Winter bird numbers and land-use preferences in an arable landscape in eastern England
Summary 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 arv...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1999
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0959270900002240 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0959270900002240 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0959270900002240 2024-03-03T08:36:18+00:00 Winter bird numbers and land-use preferences in an arable landscape in eastern England Mason, Christopher F. Macdonald, Sheila M. 1999 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0959270900002240 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0959270900002240 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Bird Conservation International volume 9, issue 2, page 119-127 ISSN 0959-2709 1474-0001 Nature and Landscape Conservation Animal Science and Zoology Ecology journal-article 1999 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0959270900002240 2024-02-08T08:39:26Z Summary 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. Article in Journal/Newspaper Alauda arvensis Cambridge University Press Bird Conservation International 9 2 119 127 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Nature and Landscape Conservation Animal Science and Zoology Ecology |
spellingShingle |
Nature and Landscape Conservation Animal Science and Zoology Ecology Mason, Christopher F. Macdonald, Sheila M. Winter bird numbers and land-use preferences in an arable landscape in eastern England |
topic_facet |
Nature and Landscape Conservation Animal Science and Zoology Ecology |
description |
Summary 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. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mason, Christopher F. Macdonald, Sheila M. |
author_facet |
Mason, Christopher F. Macdonald, Sheila M. |
author_sort |
Mason, Christopher F. |
title |
Winter bird numbers and land-use preferences in an arable landscape in eastern England |
title_short |
Winter bird numbers and land-use preferences in an arable landscape in eastern England |
title_full |
Winter bird numbers and land-use preferences in an arable landscape in eastern England |
title_fullStr |
Winter bird numbers and land-use preferences in an arable landscape in eastern England |
title_full_unstemmed |
Winter bird numbers and land-use preferences in an arable landscape in eastern England |
title_sort |
winter bird numbers and land-use preferences in an arable landscape in eastern england |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1999 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0959270900002240 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0959270900002240 |
genre |
Alauda arvensis |
genre_facet |
Alauda arvensis |
op_source |
Bird Conservation International volume 9, issue 2, page 119-127 ISSN 0959-2709 1474-0001 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0959270900002240 |
container_title |
Bird Conservation International |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
119 |
op_container_end_page |
127 |
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1792499504351543296 |