Changes in breeding success and abundance of ground-nesting moorland birds in relation to the experimental deployment of legal predator control
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Published source details
Fletcher K., Aebischer N.J., Baines D., Foster R. & Hoodless A.N. (2010) Changes in breeding success and abundance of ground-nesting moorland birds in relation to the experimental deployment of legal predator control. Journal of Applied Ecology, 47, 263-272.
Published source details Fletcher K., Aebischer N.J., Baines D., Foster R. & Hoodless A.N. (2010) Changes in breeding success and abundance of ground-nesting moorland birds in relation to the experimental deployment of legal predator control. Journal of Applied Ecology, 47, 263-272.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Control predators not on islands Action Link |
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Control predators not on islands
A replicated, randomised, paired site study from March-July in 2000-2008 in 2 pairs of plots (9.3-14.4 km2) in Northumberland, UK (Fletcher et al. 2010) found that plots where predators were experimentally controlled displayed increased density and fledgling success of breeding birds. Reductions in foxes Vulpes vulpes and carrion crows Corvus corone led to an average threefold increase in the percentage of pairs fledging young of lapwing Vanellus vanellus, golden plover Pluvialis apricaria, curlew Numenius arquata, red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus and meadow pipit Anthus pratensis; and subsequently led to increases in breeding numbers (? 14%/year) of lapwing, curlew, golden plover and red grouse, all of which declined in the absence of predator control (? 17%/year). There was no significant effect of predator culling for any wader species. Predator culling reduced the abundance of fox by 43% and crow 78%.
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