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Egbert Günther, Gilberto Pasinelli

Helfer an den Höhlen des Mittelspechts Leiopicus medius in Hannover und der Nordostschweiz.

2023

120

76–81

Key words
(von 1994 bis 2006 vergeben)

Brutbiologie, Brutpflege, Polygynie

Schlagwort_Vogelart
(wissenschaftlich)

Leiopicus medius, Sturnus vulgaris, Dendrocopos major

Schlagwort_Vogelart
(deutsch)

Mittelspecht, Star, Buntspecht

Hannover, Niedersachsen, Niderholz, Weinland, Nordostschweiz, Zürich

deutsch

Abhandlung

Helpers at the nest of the Middle Spotted Woodpecker Leiopicus medius in Hanover, Germany, and in north-eastern Switzerland. – We report on presumed helpers at Middle Spotted Woodpecker nests in 2021 and 2022 at Tiergarten Hannover and in 2021 at Niderholz in north-eastern Switzerland. In Hanover, in 2021, besides the breeding pair, a third Middle Spotted Woodpecker actively participated in feeding the nestlings, probably even for several days. At another breeding cavity, a third Middle Spotted Woodpecker appeared only briefly. In 2022, a female Middle Spotted Woodpecker appeared several times at a breeding cavity, but did not feed. However, she may have participated to ward off the starlings breeding in the immediate vicinity. In Switzerland, feeding of young Middle Spotted Woodpeckers by three adults (two of which were females) was observed on several days in 2021. The reasons for the unusual occurrence of additional birds feeding more or less regularly in European woodpecker species are not known. In Hanover, forestry work during the breeding season in 2021 and a very high breeding population of the Starling in 2022 may have led to increased breeding failures. The Middle Spotted Woodpeckers, which no longer had a brood to care for, might then have appeared as helpers at the nests of conspecifics. In Switzerland, mate loss and unsuccessful polygyny are discussed.