Habitat composition and use in the lesser grey shrike Lanius minor

The importance of habitat choice, habitat composition and territory size fo r reproductive success in the lesser grey shrike, a highly endangered bird species all over Europe was investigated. Territory size varied significant ly but did not determine breeding success. Territories revealed a high habi tat diversity, with meadows being the most important habitat type, but all territories also contained considerable areas of bare ground. A preference index actually revealed that bare ground is the most preferred habitat type at the beginning of the breeding period whereas, during chick feeding, mow ed meadows were clearly preferred. Access to insect food seems the key fact or for these preferences. The tree species used for nesting varied consider ably between 1996 and 1999 and variation in the development of foliage cove r seems to be the determinant for changing preferences in nest tree selecti on. Although lesser grey shrikes clearly preferred some habitat types, we c ould not find an influence of habitat variables on territory selection and breeding success. The reason may be that the study area offers, in general, optimal conditions for all breeding pairs and the small differences in ter ritory quality may be negligible.