PHEASANT NEST PREDATION STUDY ON HVAR ISLAND

Autohtone poljske koke koje gnijezde na otoku Hvaru uključuju jarebicu kamenjarku (Alectoris graeca M.) koja gnijezdi na uzvišenim i teže pristupačnim terenima, zatim prepelicu pućpuru (Coturnix coturnix L.) koja na otoku Hvaru ne gnijezdi često. Najrasprostranjenija poljska koka koja trenutačno gnijezdi na otoku Hvaru je fazan obični (Phasianus colchicus colchicus L.). Alohtona vrsta fazan na otok je unesen sredinom 60-ih godina, brzo se prilagodio staništu te danas ima stabilnu populaciju koja je najgušća u središnjem dijelu otoka. Tijekom mjeseca svibnja i lipnja 2018. godine, provedeno je istraživanje predacije nad fazanskim jajima, te jajima ostalih ptica koje gnijezde na tlu. Istraživanje je provedeno postavljenjem umjetnih gnijezda skrivenih na tlu u zapuštenim poljima. Umjetna gnijezda sadržavala su do ukupno 10 plastičnih i pravih kokošjih jaja, dok su za prikupljanje podataka korištene fotozamke. U vremenskom periodu od 10 dana predatori su pronašli i uništili 25% gnijezda u istočnom i zapadnom predjelu otoka, dok su u središnjem predjelu otoka predatori pronašli i uništili 83,3% gnijezda. Na svim lokacijama otoka predatori su uništili ukupno 68,7% gnijezda. Na različitim istraživanim lokacijama nije bilo značajne razlike u predaciji nad pravim kokošjim te umjetnim plastičnim jajima. Među predatorima koji uništavaju gnijezda ptica koje gnijezde na tlu na otoku Hvaru, na prvome mjestu nalazi se kuna bjelica (Martes foina Erx.). Nakon kune bjelice najveću štetu nad gnijezdima stvara siva vrana (Corvus cornix L.), dok u nešto manjoj mjeri štetu nad gnijezdima uzrokuju predatori kao što su mungos (Herpestes auropunctatus Hod.), obični štakor (Rattus rattus L.) i divlja svinja (Sus scrofa L.).Among the indigenous species of large bodied ground-nesting birds on the island of Hvar there are rock partridge (Alectoris graeca M.) which nests in higher and less accessible terrain, and common quail (Coturnix coturnix L.) which nests on the island, but not regularly. Currently, the most widespread ground-nesting bird on the island of Hvar is common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus colchicus L.). Allochthonous pheasant species was brought to the island in the mid- 60s of the past century. It adapted rapidly to the habitat and today has a stable population, the densest in the central part of the island. In 2018. during the months of May and June there was a predation study carried out on pheasant eggs and eggs of other birds nesting on the ground. It was performed by placing and hiding artificial nests on the terrain in the abandoned fields. The artificial nests contained up to a total of 10 plastic and real chicken eggs and the data were collected with help of photographic snaps. The results of the study showed that within the period of 10 days predators had found and destroyed 25% of the nests in the eastern and western parts of the island, whereby this percntage in the central part of the island was significantly higher, even 83,3% . Study analysis of all the locations included found that the predators destroyed 68,7% of all nests in total. As for the eggs, in all locations studied there were no significant differences in predation causes on real chicken- or artificial plastic eggs. Among the predators that destroy nests of ground-nesting birds on the island of Hvar, the beech marten (Martes foina Erx.) tops the list. It is followed by the Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix L.), while a little less damage to nests, however, is also caused by predators such as mongoos (Herpestes auropunctatus Hod.), rat (Rattus rattus L.) and wild boar (Sus scrofa L.)