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Livestock grazing and trampling of birds’ nests: an experiment using artificial nests

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to experimentally determine the differences between four grazing treatments on the trampling of nests. Additionally, we examine to what extent the trampling probability of nests is higher close to a source of fresh water. We compare the trampling of artificial nests in five different grazing treatments in an experimental design. We use buried clay pigeon targets as artificial mimics of bird nests to obtain reliable estimates of trampling risk and compare these with real nests. We find that horses trample significantly more artificial nests than cattle resulting in lower survival rates of artificial nests under horse grazing than under cattle grazing. For both horses and cattle, we find a clear trend, approaching significance, towards more trampling at higher numbers of livestock. We found that more artificial nests are trampled closer to a freshwater tank. The survival probability of artificial nests in cattle grazed treatments in this study is found to be in the same range as real nests in the study area and very close to the survival probability of Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) nests under cattle grazing in a different system. We recommend that horses should not be used as grazers for management purposes in areas with high densities of birds’ nests in order to minimize the risk of nests being trampled. Additionally, we confirm that the location of freshwater tanks has an important effect on the distribution of livestock and hence on trampling of nests.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank It Fryske Gea for making this study logistically possible and for allowing this study to be conducted on their salt marsh. We thank Pieter-Wytze Venema and Vinh Banh for invaluable help in data collection. Use of data collected by Steffi Nolte and Christa van der Weyde is highly appreciated. Esther Chang, Roel van Klink, Elske Koppenaal and Steffi Nolte provided helpful comments on different parts of this manuscript. The study was funded by the ‘Waddenfonds’

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Community and Conservation Ecology Group (COCON), Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies (CEES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700, CC, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Freek S. Mandema & Jan P. Bakker

  2. Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies (CEES), University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700, CC, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Joost M. Tinbergen

  3. SOVON, Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, P.O. Box 6521, 6503, GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Bruno J. Ens

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  1. Freek S. Mandema
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  2. Joost M. Tinbergen
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  3. Bruno J. Ens
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  4. Jan P. Bakker
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Correspondence to Freek S. Mandema.

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Mandema, F.S., Tinbergen, J.M., Ens, B.J. et al. Livestock grazing and trampling of birds’ nests: an experiment using artificial nests. J Coast Conserv 17, 409–416 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-013-0239-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-013-0239-2

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