Provide artificial nesting sites for rails

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

Effectiveness

30%
Certainty

11%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Study locations

Key messages

A replicated study from across the UK found that common moorhens Gallinula chloropus and common coot Fulica atra readily used artificial islands for nesting.

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 replicated study in 1992 reviewed the use of artificial islands and floating platforms in 17 wetland nature reserves across the UK (Burgess & Hirons 1992) found that common moorhens Gallinula chloropus and common coot Fulica atra used both well-vegetated and bare shingle-covered islands and platforms at both inland and coastal sites. The only exception was moorhens not using sparsely covered platforms and islands at northern coastal sites. The review also examines island and platform use by grebes, divers, 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

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bird Conservation

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