Study

A simultaneous assessment of farmland habitat use by breeding skylarks and yellowhammers

  • Published source details Murray K.A., Wilcox A. & Stoate C. (2002) A simultaneous assessment of farmland habitat use by breeding skylarks and yellowhammers. Aspects of Applied Biology, 67, 121-127.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Create beetle banks

Action Link
Bird Conservation

Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture

Action Link
Bird Conservation

Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture

Action Link
Farmland Conservation

Provide or retain set-aside areas in farmland

Action Link
Bird Conservation

Create beetle banks

Action Link
Farmland Conservation

Provide or retain set-aside areas in farmland

Action Link
Farmland Conservation
  1. Create beetle banks

    A study of different set-aside crops at Allerton Research and Educational Trust Loddington farm, Leicestershire, (Murray et al. 2002) found that Eurasian skylarks Alauda arvensis, but not yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella used beetle banks more than expected compared to availability.  Skylarks used them significantly more than unmanaged set-aside, broad-leaved crops and other habitats, while yellowhammers used them significantly less than cereal and set-aside with ‘wild bird cover’.  Field margin and midfield set-aside strips were sown with kale-based and cereal-based mixtures for ‘wild bird cover’, and ‘beetle banks’.  Other habitat types were: unmanaged set-aside, cereal (wheat, barley), broad-leaved crop (beans, rape) and ‘other’ habitats.  Thirteen skylark and 15 yellowhammer nests with chicks between 3-10 days old were observed. Foraging habitat used by the adults was recorded for 90 minutes during three periods of the day.  This study is also discussed in ‘Plant wild bird seed /cover and Provide (or retain) set-aside areas in farmland’.

     

  2. Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture

    A study of different set-aside crops at Allerton Research and Educational Trust Loddington farm, Leicestershire, UK (Murray et al. 2002), found that Eurasian skylark and yellowhammer used wild bird cover set-aside (kale set-aside, cereal set-aside, annual/biennial crop strips) more than expected compared to availability.  Skylarks also used wild bird cover more than unmanaged set-aside, broad-leaved crops and other habitats.  Yellowhammer used wild bird cover strips more than expected.  Cereal set-aside wild bird cover was used significantly more than beetle banks, kale set-aside wild bird cover, unmanaged set-aside and ‘other’ habitats.  Wild bird cover strips were used significantly more than kale set-aside, unmanaged set-aside and other habitats.  Field margin and midfield set-aside strips were sown with kale-based and cereal-based mixtures for wild bird cover and ‘beetle banks’.  Other habitat types were: unmanaged set-aside, cereal (wheat, barley), broad-leaved crop (beans, rape) and ‘other’ habitats.  Thirteen skylark and 15 yellowhammer nests with chicks between 3-10 days old were observed.  Foraging habitat used by the adults was recorded for 90 minutes during three periods of the day.

     

  3. Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture

    A study of different set-aside crops on a farm in Leicestershire, UK (Murray et al. 2002), found that Eurasian skylark Alauda arvensis and yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella used wild bird cover set-aside (kale Brassica napus set-aside, cereal set-aside, annual/biennial crop strips) more than expected compared to availability. Skylarks also used wild bird cover more than unmanaged set-aside, broad-leaved crops and other habitats. Yellowhammer used wild bird cover strips more than expected. Cereal set-aside wild bird cover was used significantly more than beetle banks, kale set-aside wild bird cover, unmanaged set-aside and other habitats. Wild bird cover strips were used significantly more than kale set-aside, unmanaged set-aside and other habitats. Field margin and midfield set-aside strips were sown with kale-based and cereal-based mixtures for wild bird cover and beetle banks. Other habitat types were: unmanaged set-aside, cereal (wheat, barley), broad-leaved crop (beans, rape) and other habitats. Thirteen skylark and 15 yellowhammer nests with chicks between 3-10 days old were observed. Foraging habitat used by the adults was recorded for 90 minutes during three periods of the day. This study was part of the same experimental set-up as Moreby (2002), Moreby & Southway (2002).

  4. Provide or retain set-aside areas in farmland

    A study of different set-aside crops at Allerton Research and Educational Trust Loddington farm, UK (Murray et al. 2002) found that Eurasian skylark, but not yellowhammer Emberiza citronella, used unmanaged set-aside more than expected compared to availability.  Skylarks used unmanaged set-aside more than expected compared to availability, but significantly less than kale set-aside ‘wild bird cover’, ‘wild bird cover’ strips and beetle banks.  Cereal (wheat, barley) and broad-leaved crops (beans, rape) were used less than expected.  Yellowhammer used unmanaged set-aside as expected compared to availability and used it significantly less than cereal and cereal set-aside ‘wild bird cover’ and ‘wild bird cover’ strips. Set-aside strips (field margin and midfield) were sown with kale-based and cereal-based mixtures for ‘wild bird cover’ and ‘beetle banks’.  Other habitat types were: unmanaged set-aside, cereal (wheat, barley), broad-leaved crop (beans, rape) and ‘other’ habitats (including permanent pasture, woodland, hedgerows, tracks and riparian areas). Thirteen skylark and 15 yellowhammer nests with chicks between 3-10 days old were observed. Foraging habitat used by the adults was recorded for 90 minutes during three periods of the day.  This study is also discussed in ‘Create beetle banks’ and ‘Plant wild bird seed /cover’.

  5. Create beetle banks

    A study of different set-aside crops on an arable farm in Leicestershire, UK (Murray et al. 2002) found that Eurasian skylark Alauda arvensis, but not yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella, used beetle banks more than expected compared to availability. Skylarks used beetle banks (planted tussocky perennial grasses) more than expected compared to availability and significantly more than unmanaged set-aside, broad-leaved crops and other habitats. Yellowhammer used beetle banks as expected compared to availability but significantly less than cereal and wild bird cover cereal set-aside. Field margin and midfield set-aside strips were sown with kale-based and cereal-based mixtures for beetle banks and wild bird cover. Other habitat types were: unmanaged set-aside, cereal (wheat, barley), broad-leaved crop (beans, rape) and other habitats. Thirteen skylark and 15 yellowhammer nests with chicks between 3-10 days old were observed. Foraging habitat used by the adults was recorded for 90 minutes during three periods of the day. This study was part of the same experimental set-up as (Collins et al. 1996, Moreby & Southway 2002, Bence et al. 2003, Collins et al. 2003).

  6. Provide or retain set-aside areas in farmland

    A study of different set-aside crops at Loddington farm, Leicestershire (Murray et al., 2002) found that skylark Alauda arvensis, but not yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella used unmanaged set-aside more than expected compared to availability. Skylarks used unmanaged set-aside more than expected, but significantly less than set-aside sown with kale-based wild bird cover, wild bird cover strips and beetle banks. Cereal (wheat, barley) and broad-leaved crops (beans, rape) were used less than expected. Yellowhammer used unmanaged set-aside as expected compared to availability, but significantly less than cereal and set-aside with cereal-based wild bird cover or wild bird cover strips. Field margin and midfield set-aside strips were sown with kale-based and cereal-based mixtures for wild bird cover, and beetle banks. Other habitat types were: unmanaged set-aside, cereal (wheat, barley), broad-leaved crop (beans, rape) and other habitats (including permanent pasture, woodland, hedgerows, tracks and riparian areas). Thirteen skylark and 15 yellowhammer nests with chicks between 3-10 days old were observed. Foraging habitats used by the adults were recorded for 90 minutes during three periods of the day.

     

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