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Winter bird numbers and land-use preferences in an arable landscape in eastern England

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2010

Christopher F. Mason  and
Sheila M. Macdonald
Christopher F. Mason
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, U.K., (e-mail: [email protected])
Sheila M. Macdonald
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, U.K., (e-mail: [email protected])
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The winter bird assemblage and habitat preferences were studied in a largely arable landscape, dominated by winter cereals, in eastern England in one winter. A total of species was recorded on 70 l-km transects but 11% of transects had no birds. Overall densities were low, Skylark Alauda arvensis being the most abundant species. Bird was highest in the first winter period (October-December). Species richness varied proportion to the available habitat in the first winter period but there was a preference for stubble, grass and tilled land (harrow) in the second winter period (January-February) Skylarks preferred stubbles in the first winter period and stubbles and grass in the second winter period. Some 34% of all birds fed on winter cereals despite a lack of preference for this habitat, while 94% of seed specialists (finches and buntings) were recorded on stubbles. The areas of preferred habitats (stubbles, grass) were probably too limited to allow more than small populations to persist. Only by the widespread adoption of agricultural extensification and/or farming some of the land specifically for conservation benefits can the declines in bird populations on intensively managed arable farmland be reversed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Bird Conservation International , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , June 1999 , pp. 119 - 127
Copyright
Copyright © Birdlife International 1999

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