Habitat use and foraging ecology of the nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) in the Swiss Alps: towards a conservation scheme

The European nightjar is one of the most endangered bird species in Switzer land. As its ecology in the country is poorly understood, we collected data on resource exploitation in the upper Rhone valley (Alps). The diet of two adult birds and one nestling consisted primarily of moths (81 and 93% of b iomass), which were also the most abundant prey sampled at the study site. Three radiotracked nightjars selectively exploited oak scrubland compared t o vineyards and pine forests, vineyard monocultures harbour presumably insu fficient moth populations, whereas dense pine stands probably do not provid e the flying and foraging requirements of nightjars. The survival of nightj ars in Valais probably depends both on the existence of sufficient populati ons of moths and on the availability of semi-open natural habitats, such as oak scrubland, which seem to offer the best suitable foraging and nesting places. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.