Factors affecting the occurrence of middle spotted and great spotted woodpeckers in deciduous forests ? a case study from Poland.

Based on published data on 117 deciduous forest sites studied in Poland, relationships between habitat factors (size of study plot, type and age of forest stands) and breeding of great spotted and middle spotted woodpeckers were examined. As compared with middle spotted woodpeckers, great spotted woodpeckers occupied twice as large a number of studied plots (97 vs. 41) and were characterized by lower area demands. Great spotted woodpeckers avoided young forest stands and residual alluvial forests, preferring oak-dominated forests. Middle spotted woodpeckers selected the oldest, oak-dominated forests. Logistic regression revealed that the presence or absence of great spotted woodpeckers could be predicted from the age of forest stands, and the occurrence of middle spotted woodpeckers was positively correlated with the plot size and type of forest. My results stress the importance of old, sufficiently large (> 15 ha) oak dominated forests conducive to the presence of middle spotted woodpeckers

Kosinski, Z. 2006, Ann. Zool. Fennici 43: 198-210