NEST PREDATION, TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL BREEDING STRATEGY IN THE WOODCHAT SHRIKE LANIUS-SENATOR IN MEDITERRANEAN FRANCE

A low breeding success (36.5 %) due primarily to nest predation by mam mals, birds and reptiles has been found in the Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator at three study sites in Mediterranean France. Data collected f or 3 years on natural and artificial nests showed no year, time, seaso n or spatial effect on nest predation rate in this species. No particu lar spatial breeding, strategy is used, breeding success being no bett er at any nest site currently used along roadsides or far from roads. With respect to nest predation pressures, the best breeding strategy f or Woodchat Shrike should be to breed as early as possible at any suit able site within its territory. Nevertheless, the impact of high preda tion on the viability of the studied populations of this species canno t be fully explained by the large impact of habitat transformations (c losure of open, bushy grasslands) on current day populations. (C) Else vier, Paris.