The structure, territorial relationships and ecology of birds in high-mountain Daghestan

In this paper, the results of the bird counting during the period of 1998-2017 in High-mountains of Daghestan have been presented. The species composition and ecological structure of the avifauna from the study area have been described for the first time. Using cluster analysis I found that the avifauna patterns of the most key sites have similar features. In these areas, high heterogeneity of biotopes and faunal diversity can be seen which formed under the conditions of sufficient moisture. Data showed that high-grass meadows in the south-eastern highlands are used by some species as a substitute of the forest habitats, typical for the forested central and north-western parts of the high-mountainous province.