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. 2025 Feb 28;15(5):704.
doi: 10.3390/ani15050704.

Adaptation of Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica) to Urban Environments: Population Dynamics and Habitat Preferences in Zielona Góra (Poland) over 23 Years

Olaf Ciebiera  1 , Paweł Czechowski  2 , Federico Morelli  1 , Sławomir Rubacha  3 , Leszek Jerzak  1
Affiliations

Adaptation of Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica) to Urban Environments: Population Dynamics and Habitat Preferences in Zielona Góra (Poland) over 23 Years

Olaf Ciebiera et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

This study investigates the changes in population size, distribution, and habitat preferences of the Eurasian magpie Pica pica in Zielona Góra over 23 years, emphasising the effects of urbanisation and habitat transformation. A comprehensive survey conducted in 2022 identified 953 magpie pairs, with an average density of 8.8 pairs/km2 across the current administrative boundaries of Zielona Góra (without forests), and 27.7 pairs/km2 in strictly urbanised zones. The highest densities were observed in the old town (36.5 pairs/km2) and residential blocks (34.5 pairs/km2), while peripheral areas, like allotment gardens and industrial zones, showed significantly lower densities. The nests were predominantly located in coniferous trees, especially spruces, marking a shift from the previously favoured poplars. The mean nest height was 11.8 m, varying by habitat type, with the highest nests found in the old town and parks. Environmental factors, such as proximity to trash bins, water sources, and tall trees, were significant predictors of nest density and placement. These findings underscore the magpie's adaptability to urban environments, influenced by the availability of anthropogenic resources, habitat structure, and surrounding urban features.

Keywords: Pica pica; Poland; abundance; density; habitat selectivity; magpie.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study area, squares division, and land cover of the city of Zielona Góra. Each square is 1 km × 1 km. Basemap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under the Open Database License (ODbL).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Associations between the number of magpie nests and the number of open water sources, trash cans, percentage of tree clusters of small and medium size, single trees, and percentage of tree rows in the city of Zielona Góra. Grey circle—observations of the number of nests depending on a given variable on the X axis; Grey areas—confidence intervals for the regression (95%); Blue line—regression line, overall trend of the relationship between the number of nests and the variable on the X axis.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Heatmap indicating the association between the bird species and the type of habitat (e.g., old town, industrial, blocks of flats, etc.) and among the different bird species in the city of Zielona Góra. The correlation increases with the gradient of colours, from zero (dark blue) to near one (dark red).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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