DOES NEST PREDATION AFFECT NEST-SITE SELECTION IN LARKS

Nest-site selection may affect nest predation rates, In this paper we analyse nest-site habitat selection in the Thekla and Lesser Short-toe d larks, and compare the habitats of successful and predated nests, Bo th species have a preference for safe sites, At present, however, ther e are not habitat differences between successful and predated nests, T his is probably because nest predation has acted as an extremely high selective pressure on ground nesting steppe birds, We may thus assume that nest placements which facilitate predation must have been elimina ted by this pressure in evolutive time.