Breeding success of Spotted Flycatchers Muscicapa striata in southern England – is woodland a good habitat for this species?

The UK population of the Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata has declined markedly in the last 30 years but there have been few recent studies of the species. This study examined the relationship between nest success and the predominant habitat type around Spotted Flycatcher nests in two contrasting areas of England. A breeding population in eastern England, a region where numbers of Spotted Flycatchers are known to have decreased dramatically in recent decades, was compared with another in southwest England, where numbers have remained stable or even increased. Whilst there was no difference in breeding success between the two study areas, there were significant differences between habitats, with garden nests more successful than those in farmland or woodland, at both egg and chick stages. Estimates of productivity per nesting attempt were also lower in farmland and woodland, with nests in gardens fledging twice as many chicks as those in either woodland or farmland. The proximate cause of lower success in farmland and woodland was higher nest predation rates during both egg and chick stages. In terms of nesting success, farmland and woodland appear to be similar in quality for this species, but both appear to be suboptimal habitats when compared with gardens, providing evidence of a problem on the breeding grounds for this species, in at least these two habitats.     

The breeding ecology and diet of the Hobby Falco subbuteo in southern England

Brecding densities, nest spacing, breeding habitat, productivity and diet are compared for Hobbies Falco subbuteo in the New Forest (heathland and largely coniferous woodland), river valley farmland and largely cultivated chalk downland. Regular spacing of nests was characteristic of the three areas. The New Forest had the highest density and lowest mean nearest neighbour distance for nests. Nest areas tended to be traditional. A high proportion of clutches were laid in disused nests of Carrion Crows Corvus corone which favoured the crowns of Scots pine Pinus sylvestris. Except on downland, the availability of such sites is unlikely to provide a constraint on Hobby distribution. In the New Forest, woodland clearings and valley mires were a feature of nest territories. There was no evidence of a habitat-related difference in fledging success.
Division of labour between sexes is marked. The male is responsible for provisioning the female throughout most of the breeding season as well as the young. During the incubation period many woodland passerines were taken but when feeding nestlings Hobbies tended to specialize on Swallows Hirundo rustica , House Martins Delichon urbica and, where they had access to more urban areas, Swifts Apus apus. By breeding relatively late, Hobbies take advantage of the availability of the juveniles of such prey on which to feed their young. Large insects supplemented the diet before egg-laying and when the Hedged young were learning to hunt.     

Correlates of Common Buzzard Buteo buteo density and breeding success in the West Midlands

Buzzard density and breeding success in relation to habitat and Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus abundance was studied in the West Midlands from 1994 to 1996. We found densities of 81 and 22 territorial pairs per 100 km² in two areas 40 km apart; the former is the highest density yet recorded in Europe. High Buzzard breeding densities were associated with high proportions of unimproved pasture and mature woodland within estimated territories. Buzzards laid earlier clutches at lower altitudes and with high proportions of unimproved pasture close to nests. Large clutches and high numbers of fledged young were associated with high Rabbit abundance close to nests. Most nest failures occurred during incubation and were probably mainly due to corvid predation. Brood reduction was associated with low proportions of deciduous woodland close to nests and small clutch sizes, although the causes of chick mortality were uncertain. Rabbits were the main prey item found at nests with passerines, especially young corvids, also appearing frequently.     

Habitat selection by breeding Curlews Nwnenius arquata on mosaic farmland

Territory establishment and habitat use by breeding Curlews Numenius arquata were studied during 1987 and 1988 on mosaic farmland (dominated by dry tillage) at two sites in central Sweden. Curlews preferred to breed in areas with a high proportion of grassland, close to rivers, while dry tillage was avoided. Territories at my study site were larger (mean = 4 5.2 ha) than in areas consisting entirely of grassland. Territory size seemed to depend on the spatial distribution of grasslands, which suggests that habitat fragmentation forces Curlews to establish larger territories in modern farmland than in areas of grassland. The number of territories in patches of grassland was correlated with patch area, and unoccupied patches were more isolated than occupied patches. However, patch area was a more important factor than isolation, since large patches (> 3 5 ha) were always occupied. Sown grassland was used significantly more than expected for foraging early in the season, possibly indicating the strong influence of the nutritional requirements in the pre-breeding period on territory establishment. Habitat selection when foraging seemed to be less important late in the season, since there was no significant habitat preference then. During this period distance to the nest site seemed to be more important than habitat, sinced the preferred foraging fields (including fields of all habitats used more than expected by area) were situated closer to nests than the less preferred fields, probably an adaptation to the high nest predation risk. The same fields were mostly preferred in the pre-breeding period also, suggesting that nests were built close to good foraging areas.
My results indicate that the decline of the Swedish Curlew population since 1950 is caused by changes in land use, resulting in decreased grassland area and increased habitat fragmentation, which probably have affected both breeding and foraging possibilities negatively.     

Territory occupancy and breeding success of Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus at various stages of population recovery

Organochlorine pesticides disrupted reproduction and killed many raptorial birds, and contributed to population declines during the 1940s to 1970s. We sought to discern whether and to what extent territory occupancy and breeding success changed from the pesticide era to recent years in a resident population of Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus in southern Scotland using long‐term (1964–2015) field data and multi‐state, multi‐season occupancy models. Peregrine territories that were occupied with successful reproduction in one year were much more likely to be occupied and experience reproductive success in the following year, compared with those that were unoccupied or occupied by unsuccessful breeders in the previous year. Probability of territory occupancy differed between territories in the eastern and western parts of the study area, and varied over time. The probability of occupancy of territories that were unoccupied and those that were occupied with successful reproduction during the previous breeding season generally increased over time, whereas the probability of occupancy of territories that were occupied after failed reproduction decreased. The probability of reproductive success (conditional on occupancy) in territories that were occupied during the previous breeding season increased over time. Specifically, for territories that had been successful in the previous year, the probability of occupancy as well as reproductive success increased steadily over time; these probabilities were substantially higher in recent years than earlier, when the population was still exposed to direct or residual effects of organochlorine pesticides. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that progressive reduction, followed by a complete ban, in the use of organochlorine pesticides improved reproductive success of Peregrines in southern Scotland. Differences in the temporal pattern of probability of reproductive success between south‐eastern and south‐western Scotland suggest that the effect of organochlorine pesticides on Peregrine reproductive success and/or the recovery from pesticide effects varied geographically and was possibly affected by other factors such as persecution.     

Feeding territoriality and the reproductive consequences in brown skuas<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi</Emphasis>

In the maritime Antarctic, brown skuas (Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi) show two foraging strategies: some pairs occupy feeding territories in penguin colonies, while others can only feed in unoccupied areas of a penguin colony without defending a feeding territory. One-third of the studied breeding skua population in the South Shetlands occupied territories of varying size (48 to >3,000 penguin nests) and monopolised 93% of all penguin nests in sub-colonies. Skuas without feeding territories foraged in only 7% of penguin sub-colonies and in part of the main colony. Females owning feeding territories were larger in body size than females without feeding territories; no differences in size were found in males. Territory holders permanently controlled their resources but defence power diminished towards the end of the reproductive season. Territory ownership guaranteed sufficient food supply and led to a 5.5 days earlier egg-laying and chick-hatching. Short distances between nest and foraging site allowed territorial pairs a higher nest-attendance rate such that their chicks survived better (71%) than chicks from skua pairs without feeding territories (45%). Due to lower hatching success in territorial pairs, no difference in breeding success of pairs with and without feeding territories was found in 3 years. We conclude that skuas owning feeding territories in penguin colonies benefit from the predictable and stable food resource by an earlier termination of the annual breeding cycle and higher offspring survivorship.Research licence: Umweltbundesamt Bonn 13.4-94003-1/5-7.     

Nest Predation Deviates from Nest Predator Abundance in an Ecologically Trapped Bird

In human-modified environments, ecological traps may result from a preference for low-quality habitat where survival or reproductive success is lower than in high-quality habitat. It has often been shown that low reproductive success for birds in preferred habitat types was due to higher nest predator abundance. However, between-habitat differences in nest predation may only weakly correlate with differences in nest predator abundance. An ecological trap is at work in a farmland bird (Lanius collurio) that recently expanded its breeding habitat into open areas in plantation forests. This passerine bird shows a strong preference for forest habitat, but it has a higher nest success in farmland. We tested whether higher abundance of nest predators in the preferred habitat or, alternatively, a decoupling of nest predator abundance and nest predation explained this observed pattern of maladaptive habitat selection. More than 90% of brood failures were attributed to nest predation. Nest predator abundance was more than 50% higher in farmland, but nest predation was 17% higher in forest. Differences between nest predation on actual shrike nests and on artificial nests suggested that parent shrikes may facilitate nest disclosure for predators in forest more than they do in farmland. The level of caution by parent shrikes when visiting their nest during a simulated nest predator intrusion was the same in the two habitats, but nest concealment was considerably lower in forest, which contributes to explaining the higher nest predation in this habitat. We conclude that a decoupling of nest predator abundance and nest predation may create ecological traps in human-modified environments.     

Causes of variable reproductive performance by Southern Ground‐hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri and implications for management

Range occupancy of the cooperatively breeding Southern Ground‐Hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri in South Africa has decreased by 65% in the last three generations and the effective management of the remaining populations is hampered by a lack of fundamental understanding of the factors determining reproductive performance. We examined the influence of social and environmental factors on the species' reproductive success in South Africa using data gathered from 23 groups over eight breeding seasons. Some groups had access to artificial nest‐sites, others did not. High rainfall (> 500 mm) over the breeding season led to a decrease in reproductive success, with groups being most successful in years when rain in the vicinity of the nest ranged from 300 to 500 mm. Groups breeding in natural nests were successful only when the proportion of open woodland surrounding the nest‐site was high. Those that bred in artificial nests, where overall breeding success was more than twice as high as those in natural nests, were less dependent on the availability of open woodland. Large groups (more than three birds) bred more successfully than groups comprising only two to three individuals. Group size, helper effects and rainfall cannot be managed to increase the productivity of Ground‐Hornbills but the fact that the availability of artificial nest‐sites and the amount of open woodland around the nest‐site both contribute positively to breeding performance identifies practical and simple management options for increasing the reproductive output of Southern Ground‐Hornbill populations.     

Seasonal change in Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio territory quality - the role of nest predation

This paper examines the relationships between territory preference, reproductive performance and nest predation in a Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio population breeding in rapidly changing farmland. Territory preference was measured by (a) the order of laying dates in territories within years and (b) territory occupation frequency over a five-year period. Seven environmental variables were tested but only the density of Sloe (Blackthorn) Prunus spinosa in territories was correlated positively with territory occupation frequency. Within years, Red-backed Shrikes started to breed earlier in territories with more Sloe, but reproductive performance was not related consistently to territory differences. A high proportion of Sloe-rich territories was vacant each year. Thus, the observed negative association between settlement order and amount of Sloe may reflect a seasonal change in habitat preference. Early breeders prefer Sloe-rich territories whereas late birds prefer Sloe-poor territories. Supporting evidence is that the proportion of occupied territories that was Sloe-rich was higher for early than for average or late first breeding attempts. Moreover, in contrast to early in the season, the probability of a replacement clutch following nest failure was not associated with the amount of Sloe, but increased with increasing densities of Juniper Juniperus communis. Late in the nesting season, pairs breeding in Sloe-rich territories suffered higher nest predation than those breeding in Sloe-poor territories. In early nesting attempts, however, the relationship was reversed. Nest predation is probably an important selective agent on habitat selection since it was the principal factor explaining variation in the numbers of fledglings produced among territories. Thus, the Red-backed Shrike may shift territorial preferences adaptively as the season progresses to match within-season changes in predation pressure in different types of territories.     

The dilemma of where to nest: influence of spring snow cover,food proximity and predator abundance on reproductive success of an arctic-breeding migratory herbivore is dependent on nesting habitat choice

Pink-footed geese Anser brachyrhynchus nest in two contrasting but commonly found habitats: steep cliffs and open tundra slopes. In Svalbard, we compared nest densities and nesting success in these two environments over ten breeding seasons to assess the impact of spring snow cover, food availability to nesting adults and arctic fox Vulpes lagopus (main terrestrial predator) abundance. In years with extensive spring snow cover, fewer geese at both colonies attempted to breed, possibly because snow cover limited pre-nesting feeding opportunities, leaving adults in poor breeding condition. Nesting success at the steep cliff colony was lower with extensive spring snow cover; such conditions force birds to commit to repeated and prolonged recess periods at far distant feeding areas, leaving nests open to predation. By contrast, nesting success at the open tundra slope was not affected by spring snow cover; even if birds were apparently in poor condition they could feed immediately adjacent to their nests and defend them from predators. Foxes were the main nest predator in the open tundra slopes but avian predators likely had a larger impact at the steep cliffs colony. Thus, the relative inaccessibility of the cliffs habitat may bring protection from foxes but also deprives geese from readily accessing feeding areas, with the best prospects for successful nesting in low spring snow cover years. Our findings indicate that spring snow cover, predator abundance and food proximity did not uniformly influence nesting success of this herbivore, and their effects were dependent on nesting habitat choice.     

Effect of nest-site microclimatic conditions on nesting success in the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni

Capsule: Microclimatic conditions in the nests of the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni, particularly the percentage of time of extremely low humidity, affect breeding success.

Aim: To study the effect of within-nest temperature and humidity on nest productivity, and the correlation between nest productivity and the order of dates on which nests were occupied by the parents. To compare microclimatic conditions in the nest, breeding success and order of occupation between nests under tile roofs and in artificial nest boxes.

Methods: Three different Lesser Kestrel colonies were monitored in Israel – one rural, one urban and one in an open country habitat. Data loggers were placed in 39 nests for the entire breeding period to measure temperature and humidity. The number of fledglings was recorded for each nest, as well as the date of occupation.

Results: Full microclimatic data from 35 nests suggest that percentage of time of extremely low humidity is the major predictor of nest productivity – low humidity is negatively correlated with nest productivity. Sites of more successful nests were occupied earlier. Considering only successful nests, the urban colony had the lowest breeding success of the three colonies. There was no significant difference in mean productivity between nests in roofs and nest boxes, but nests in roofs were occupied earlier.

Conclusion: Nest microclimate, particularly low humidity, affects nesting success in addition to colony location.     

The importance of ant-rich habitats for the persistence of the Wryneck Jynx torquilla on farmland

The frequency of territory occupancy is a good indicator of territory quality. We studied territory occupancy in a Swiss population of the Wryneck Jynx torquilla , a declining farmland woodpecker, with the aim of identifying key habitat features for conservation management. Both static and dynamic approaches were applied using data on nest-site occupancy of 100 territories from six successive years. The static approach models the probability of territory occupancy; the dynamic approach estimates territory colonization and extinction. Frequently occupied territories were settled earlier in the season, suggesting that they may be of better quality, and birds settling in these territories had higher breeding success. Probability of territory occupancy increased with the area of old pear orchards and decreased with the area of vegetable cultivation. Both the area of old pear orchards and the presence of conspecifics within a territory were positively related to territory colonization, whereas territory extinction was negatively related to habitat heterogeneity. Old pear orchards were characterized by having both the highest density of ant nests and the greatest amount of bare ground. The latter is likely to facilitate access to ant prey. To ensure persistence of Wryneck populations in farmland, heterogeneous habitat matrices with high ant nest density and bare ground should be promoted. Finally, provision of artificial nesting cavities is likely to enhance territory occupancy. Providing that these key resources are present, Wrynecks are likely to persist even in intensively farmed areas.     

Factors influencing patch occupancy and within‐patch habitat use in an apparently stable population of Willow Tits Poecile montanus kleinschmidti in Britain

Capsule Birds selected younger woodland patches with fewer conifers and higher soil moisture content; within these patches, they selected areas with higher vegetation cover at 2–4 m, and less bracken.

Aims For an apparently stable population, to investigate habitat differences between occupied and unoccupied woodland patches and habitat selection within occupied woodlands.

Methods We surveyed woodland patches for breeding Willow Tits in April 2006 in an area with an apparently stable population. Habitat was measured at points spread throughout each woodland patch and at points where Willow Tits were located. We compared habitat between occupied and unoccupied sites. In addition, within occupied sites, we examined habitat differences between Willow Tit locations and the points spread throughout the wood.

Results We surveyed 65 woodland patches, of which 29 were occupied. Willow Tits were more likely to be found in deciduous woodland that was younger and had higher levels of soil moisture. Probability of occupancy fell from 60% for woods aged 20–25 years to only around 15–30% for woods aged over 80 years. Within occupied woods, Willow Tits were more likely to be found in areas with more vegetation cover at the 2–4 m level and in areas with less bracken.

Conclusions Habitat management for Willow Tits should involve provision of young woodland patches with moist soils. Changes to the age structure and/or the soil moisture content of woods may be implicated in the dramatic decline of Willow Tits in Britain.     

The functional significance of multiple nest-building in the Australian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus australis

The vast majority of bird species build a nest in which to breed. Some species build more than one nest, but the function of most multiple nest-building remains unclear. Here we describe the unusual nest-building behaviour of the Australian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus australis , and test experimentally the hypotheses that multiple nest-building is related to individual condition or territory quality, and plays a role in mate assessment. Australian Reed Warblers built two types of nest structures: 'type I' nests, which were used for eggs and nestlings, and 'type II' nests, which were structurally distinct from type I nests, did not support eggs, nestlings or adults and were not essential for successful breeding. The number of type II nests built in each territory varied. Type II nests were only built before breeding had commenced in a territory and females were not observed participating in their construction, supporting a role in female mate choice. Birds provided with supplementary food built significantly more type II nests than control birds. However, supplementary-fed birds did not have greater pairing success, and the addition of further type II nests to territories did not increase the pairing rate or type II nest construction in those territories. There was no relationship between the presence of type II nests and either reproductive success or likelihood of nest predation. We discuss the implications of these results in light of previous suggestions regarding the function of multiple nest-building in birds.     

Conspecific attraction and nest site selection in a nomadic species,the zebra finch

Conspecific nesting density affects many aspects of breeding biology, as well as habitat selection decisions. However, the large variations in breeding density observed in many species are yet to be fully explained. Here, we investigated the settlement patterns in a colonial species with variable breeding density and where resource distribution could be manipulated. The zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata, is a classic avian model in evolutionary biology but we know surprisingly very little about nest site selection strategies and nesting densities in this species, and in fact, in nomadic species in general. Yet, important determinants of habitat selection strategies, including temporal predictability and breeding synchrony, are likely to be different in nomadic species than in the non‐nomadic species studied to date. Here, we manipulated the distribution of nesting sites (by providing nest boxes) and food patches (feeders) to test four non‐exclusive habitat selection hypotheses that could lead to nest aggregation: 1) attraction to resources, 2) attraction to breeding conspecifics, and 3) attraction to successful conspecifics and 4) use of private information (i.e. own reproductive success on a site). We found that wild zebra finches used conspecific presence and possibly reproductive success, to make decisions over where to locate their nests, but did not aggregate around water or food within the study areas. Moreover, there was a high degree of inter‐individual variation in nesting density preference. We discuss the significance of our results for habitat selection strategy in nomadic species and with respect to the differential selection pressures that individuals breeding at different densities may experience.     

Food or nesting place? Identifying factors limiting Wryneck populations

In recent decades, farmland bird populations have declined strongly as a consequence of agriculture intensification. Birds may have lost breeding sites, food supply or other crucial resources, with the role of multiple factors often remaining unclear. The ant-eating and cavity-breeding Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) may be limited by the availability of cavities, the number of ants or their accessibility. By comparing occupied and unoccupied breeding territories, we investigated the relative role of these factors in the decline of Wrynecks. We compared the characteristics of known Wryneck breeding territories (availability of breeding cavities, food abundance and ground vegetation structure) with randomly selected, fictitious territories (n = 154) in Western Switzerland. We also studied environmental factors that may affect ant nest density. The probability of territory occupancy strongly increased with both nestbox availability and ant abundance. In addition, this probability peaked around 50% of bare ground cover. Habitat types that harbour low ant abundance such as cropland and grassland were avoided. Ant nest density decreased with increasing amounts of bare ground, and it was particularly high in vineyards. Our results showed that breeding cavities, food availability and its accessibility all limit Wryneck distribution. The maintenance and restoration of ant rich grassland, interspersed with patches of bare ground and with hollow trees or dedicated nestboxes in the surroundings, are essential to preserve Wryneck populations. Such a habitat structure could be achieved even in intensively farmed habitats, such as in vineyards or fruit tree plantations.     

The influence of nest-site characteristics on the nesting success of the Karoo Prinia (Prinia maculosa)

Choice of nest site has important consequences for nest survival. We examined nest-site characteristics relative to nest success in Karoo Prinias breeding in coastal dwarf shrubland, where high nest predation is the main cause of nest failure. Initially, we compared nests that failed during the building, laying, incubation and nestling stages and those from which young were successfully raised, to test whether nests that survived to progressive stages in the nesting cycle differed in their nest-site characteristics. Subsequently, we compared the characteristics of successful nests with those of unsuccessful nests. The nest-site characteristics considered included nest height, nest-plant height, nest-plant species, distance from lateral foliage edge, nest concealment, nest-patch heterogeneity and vegetation cover at four different heights. We were unable to distinguish between the nest-site characteristics of nests that failed during the various stages of the nesting cycle. Concealment was the main nest-site characteristic that differentiated successful nests from unsuccessful nests, with successful nests being located in more concealed sites. The other variables that contributed to the discrimination between successful and unsuccessful nests by discriminant function analysis included nest-plant type and distance from edge, which are also directly related to concealment. This suggests that nest concealment is the most important variable influencing nesting success at this site, which has a preponderance of visually-oriented predators.     

Determining habitat quality for the cooperatively breeding Rufous Treecreeper,Climacteris rufa

Abstract The theory of habitat selection predicts that organisms should use habitat that maximizes their fitness. The cooperatively breeding Rufous Treecreeper, Climacteris rufa, exhibits non‐random habitat use at a number of spatial scales. By assessing correlative relationships between nest‐site use and nest success, and territory use and reproductive success and survival, it was determined whether non‐random use of habitat yields fitness benefits. It was also determined whether breeding group size contributed significantly to fitness once differences in territory quality had been considered. Structural characteristics of nest sites that were positively correlated with the probability of a site being used had no relationship with nest success. This result probably reflects the relatively unrestricted access to an abundance of suitable nest sites in the study area. Habitat traits that predicted territory use by treecreepers were positively correlated with a number of fitness measures. They were also positively correlated with breeding group size and provisioning rate to nestlings, which in turn were correlated with fitness. However, group size was not significantly related to any measure of fitness, except primary male survival, once territory quality had been considered. The quality of territories occupied by Rufous Treecreepers appeared to be a significant factor for breeding group fitness.     

Changes in habitat use and nesting density in a declining seabird colony

Seabirds in expanding colonies select the highest-quality nesting habitat, but habitat selection has seldom been studied in declining colonies. We studied a colony of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) that declined from 314,000 active nests in 1987 to 201,000 in 2014. As expected, nest quality and reproductive success were higher in burrow habitats than in other habitats, and nest density decreased with distance from shore. Contrary to predictions, the steepest declines did not occur in the poorest-quality habitat (scrub) or near the inland colony edge and the colony area did not shrink. In agreement with predictions, penguins shifted from nests with less cover to nests with more cover. The highest nest densities and the steepest declines were in habitats of large bushes and bush clusters. As the population declined penguins abandoned nests on the edges of large bushes. Constraints on penguin habitat-use changes include strong area and nest-site fidelity, increased avian predation in high-density areas, soil characteristics, and the costs of making and maintaining nests. Contrary to conventional wisdom we found low-density, poor-quality scrub habitat (which covers >70 % of the colony area) contained 45 % of active nests, produced 44 % of fledglings, and was as important as high-quality habitat for reproductive output. Our research shows that all habitats in a declining colony of seabirds have value for conservation.     

Does land use change influence predation of bird nests?

Worldwide, many areas of agricultural land which were once covered with native vegetation have been converted to tree plantations. Such landscape transformation can influence the dynamics of wildlife populations through, for example, altering rates of predation (e.g. predation of nests of birds). Nest predation can influence reproductive success and, in turn, may alter populations by affecting juvenile recruitment. We quantified predation of bird nests in woodland remnants surrounded by two types of land use, grazing farmland and exotic Radiata pine (Pinus radiata) plantation. We also examined differences in predation rates between artificial and natural nests. We found both artificial and natural nests were more susceptible to nest predation in woodland remnants surrounded by a pine plantation than in woodland remnants located within farmland. Our study suggests that higher levels of nest predation may reduce occupancy of woodland remnants by small‐bodied birds over time, including species of conservation concern. This may have been occurred as a result of the conversion of semi‐cleared grazing land to exotic pine plantation.