest birds (for example: titmice, woodpeckers, blackbirds, jays) can easily endure the loss of their existing habitat. They can use any surrounding nature.

REDUCED ACCESS TO FOOD BASE In landscape heavily transformed by human many species of birds have limited access to food. Food base that birds use in Kępno comes from three sources: garbage, intensive feeding birds on purpose, feeding grounds close to natural (for example: squares, parks).

DIRECT ACTION OF HUMAN Negative influence of human on birds in Kępno can also take the form of direct human action. To the most common belong: devastation of nest boxes and feeders, scaring birds in the nesting places, killing of entire broods during renovations of buildings or during the cutting of trees and shrubs.

4. HOW TO HELP THE BIRDS IN THE CITIES? One of the least favorable elements of the urban environment is indoubtly the infrastructure. We can identify two factors that in a very important way contributed to the high mortality of birds in urban areas:

LIGHT POLLUTION The primary source of urban lighting are streetlights. There are many design possibilities which are friendly to birds.

REFLECTIVITY AND TRANSPARENCY OF GLASS Coverage of transparent screens with revelant, geometric patterns, provides high efficacy in the prevention of collisions of birds.

PROTECTION OF BIRDS DURING BULDING RENOVATION Durning building renovation and thermomodernizing (warming houses) all stots in the walls and openings leading to roof get clogged and closed with bars. These actions are getting nesting sites unaccessible to the birds.

BREEDING SITES FOR BIRDS Nesting boxes, commonly called booths, are the best and easiest way to ensure a large amount of nests for breeding birds in cities. Buildings replace the bird natural nesting sites, which often lack in the anthropogenic environment.

FEEDING BIRDS Both the birds wintering and these on seasonal migration due to high activity of man are short of food. Especially in winter it is very important to their feeding.

RULES OF FEEDING BIRDS: Feeding water birds: ● feeding should be only in winter during cold weather, ● food need to be exposed in places where it will not get wet , ● fresh vegetables, bran, cooked wheat, semolina, rice are suggested for feeding, ● wholemeal bread should not be given;

Feeding small and medium-sized birds : ● food should be given during cold weather or high snow sheet, ● don’t feed the birds in summer, ● feeding should be carried out systematically, ● food should be close to the natural, ● don’t give a large amount of dried fruit;

FEEDERS Feeders should be placed in a quiet place, sheltered from the wind. The height of the bird house should ensure the safety of the birds – for example protected from attacks by domestic cats.

WATER PLACES Birds don’t have sweat glands, so they need less water than mammals. However, they also suffer from dehydration, particularly in the city. The composition of water from municipal containers can be harmful, so a good idea is prepare water places.

MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION PREPARED BY: Michał Bagiński Hubert Kubot Daria Długowska Marta Oreś Beata Mierzchała Weronika Bielecka Agata Najdek Angelika Poziemba Anna Ostrowska Paulina Czul Katarzyna Kacyna Weronika Zalesińska