Foraging habitat selection by yellowhammers (Emberiza citrinella) nesting in agriculturally contrasting regions in lowland England

Fine-scale habitat use by yellowhammers (Emberiza citrinella), searching fo r food to provision nestlings was compared in three agriculturally contrast ing regions of lowland England. Log-linear modelling was used to test for s ignificant overall variation in habitat use and significant differences in relative use between pairs of habitats. Yellowhammers provisioned nestlings non-randomly with respect to habitat availability. Habitat selection was f ound to be generally consistent across the three regions; field boundary st ructures and barley crops were the most selected foraging habitats, while i ntensively-managed grass fields were avoided relative to virtually all othe r habitats. The observed patterns of habitat selection are likely to result from an interaction of food abundance and varying accessibility to food, m ediated by sward structure. The geographical generality of the results allo ws reasons to be suggested for the recent rapid population decline of the s pecies and general conservation recommendations to be made with respect to lowland farmland. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.