Seed food preferences of granivorous farmland passerines

Abstract

Capsule Large buntings prefer cereal grains whilst sparrows also take oily seeds. Aims To determine seed food preferences of Tree Sparrow Passer montanus and Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra. Methods Forty seed choice experiments were conducted at two sites over two winters. In each experiment, two seed types were provided and the number of visits made by birds to each type was recorded over a set period. At one site, Tree Sparrows were colour-ringed, allowing choices made by individual birds to be recorded. Data were also collected for House Sparrow Passer domesticus, Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella and Reed Bunting E. schoeniclus. Results All five species fed intensively on cereal grain, and wheat and oats were consistently preferred to barley. Sparrows and Reed Buntings also took maize, which was avoided by Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer. Tree Sparrow exhibited a broad diet, selecting cereal grain and oily seeds including sunflower and oilseed rape, but rye-grass seed was almost completely avoided. Conclusion Cereal grain should be a key component of over-winter provision of seed for farmland passerines, especially when targeted at Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer. Oily seeds such as brassicas and sunflower will benefit species with more generalist diets, including Tree Sparrows.