Groupings of arthropods in nest boxes inhabited by Phoenicurus phoenicurus in pine forests of Northeastern Ukraine

The common redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus (Passeriformes, Muscicapidae) is one the most appealing insect-eating birds living in parks, gardens, and other cultured landscapes of Europe, Central and Western Asia, and Northern Africa. We analyzed the nests of Ph. phoenicurus after the chicks had flown away. Throughout the reproductive period, in the pine forests of Northeastern Ukraine, those nests contained 23 species of arthropods, belonging to 15 families, 9 orders. The analysis of the distribution of arthropods by ecological groups revealed a correlation between the number of arthropods and parameters of breeding success and air temperature in the national nature parks. To attract Ph. phoenicurus to the pine forests of the region, we used standard-sized artificial nests made of wooden sections. The results of the study demonstrated a high level of biodiversity of nidicolous arthropods in the nests of Ph. phoenicurus in the pine forests in 2019–2023. The largest share of nidicolous invertebrates among the ecological groups was comprised of “nourishment for chicks”. A large portion of arthropods in the nest of Ph. phoenicurus was polyphages. The results provide a better understandanding of the dynamics of invertebrates’ populations in artificial nests occupied by Ph. phoenicurus, their effect on the breeding successfulness of this species, and also other significant factors. This is important for designing effective strategies of preserving the populations of this species in the region of research. Further research is needed to specify the factors influencing the distribution of the bird and species composition of arthropods in its nests in other types of ecosystems within the bird’s range.