Low productivity of curlews Numenius arquata in southern Finland: causes and consequences

Författare

  • J. Valkama
  • D. Currie

Abstract

We monitored population changes and breeding success of Curlews Numenius arquata in a 18 km2 arable farmland area in southwestern Finland over a four-year period (1995-1998). During this time, the breeding population decreased from 30 to 23 pairs (23% decline) . The majority of breeding failures took place during the incubation (57/ 84, 68%), and further losses occurred during chick rearing period as a result of which only 20% (17/84) ofverified breeding attempts produced fledglings . There were 17 pairs (more than half of the breeding population) that failed in their breeding attempts every year . The overall reproductive success was 0.32 fledglings/pair, which was calculated to be too low to maintain astable population . Nest predation (81%) and nest losses due to agricultural practices (16%) were the most important reasons for failed breeding attempts . We suggest that continual breeding failures (especially due to nest predation) may be the most important reason for the observed decline of Curlew populations in southern Finland.
Sektion
Research articles

Publicerad

1999-07-01

Referera så här

Valkama, J., & Currie, D. (1999). Low productivity of curlews Numenius arquata in southern Finland: causes and consequences. Ornis Fennica, 76(2), 65–70. Hämtad från https://ornisfennica.journal.fi/article/view/133499