Shift in crop preference during the breeding season by Yellow Wagtails Motacilla flava flava on arable farms in The Netherlands

Abstract Dutch farmland bird populations are in steep decline as a result of agricultural intensification. The Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava flava) is one of those species, but its decrease has mainly occurred in grasslands, with its population in arable areas remaining more or less stable. In contrast, populations of other typical birds of arable habitats, such as the Skylark (Alauda arvensis) and Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix), are declining strongly in this habitat type. The favorable status of the Yellow Wagtail is probably caused by the crop-mosaic composition of arable farms in The Net... Mehr ...