Determination of population diversity, distribution and habitat preference of kruepers nuthatch (Sitta krueperi) in Turkey and Lesvos Island

This study investigated the diversity, distribution and habitat preference of Krueper?s Nuthatch between 2005 and 2007 in Turkey and Lesvos, Chios Islands which stretches 20.980 km, and 1465 point counts were taken in coniferous forests and seven catching areas, Hatay, Aladağlar, Antalya, Kazdağları, Kartalkaya, Şavşat and Lesvos Island. During the field studies, the density, habitat, morphometric and road form of Krueper?s Nuthatch were filled and then the data obtained were transferred to the database program of Krueper?s Nuthatch prepared by us. The coordinates of all the traveled roads and point counts were recorded by GPS then uploaded to the Geographic Information Systems (GIS). All the data in database program of Krueper?s Nuthatch were connected to the GIS software and then they were used for making queries, analysis, distribution maps in GIS software.The analysis of 65 specimens caught from Aladağlar, Antalya, Kazdağları and Kartalkaya was carried out according to the general body characteristics. At the end of the analyses, body mass was 13,23±0,1 g, wing length was 75,22±0,22 mm, 8. primer was 57,79±0,20 mm, tail length was 37,73±0,21 mm, bill length was 17,61±0,11 mm, bill width was 4,59±0,04, bill height was 3,86±0,02 mm, noise-balk forehead was 14,01±0,3 mm, alula length was 18,85±0,21 mm and tarsometatarsus was 19,00±0,09 mm in Krueper?s Nuthatch.It was found that the longest wing feather was the 6th (59,98±0,25 mm) and the smallest one was the 10th wing (18,75±0,24 mm). It was also found that back nail (6,51±0,05 mm) was the longest and the right nail was the smallest (3,76±0,05 mm). It was discovered that the fifth tail was the longest (38,53±0,55 mm) and the first tail was the smallest one (36,29±0,39 mm). Apart from 10th to 3rd and 10th to 2nd feathers, all other feathers were positively correlated with each other (p<0,01).The voices of Krueper?s Nuthatch were classified into five groups, general communication voice, territorial voice, breeding voice, identification of territorial area voice, and pleasure voices. General communication voice consisting of single syllable, single word and single sentence was calculated to be approximately 217,32±5,55 millisecond (ms) with a maximum mean frequency of 6783±58,98 hertz (Hz). Territorial voice consisting of single syllable and mean 23,86±1,4 words had a maximum frequency of 6310,29±81,51 Hz; Breeding voice with two syllables and mean words of 10,83±1,05 was found to be 2341,69±173,21 ms. Identification of territorial area voice with single syllable and mean 25,65±1,33 words was found to be 2667,76±100,55 ms. Pleasure voice with single syllable and single word but with four different frequencies was found to be 274,88±20,45 ms in average.Fourty-one different characters of the bird were analyzed to understand the population diversity of Krueper?s Nuthatch in four bird catching area, Aladaglar, BUK (Antalya), Kazdagları, Kartalkaya, using ANOVA test. It was found that there were statistical differences between the areas for body mass, black forehead length, 10., 9., 8., 6., 2., 1. primers 7. secondaries of wings, back and left nails (p<0.05). It was also found that there were statistical differences between each population including Lesvos Island in terms of maximum frequencies, mean words and total length of the voices (p<0,05).Of the 1465 points counted, 1022 individuals were observed in 690 points corresponding to 47,1 %. In 775 points (52,9 % of total points) the bird was not observed. Mean number and density of Krueper?s Nuthatch in each point were found to be 0,71±0,2 individuals, and 10,05±0,32 individuals/km2. First five provinces with maximum densities of the birds were Bursa (21,94 individuals /km2), Karaman (18,54 individuals /km2), Kastamonu (15,71 individuals /km2), Antalya (15,43 individuals /km2), Karabük (15,29 individuals /km2).To find out the habitat preferences of Krueper?s Nuthatch, the density analysis of each coniferous forest was carried out and then the densities were compared with each others. It was found that there were statistically significant differences between forest types in terms of the density of the bird (p<0,001). Maximum density was found in Cedar forest 15,26±2,17 individuals /km2 (n=51), and this was followed by the Abies forest (14,57±1,04 individuals /km2, n=136), Black pine forest (14,12±0,58 individuals /km2, n=438), Red pine forest (10,65±0,42 individuals /km2, n=873), Scotch pine forest (7,36±1,00 individuals /km2, n=100) Junipereus forest (1,57±1,15 individuals /km2, n=27), Stone pine forest (0,62±0,62 birey/km2, n=23), and Spruce forest (0,37±0,37 individuals /km2, n=38). It was found that there was a positive correlation between density and top of canopy, bottom of canopy of the tree, thickness of tree and cover percentage of tree (p<0,01). In this context, Krueper?s Nuthatch can be used as an indicator species of natural old forests.Distribution models of the bird were created in GIS software using maps line of 1/100.000 maps. There were 378 sections of maps, in Turkey and Lesvos Island. 20,11% of the maps areas (76 section) have Krueper?s Nuthatch, 29,1% of them (110 section) was given the habitat scale for the bird. The density modeling was done using the GIS program. The maximum density was found in H21section (28,31 individual/km2) then next 9 sections respectively were H22 section (23,64 individual /km2), O27 section (23,64 individual /km2), J18 section (23,21 individual /km2), O29 section (22,65 individual /km2), P24 section (20,95 individual /km2), K22 section (20,67 individual /km2), I22 section (18,83 individual /km2), O24 section (18,68 individual /km2) and F31 section (18,26 individual /km2).