Observations of the Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus in Bulgaria in 2006 and 2007
Opazovanja škrlatca Carpodacus erythrinus v Bolgariji v letih 2006 in 2007
Stoyan Ch. Nikolov1, Dimitar Ragyov1, Leo Linnartz2, Dimitar Gradinarov3 & Veselina Shishkova
1	Central Laboratory of General Ecology / Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Str., BG-1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, e-mail: nikolovl00yan@abv.bg, dimitar. ragyov@gmail.com
2	Eco Tourist Services, Molendijk 63, 3257 AM Ooltgensplaat, the Netherlands, e-mail: lelie@ wanadoo.nl
3	Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, Sofia, Bulgaria, e-mail: dimitaski@abv.bg
There has been a marked increase in the Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus and a westward spread throughout its range in Europe during the past century (Risberg & Risberg 1975, Bozhko 1980, Hill 1986). In Bulgaria, the species is rare, with breeding population estimated between 10 and 50 pairs (Risberg & Stjernberg 1997, Kostadinova & Gramatikov 2007). The most recent findings of the Common Rosefinch in the country are in the Rila Mountains, Razlog town, Osogovo Mountains and Stara Planina Mountains (Spiridonov 1999, Shurulinkov et al. 2003, Stoyanov 2005). We present several observations of the species during the breeding season over the past two years.
In June 2006 several Common Rosefinches were registered in the area of the Tuja hut (UTM LH33), Central Balkan Mountains. On 13 Jun an adult male was singing from the top of the trees and a flower stem of Mullein Verbascum spp., in the surroundings of the hut (1536 m a.s.l.). On 14 Jun a copulation was observed (the male in the pair was adult) on the balcony of the hut (08.00-09.00 h) (Figure l). During the display just before the copulation, the song of the male increased markedly. On the same day, a lst summer male (Svensson et al. 1999) was observed l.5 km south-east of the peak Maragidik (1737 m a.s.l.). The bird was singing in a meadow covered by White Hellebore Veratrum album and Siberian Juniper Juniperus sibirica. Two birds (male and female) were
Figure 1: Courtship of a pair of Commn Rosefinches Carpodacus erythrinus on the balcony of the hut Tuja, Central Balkan Mountains (Bulgaria). Photo: D. Ragyov
Slika 1: Gnezditveno razkazovanje {krlatca Carpodacus erythrinus na balkonu ko~e Tuja, osrednje Balkansko gorovje (Bolgarija). Foto: D. Ragyov
observed on the same day, l.6 km east of the hut. The birds perched on the balcony of a small house along the river Tuja. On 18 Jun a singing male was heard from the top of a Beech tree Fagus sylvatica along the river Tuja, 0.4 km north of the waterfall Kademliysko Pruskalo (1450 m a.s.l.). The afore-mentioned observations strongly suggest that the species breeds in the area. The Common Rosefinch was previously registered in the Central Balkan Mountains only once, in the same location (near the hut Tuja) in June 1988 when an adult male was observed and heard (Nankinov 1995).
In May and July 2007 a small group (about 5 birds) of Common Rosefinches was observed in the region of Predela (UTM FM93), at the foot of the Pirin Mountains. On 25, 26 and 27 May three adult males and a female were registered in close proximity of a hotel complex, where the habitat (at about 900 m a.s.l.) comprised of wet meadows and pastures intersected by numerous brooks and small groups of trees (mainly Black Alder Alnus glutinosa, but also Cherry Plum Prunus cerasifera, Silver Birch Betula pendula and Willow Salix sp.) with dense undergrowth (mainly young Black Alder trees and Hazel Corylus avellana). Males were registered to sing every day with a higher vocal rate in mornings (7.30-9.00 h) and evenings (18.00-19.20 h). When singing, males perched near the top of comparatively high trees (mainly Black Alder) but also on short trees (young Cherry Plums) and even on the fence and palings in the hotel yard (Figure 2). One of the males and the female behaved
as a pair, often feeding and flying together. On 11 and 12 Jul a total of four males were heard singing simultaneously. Males sang every morning, but in the evenings the vocal displays started later (20.00-20.20 h) than in May. An adult male was found feeding on fruits of a Wild Cherry Prunus avium at 11.40 h. At the end of July (on 28 and 29), males were registered to sing only in the mornings and there were no vocal displays in the evenings. The perching sites for vocal displays during this period were not the high trees, as observed in May, but mostly shrub-like young Black Alders. One of the four singing males was a 1st summer bird. In this period the Common Rosefinches were concentrated in the close proximity of a small (about 0.5 ha) artificial lake, where the vegetation comprised of sparsely located Black Alder trees with a
Figure 2: Singing male Scarlet Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus in the area of Predela, Pirin Mountains (Bulgaria). Photo: D. Gradinarov
Slika 2: Pojo~i sam~ek {krlatca Carpodacus erythrinus v obmo~ju Predele, gorovje Pirin (Bolgarija). Foto: D. Gradinarov
thick undergrowth of young Black Alder trees. The 1st summer male was observed to defend a territory and it chased away an adult male perched near by. It is very probable that the species breeds on this locality. This is the second observation of the Common Rosefinch in Predela region, but the first (in July 1981) was carried out 26 years ago (Pannach 1983) and since then the species was not confirmed on this locality. Our observation was made 7 km from the locality where
the breeding of Common Rosefinch was proved for the first time in Bulgaria: near Razlog town, (UTM GN03; Shurulinkov et al. 2003) and at about 6 km from the locality in the surroundings of Bansko town where the species was observed during the breeding season 28 years ago (Uhlig 1981). Obviously the Common Rosefinch breeds in the area constantly but in several loose groups.
On both localities (the surroundings of Tuja hut and Predela), the species was observed in areas affected by humans and close to buildings, as has been reported for many other regions in Europe (Risberg & Stejrnberg 1997).
Povzetek
Avtorji podajajo nove podatke o razširjenosti škrlatca Carpodacus erythrinus v Bolgariji. V osrednjem delu gorovja Balkan, pri koči Tuja (UTM LH33) je bilo opaženih nekaj osebkov, ki so tam verjetno gnezdili. Opaženi so bili trije pojoči osebki ter dva para (en par pri kopulaciji). Na območju Predela ob vznožju gorovja Pirin (UTM FM93) je bila opažena v maju in juliju 2007 gnezditveno sumljiva skupina petih osebkov (štirje pojoči samčki).
References
Bozhko, S. (1980): Der Karmingimpel. - Neue BrehmBücherei 529, Ziemsen, Wittenberg. Hill, A. (1986): Die Einwanderung des Karmingimpels (Carpodacus erythrinus) in die Bundesrepublik Deutschland. - Orn. Mitt. 38: 72-84. Kostadinova, I. & Gramatikov, M. (2007): Important Bird Areas in Bulgaria and NATURA 2000. BSPB Conservation Series No. 11. - Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, Sofia. Nankinov, D. (1995): Common Rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus) in Bulgaria. pp. 337 - 342, In: A book for 70th anniversary of the forestry education in Bulgaria. - University of Forestry, Sofia. Pannach, D. (1983): Karmingimpel, Carpodacus erythrinus, in Pirin Gebirge (Bulgarien). - Beitr. Vogelkd. 29 (1): 56.
Risberg, L. & Risberg, B. (1975): Rosenfinken Carpodacus erythrinus i Sverige 1969 och 1974. - Var Fägelvärld 34: 139-151.
Risberg, L. & Stejrnberg, T. (1997): Scarlet Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus. In: Hagemejer, E. & Blair, M. (eds.): The EBCC Atlas of European breeding birds: their distribution and abundance. - T. & A. D. Poyser, London.
Shurulinkov, P., Nikolov, B., Stoyanov, G. & Nikolov, I. (2003): Erstes sicheres Brüten des Karmingimpels in Bulgarien. - Orn. Mitt. 55 (4): 123-127.
Spiridonov, J. (1999): The breeding ornithofauna of the Rila National Park and its conservation status. pp. 385-414, In: Sakalian, M. (ed.): Biodiversity of the Rila National Park. - PenSoft, Sofia.
Stoyanov, G. (2005): Observations of Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus on Osogovo Mountain. — Ciconia 14: 197— 199.
Svensson, L., Grant, P., Mullarney, K & Zetterström, D. (1999): Bird Guide. — Harper Collins Publ., London.
Uhlig, R. (1981): Finding of the Scarlet Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus (Pall.) in Bulgaria. — Orn. Inf. Bull. 9: 40.
Arrived / Prispelo: 14.6.2007
Accepted / Sprejeto: 5.12.2008