Conservation of the corsican nuthatch sitta whiteheadi sharpe, and proposals for habitat management

Abstract

A study of the distribution, density and habitat of the Corsican nuthatch, an endemic species to Corsica, suggests that adjustments are needed to the present forest management in order to ensure the conservation of this species. The survival of the Corsican nuthatch is dependent on old Pinus laricio forests where there are dead and rotten trunks, needed for nesting. The Corsican nuthatch was recorded in almost 15 P. laricio forests; the average density was 0·85 pairs 10 ha⁻¹ (o–1·23); this density, extrapolated to a total surface of 24 000 ha of suitable forests, suggests a total population of about 2000 pairs. Apart from fires, snow-slips and predators, which are important factors limiting this endemic species, the present forest management, which includes the removal of dead trees suitable for nesting, threatens the survival of the nuthatch. The third of the forest at the highest altitude should be left unexploited; in the middle zone, only the dead trunks below 3m should be taken; in the lower third, where suitable trunks are scarce, no dead trunks should be taken.