The influence of crop rotations and field size on a wintering lapwing v. Vanellus population in an area of mixed farmland in west sussex

Abstract

The feeding and roosting behaviour of a wintering population of Lapwings was studied on mixed farmland in West Sussex. For feeding, Lapwings selected cereal crops following leys and, to a lesser extent, grass fields and cereals following oil-seed rape. They largely avoided fields that had been continuously in cereals for 3 years or more and other tilled habitats. Cereals following leys and grass fields were better feeding sites and fields in cereals for 3 or more years were the worst. The birds showed a strong tendency to select for feeding the fields that were the most rewarding. Most of the diet comprised surface-dwelling invertebrates rather than earthworms but the proportions by weight could not be estimated. Crop rotations and management were the primary factors influencing selection of feeding sites. Roosting sites differed sharply from feeding sites: The most favoured habitat was old pastures. They were also strongly influenced by field size, roosting flocks of any size preferring fields of above average size. But the size of roosting flocks was not related to the size of field used. Field size apparently did not influence selection of feeding sites. © 1988 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.