Lapwings Hatched on Arable Fields Are Not Raised There

Bird On! Abstract
12th April 1997

Olof Johansson and Donald Blomqvist (Journal of Applied Ecology: 33, 1030-1040) have followed colour ringed broods of Lapwing in SW Sweden and have found that they birds were often reared in habitats other than the ones where they were hatched. The broods home range was centred between 7 and 332 metres from their nest sites.

These home ranges favoured coastal pastures (and sometimes the shore) rather than arable fields and moist pastures. These are sensible options for the chicks as sampling shows that there is more food available for them. They suggest that the intensification of agriculture through Europe has depleted the special habitats (like coastal pastures) and therefore reduced the survival of the young and, ultimately the numbers of adults.