BELYAEV D.A., MASLOV M.V.
Amurian zoological journal 2025; 17(3): 449–464
The creation of feeding grounds for ungulates is a widespread practice globally, used in both game management and protected areas. These sites become integrated into natural ecosystems and assume significant cenotic roles. They actively influence the organization of zoocenoses, including various bird species. This function of ungulate feeding grounds is poorly documented in the scientific literature, particularly in Russian publications. This article analyzes data from camera traps deployed at feeding grounds in the V. L. Komarov Ussuriysky State Nature Reserve (Primorsky Krai). The survey effort totaled 493 camera-trap days. We recorded 785 independent bird observations, comprising 1,430 individuals from 19 species, ten families, and five orders. Species richness was highest in spring (15 species) and winter (10 species), with only 2 species recorded in summer and 1 in autumn. The high spring diversity is attributed to the arrival and passage of migratory species that utilize the feeding grounds. The most frequent visitors in winter were Eurasian nuthatches (30.8 % of records), Eurasian jays (24.4 %), marsh tits (21.0 %) and large-billed crows (10.5%). In spring, most common were marsh and willow tits (28.3 %), followed by jays (27.0%), nuthatches (14.5%) and yellow-throated buntings (12.0 %). Birds scarcely visited the feeding grounds in summer and autumn.
