Use of Agricultural Lands by Waterfowl in Southwestern British Columbia

Hirst, Stanley; Easthope, Christopher A.

doi:10.2307/3807927

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Furthermore, most (77%) birds foraged in pastures, indicating that these areas are important high-tide foraging sites, especially during the winter when prey availability decreases in intertidal habitats (Carrin 1973). This suggestion has been made by others studying winter bird use of pastures adjacent to intertidal habitat elsewhere in the world (Hirst & Easthope 1981;Townshend 1981;Lo & Fordham 1986).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…At many locations, however, intertidal areas converted to pastureland continue to be important for waterbirds. For example, waterfowl in coastal British Columbia preferentially used pastures over other agricultural lands (Hirst & Easthope 1981). In Great Britain use of pastures by nonbreeding shorebirds has increased in coastal areas (Dare 1966;Heppleston 1971), where survival of Curlews (Numentus arquata) during winter is dependent on foraging in pastures (Townsbend 1981).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Waterbird Communities and Habitat Relationships in Coastal Pastures of Northern California

Colwell

Dodd

1995

Conservation Biology

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We examined waterbird assemblages (diversity, composition, and species’ densities) in 20 pastures near Humboldt Bay, California, in relation to habitat characteristics (vegetation height, soil penetrability, water depth), abundance of invertebrates (worms and other invertebrates), and presence of livestock. From October 1991 to May 1992 we observed 29 species and 10,776 birds, most (78%) of which foraged. Nonrandom pasture use by birds resulted in a highly clumped spatial distribution (s2:{ovbar>x} ratio = 42.1). Habitat characteristics of pastures correlated with this nonrandom pattern: waterbird diversity and densities of three sandpiper species and one gull species correlated negatively (r = −0.61 and r = −0.44 to −0.67, respectively) with vegetation height; densities of two plover species correlated negatively (r= −0.39 and −0.45) with soil penetrability; and waterfowl densities correlated positively with water depth (r = 0.97). Species composition varied among pastures. Wading birds used pastures with tall vegetation, shorebirds and gulls frequented short‐grass pastures, and waterfowl used flooded pastures of waterbirds and their densities increased in association with livestock.In coastal areas where much intertidal habitat has been reclaimed as postureland, pastures offered valuable habitats to nonbreeding waterbirds. We suggest that grazing in coastal pastures can be used to provide a mosaic of vegetation heights, which would yield greater waterbird diversity as well as higher densities of some species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Waterbird Communities and Habitat Relationships in Coastal Pastures of Northern California

Colwell

Dodd

1995

Conservation Biology

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“…Mallards spent all daylight hours on the sheet water ponds, but between 64 minutes before and 26 minutes after sunset, all birds flew from one kilometer up to at least 13 km from sheetwater ponds to larger (5-100 ha) emergent wetlands and (Bossenmair and Marshall 1958, Winner 1959, Sugden 1979, Thomas 1981, Baldassarre and Bolen 1984. When flooded agricultural lands were available, they were preferred over non flooded agricultural lands (Bossenmair and Marshall 1958, Kantrud and Stewart 1977, Reed et ale 1977, Hirst and Easthope 1981. Standing water potentially could increase the availability of heavily used moist-soil plant seeds (Appendix B), increase the palatability of food items (Shearer et ale 1969), and increase the security of the mallards from land predators and disturbance.…”

Section: Nocturnal Habitat Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat use and nutrient reserves dynamics of spring migratory mallards in central Iowa

LaGrange

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“…Today, large numbers of shorebirds, songbirds, waterfowl, and wading birds forage and rest in these farmlands. Many waterfowl depend on farmlands for food during winter (Hirst and Easthope 1981;Baldwin and Lovvorn 1994;Lovvorn and Baldwin 1996). However, the importance of farmlands to shorebirds is less clear.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Winter abundance and distribution of shorebirds and songbirds on farmlands on the Fraser River delta, British Columbia, 1989-1991

Butler

1999

The Canadian Field-Naturalist

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The winter distribution of common shorebirds and songbirds in farmlands on the Fraser River delta, British Columbia, is described for 1989-1991. Most Dunlin (Calidris alpina) and Black-bellied Plovers (Pluvialis squatarola) roosted in large flocks (median=6450 birds) on beaches during high tides. Smaller flocks (median=507 birds) that flew to farmlands settled in ploughed fields, turf grass and pasture within 2 km of Boundary Bay. Dunlin and Black-bellied Plovers that flew to farmlands mostly foraged there between November and March. The seasonal use of farmlands by Dunlins is probably a trade off between food energy requirements and predation risk from falcons. Forty-five species of songbirds were recorded in farmland hedgerows. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodica), American Robin (Turdus migratorius), White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys), and European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) accounted for over two-thirds of all birds recorded. Shrub hedgerows supported 30 species with a mean of 7.9 individuals detected per census stop versus 40 species with a mean of 18.0 individuals per census stop in tree-hedgerows.

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Use of Agricultural Lands by Waterfowl in Southwestern British Columbia

Cited by 9 publications

References 6 publications

Waterbird Communities and Habitat Relationships in Coastal Pastures of Northern California

Waterbird Communities and Habitat Relationships in Coastal Pastures of Northern California

Habitat use and nutrient reserves dynamics of spring migratory mallards in central Iowa

Winter abundance and distribution of shorebirds and songbirds on farmlands on the Fraser River delta, British Columbia, 1989-1991

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