Abstract
Supplementary feeding of ungulates, being widely used in game management, may have unwanted consequences. Its role in agricultural damage is well-studied, but few studies have considered the potential for the practice to attract ground nest predators. Our goal was to identify the factors influencing ground nest predation in the vicinity of year-round supplementary feeding sites for wild boar and to characterise their spatiotemporal scope. We conducted two separate artificial ground nest experiments in five different hunting districts in south-eastern Estonia. The quantity of food provided and distance of a nest from the feeding site were the most important factors determining predation risk. Larger quantities of food resulted in higher predation risk, while predation risk responded in a non-linear fashion to distance from the feeding site. Although predation risk eventually decreases if supplementary feeding is ceased for at least four years, recently abandoned feeding sites still pose a high predation risk.
Highlights
During recent decades, wild boar (Sus scrofa) abundance has increased throughout Europe [1,2,3]
The quantity of supplemental food provided at wild boar feeding sites was the most important factor predicting nest predation in our experiment
This effect occurred at a scale of up to 600 m from the feeding site, and not just in the immediate vicinity of the site
Summary
Wild boar (Sus scrofa) abundance has increased throughout Europe [1,2,3]. Some earlier studies have addressed the effect of supplemental food or prey on nest predation in various systems. The effect of supplementary feeding of wild boar on ground nest depredation of free ranging birds has not previously been studied. Unlike native predators, have the potential to increase depredation impact on forest-dwelling grouse [34,35]. The high load of wild boar and other predators that are supported by extensive supplementary feeding can increase the overall predation impact on free-ranging birds [36]. Little is known about the lasting effects of supplementary feeding sites, when food is no longer provided and the impact of wild boar predation on free-ranging ground-nesting birds. Nest depredation is similar in the vicinity of control plots and abandoned feeding sites, because wild boar should not be attracted to such sites when food is not present
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