NEST-SITE, LAYING PERIOD, AND BREEDING SUCCESS OF THE WOODCHAT SHRIKE(LANIUS SENATOR) IN MEDITERRANEAN FRANCE

Breeding habitats in Mediterranean France consist in open, dry grassla nds with a low and discontinuous grass layer and scattered bushes and trees. The choice of nest supports was largely opportunistic, the most abundant suitable nest support type (bush or tree) and the most abund ant species being present at each study site have been used. About 75% of the nests were placed at heights between 1 and 3 m. Laying period lasted from 9 May until 6 July (peak of first clutches: 21-30 May). Me an clutch size was 5.14 +/- 0.82 eggs (n = 114). Breeding success was independent from the site, the height and the concealment of nests. Me an survival rate of nests from laying to fledgling was 0.365. The main cause of low breeding success was high nest predation exerted by a ri ch guild of predators. The species is mainly threatened through dramat ic habitat shrinkage due to pastoralism reduction leading to closures of lightly bushed grasslands in Mediterranean France.