Survival of black-tailed godwit chicks Limosa limosa in intensively exploited grassland areas in The Netherlands

Abstract

The Netherlands is a stronghold for the breeding population of the black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa. Due to intensive mowing, survival of chicks is usually assumed to be very low. In a study in intensively exploited dairy farm grasslands the number of chicks fledged was about 0·3–0·6 per breeding pair, which is probably too low to maintain current population levels. Until the end of June, families with chicks stayed mainly in ‘herb-rich’ fields with either short or tall grass. Just-hatched chicks ran the greatest risk from mowing (38–95% killed), while most of the older chicks were able to escape (5–45% killed). The number of chicks present during mowing could be significantly reduced by putting plastic bag ‘flags’ in the fields one day before mowing. Areas where nests were marked with garden canes or the use of wire mesh guards in cattle-grazed fields had similar fledging success as those in nature reserves or so-called managed areas.