Predation on meadowbirds in The Netherlands : results of a four-year study

Meadowbird populations in The Netherlands are under great pressure. Recently, predation is named increasingly often as one of the key factors in contributing to the declines. A four-year research project (2001-2005) aimed to collect (as yet mostly nonexisting) data to provide a factual basis for this discussion. A country-wide inventory based on data for wader nests found by volunteers who mark nests for their protection from grazing/mowing indicated that above-average predation losses are found predominantly in the half-open landscapes of northern and eastern Netherlands, but also locally in... Mehr ...