The Crested Lark Galerida cristata as an example of a bird species that benefits from agricultural management in western Poland

ABSTRACT

Capsule: The Crested Lark Galerida cristata as an example of a species which selects habitats which have undergone agricultural intensification.

Aims: To describe habitat preferences of the Crested Lark in western Poland.

Methods: We surveyed 30 randomly chosen study plots (1?km²) in western Poland to detect breeding pairs of Crested Larks. Sentinel and direct observations in the field were used to provide habitat data. Generalized linear mixed models were used to determine what type of environments habitats were selected by the Crested Larks.

Results: We recorded a total of 106 pairs of Crested Larks in 30 study plots. Birds inhabited farmland environments, where their preferred habitats included buildings, silage, and arable land with cereals.

Conclusion: Silage, which is associated with agricultural intensification within agricultural landscapes, increased the chances of the occurrence of Crested Larks.