Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus winter mortality in The Netherlands:The effect of severe weather and food supply

Wintering Oystercatchers in The Netherlands are concentrated in the Wadden Sea (c. 200 000), with substantial numbers in the Delta area (c. 90 000). Only 1% of the total wintering population is normally found along the North Sea coast. Cold-rushes under severe winter conditions lead to a reduction of wintering numbers in the Wadden Sea, and to increases ir,the Delta and along the North Sea coast. The mortality of wintering Oystercatchers in The Netherlands was studied on the basis of beached bird surveys along the coast of the North Sea and the Wadden Sea between 1969 and 1996. On the whole, t... Mehr ...