Capsule The breeding Woodcock population in Britain in 2013 was estimated at 55 241 males (95% CL: 41 806-69 004), suggesting a large-scale decline that is supported by 2 additional sources of data. Aims To provide an updated estimate of the size of Britain's breeding Woodcock population, measure recent trends and identify spatial patterns of change. Methods Displaying male Woodcock were surveyed at a stratified sample of 834 randomly selected sites. Population estimates were compared with a baseline survey conducted in 2003 and the trend with data from annual Woodcock counts (2003-13) and Bird Atlas 2007-11. Results Woodcock were estimated to be present at 22% of 1 × 1 km squares containing ≥10 ha of woodland, compared to 35% in 2003. The British population estimate fell by 29% between 2003 and 2013. The Atlas suggests that presence at the 10 × 10 km scale has declined by 56% between 1970 and 2010. Both data sources suggest regional variation in the rate of decline, with losses greatest in the West and South. Conclusion The Woodcock's population size and breeding range appear to be declining severely across Britain. Regional variation in the rate of decline might be explained by the distribution of large continuous woodlands. An increasing body of research indicates recent changes in the composition of woodland bird communities in the UK (Amar et al. 2006, Hewson et al. 2007, Hopkins & Kirby 2007, Fuller et al. 2007a), with many species showing declines in range and abundance through the latter half of the 20th century (Fuller et al. 2005). These may be attributed to a range of hypotheses and their causes are likely to be species-specific (see Fuller et al. 2005 for an overview). The declines of several species have been linked to changes in woodland structure and floristic composition, especially reduced understorey density (Amar et al. 2006, Hopkins & Kirby 2007, Hewson & Noble 2009, Hewson et al. 2011), as well as reduced floristic diversity (Fuller et al. 2005) and the loss of open woodland habitats associated with early successional growth (Fuller et al. 2007a, Quine et al. 2007). An increasing trend in average woodland age since the large-scale postwar afforestation of the late 1940s and 1950s (Hopkins & Kirby 2007, Mason 2007), as well as modification, reduction or cessation of management in many woods (Fuller et al. 2005, Amar et al. 2006) are usually agreed to be important factors driving such changes. In many cases, these issues may be compounded by the impact of increased browsing pressure from rising deer populations (Gill & Fuller 2007, Holt et al. 2011) and climate change (Leech & Crick 2007). Although the Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola (hereafter Woodcock) differs ecologically from most of the woodland birds considered in previous studies, it is likely to be susceptible to some of the factors thought to be responsible for their declines. Fuller et al. (2005) were unable to identify any strong hypotheses to account for a decline in Woodcock but they listed disturbance, reduction of the field ...
Migration is a critical period of time with fitness consequences for birds. The development of tracking technologies now allows researchers to examine how different aspects of bird migration affect population dynamics. Weather conditions experienced during migration are expected to influence movements and, subsequently, the timing of arrival and the energetic costs involved. We analysed satellite-tracking data from 68 Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola fitted with Argos satellite tags in the British Isles and France . First, we evaluated the effect of weather conditions (temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, atmospheric stability and visibility) on migration movements of individuals. Then we investigated the consequences for breeding success (age ratio) and brood precocity (early-brood ratio) population-level indices while accounting for climatic variables on the breeding grounds. Air temperature, wind and relative humidity were the main variables related to migration movements, with high temperatures and northward winds greatly increasing the probability of onward flights, whereas a trend towards greater humidity over 4 days decreased the probability of movement. Breeding success was mostly affected by climatic variables on the breeding grounds. The proportion of juveniles in autumn was negatively correlated with temperature in May, but positively correlated with precipitation in June and July. Brood precocity was poorly explained by the covariates used in this study. Our data for the Eurasian Woodcock indicate that, although weather conditions during spring migration affect migration movements, they do not have a major influence on subsequent breeding success.
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