Winter field use and habitat selection by Eurasian Golden Plovers Pluvialis apricaria and Northern Lapwings Vanellus vanellus on arable farmland

Abstract

Eurasian Golden Plovers Pluvialis apricaria and Northern Lapwings Vanellus vanellus winter in large numbers on Britain's farmland. Previous studies in mixed farming areas showed pronounced preferences for permanent pasture, but increasing numbers of plovers winter in eastern Britain where arable farmland dominates. We show that an area of intensive arable farmland supported significant numbers of both species from October to February in the absence of large areas of pasture. Habitat use varied seasonally as the habitats present changed. Throughout winter, use of cereal crops matched their availability: plovers selected harrow in early winter, sugar beet stubbles in midwinter and other crops in late winter. Pastures were rarely used at any time of the year. Flocks occupied only a fraction of the available fields, concentrating most in large fields with open boundaries and where manure had been applied. Daytime feeding was more likely during cold days after nights with a new moon, short duration of moonlight or low‐intensity moonlight. These results show that plovers are currently able to utilize intensive arable farmland but future changes in management, such as cessation of manure applications and reductions in sugar beet cropping, could have detrimental effects.

Vision and touch in relation to foraging and predator detection: insightful contrasts between a plover and a sandpiper

“…Golden plovers, on the other hand, breed at lower latitudes (50-708N) and winter at midlatitudes (30-608N), and therefore experience night-time for much of their annual cycle. They are known to feed at night or at dusk and dawn, as well as by day within their non-breeding range ( Jukema et al 2001;Gillings et al 2005;Gillings & Sutherland 2007). Since this feeding is guided primarily by vision, high visual sensitivity is likely Vision, foraging and predator detection G. R. Martin & T. Piersma 441 to have greater adaptive value in golden plovers compared with the knots.…”

Distribution shifts in wintering Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaand LapwingVanellus vanellusin Britain

“…There have been few autecological studies of plovers using arable farmland (Gregory 1987, Mason & Macdonald 1999b, Gillings 2003b) and more work is needed to understand how plovers use the complexes of habitats available in the coastal zone, with special reference to interactions between tide, moon phase and weather.…”

“…In some regions large numbers of plovers are associated with inland wetlands, mostly for roosting. The area of farmland from which these are drawn and the degree of fidelity to roosts are unknown and probably vary with weather and lunar conditions (Spencer 1953, Gillings 2003b. Similarly on the coast, fewer Golden Plover are typically seen during high tide count periods than at low tide, when large flocks may form on some exposed mudflats (Mason & Macdonald 1999a).…”

“…It is unclear whether these have meant that the arable east is now relatively more suitable to wintering plovers, although in arable farmland plovers are unable to meet their daily energy requirements by feeding during daylight alone and must feed at night as well or instead (Gillings 2003b, Gillings et al 2005). …”

Prey and Prey Size Selection by the Near-Threatened Black-Tailed Godwit Foraging in Non-Tidal Areas During Migration

“…To determine prey and prey-size selection by Black-tailed Godwits foraging in the storage and evaporation pans during post-breeding migration (July-September), we combined field observations of birds foraging actively, analysis of droppings and prey abundance (see below) (Dekinga and Piersma 1993;Mouritsen 1994;Gillings and Sutherland 2007). Droppings (n July = 15; n August = 14; n September = 13) were collected in monospecific resting areas located on the shores of the pans.…”