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Capsule: In a 461 km2 unenclosed upland landscape in south-west England, long-term breeding Whinchat Saxicola rubetra persistence is more likely in areas characterized by a mixture of Bracken Pteridium aquilinum, ericaceous vegetation, and very low tree densities, situated in steep-sided valleys at mid-altitudes, further from agriculturally improved grassland or arable. Aims: To establish the correlates of Whinchat breeding territory retention between 1979 and 2015–2022 in a declining upland population. Methods: Historical Whinchat territories (identified in 1979) were revisited to assess range occupancy, producing a lost (n = 104) and retained (n = 60) sample. Territory retention probability was modelled at local (100 × 100 m) and broad (500 × 500 m) scales against remotely sensed data and field habitat data measured in 2022. Results: At the local scale, territory retention probability was greater in steeper valleys, further from arable or agriculturally improved grassland, peaked at five trees per ha in a quadratic response, and where Bracken cover was greater. Bracken cover effects were enhanced when ericaceous vegetation was also present. At the broad scale, retention probability was again greater in steeper valleys, with greater Bracken cover, and at very low tree densities in a quadratic response (but the latter was not important at the bottom of steep-sided valleys). Retention also peaked at around 350–400 m elevation in a quadratic response at the broad scale. Conclusions: In this population in south-west England, steep-sided valleys at 350–400 m, with a light scattering of trees, situated further from intensive enclosed farmland are more likely to retain Whinchats long term. Within these areas, a mixed Bracken and ericaceous field-layer should be encouraged, and blanket afforestation avoided, although lower densities of native trees appear to be more tolerated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provision of critical ecosystem services like carbon sequestration by peatlands has been degraded around the globe. Peatland restoration represents an opportunity to tackle the twin global emergencies of climate breakdown and biodiversity decline. Nonetheless, restoration success relies on a sound understanding of recovery trajectories associated with different restoration techniques. Focusing on temperate/boreal Sphagnum‐dominated peatlands, we used a quantitative meta‐analysis of 28 studies representing 275 sites in 11 countries to test for effects of peatland status (intact, restored, and degraded), varying restoration interventions and time since restoration on vegetation as a key indicator of peatland condition and functioning. Enhanced restoration (such as active revegetation) resulted in recovery to predisturbance levels within 30–35 years for Sphagnum mosses, and 20–25 years for many other peatland specialist species, and was the only restoration approach where positive outcomes were seen across all vegetation response variables. The use of standard restoration techniques, such as rewetting, was projected to result in cover of Sphagnum mosses and peatland specialist plants reaching that of intact sites within 45–55 years post‐restoration. Passive restoration (cessation of the degrading activity with no active restoration) generally elicited limited recovery of keystone peatland vegetation (Sphagnum spp.) even after multiple decades. A lack of standardization in monitoring severely constrains the analysis of peatland restoration outcomes. Increased funding for monitoring and reporting outcomes, and improved monitoring consistency, could greatly enhance our understanding of peatland restoration ecology and improve practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsule:Across Britain, breeding Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataare less numerous and have shown greater population declines in areas with more arable farming, woodland cover and higher generalist predator abundance. Aims:We present the first national-scale analysis of the potential drivers of Curlew population change in Britain, which is needed to guide conservation action for this globally near-threatened, declining species. Methods:Breeding Bird Survey data and environmental predictors were used to model variation in Curlew abundance in 1995–99 and 2007–11, and population change between these periods. Results:Arable farming and woodland cover were negatively associated with Curlew abundance and population declines. Curlew abundance was positively associated with extent of protected area coverage and gamebird numbers. Abundance and population change were positively associated with cooler temperatures and higher summer rainfall, but negatively associated with numbers of generalist predators. Conclusions:We found support for the negative effects of intensive agriculture, forestry, increases in generalist predator populations and climate warming on Curlew abundance and population change. Effective site protection and measures to reduce generalist predator abundance may be important conservation measures, together with improving breeding habitat quality in the wider countryside. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this article, the authors discusses impact of hunting the bird Red Grouse on environment. Topics discussed include restriction of the bird to Great Britain; practices to manage the bird like killing its predators, maintaining its feed Heather by rotational burning, and routinely treating its disease; impact of these practices on environment like increase of other ground-nesting birds due to killing of predators, reduction in habitat of other deep nesting species due to burning.

Capsule No evidence for sustained declines in abundance or re-distribution of two key upland bird species on a wind farm site in the first three years of operation. Aims To describe changes in the abundance and distribution of birds on an upland wind farm during the first three years of operation. Methods Surveys to map the distribution of breeding birds were conducted at the wind farm and a nearby control site in 2006 and 2009. Results Only Willow Ptarmigan (Red Grouse) Lagopus lagopus scotica and European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria were sufficiently numerous for analysis. There was no significant difference in the change in abundance of either species between the wind farm and control site, and no evidence that changes in the species' distribution were related to wind farm infrastructure. Conclusions Upland wind farms may not necessarily result in declines in bird populations in the operational phase. Similar studies across a range of sites should be conducted and published to examine the factors that determine the response of birds to particular developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsule No strong determinants of patch selection were found in set-aside; in cereal fields tractor tramlines were favoured. Aims To examine and compare the factors influencing patch selection by Yellowhammers foraging for nestling food in set-aside and cereals. Methods Observations of adults provisioning nestlings were made at 21 nests on lowland mixed farmland in northeast Scotland. Vegetation measurements and arthropod abundance from mapped foraging sites were compared with control sites within the same habitats. Results In set-aside, no differences in vegetation and arthropods were found between foraging and control sites. In cereal fields, tractor tramlines with sparser vegetation than cropped areas were favoured. Conclusions Set-aside typically offers a heterogeneous sward and birds foraging within this may be less restricted in their choice of accessible foraging sites, relative to the dense swards of intensively managed cereal crops. Recent policy changes have resulted in the reconversion of set-aside to more intensive cereal cropping; this may reduce the availability of beneficial foraging habitat for farmland birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsule Foraging sites with low vegetation height and density, but with high arthropod biomass, are selected. Aims To test the hypothesis that on intensively grazed moorland, breeding Meadow Pipits forage for nestling food where arthropod prey are most readily available, and therefore that foraging site choice is a function of prey abundance and vegetation structure. Methods Observations of adults provisioning nestlings were made from hides positioned close to 1 9 nests within grazed, 3.3-hectare experimental plots at Glen Finglas, Scotland. Vegetation height and density and arthropod abundance from mapped foraging sites were compared with control sites. Prey items fed to nestlings were quantified and compared with their relative abundance. Results Meadow Pipits selected foraging sites with significantly lower vegetation height and density, but with significantly higher arthropod biomass. Our data suggest that within foraging sites, Meadow Pipits select particular prey types to provision nestlings, in particular, Lepidoptera larvae, adult Tipulidae and Arachnida. Conclusions In intensively grazed upland systems, it appears that Meadow Pipits select foraging sites that optimize total food abundance and accessibility. In order to understand how anticipated changes to livestock farming in Europe will affect grassland birds, we recommend that future studies should investigate the foraging and vigilance behaviour, diet composition and breeding success of a variety of bird species provisioning nestlings under a range of livestock management scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Acting to preserve biodiversity can involve harming individual animals. It has recently been argued that conventional practice has placed too much emphasis on the preservation of collective entities, such as populations and species, at the expense of suffering for individuals. At least some advocates of the 'Compassionate Conservation' movement find any deployment of lethal measures in the interests of conservation to be unacceptable. This shifts the balance of priorities too far. While conservationists have a duty to minimise harm, and to use non-lethal measures where feasible, there will be serious implications for conservation if this movement were to be widely influential. Furthermore, the 'do-no-harm' maxim the compassionate conservationists advocate does not always promote the welfare of individual animals. Human activity affecting the welfare of wild vertebrates, widely accepted to be sentient, and therefore deserving of moral concern, is widespread. A variety of motives lead to the killing of individual wild animals. These include to provide food, to protect stock and other human interests, and also for sport. The acceptability of such killing is widely believed to vary with the motive and method. Individual vertebrates are also killed by conservationists. Whether securing conservation goals is an adequate reason for such killing has recently been challenged. Conventional conservation practice has tended to prioritise ecological collectives, such as populations and species, when their interests conflict with those of individuals. Supporters of the 'Compassionate Conservation' movement argue both that conservationists have neglected animal welfare when such conflicts arise and that no killing for conservation is justified. We counter that conservationists increasingly seek to adhere to high standards of welfare, and that the extreme position advocated by some supporters of 'Compassionate Conservation', rooted in virtue ethics, would, if widely accepted, lead to considerable negative effects for conservation. Conservation practice cannot afford to neglect consequences. Moreover, the do-no-harm maxim does not always lead to better outcomes for animal welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-established statistical methods exist to estimate variation in a number of key demographic rates from field data, including life-history transition probabilities and reproductive success per attempt. However, our understanding of the processes underlying population change remains incomplete without knowing the number of reproductive attempts individuals make annually; this is a key demographic rate for which we have no satisfactory method of estimating. Using census data to estimate this parameter from requires disaggregating the overlying temporal distributions of first and subsequent breeding attempts. We describe a Bayesian mixture method to estimate the annual number of reproductive attempts from field data to provide a new tool for demographic inference. We validate our method using comprehensive data on individually-marked song sparrows Melospiza melodia, and then apply it to more typical nest record data collected over 45 years on yellowhammers Emberiza citrinella. We illustrate the utility of our method by testing, and rejecting, the hypothesis that declines in UK yellowhammer populations have occurred concurrently with declines in annual breeding frequency.