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Body dimensions and mass of breeding and hatched Black-tailed Godwits (Limosa l. limosa): a comparison between a West Siberian and a Dutch population

Maße und Gewichte von brütenden und geschlüpften Uferschnepfen (Limosa l. limosa): ein Vergleich zwischen Westsibirien und den Niederlanden

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Summary

The breeding biology and habitat preference of the Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa l. limosa) was studied in the West Siberian forest-steppe in May and June 1995. The godwits prefer reed and sedge marsh and edges of ponds and depressions. They breed in small aggregations together with other waders such as Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis), Redshank (Tringa totanus), Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) and Great Snipe (Gallinago media). A remarkable resemblance of breeding birds was noticed between the Siberian steppe and the ‘meadowbird’ community as found in The Netherlands in the 1950’s. Comparisons of biometrics between Siberian and West European Black-tailed godwits showed significant differences. Black-tailed Godwits from Siberia are in all aspects larger than their European conspecifics. Egg volumes and hatchling weights decreased in the course of the season. Breeding success in 1995 was low owing to intense predation by Hooded Crow (Corvus corone cornix) and Magpie (Pica pica).

Zusammenfassung

Im Mai und Juni 1995 wurden das Brutverhalten und die Habitatwahl der Uferschnepfe (Limosa l. limosa) in der Waldsteppe beim Ubinskojer Sees (80°E, 55°40’N) in Westsiberien untersucht. Bevorzugt wurden Schilf- und Seggenmoore und die Ränder von Tümpeln und andere Niederungsbereiche, zusammen mit anderen Limikolen wie Kiebitz (Vanellus vanellus), Teichwasserläufer (Tringa stagnatilis), Rotschenkel (Tringa totanus), Bekassine (Gallinago gallinago) und Doppelschnepfe (Gallinago media). Auffällig war eine große Ähnlichkeit zwischen den Brutvögeln der sibirischen Steppe und der „Wiesenvogelgesellschaft“ in den Niederlanden in den fünfziger Jahren. Sibirische Uferschnepfen sind in allen biometrischen Maßen größer als ihre westeuropäischen Verwandten. Eivolumen und Schlüpflingsgewicht zeigen einen Rückgang im Laufe der Brutzeit. 1995 war der Bruterfolg aufgrund starker Predation durch Nebelkrähe (Corvus corone cornix) und Elster (Pica pica) gering.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Systematics and Population Biology, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94766, 1090 GT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Niko M. Groen

  2. Institute of Animal Systematics and Ecology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 Frunze Street, 630091, Novosibirsk, Russia

    Alexander K. Yurlov

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  1. Niko M. Groen
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  2. Alexander K. Yurlov
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Groen, N.M., Yurlov, A.K. Body dimensions and mass of breeding and hatched Black-tailed Godwits (Limosa l. limosa): a comparison between a West Siberian and a Dutch population. J. Ornithol. 140, 73–79 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02462090

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