DBE - 'no alarms and no surprises'

Biology and Ecology of Shrikes

On going Project: "Ecology of shrikes in relation to agriculture intensification" Polish-Czech project supported by grants: GAJU 60/2001/P-BF and SGA 2003 of University of South Bohemia, and by the MIiN grant no. 6PO4F 053 25.

Team: A. Mickiewicz Univ. - Piotr Tryjanowski (head of the project), L. Kuczynski; University of South Bohemia - Martin Hromada, Marcin Antczak; volunteers - J. Grzybek, T. Sobus, P. Czechowski, P.T. Dolata.

In many parts of geographical rage, the populations of shrikes decreased markedly during past decade. Changes in land use, deterioration of breeding habitats and subsequent decrease in potential food base were suggested to be responsible for such a dramatic decline. However, s table and numerous populations of the two species: the Red-backed Shrike and the Great Grey Shrike still occur Poland. It offers interesting conditions to doing extensively research on shrikes.
In our scientific activity we focus on:
- the breeding biology of the Great Grey Shrike,
- the breeding ecology of the Red-backed Shrike,
- foraging ecology of shrikes, including food composition and impaling behaviour.

Past projects:

2002-03-"Geographical, habitat and temporal changes in food composition of the Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor " P. Tryjanowski, M. Hromada (supported by KBN 6PO4F 046 21).

2000-02-"Methods of active shrikes protection" P. Tryjanowski, L. Kuczyñski, M. Antczak, M. Hromada and many others (supported by SGP/GEF UNESCO Poland).

1998-2000- "Long-term changes in breeding parameters of the red-beck shrike population in western Poland" P. Tryjanowski & S. Ku?niak (supported by JMR grant No. 512 001).

Relevant publications

Tryjanowski P., Kuzniak S. 1999. Effect of research activity on the success of Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio nests. Ornis Fennica 76: 41-43.

Tryjanowski P., Kuzniak S., Diehl B. 2000. Breeding success of the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) in relation to nest site. Ornis Fennica 77: 137-141.

Skoracki, M., Hromada, M., Tryjanowski P. 2001. Description of a new species of quill mite Syringophiloidus weiszii sp.n. (Acari: Prostigmata: Syringophilidae) from Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor. Acta Parasitol.. 46: 30-34.

Tryjanowski, P., Baraniak, E., Bajaczyk, R., Gwiazdowicz, D. J., Konwerski, S., Olszanowski, Z. & Szymkowiak, P., 2001. Arthropods in nests of the red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) in Poland. Belg. J. Zool. 131: 69-74.

Tryjanowski P., Sparks T. 2001. Is the detection of the first arrival date of migrating birds influenced by population size? A case study of the red-backed shrike Lanius collurio. Int. J. Biometeorol. 45: 217-219.

Skoracki M., Tryjanowski P., Hromada M. 2002. Two new species of the genus Syringophilopsis Kethley, 1970 (Acari: Syringophilidae) paraziting quills of true shrikes (Aves: Laniidae). Parasite 9: 11-16.

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 zool. hung. 48: 101-106.

Tryjanowski P., Karg M.K., Karg J. 2003. Diet composition and prey choice by the red-backed shrike Lanius collurio in western Poland. Belg. J. Zool. 133: 157-162.

Tryjanowski P., Karg M.K., Karg J. 2003. Food of the Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio: a comparison of three methods of diet analysis. Acta Ornithol. 38: 59-64.

Votypka J., Simek J., Tryjanowski P. 2003. Blood parasites, reproduction and sexual selection in the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio). Ann. Zool. Fenn. 40: 431-439.

Tryjanowski P., Golawski A. 2004. Sex differences in nest defence by the red-backed shrike Lanius collurio: effects of offspring age, brood size, and stage of breeding season. J. Ethol. 22: 13-16.

Antczak M., Hromada M., Grzybek J., Tryjanowski P. 2004. Breeding biology of the Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor in W Poland. Acta orn. 39: 9-14.

Tryjanowski P, Sparks TH, Kuczynski L, Kuzniak S. 2004. Should avian egg increase as a result of global warming? A case study using the red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio). J. Ornithol. 145: 264-268.

Tryjanowski P., Hromada M. (In press). Do males of the great grey shrike, Lanius excubitor, trade food for extrapair copulations? Animal Behav.

Antczak M., Hromada M., Tryjanowski P. (In press) Frogs and toads in the food of the Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor): using larders and skinning as two ways to consume dangerous prey. Animal Biology

Tryjanowski P. & Simek J. (In press) Sexual size dimorphism and positive assortative mating in red-backed shrike Lanius collurio: an adaptive value? J. Ethol.