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In this article the author discusses the global growth in policy supporting the planting of bioenergy crops to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. The authors argue that the effort is important for bird conservation and agriculture in the continent. The authors view that if using the knowledge regarding causes of loss of biodiversity from agricultural systems to ensure bird conservation is a success, it could be a turning point in 2010.

Factors affecting the diet, body condition and growth rates of Skylark chicks were assessed to examine their relationship to their agricultural environment during a critical period in the life cycle of this rapidly declining species. Rainfall explained the greatest amount of variation in body condition and growth rates and had a negative effect on both. Body condition indices were a good predictor of the likelihood of future partial brood loss to starvation. Low body condition in grass fields was related to a low diversity in the diet. Chicks fed insect larvae had higher body condition indices than those not fed larvae. Larger broods tended to have higher growth rates than smaller ones, whereas smaller broods tended to have higher body condition indices. Natural brood size reduction through the non-hatching of eggs resulted in higher body condition indices than were found in nests with the same number of chicks where all eggs hatched, this effect being independent of absolute brood size. There was no significant difference between crop types in the distance adult birds flew to forage for food for nestlings and foraging crop destination had no effect on chick development. Differences between crop types in chick diet could be related to the documented effects of pesticides on different prey species. We suggest that recent agricultural changes have affected diet and possibly body condition, but that these effects are unlikely to have been an important factor in recent population declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tests the null hypothesis that Sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus selected overwintering Redshanks Tringa totanus independently of body size and condition. Study during a 10-year study at two adjacent Scottish sites; Absence of difference in wing length, leg length and bill length between Redshanks killed by Sparrowhawks and the Redshank population.