Yellowhammer (Emberiza Citrinella) Ecology in an Intensive Pastoral Dominated Farming Landscape
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Anderson, Dawn E. (2014) Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) ecology in an intensive pastoral dominated farming landscape. PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/5356/ Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten:Theses http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] YELLOWHAMMER (Emberiza citrinella) ECOLOGY IN AN INTENSIVE PASTORAL DOMINATED FARMING LANDSCAPE DAWN E. ANDERSON Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences University of Glasgow October 2013 2 Abstract Farmland birds in Europe have declined as agriculture has intensified, with granivorous specialists disproportionately affected. Despite grassland based farming being widespread, farmland bird research to date has focussed on mixed and arable farms. Yellowhammers are a red-listed species in the UK. This study investigated year round habitat requirements, diet, and movements of yellowhammers at four grassland dominated farms in Ayrshire, Scotland. Data were obtained via field surveys and trials, radio-tracking and faecal analysis. Fine scale breeding season foraging habitat requirements were studied by comparing invertebrate and vegetation communities at foraging sites with paired controls across all four farms. A small scale winter supplementary feeding trial was conducted on one farm. Breeding yellowhammers avoided farmyards, but bred throughout the rest of the sites; average density was low at 0.08 pairs per hectare (range 0.06 to 0.15), lower than densities reported in arable and mixed regions. During the breeding season, yellowhammers preferentially foraged within 10m of field margins. There was no evidence that yellowhammers avoided foraging on pastoral habitat, contrary to results from studies in mixed and arable farming regions. Faecal analysis revealed that adults diet contained significantly more cereal than the diet of nestlings, with both including more invertebrate material than observed in previous studies. Diptera, Coleoptera and Araneae were key orders, with Lepidopteran larvae additionally important for nestlings. A low proportion of cereal was found in nestling diet, suggesting that the invertebrate dominated diet provided was of high quality. In contrast to summer diet, and despite grassland being the dominant habitat, cereal dominated winter diet; grass seeds and invertebrates accounted for <1% of diet in winter. Winter yellowhammer density at each farm was positively correlated with stubble availability. Radio-tracking found yellowhammers significantly selected stubble in early winter and game managed habitat in late winter. Supplementary feeding attracted an estimated 247 to 332 yellowhammers at a site where the previous year’s winter surveys recorded only 5 birds despite holding a good breeding population. Survival rates of 1st years at the supplementary fed site appeared higher than elsewhere in the landscape, and a small increase in breeding density was observed post feeding, although it is unknown if this was a result of the feeding. As winter progressed, the use of the grain provided increased, 3 suggesting that the late winter period was the most crucial time for the birds regarding food supply. Providing supplementary food represents a cheap and easy solution that could be utilised by agri-environment schemes to tackle late winter farmland bird food shortages. Alternatively, increasing winter stubble in grassland dominated regions should provide additional biodiversity benefits associated with increased landscape heterogeneity as well as increased winter food availability. This study highlights differences in breeding density, habitat selection, movements and diet of yellowhammers on grassland farms compared to arable and mixed farm populations. Restricted winter stubble habitat limits winter food availability, and hence the likely overall size of the population able to subsist in this habitat. 4 Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................... 2 List of Tables ....................................................................................................................................... 8 List of Figures .................................................................................................................................... 10 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................... 13 Candidate’s Declaration .................................................................................................................... 15 Chapter 1 – Introduction ................................................................................................................... 16 1.1 Farming in Britain .................................................................................................................... 16 1.1.1 Changes in the Farming landscape since the Second World War ................................... 16 1.1.2 Changes in Grassland Farm Management ...................................................................... 17 1.1.3 Changes in Management of Forage Grass....................................................................... 18 1.1.4 Changes in Management of Pasture ............................................................................... 19 1.1.5 Changes in Arable Management ..................................................................................... 20 1.1.6 Organic Farming .............................................................................................................. 21 1.1.7 Farming and Game Management ................................................................................... 21 1.2 Effects of Intensification of Farming on Wildlife .................................................................... 22 1.2.1 Flora ................................................................................................................................. 22 1.2.2 Invertebrates ................................................................................................................... 23 1.2.3 Amphibians and Mammals .............................................................................................. 25 1.2.4 Birds ................................................................................................................................. 26 1.3 Yellowhammers ...................................................................................................................... 33 1.3.1 Yellowhammer identification and distribution ............................................................... 33 1.3.2 Yellowhammer Ecology ................................................................................................... 34 1.3.3 Yellowhammer diet ......................................................................................................... 35 1.3.4 Yellowhammer population trends .................................................................................. 37 1.3.5 Yellowhammer habitat choice ........................................................................................ 39 1.4 Conservation of Farmland Biodiversity ................................................................................... 41 1.5 Study Rationale ....................................................................................................................... 43 1.6 Aims......................................................................................................................................... 44 1.7 Study Sites ............................................................................................................................... 46 Chapter 2 - Yellowhammer breeding densities and habitat choice .................................................. 49 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 49 2.2 Methods .................................................................................................................................. 52 2.2.1 Boundary surveys ............................................................................................................ 52 2.2.2 Bird ringing ...................................................................................................................... 52 2.2.3 Habitat and hedge surveys .............................................................................................. 53 2.2.4 Data storage and calculation of habitat availability ........................................................ 53 5 2.2.5 Data analysis .................................................................................................................... 54 2.3 Results ....................................................................................................................................