Comparison of breeding bird population between 1987 and 2015/16 in the municipality of Bendfeld, Schleswig-Holstein

Abstract

In 1987 bird territories of the community of Bendfeld (Schleswig-Holstein, Germany) had been counted. This study area was choosen on the assumption, that differences between the village of Bendfeld and the surrounding agricultural used area could be demonstrated clearily. The outer area (392.6 ha) was mainly used as arrable land. Only 5% were used as permanent grassland 1987. In opposite to the highly used and quite uniform shaped landscape the village (26 ha) was characterised by many different structures. The bird communities showed the expected great differences. Regardless of the species especially the density was different and more than 30 times higher in the  village than  in the outer area. Even compared to other villages, the abundance of birds is worth mentioning.  Twentyeight years after 1987 birds had been again recorded with a focus on the density.  In the village the number of species had increased, while density (minus 33%) and number of territories (minus 23%) decreased. In the landscape, all three parameters increased by at least 20%. The number of territories in the community stayed nearly stable (minus 6,1%). Strong losses in the village mainly caused by decreasing numbers of Common Starling and House Sparrow were compensated by an increase of many species in the outer area.