Varying response of breeding waders to experimental manipulation of their habitat and predators

Many ground-nesting bird species including waders are of conservation concern across Europe. Population declines of Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata (hereafter Curlew), a globally Near-threatened wader, exemplify this and are driven by low breeding success due to predation, and loss and degradation of breeding habitat. We tested whether the combined delivery of vegetation management and lethal control of Red Foxes Vulpes vulpes and Carrion Crows Corvus corone and Hooded Crows C. cornix improved Curlew nesting success and breeding abundance across UK study sites over five years. On trial sites, vegetation management improved habitat condition and Curlew distributions shifted towards managed areas. However, changes in predator abundances, Curlew nesting success and Curlew breeding abundance did not differ between trial and reference sites. Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus numbers increased on trial sites and decreased on reference sites, whilst Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago numbers showed no treatment response. Some of these outcomes were associated with additional environmental variables added to Treatment:Year terms in three-way interactions (changes in fox abundance associated with abundance of non-native gamebirds; changes in Crow abundance associated with gamebirds and woodland area; changes in Curlew nesting success associated with crow abundance), highlighting that outcomes depend on site-specific contexts, and consistent responses to interventions cannot be assumed. The difficulty in increasing Curlew nesting success likely relates to underlying mesopredator densities in the UK, which are known to be high in a European context. Our results suggest that a model of delivery like this study, including management of predators using lethal control, at comparable intensities, is highly unlikely to be effective for Curlew or Snipe within agri-environment schemes, but could be for Northern Lapwing. To make progress on wader recovery it is imperative to understand the underlying drivers of high mesopredator densities and address these through landscape-scale intervention and policy changes.     

Between land abandonment and agricultural intensification: habitat preferences of Red-backed Shrikes Lanius collurio in low-intensity farming conditions

Capsule The conservation of Red-backed Shrikes on farmland habitats depends on extensive farming conditions.

Aims To evaluate breeding density and habitat preferences of the declining Red-backed Shrike and relate its occurrence to an environmental gradient ranging from land abandonment to intensive farming.

Methods The study was carried out in the Apennines (northern Italy), at nine 21-ha study plots. We identified factors affecting breeding density and habitat preferences at two spatial scales (landscape and territory) and analysed the variation in territory density according to the relative farming intensity in a low-intensity agricultural landscape.

Results The presence of shrubs and cultivated/grazed land positively influenced the number of Red-backed Shrike territories per plot, while the species' settlement within plots was related to higher values of shrub cover and the presence of hedges. Shrike occurrence was associated with land-use categories intermediate between land abandonment and intensive agriculture.

Conclusions This study provides a first detailed assessment of Red-backed Shrike habitat requirements in southern Europe. Favoured habitats were pasture/cultivation mosaics flanked by or interspersed with shrubs/hedges (15–20% of the surface of the 1-ha medium-sized territory). Thus, the conservation of Red-backed Shrikes in low-intensity southern European farmland appears to reflect a trade-off between agricultural intensification and long-term land abandonment.     

Colonization of the Scottish islands via long-distance Neolithic transport of red deer (Cervus elaphus)

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) have played a key role in human societies throughout history, with important cultural significance and as a source of food and materials. This relationship can be traced back to the earliest human cultures and continues to the present day. Humans are thought to be responsible for the movement of a considerable number of deer throughout history, although the majority of these movements are poorly described or understood. Studying such translocations allows us to better understand ancient human–wildlife interactions, and in the case of island colonizations, informs us about ancient human maritime practices. This study uses DNA sequences to characterise red deer genetic diversity across the Scottish islands (Inner and Outer Hebrides and Orkney) and mainland using ancient deer samples, and attempts to infer historical colonization events. We show that deer from the Outer Hebrides and Orkney are unlikely to have originated from mainland Scotland, implying that humans introduced red deer from a greater distance. Our results are also inconsistent with an origin from Ireland or Norway, suggesting long-distance maritime travel by Neolithic people to the outer Scottish Isles from an unknown source. Common haplotypes and low genetic differentiation between the Outer Hebrides and Orkney imply common ancestry and/or gene flow across these islands. Close genetic proximity between the Inner Hebrides and Ireland, however, corroborates previous studies identifying mainland Britain as a source for red deer introductions into Ireland. This study provides important information on the processes that led to the current distribution of the largest surviving indigenous land mammal in the British Isles.     

Predicting Pasture and Forest Landowner Intention to Create Early Successional Habitat

As human land uses expand across the landscape, the management practices of private landowners are an essential part of effective conservation. Early successional habitats (ESH) and the species that depend on them are a priority in the eastern United States, and efforts to create ESH on private lands has primarily focused on forest landowners and timber harvests. Private pasture lands in a forested landscape present an additional opportunity to create and maintain ESH, yet our understanding of landowner values and attitudes about management strategies in pastures is lacking. To address this, we surveyed private landowners in 5 Virginia counties who own ≥10.1 ha at >610 m elevation (n = 503). Our primary objective was to understand how a variety of factors such as landowner values, past experience with habitat management, and perceived barriers to carrying out habitat management are associated with private landowner intention to carry out 7 ESH management strategies (i.e., reduced mowing, reduced grazing, timber harvests within forest, timber harvests at a field-forest border, prescribed fire, use of machinery, and use of herbicides to control invasive species) for the benefit of wildlife in the next 5 years. We used boosted regression trees to determine which factors best predicted the intention to carry out each management strategy. We were able to predict accuracy >75% of the time for landowner intention to engage in open pasture and timber management strategies. Landowner values were not consistent across the different management strategies; landowners likely to reduce mowing or grazing valued ecological aspects of their land (e.g., pollinator habitat, water quality), whereas landowners likely to harvest timber valued hunting and revenue. Past experience with wildlife management was the strongest predictor of likelihood to reduce mowing and grazing. Our results suggest that expanding outreach efforts to include pasture management options would engage a broader set of landowners in creating ESH, especially if such efforts highlighted the benefits to pollinator species, water quality, and enhanced opportunities for hunting and other types of recreation. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.     

Population estimates,trends and habitat associations of breeding Lapwing Vanellus vanellus,Curlew Numenius arquata and Snipe Gallinago gallinago in Northern Ireland in 1999

Capsule Declines in the breeding populations of Snipe, Lapwing and Curlew were recorded between April and June 1999 and compared with previous estimates in 1987.

Aims To compare populations of non-coastal breeding waders between 1987 and 1999.

Methods In 106 2 km × 2 km square tetrads, observers recorded the number of breeding pairs of waders and habitat details on 1:10 000 scale maps.

Results A significant decline of c. 60% for Lapwing and Curlew, and a non-significant decline of 30% for Snipe was recorded over 12 years. Concentrations of these species were found in County Tyrone, but Counties Antrim, Down and Armagh supported few breeding pairs of any species. Very few pairs of any species were recorded on improved grassland despite its widespread availability.

Conclusion A successful conservation strategy for these species must address the wider countryside and not just key sites. Intensive pastoral farming in upland and lowland areas and activities such as drainage and peat extraction will further reduce the suitability of open habitats for these wader species.     

Synergies between site protection and agri‐environment schemes for the conservation of waders on lowland wet grasslands

Two conservation strategies have been put in place in Europe to address precipitous population declines of wading birds that breed on lowland wet grasslands. These are site protection and agri‐environment schemes (AESs) and the two are rarely compared, or their synergy assessed. Increasingly, efforts to recover populations of previously widespread species follow a landscape‐scale approach whereby habitat improvement takes place at key sites through partially overlapping protected area management and AESs. To investigate whether site protection and AESs improve the conservation status of breeding waders and how these interact, we partially repeated a 2002 survey of breeding waders on protected areas (nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest) and sites with wader‐specific AES options in England in 2009 and 2010. We then assessed the individual and combined effects of these delivery mechanisms on field occupancy, breeding density and population change of four species of declining wader (Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago, Eurasian Curlew Arquata numenius and Common Redshank Tringa totanus). Although results for Curlew differed from the other species, in general field occupancy was positively influenced by conservation delivery mechanisms, with the highest occupancy and breeding densities on land where site protection was combined with wader‐specific AES options. Field occupancy varied between different types of AES, with higher occupancy associated with higher‐level options in fields, particularly those on nature reserves. Outside nature reserves, the history of AES management did not influence wader populations, but within nature reserves and on fields that gained AES management between 2002 and 2009–2010, populations of Curlew and Snipe were more likely to have persisted and population change in Snipe and Lapwing was more positive. We conclude that the conservation of breeding waders will be most effective when site protection and AES management are combined on the same land. Using limited AES money to support management for breeding waders on, around and between the existing network of protected sites will protect remaining populations while presenting opportunities for population expansion in future.     

Comparing global warming potential,energy use and land use of organic,conventional and integrated winter wheat production

To ensure a sustainable food supply for the growing population, the challenge is to find agricultural systems that can meet production requirements within environmental constraints and demands. This study compares the impacts of winter wheat production on energy use, land use and 100 years Global Warming Potential (GWP₁₀₀) under different arable farming systems and farming practices. Life cycle assessment was used to simulate the impacts of organic, conventional and integrated farming (IF) systems along the production chain from input production up to the farm gate. The IF system models were designed to combine the best practices from organic and conventional systems to reduce negative environmental impacts without significant yield reductions. An integrated system that used food waste digestate as a fertiliser, and utilised pesticides and no‐tillage had the lowest energy use and GWP per functional unit of 1000 kg wheat output. When the impacts of some specific practices for reducing energy use and GWP were compared, the highest energy use reductions were achieved by replacing synthetic nitrogen fertilisers with anaerobically treated food waste or nitrogen fixing crops, increasing yields through crop breeding and using no‐tillage instead of ploughing. The highest GWP reductions were achieved by using nitrification inhibitors, replacing synthetic nitrogen fertilisers and increasing yields. The major contributors to the uncertainty range of energy use were associated with machinery fuel use and the assumed crop yields. For GWP results, the main source of uncertainty related to the N₂O emissions. In conclusion, farming systems that combine the best practices from organic and conventional systems have potential to reduce negative environmental impacts while maintaining yield levels.     

Predator presence may benefit: kestrels protect curlew nests against nest predators

We studied whether the presence of breeding kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) affected nest predation and breeding habitat selection of curlews (Numenius arquata) on an open flat farmland area in western Finland. We searched for nests of curlews from an area of 6 km² during 1985–1993. For each nest found, we recorded the fate of the nest, and the distance to the nearest kestrel nest and to the nearest perch. We measured the impact of breeding kestrels on nest predation by constructing artificial curlew nests in the vicinity of ten kestrel nests in 1993. Curlew nests were closer to kestrel nests than expected from random distribution, eventhough kestrels fed on average 5.5% of curlew chick production. Predation risk by kestrels was lower than predation risk by corvids and other generalist predators, which predated 9% of curlew nests surviving farming practices and an unknown proportion of chicks. Artificial nest experiment showed that nest predation was lower close to kestrel nests than further away suggesting that the breeding association of curlews and kestrels was a behavioural adaptation against nest predation. Thus, the presence of a predator may sometimes be beneficial to prey, and prey animals have behavioural adaptations to these situations.     

Landowners’ perspectives of black‐backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) on farmlands in KwaZulu‐Natal,South Africa

Despite continued efforts to eradicate black‐backed jackals (Canis mesomelas), they are considered an abundant mesopredator on agricultural land across South Africa, resulting in ongoing human–wildlife conflict and concern for farmers and wildlife managers. We conducted a questionnaire survey and semi‐formal interviews with farmers throughout KwaZulu‐Natal, examining farmers’ livestock husbandry, land‐use changes and perspectives towards jackals as a perceived threat to livestock. Many (75%) respondents acknowledged expanding agricultural activities on their farmlands since the onset of their farming careers. However, the perception was that these changes placed little pressure on mesopredators as farmers reported frequent daily (25%) and weekly (31%) sightings of jackal, and regular predation on livestock (72%). Some landowners (31%) reported between one and five livestock losses annually and suggest that mitigation strategies to prevent livestock losses are in place. Farmers suggested the increasing intensity in agricultural practices provided a greater food source for jackals allowing them to thrive in expanding agricultural conditions and, in some circumstances, farmers admitted to possibly being a cause through poor disposal techniques for dead animals. Feedback from farmers emphasized the importance of having collaboration between farmers to control jackal predation and reduce human–wildlife conflict.     

Ficus (Moraceae) as part of Agrarian systems in the bamileke region (Cameroon)

This paper considers the altitudinal zonation ofFicus on the southern slopes of the Bamboutos Mountains, Cameroon, and attempts to understand how these species have been appropriated by the Bamileke people. Five commonly used species ofFicus are propagated using pole cuttings. This genus contains important species in the farming system which have specific growth and development requirements. They mark the land ownership boundaries, as symbolic trees which give shelter to the lineage gods, and as important parts offence structure. They are incorporated into and contribute to the management of the territory. The landscape is criss-crossed with hedges which allow the integration of cropping and breeding activities. Their rapid growth also constitutes an important source of firewood and cuttings. The Bamileke’s long use of and interest in theFicus genus is demonstrated by the variety of indigenous names given to its species. The study of these names has provided the structure for guiding this ethnobotanic research.     

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.     

Dual Roles of an Algal Farming Damselfish as a Cultivator and Opportunistic Browser of an Invasive Seaweed

Herbivory is a fundamental process determining reef resilience, and while algal farming damselfishes can help shape benthic assemblages, an understanding of their contribution to areas outside of defended territories is relatively unexplored. Here, we demonstrate how the farming damselfish Stegastes marginatus plays a dual role in benthic structuring by 1) contributing to persistence of the invasive macroalga Acanthophora spicifera within a Hawaiian marine protected area, where the macroalga occurred exclusively inside Stegastes territories, and 2) behaving as an opportunistic browser of the exotic alga outside their territorial borders. Greater than 50% of the biomass of tethered A. spicifera was consumed within one-hour when placed outside Stegastes territories, compared to <5% lost from tethers within territories or herbivore exclusion cages. In situ remote video revealed that tethered A. spicifera located outside territories was grazed primarily by the surgeonfish Acanthurus nigrofuscus (∼68% of total bites) and, surprisingly, by S. marginatus (∼27% of total bites) that left their territories to feed on this resource on 107 occasions during 400 min of filming. Further, for over half of those occurrences where S. marginatus grazed on the tethered macroalga outside of territories, they fed alongside conspecifics and other species, displaying little of the aggressiveness that characterizes this damselfish. These results show that S. marginatus plays a wider role in determining benthic assemblages than previously recognized, acting both as cultivators of a canopy-forming invasive macroalga within their territories, and as opportunistic browsers in neighboring sites. Consequently, S. marginatus can affect benthic species composition across their territory borders. These results provide a rare example of interspecific facilitation of an exotic alga by an indigenous marine fish. Accounting for fish behaviors more broadly is important to further our understanding of ecological processes that shape reef ecosystems to improve management of MPAs that often support extensive farming damselfish populations.     

Modelling important areas for breeding waders as a tool to target conservation and minimise conflicts with land use change

Breeding waders are high profile species of conservation concern because of their declining populations. Their future depends on the outcomes of land-use policy and local management decisions. However, the low spatial resolution of extensive data on wader occurrence is poorly suited to directing conservation initiatives or to minimising detrimental impacts arising from land-use changes such as forest expansion. We used statistical models to produce high-resolution maps of predicted wader abundance in Britain and tested whether these were sufficiently accurate to be used for decision making. Random forest regression trees were developed using Bird Atlas data modelled with a range of environmental data sets to predict the relative abundances of ten species of breeding wader across Britain at 1-km square resolution. Similar analytical frameworks could usefully be applied in other geographical areas.Correlations with Bird Atlas metrics and other independent data indicate that these predictive models worked best for Curlew Numenius arquata and Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus. Model performance was poorer for species with more restricted distributions and/or habitat requirements, such as Greenshank Tringa nebularia and Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula. The precision of model predictions was also limited by the rescaling of data to 1-km square resolution.To facilitate practical and consistent interpretation by stakeholders influencing the status of breeding waders, model outputs were categorised into five discrete strata of relative abundance. These strata were used to produce sensitivity maps (available at https://app.bto.org/wader-map/), primarily to inform high-level policy decisions. The model outputs were also used to investigate broad-scale associations of breeding wader distribution with landscapes and land uses. These show that high proportions of populations (relative to their extent) are supported by areas with comparatively low predation risk (e.g. islands and grouse moors) and also by nature reserves. At more local scales, the sensitivity maps can be used to help decide on the levels of scrutiny required to assess development proposals (e.g. for establishment of new tree planting).     

Environmental correlates of breeding abundance and population change of Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata in Britain

Capsule: Across Britain, breeding Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata are less numerous and have shown greater population declines in areas with more arable farming, woodland cover and higher generalist predator abundance.

Aims: We present the first national-scale analysis of the potential drivers of Curlew population change in Britain, which is needed to guide conservation action for this globally near-threatened, declining species.

Methods: Breeding Bird Survey data and environmental predictors were used to model variation in Curlew abundance in 1995–99 and 2007–11, and population change between these periods.

Results: Arable farming and woodland cover were negatively associated with Curlew abundance and population declines. Curlew abundance was positively associated with extent of protected area coverage and gamebird numbers. Abundance and population change were positively associated with cooler temperatures and higher summer rainfall, but negatively associated with numbers of generalist predators.

Conclusions: We found support for the negative effects of intensive agriculture, forestry, increases in generalist predator populations and climate warming on Curlew abundance and population change. Effective site protection and measures to reduce generalist predator abundance may be important conservation measures, together with improving breeding habitat quality in the wider countryside.     

Climate Change and Apple Farming in Indian Himalayas: A Study of Local Perceptions and Responses

Apple farming is an important activity and profession of farmer communities in the Himalayan states of India. At present, the traditional apple farming is under stress due to changes in climate. The present study was undertaken in an Indian Himalayan state, Himachal Pradesh, with the major aim of studying perceptions of farmers on the effects of climate change on apple farming along the altitudinal gradient. Through questionnaire survey, the perceptions of farmers were recorded at low hills (<2500 m), mid-hills (2500–3000 m), and upper hills (>3000 m). At all elevation range the majority of farmers reported that there was increase in atmospheric temperature, and hence at low hills 72% farmers believed that this increase in temperature was responsible for decline in fruit size and so that the quality. Thirty five percent farmers at high hills and 30% at mid hills perceived frost as a major cause for damaging apple farming whereas at low hills 24% farmers perceived hailstorm as the major deterrent for apple farming. The majority of farmers, along the altitude (92% at high hills, 79% at mid hills and 83% at low hills), reported decrease in snowfall. The majority of farmers at low altitude and mid altitude reported decline in apple farming whereas 71% farmers at high hill areas refused decline in apple farming. About 73–83% farmers admitted delay in apple’s harvesting period. At mid hills apple scab and at low hills pest attack on apple crops are considered as the indicators of climate change. The change in land use practices was attributed to climate change and in many areas the land under apple farming was replaced for production of coarse grains, seasonal vegetables and other horticulture species. Scientific investigation claiming changes in Indian Himalayan climate corroborates perceptions of farmers, as examined during the present study.     

A novel strategy to escape a poor habitat: red-necked grebes transfer flightless young to other ponds

Animals confronted with the threat of the death of their offspring may exhibit unusual and risk-prone behaviours. Grebes (Podicipediformes) are water birds which cannot effectively walk, thus unfledged young are assumed to be unable to depart from their natal ponds by land. We provide evidence that red-necked grebes Podiceps grisegena, breeding on ponds with scarce food resources, transferred their flightless young (2–4 weeks old) to other, unconnected ponds by land or air. Although a large proportion of breeding grebes in the study area nested on food-poor fish ponds acting as ecological traps, where they suffered significant brood losses, brood movements to new ponds accounted for only 3.3% of such breeding attempts. The infrequency of this strategy may be explained by the lack of suitable territories in close proximity and the high risk of predation or fatal injury. The means of chick transfer remains unclear; the chicks may have followed or been carried by parents shuffling across the pond levees; alternatively, parents may have carried the young on their backs in flight. Our findings indicate that red-necked grebes assess the current level of resources available for chicks and may adopt novel and risky strategies to escape total brood failure.     

Fine‐scale habitat use during the non‐breeding season suggests that winter habitat does not limit breeding populations of a declining long‐distance Palearctic migrant

For migrant birds, which habitats are suitable during the non‐breeding season influences habitat availability, population resilience to habitat loss, and ultimately survival. Consequently, habitat preferences during winter and whether habitat segregation according to age and sex occurs directly influences migration ecology, survival and breeding success. We tested the fine‐scale habitat preferences of a declining Palearctic migrant, the whinchat Saxicola rubetra, on its wintering grounds in west Africa. We explored the influence of habitat at the territory‐scale and whether dominance‐based habitat occupancy occurs by describing the variation in habitat characteristics across wintering territories, the degree of habitat change within territories held throughout winter, and whether habitat characteristics influenced territory size and space‐use within territories or differed with age and sex. Habitat characteristics varied substantially across territories and birds maintained the same territories even though habitat changed significantly throughout winter. We found no evidence of dominance‐based habitat occupancy; instead, territories were smaller if they contained more perching shrubs or maize crops, and areas with more perching shrubs were used more often within territories, likely because perches are important for foraging and territory defence. Our findings suggest that whinchats have non‐specialised habitat requirements within their wintering habitat of open savannah and farmland, and respond to habitat variation by adjusting territory size and space‐use within their territories instead of competing with conspecifics. Whinchats show a tolerance for human‐modified habitats and results support previous findings that some crop types may provide high‐quality wintering habitat by increasing perch density and foraging opportunities. By having non‐specialised requirements within broad winter habitat types, migrants are likely to be flexible to changing wintering conditions in Africa, both within and across winters, so possibly engendering some resilience to the rapid anthropogenic habitat degradation occurring throughout their wintering range.     

Estimating the abundance and hatching success of breeding Curlew Numenius arquata using survey data

Counts of individual Curlew and estimates of breeding pairs from ‘field-by-field’ surveys were highly correlated with the numbers of nesting pairs, as determined by intensive studies on 27 sites located on four grassland-dominated study areas. The mean count of individual Curlew over three standard survey visits to each site was used to estimate numbers of nesting pairs. This estimate exceeded the number of nesting pairs on all study areas (as assessed by intensive studies) by 12% but was more accurate than the maximum number of pairs estimated from the three survey visits on each site (the previous convention for estimating breeding pairs). Estimates of the number of pairs hatching chicks were assessed by recording alarm-calling Curlew during late survey visits. The maximum number of alarm-calling pairs was used to estimate the number of pairs hatching chicks, overestimating this by 54%. Three of the study sites were adjacent to extensive moorland which produced overestimates during surveys because moorland nesting birds fed and led broods onto these sites. Omitting these sites from consideration reduced the degree of overestimation to 1% for the number of pairs and 7% for the number of pairs hatching chicks.     

Correlates of distribution and nesting success in a Welsh upland Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata population

Capsule: Habitat structure and composition explained spatial variation in breeding distribution and nesting success in a declining upland Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata population in North Wales.

Aims: To identify environmental correlates of Curlew breeding distribution, nesting success and change in distribution.

Methods: Thirty random 1?km squares stratified by historical population trend were surveyed for Curlew density and nesting success, and habitat- and predation-related variables in a landscape containing agriculturally improved farmland, and moorland that was partly protected and subject to grazing reductions for nature conservation. Analyses tested for associations between Curlew measures and environmental variables.

Results: Curlew breeding density declined by 29% between 1994 and 2008, and was highest in squares comprising a mixture of moorland and agriculturally improved farmland, and in squares with lower vegetation density and higher cover of Nardus stricta (characteristic of rough grazing). Nesting success was positively associated with cover of Trichophorum germanicum (characteristic of mire). Vegetation density was lower than average in squares with the highest Curlew densities, while in the protected area vegetation density was higher than average.

Conclusion: Habitat and vegetation variables influenced Curlew distribution and nesting success in North Wales, largely in line with previous results but with no evidence for predator-related influences. Habitat condition for Curlew in the protected area could probably be increased through targeted increases in grazing alongside the protection of priority habitats.