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opencc-zeroApr 2024View details →

The decline of ground-nesting birds in Europe: do we need to manage predation in addition to habitat?

Bird populations are declining globally with losses recorded in many European breeding birds. Habitat management measures have not resulted in a widespread reversal of these declines. We analysed national bird population trends from ten European countries (France, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK) in relation to the species' nesting strategy ('ground-nesting' or 'other'), Annex I designation ('designated' or 'not designated') and association with agricultural habitats for breeding ('associated' or 'not associated'). For each country in our dataset, we also defined the following factors: farming intensity; predator community complexity; and predator control effort. Our results showed additive effects of nesting strategy, designation, and breeding habitats on the likelihood of population decline. Ground-nesting birds were 86% more likely to decline than birds with other nesting strategies. Annex I designated species of the Birds Directive were 50% less likely to decline than non-designated birds. Birds breeding primarily in agricultural habitats were more likely to decline than birds breeding in other habitats, interactively with farming intensity. Homogenous trends across Europe (i.e., trends in two or more countries that were either not declining in all countries or declining in all countries) indicate that the probability of population decline was related to nesting strategy and breeding habitat, with ground-nesting birds being 15.6 times more likely than other birds to have a declining trend across Europe, and birds nesting in agricultural habitat being 17.8 times more likely than birds nesting in other habitats to have a declining trend across Europe. Our results highlight a widespread challenge, therefore widespread instruments (e.g. legislation, economic policies, agri-environment schemes) will be required to reserve these declines. Ground-nesting species requirements can be complex and multiple strategies will be needed to restore populations including the development of predation management tools.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2020View details →

Fig. 2 in Black Tern Nest-Site Fidelity In An Unstable Habitat: A Preliminary Study

Fig. 2. The distance resighted / recaptured nesting Black Terns moved

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2020View details →

Fig. 1 in Black Tern Nest-Site Fidelity In An Unstable Habitat: A Preliminary Study

Fig. 1. The number of birds returning in different periods of time from 2012 till 2019.

opencc-zeroApr 2022View details →

Linking agri-environment scheme habitat area, predation and the abundance of chick invertebrate prey to the nesting success of a declining farmland bird

Across Europe, farmland bird populations have continued to decline since the 1970s owing to the intensification of farming practices. Studies of such declines have tended to focus specifically on either the impacts of habitats (nesting and foraging), nest predators or prey availability on bird demographics. The study presented here provides new insights into the relative effects of each of these factors on Yellowhammer nest survival. The Yellowhammer was selected for this study as it is a UK red-listed bird species whose population is in decline across much of Europe. We use a long-term dataset of 147 nests, monitored between 1995 and 2007, to provide an insight into how Yellowhammer nest survival is influenced by nesting habitat (nest concealment and nest height), foraging habitats (habitat coverage within 100 m of nests), the removal of nest predators (Magpie Pica pica abundance as an inverse measure of avian predator removal through gamekeeping) and food availability (measured with a D-vac invertebrate suction sampler). Our results indicated that Yellowhammer hatching success was negatively related to the coverage of spring agri-environment scheme habitats, a group which represents invertebrate-rich agri-environment habitats, but hatching success increased with nest height. Fledging success was positively related to the coverage of the seed-rich habitat Wild Bird Seed mixture. The farm-level abundance of Yellowhammer chick-food invertebrates declined over the study period. Our results highlight the importance of simultaneously considering multiple agents that shape avian breeding success, i.e. their ability to produce offspring, to inform conservation management. Our key finding for land managers relates to the positive relationship between the proportion seed rich foraging habitat within the Yellowhammer's average foraging range and Yellowhammer fledging success, which shows that a habitat intended primarily to provide winter food resources is also important to breeding birds. Chick food abundance in this habitat was, however, similar to broadleaf and cereal crops. We recommend that this habitat should be provided near to potential Yellowhammer nesting sites and adjacent to invertebrate-rich agri-environment scheme habitats such as beetle banks and conservation headlands to further boost invertebrate resources for a declining farmland bird.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2023View details →

Data accompanying "Latitudinal variation in the timing of nest predator activity is habitat specific"

The aim of this work was to test the hypothesis that that activity patterns of bird nest predators transitions from nocturnal to diurnal with increasing latitude. We collected the identity of nest predators from published data of camera surveillance at nests on the global scale. We performed ordinal and logistic regressions to study the correlation between predator activity patterns and the latitude. This is the final data set, along with the R-scripts we used to perform the statistical analyses. Please read the "readme.txt" file before running the scripts. A list of references from which predation and activity pattern data was extracted is also provided.

Figure 3 in Nest characteristics and breeding success of Sarus Crane, Antigone antigone (Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Gruidae) in different habitats at Dhanauri Wetland, Uttar Pradesh, India

Figure 3. Nest of Sarus Crane in perennial wetland.

Figure 4 in Nest characteristics and breeding success of Sarus Crane, Antigone antigone (Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Gruidae) in different habitats at Dhanauri Wetland, Uttar Pradesh, India

Figure 4. Female individual maintaining nest.

Figure 6 in Nest characteristics and breeding success of Sarus Crane, Antigone antigone (Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Gruidae) in different habitats at Dhanauri Wetland, Uttar Pradesh, India

Figure 6. Correlation between mean water depth and nest height.

Figure 1 in Nest characteristics and breeding success of Sarus Crane, Antigone antigone (Linnaeus, 1758) (Aves: Gruidae) in different habitats at Dhanauri Wetland, Uttar Pradesh, India

Figure 1. Camera trap (in red circle) used during the study.

opencc-zeroFeb 2023View details →

Data for: Mammalian predators and vegetated nesting habitat drive reduced protected area nesting success of Kentish plovers, Yellow Sea region, China

Protected areas provide essential habitats for wildlife by conserving natural and semi-natural habitats and reducing human disturbance. However, whether breeding birds vulnerable to nest predation can benefit from strict land management in the protected area is unclear. Here, we compare the nesting performance of two groups of a ground-nesting shorebird, the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), in the protected area (Liaohekou Natural Reserve, hereinafter PA) and the control non-protected area (Non-PA) around the Liaohekou Natural Reserve, in the north of the Yellow Sea, China, and identify which environmental factors, such as nesting habitat and nest materials, influence the daily nest survival rate (DSR). We found similar nesting habitats in both study areas, dominated by bare land or Suaeda salsa grassland. However, DSR was lower in PA (0.91 ± 0.01) than in Non-PA (0.97 ± 0.01). Kentish plovers nesting in areas with vegetation cover experienced lower DSR than in bare lands in both areas, and nests built with materials of S. salsa sticks had the lowest DSR in the bare land. Data from infrared cameras confirmed relatively higher predator abundances and nest predation rates by nocturnal mammals, such as Eurasian badgers (Meles meles), in PA than in Non-PA, and this pattern was especially evident for plover nests located in S. salsa grassland. Our results suggest that Liaohekou Natural Reserve protected area may not necessarily provide safe nesting sites for Kentish plovers due to the abundance of generalist mammal nest predators. However, the PA includes about 80% of the nests from both locations. This means the contribution of the total number of successful nests continues to be much higher within PA, with the benefit for the species that this brings in terms of conservation. The variation and mechanisms underlying differences in the nest predator communities of PA and non-PA deserve further study.

opencc-zeroJul 2023View details →

Data from: Superb Lyrebird nesting habitat and the 2019 megafires in Australia

An animal's habitat offers food and protection necessary for survival and reproduction and consequently impacts individual fitness. In birds, understanding nest site selection is critical to understanding a species' ecology and developing effective conservation management actions. The Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) is one of many endemic species extensively impacted by Australia's unprecedented 2019-20 megafires. Over a period of 5 months, an estimated 43% of the entire range of this slow-breeding species was burnt, with the biggest impact on the central subspecies M. n. novaehollandiae (55%). 4 months prior to these megafires, we conducted a field study of nest site habitat selection in the Superb Lyrebird within the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (15,400 km2): a key stronghold of the central subspecies of the Superb Lyrebird. We found that at the local scale, lyrebird nest sites were more likely to be found in habitats characterized by dense canopy trees and rich in rainforest elements such as vines and treeferns. At the landscape scale, lyrebird nests were most likely to be constructed in rainforest; this fire-sensitive habitat type made up only 1% of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. The probability of nest occurrence also increased with slope. We also found that more than 74% of all nesting habitat within the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area burned in the 2019-20 megafires, including 80% of areas of high suitability for nesting. These results suggest that the impact of these megafires on Superb Lyrebirds may be greater than currently thought. Given the importance of rainforest as nesting habitat for the superb lyrebird, managers should prioritize its restoration and protect it from future fire events. More broadly, our results illustrate how large-scale catastrophic events – such as megafires – can disproportionately affect habitats critical to specific points within an organism's life cycle.