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Review of Resource Requirements for Target Woodland Bird Species

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Review of Resource Requirements for Target Woodland Bird Species Final report WC0793/CR0485 (29.04.14) APPENDIX 1 Review of resource requirements for target woodland bird species Summary 1. This review summarises published information on the resource requirements and habitat associations of 17 target species which represents woodland birds of conservation priority and species that use the lower vegetation layers most likely to be affected by deer browsing. These species were Willow Tit, Marsh Tit, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Song Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Nightingale, Dunnock, Tree Pipit, Lesser Redpoll and Bullfinch. The remaining species were Nightjar, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Wood Warbler, Redstart, Pied Flycatcher and Hawfinch. The review provides information on habitat structure and resource use to supplement results from an analyses of habitat associations from an extensive dataset of 300 woodland plots, particularly for scarce species which occurred on few plots. 2. Information sources included scientific journals, RSPB research reports and Books. Journal articles were identified using Web of Science, Zoological Record and Google Scholar search engines with the current species scientific names and recent synonyms as search terms. Further sources were RSPB reports on habitat requirements, ornithological handbooks and species monographs. For each target species the literature was searched to provide information on their nesting, feeding and territory requirements as well as broader habitat associations and behaviour which is likely to be relevant in determining responses to changes in woodland structure. 3. Four species (Nightjar, Wood Warbler, Willow Warbler and Tree Pipit) nest on or near the ground. Six species (Garden Warbler, Song Thrush, Nightingale, Dunnock, Lesser Redpoll and Bullfinch) nest in a dense shrub layer. Seven species (Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Willow Tit, Marsh Tit, Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Pied Flycatcher and Hawfinch) were canopy or hole nesters. 4. All species except Bullfinch and Hawfinch predominately feed on invertebrates during the breeding season and also feed their nestlings invertebrates. Garden Warbler, Song Thrush, Nightingale and Spotted Flycatcher also feed on fruits outside the breeding season, especially prior and during migration. Willow Tit, Marsh Tit, Lesser Redpoll and Dunnock diets also contain a considerable proportion of seeds outside the breeding season. Bullfinch and Hawfinch feed mostly on seeds throughout the year, but also feed on buds, flowers and invertebrates when seeds are scarce in spring. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Wood Warbler and Willow Tit feed in the canopy while Dunnock, Song 1 Final report WC0793/CR0485 (29.04.14) Thrush, Redstart, Nightingale and Tree Pipit forage mainly on the ground. Garden Warblers mainly forage in the shrub layer. Nightjar and Spotted Flycatcher are mainly aerial foragers, Nightjar in the open and Spotted Flycatcher within the canopy. Lesser Redpoll feeds on seeds and invertebrates mainly in the tree canopy but also on the ground when all seed has fallen. Bullfinch, Marsh Tit and Pied Flycatcher forage in a wide range of heights from the field layer to the canopy depending on food sources at different times of year. 5. In the breeding season, Nightjar, Willow Tit (in the UK), Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Song Thrush, Dunnock, Tree Pipit and Lesser Redpoll all show a preference for younger stages of woodland growth. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Wood Warbler, Marsh Tit, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher and Redstart show a preference for mature woodland while Bullfinch uses a range of different woodland types. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Tit, Wood Warbler, Garden Warbler, Nightingale and Pied Flycatcher prefer broadleaved woodland while other species used both broadleaved, conifer and mixed woodland. 6. Large scale timber harvesting such as clearfell and coppice favour populations of Nightjar, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Song Thrush, Nightingale, Dunnock, Tree Pipit and Bullfinch. However, it can also negatively affect Marsh Tit and Spotted Flycatcher populations. Canopy thinning at silvicultural levels has only small effects on the target bird species. Effects of thinning may depend on woodland type and may only show significant effects with high levels of canopy reduction. Increased deer populations most strongly affect species which use the low shrub and field layer, in particular Willow Tit, Willow Warbler and Nightingale. High levels of deer browsing have been shown to negatively affect Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Song Thrush, Nightingale, Dunnock and Bullfinch. Higher Reeves’ muntjac density has been shown to negatively affect abundance of Willow Warbler and Song Thrush, and higher Roe deer density has been shown to negatively affect abundance of Willow Tit and Nightingale. Nightjar, Wood Warbler, Redstart, Pied Flycatcher and Tree Pipit may benefit from higher levels of deer browsing but evidence is currently lacking. (See Appendix 2 for a review of the effects of woodland management and deer browsing on birds). 7. The following tables give a brief summary of habitat and resource requirements for each species, split into species associated with young woodland (Table A) and those associated with mature woodland (Table B). 2 Final report WC0793/CR0485 (29.04.14) Summary Table A Habitat attributes and species requirement for target bird species associated with young woodland. Species are listed alphabetically. Bullfinch Dunnock Garden warbler Nest construction Cup of fine twigs lined with grass and roots Cup of twigs and roots, lined with moss Grass and herbs lined with grass and hair feathers and hair Nest location In dense woody cover 1-2m from ground In dense low woody vegetation <3.5m. In low dense vegetation 0.5-1.5m When present, young spruce trees are favoured nest sites. Adult food Primarily seeds, but take buds , flowers and Mainly small ground dwelling Mainly invertebrates during breeding season. invertebrates when seed scarce in Spring invertebrates, e.g. beetles, spiders, Berries are important for fattening before springtails. Also small seeds in winter e.g. migration nettle & dock. Nestling food Initially invertebrates with increasing plant Mainly beetles, spiders, flies and Primarily caterpillars material (mainly seeds) with age caterpillars. Foraging methods Take seeds from perches off the ground. Feed Mainly picking items from ground surface. Forage by gleaning from foliage in at all heights from field layer to canopy. Also taking inverts from foliage in summer broadleaved trees and shrubs, 0.5-6m from or digging in soft soil in winter. ground. Territory attributes Non-territorial. Move between breeding Territories are centred on areas of dense Territories selected for dense low shrubs attempts to track food supplies shrub or young conifers. particularly bramble and birch Breeding habitat Wide range of habitats with trees and shrubs. Occur in a wide range of habitats with Prefer broadleaves and young stages of forest Dense shrub layer essential. dense shrub cover. Will occur in all types of growth. They will use older stands of forest but only where dense low cover is broadleaf with dense shrub layer and avoid available. mature conifers. A dense low shrub layer is essential. They are more likely in more wooded landscapes and away from woodland edges. Post fledging Unknown Unknown Unknown Seasonal differences Move between habitats to track locally Largely sedentary but move from uplands During migration select areas with high abundant seed sources in winter fruiting shrub diversity UK Distribution Widespread throughout UK Widespread throughout UK Widespread in most of UK, scarce in northern Scotland and Ireland 3 Final report WC0793/CR0485 (29.04.14) Summary Table A Continued. Lesser redpoll Nightingale Nightjar Nest construction Open cup of twigs lined with hair feather or Nest of dead leaves lined with grass hair & Eggs laid on moss or bare ground plant material feathers Nest location In small tree or shrub Nest on or near the ground, <30cm from Nest located in woodland clearing, often near ground. Nest usually in the dense field layer a solitary tree. Nest on flat ground and avoid at the edge of a dense shrubby thicket, slopes. Adult food Mainly invertebrates during breeding A wide variety of small invertebrates taken, Large flying insects predominately moths and season. During winter they feed on small predominately ants and beetles. Also feed on beetles tree seeds, e.g. birch, alder, larch, spruce, berries prior to and during migration. and herbaceous seeds. Nestling food Invertebrates Same as adult food Same as adult. Foraging methods Forage mainly in trees Primarily foraging for invertebrates on the Forage by aerial hawking. Forage mostly over ground or in leaf litter under dense cover. open semi natural habitats, avoid mature pine plantations and intensive agriculture. Territory attributes Unknown Territories centred on patches of dense Territories include open space and forest shrubs. Typically having a dense outer layer of edge. Open areas with low vegetation height foliage reaching the ground, with dense field preferred including heathland, clearfells, layer vegetation at the shrub edges. The roads rides and peatlands. interior of the shrub patch will have an open structure with bare ground. Breeding habitat They prefer conifer habitats to broadleaf Habitat is at low altitude mostly <60m amsl. Breeding habitat includes both forest and within conifers there is a strong Habitat is dense wetland scrub or young clearings and heathland. Habitat
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