Habitat use and population dynamics of the Azure-Winged Magpie ...

Kassel
The area used by the birds is delineated by the Eroo river and riverine scrub to the west, a
herb/scrub meadow with Rosa spp. bordering the Betula platypylla woodland to the north,
junction of two dirt tracks to the south, and mixed meadows in the east (Fig. 3.4a). The area is
further divided into two smaller areas by a dirt track that runs in between the two meadows. To
the east of the road is a herb meadow consisting of grass (Poa spp.), herbs (Lilium dauricum and
Iris sanguinea) and Rosa spp, with isolated clumps of Padus asiatica shrubs, and Betula
platyphylla trees above 5m in height. Continuing further towards the east of the meadows is a B.
platyphylla woodland. I limited my vegetation description to the area right of the junction of two
dirt tracks because the birds were never observed to utilise the area beyond this. This area is ca.
0.082 km 2 .
There is a small, wooden hut here that is used by Kassel University, Germany as a field station,
but it has not been regularly used since 2006 (M Mühlenberg, pers. comm.). However, local and
foreign holiday makers utilise the area next to the building and in front of the B. platyphylla
stands as camp ground. When there is human presence the birds will avoid the immediate area of
the Kassel building. When there are no people around, birds have been observed to forage in the
ashes of the campfire.
Birds were located in the Kassel area for 11.2% (17 out of 152 observations) of my observations.
When the birds were in this area, they spent a lot of time in the P. asiatica shrubs (14 out of the
17 observations), or moving in between them, while venturing out to the grass to forage. The
birds will forage on the dirt track for insects, but use P. asiatica shrubs by the side of the dirt
track for cover. Vehicles such as four-wheel drives and motorcycles make them flee, but they
settle down very soon after the vehicles have left.
Betula Woodland (between Kassel and Khonin Nuga research station)
This area is a continuation of the Kassel area, and is delineated to the north and west by the Eroo
river, and to the north-east by a dirt track running north-east to south-west (Fig. 3.4b). This area
is ca. 0.128 km 2 . The colony was located in this area for 14.5% (22 out of 152) of my
observations.
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