Spatial Distribution and Habitat Overlap of Five <i>Columbidae</i> Species in the Czech Republic

Habitat overlap occurs when two species co-exist in the same habitat and utilise the same resources. Using common bird monitoring data in Czech Republic from 2015 and 2016, we compared the affinities of five <i>Columbidae</i> species regarding land use types. Moreover, we analysed the ef...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kristina Floigl, Yanina Benedetti, Jiří Reif, Federico Morelli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-03-01
Series:Animals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/6/743
Description
Summary:Habitat overlap occurs when two species co-exist in the same habitat and utilise the same resources. Using common bird monitoring data in Czech Republic from 2015 and 2016, we compared the affinities of five <i>Columbidae</i> species regarding land use types. Moreover, we analysed the effects of land use types and land use heterogeneity on five species distributions. The aim of the study was to quantify the habitat overlap of five <i>Columbidae</i> species regarding types of land use and land use heterogeneity. We predicted a high level of habitat overlap between most of the species and its occurrence in farmlands and urban areas. Our results confirmed the high habitat overlap of all five <i>Columbidae</i> species in farmlands. An almost complete overlap was recorded between <i>Columba livia domestica</i> and <i>Streptopelia decaocto</i>, as well as between <i>Columba palumbus</i> and <i>Streptopelia turtur</i>. Considering land use utilisation, <i>C. livia</i> and <i>S. decaocto</i> mainly utilised farmlands and urban areas. Furthermore, deciduous forests were utilised by <i>Columba oenas</i> and coniferous and mixed forests by <i>C. palumbus</i>. Finally, <i>S. turtur</i> mainly utilised grasslands and avoided urban areas. We conclude that <i>Columbidae</i> species overlap in spatial distributions, mostly in urban areas, forests, and farmlands. Our study provides a summary of these common species habitat affinities.
ISSN:2076-2615