Nature and Landscape Management

Nature Conservation 6/2008 — 13. 12. 2008 — Nature and Landscape Management

Distribution and Ecology of the Common Kingfisher in the Litovelské Pomoraví/Litovel Morava River Ba

author: Ivo Machar

The author presents the current status of a Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) population breeding in the Litovelské Pomoraví/Litovel Morava River Basin Special Protection Area.

The author presents the current status of a Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) population breeding in the Litovelské Pomoraví/Litovel Morava River Basin Special Protection Area (SPA, in Act No. 114/1992 Gazette on the Protection of Nature and Landscape, as amended later, the term the Bird Area is used for the SPA) in the Czech Republic.Vertical banks of river meanders are used for nesting by the Common Kingfisher there. The individual territory/home range can be some kilometres long. In 2007, the breeding density of 0.25 pairs per 1 km stretch of the river was found. Based on the long-term experience, the author recommends including also some other measures into the Kingfisher conservation in the Litovelské Pomoraví/Litovel Morava River Basin PLA, e.g. thinning tree trunks fallen down into the Morava River stream, improvements in some protective measures for the Kingfisher on gravel/sand lake shores aiming at restoring vertical nesting walls (e.g., in the Chomutovské jezero Nature Reserve or on the Poděbrady Lake near the city of Olomouc), erecting educational tables informing boating men on breeding bird protection on the Morava River and starting the communication between the appropriate State Nature Conservancy authority and boating men/watercraft. The research in the Common Kingfisher distribution and ecology in the Litovelské Pomoraví/Litovel Morava River Basin SPA was supported by the Czech Union for Nature Conservation.