Forests are among the central habitats for native birds. The forest area in Austria covers over four million hectares, which is approximately half of the country's total land area. Currently, there are 218 regularly breeding bird species in Austria, about half of which are closely associated with the forest habitat.

34 Woodland Bird Species in Austria on Red List

"Woodland bird species make up a significant portion of all Austrian breeding bird species. Therefore, it is important to be informed about the population trends in this habitat," said Norbert Teufelbauer of BirdLife Austria. And the proportion of bird species in need of protection in the forest is high: 34 species are listed in one of the threat categories in the current Red List (including the pre-warning level), 40 species are listed in the traffic light list for priority bird species in the "yellow" or "red" categories. The Woodland Bird Index provides a summary of the population trends of woodland bird species. The previous information was over ten years old.

Woodland Birds in Austria: Small Measures Can Help

The habitat requirements of native woodland birds are well known, BirdLife Austria announced in a press release on Wednesday. With a few measures, many of the native woodland bird species can be supported, even with simultaneous forestry use. The most important are old wood and dead wood. Dead individual trees are significant both as nesting sites for woodpeckers and as places for foraging for many species.

The Woodland Bird Index for Austria was developed over ten years ago by BirdLife and the Federal Research Centre for Forests BFW with the support of the Ministry of Forestry. The Woodland Bird Index is based on the population trends of 19 common woodland bird species, including Stock Dove, Cuckoo, Black Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wren, Robin, Nightingale, Blackbird, Wood Warbler, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Collared Flycatcher, Marsh Tit, Crested Tit, Golden Oriole, Jay, Crossbill, and optionally Willow Warbler or Coal Tit.

(APA/Red)

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