Department of Avian Ecology Wrocław University
Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland
tel. +4871 375 40 35, +4871 375 40 37, fax +4871 322 28 17
monczu@biol.uni.wroc.pl
The Polish Nest Record Scheme (“Kartoteka Gniazd i Lęgów” in Polish) is a public science project aimed at gathering data on the nesting biology of all species of wild birds breeding in Poland, recording the nest sites, clutch and brood size, and breeding success. The data are collected through a network of voluntary contributors who find nests, follow their fortunes and report their findings on special ‘nest record cards’. The completed cards are sent to us at the Department, where they are logged and archived.
Since the Scheme was established in 1978, more than 600 contributors have gathered over 90,000 nest records for 213 different species, with the most commonly recorded species shown in the Table below. The last detailed report on the Scheme’s activities was published in 2003, and a 30 year report will be published in autumn 2008.
The data from the Scheme has already provided invaluable information on various aspects of the breeding ecology of birds in Poland (see below), and more analyses are in progress.
The nest record data is available for any appropriate scientific applications by external researchers. If you are interested in using them then please contact us:
Monika Czuchra , Tomasz Wesołowski
 | Scientific name
| English name
| N records
| | Turdus merula
| Blackbird
| 5 036 | Turdus philomelos
| Song Thrush
| 4 416 | Larus ridibundus
| Black-headed Gull
| 4 289 | Parus major
| Great Tit
| 3 137 | Fulica atra
| Coot
| 3 070 | Fringilla coelebs
| Chaffinch
| 2 929 | Ciconia ciconia
| White Stork
| 2 619 | Pica pica
| Magpie | 2 072 | Sterna hirundo
| Common Tern
| 2 047 | Turdus pilaris
| Fieldfare
| 1 794 | Vanellus vanellus
| Lapwing
| 1 618 | Podiceps cristatus
| Great Crested Grebe | 1 565 | Streptopelia decaocto
| Collared Dove
| 1 552 | Parus caeruleus
| Blue Tit
| 1 546 | Hirundo rustica
| Swallow
| 1 464 | |
Selected publications
Hebda G., Szewczyk M. 2005. Breeding season, clutch size and reproductive success of the Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major in Poland – an analysis of nest cards. Notatki Ornitologiczne 46: 133-141. [In Polish, English summary].
Jerzak L. 1988. Distribution and nest sites of Magpie in non-urban habitats in Poland. Notatki Ornitologiczne 29: 27-41. [In Polish, English summary].
Maliczak J. 2005. Breeding ecology of the Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina in Poland – analysis of nest cards. Notatki Ornitologiczne 46: 1-8. [In Polish, English summary].
Matyjasiak P. 1995. Breeding ecology of the Red–back Shrike (Lanius collurio) in Poland. Proceedings of Western Foundation Vertebrate Zoology 6: 228–234.
Ściborska M. 2004. Breeding biology of the citrine wagtail (Motacilla citreola) in the Gdańsk region (N Poland). Journal of Ornithology 145: 41-47.
Tomek T. 1988. The breeding biology of the Dunnock Prunella modularis (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Ojców National Park (South Poland). Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia 31: 115-166.
Tomiałojć L. 1992. Colonization of dry habitatsby the Song Thrush Turdus philomelos: isthe type of nest material an important constraint? Bull. B.O.C. 112: 27–34.
Tryjanowski P. 2002. A long-term comparison of laying date and clutch size in the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) in Silesia, Southern Poland. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientarum Hungaricae 48: 101-106.
Wesołowski T., Czapulak A. 1986. Breeding biology of Blackbird and Song Thrush in Poland – a preliminary analysis of nest cards. Notatki Ornitologiczne 27: 31-60. [In Polish, English summary].
Wesołowski T., Czuchra M. 2000. Breeding ecology of the Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus – an analysis of Polish nest cards. Notatki Ornitologiczne 41: 103-113. [In Polish, English summary].
Wesołowski T., Czuchra M. 2003. Polish Nest Record Scheme – 25 years of activity. Notatki Ornitologiczne 44: 149-157. [In Polish, English summary]. |
Polish Nest Record Scheme