Time budgets and foraging of breeding golden plover Pluvialis apricaria

1. The golden plover Pluvialis apricaria is of high conservation concern in Europe. Previous studies have concentrated on how birds utilize moorland. We used radio-telemetry to study their habitat selection and behaviour, dur ing both night and day, in an upland landscape of enclosed fields and moorl and in county Durham, UK. 2. During incubation adult golden plover fed principally in enclosed fields 1.1-3.7 km from their moorland nests, but spent less than 5% of their fora ging time on moorland. In contrast, birds with broods spent around 85% of t heir time foraging on moorland. 3. Birds on moorland selected calcareous grassland and avoided old stands o f dense tall heather (> c. 12 cm). Younger, shorter (< c. 5-8 cm), sparser heather was used as much as would be expected by chance. Mires of harestail cotton grass Eriophorum vaginatum, the dominant community type when heathe r Calluna vulgaris is heavily grazed, was selected on both moorland sites. 4. Only 17 of 85 fields in the study area were used for foraging by breedin g golden plover. The number of molehills, a reported indicator of earthworm abundance, was the best single variable explaining field choice. Both fiel d size and distance from road had small but significant effects on field ch oice. 5. We advocate that groups of enclosed fields regularly used by golden plov er during the breeding season be afforded specific protection under conserv ation schemes (e.g. environmentally sensitive area agreements). Conservatio nists wishing to locate such fields should look for areas with high earthwo rm populations, as indicated by molehills, close (< 4 km) to breeding popul ations of golden plover. Rank heather on flat or gently sloping ground shou ld be kept short by appropriate burning or grazing. Areas of calcareous gra ssland should be preserved. 6. These data illustrate the value of detailed radio-telemetry in informing equally detailed habitat management for important bird species.