Wintering conditions and structure of the winter bird community in associations of the relict dendroflora in the Crimea. - M.M. Beskaravayny. - Berkut. 5 (2). 1996. P. 125-129.
Data were collected on the south coast of the Crimea during 210 count excursions in 1979-1994. Study area is situated in the zone of mild winters. It is the warmest part in the peninsula. Relict plantations have very favourable conditions as winter habitats of birds. To them are peculiar the biotopic heterogeneity; abundance, diversity and availability of food. Winter abundance of 56 bird species is given in the Table 1. Forming of winter community goes in October, its disintegration - end of March and in April. The permanent link with habitats is characteristic for 33 species. 23 visit them with the different degree of regularity and duration. The base of ornithocomplexes make tree and shrub species (80,4 %). After the food type dominate phytophagous birds (32 species including 21 granivorous). The group of euryphagous birds has 4 species, zoophagous - 20 (9 are consumers of invertebrates, 11 are miophagous species). Relict plantations belong to the main winter reserves of birds in conditions of anthropogenic degradation of habitats on the crimean south coast. [Russian].
Key words: community, the Crimea, winter, abundance, phenology, habitat, relict.