Structure of the breeding bird assemblage of the fir-beech primeval forest in the West Carpathians (Badin Nature Reserve)

The West Carpathian breeding bird assemblage (BBA) of the fir-beech primeval forest was investigated. Bird censuses were carried out in the national nature reserve ''Badin Primeval Forest'' within a 16 ha plot during 1990 - 1992. A total number of 42 breeding bird species was found during the three-year study, and 30 (71.4%) of these species were constant in all three breeding seasons. The mean number of species breeding in a single year was 36. The mean overall density was 71.0 BP/10 ha, varying between 65.3 and 74.7 BP/10 ha in the individual years. Passerines constituted more than 85% and pigeons almost 10% of the overall density. The high density of Columba oenas, Troglodytes troglodytes and Ficedula albicollis (all three species were dominant together with Fringilla coelebs and Erithacus rubecula) is typical for the studied forest. But most species reached only low densities, 22 species did not exceed a mean density of 1 BP/10 ha. The structure of the BBA was found to be similar between years, with high values of the percentage density similarity index being obtained (85-89%). In total, 85% of the birds fed on invertebrates and almost half of these birds were foliage insectivores. Herbivorous birds formed only 8% of the bird assemblage and 7% of the birds foraged outside the forest. Regarding nesting guilds, hole nesters were the most abundant birds (39% of the overal density). More than half of the birds were short-distance migrants. One third of the birds were residents, and 14% of the birds were tropical migrants. The status of the fir-beech primeval forest in the West Carpathians is discussed with respect to the BBA structure.