Diet of nestling Corn Buntings Miliaria calandra in southern England examined by compositional analysis of faeces

The diet of nestling Corn Buntings Miliaria calandra was assessed by examin ing 173 faeces collected from 39 broods on the South Downs in West Sussex. All faeces contained the remains of invertebrates and virtually all contain ed cereal grains. Arachnida (Araneae and Opiliones), Orthoptera, Lepidopter a (larvae), Symphyta (larvae) and Coleoptera (mainly adults) accounted for about 95% of the 720 invertebrates counted. There was no evidence that chic k diet changed between 3 and 7 days after hatching. Late broods were fed mo re Orthoptera than early ones, the relative proportion of other dietary com ponents remaining similar during the nesting season. In wet weather, faeces contained a higher proportion of grain. Even if decreases in chick food in vertebrates over the last 25 years did not contribute to the decline of the Corn Bunting, they might hamper population recovery.