Effects of Agricultural Practices on Field Use by Invertebrate-Feeding Birds in Winter

Abstract

1. Farmland in Britain supports large populations of invertebrate-feeding birds in winter. However, little is known about the effects of agricultural practices on the birds'use of individual fields or their food resources. This study aimed to assess the effects of farming practices on field choice by wintering birds in an area of mixed farmland in the Vale of Aylesbury, England. For methodological reasons, birds smaller than redwing (Turdus iliacus) were not considered. 2. Permanent grass fields supported the highest densities of most of the invertebratefeeding birds and were preferred throughout the winder. Cereal stubble and ley fields supported moderate densities of some birds but were generally avoided