ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Study on the First Arrival Date of Spring Avian
Migrants to Eastern Poland
Waldemar Biaduń1, Ignacy Kitowski2, Eugeniusz Filipiuk3
1Department of Zoology and Invertebrate Ecology, Catholic University of Lublin,
Al. Kraśnicka 102, 20-718 Lublin, Poland
2Department of Zoology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin,
Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
3Department of Meteorology and Climatology, Institute of Earth Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University,
Al. Kraśnicka 2cd, 20-718 Lublin, Poland
Al. Kraśnicka 102, 20-718 Lublin, Poland
2Department of Zoology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin,
Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
3Department of Meteorology and Climatology, Institute of Earth Sciences, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University,
Al. Kraśnicka 2cd, 20-718 Lublin, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2011;20(4):843–849
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
First arrival dates of birds to their breeding grounds can be a valuable biological trait reflecting global
and local climate changes. Long-term trends in the first arrival dates of 28 common breeding bird species to
Gułowskie Forests (eastern Poland) were studied for the period of 1970-2009. Only 6 species studied – Barn
Swallow (18 days), Thrush Nightingale (28 days), Lesser Whitethroat (8 days), Golden Oriole (7 days),
Common Blackbird (13 days), and Chaffinch (14 days) – demonstrated a statistically significant trend of earlier
arrival. Short- and medium-distance migrants arrived significantly earlier (median date: March 22) than
studied long-distance migrants (median: April 23).
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