Provide artificial nesting sites for grebes

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

10%
Certainty

9%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Like divers/loons, grebes are highly specialised for swimming and diving and are therefore vulnerable on land. Providing artificial islands or floating rafts may increase both the number of birds nesting at a site, and their reproductive success.

Study locations

Key messages

A single study from the UK found that grebes used nesting rafts in some areas of the UK but not others, and that the characteristics of used rafts differed geographically.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A 1992 review of the use of artificial islands and floating platforms in 17 wetland nature reserves across the UK (Burgess & Hirons 1992) found that great-crested grebes Podiceps cristatus and little grebes Tachybaptus ruficollis used well-vegetated islands and platforms at inland sites in the south of the UK. In addition, great-crested grebes used sparsely covered islands and platforms at inland sites, and well-vegetated ones at coastal sites. Neither species used either type of nesting site in Scotland. The review also examines island and platform use by divers, rails, ground-nesting seabirds, waders and wildfowl.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Burgess N.D. & Hirons G.J.M. (1992) Creation and management of artificial nesting sites for wetland birds. Journal of Environmental Management, 34, 285-295.

Please cite as:

Williams, D.R., Child, M.F., Dicks, L.V., Ockendon, N., Pople, R.G., Showler, D.A., Walsh, J.C., zu Ermgassen, E.K.H.J. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Bird Conservation. Pages 137-281 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bird Conservation

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