Breeding biology and ecology of Whinchat Saxicola rubetra on abandoned farmland of Opole Province (SW Poland)

Abstract

In 2003-2007 the breeding biology and ecology of Whinchat Saxicola rubetra were investigated on the 500 ha mosaic agricultural landscape (cropland, abandoned cropland, meadows, pastures and young pine plantations) in SW Poland. In the area of uncultivated fields, meadows and pine plantations 36, 34, 31, 27 and 28 pairs bred consecutively in particular seasons of the study period. Most nests were situated in the abandoned fields in the grass and tansy Tanacetum vulgare. In the studied population the median date of egg-laying commencement fell on the 16 JD May. The first young fledged at the end of May. The average clutch size was 6.2 eggs (SD=0.8). The hatching success amounted to 76%. The average breeding success was 4.17 (n=117, SD=2.62) per nest, and 5.6 (n=87, SD=1.04) per successful pair. The overall breeding success was 74.1% (Mayfield method). The main reason behind the brood loss was predation (76.7% of all losses).

Nestling diet optimization and condition in relation to prey attributes and breeding patch size in a patch-resident insectivorous passerine: an optimal continuum and habitat constraints

“…In our study population the average distance of a flight from the nest by parent Whinchats was 33 m [±SD 21.2 m, range 4-80 m (Frankiewicz 2008)]. This value was smaller compared with previous data for Whinchats foraging in extensive grasslands in Sweden [43.8 m (Andersson 1981)] or Alpine meadows in Switzerland [42.2-54.7 m (Britschgi et al 2006)].…”

“…500-ha area of agricultural landscape in south-west Poland (Frankiewicz 2008(Frankiewicz , 2010(Frankiewicz , 2015. The dominant form of land use in the region was arable, with crop fields covering about 87-93 % of the total area studied.…”

“…Within the study area Whinchats breed in narrow, elongated abandoned fields, dissected by numerous field margins, fallow fields and plantations of young trees, usually not exceeding 30 m in width. In 2003-2007, a total of 246 occupied territories (including those of territorial single males which occupied their territories for more than 2 weeks) and 117 nests of Whinchats were found in the study area on 44 different abandoned fields, the optimal habitat for the species (Frankiewicz 2008(Frankiewicz , 2010. Three types of plant associations (based on Matuszkiewicz 2005) could be discerned on the abandoned fields where the Whinchats bred: Artemisia-Tanacetum vulgaris (54 % of all abandoned fields), Convolvulus arvensis-Agropyron repens (23 %) and Koeleria glauca-Corynephorus canescens (1 %).…”

The importance of altitude and aspect for breeding WhinchatsSaxicola rubetrain the uplands: limitations of the uplands as a refuge for a declining, formerly widespread species?

“…Within the Ochil Hills study area, no influence of the measured habitat was apparent on the likelihood of an area being occupied by Whinchats. At the time of the survey, this site with ungrazed and a developing ground vegetation would be comparable to abandoned, derelict or fallow farmland that can be favoured by Whinchats elsewhere in Europe (Ruttledge & Scott 1978, Frankiewicz 2008, Orowski 2010 with the additional advantage of abundant song perches and vantage points for foraging in the form of young planted trees. Given the relatively high density of territories within the study area, it can be assumed that overall conditions were favourable for them.…”

“…Whinchats Saxicola rubetra are an example of one species that was formerly widespread across European lowlands where it was considered to be a bird typical of semi-natural grasslands and meadows. In many areas it is now confined to upland meadows, where grass cutting dates have not advanced as a result of agricultural intensification (Müller et al 2005, Bolliger et al 2007, Broyer 2009), and also abandoned or derelict agricultural land provides extensive areas of uncut grassland (Frankiewicz 2008, Orowski 2010. Increased nest losses and greater mortality of incubating females attributable to the earlier cutting of meadows (Gruebler et al 2008) and reduced food availability (Britschgi et al 2006) have been identified as causal mechanisms produced by agricultural intensification that have lead to population declines and range contractions of Whinchats.…”