Breeding species in urban avifauna of Chisinau city

Abstract

The research was conducted between 2015 and 2024 in various ecosystems of Chisinau city: "Râșcani" Forest-Park, "Valea Trandafirilor" Park, "Valea Morilor" Park, "La Izvor" Park, "Dendrariu" Park, "Grădina Botanică" Park, and the Bâc River meadow. In Chisinau, 68 species of breeding birds were recorded, belonging to 12 orders. The largest share was held by species from the order Passeriformes (41 species), followed by Piciformes (4), Columbiformes (4), Strigiformes (4), Ciconiiformes (3), Gruiformes (3), Charadriiformes (2), Coraciiformes (1), Anseriformes (1), Apodiformes (1), and Podicipediformes (1). According to nesting site preferences, bird species were distributed into 7 ecological groups: arboreal nesters – 17 species, cavity nesters – 15 species, ground nesters – 4 species, and species nesting in anthropogenic cavities – 4 species. Based on trophic preferences, the 68 bird species were classified into 5 ecological groups: the most numerous was the entomophagous group (46 species), followed by carnivores (8), omnivores (6), granivores (4), and ichthyophagous species (3). Urban ecosystems play a significant role in maintaining the diversity of avifauna during the nesting period by providing suitable nesting sites and trophic resources similar to those found in natural environments, thus significantly contributing to the conservation of bird diversity in the central area of the republic.