Significance of forest regeneration stands as stopover sites for migrating landbirds in autumn. – Marshes, particularly their dryer fringes with scattered bushes, have long been known to be prime stopover habitats for migrating passerines in Central Europe. Because such habitats have become scarce, many resting birds on  migration must rely on a variety of other habitats providing bushes and trees, including regeneration stands in  forests. However, neither the significance of such young-growth stands nor of forests in general as stopover sites has been examined in Europe to any extent. We investigated species composition and use of habitat  structures by passerines on regeneration stands in a mixed-deciduous forest in north-eastern Switzerland during the autumn migration period in 1994. We recorded 35 species including 15 short-distance and 9 long- distance migrants by mist-netting a total of 666 individuals. Apart from Garden Warbler Sylvia borin, long- distance migrants occurred in very small numbers (less than 10 individuals). However, this category included several fairly rare species from bushy habitats in open country. The majority of individuals were short-distance  migrants with relatively late migration period. They were numerically dominated by Robin Erithacus rubecula,  Blackcap S. atricapilla and Hedge Accentor Prunella modularis. In general, dense stands of deciduous young  growth were more attractive than stands of small coniferous trees. Densities of migrants were about 1.5 to 4  times smaller (long-distance migrants up to 8 times) compared to results from similar studies in wetland  margins. However, the total area of regeneration stands in Switzerland is about three times the total area of  suitable wetland habitats, suggesting a similar overall capacity for both habitat types to sustain resting migrants.