Habitat selectivity of goldcrest Regulus regulus and firecrest Regulus ignicapilla in the montane forests of the Eastern Carpathians

The aim of this study was to assess the habitat preferences of the goldcrest Regulus regulus and firecrest Regulus ignicapilla in the sub-montane and montane forests of the Western Bieszczady Mountains (south-eastern Poland, Eastern Carpathians). The occurrence of these two species in and beyond the Bieszczady National Park was also compared. Surveys were conducted in 2020 using the point method. A GLM analysis was used to model the relationship between the occurrences of the two species and the characteristics of the forests in the Western Bieszczady Mts. Goldcrests preferred younger forests situated at intermediate and higher altitudes. Spruce forests were the optimal woodland type for this species. Mature fir forests were the most important for the firecrest, which preferred areas with a milder climate. A distinctive characteristic of the habitat selectivity of both species was their occurrence in Carpathian alder forest.